Podcast – The Stressed Out Caregiver: Recent Episodes
Long term care insurance is a great benefit. It can go a long way towards reducing the cost of your loved one’s long term care. But if your loved one has long term care insurance do they need to protect their money from the cost of their long term care? The answer is usually yes. You want to be proactive and protect their money from the cost of long term care. And, believe it or not, their long term care insurance is a great tool for helping you do that.
Listen to this episode to learn how long term care insurance can help in this situation.
Thanks so much and I will talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 171 – If Your Loved One Has Long Term Care Insurance Do They Still Need to Protect Money from the Cost of Their Long Term Care? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Protecting money from the cost of long term care costs is definitely doable. There are a lot of strategies available to help you achieve that goal. However, there are also a lot of traps and pitfalls that can result in difficult financial situations.
A big trap for many people is thinking that money in a joint account is protected from the cost of their loved one’s long term care. This strategy works sometimes. But not as much as you might think. Listen to this episode to learn more about this issue so you can work to avoid really big potential problems.
I hope this information is helpful and points you in the right direction.
Talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 170 – Is Money in a Joint Bank Account Protected From the Cost of Long Term Care? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Medicaid rules are different in every state. This is a trap that snags a lot of people. Medicaid is a federal program that administered by the individual states. That means each state can create the rules as long as they follow the framework established by the federal government. That means what might work in one state might not work in another. Listen to this podcast episode to learn more about this important issue and how you can work around it.
I hope this helps – Medicaid is too important not to know this.
Thanks and all the best.
Casey
The post 169 – Medicaid Rules Are Different in Every State appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
A lot of people have asked if I could share a little about myself. So, I’ve dedicated this episode to explaining who I am, what I do, why this podcast is important to me and how I can help you when you’re caring for an aging parent, spouse or elderly loved one. I hope you enjoy this and invite everyone to email me with any questions you might have about me or any topics you would like to hear discussed in a future podcast episode.
Thanks so much for listening today.
Talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 168 – Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself – Who is Casey Price? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Your loved one needs an advocate if they are receiving long term care. But, advocating can be hard. You want to push their care providers to give them the best possible care but, at the same time, you don’t want to upset them and risk how they will treat your loved one.
This episode discusses the fear of pushing too hard when you’re advocating for your loved one. I share what I’ve learned about this over the past twenty years. I hope it will empower you to be the best possible advocate for your loved one.
Thanks for listening and good luck!
Casey
The post 167 – Don’t Be Intimidated Advocating for Your Elderly Loved One – The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
How do you know when your loved one needs help? What signs can you look for? How do you know what care they need? Assessing their activities of daily living – both basic and instrumental – provides a lot of helpful information.
Listen to this episode of the podcast to learn what activities of daily living are and how they can help you plan care for your aging parent, spouse or elderly loved one.
Thanks very much and I will talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 166 – What are Activities of Daily Living? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
People want to make sure their loved one is getting the best possible care around the clock. One way to check on this is to visit them often. It’s easy during normal visiting hours. It’s more difficult after hours – when the doors are locked and there’s no one there to greet you.
In this episode I discuss this issue and touch on some alternatives to stopping by in the middle of the night. I hope it helps.
Thanks so much for listening!
Casey
The post 165 – Can I Visit My Elderly Loved One Any Time Day or Night in the Long Term Care Community? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Contracts are scary. If your loved one ever moves into an assisted living community they will have to sign an agreement. The community might want you to sign too. This is where you have to be really careful. Depending on what you sign it’s very possible to obligate yourself and your money to pay for your loved one’s care.
Today I’m going to discuss representative payees in the assisted living context. What is it and why you probably want to avoid ever becoming one.
I hope this helps to protect your money.
Thanks!
Casey
The post 164 – What is a Representative Payee in an Assisted Living or Nursing Home Admission Agreement? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Choosing a sub-acute rehab facility is difficult. Everyone wants the best for their loved one. So how do you select the best possible sub-acute rehab facility for your loved one? It’s not as hard as you think. Listen to today’s episode to hear my answer.
I hope this episode helps you deal with a difficult situation.
Thanks so much for listening.
Casey
The post 163 – How to Pick the Best Sub-Acute Rehab Facility for Your Elderly Loved One appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Children are often the primary caregivers for their elderly parents. Many children take time off from work and cost themselves money to provide the care their parent needs. This leads to a common question – can an elderly parent pay their caregiver child? While it is possible and, in some places, common, it can potentially lead to problems with Medicaid.
In this episode I discuss this issue and things you need to be aware of if your elderly loved one is going to pay you for the care you’re providing.
I hope this helps.
Casey
The post 162 – Can a Someone Get Paid to Provide Care to Their Aging Parent or Elderly Loved One? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Privacy is important to everyone. Our loved one’s financial status is no one’s business but theirs.
A lot of people are concerned that their loved one’s financial information will become public if they ever need long term care Medicaid. Today on the podcast I discuss who actually knows when someone goes on Medicaid. I hope this answers your questions and relieves any fears you might have about this issue.
Thanks so much and I will talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 161 – Does Everyone in the Assisted Living Community or Nursing Home Know That My Loved One’s on Medicaid? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
I take the position that there’s no difference in the care provided to someone in an assisted living community or nursing home on Medicaid versus someone paying for care privately. But, it’s still possible to improve your loved one’s care. You can take some affirmative steps to help them get the best possible care.
Today on the podcast I discuss my number one strategy aimed at helping someone get the best possible care in this situation. This could be very helpful to everyone with a loved one on Medicaid. I sincerely hope it helps you.
Let me know if you have any questions – you can email me at casey@thestressedoutcaregiver.com.
Thanks for listening and I’ll talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 160 – How to Get the Best Care Possible for a Loved One on Medicaid in an Assisted Living Community or Nursing Home appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
There’s a common misconception that when someone needs Medicaid. People think there are horrible Medicaid only alternatives. These are supposedly the worst facilities in the area and only take those people who are out of money and on Medicaid.
Fortunately, this is not what really happens. People on Medicaid receive great care – just like those paying privately. Listen to this episode to learn more about Medicaid benefits in a long term care community.
Thanks for listening and I will talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 159 – Is There Such a Thing as a Medicaid Nursing Home or Medicaid Assisted Living Community? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Elder care is complicated. It can feel like you’re stuck in a whirlwind. But it can be made easier. If you have a system or a process to deal with the overall situation it can be manageable. You can bring order to the chaos.
In this podcast episode I discuss the three building blocks of elder care. This approach has helped me and many others get a good handle on the situation when it comes to caring for an elderly loved one. I think it can help you too.
Thanks so much for listening and all the best.
Casey
The post 158 – The Three Building Blocks of Elder Care appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
When someone has Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia their brains are damaged. As the disease progresses the damage in their brains gets worse. The person looks mostly the same on the outside but there are significant changes on the inside.
We often assume our loved ones dealing with cognitive impairment are the same person they always were. They don’t look any different – there’s no noticeable change – so it’s hard to comprehend how much they’re changing. We expect them to act like they person they always were – like the person who raised us or the person we always knew. But we can’t do that because they’ve changed.
In this episode we discuss how we need to change our expectations. Their reality has changed and so has ours. We can’t make them better but we can make them more comfortable wherever they are.
I hope this helps episode helps you enjoy your time with your loved one a little more than you did before.
Thanks so much for listening!
Casey
The post 157 – Realistic Expectations for Our Loved Ones with Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Types of Dementia appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
There are a lot of hoops you have to jump through when someone needs long term care Medicaid benefits. One trap in many states is a monthly income cap. If your loved one has income in excess of the state’s income cap they could be financially ineligible for Medicaid benefits. Fortunately, however, many states have adopted Qualified Income Trusts, otherwise known as a QIT or a Miller Trust. Using a qualified income trust can help your loved one get Medicaid benefits even if their income exceeds the state’s monthly income cap.
Listen to this episode of the podcast to learn how a qualified income trust can help your loved one achieve Medicaid eligibility.
Thanks so much and all the best!
Casey
P.S. Remember that nothing in this podcast episode is legal advice. This episode is information to help you identify issues as you help your elderly loved one. Thanks again!
The post 156 – What is a Qualified Income Trust? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
When most people hear the word therapy they automatically think of physical therapy. But there are other types of therapy besides physical therapy. Two other types of therapy are occupational therapy and speech therapy.
Today we are going to look into the difference between physical therapy and occupational therapy. These are two very important types of therapy that will help your loved one to regain and maintain independence and the highest possible quality of life.
I hope this answers some of you questions.
Thanks for listening!
Casey
The post 155 – What is the Difference Between Physical and Occupational Therapy? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Sub-acute rehab is one of the most important benefits available to our elderly loved ones. It provides physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy services after a hospital stay. This benefit can be the difference between maintaining independence and losing it.
Learn more about this benefit including how to qualify for it and who will pay for it in this episode.
Thanks so much and all the best.
Casey
The post 154 – What is Sub-Acute Rehab? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
How can your elderly loved one’s money from the cost of their long term care? The answer is to spend their money to provide them with long term care!
This doesn’t make any sense though, does it? Let me explain…
Giving them the care they need when they need it greatly reduces the probability they will need higher level care – costing significantly more dollars – sooner than absolutely necessary. Listen to the podcast. I’ll explain this issue in much more detail.
This one could save you a lot of money – I hope it helps.
Thanks!
Casey
The post 153 – Spend Money to Save Money When Caring for Your Elderly Loved One appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
How much does it cost to move into a long term care community? The answer depends on the community. Some have up front costs and others don’t. In today’s show I examine some of the up front costs at long term care communities including the concept of a “Buy In.”
I hope this makes things easier for you.
Thanks!
Casey
The post 152 – What Is a “Buy In” at a Long Term Care Community? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
There are a number of ways to describe assisted living communities. Some people call them cruise ships that never leave the dock while others say they’re like being in a college dormitory. Either way there’s usually something there for everyone. But there are a few things to consider.
In today’s episode I discuss the issue of boredom in the assisted living community. Some things you want to be aware of to make sure your loved one has the best possible experience.
Thanks so much for listening!
Casey
The post 151 – Will My Loved One Be Bored in an Assisted Living Community? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Is your loved one happy or are they just going through the motions? Do they have anything to do or to look forward to?
In this episode I discuss two very simple yet powerful questions that give great insight into your loved one’s quality of life. It’s most applicable to people receiving care at home but if slightly modified works well for people in other living environments.
I hope you find this helpful and with you nothing but the best.
Casey
The post 150 – Two Questions That Give Tremendous Insight Into Your Elderly Loved One’s Quality of Life appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
There are many different levels of care available to people as they age. Two of the least well known are independent senior living communities and assisted living communities. However, these are two great options for people who want a community setting.
These options fit the need for people who want more than just their own home or apartment but don’t need nursing home level care. That’s a big window but they fit the bill most of the time.
This is one of those episodes that seems like it’s just a description of two living/care options but it could have a huge impact in your loved one’s quality of life. I hope you find it helpful.
Thanks so much.
Casey
The post 149 – What’s the Difference Between Independent Senior Living Communities and Assisted Living Communities? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
You’re the caregiver for an aging parent, spouse or elderly loved one dealing with issues associated with aging. You’re learning what to do on the fly – and it isn’t easy. Along the way things will come up and the answer won’t be obvious. You’ll wonder to yourself if there’s something more you can do.
At times like these it’s easy to assume the worst. Either there’s no answer or there’s nothing good that could help your loved one.
Unfortunately, however, these assumptions are often wrong. There is an answer or a solution to the issue you’re dealing with. It’s out there somewhere. You just have to know what to ask and then find the right people.
Listen to this episode to learn more about this issue.
Thanks and I will talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 148 – The Answer to Every Elder Care Challenge is Out There appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
When someone is in a rehab center or hospital their care plan needs to be adjusted. Care solutions need to be modified. You are ready to do whatever’s needed to help your loved one in that situation.
You look to the elder care professionals helping your loved one for advice. Frequently they determine that your elderly loved one can’t go home. But is that the end? Does their opinion rule the day?
You don’t have to accept that your loved one can’t go home. In many situations going home is possible. Or, if your loved one lives in a different care environment, they can often return to the place they left for treatment.
Listen to this episode to learn more about this issue and why it is probably the number one thing that bothers me in as it relates to caring for our elderly loved ones.
I hope it helps.
Casey
The post 147 – Someone Said My Elderly Loved One Can’t Go Home – Now What? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
People love to use the phrase “Aging in Place.” But what does it mean? In this episode of the podcast I’m going to discuss it and how sometimes aging in place requires making a transition to a different type of care.
I hope this is really helpful and relieves some of your stress.
Thanks so much!
Casey
The post 146 – What is Aging in Place? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
There are various long-term care options available to assist our aging parents, spouses or elderly loved ones. When your new to the caregiving process these options can seem confusing and overwhelming. Things become even more confusing when the same care option has two different names.
In today’s episode I discuss the difference between two care options that might have fewer differences than you thought. I hope this helps.
Thanks so much for listening.
Casey
The post 145 – What’s the Difference Between a Nursing Home and a Long-Term Care Center? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
The other day I hurt my shoulder. I couldn’t do anything for myself. I was totally dependent on my wife and kids for assistance. Fortunately they were there and happy to help.
However, I felt like a burden. I was putting them out and making their lives difficult. They had to give up some of their time to give it to me. But they were happy and willing to assist me. And their vibe those days was huge. It made me feel so much better knowing they found joy in helping me.
This gave me a new perspective on some things. And in this episode I share that perspective. I hope you find it helpful.
Thanks so much!
Casey
The post 144 – It’s Not Easy Needing Help appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Timeshares work really well for some people. But for others they can be a big problem. If your loved one purchased a time share they can’t afford be careful discussing it with them. Don’t make them feel worse about their decision. Show them support and help them deal with the situation. Hopefully this episode will provide some guidance as you deal with this issue.
Thanks for listening.
Casey
The post 143 – Beware of Timeshares appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Caring for an aging parent, spouse or elderly loved one is difficult. It can be very stressful. However, listening to what others have experienced can sometimes be the most frustrating part of the process.
Everyone’s situation is different. Don’t look at what others do or achieve and expect the same result. Their facts could be different from yours. This episode will discuss this issue and some of the variables that can affect the results you achieve caring for your loved one.
I hope this gives you some relief.
Thanks for listening!
Casey
The post 142 – No Size Fits All When Caring for a Loved One appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Memory care assisted living is a great resource for people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia. It provides tremendous assistance to people in need of a special kind of help. However, like everything else, there can be some challenges. Specifically how your cognitively impaired loved one handles the change.
Your loved one may struggle with that change. Fortunately, the staff at the community is trained to help with that situation. They will guide you and offer a lot of advice. Some of the advice will be easy to follow and some might be difficult.
This podcast episode discusses one of the most difficult things you might be asked to do – that is to leave quickly and stay away. Find out why this could be great advice and how it could go a long way towards improving your loved one’s quality of life.
I hope this helps a lot.
All the best.
Casey
The post 141 – Memory Care Move In Day – Should You Stay or Should You Go? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
People think elder law attorneys are expensive. Why wouldn’t they. Elder Law attorneys often ask for big checks – many times thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. But the value the they provide can be tremendous. Check out this episode to learn more about how elder law attorneys charge their clients and the value they provide.
I hope this helps relieve some of your concern.
Thanks for listening!
Casey
P.S. In the episode I accidentally refer to this as episode 139. That’s my bad. It’s actually episode 140. Sorry for any confusion.
The post 140 – Are Elder Law Attorneys Expensive? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
What happens when someone needs a guardian? Who gets to do that job?
The answer isn’t so simple.
Many states have statutory priorities that give some people the right to serve in that position before others. In this episode we’ll discuss those provisions.
We’ll also discuss some potential problems when someone you want to serve might not be in a position to do so. I’ll share the secret to improving the chances of the person you want getting the job.
Check it out. It might help a lot.
Thanks and all the best.
Casey
The post 139 – Who Gets to be Guardian if One is Needed appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Contact hospice the first time you think of hospice care as a possibility for your loved one. People wait way too long before obtaining this benefit. Hospice is a gift of hope and helps to improve quality of life at life’s most difficult time. Listen to this episode of the podcast to learn more about this important issue.
I truly hope this helps.
All the best.
Casey
The post 138 – When is the Time Right for Hospice Care? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
What happens when one spouse needs assisted living, memory care or nursing home care and the other spouse remains home in the community? Will there be enough money to support the spouse who remains home? This episode is an overview of the financial protections in place for the community spouse. And, things might be a lot better than you expect.
Hang in there.
Casey
The post 137 – Financial Protections for the Community Spouse appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
It’s really important to tour any long term care community your loved one might move into. The question is whether you schedule the tour or just pop in. Listen to this episode to learn why I suggest you schedule the tour.
I hope this helps when the time comes that you need it.
Thanks!!!
Casey
The post 136 – Make an Appointment If You Want to Tour an Assisted Living, Nursing Home or Other Long Term Care Community appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
When someone wants to stay home as long as possible they need to do everything they can to accomplish that goal. If that means installing grab bars or using an emergency response pendant then so be it. Unfortunately way too many people refuse help and adaptive devices due to fear of what others might think.
This episode of the podcast will discuss doing whatever it takes to accomplish your goals. I hope it’s helpful.
Thanks and all the best.
Casey
The post 135 – Don’t Worry About What Others Think About Supportive Devices in Your Home appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
The best way to cure a bed sore is to prevent it from happening.
What is a bed sore and how do you prevent it? If you can answer these questions it can go a long way towards helping your aging parent, spouse or elderly loved one maintain the highest possible quality of life. I hope this helps – a lot.
Thanks so much and all the best!
Casey
The post 134 – Preventing Bed Sores appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
When it comes to caring for your loved one there are a lot of opinions about what’s right. Each situations is different. What works in your specific situations depends on your loved one’s needs, wants and money. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks of your loved one’s care plan. Do you best for them and move forward.
This issue is so important. I hope this episode makes you feel better – especially if anyone doesn’t agree with the care plan you’re implementing for your loved one.
Thanks so much and all the best!
Casey
The post 133 – Don’t Worry About What Others Think When it Comes to Your Loved One’s Care and Happiness appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
There are a number of choices available when someone needs a lot of help to stay home. Two of them are a live in home health aide and 24-hour home health care. These two options sound the same but are very different. In today’s episode I discuss the difference between these two important home health care options.
I hope this answers some of your questions.
Thanks for listening and I’ll talk to you soon!
Casey
The post 132 – What’s the Difference Between a Live In Home Health Aide and 24-Hour Home Health Care? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Most people feel like they’re letting their loved one down if they have to transition into an assisted living or long term care community. They feel like they’ve failed them. But the reality in many situations is things get better. The quality of life for the aging parent, spouse or elderly loved one improves.
Caring for someone is a tough job. It’s one of the hardest things you can do. When someone else provides the care it changes the relationship between the family caregiver and their loved one for the better. Listen to this episode to learn how. It might be just what you need to improve the quality of life for your loved one and you.
I hope this helps and I’ll talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 131 – Don’t Expect the Same Level of Care in a Long Term Care Facility that Your Provided to Your Loved One (But You May be Surprised) appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Everyone wants the best possible care for a loved one in a long term care community. But getting a high level of care takes some effort. Today I want to share a trick – one of many things – that can help achieve that goal.
Make sure you sign the guest book whenever you visit your loved one. Let the people at the community know you’re there. If they know your loved one has visitors – and more importantly advocates – it helps them to get better care. Listen to the episode to learn more.
Thanks and I will talk to you soon!
Casey
The post 130 – Always Sign the Guest Book When Visiting Your Loved One appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
This is part four of a four part series about protecting money from the cost of long term care.
The sooner you start working to protect money from the cost of long term care the more you may save.
For the most part, time can be your friend when you are protecting money from the cost of long term care. The longer you wait to protect money the more you usually end up spending. So rule of thumb is the sooner you start the more you save. But, there are some situations where starting early doesn’t help. In fact there are times it could hurt. I’ll discuss more in this episode.
I really hope this helps.
Casey
The post 129 – Protecting Money from the Cost of Long Term Care – Part 4 – The Sooner You Start Working to Protect Money from the Cost of Long Term Care the More You May Save appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
This is part three of a four part series about protecting money from the cost of long term care.
Is it too late to protect your loved one’s money from the cost of long term care? Do they need care yet? Are they at home or in an assisted living community or nursing home? Does any of this matter?
This episode will discuss whether it’s ever too late to protect money from the cost of long term care. The answer will probably surprise you!
Thanks so much!
Casey
The post 128 – Protecting Money from the Cost of Long Term Care – Part 3 – Is it Too Late to Protect My Loved One’s Money from the Cost of Long Term Care? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
This is part two of a four part series about protecting money from the cost of long term care.
Can you protect money from the cost of long term care? If you think you already know the answer then please (PLEASE!!!) take a few minutes to listen to this episode. There’s so much bad information out there about this crucially important topic. What you learn in this episode might save your loved one a whole lot of money!
All the best.
Casey
The post 127 – Protecting Money from the Cost of Long Term Care – Part 2 – Can I Protect My Loved One’s Money from Long Term Care Costs? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
This is part one of a four part series about protecting money from the cost of long term care. One of the first things people ask when their loved one needs long term care is, “who pays for care when the money runs out.” This episode discusses this important issues and there’s a lot more to the answer than you might think.
Thanks for listening!
Casey
The post 126 – Protecting Money from the Cost of Long Term Care – Part 1 – Who Pays for Care When the Money Runs Out? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
It seems that anyone caring for an aging parent, spouse or elderly loved one works twenty-four-seven. But there’s only so much one person can do. The reality is they need some down time – at the very least they need a good night sleep.
When the time comes that someone needs so much help that their caregiver can’t sleep then a change is needed. The idea of a change means different things to different people. This podcast will discuss this issue and some things to think about if you are in that situation.
It’s not easy doing what you do. Thanks for letting me help.
Talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 125 – When the Caregiver Can’t Sleep Something Needs to Change appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Your loved one should have a power of attorney. That way, if they ever become incapacitated you can step in and manage their financial affairs. However, if they become incapacitated and don’t have a power of attorney there is another, albeit less convenient, remedy available. In that situation you might need a guardianship (or, depending on where you live a conservatorship) in order to assist them.
One big issue regarding a guardianship is the cost – they can be very expensive. Who is going to pay the fees and expenses for the guardianship proceedings? This podcast episode discusses that issue.
I hope your loved one can avoid the need for a guardianship by creating a good power of attorney. But if they can’t then this episode might be very helpful.
Thanks for taking time out of your day to listen to the podcast and I will talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 124 – Who Pays the Bill if a Guardianship is Needed? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
One of the first steps when caring for a loved one is to determine what assets they have and where they are. This episode will discuss a few things to think about when it comes to assets. It’s easy to miss things – or to think they have more than they really do.
Thanks for taking the time to listen and I will talk to you soon!
Casey
The post 123 – Do You Know What Assets Your Loved One Has and Where They Are? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
What If Your Can’t Have an End of Life Discussion With Your Loved One Due to Alzheimer’s Disease or Some Other Dementia?
It’s really important to discuss end of life issues with the people you love. That discussion will reduce the stress and anxiety for everyone involved. But what happens if your loved one can’t have that discussion due to Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia? This episode will discuss that issue and what I have learned helping countless people prepare living will documents for themselves.
I hope this episode provides comfort to everyone helping a loved one with dementia. Especially if you have to make end of life decisions at some point during your caregiving journey.
Thanks for listening to this special edition of the podcast and I wish you nothing but the best.
Casey
The post 122.5 – What If You Can’t Have an End of Life Conversation with Your Loved One Due to Alzheimer’s Disease or Another Type of Dementia? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Preparing a living will is a great start. But even more important than the document is the discussion. What do they really want at the end of their life. The more you know the better you will feel if you have to make those decisions for them. A clear understanding leads to confidence at a difficult time. Make sure to talk about this issue despite how much you (or they) might not want to.
This is such an important issue. Don’t wait. Talk about it now. You will so much feel better knowing you did.
I hope this helps.
All the best.
Casey
The post 122 – Have You Discussed End of Life Care with Your Loved One? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Do married people need power of attorney documents if they own everything joint between them? A lot of people don’t think so. But in this podcast episode I will discuss a number of reasons why they both still need powers of attorney.
Don’t get stuck without a power of attorney when you need one. I hope this information helps to keep things as easy as possible during difficult times in the future.
Thanks and all the best.
Casey
The post 121 – Do Married People Need Power of Attorney Documents if Everything is Owned Jointly Between Them? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Banks and other financial institutions don’t like fraud (that might be the understatement of the year). There are a lot of stories about people using a power of attorney to steal someone’s money. If a lot of fraud happens via power of attorney documents then they are understandably viewed with suspicion. Because of that it may be difficult when the time comes to assist your loved one using their power of attorney.
Understanding this issue and why it happens will make things easier if it happens to you. While most people do the right thing and help their loved ones there are many who don’t. The bank or financial institution will probably view you with suspicion until a level of trust is achieved. Sometimes you might need help from an elder law attorney to get the document accepted. Either way, give it time and don’t get too frustrated – things usually always work out.
I hope this helps.
Thanks so much for listening.
Casey
The post 120 – Banks and Financial Institutions are Suspicious of Your Power of Attorney appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
When your loved one needs Medicaid benefits you hope that their application will be approved quickly. But that isn’t always the case. In this episode I discuss how long it takes to get a Medicaid decision and some of the implications if the decision is delayed.
Thanks for listening and I wish you nothing but the best.
Casey
The post 119 – How Long Does It Take to Get a Medicaid Decision? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
It’s hard to care for someone at a big event like a wedding or party. You want to make sure your loved one can attend the event but you don’t want to spend every moment attending to their needs. Fortunately, there’s a solution to accomplish both goals.
Consider respite care for the day. Bring someone disinterested in the event – like a hired caregiver – to help with your loved one so they get the attention they need and deserve. At the same time you will be able to enjoy the event without dividing your attention.
My family used this strategy at my wedding and it worked like a charm – I’ll explain in the podcast. I hope this strategy can help you too.
Talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 118 – Respite Care at a Wedding or Other Big Family Event appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Death taxes confuse a lot of people. The reality is there are really two big death taxes that people need to know about – estate tax and inheritance tax (you also need to be aware of income tax but that’s not just a death tax and most people are intimately familiar with income taxes already). This episode will discuss the difference between these two taxes and explain what everyone needs to know about them.
Taxes aren’t fun but we’ve got to know them – sorry about that.
All the best!
Casey
The post 117 – What’s the Difference Between Estate Tax and Inheritance Tax? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
I had a client who was a long term resident in a nursing home. He met an aide there who turned into his guardian angel. She went above and beyond the call of duty as she cared for him. I am so grateful that he had her. Here’s a little bit of their story.
Thanks so much for letting me share this with you.
All the best.
Casey
The post 116 – An Aide Who Went Above and Beyond in a Nursing Home appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
If you loved one needs durable medical equipment then, if it’s possible, don’t hesitate to get what they need. It may help them maintain or improve their quality of life.
Often Medicare will pay for equipment (it’s a Part B benefit provided your loved one meets the Medicare criteria). Sometimes they will have to spend money out of their pocket to purchase it. In some situations you can borrow what they need or buy it used (and then sell it once they no longer need it). Either way, if they get the supportive equipment they need when they need it then it could help stay as independent as possible for as long as possible.
Listen to this episode to learn more of the benefits of getting the equipment they need when they need it.
Thanks very much for sharing this with me.
Casey
The post 115 – Getting and Paying for Durable Medical Equipment appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
The two big things a diagnosis of dementia means for your loved one is: (1) nothing is different today than it was yesterday – but things are definitely going to change as time goes on; and (2) this is the time to start taking action – do it now while your loved one can help with whatever needs to be done. Taking action right away can save time and money and improve your loved one’s quality of life as things move forward.
I really appreciate you listening to the podcast and hope it provides you with tremendous value.
All the best.
Casey
The post 114 – What Does a Diagnosis of Dementia Mean for Your Loved One and You? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
In my opinion, the Alzheimer’s Association has the best definition of dementia. They say the following… Dementia is a general term for loss of memory and other mental abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life. In this episode I discuss what dementia means and clarify some common misconceptions about dementia.
Thanks so much for listening.
All the best.
Casey
The post 113 – What is Dementia? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
We know that an agent is the person appointed by a principal in a power of attorney document to manage the principal’s financial affairs. But what’s a co-agent? And what is an alternate agent? And what’s the difference between them? Listen to this episode to learn the difference so you know what you are dealing with if you happen to be appointed to one of these jobs.
Thanks so much and I will talk to you again soon.
All the best.
Casey
The post 112 – What’s the Difference Between a Co-Agent and an Alternate Agent in a Power of Attorney? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
People are very careful when they prepare their will. They do their best to make sure their property gets to their loved ones in an orderly manner. Unfortunately, however, many people are surprised to learn that beneficiary designations on their various accounts can upset or disrupt the plan outlined in their will. Avoid this problem by paying attention to your beneficiary designations and incorporating them into your overall estate plan.
I hope this helps.
Talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 111- Beneficiary Designations Must Be Reviewed or Else Your Will Might Not Work as Expected appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
An attorney in fact is appointed in a power of attorney document to manage a principal’s financial affairs. A lot of people think that if someone is going to be appointed to this position they must be an attorney – the word attorney is in the title after all. The reality is you don’t have to be an attorney to be get this job. Listen to this podcast episode to learn more about this job and what it means.
Thanks so much and I can’t wait to talk to you again soon.
All the best.
Casey
The post 110 – Power of Attorney Question – Does an Attorney in Fact Have to Be an Attorney? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
These are three things that mean the same thing – two of them are legal terms and one of them is a common usage term – but they all refer to the person appointed to assist the principal in a power of attorney. Listen to this episode and I will explain what these things all mean and clarify whatever confusion might exist as far as this issue is concerned.
Thanks so much and all the best.
Casey
The post 109 – What’s the Difference Between a Power of Attorney, an Agent and an Attorney in Fact? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
What happens if you can’t pay the money you owe from a reverse mortgage back to the lender? The answer is you are going to walk away from your house and not owe anything. Yes, they will get the house but you will have gotten the equity – it’s as though you sold it back to the bank. Listen to this episode and I will explain this situation and how you still benefit.
You get the money and they get the house – just like a sale – except you got to live in the house and use the proceeds from the sale before they got the house. It’s a pretty good deal.
Thanks and all the best.
Casey
The post 108 – Reverse Mortgages – Walking Away From a Home – What Does It Mean and When Does It Happen? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Home care is expensive. Depending on how much help you need and the amount of time you are receiving care you may end up spending all of your liquid assets on care. At some point you may need to consider a reverse mortgage if you want to remain in your home. This episode will discuss some basic information about reverse mortgages and how – if they are the right tool in your situation – they can help you accomplish the goal of staying home as long as possible.
Don’t be afraid of what you don’t know – especially when it comes to a reverse mortgage in the situation described above.
All the best.
Casey
The post 107 – Reverse Mortgages – Using Home Equity to Pay for Home Care Needs appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Everyone caring for an aging parent, spouse or elderly loved one is doing the best they can. The decisions we make might be uncomfortable. If we think about it – really think about it – we can second guess everything we do. However, if you are doing your best caring for your loved one you need to be confident with what you are doing. Resist the urge to second guess – the urge to say, “I should have done this” or “I should have done that.” Don’t should on yourself. Celebrate the action you are taking. You deserve it – after all, you’re a hero.
Keep up the great work!
All the best.
Casey
P.S. This episode is dedicated to my friend Brad who was the first person I heard say the phrase, “don’t should on yourself.” Those words immediately struck a chord with me because way too many people who are giving their all caring for a loved one do that all the time. Thanks Brad!
The post 106 – Don’t Should on Yourself appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Not all power of attorney documents are the same. There is a huge difference between a specific power of attorney and a general power of attorney. This is a trap for people who don’t understand the difference. In this episode I will explain the difference and what you need to look out for.
There are traps out there but together we’re going to do our best to avoid them.
Thanks and I wish you all the best.
Casey
The post 105 – What’s the Difference Between a Specific Power of Attorney and a General Power of Attorney? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Sometimes the work involved with caring for an aging parent, spouse or elderly loved is overwhelming. It’s as though the caregiver is working a full time 24-hour a day job. The relationship between the caregiver and their loved one can suffer as a result. Sometimes getting help to provide care or finding long term care placement can improve the quality of life for both people in the relationship. Listen to this podcast episode to find out how and why.
Let’s try to make life better for everyone.
All the best.
Casey
The post 104 – The Transition From Caregiver to Companion appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Something amazing might happen after someone who had been struggling at home moves into an assisted living community. Their physical and mental condition may improve measurably. It’s what I call the assisted living bounce back. Suddenly they have a spring in their step everyone thought they had lost – they are fully engaged and living life to its fullest. This episode will discuss the assisted living bounce back and one unexpected consequence it can lead to.
If you know something might happen you can be ready for it.
All the best.
Casey
The post 103 – The Assisted Living Bounce Back appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
When someone moves into an independent living community their apartment becomes their home. Frequently they make friends and love the amenities in the community. If, at some point in the future, they are unable to manage on their own they can bring private duty care (or home health care) into the apartment to provide assistance rather than moving into an assisted living community. Listen to the episode to learn more about this and to find out just home often it happens.
There’s always more than one solution to a problem – hopefully you find the one that works best for your loved one and you.
All the best.
Casey
The post 102 – Bringing Private Duty Care into an Independent Living Apartment appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
When your loved one (or you as their caregiver) explore an assisted living community they will encounter various sales people and admission staff along the way. These individuals want your loved one to move into the community they represent – their pay often depends on it. Because of that they like to highlight the benefits of their community. Sometimes, during the discussions, things can be said that might not be the official policy of the community. Unfortunately, whenever there is a conflict between what the sales person said and the contents of the admission agreement that is ultimately signed, the admission agreement will rule the day. Because of that you need to be careful and pay close attention to the agreement. Many people have been caught over the years thinking they heard a sales person say something that isn’t in the agreement. When that happens it can spell trouble.
Rule of thumb – if it isn’t in writing you can’t rely on it.
Thanks so much and all the best.
Casey
The post 101 – Assisted Living Admission Agreements – It Must Be In Writing appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Did you notice anything different about your loved one the last time you saw him or her? The best time to start helping a loved one with their care needs is as soon as you notice they need them. It might be something small like adding some support or it might be something huge like home health care, assisted living or a nursing home. Whatever is needed the best way to maintain the highest possible of quality of life – both for your loved one and you – is to take action now.
All the best as you deal with these issues – I’ll be here to help.
Casey
The post 100 – Did You Notice Something Different About Your Elderly Loved One Recently? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
For some people staying at home is the best (and sometimes only) option. For others, staying home might not be an option (or desired). There isn’t one right or wrong answer as to what arrangement leads to the best care and the highest possible quality of life for your loved one. The best care for your aging parent, spouse or elderly loved one is the care that is best for them – whatever that might be – and what’s possible for you – the caregiver. No one should feel guilty because they can’t provide a certain type of care for their loved one – everyone is doing the best they can.
I hope this helps and I hope everyone is confident with their loved one’s care – no matter how and where they might be receiving it.
Thanks so much and all the best!
Casey
The post 099 – Staying Home or Moving Into a Long Term Care Community – Whatever Works Best for You and Your Loved One appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
When you are an agent pursuant to someone’s general durable power of attorney you are able to do pretty much anything that they could do for themselves as it relates to their assets provided it’s authorized by the document. However, there are certain transactions that require you to record the power of attorney in order to show that you – the person using the document – were authorized to do so. This episode will discuss that situation and what you need to know if it comes up.
It doesn’t come up often but when it does this episode can be a valuable guide.
All the best.
Casey
The post 098 – Recording a Power of Attorney and the Benefits of a Real Estate Power of Attorney appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
The possibility of pre-planning a funeral is an issue that comes up when someone is caring for an aging parent, spouse or elderly loved one. It can be a difficult conversation but there are many benefits to be had if you can discuss it. Pre-planning a loved one’s funeral can be one of the best things you can do for the entire family – it can make things much easier and less stressful as you grieve their passing. I hope this episode does a good job of explaining the benefits of a pre-planned (and pre-paid) funeral.
Thanks for listening and I hope everyone finds peace at a difficult time.
Casey
The post 097 – The Benefits of a Pre-Planned and Pre-Paid Funeral appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
No cost senior placement services are very much out there. Some spend millions of dollars in advertising each year offering to help you find placement for your elderly loved one. But, you need to be aware of what these are and how they work. They definitely have some pros and also some cons that you should be aware of before you engage their services. They do get paid – just not by you – and because of that you need to be careful. Listen to the episode to learn a whole lot more about this elder care resource.
Remember that sometimes you get what you pay for.
All the best.
Casey
The post 096 – Resource Spotlight – The Pros and Cons of No Cost Senior Placement Services appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Memory care assisted living communities are usually set up with one of two living arrangements for their residents. One is where everyone lives together commingled – people of all different cognitive abilities live together in one big building and aren’t separated based on their memory issues. The other is where people are grouped in smaller groups or neighborhoods and live with people who have similar cognitive abilities – they are limited to their part of the building and unable to travel to other areas where people with either higher and lower cognitive abilities live. As for the other arrangement – the .5 – – that’s when the memory care community is a smaller part of a larger assisted living community. What arrangement is better? I will discuss that and more in this episode of the podcast.
Thanks so much for listening and all the best.
Casey
The post 095 – 2.5 Different Types of Living Arrangements in Memory Care Assisted Living Communities appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Every caregiver needs to take time away to care for themselves. Whether it’s a few minutes or a month long vacation – self care for the caregiver is extremely important. Respite care can free the caregiver to get the break they need. Listen to this episode to learn about this important type of care and why it is so important for the caregiver.
Everyone needs a break sometimes.
All the best.
Casey
The post 094 – What is Respite Care? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
There are many myths associated with hospice care. One of them is that hospice will speed up the dying process. This just isn’t true. Listen to today’s episode to learn more about this myth and how hospice care could benefit your loved one and you.
Remember, it never hurts to look into something that might be able to help your loved one.
All the best.
Casey
The post 093 – Does Hospice Speed Up the Dying Process? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Hospice care is a wonderful benefit available to people towards the end of their life. It can greatly improve quality of life for the patient and their families. Unfortunately many people are unsure of hospice and how it can help to the point where they don’t look into it for their loved one. Hopefully this episode will make this extremely important benefit – something that can be invaluable in the caregiving process – more accessible to everyone.
Look into every possible benefit that can help – it never hurts to look.
All the best.
Casey
The post 092 – What is Hospice Care? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Assisted living communities charge your loved one for the care the provide. There are two main ways that they determine how much to charge. One way is by determining the level of care your loved one needs on a daily basis and the other is by charging for each task they have to assist your loved one in performing. This episode compares and contrasts these two billing options so you are informed when you help your loved one determine the best assisted living community to meet their needs.
Thanks so much for listening to the podcast!
Casey
The post 091 – ALF Care Charges – Levels of Care or A La Carte appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
What happens if your aging parent or elderly loved one becomes a fall risk while living at the assisted living community? What is the responsibility of the community? Will your loved one have to move out? This episode discusses this issue so you will be equipped to deal with this issue if it should ever develop in your loved one’s situation.
Keep it up – you’re doing great.
Thanks!
Casey
The post 090 – Fall Risks in Assisted Living – The Assisted Living Can’t Prevent Falls appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Most people think that you need money – private pay dollars – to be admitted to a nursing home. However, in some situations it’s actually preferred if you are out of money and Medicaid eligible. This means that if you are worried because your loved one needs nursing home care but doesn’t have any money they will probably be able to find placement. On the other hand, people with money can almost always find placement too – sometimes it just isn’t as easy as you might think. Listen to this episode to find out why.
There’s always a solution – sometimes you just have to look to find it.
Thank you for listening.
Casey
The post 088 – Why Might a Medicaid Beneficiary Be Preferred to Someone With Private Pay Funds in the Nursing Home? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
You’ve got to do something – and you do it – but it doesn’t feel right. You have a wave of regret because the results are so good that now you feel like you should have done it sooner. Try to give yourself a break. Taking action is hard. Taking the right action is harder. Beating yourself up because you took too long to take the right action is worst of all. Don’t be hard on yourself – you’re doing the best you can. Check out this episode to feel better about this. I hope you it helps and you like it.
You took action – be proud of yourself.
Thanks!
Casey
The post 089 – Why Didn’t I Do This Sooner? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
At some point when your loved one is living in an assisted living community you might hear the phrase “Medicaid bed.” You may hear that in order for them to receive Medicaid benefits in the community a Medicaid bed must be available. But what does that mean and how does it affect your loved one? This episode will explain what a Medicaid bed is and why it is important to plan for one (or the possibility that your loved one won’t be able to get one).
I hope this information helps a lot.
Thanks!
Casey
The post 087 – What is a “Medicaid Bed” in an Assisted Living Community? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Medicaid usually allows your aging parent or elderly loved one to have an irrevocable prepaid funeral when they apply for benefits but what does that mean and why would Medicaid care? This episode will discuss the difference between revocable and irrevocable prepaid funerals and why the type of prepaid funeral your loved one has is important to Medicaid. I think this will answer questions that a lot of people have about prepaid funerals and the Medicaid process.
Thanks!
Casey
The post 086 – What’s the Difference Between a Revocable and an Irrevocable Prepaid Funeral? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
What does “it’s kind of free” mean? Everyone knows you have to pay for legal services, accounting services and funerals but if you are already committed to spending money on long term care then you can use some of what you are committed to spending to purchase these professional services without spending any more money than you already had to. It may seem confusing but this podcast episode does a great job of explaining the concept in detail – and if you follow the advice you may be able to get these services for what feels like no cost at all.
Trust me – this one’s good.
Until next time I wish you nothing but the best.
Casey
The post 085 – The Lawyer, Accountant and Funeral Are All (Kind Of) Free – Paying for Professional Help for Your Loved One appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
The title says it all – the sooner you start working to protect money from the cost of long term care the more you can save (usually). But don’t lose hope – it might not be too late to save money from the cost of care no matter what level of care your loved one needs. Listen to this episode to find out why.
Let’s work to save money – hopefully this helps.
All the best.
Casey
The post 084 – The Sooner You Start Working to Protect Money From the Cost of Long Term Care the More You Save (Usually) appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Parents really want to help their children – especially when they are dealing with hard times. One such situation is when the child is unemployed and needs help making ends meet. Today’s episode – one of those that’s not necessarily what people want to hear – discusses this difficult situation. I hope it helps and prevents unexpected problems.
Thanks so much for listening and I’ll talk to you again soon.
Casey
The post 083 – Can a Parent Give Money to an Unemployed Child to “Help Them Get By” Without Incurring Medicaid Penalties? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Does Medicaid take your loved one’s house when they move into an assisted living community or a nursing home? The answer is usually no. But that doesn’t mean you won’t have to sell it or work in some way to protect it. Listen to the podcast to learn more about this issue – something that scares a lot of people. And, remember, if your loved one might need Medicaid at some point in the future you should talk to an elder law attorney.
Good luck with this.
Casey
The post 082 – Does Medicaid Take Your Loved One’s House When They Move Into an Assisted Living or a Nursing Home? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
You can bring extra help like a private duty aide or a professional caregiver to provide stimulation or companionship into an assisted living or nursing home t0 enhance the care for your loved one. In fact there could be times when you must bring extra help into a community in order to meet your loved one’s needs (although this is rare). In today’s episode I discuss this issue and outline why doing this may benefit your aging parent or elderly loved one.
Hope it helps.
Casey
The post 081 – Bringing Private Duty Care into a Memory Support Assisted Living or Nursing Home appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Many people think assisted living and nursing homes are the same thing – a place where their aging parent or elderly loved one can go to get help – but there is a big difference between them. They are different levels of care and meet different needs your loved one might have. Listen to this episode to learn more about these important care options.
Thanks so much.
Casey
The post 080 – What is The Difference Between an Assisted Living Community and a Nursing Home? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
A lot of people think their aging parent or elderly loved one would never move into a memory support assisted living community. In fact, memory support assisted living communities are full of people who will never move there. If you have this thought you aren’t alone – it’s very common. Dealing with this issue starts with a discussion – not with your loved one but with the team at the memory support community. That one conversation can lead to big changes. Listen to this episode to learn more.
Thanks and good luck.
Casey
The post 079 – My Loved One Would Never Move into Memory Support Assisted Living appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
A popular care option as our loved ones age is a continuing care retirement community. This is a living arrangement where someone can usually age in place without ever having to leave the community. It is especially helpful to spouses who have different care needs but want to be together under the same roof (despite living in different rooms). Most continuing care retirement communities have a wide range of living arrangements including independent living, assisted living, memory support assisted living, nursing home care and sub-acute rehabilitation services. All of these services – when combined – can meet most any needs as someone ages. This episode discusses the pros and cons of continuing care retirement communities.
Thanks for listening!
Casey
The post 078 – What is a Continuing Care Retirement Community? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
If your aging parent or elderly loved one moves into an assisted living or nursing home you will be presented with an admission agreement. An admission agreement outlines all of the rights and responsibilities for both your loved one and the community. It’s very important that you review and understand the admission agreement – it’s probably best to have an elder care attorney familiar with these admission agreements review it with you. There are a lot of emotional and financial issues associated with a move into an assisted living or nursing home. Don’t be caught off guard by the provisions in the admission agreement. Advocate for yourself and your loved one.
I will talk a whole lot more about admission agreements in future episodes to highlight some of the traps and pitfalls associated with them. In the meantime I hope you get a lot of value out of this overview.
Thanks!
Casey
The post 077 – Assisted Living & Nursing Home Admission Agreements – An Overview appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Care at home is expensive and sometimes people spend everything they have in an effort to remain home as long as possible. Care options are limited when the money runs out. If someone else can fund ongoing care then it is possible to stay in the house additional time. But if there is no way to continue paying for home care then you must explore other options. This podcast will discuss that situation and examine some of the options that are available when all of the money has been spent paying for home care.
Thanks so much for listening and I will talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 076 – What Happens If Someone Exhausts All Their Money Paying for Home Care? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
I’ve talked in the past about how assisted living communities may (and often do) have a private pay requirement. That’s an amount of money your loved one must pay from private funds before they can remain in the assisted living community as a Medicaid beneficiary. Since most people begin receiving care in their home there is a potential trap that could disrupt their ability to get Medicaid benefits in the assisted living of their choosing. That trap is spending too much money on home care and not having enough left to pay the assisted living private pay requirement. Listen to the episode to learn how to avoid this trap as you help your loved one navigate the long term care process.
Thanks again so much for listening and I will talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 075 – The Home Care Point of No Return – Spending Below the Assisted Living Private Pay Requirement appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Assisted living private pay requirements catch a lot of people off guard. A private pay requirement is a period of time your elderly loved one (or you on their behalf) agree to pay an assisted living community before the assisted living community won’t object to you remaining there as a Medicaid beneficiary (in those states that have a Medicaid assisted living benefit). Hopefully, after listening to this podcast episode, you will be ready for this situation if it comes up as you plan your loved one’s care.
Thanks so much!
Casey
The post 074 – Assisted Living Private Pay Requirements appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
The thought of helping your elderly loved one pack and sell their house can be overwhelming. They may have years or decades worth of stuff in their home. The idea of going through everything and sorting it out and packing or disposing of various things can be exhausting.
What if I told you that a Senior Move Management Service could make this entire process more manageable? This resource can save you a lot of time and greatly reduce the stress involved in the process.
Listen to this episode to find out how a Senior Move Management Service can help you in this situation. And, keep on the lookout for more Resource Spotlight episodes where I share different elder care resources that can help with the process of caring for your elderly loved one.
Thanks so much and I will talk to you soon!
Casey
The post 073 – Resource Spotlight – Senior Move Management Services appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Visiting your loved one – frequently and randomly – will help them get the best possible care in an assisted living community or nursing home. Putting eyes on them – and letting the community know you are there doing it – is the most effective thing you can do to maximize the care they receive. This episode will discuss why and share a simple strategy for being there as much as possible.
Thanks for spending time with me.
Casey
The post 072 – Visiting Your Elderly Loved One – The First Step to Advocacy appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Caring for an elderly loved one is hard. Some people make it harder by limiting their caregiving options due to preconceived ideas about various elder care tools. Today’s episode is a plea for you to keep an open mind about every possible solution available to meet whatever needs your loved one might have. I am really proud of this episode and hope you like it. I also hope you take this message to heart because this idea may be able to help improve your loved one’s quality of life.
Thanks for letting me serve you.
Talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 071 – Use Every Available Elder Care Tool appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
This episode discusses the differences between a stand along dementia care assisted living community and a dementia care unit as part of a bigger assisted living community. Which one is better? There’s no right or wrong answer to that question – it’s depends on your loved one’s situation. Listen to the show as I compare and contrast this important level of senior care.
I hope you like it.
Thanks!
Casey
The post 070 – Stand Alone Dementia Care vs. Dementia Care as Part of a Bigger Assisted Living Community appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
I am often asked, “what’s the first think I should do to help my senior parent.” To me the answer is clear – make sure their decision making documents are in place. Listen to today’s episode to learn what those documents are, what they do and what happens if your loved one doesn’t have them.
Thanks for checking it out!
Casey
The post 069 – What’s the First Thing I Should Do to Help My Senior Parent? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Assisted living service plans serve as the blueprint to your loved one’s care. Assisted living service plans (otherwise known as care plans) are written by the assisted living community during a service planning or care planning meeting that involves the entire team at the assisted living community together with you – your loved one’s caregiver – and, if appropriate, your elderly loved one. This is a great tool that guides their care and holds the community accountable. It can and should be modified as their needs change. I discuss this and more during today’s podcast episode. I hope you like it.
Thanks and I will talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 068 – Assisted Living Service Plans – The Blueprint to Your Loved One’s Care appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
People are often afraid when they hear the words “reverse mortgage.” Their mind goes to the worst possible scenarios – most of which aren’t true and will never happen. The reality is that a reverse mortgage can be a great tool to help your loved one accomplish their goals. Today’s episode discusses how you might be able to use a reverse mortgage to achieve one of the most common goals our elderly loved ones have.
I hope you find this episode helpful – I really enjoyed making it for you.
Thanks and I will talk to you soon!
Casey
The post 067 – Using a Reverse Mortgage as a Positive Tool appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Do you know what medications your loved one takes? Do you have a written list? Can you identify each pill if it is out of the bottle? In this episode I discuss some tips for making sure you have confidence when dealing with your loved one’s medication. I hope you find it helpful.
Thanks – as always – and I will talk to you soon!
Casey
The post 066 – Managing Prescription Medication appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Today I answer the question – What’s the difference between Medicare and Medicaid in a long term care setting? The short answer is Medicare is a type of health insurance and Medicaid pays for someone’s long term care as a last resort (when all other resources have been exhausted). This episode barely scratches the surface when you are trying to define those two incredibly important public benefits and, specifically, how they relate to long term care but it serves as a good overview and gives some good general information that can assist you when you are trying to decipher the benefits your elderly loved one has or needs.
I hope you find this helpful and I will talk to you soon!
Casey
The post 065 – What’s the Difference Between Medicare and Medicaid? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
In this episode I discuss the importance of the Medicare open enrollment period – from October 15, 2018 through December 7, 2018. This is when you can change your Medicare plans (for the most part). It is a chance where you can really help your elderly loved one to get the medical coverage they need for the best possible price. It is hard deadline so if you don’t act during the open enrollment period they may be stuck with their plan – even if it isn’t good for them – until 2020. Listen to the episode and learn about this very important enrollment period.
Thanks and I will talk to you soon!
Casey
The post Podcast 064 – What is Medicare Open Enrollment? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Podcast 063 – What is a Memory Care or Memory Support Assisted Living Facility The post Podcast 063 – What is a Memory Care or Memory Support Assisted Living Facility appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Podcast 062 – What is Assisted Living The post Podcast 062 – What is Assisted Living appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Podcast 061 – What is an Independent Living Community? The post Podcast 061 – What is an Independent Living Community appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Podcast 060 – What is Home Care The post Podcast 060 – What is Home Care appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Podcast 059 – What is the Effect of a Divorce on Your Will The post Podcast 059 – What is the Effect of a Divorce on Your Will appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Podcast 058 – What Happens if Someone Writes Their Spouse Out of Their Will The post Podcast 058 – What Happens if Someone Writes Their Spouse Out of Their Will appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
057 – What Does Your Will Control Or More Importantly What Doesnt Your Will Control The post Podcast 057 – What Does Your Will Control Or More Importantly What Doesn’t Your Will Control appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Podcast 056 – Can You Change Cancel or Revoke Your Will?
The post Podcast 056 – Can You Change Cancel or Revoke Your Will? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
What Happens if you Die Without a Will – Week 7 Episode 2 of the Stressed Out Caregiver Podcast The post Podcast 055 – What Happens if you Die Without a Will appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Last Will and Testament – An Overview This episode is an overview of the Last Will and Testament – the document that directs where you stuff (at least some of it) goes after you pass away. In this episode we discuss the role of executor, beneficiary, what the will controls and when the will takes effect. Check it out – there’s a lot of great information.
Thanks very much and I will talk to you soon.
Casey (Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com)
The post 054 – Last Will and Testament – An Overview appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
053 – An Introduction to POLST POLST stands for Practitioners Order for Life Sustaining Treatment. It is a physician’s order that goes a long way to making sure that your loved one’s wishes are honored when critical care is needed. This form can be especially effective when emergency medical personnel are involved. It compliments and supports a living will or advanced directive for health care and is something anyone caring for an elderly loved one should know about. I hope it helps you.
Thanks for listening!
Casey (Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com)
The post 053 – An Introduction to POLST appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
052 – What Happens if You Don’t Have a Living Will? When you don’t have a living will it can make things more difficult – but it doesn’t have to. If everyone agrees on the treatment plan then things might go well. However, if people don’t get along the situation can get complicated – regardless of whether you have a living will or not. Listen to the episode to find out how and what can be done about it.
The post 052 – What Happens if You Don’t Have a Living Will? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
051 – The Living Will and Decision Making Capacity The advanced directive for health care (otherwise known as the living will) doesn’t take effect until the person who created it lacks decision making capacity. Until then they can manage their own medical decisions. Once they lack capacity medical providers will look to the instruction directive for guidance and work with the health care representative to make decisions. But when does someone lack decision making capacity? Listen to this episode to find out.
Talk to you soon.
Casey (Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com)
The post 051 – The Living Will and Decision Making Capacity appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
050 – Four Ways to Build a Living Will An advance directive for health care (also known as a living will) can include an instruction directive (where you outline care you do or do not want) and a proxy directive (where you appoint someone to speak on your behalf). There are four main ways to build an advanced directive. They include:
- Proxy directive alone
- Instruction directive alone
- Instruction directive with a health care representative appointed – specific direction
- Instruction directive with a health care representative appointed – decision making tracks
Listen to the episode to learn more about these types of advance directives and how they can result in different scenarios for the health care representative (if one has been appointed).
Let me know what you think – send me a note at Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.
Thanks and I will talk to you tomorrow.
Casey
The post 050 – Four Ways to Build a Living Will appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
049 – Living Wills – An Overview An Advance Directive for Health Care (also known as a Living Will or a Medical Power of Attorney) is a document that preserves your right to direct your own medicaid decisions in situations where you lack the capacity to express them for yourself. In one part of the Advance Directive you can prepare an instruction directive where you spell out the care you do or do not want. In a different part you can appoint a health care representative to speak on your behalf if you can no longer do so. Your document can have one or both parts. Advance directives are very important for end of life care – especially for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Listen to the episode to learn more about them.
Don’t forget to send me any questions or comments.
Talk to you soon.
Casey (Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com)
The post 049 – Living Wills – An Overview appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
048 – Steps to Take if the Power of Attorney is Revoked This episodes discusses the steps to take if a power of attorney is revoked or stops working for some other reason. This episode is one of the more important episodes because it outlines steps that most people miss in this situation – steps that can save a lot of time, money and stress.
Let me know what you think. Send me an email. My address is Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com.
Talk to you soon.
Casey
http://www.thestressedoutcaregiver.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/0048_-_Steps_to_Take_if_the_Power_of_Attorney_is_Revoked_Week_5_Episode_5.mp3 The post 048 – Steps to Take if the Power of Attorney is Revoked appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Today’s episode discusses five situations where a power of attorney might or will stop working. They include: (1) revocation by the principal; (2) death of the principal; (3) resignation of the agent; (4) death of the agent; and (5) lack of durability. Listen to the episode to learn a whole lot more.
Talk to you soon.
Casey (Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com)
http://www.thestressedoutcaregiver.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/0047_-_When_Does_a_Power_of_Attorney_Stop_Working_Week_5_Episode_4-1.mp3 The post 047 – When Does a Power of Attorney Stop Working appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
There are a number of types of power of attorney documents. Today on the show I discuss three of them: 1) durable as opposed to non-durable; 2) springing as opposed to non-springing; and 3) general as opposed to specific. Listen to episode 46 – Three Different Types of Powers of Attorney – to learn all about them.
Thanks for listening and I will talk to you tomorrow.
Casey (Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com)
P.S. Remember to go to iTunes and leave a five star review – I will be very grateful!
http://www.thestressedoutcaregiver.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/0046_-_Three_Different_Types_of_Powers_of_Attorney_Week_5_Episode_3.mp3 The post 046 – Three Different Types of Powers of Attorney appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
045 – Power of Attorney Traps – Using Do-It-Yourself Documents Be careful when using a cheap or a do-it-yourself, off the shelf power of attorney document. A do-it-yourself document is more likely to have problems when the time comes that you need to use it. Listen to this episode to learn more.
Looking forward to talking to you tomorrow.
Casey (Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com)
http://www.thestressedoutcaregiver.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/0045_-_Power_of_Attorney_Traps_-_Using_Do-It-Yourself_Documents_Week_5_Episode_2-2.mp3 The post 045 – Power of Attorney Traps – Using Do-It-Yourself Documents appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
044 – Power of Attorney – The Most Important Document – An Overview I believe the power of attorney may be the most important document in the elder care process. It is the document where one person – called the principal (your elderly loved one in this situation) – appoints another person – called the agent (you in this situation) – to manage their financial affairs if they can’t or don’t want to in the future. Listen to the episode to learn a whole lot more about this incredibly important document.
Talk to you tomorrow.
Casey (Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com)
The post 044 – Power of Attorney – The Most Important Document – An Overview appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
043 – Beware of the Medicaid Trap – New Rules During the Look Back Period Sometimes things you do during the Medicaid look back period – even though they may be legal, moral and ethical – can create massive problems when it is time to apply for Medicaid. You need to be really careful that you don’t do anything that can accidentally disqualify your loved one from Medicaid benefits or result in Medicaid penalties. Listen to this episode to learn more about this trap and how you can avoid it.
Talk to you soon.
Casey (Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com)
The post 043 – Beware of the Medicaid Trap – New Rules During the Look Back Period appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
042 – Most All Gifts – No Matter How Small – Are Penalized by Medicaid (in New Jersey) People are surprised to learn that Medicaid (in New Jersey) penalizes all gifts no matter how small. They are also surprised that there is no annual exclusion exception for gifts. Don’t get caught off guard by this when the time comes that your elderly loved one needs Medicaid. Listen to the podcast to learn more.
Talk to you soon.
Casey (Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com)
The post 042 – Most All Gifts – No Matter How Small – Are Penalized by Medicaid (in New Jersey) appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
041 – The Dangers of Paying for Care Under the Table Home care is expensive. It can be tempting to save money on care by paying for it under the table but doing so is very risky. In addition to being illegal there are a number of potential problems associated with it (for example, Medicaid doesn’t like it). Listen to the episode to learn more.
Talk to you soon.
Casey (Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com)
http://www.thestressedoutcaregiver.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/0041_-_The_Dangers_of_Paying_for_Care_Under_The_Table_Week_4_Episode_3.mp3 The post 041 – The Dangers of Paying for Care Under the Table appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
040 – Medicaid Rules Are Different In Each State Laws are different in each state and Medicaid rules are no exception. Because Medicaid rules are different in each and everyone’s situation is different you need to be really careful when relying on general advice as it relates to Medicaid. Listen to this episode to learn more.
Thanks and I will talk to you soon!
Casey (Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com)
The post 040 – Medicaid Rules Are Different In Each State appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
039 – Can You Protect Money and Still Get Medicaid? Three questions people ask all the time are:
- What happens when the money runs out?
- Can I protect money from the cost of long term care?
- Is it too late to protect money from the cost of long term care?
Listen to the podcast to hear the answers to these questions – they may be better than you expect.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments about this episode or anything else.
Thanks and I will talk to you soon.
Casey (casey@thestressedoutcaregiver.com)
The post 039 – Can You Protect Money and Still Get Medicaid? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
038 – A Couple of Strategies to Preserve Family Wealth Everyone wants to protect money from long term medical care costs and preserve family wealth. There are many possible ways to do this – some are obvious and some aren’t. In fact, some are so obscure that people don’t even realize they exist. This episode discusses two of the more obscure – yet simple – strategies to protect money: (1) buying your loved one’s life insurance policy for cash value; and (2) paying your elderly loved one’s long term care insurance premiums if they can no longer afford them. Give it a listen to learn more.
Talk to you soon.
Casey (Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com)
The post 038 – A Couple of Strategies to Preserve Family Wealth appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
037 – How to Best Help Your Elderly Loved One Pay for Care In this episode I talk about the order of paying for your loved one’s care. Should pay for their care to you help them avoid spending their money and going on Medicaid or should they go on Medicaid first? Listen to the podcast to find out – this episode can save a lot of money from being spent on long term care.
You can reach me at casey@thestressedoutcaregiver.com
Talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 037 – How to Best Help Your Elderly Loved One Pay for Care appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
036 – You Pay For Long Term Care As You Go Most people think that their elderly loved one must give all of their money to the assisted living or the nursing home community when they move in. Well, that’s just a myth. You don’t give them your money – at least not most of the time – instead you pay as you go. Also, Medicaid doesn’t take your money – they don’t get involved in the situation until your loved one exhausts all of their resources and can’t afford to pay for care (but you should be aware of Medicaid because you don’t want to accidentally do anything that could affect your elderly loved one’s ability to get benefits).
Listen to the podcast to learn more.
Talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 036 – You Pay For Long Term Care As You Go appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
034 – Payor Sources for Long Term Care There are many sources available to pay for your elderly loved one’s long term care. They include:
- Medicare
- VA Benefits
- Long Term Care Insurance
- Grants and Programs
- Private Pay
- Medicaid
The two main payor sources are private pay funds (think income and money in the bank) and Medicaid. Everything else offsets the cost of care but doesn’t usually pay for everything (although long term care insurance can go a long way depending on the policy benefits). Listen to the podcast to learn more.
Thanks so much and I will talk to you soon.
Casey
http://www.thestressedoutcaregiver.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/0034_-_Payor_Sources_for_Long_Term_Care_Week_3_Episode_1.mp3 The post 034 – Payor Sources for Long Term Care appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
033 – Care Planning Can Save You Money Not only can care planning provide your elderly loved one with a higher quality of life and reduce the stress associated with caring for them, it can save you money. Listen to the episode and find out how.
I will talk to you again soon.
Casey
P.S. Remember that my email is casey@thestressedoutcaregiver.com – let me know what you think.
http://www.thestressedoutcaregiver.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/0033_-_Care_Planning_Can_Save_You_Money_Week_2_Episode_5.mp3 The post 033 – Care Planning Can Save You Money appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
032 – Care Planning – A Guided Tour to Elder Care A care plan is like a road map to the elder care process. Working with the care planner to help implement the care plan is like taking a guided tour to elder care. Everyone involved will have a better experience – your elderly loved one will have a higher quality of life and caring for them will be much less stressful. Listen to how a care planner can give you a guided tour to the elder care process.
I hope you like it. You can reach me at casey@thestressedoutcaregiver.com.
Casey
http://www.thestressedoutcaregiver.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/0032_-_Care_Planning_-_A_Guided_Tour_to_Elder_Care_Week_2_Episode_4.mp3 The post 032 – Care Planning – A Guided Tour to Elder Care appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
031 – Paid Care Planning vs. Free Care Planning – Watch Out for Bias A care planner you hire is charged with looking out for your loved one’s best interest at all times. Their care plan should always be geared to meet your loved one’s goals and get them the best possible care tailored to their needs. Free care planning – usually provided by an elder care provider – may be influenced by the needs of the care provider employing the free care planner. Listen to the podcast to find out more.
You can reach me at casey@thestressedoutcaregiver.com.
Talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 031 – Paid Care Planning vs. Free Care Planning – Watch Out for Bias appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
035 – Getting Advice About Protecting Money From Long Term Care Costs People need to be really careful where they get advice about protecting their elderly loved one’s money from the cost of long term care. This episode will talk about that issue and warn you about the possibility of bad advice and discuss where to get good advice to protect their money.
I hope you like this content and find it helpful. You can reach me at casey@thestressedoutcaregiver.com.
Thanks and I will talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 035 – Getting Advice About Protecting Money From Long Term Care Costs appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
030 – What is a Care Plan? Today’s episode answers the question – what is a care plan? The answer is it is a written plan of care based on the needs and the goals of an elderly individual. Two people with the same exact medical issue and the same prognosis may have very different goals and very different care plans. Listen to the episode to find out why.
Remember that you can contact me at casey@thestressedoutcaregiver.com.
Thanks very much and I will talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 030 – What is a Care Plan? appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
029 – Care Planning Overview Care planning is the process of planning the care for your elderly loved one. It is the way you get ahead of their issues. I believe this is the more important part of caring for an elderly loved one – it helps them obtain the highest possible quality of life and reduces the stress associated with caregiving. I hope you find this overview helpful. Keep on the look out for other episodes about care planning.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments – email me at casey@thestressedoutcaregiver.com.
Thanks and I will talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 029 – Care Planning Overview appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
028 – Naming Friends and Distant Relatives as Decision Makers When someone wants a friend or distant relative to serve as their decision maker it is even more important they create documents appointing that person. If they don’t have decision making documents like powers of attorney and living wills in place then it is less likely that people who are friends or distant relatives will be appointed to a decision making position by the court. This includes long time partners – whether same sex or opposite sex. Those long time partners can find them shut out from participating in care of their partner if they become incapacitated and other family members want to step in and take charge. This episode will discuss this issue and why decision making documents are so important in this scenario.
Thanks for listening. You can reach me at Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com or @caseyprice29.
Talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 028 – Naming Friends and Distant Relatives as Decision Makers appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
027 – You Keep Control After Signing Decision Making Documents Sometimes people won’t sign decision making documents like powers of attorney or living wills because they are worried they will lose the ability to make their own decisions once the documents are in place. That isn’t true. In this podcast I discuss that issue and dispel that myth. Hopefully, after listening to this episode, everyone will be comfortable knowing they retain their ability to manage their affairs after the documents are put in place and now be willing to create these documents.
Send your questions, comments or feedback to Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com and follow me on Twitter at @caseyprice29.
Thanks so much and I will talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 027 – You Keep Control After Signing Decision Making Documents appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
026 – Creating Decision Making Documents After a Diagnosis of Dementia People mistakenly believe that once a person has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia they can no longer create documents where they appoint decision makers to manage their financial or medical affairs. The reality is that it even after the diagnosis it might not be too late. Listen to this podcast to learn more about what it takes to create these documents and whether someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia can sign them.
Let me know what you think about this episode and the podcast as a whole. My email is Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com and my twitter handle is @caseyprice29.
Talk to you soon and, until then, I wish you nothing but the best.
Casey
The post 026 – Creating Decision Making Documents After a Diagnosis of Dementia appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
025 – The Right Decision Makers Today I discuss choosing the right decision makers. The bottom line is you should choose the right person – whoever that might be. It is the person who is right for you – someone that allows you to rest easy knowing they are there to help you if you ever can’t make decisions for yourself.
I hope you find this helpful. Let me know what you think. My email is casey@thestressedoutcaregiver.com and my twitter handle is @caseyprice29.
Talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 025 – The Right Decision Makers appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
024 – An Overview of Decision Making Decision making is the first part of the three big issues you need to deal with when helping an elderly loved one – especially someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. This episode is an introduction into the issues related to decision making including the documents that allow you to appoint your decision makers if you ever become incapacitated to the point you can’t make your own decisions and discusses what happens if you don’t have those documents if you ever become incapacitated.
I hope this helps. There are going to be more episodes about decision making coming out this week. Let me know what you think – send an email to casey@thestressedoutcaregiver.com.
Talk to you soon.
Casey
The post 024 – An Overview of Decision Making appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
023 – Sneaky Gifts, Part 1 – Church Donations & Tithing This is the first of a four part series about what I call Sneaky Gifts. These are common things that people do on a regular basis that – believe it or not – result in Medicaid penalties. Who would imagine that Medicaid would penalize church donations or tithing? Don’t be caught off guard. This episode and the others in this series talk about this important, yet overlooked issue.
Hopefully this helps. Let me know what you think. Email me, Casey Price, at casey@thestressedoutcaregiver.com.
Thanks and I will talk to you soon.
http://www.thestressedoutcaregiver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Sneaky_Gifts_-_Church_Donations_11-7-2017.mp3
The post 023 – Sneaky Gifts, Part 1 – Church Donations & Tithing appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
022 – The 4 Phases of Medicaid This episode is a new, shorter format of the show focusing on only one issue. Today we examine the four phases of Medicaid as defined by me and my office. The four phases of Medicaid are: (1) not eligible; (2) eligible; (3) pending; and (4) approved. Check out the episode to learn about what they mean and to learn your status.
Hopefully this episode and the information like it will make caring for your loved one a little less stressful and, until I talk to you again, I wish you nothing but the best.
Casey
The post 022 – The 4 Phases of Medicaid appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Picking The Right Living Environment and More Secrets the Nursing Home Doesn’t Want You to Know Once again on the podcast we discuss two important issues. The first is the thought process behind selecting a long term care living alternative – staying home or moving into a long term care community such as an assisted living facility, nursing home or continuing care retirement community. The second is four more secrets nursing homes might not want you to know including (1) in New Jersey no one has to guarantee your payment to the assisted living but the admission contract is crucially important; (2) the Medicaid five year look back; (3) the basics of the Medicaid spend down; and (4) what are Medicaid penalties.
***Note: Here comes the disclaimer… While I am an attorney in New Jersey (Price & Price Elder Law in Haddonfield, NJ), the information on this podcast is not meant to be legal advice. It is information meant to educate you about the issues that exist and the fact there are solutions available. Any questions pertaining to your loved one’s situation should be directed to an elder law attorney of your choosing. That attorney can provide you with help and guidance with any legal matters you might encounter caring for your loved one.
Our quote is: “Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.” -Martin Luther King, Jr. This quote perfectly describes the caregiving process. Being a caregiver is an act of faith – you don’t always know where the path will go but you are always willing to take the next step.
Remember to email me at casey@thestressedoutcaregiver.com and please go to iTunes and leave a 5 star review and comments.
Until next week I wish you all the best!
Casey
The post 021 – Picking The Right Living Environment and More Secrets the Nursing Home Doesn’t Want You to Know appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
020 – Capacity, Liability and Guilt Today we cover two important issues. The first is capacity and liability. What happens when your loved one has capacity and wants to do something that goes against medical recommendations? Can you be liable if they get hurt or suffer a bad outcome? What if they don’t have capacity? These are the issues we discuss in the first part of the show. In the second part we look at the issue of guilt. What happens when someone gets hurt on your watch? What if they have capacity and insist on doing something that leads to them getting hurt? How do you feel? How should you feel?
The difficult issues we discuss this week will be faced by most caregivers. Hopefully this episode will make dealing with them easier.
Our quote of the week is: When you’re a kid, you have this feeling like you’re indestructible. Your mortality doesn’t even occur to you. But as time goes by, you realize, “I better cut this out or that out if I want to continue to exist.’ -David Johansen aka Buster Poindexter.
Remember to email me at casey@thestressedoutcaregiver.com and please go to iTunes and leave a 5 star review and comments.
Until next week I wish you all the best!
Casey
The post 020 – Capacity, Liability and Guilt appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
Today we cover two important issues. The first is when your loved one is acclimating to a new community when they first move in and the heartbreak that can cause during the Holidays if they can’t come home to be with you. The second is three secrets nursing homes might not want you to know including (1) it is never too late to try to save money; (2) Medicare doesn’t pay for much in the way of nursing home benefits; and (3) you can choose your own nursing home.
Our quote is: you can’t pour from an empty cup. Make sure you take care of yourself first.” No author. This is something I stumbled upon looking for a good quote. I think it is an important reminder to make sure you take care of you – the caregiver – especially during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season
Remember to email me at casey@thestressedoutcaregiver.com and please go to iTunes and leave a 5 star review and comments.
Until next week I wish you all the best!
Casey
The post 019 – Acclimating and Secrets the Nursing Home Doesn’t Want You to Know appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.
The last episode of The Stressed Out Caregiver Podcast was released on October 30, 2014, more than two years ago. Unfortunately, due to some health and work issues I had to put the show on hiatus.
Today, I am extremely happy to announce that new episodes of the podcast will return beginning next Monday, December 5, 2016. I missed all of you and look forward to talking to you again very soon.
A quick reminder – my email is Casey@TheStressedOutCaregiver.com. I love hearing from The Stressed Out Caregiver community so please feel free to email anytime.
Thanks very much for being part of the show and I will talk to you next Monday!
All the best.
Casey
The post Return of The Stressed Out Caregiver appeared first on The Stressed Out Caregiver.