By Steven Richter, Heddington Oaks
One of the most difficult issues that we may face is the fact that a loved one needs to have long-term care. So many emotions bombard us when the time comes. We often find ourselves gripped with a crippling sense of guilt when we can no longer safely care for our family member. This emotional time can make it quite difficult for us to make good decisions regarding nursing home care. As such, we need to plan well in advance and make sure that we choose an appropriate nursing home, have all of the finances together, and establish power of attorney of both healthcare and finances.
The first thing to do is to get the finances in order. If you have the means to pay privately, you will have access to the best nursing homes. If you need to utilize the state Medicaid program, you will be limited. Please note that it takes between six and nine months to get approval for Medicaid. Call them at the Macon, Illinois office at 1-217-362-6515. They will need all financial records including bank statements, car titles, and deeds to property. It is imperative that you get this process started as far in advance as possible. If you wait and Medicaid is not secure, it will be nearly impossible to be considered for admission at most nursing homes. If your loved one is hospitalized and is eligible for therapy, you may be able to use their Medicare coverage if they have it in place. There are specific criteria for receiving those benefits, which include the following:
- Admitted to the hospital for at least a three-midnight stay
- Ability for the patient to participate and benefit from therapy
Medicare will pay for 100 days of therapy as long as the patient continues to improve. It is divided into days one through 20 with full payment, and days 21 to 100 with a $161.50 per-day copay.
When choosing a nursing home consider the following criteria:
- Contact the local eldercare agencies and get recommendations of reputable places. In the Peoria area, you can call The Central Illinois Agency on Aging at 309-674-2071. They can help narrow down the search to three to four good places to receive care.
- Tour the nursing homes and see if they are clean and well maintained with no odors. During the tour, look at the residents to ensure that they are clean and well dressed in matching clothing. The past three years results of the state inspections should be available for you to read as well. These will help you to see what type of violations or areas of concern that the facility is trying to resolve.
- During your tour, look to see if residents are sitting idle sleeping in their wheelchairs or busy participating in activities. Residents should never be left to sit idle for hours on end.
- Have a meal while touring or ask to see a copy of the menu. Food is a huge part of the resident’s quality of life.
- Look at the nursing home staff to see how they interact with residents. Staff should be smiling, caring, and very supportive of those to whom they are giving care.
- Talk to residents and see how they like living in each nursing home. Residents will be very candid in their responses.
Be prepared and have all of your loved one’s affairs in order long before nursing home placement. It is of the utmost importance that you stay positive and understand that you are doing the best thing for your loved one. If you find yourself overwhelmed, reach out to the nursing home and they will assist you in making this transition. Often times the nursing home will have a support group to help families work through their issues concerning nursing home placement. Ultimately, you will be relieved to have your loved ones needs met in a safe, secure and loving environment.
Heddington Oaks is a non-profit skilled care nursing home in West Peoria that has caring staff available to assist with the transition into long-term care. Visit www.HeddingtonOaks.com for more information on the Peoria County-owned facility. Tours are available by calling 309-636-3600