By Chris Andersen, Executive Director at Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community
Leaving a home life environment and moving into a long-term care setting is not ideal for many seniors. However, long-term care may be necessary to care for seniors that have a debilitating illness like end-stage Parkinson’s disease, a stroke that has left someone incapacitated, or for those suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. It is good to know that there are senior living communities that offer quality care for seniors with these types of illnesses as well as many others. Many communities strive to be more like a home than an institution.
What Are Skilled Nursing and Assisted Living?
The Department of Health and Human Services reported that 70 percent of people turning age 65 will need long-term care at some point in their life. Retirement communities with long-term and short-term care are one of the major focuses of assisted living. Services range from assistance with bathing, dressing, eating, or “activities of daily living” as well as different levels of dementia care. Skilled care can be treatments for wounds, IVs, or anything that requires a registered nurse oversight in a 24-hour period. Assisted living is a form of senior housing with a wide range of services where individuals may live independently but also require some assistance.
What to Look for When Touring a Long-Term Care Community for a Loved One
When touring a long-term care community, you should ask these questions:
- Does it have any odors?
- Do the associates seem friendly to residents?
- Is the atmosphere pleasant?
- Are the associates engaged with residents?
- What are the staffing ratios (how many staff members to residents)?
- Do the residents look clean?
- Are residents involved in activities?
You should also talk to residents along the tour and ask how they like living in the community.
The Difference Between Medicare and Medicaid
The difference between Medicare and Medicaid may get confusing. Medicare is a federal program that provides health coverage for those 65 and over with a significant health illness. To use Medicare services in a long-term care setting, one would have to be admitted to a hospital for three mid-nights and be discharged to a long-term care setting with a diagnosis that Medicare will cover. A great deal of people that qualify for Medicare in a long-term care setting are those that have suffered a broken hip and need rehabilitation services, such as physical, occupational, or speech therapies. Medicare will cover up to 100 days—the first 20 days are fully covered, and from the 21st day onward, there is a daily co-pay that most secondary insurance will cover. Even though Medicare covers 100 days, most people getting therapy services will not use the full 100 days. That is because Medicare will only cover therapy as long as the person is making progress and meeting goals while receiving skilled care services. Once this has occurred, Medicare coverage will no longer cover services in a long-term care setting.
Medicaid is a state and federal program that provides health coverage for those that have very low income. To qualify for Medicaid, one would have to have assets of $2,000 or less. There is a lengthy application process in the state of Illinois, and proof of assets like bank statements, bonds, and anything with a cash value will be looked at by the state to be approved for Medicaid.
For more information on Medicare and Medicaid, please visit www.CMS.gov. CMS stands for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Meadows offers a full range of senior living options—Independent Living, Independent Living—Plus!, Assisted Living, Memory Care, Respite Care, and Achieve! Wellness and Rehab Therapy—with two locations: Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community in Chenoa and Meadows at Mercy Creek in Normal. To learn more about senior living options at Meadows, visit www.meadowscommunities.org, or contact Holly Hall at 309-268-1501.
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