Recently, Sycamore Village Assisted Living hosted a visit from the "3 in 4 Need More" national tour.  The campaign was organized to bring awareness and stress the importance of Long Term Care (LTC) insurance.  Based on studies by Prudential Financial Inc., 74% of Americans are concerned about needing some kind of long term care.
     LTC is one of those topics that no one wants to think about or discuss, yet, almost everyone will need eventually, whether it be for themselves or a loved one.  Americans, by a general rule, do not like aging or thinking of themselves as old. They plan and save for so many things; children's college funds, a new house, vacations...and yes, many do save for retirement.  However, a sudden and permanent injury or the onset of a lengthy illness, may require that you or a spouse need long term care.  This can happen well before you are prepared to stop working.  The economy, as so many have painfully learned, can also play a major role in retirement savings and funds. Medicare and most health insurance policies DO NOT cover long term care. It is important that you are aware of your policy and those of family members. In many cases it is necessary to purchase a separate policy for LTC.  The cost of long term care can be staggering. 
    As is the case with all insurance, it is best to get it before you need it.  Just because you are feeling strong and healthy one day, does not indicate what tomorrow may bring.  As mentioned before, an accident or sudden illness my place you or a loved one in a position where medical care is needed for months, years or even the rest of your life.  The care recipient will no longer be able to earn wages and depending on the amount of care needed, nor will the family care giver. The other option would be to hire a professional, but the cost can be even greater.
     Because there is no one dominant agency that sponsors or promotes this need, it is important that you research your area to find out about insurance coverage options. It may also be beneficial to discuss your concerns with a professional financial planner who can direct you in preparing for future health care.  Ken Dychtwald, Ph.D. (Psychologist, Gerontologist & author) an expert on long-term care issues, has done a national study on the topic.  These are a few of the websites he considers very useful when looking for answers or information regarding LTC:

www.longtermcare.gov
www.caringtalk.com
www.ResearchLTC.com

   Dr. Dychtwald goes on to state that he and his wife decided to purchase LTC insurance in their early 50's.  They found it to be cheaper because they were younger than most who sought out this particular coverage.  Through research, they were able to take advantage of special discounts; one for purchasing as a couple and another for being small business owners.  He calls his LTC policy "Peace of Mind Insurance."
     It is never too late to plan for the future. Unless you have already taken LTC into consideration for your retirement fund, look into your options and just as importantly, those of your loved ones.  In the end, someone is going to end up paying for long-term care.  Don't let it be you.

If you or a loved one has taken out a policy or found out later, they needed one, please leave us your comments.  By sharing your experiences, you may be able to help another prepare for a stronger future. 

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 We all, at some point, must face death; and often times, the precedents that occur before death.  Death often takes us by surprise, but just as often will loom over us after diagnosed with a terminal illness.  There are countless illnesses out there, but one illness that is in a category of its own is Alzheimer’s disease.  It often sneaks up on us and can run its course anywhere from just a couple of years to sometimes up to twenty years. 

Alzheimer’s disease occurs in about one out of ten people age 65 and older, and almost one of two people age 85 and older.  Unfortunately, the disease currently has no cure.  However, treatment is available and can help prolong the progression of the disease to give the inflicted person a higher quality of life, especially in the beginning stage of the disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disease that begins in the short-term memory center of the brain and will eventually progress to affect all areas of the brain.  The person with Alzheimer’s will lose memory of what they had for breakfast that day, what they did yesterday or last week, and eventually will lose memory of people in their lives beginning with those introduced most recently such as grandchildren. 

Life does not wait for us.  In fact, we often wonder if someone has hit the fast forward button.  Do not wait to do the things you have always wanted to do; and as is the advice we so often hear, do not take life’s precious gifts for granted.  It is important for everyone to have ideas or goals of what they want out of life; a bucket list.
 
A bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you die, and comes from the phrase “kicked the bucket”.  Personal bucket lists guide us in achieving our life goals, fulfilling our dreams, and experiencing those life-experiences we each desire.  Although it doesn’t give us an escape route from death or disease, it helps us take advantage of every breathing moment and live life to its fullest. 

Most of us live life as a routine, doing the same activities every day, over and over.   We send our kids off to school, spend the day at the office, check off our grocery lists, make dinner, walk the dog, and if we’re lucky, might even have time for an evening movie rental.  Sound familiar?  We tend to get caught up in our daily activities and responsibilities and often forget to live.  Many of our activities become “task-oriented” and may not have any valuable meaning to us if we were to die today. 

So, if you were to die tomorrow, what would you want to do today?  Creating a bucket list is easy to do and will help you focus on what you want out of life.  Start by writing down categories such as travel, new skills, family, career, experiences, etc.  Then expound on each category, writing down actual places you want to visit, new skills you want to learn, accomplishments you wish to make in your career, etc.  You might also ask yourself some of the following questions to help get you thinking:

“What do I want to learn more about?”
“What things would I like to do for my family?”
“Where have I always wanted to go?”
“What would I like to experience?”
“What would I want to do if money was no option?”
“What loose ends would I like to tie up?”
“Is there anything you want to say to anyone?”

And on a lighter note,

“What movies would I like to see?”
“What foods would I like to try?”

Making a bucket list is ongoing.  You can always add new goals or change old ones.  It is yours to call your own.  Overall, it reminds us to live our dreams. 

Life might be good today, but each moment may bring us something that could change our lives forever. Breathe in the air.  Feel the warm sun on your face.  Take in the beauties that surround us.  Live.

What’s on your bucket list?
 

Like so many other companies and organizations, the Arthritis Foundation (AR) is taking advantage of social networking by setting up and utilizing an online registry.  Launched in June of 2010, the Arthritis Internet Registry (AIR)is the result of a combined effort of the AR working with the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases as well as Quest Diagnostics.  Their goal is to get about 5% of the 1.5-3 million people in the U.S. who have rheumatoid arthritis (RA)to register online.  This would be more than 100,000 people whose conditions could be studied and researched over a long period of time.
    Currently, most registries are through doctors and medical institutions, with less than 50,000 individuals being studied.  Robert Plenge, MD, PhD, a rheumatologist and geneticist at Harvard Medical School, is one of the primary leaders of this project and believes that the AIR will help provide much needed information on rare forms of RA and hard to get family histories.  A similar registry managed by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has been credited with helping to nearly double the life expectancy of people with the disease.
    The AIR registry consists of a questionnaire that takes about 30 minutes to complete. Kathleen Ferrel, a retired physical therapist, is an AF volunteer who has worked hard to get the registry going.  She gives several examples of the the information they are seeking:

Functional level
Medications
Activity
How often do you visit your doctor
How many times you've seen a rheumatologist
Out-of-pocket expenses
 
Dr. Plenge goes on to say that one of the most exciting features is the collection of blood samples that will be analyzed with the information obtained from each person.  Dr. Plenge stresses the security measures taken by the AIR and that all information gathered is private and secure. "There's no link to personal information and no way I, as a researcher, could ever actually contact that person."

The privacy, ease and hope that the AIR offers are strong incentives to get people to participate. For a couple of years now, social media and networking has made people celebrities overnight and have taken small businesses to the next level.  Just think what it can do for medical research.  There is an endless amount of important information out there and now it can be accessed. 
Are you registered with the AR or any other medical registry? If not, do you think you would register for this or any other medical condition? What are your views on the internet being used for research?

If you have arthritis and would like to register, visit www.arthritis.org/arthritis-internet-registry

Are you or a loved one having more and more difficulty with everyday activities such as showering, dressing, getting around the house or running errands? An assisted living community may be right for you. You can get the daily support you need, while remaining as independent as possible.  An assisted living community may be a good choice if you need more personal care services than you can get at home or an independent living retirement community, but don’t need the round-the-clock medical care and supervision of a skilled nursing home.  Assisted living communities offer the safety and security of 24-hour support and access to care. Day or night, help is only a call away. Making the decision to leave your home for an assisted living community can be difficult, even if you’re looking forward to the extra help, services, security, and social perks that it brings.

• Determine what you can afford
Many seniors who need help with their activities of daily living (personal hygiene, meals, medication management, etc) will never have to go to nursing homes if they can afford assisted living. Medicare does not pay for assisted living (in Illinois), but some Long Term Care Insurances will. Typically all expenses are paid out-of-pocket by residents and/or their families.
• Select a general location
Once you've determined how much you or your loved one can afford to pay for assisted living, select the city or region where the home should be.  Both the potential resident and family should be included in the selection process, if possible. The goal of assisted living is to allow the resident to retain as much independence as circumstances permit.
• Determine needs
When you compare assisted living communities, some factors matter more than others. No perfect home exists. Finding one that meets your needs is Goal Number 1. When you tour a community and interview its staff, be thorough in offering as much information as possible to address the needs of the client. 
• Go
 Make an appointment for a tour.  Ask to see more than public areas.  Visit several residents’ rooms.  Ask if both you and your loved one can join the residents for lunch or dinner and,  if possible, stroll through the community on your own.  Talk to the residents and observe staff interaction.  Be sure to learn what the monthly fee includes and if there are any additional add-on's as needs may increase. Also ask about any "community fee" sometimes required at move-in.
• Reach for Support
 Reach out for help from family and friends and look into a support group. Move-in day is often filled with mixed emotions. Both the family and resident may experience excitement with the decorating and settling in process but also may experience feelings of anxiety and loss. Moving is seldom easy and acceptance of the move, as well as actually settling into a routine, may  take  weeks or longer for some people.

  Although the process may sound overwhelming, it has been proven that those who make a decision for assisted living sooner than later often enjoy a longer quality of life because so much of the "what happens if.....?" worry has been removed.

Have you started planning and researching alternative living arrangements for a family member? What has been your experience so far?