As the life expectancy of Americans continues to rise, so do personal health care costs.  We're all aware of the debates over the last couple of years about health care reform in this country and everyone has their opinion on what needs to be done to make improvements.  One very important step we can all take, regardless of political beliefs, is to plan for future long-term care (LTC).  November is Long-Term Care Awareness Month and though it is not sponsored by an organization, it is a presidential proclamation aimed at getting Americans to plan for their and/or their loved ones LTC needs.

    As mentioned above, life expectancies are on the rise.  Today the average expectancy in America is 78 years old and if you're already over 55, you are expected to live to around 84 years old!  Statistics show that 66% of people over the age of 65 will require some form of long-term care.  That adds up to a lot of people, needing a lot of care for a long period of time.  It doesn't take a mathematician to tell you that the cost for this care is going to be staggering. Ken Dychtwald, PhD, together with Genworth Financial, conducted a national survey and polled 2,000 Americans. The study, "Our Family, Our Future: The Heart of Long Term Care Planning", provided Dr. Dychtwald with insight to how LTC expenses affected individuals' lives, marriages, employment and financial security.  He discovered that most people were not aware that LTC costs are not covered by Medicare or most health insurance policies. Those polled didn't realize that separate, long-term care specific policies must be purchased to cover these expenses.

     For those few people that had made plans or intended to make plans for LTC, there were 3 very common reasons they gave for doing so:

Did not want to be a burden on their family
Wanted to be able to afford the quality care in the setting of their choice
Wanted to protect spouse/loved ones' quality of life and future security

     It is estimated that 66 million Americans serve as family care givers, whether they be a spouse, partner, adult child, sibling of a friend.  Of these care givers, 83% of them contribute to the financial cost of providing such care.  Of course, the amount and type of LTC will also determine overall expenses.  If, for example, the care recipient has Alzheimer's disease, the cost both financially and emotionally, can be overwhelming.  Those with Alzheimer's can live with the disease for many, many years and at some point, require 24 hour care.  This in turn brings up other issues.  Dr. Dychtwald has determined that there are 3 "core" topics when families discuss long-term care:

What care options are most preferred?
  a) Home
  b) Assisted Living
  c) Nursing Home

Potential roles/responsibilities.
  a) Family member(s)
  b) Nurse
  c) Aide

How to pay for required long-term care
  a) Personal or family savings
  b) Medicaid
  c) LTC insurance policy

     Regardless of the situation you and your family may find yourself in, preparing for the future is going to help everyone in the end.  Dr. Dychtwald suggests a few websites that he considers very helpful in getting answers and finding information on LTC options:
www.longtermcare.gov , www.caringtalk.com and www.ResearchLTC.com

Have you or a loved one planned for possible LTC?  If so, how/when did you make the decisions you made?  Where did you go for advice?  We look forward to your comments and stories.
    
 

     Needless to say, most people don't want to linger over thoughts of their death, nor the death of a loved one.  Unless someone is dealing with a terminal illness, planning their own funeral wouldn't cross their mind.  More times than not, families are left with making difficult decisions during an even more difficult time.  A time when such emotions as grief, guilt, anxiety, anger and depression can lead to poor choices, family squabbling or the inabiltiy to make decisions at all.  Having the foresight to discuss your wishes with family members as well as making the financial arrangements ahead of time, will relieve a lot of unnecessary stress for the survivors.

     Jim Hellen has been in the mortuary business for 38 years.  His experiences have proven that the best "gift" you could ever give your family is to pre-plan your funeral arrangements.  Unless there are specifics laid, the decisions have to be made by surviving family members, who may not agree on anything.  If the closest survivors of the deceased are their children, it is the law that they all agree on funeral arrangements.  There have been cases where funerals were postponed for weeks while siblings fought over funeral homes, cost, etc.  It is easy for survivors to want the "very best" for their loved ones remains and over spend on every detail. In many cases, guilt prohibits the survivors to make wise financial choices. This can lead to resentment and further hardships.  Hellen stresses the importance of providing guidelines and suggests three easy steps in pre-planning a funeral.

1.  Treatment of the remains. This would be the choices of burial         
                              (above or below ground), cremation, organ
                               donation, etc...

2.  Specifics for the service.  This may include where the service is to
                                be held, what clothes the deceased would
                                like to be wearing, what music to be played, etc.

3.  Financial Arrangements.  This could be funeral insurance, pre-paid funeral
                            costs, personal money set aside, etc.

   These are just a few of the possible details that may or may not need to be addressed.  Every individual has their own ideas of how they would like their funeral or services to be.  Whether it be simple or extravagant, making those decisions ahead of time and making those close to you aware of them, will insure that the deceased gets what they wanted and the survivors have the peace of mind knowing their loved one's wishes were carried out.

When it comes to providing health care, there are many different levels in many different areas.   It's safe to say that the majority of us have received some form of health care throughout our lives, be it as casual as an annual check up or as serious as an emergency surgery. The usual encounters are with family physicians and nurses, perhaps a rehabilitation therapist or even a specialist now and then. However, if you've ever experienced an extended stay in the hospital or a rehab center, you undoubtedly received care from a CNA or Certified Nursing Assistant.

The role of the CNA is to provide daily care to patients and residents of nursing homes and assisted living communities.  This may include bathing, feeding and toileting.  CNAs also provide physical and emotional support to their patient or resident in care, as well as loved ones involved.  This is especially true in a senior living community. CNAs are often assigned to residents.  This means that the resident is cared for by the same people everyday and a relationship forms, as well as trust built.  This is also a comfort to family members.  Knowing that someone is caring for their loved one as an individual relieves a lot of the stress that may accompany the situation. 

Doctors and nurses also benefit from the presence of a CNA.  Personal physicians and nurses usually do not have the time to attend to patients/residents on a daily basis.  CNAs are trained to monitor treatments and medications.  They can chart the progress of the patient/resident and can report any changes, good or bad, to the appropriate doctor. This helps to create a constant flow of communication between resident, family, doctors and staff which in turn enables the best care to be given.

Though, it is always the right time to show appreciation for the hard work CNAs do, June 10th-17th is National Nursing Assistants Week. McKinley Court Care Centre would to thank all of their on-staff CNAs and highlight all of them individually.  It seems appropriate to begin this week.

       Sylvia Robinson has been at McKinley Court Care Centre for over 10 years.  Born and raised in Decatur, Illinois she has been married for 25 years. Sylvias has 2 children and 8 grandchildren.  She received her certification from Richland Community College and hopes to work at McKinley Court Care Centre until she retires.  When asked what she likes about being a CNA, Sylvia's response was "I enjoy working with seniors and I try to bring as much joy to them as they bring to me.  I love my job and what I do everyday."

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estitmate that over 72 million Americans are currently diagnosed with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.  It is a serious condition and left untreated has serious consequences.  What makes high blood pressure so dangerous is that it has no real symptoms.  By the time a symptom is exposed, it is because damage has occured to one or more parts of the body and may be too late to remedey. Since May was High Blood Pressure Awareness Month, it is a good time to discuss the causes and preventions of this disease.

Basically, high blood pressure is just that.  The heart is pumpming blood at a higher than safe rate through the body.  Because the heart is working so hard, it can become enlarged and/or damaged over time. Veins and arteries can also become damaged. If inconsistent blood flow occurs, there are several organs that can be affected in a negative way.  Some of the results of untreated high blood pressure are:

-HEART FAILURE
-HEART ATTACK
-STROKE
-KIDNEY DAMAGE
-MEMORY LOSS
-VISION LOSS

Though these are some serious and sometimes deadly results, blood pressure can easily be mananged by the patient at home. If you find yourself diagnosed with high blood pressure, your doctor will no doubt put you on some form of medication to control it and bring it to lower levels.  However, the easiest and most effective ways to treat or eliminate high blood pressure are through diet and exercise.  Overweight people are at a higher risk.  Foods that are high in fat, salt and cholesterol are common causes of high blood pressure. By avoiding foods such as these, you can lower the risk of developing high blood pressure.  Exercising, which any doctor will tell you, is a great way to lose weight and lower blood pressure.  Though it is possible to be slim and exercise and still develop high blood pressure,  you are definetly at higher risk if you are overwieght and out of shape. It is even possible, by weight loss and regualr exercise to lower your blood pressure to the point where medication is no longer needed.  Not only is this healthier in the long run, but it also reduces medical expenses and lowers the risk of future side affects to the medication. 
By checking your blood pressure regularly, whether it be at home, by your doctor or even at one of the machines located in many drug stores, you have a better chance at controlling it.  Blood pressure readings will be different at different times of the day for everyone.  Keeping a journal of your readings for your doctor will enable them to better treat your condition.  Don't let this "silent killer" sneak up on you.