Cuts loom for nursing homes in Indiana .....learn about Alternatives to SNF care

I think that with the aging of the baby boomer generation there is opportunity for the nurse entreprenuer to develop methods for the modern family to affordably care for their elderly loved ones outside of LTC or AL facilities.

This has been an incredibly informative thread and I have learned much. Thanks to everyone who has contributed such a wealth of information

Really appreciate your posts, NRSKarenRN. Thanks!!

I still stand by my point; many families don't have family to care for their own elderly because they don't want to. Most families have enough siblings to do so. For example, most countries stick around home and have a different lifestyle and one stays and cares for the elderly 'till it's time to go. These families pool their assets and work together; they don't have this insane idea of "individuality" where family doesn't help family. How many do you know who have foreclosed who have family? Nice, isn't it? That would NEVER happen in some countries. They stick together through riches and poverty. No one gets rich alone, no one suffers alone. I was surprised to see the successful people over in SE Asia compared to here because they work together, take care of their kids as a unit and elderly as a unit and grow food, build houses for new offspring. It works.

Why are we working 2-3 jobs per household? Because taking care of warehoused elderly is exorbitantly expensive. Look at the US budget and you'll see. As I said, it would take a couple decades for the community to adjust and absorb but the savings would leave plenty left. The elderly are our families, not our government's problem.

I don't like paying taxes through the nose to have moles removed from 90 year old's and knee replacements on 70 year olds who don't even go outside. It's all a big scam and we're paying through the nose.

When it's my time and I become a burden, rather than going to decubiti hell, let me go!

It would take a cultural adjustment. Many cultures are shocked with what we do to our elderly. Get old? See ya, on to a nursing home!

BTW if the government gave YOU a subsidy (if you still believe it's their problem) it still would be worth it to hire a high school student or family member to work less than to pay for docs, nurses, etc.

Alzheimer's? let me go when I get that...I won't know the difference anyway. Why would I want to tax my kid's system when I'm outta my mind? i still believe our culture is wayyyyy too selfish compared to what they do in say SE Asia.

MY point to my post was exactly that, before I was attacked and insulted. MY sister and I have been struggling for months to keep my mother out of a NH/LTC/Decub Hell. My mother still out right owns her home- no more mortage for years, she now stays with my sister, she- in her alzheimers fog, states I want to go home ( the cost of round the clock HOME HEATH AIDE would be through the roof- for my family), she CANNOT be left in her home alone, so we take her to HER home (with one of us present) for "visits' where she rumages through all her earthly belongings and when it's time to leave she holds on to door ways and screams. There is no compensation( coverage of costs through medicare-part B) for us to do this. Like I posted before- with our government, set up the way it is, we would have to liquidate(spend down her assests ) to get her to qualify under the MEDICAID ( poverty) guidelines then her at home care( medical day care while we were at work) would be 100% covered. I do not live in Indiana or PA, I live in NJ- the greed/tax capital of the world. I checked into PACE on the suggestion given to me from a senior services counselor at our county senior services dept. PACE is only available in 1 county ( we would have to be a resident of that county)- and not the county we( including my mom) live in. It seems our govenment is hell bent on wasting money and doesn't give 2 poops about the person and what is best for them- translation- the government would rather give out $6,000/mo( say that person had no assets) for NH/LTC costs than to pay for $3,000?mo in stay at home care.

Just for the record- I checked into the PACE back in APRIL. PACE would be perfect only we live in the wrong county- no PACE available in our county.

I then checked into a private/commerical ( like geniesis is to LTC) run medical day care- that is where I got the quote of $3,000/mo and how much of that cost is NOT covered under MEDICARE-part B or any other part.

I know how heart renching decision it is to sell a parents/grandparents/ aunts home and spend down assets having cared for both sets grandparents, MIL and aunts/uncles over the years along with assisting my homecare patients/families over the years. The desire to pass assets from one generation to the next needs to be tempered with individuals need for those assets to be used for care when they are unable to physically/mentally care for themselves.

Need to obtain resources in your state? Perform search of your states offical website for " Office of Aging and Commuity Services" or Administration on Aging (AoA) Home & Community Based Long-Term Care

New Jersey Division of Aging and Community Services

Under your local office of aging, Seniors are available for a FREE analysis of services available to them including program costs, availability + qualification for nursing home diversion ptrograms.

Just for the record- I checked into PACE back in April- would be perfect but we live in the wrong county. Checked into the privately run medical day cares at that time also- to get an idea of costs- this is where I got the $3,000/mo number and no coverage under MEDICARE- part B or any other part. My thought is New Jersey is a very affluent state for the most part with many of it's residents working in NYC and PHILY, so the rest of us working class poor are forgotten about- we are taxed according to the big shot business excs. communiting out of NYC and Philly ( these people can afford "round the clock" nursing care in their homes AND the addition of a custom in-law suite and not be comcerned with MEDICAREvs MEDICAID)! Look at the stats on New Jersey Property taxes. The worst in the US.

Our society has changed....back in the day the women did not routinely work outside of the home...they cared for the men, the children, and the infirm family members (among an enormous list of other responsibilities). Now most women work outside of the home. Now significant numbers of mothers are the sole income for their families. Now we shop out our child care and our elder care. There is no question that the best place for young children and the elderly who cannot care for themselves is with family, in a family home. At some point, we as members of a society, must decide where OUR priorities are and adjust our work lives to reflect them. Many men and women take sabbaticals or leaves of absence from work to care for family members. Many families recalculate budgets to accommodate either increased day care expenses (adult/child) or decreased income. There is no single "right" answer to these questions. The choices are never easy or painless. It is not the government's role to insure that every american can afford LTC. Medicaid is not intended to take the place of a caring family in provision of daily care for the dependent elderly. It is interesting to me, in my role, that many families have one or more UN or UNDER employed members whom they put into immediate use providing the bulk of the care required by "grandma". I work with one family, currently, where even the teens are expected to give hours of their time, each week, to making sure that the matriarch of that family is properly cared for. Certainly, in our society where families no longer live close by and may not value close relationships, this care is less common.