Long-Term Care: Planning for Finance, Medical, and Living Expenses
We're living exciting bonus years--decades that our parents and grandparents didn't have. But how to navigate this complex terrain? Questions abound around long-term care planning: Where to live? How to get the best medical care? What to do about advance directives, wills and trusts, and estate planning? And how to pay for it all after you retire? Getting accurate information and answers wasn't easy. Until now.
AARP's Navigating Your Later Years For Dummies helps you and your family understand the growing range of opportunities. Even more importantly, it helps you chart the next steps to live the life you choose, as independently as you choose, no matter your specific circumstances and needs. This book:
* Covers home modifications so that you can stay at home safely for as long as you like
* Lays out the opportunities and costs associated with independent living, assisted living and other options
* Gives you a range of driving and transportation alternatives
* Helps you navigate the healthcare system, Medicare, and Medicaid
* Sorts out the various sources of care at home
* Reviews the legal documents you should prepare and update
* Helps you determine whether you need long-term care insurance
* Gives you guidance on talking with your family about sensitive issues, including your wishes as you age
With this new comprehensive book, you'll get the credible information and resources you need to face the challenges facing us as we live the life we choose. Here, finally, is a roadmap for you and your family to best understand, and plan ahead.
Autorentext
Carol Levine directs the Families and Health Care Project at the United Hospital Fund in New York. She is an expert on aging, health, long-term care, and family caregiving, and writes on those topics for both professional and consumer audiences.
Klappentext
- Consider healthcare and insurance options
- Talk with family about finances and other tough issues
- Learn about housing choices and downsizing
Aging is changing. Choose how you want to live.
We're living exciting bonus yearsdecades our parents and grandparents didn't have. But navigating this terrain can be complex. Is long-term care insurance worth the expense? How can I stay in my home as long as possible? What steps should I take to protect myself and my family for years to come? How do I find the best healthcare? Which legal documents do I really need? This guide gives you the expert advice you need, whether you're planning for yourself or a loved one.
- Inexpensive and easy home modifications
- Independent and assisted living
- Community services
- Medicare and Medicaid help
- Transportation options
Zusammenfassung
Long-Term Care: Planning for Finance, Medical, and Living Expenses
We're living exciting bonus yearsdecades that our parents and grandparents didn't have. But how to navigate this complex terrain? Questions abound around long-term care planning: Where to live? How to get the best medical care? What to do about advance directives, wills and trusts, and estate planning? And how to pay for it all after you retire? Getting accurate information and answers wasn't easy. Until now.
AARP's Navigating Your Later Years For Dummies helps you and your family understand the growing range of opportunities. Even more importantly, it helps you chart the next steps to live the life you choose, as independently as you choose, no matter your specific circumstances and needs. This book:
- Covers home modifications so that you can stay at home safely for as long as you like
- Lays out the opportunities and costs associated with independent living, assisted living and other options
- Gives you a range of driving and transportation alternatives
- Helps you navigate the healthcare system, Medicare, and Medicaid
- Sorts out the various sources of care at home
- Reviews the legal documents you should prepare and update
- Helps you determine whether you need long-term care insurance
- Gives you guidance on talking with your family about sensitive issues, including your wishes as you age
With this new comprehensive book, you'll get the credible information and resources you need to face the challenges facing us as we live the life we choose. Here, finally, is a roadmap for you and your family to best understand, and plan ahead.
Inhalt
Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 3
Icons Used in This Book 4
Beyond the Book 4
Where to Go from Here 4
Part 1: Getting Started With Navigating Your Later Years 5
Chapter 1: Looking Ahead: The Big Picture 7
Planning for the Future Starts with You 7
Navigating the Roadblocks of Planning 8
Reasons for resistance 9
The benefits of planning 9
Unraveling the Meaning of Long-Term Care 10
Defining long-term services and supports 11
Understanding what Medicare covers 12
Discovering How Your Options Are Changing 13
Looking at why changes are being made 13
Keeping up with insider language 15
Meeting Your Changing Needs 16
Location, location, location 17
Timing and flexibility 18
Getting Professional Advice 19
Chapter 2: A Personal Inventory: Past, Present, and Future 21
Looking at the Present and the Future 22
Healthcare needs 22
Family, friends, and professionals 24
Personality characteristics 25
Attitudes about money 26
Creating a Plan Based on Your Profile 28
Drawing a CareMap to Visualize Your Profile 29
Chapter 3: Finding Services 31
Where to Turn for Help 31
Organizing your research 33
Federal government programs 34
State and local programs 36
Community-based organizations 38
Taking Your Research to the Next Level: Site Visits for Housing 40
Tips for your tours 40
Federal and state regulations 41
Chapter 4: Making Decisions: A Family Affair 43
Holding Family Meetings 44
Who should be included? 44
When should you get together? 45
What should be on the agenda? 45
Being Considerate of Others 47
Allocating responsibilities 48
Bringing in the outer circle 50
Dealing with Conflict 51
Mediators and counselors 51
Consensus and compromise 52
Part 2: Choosing Where to Live 53
Chapter 5: Staying in Your Home 55
Staying at Home in Your Community 55
Dealing with Two Major Hazards 56
Preventing falls 57
Preventing burns 59
Modifying a Home 60
Categorizing types of home modifications 60
Checking out accessibility 61
Finding a contractor 63
Getting help paying for home modifications 63
Seeking Help at Home 65
Allocating tasks to family 65
Searching for services 66
Finding help for other chores 66
Putting technology to use 67
Preparing for an Emergency 68
Creating a support network 69
Making an emergency plan 69
Putting together a disaster kit 71
Chapter 6: Under One Roof: Generations Living Together 73
Multigenerational Living: Everything Old Is New Again 74
Why different generations are living together 74
Defining family households by generation 75
Considering family reactions before making a decision 76
Where S…