“The Benefits of Hiring a Companion for an Older Adult,” by Marijke Vroomen Durning, Next Avenue “More than 34 million family members and friends in the United States provide care to older adults, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. … Getting help often involves hiring a home health care aide who can do tasks like bathing, toileting and dressing. Not all caregivers need someone to provide that level of care, though. Some may just need a helper to give them a little time to themselves or to run errands and do tasks that wouldn’t otherwise get done. For these
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““American seniors employed at record-high levels,” by Brittany De Lea, Fox Business,” by Brittany De Lea, Fox Business “As the record-long U.S. economic expansion continues, more seniors than ever appear to be putting off retirement. According to data from Deutsche Bank Securities chief economist Torsten Slok, the employment to population ratio for those aged 65 and over hit 20 percent in July – a record high.”   LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): New long-term care plan: work until you drop.
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“New NAIC Long-Term Care Insurance Squad May Keep Some Work Private,” by Allison Bell, ThinkAdvisor “State insurance regulators might keep part of a major new long-term care insurance (LTCI) rate review regulation effort behind closed doors. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners formed a top-level Long-Term Care Insurance Task Force in April, to get the heads of state insurance regulatory agencies directly involved with addressing LTCI issuers’ plea for states to handle LTCI premium increase requests in a similar way. Thirty-six states agreed to join the task force, and 25 commissioners cared enough to show up for an in-person meeting in June, Scott
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“Things I Think: Good, Bad news,” by Gary Tetz, McKnight’s LTC News “Bad news, people. Alzheimer’s disease can be prevented. That might actually sound like good news, especially for those destined to be in our care. But here’s the dark side: Recent research suggests avoiding this dreaded disease might actually require personal responsibility and making better choices. Darn it, I knew there was a catch. A recent study presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference identified five lifestyle habits that combined could reduce the risk by 60%. They’re just simple little things: eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, don’t smoke,
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“Secret shoppers in LTC,” by Eleanor Feldman Barbera, McKnight’s LTC News “Posing as customers, ‘secret shoppers’ deliver the inside scoop to management about their experiences with various service providers. They can be invaluable to management in all kinds of situations, including long-term care, though there are special challenges there. … Even leaders who regularly walk the floors of their facilities know that the interactions between workers and their charges are different when senior managers aren’t observing. Discovering details of the day-to-day experiences of residents, families and staff can offer valuable insights that improve care quality, increase satisfaction and make a facility
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“Medicare Advantage Hasn’t Always Prioritized Skilled Nursing — But That’s Changing,” by Maggie Flynn, Skilled Nursing News “If skilled nursing facilities want to improve their relationship with managed care payers — particularly the ever-expanding Medicare Advantage plans — they have to ensure that they understand the payers’ pain points. … Managed Medicare plans have long been a thorn in the side of SNF providers, with lower reimbursements and intense length-of-stay pressures, but despite the challenges of managed care, many states see managed long-term supports and services (MLTSS) as the only way to manage their budgets as their populations age.”   LTC Comment (from Stephen
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“Advisor Alert: Learning Medicaid Planning Can Keep You From Getting Sued,” MedicaidPlanning.org “Every legal or financial advisor who works with seniors exposes themselves to LTC Medicaid eligibility malpractice from failing to understand how the advice that they give impacts or hinders Medicaid eligibility. Bad advice can have negative consequences. If those consequences cause the person receiving advice to be adversely affected, the legal or financial advisor can be sued and held accountable for the damage they caused.”   LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): This appears to be a new organization dedicated to promoting
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“Genworth Says It’s Seeking Buyers for Canadian Unit,” by Allison Bell, ThinkAdvisor “Genworth Financial Inc. says it’s actively trying to sell its Genworth MI Canada mortgage insurance unit, and that it intends to complete efforts to be acquired by China Oceanwide Holdings Group Co. Ltd. by Nov. 30. Genworth and Oceanwide remain committed to the merger agreement and continue to work towards closing as soon as possible,’ Genworth said, in comments made in connection with the release of second-quarter earnings.”   LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): Finally, light at the end of the
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