Ways to Lighten the Financial Load For Elderly Relatives

A recent article by Caring.com spoke about ways to keep loved ones out of nursing homes. Many families who would like to receive help for their relatives are financially strained and cannot afford a nursing home.  For these families, the care of a loved one can cause undue stress and tension.  Caring.com addressed this issue by offering many tips on creative financial ways to help take care of elderly relatives or friends. According to the article, some of the tips include:

• Moving in with someone else who can take care of your relative
• Split caregiving between family and a paid neighbor
• Moving to an area with a cheaper cost-of-living to be able to hire a caregiver
• Consider utilizing adult daycare or companion care
• Use community resources that provide in-home care, such as responsible students or church groups
• Look into potential programs that your relative might be eligible for, such as various Veteran's Affairs benefits
• Research assisted living facilities as well
• Look into Medicaid or PACE benefits

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania.  He takes cases for older Pennsylvanians who have been abused or neglected.  For more information on his Altoona, PA area practice, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.  Attorney Stoehr takes cases in Blair and the seven surrounding counties.

Reimbursement For Transition Of Services

An article by McKnight's Long-Term Care News and Assisted Living recently ran an article talking about Pennsylvania's reimbursement policies for caregivers providing transition of care services.  The article, originally written on 9/19/2012, may be viewed by either reading below or byclicking this link. 

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced legislation that would reimburse providers for coordination of care services.The legislation, called the Medicare Transitional Care Act of 2012, seeks to improve transitions of care for Medicare beneficiaries transferring out of the hospital and into a skilled nursing facility or back into their own homes.
The bill would have Medicare give a specific payment — based on performance metrics and improved outcomes — to providers performing coordination activities. The legislation was sponsored by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Thomas Petri (R-WI), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).

This legislation comes as hospitals prepare to face penalties for failing to prevent readmissions for conditions such as pneumonia and heart failure. The penalties, which will go into effect Oct. 1, will make strong relationships between hospitals and post-acute providers more important than ever, health experts say.

Attorney Doug Stoehr has worked on several claims involving elder abuse at the hands of caregivers.  If you or a loved one has been a suspected victim of elder abuse, it might be time to consult an attorney.  Attorney Stoehr serves the western and central Pennsylvania area and is located in Altoona, PA. For more information on his law practice, please call at814-946-4100 or visit his website here.