Long-Term Care…Know Your Options.

An accident that results in a permanent disabling injury or the birth of a special needs child can force people to assume a lifelong care giving role. As the number of people with severe disabilities, debilitating chronic diseases and terminal illnesses grows, concern about their care has focused primarily on long-term care facilities, nursing homes, home health aides and hospices. Relatively little official attention has been paid to those who provide the overwhelming amount of services for people, both young and old, who are unable to care for themselves.

Various surveys have found that 20 million to 50 million family members in the United States provide care that was traditionally performed by nurses and social workers. Family caregivers supply about 80 percent of the care for ill or disabled relatives, and the need for their services will only rise as the population ages and modern medicine improves its ability to prolong lives.

Financial burdens can also complicate matters, especially when the family caregiver is forced to quit a job or cut back on outside work for pay. About a third of family caregivers lose most or all of their savings as a result of care giving, studies have shown. Family caregivers provide an estimated $237 billion in unpaid services a year.

Most family caregivers have no training for the physically and emotionally demanding tasks they undertake. And many are struggling themselves with age-related disabilities and chronic ailments. Others are members of the so-called “sandwich generation” who must juggle care giving with paying jobs and the needs of their own family.

It is important family members and caregivers know their options for help. The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) has five programs that offer services to eligible persons in the home:

Home Health provides in-home skilled nursing services and associated personal care from qualified nurses and home health aides.
Home Help provides unskilled personal services such as meal preparation, assistance with eating, grooming, laundry, shopping and moving about the home.
PDS provides assistance in purchasing durable medical equipment and home modifications not otherwise covered by Medicaid.
MI Choice Program provides services such as personal care, transportation, private duty nursing, meal preparation and routine household care to allow an individual to remain in his or her home.
PACE provides comprehensive medical and long-term care services to program enrollees who are 55 years of age or older.

Additional services:

Hospices offer end-of-life care, usually provided in the home. In some cases care may also be provided in a residential facility such as a nursing home. Support is provided for the family through counseling, and for the individual with skilled nursing services, pain management and personal care.
Nursing homes are residences that provide housing, meals, rehabilitative care, skilled nursing services and protective supervision for post--acute and long-term care needs.

Other resources that may help:

MMAP is the Michigan Medicare and Medicaid Assistance Program that offers free counseling and education on Medicare and Medicaid benefits. You can contact MMAP toll-free at 1-800-803-7174.

MISeniors.net is Michigan’s Office of Services to the Aging website. The website lists support services for the elderly, housing options, information on nutrition and health care providers: www.MISeniors.net.

The Department of Human Services- DHS is a State of Michigan agency that provides information on independent living, senior services, adult community placement and medical services. To locate county DHS offices, call 517-373-2035, or select ‘County Offices’ from its website at www.michigan.gov/dhs.

Eligibility for long-term care services is determined by assessing your medical needs and functional abilities, and looking at financial criteria. MI Choice Program, PACE and nursing homes use Michigan’s Medicaid Nursing Facility Level of Care Determination to identify eligibility.

Financial eligibility is determined by your local Department of Human Services (DHS) office. If you are determined eligible for services, you will be informed of program options. If you are determined ineligible, you will be informed of other services in your community that may help you, and your right to appeal a determination of ineligibility. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging or community service organization for more information about all program options.

If you or a loved one has been injured to due to the negligence of a nursing home or long-term care facility, protect your rights. Contact one of our experienced Michigan personal injury attorneys immediately for a free confidential consultation today.