April 1999

Nursing Homes as Options for Seniors

More people enter nursing homes due to falls than for any other reason.
Preventing falls is one of our most major concerns. We have researched and studied how and why people fall. From this, we have come up with several recommendations and located many products that are able to help prevent falls.

The Costs of Nursing Home Care
Nursing homes can cost anywhere from $2,000-$6,000+ per month. For one year of nursing home living, an individual could rack up expenses of over $72,000. With the average stay in a nursing home totaling approximately 2.5 years, that could mean a total cost of $180,000+. This could easily eat away at a person's life savings. This does not even include medical expenses which are climbing higher and higher each day.

What Can One do to Avoid These Expenses?
One option is to purchase long-term care insurance. People insure their home, car, health, and life. So why not insure the greatest expense that people may face. Experts say that more than 50% of the population will require nursing home care or extended home care. Over 85% of long term care takes place in the home or other non-nursing home facilities. These reasons are why we recommend that a person look into obtaining long-term care insurance. The cost can vary and you should get quotes from several companies to compare prices and benefits. Your local yellow pages and/or your insurance agent is a good place to start. We recommend that you only meet with companies that have guaranteed renewable policies. Also, make sure that the policy pays for skilled and non-skilled care. Look for companies that have an A rating with the A.M. best rating. Most importantly, make sure that the policy covers home health care. Since most often this is the most desirable place to be when home care is a viable option in comparison to nursing home care.

Options At Home
We realize that people are happiest when living in their own homes. Familiar pictures of family and friends, rooms where children once played, kitchens which hosted thousands of family meals, and yards where countless hours were spent playing ball. These are the memories for many seniors. Life@Home, Inc. exists to help keep those memories alive. If we can help someone stay in their own, comfortable environment, then we have done our job. By equipping the home to be "senior friendly" we are able to help create a healthier, safer home; a home that contains memories held dear to people of all ages. Many times nursing home care is the last and only option. But too often, seniors and the children of seniors see it as the only option. Maybe so…until now.