Sep 20, 2019
The National Aging in Place Council (NAIPC) states that more than 90 percent of older adults would rather live in their own homes and communities rather than move to senior housing. Other research shows that 75 percent of people age 40 and over plan on living in their own homes when they are 80.
With the baby boomer generation adding 10,000 additional people to the 65 and over category every day until 2024, that is a lot or people that will need support to ensure they maintain their independence.
SeinorCare has had the mission of helping people age in place long before it became a national conversation. Until two years ago, the only way to receive home care services from SeniorCare was to meet functional impairment and income requirements. Only those who met the income guidelines and had a caregiver were eligible to receive services. These guidelines have changed.
People still need to meet the functional impairment guidelines, but SeniorCare can now provide and coordinate services for all income levels on a sliding scale.
At the lowest income guidelines SeniorCare charges monthly co-payments rather than per service charges. Once you reach a certain income level it used to be that you had to go directly to private care organizations. Now any person who is “over income” can now pay a percentage of the cost, up to 100%, that SeniorCare incurs.
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLS) and Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are key life tasks that people need to manage, in order to live at home and be fully independent.
IADLs include tasks that manage our environment such as:
- Telephone use – ability to make and receive calls independently
- Meal Preparation – putting together and preparing healthy meals
- Grocery Shopping – ability to go to the store to purchase food
- Medication Management – assistance with taking medication appropriately
- Home Making – house cleaning
- Laundry – being able to load and unload the washer and dryer
- Transportation – the ability to arrange for transportation for shopping, social events, doctor appointments and medical treatments
- Money management – ability to write checks, pay bills, and balance a checkbook
Essentially ADLs are self-care tasks we learn as very young children:
- Walking – or otherwise getting around the house or outside. Technically speaking this is called “ambulating.”
- Feeding – being able to get food from a plate into one’s mouth.
- Dressing and grooming – selecting clothes, putting them on and adequately managing one’s personal appearance.
- Toileting – setting to and from the toilet, using it appropriately and cleaning oneself.
- Bathing – being able to wash one’s own face and body in the bath or shower.
- Transferring – being able to move from one body position to another. This includes being able to move from a bed to a chair, or into a wheelchair.
If a person needs assistance with certain IADLs, or any one of the ADLs, they are eligible for SeniorCare Services. The unique aspect of using SeniorCare for in home care services is that each person we serve gets access to a Care Manager. Given SeniorCare’s wide range of contracted providers for services, a person will pay less than if they chose private pay.
If a person is prescreened to qualify, a Care Manager will visit and do an intake to determine eligibility for services based on the number of IADLs or ADLs the person needs help with. The Care Manager will also determine if a co-pay is required.
If you or a loved one are in need of support to remain independent and connected to community, SeniorCare may be able to help at a lower cost. Call SeniorCare’s Information & Referral Department at 978-281-1750 and they will work with you to do what they do best, provide and coordinate services that allow for the freedom of independent living. For more information on SeniorCare’s services, visit www.seniorcareinc.org.