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Medicare

How Seniors Can Cut Costs Without Sacrificing Their Lifestyles

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If you are now living on a fixed income, you’ll probably need to start spending less. However, cutting costs doesn’t mean you have to make major lifestyle changes. You can make simple changes to your habits and still live a full and satisfying life throughout your golden years.

Declutter Your House

Over the years, you’ve probably accumulated a lot of stuff that you don’t want, need, or use. Older adults should declutter their homes and part with some of their abundance of belongings. Decluttering doesn’t just free up space and make your home safer; it can also bring in some income. Look to sell items on eBay, Craigslist, or local consignment shops, as clothing, decor, furniture, and other items that you don’t want anymore can bring in a little income. The fewer items you have in your home, the less you’ll have to clean, maintain, or store. Decluttering can be a very freeing experience for many people. Once you’ve sold everything you can, then donate the rest to charity or pass items on to friends or family members.

Concentrate on Energy Savings

One way to reduce your monthly bills is to cut back on your energy usage. Combined utilities are typically the second biggest portion of your monthly bills, after your mortgage or rent payment. There are a number of easy ways to reduce utility costs.

  • Go around the house and unplug items that you don’t regularly use. Appliances and electronics that are off but still plugged in will continue to use energy.
  • Switch out your traditional light bulbs to more energy-efficient CFLs or LEDs.
  • Install a ceiling fan to help cool your home and circulate the air.
  • Replace filters regularly so your HVAC unit doesn’t have to work so hard. Vacuum the coils under your refrigerator as well.
  • Use a smart thermostat to adjust the temperature when you aren’t at home. Also, lower the temperature at night when you can use blankets to stay warm.
Photo by Rodolfo Clix from Pexels - 1
Photo by Rodolfo Clix from Pexels

​Seek Out Discounts 

Restaurants, grocery stores, retail shops, movie theaters, hotels, cell phone companies, and various other entities offer discounts for seniors. The Senior List has compiled a fairly comprehensive list of senior discounts, but you also need to check in your local area. You may be surprised which retailers will offer discounts and freebies to older adults. Also, consider signing up for loyalty programs or rewards credit cards to reap even more benefits.

Check Your Insurance

Do you have the best deal on your health, auto, and homeowner’s insurance? Take the payments off auto-renew and start researching better options. For example, a Medicare Advantage plan may be more cost-efficient to you in the long-run than traditional Medicare. When it comes to car insurance, you can save money in a variety of ways. On an older vehicle, you may not need full coverage, but it’s still a great financial safety net to have. Discounts are usually available if you are a safe driver, bundle your policies, have an anti-theft device, and drive under a certain number of miles a year, so find a company the provides competitive savings. Compare prices and get quotes from different companies before it’s time to renew. You could end up saving hundreds of dollars a year.

Refinance Your Mortgage

Refinancing your mortgage can reduce your interest or extend your term, resulting in lower monthly payments. If you need more cash immediately, you can do a cash-out refinance. With this vehicle, you get a new mortgage that is higher than your current one, but you also get the difference in cash. Refinancing doesn’t make sense for everyone because there may be closing costs or other fees involved. So, talk to your financial institution and various lenders to comparison shop and figure out if refinancing is right for you.

When you head into retirement and you are suddenly on a fixed income, it can be an adjustment. However, just because you need to change your budget doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your lifestyle. Small changes can bring in a little income or reduce your monthly costs so you can continue to do all the things you enjoy as you get older.

Contributed by Karen Weeks. Karen created Elder Wellness as a resource for seniors who wish to keep their minds, bodies, and spirits well. She currently resides in Sacramento, California where she enjoys her retirement by trying new things and learning new skills to keep busy and challenge herself.

Could Long-term-care Insurance Help You?

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What is long-term-care insurance?

Long-term care insurance covers a range of supportive services (medical and non-medical) that an individual may need when they are no longer able to perform many day-to-day activities or tasks on their own. Activities of daily living, commonly known as ADL’s, include tasks such as feeding, bathing, toileting, dressing, or transferring from a bed to chair.

Additionally, long-term-care covers services that may help individuals with other everyday essential tasks. These supportive tasks include medication reminders, house cleaning, errands, and meal preparation.

LTC covers care services whether it be in the individual’s own home or in a facility. Who provides care may depend on the individual’s needs, but many times can come from a family caregiver, a homecare company, an adult day service, or a facility.

How do you know if long-term-care insurance is right for you?

Photo courtesy of Pixabay(skeeze)
Photo courtesy of Pixabay(skeeze)

LTC may be right for you if:

  • You want to be able to pay for your own care when it is needed down the road.
  • You like the idea of being independent as long as possible.
  • You are able to afford the premiums and have a good income and amount of assets.

LTC may NOT be right for you if:

  • You have a limited amount of income or assets.
  • You struggle paying for day-to-day necessities such as housing, rent, food, medications, etc.
  • Your only income is through a Social Security benefit or SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and you can’t afford the premiums.

Companies like Aspen Senior Care, an in-home personal care agency, want to help make sure seniors get the most bang for their buck. Cindy Harris, a LTC Claim Specialist with Aspen, says that many people don’t utilize their long-term-care options as well as they could.

“My job is to work with LTC insurance companies and get them to pay claims on our clients’ behalf,” says Cindy. “That way they get the full care they need and don’t have to worry that they won’t get the coverage they’ve paid for!”

Could Your Loved One Benefit from Hospice Services?

Caregiving - Hospice

First and foremost, it is important to understand what hospice care is. The purpose of hospice is to provide the highest quality of care and comfort to those who are chronically ill, terminally ill, or seriously ill and to relieve or lessen the discomfort they may experience. 

Bonnie and Diana Elevation Hospice

Bonnie B. and Diana C. with Elevation Hospice

For those wondering if their loved one could benefit from hospice, Bonnie Bechek, an experienced hospice RN with Elevation Hospice, suggests to look for the following signs:

  1. Health changes, including incontinence
  2. Increased frequency and severity of falls
  3. Loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss
  4. Loss of strength
  5. Increase in sleep
  6. Mental changes
  7. Requiring more assistance in activities of daily living
  8. Increased need for medication to control pain and discomfort

Did you know?

The hospice benefits, which are covered 100% by Medicare, include:

  1. On-call nurse available 24 hours a day
  2. Management of pain and other symptoms
  3. Personal care, homemaker services, companion care
  4. Spiritual and emotional support – Social Work and Chaplain
  5. Incontinence and catheter care and medical supplies (briefs, wipes, etc.)
  6. Durable Medical equipment (wheelchair, etc.)
  7. Medications for pain and discomfort
  8. Respite care, wound care, and bereavement support

Being Mortal by Atul GwandeBonnie also recommends the book Being Mortal by Atul Gwande to all family caregivers who have a loved one needing hospice care. This book is Atul’s personal meditation on how we can better live with age-related frailty, serious illness, and approaching death.

Personal care agencies, like Aspen Senior Care, work hand in hand with the top hospice agencies to ensure our clients are receiving the care they deserve. Contact us at 801-224-5910 to learn more today.

 

 

Family Caregivers and Home Health Care

Whether it’s short-term medical care after a hospital stay or a chronic illness needing on-going medical care, home health agencies are dedicated to providing quality medical care in the comfort and convenience of a patient’s home.

Most home health agencies offer a variety of services such as

  • Skilled nursing
    • Wound care
    • Infusion therapy
    • Catheters
    • Pain management
    • Injections, immunizations
  • Rehabilitation therapies: physical, occupational & speech-language
  • Medical social services and counseling
  • Case management
  • Home health aid services (bathing, personal care)Medicare will pay for these services only while a patient is receiving medical treatment in the home and as often as the doctor determines, usually 2 to 3 times a week.  Visit Medicare.gov  to find out what services are covered.

Medicare doesn’t pay for long-term care. It’s all about helping seniors heal and improve their health and strength.  Seniors must be making improvement to qualify or re-certify for home health services.

Aspen works with some of the best home health agencies in Utah. They take care of the medical side of things and we take care of everything else.

Questions to ask before you begin receiving home health care.

There’s a lot to consider when looking for a home health agency. Below are some questions to ask:

  • Does the agency have national accreditation?
  • Is the agency Medicare approved and what will Medicare cover?
  • Will the agency take other insurance and what will insurance cover?
  • What kinds of ongoing training do your professional caregivers receive?
  • What are their educational backgrounds?
  • Is a nurse is available 24/7?
  • Will there be someone to cover if the nurse or aid is ill?
  • Are you flexible with visits? Can the nurse and/or aid come when it’s convenient for me?cmh_health_services_logo_no_lettering

The home health agency you are considering should tell you how much Medicare will pay and services they won’t pay for that will be your responsibility. They should explain this both by talking with you and in writing.

It’s perfectly fine to ask for references and ask people you know who may have used home health before. Ask how their experience was with the agency they used.

Home health is a great service for providing medical care in the home. It is usually less expensive than hospital care and seniors heal better in their own homes.

Aspen Senior Care fills in the gaps

When home health isn’t enough, Aspen Senior Care can step in and provide quality personal care and homemaker services.

Our services include:

• Shower assistance
• Hygiene care
• Medication reminders
• Homemaking
• Meal planning and preparation
• Light housekeeping
• Errands and transportation
• Alzheimer’s and dementia care
• Respite and Hospice care
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We are dedicated to providing the best care possible in the home. Please visit our website at aspenseniorcare.com or call us at 801-224-5910 for more information. We’re here to help!