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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 2020)
12 Wednesday, January 29, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon LIFE CHOICES: Accessibility to care is important Continued from page 3 what9s available before you need it. Some housing choices may require getting yourself on a waiting list or paying a deposit. Familiarize yourself with the websites that are full of valuable information and resources to help you. ADRC, Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon, is a treasure trove of infor- mation to aid in accessing information, tools, and guid- ance to help plan for future needs before they arise, or to explore options to meet cur- rent needs. Find them online or call 1-855-673-2372 where professional options counsel- ors will speak with you. Their services are free and available to everyone. The website has direct links to everything from housing options and long- term care services to infor- mation about Oregon Project Independence and commu- nity-based services. If you elect to stay in your current living situation, be sure you can afford to do that. Do you have enough money to cover a mortgage, prop- erty taxes and insurance, and maintenance of the property AND deal with any potential major medical costs? Is your house manageable for you as you age 3 are there stairs, for instance? If you can afford it, modifi- cations can be made to a home to make it more elder-friendly and safe. Possible changes might include adding grab bars, ramps, replacing twist water faucets with levers, changing to linear door han- dles instead of round knobs, widening hallways, and con- verting a downstairs room to a bedroom. Vi s i t t h e c o n s u m e r help section of the Oregon Construction Contractors Board website or contact Central Oregon Builders Association for information on hiring a contractor to make those changes. Available online is the free AARP Home Fit Guide, which contains information and tips for a comfortable, safe, and livable home. It also pro- vides guidelines for hiring a contractor. Another possibility would Quality Truck-mounted CARPET CLEANING Quality Cleaning 16 years in Reasonable Prices Sisters! — Credit Cards Accepted — ENVIROTECH 541-771-5048 Licensed • Bonded • Insured • CCB#181062 RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL be to consider selling your home if you own it, and moving to a smaller house, a condo, a retirement commu- nity, an apartment, or move in with family or friends. When choosing where to live, here in Central Oregon it is important to consider acces- sibility to medical care (how far it is from where you live) and availability of other long- term services and supports in the area like home healthcare, transportation, adult daycare, meal programs, and home medical equipment. As the ability to live inde- pendently begins to decline, it may be time to find some in- home help. Friends and fam- ily may be available to help, or you can hire a professional homecare worker or contract with a licensed agency that will provide their workers to be of assistance. Should you decide to pri- vately hire your caregiver, one source is the Oregon Home Care Commission that maintains a statewide reg- istry of potential homecare workers and a guide for hir- ing and working with the care provider (www.or-hcc. org). You can also utilize their Homecare Choice pro- gram, which takes care of paying the workers (with the client9s money), withholding and reporting payroll taxes, and providing workers com- pensation coverage for their caregivers. To learn more, call toll-free 1-844-494-4227 and speak with a Homecare Choice Specialist. When hiring a home- care worker through a local in-home care agency, a caregiver(s) is assigned by the agency that also sched- ules visits and is responsible for employer taxes. Services vary depending on a person9s needs and abilities and can be short-term while recover- ing from an injury or illness or long-term over months or years. The service can be as simple as regular welfare checks to much more in-depth services like bathing, dressing, preparing meals, shopping and transportation. Most in-home care is paid for by the client, although some long-term care insurance plans cover these services. The client pays the agency, not the caregiver. Oregon Project Independence (OPI) serves seniors and people with physi- cal disabilities by providing services while they are living in their own homes. OPI tra- ditionally serves those who are 60 years of age or older or who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer9s or a related disorder and meet the require- ment of Oregon9s long-term care services priority rule dealing with level of impair- ment. They cannot be on Medicaid but can be receiving food stamps and supplemental Medicare beneficiary benefits. A majority of OPI recipients are 125% of the Federal pov- erty level. If living independently is not feasible or desired, there are many facility-based options that provide different levels of support, services, and amenities. This provides only a brief overview of services available and the types of issues to be Protect the things you love. We all cherish life in Sisters, at work and at play. Linda Alldredge, 541-549-6946 178 S. Elm St., Ste. 100, Sisters linda.alldredge@countryfi nancial.com countryfi nancial.com/linda.alldredge Health insurance policies are purchased through CC Services Inc., from a third party insurer not affi liated with COUNTRY Financial. Availability differs by state. 1018-001 For you it is more than a job... IT IS A LABOR OF LOVE. Let us help make sure you have the protection you need. 541-549-3172 1-800-752-8540 704 W. Hood Ave., Sisters AUTO • HOME • HEALTH • LIFE • BUSINESS • FARM • RENTAL Options for senior living Adult foster/care homes are licensed single-family settings with care for up to five people. Adult foster home settings serve a range of needs in a home set- ting and are rated 1, 2, or 3 depending on the care they are able to provide. Not cov- ered by Medicare. Assisted-living and res- idential-care facilities are licensed settings providing housing and care services to six or more people. A registered nurse is on staff or under contract but does not have to be there 24/7. Caregivers do not need to be certified, but they are trained in providing care services. Not covered by Medicare. Nursing facilities give licensed 24-hour super- vised nursing care and their caregivers must be certi- fied as nursing assistants. The State Board of Nursing must approve their training. Nurses and certified nurse aides provide personal, ther- apeutic, and nutritional care. Certain number of days cov- ered by Medicare. Memory-care communi- ties are environments where staff cares for people with dementia who have needs that require a more secure setting. Each setting is licensed by the state as a res- idential-care, assisted-living, or nursing facility. The state also requires memory care facilities to train staff to care for residents with demen- tia and provide specialized services. Not covered by Medicare. Long-term care insurance plans cover all these options; how much and for how long depends on the provisions of the policy. If you have lim- ited income and resources, there may be state programs that help cover some of your costs in some long-term care choices. Call your Medicaid office for more information. ARDC and private place- ment agencies are among the organizations that can answer questions and give you resources to locate the facility that is right to meet your care needs. Make vis- its, ask questions, and get references before making your decision. Some information from the ADRC website. addressed as we age. While you are still able, do your homework, talk with family members about your desires, and make visits to a variety of housing options in the com- munity where you want to live. If you plan to age in place, start making small modifica- tions to your home so it won9t require a great deal of work if or when you need adapted surroundings. Planning for the final chapter of your life is every bit as important as all the other plans you have made throughout your life.