12A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL June 15, 2016
How to prepare a home for
elderly residents
Upon reaching retirement age, new re-
tirees may face decisions regarding their
living arrangements. Some seniors may
opt to stay put, while others may want
to downsize their homes to save money
and relieve themselves of the burdens of
maintaining larger homes.
But those are not the only situations
seniors fi nd themselves in. Some se-
niors realize they can no longer care for
themselves without assistance. In such
instances, seniors may opt for assisted
living facilities or choose to move in
with a relative, such as a grown son or
daughter. While assisted living facilities
are designed to meet the needs of the el-
derly, young men and women welcom-
ing seniors into their homes may need to
take on some home improvement proj-
ects to ensure their homes are as safe as
possible for elderly residents.
• Convert a room on the fi rst fl oor
into a bedroom. While this may not ap-
ply to all seniors, some men and women
struggle with stairs as they age, and that
can make it diffi cult for them to fully
participate in a household. Homeowners
with an extra room to spare can convert
a room on the fi rst fl oor of their homes
into a bedroom so seniors won’t have
to climb up and down stairs throughout
the day. That ease of accessibility to
the primary fl oor of the house encour-
ages seniors to be active participants in
a household. If possible, choose an area
that is close to a fi rst-fl oor bathroom.
• Take steps to make bathrooms safer.
The National Institute on Aging says
that more than one in three seniors over
age 65 fall each year, and 80 percent of
those falls take place in the bathroom.
Slippery tile fl oors can make it diffi cult
for seniors to navigate bathrooms safely,
and bathtubs and shower stalls present
additional challenges. Install grab bars
on bathroom walls and next to toilets to
provide support. In addition, consider
installing a shower chair or bench and
removable shower nozzle in the show-
er or tub so seniors can sit down while
they bathe and rinse without having to
stand up on slippery surfaces. Make sure
any mats around bathtubs and sinks are
nonskid to reduce the risk of falls even
further.
• Install an extra phone line or two.
While kids and adults between the ages
of 18 and 50 may never use the land-
lines in their homes, many seniors still
rely on traditional telephones as their
primary means of communicating with
the outside world. Install extra landlines
in your home, including in seniors’ bed-
rooms, so they can more readily access
the phone should they fall and need to
call for emergency help. Phones in se-
niors’ bedrooms may also provide some
additional privacy to seniors who don’t
want to carry on phone conversations
in busy areas of the home, such as the
kitchen or living room. Such lines may
also reduce feelings of isolation.
• Prioritize accessibility when storing
items. When storing groceries, books,
magazines, or other items seniors are
likely to use, choose locations that are
accessible to seniors. Avoid storing
items on the top shelf of pantries, book-
cases or entertainment centers, as se-
niors with limited mobility may not be
able to reach them.
Many seniors move in with their adult
children to make their golden years saf-
er and more enjoyable and manageable.
Such a change in living arrangements
may necessitate some changes on the
part of homeowners so they can ensure
their homes are safe for seniors.
The basics on long-term health insurance
Various insurance plans pro-
tect individuals from fi nancial
calamity. Insurance works by
requiring policy holders to pay
a premium. In the event of an
accident or incident, a claim can
be fi led and the insurance com-
pany will reimburse the person
for expenses, minus the deduct-
ible.
Health insurance is one type
of insurance that people have to
manage their health and well-
being. There’s also another,
perhaps lesser-known insurance
that can prove invaluable. It is
called long-term care insurance.
Long-term care insurance, or
LTCI, is an insurance product
that is found primarily in the
United States, Canada and the
United Kingdom. LTCI general-
ly covers assisted living needs,
home care, hospice care, adult
daycare, and other requirements
of senior living and/or health
management. People who in-
vest in LTCI are planning ahead
for the times when they may no
longer be able to care for them-
selves without assistance. LTCI
will help offset the ever-rising
costs associated with special-
ized senior housing and nursing
facilities.
Traditional healthcare insur-
ance and government-sponsored
plans (i.e., Medicare in the
United States) will not pay for
daily, extended care services.
The AARP notes that these oth-
er plans may only cover a short
stay in a sub-acute rehabilitation
center or nursing home, or pay
for a limited amount of at-home
care. LTCI can help families fi -
nance the cost of medical care
when all other options will not.
LTCI should be looked into
early in life, as policies often
cost less if purchased when one
is younger and in good health.
People in poor health or already
receiving long-term care ser-
vices may not qualify for LTCI
outright. But there are some
workarounds, including buying
a limited amount of coverage or
coverage at a higher “nonstan-
dard” rate. Some policies do not
require medical underwriting,
and these may be advantageous
to people with preexisting health
conditions.
When shopping for policies,
look into how long LTCI will
pay. Some policies include lim-
its on how long or how much
providers will pay for care, with
some plans maxing out at two to
fi ve years. Other policies may
not implement a term limit.
Speak with a tax specialist
as well, as premiums paid on a
long-term care insurance prod-
ucts may be tax deductible.
Long-term care insurance is
a way for individuals to fi nance
the often expensive costs for
medical services that may be re-
quired as one ages.
It’s not like her.
Mom has always been so patient, but now
when I ask her questions she gets angry.
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Nail trimming
Debridement or buffi ng of corns and calluses
Education regarding diabetic foot care
Education for preventative care
The Relay For Life of
South Lane County
invites all cancer survivors and their caregivers
to a
Home treatment for athlete’s foot and tinea pedis
Survivor Luncheon
To
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June 25, 2015 from 2pm – 5pm
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at Our Lady of Perpetual Help
1025 N. 19th St., Cottage Grove
Please RSVP to
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541-359-5514
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Join us in this
celebration of hope.