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Navigating Your Later Years For Dummies Carol Levine

Navigating Your Later Years For Dummies By Carol Levine

Navigating Your Later Years For Dummies by Carol Levine


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Navigating Your Later Years For Dummies Summary

Navigating Your Later Years For Dummies by Carol Levine

Long-Term Care: Planning for Finance, Medical, and Living Expenses We're living exciting bonus years-decades that our parents and grandparents didn't have. But how to navigate this complex terrain? Questions abound around long-term care planning: Where to live? How to get the best medical care? What to do about advance directives, wills and trusts, and estate planning? And how to pay for it all after you retire? Getting accurate information and answers wasn't easy. Until now. AARP's Navigating Your Later Years For Dummies helps you and your family understand the growing range of opportunities. Even more importantly, it helps you chart the next steps to live the life you choose, as independently as you choose, no matter your specific circumstances and needs. This book: Covers home modifications so that you can stay at home safely for as long as you like Lays out the opportunities and costs associated with independent living, assisted living and other options Gives you a range of driving and transportation alternatives Helps you navigate the healthcare system, Medicare, and Medicaid Sorts out the various sources of care at home Reviews the legal documents you should prepare and update Helps you determine whether you need long-term care insurance Gives you guidance on talking with your family about sensitive issues, including your wishes as you age With this new comprehensive book, you'll get the credible information and resources you need to face the challenges facing us as we live the life we choose. Here, finally, is a roadmap for you and your family to best understand, and plan ahead.

About Carol Levine

Carol Levine directs the Families and Health Care Project at the United Hospital Fund in New York. She is an expert on aging, health, long-term care, and family caregiving, and writes on those topics for both professional and consumer audiences.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 3 Icons Used in This Book 4 Beyond the Book 4 Where to Go from Here 4 Part 1: Getting Started With Navigating Your Later Years 5 Chapter 1: Looking Ahead: The Big Picture 7 Planning for the Future Starts with You 7 Navigating the Roadblocks of Planning 8 Reasons for resistance 9 The benefits of planning 9 Unraveling the Meaning of Long-Term Care 10 Defining long-term services and supports 11 Understanding what Medicare covers 12 Discovering How Your Options Are Changing 13 Looking at why changes are being made 13 Keeping up with insider language 15 Meeting Your Changing Needs 16 Location, location, location 17 Timing and flexibility 18 Getting Professional Advice 19 Chapter 2: A Personal Inventory: Past, Present, and Future 21 Looking at the Present - and the Future 22 Healthcare needs 22 Family, friends, and professionals 24 Personality characteristics 25 Attitudes about money 26 Creating a Plan Based on Your Profile 28 Drawing a CareMap to Visualize Your Profile 29 Chapter 3: Finding Services 31 Where to Turn for Help 31 Organizing your research 33 Federal government programs 34 State and local programs 36 Community-based organizations 38 Taking Your Research to the Next Level: Site Visits for Housing 40 Tips for your tours 40 Federal and state regulations 41 Chapter 4: Making Decisions: A Family Affair 43 Holding Family Meetings 44 Who should be included? 44 When should you get together? 45 What should be on the agenda? 45 Being Considerate of Others 47 Allocating responsibilities 48 Bringing in the outer circle 50 Dealing with Conflict 51 Mediators and counselors 51 Consensus and compromise 52 Part 2: Choosing Where to Live 53 Chapter 5: Staying in Your Home 55 Staying at Home in Your Community 55 Dealing with Two Major Hazards 56 Preventing falls 57 Preventing burns 59 Modifying a Home 60 Categorizing types of home modifications 60 Checking out accessibility 61 Finding a contractor 63 Getting help paying for home modifications 63 Seeking Help at Home 65 Allocating tasks to family 65 Searching for services 66 Finding help for other chores 66 Putting technology to use 67 Preparing for an Emergency 68 Creating a support network 69 Making an emergency plan 69 Putting together a disaster kit 71 Chapter 6: Under One Roof: Generations Living Together 73 Multigenerational Living: Everything Old Is New Again 74 Why different generations are living together 74 Defining family households by generation 75 Considering family reactions before making a decision 76 Where Should We All Live? Considering the Options 78 Having a relative move in with you 79 Preparing to move into your parent's home 81 Making fair financial arrangements 82 Making the Move 84 Getting started 84 Planning ahead 85 Sorting and packing 85 Settling in 86 Checking In over the Long Haul 86 Chapter 7: Downsizing for Now and Later 87 The Emotional Aspects of Downsizing 88 Downsizing and Home Renovations 89 Getting Started 90 Putting together important papers 90 Sorting and decision making 90 Donating or selling items 92 Hiring professional help 93 Making the Move 93 Chapter 8: Assisted and Independent Living and Other Group Settings 95 What Is Assisted Living? 96 Interpreting industry and government language 96 Getting to know what assisted living offers 98 Checking out healthcare services 100 Finding more information on assisted-living facilities 100 Evaluating the Cost of Assisted Living 102 Choosing from the menu of cost plans 103 Asking questions to create a monthly budget 104 Beyond the Brochure: What to Look for When You Visit 106 Making notes about the common areas 106 Checking out the residential units 107 Investigating continuing care 107 Pitfalls to Avoid 108 Unnecessary trips to the ER 108 Additional costs or a move after a hospital stay 108 Exclusion from social activities or dining room seating by other residents 109 Failing to read the contract 109 Independent Living and Other Options for Group Living 110 Independent living for seniors 110 Affinity or niche communities 110 Cohousing arrangements 111 House sharing 112 Group homes 112 Chapter 9: Beyond Your Home: Living in a Community 113 Understanding Why Community Matters 114 Defining age-friendly communities 114 Looking at livable-community initiatives 115 Taking a Walk Around Your Community 116 Looking at sidewalks and surrounding areas 117 Checking for places to stop, shop, and chat 118 Rating your community 118 Finding Community Services 119 Considering NORCs and Village Networks 121 Navigating NORCs 122 Joining a Village 123 Chapter 10: Getting Around: Transportation Options 125 Judging Whether Driving Is Still Safe 125 Watching for warning signs of unsafe driving 126 Starting the conversation 127 Making Your Car Fit You 128 Increasing safety with new technology 129 Choosing a new vehicle 130 Modifying vehicles 131 Knowing When It's Time to Give Up the Keys 132 Finding Alternatives to Driving 133 Public transportation and paratransit options 134 Private options 135 Part 3: Legal and Financial Planning 139 Chapter 11: Unraveling the Rules of Medicare and Medicaid 141 The Distinction between Medicare and Medicaid 142 Looking at Medicare Basics 143 Are you eligible for Medicare? 143 What's included in Original Medicare 145 What you get with Medicare Advantage plans 147 Prescription drug coverage 148 Durable medical equipment coverage 150 Home healthcare services 151 Medicaid Ground Rules 152 Are you eligible for Medicaid? 153 What services Medicaid offers 155 How Medicaid works with home- and community-based programs 156 Medicaid managed long-term care 157 Coordinating Benefits 158 PACE programs 159 Coordination with other health insurance 160 Chapter 12: Paying for Care: Long-Term Care Insurance and Other Options 161 Reviewing the Ups and Downs of Long-Term Care Insurance 162 Traditional long-term care insurance 164 Group and employer-based long-term care insurance 165 Hybrid long-term care insurance 165 Short duration long-term care insurance 166 Asking questions when considering any type of long-term care insurance 167 Continuing to pay rising premiums 168 Getting your claims paid for 169 Receiving Money through Annuities 170 Using Disability Insurance 172 Selling Your Policy: Life Settlements 172 Considering a Reverse Mortgage 174 Chapter 13: Financial Matters: Money Management, Wills, Trusts, and More 177 Managing Money 178 Opening joint bank accounts 178 Granting financial powers of attorney 180 Where There's a Will 182 Taking inventory of your assets 183 Considering types of wills 184 Choosing the executor 184 Taking the final steps 185 Settling the Estate with Probate 186 Reviewing the Rules on Estate Taxes 188 Establishing a Trust 189 Pros and cons of living trusts 190 Special-needs trusts 191 Considering Guardianship 191 Part 4: Managing Your Healthcare 193 Chapter 14: Choosing Good Medical Care 195 Checking on the Special Medical Needs of Older Adults 196 Identifying common chronic conditions 196 Dealing with multiple ailments 197 Finding the Right Specialist to Manage Care 198 Considering the need for a geriatrician 199 Finding a geriatrician 200 Navigating Hospitals 201 Where to go for emergencies and non-emergencies 201 Being admitted to the hospital 203 Planning for a hospital stay 204 Polypharmacy: Too Many Drugs? 206 Using caution with certain drugs 207 Getting medications right 208 Other risks and questions 209 Chapter 15: Demystifying Home Care 211 Examining Varieties of Home Care 211 Surveying Services from a Home Healthcare Agency 213 Defining different kinds of home care agencies 214 Choosing a home care agency 215 Paying for Home Care 216 Looking at Medicare's rules for eligibility for home healthcare services 216 Understanding Medicaid home care 220 Other kinds of insurance 221 Hiring home care workers on your own dime 222 Working with Home Care Aides 223 Paying Family or Friends to Provide Care 224 State programs 224 Long-term care insurance 225 Caregiver contracts 225 Is There a Doctor in the House? 226 Chapter 16: Understanding the Different Roles of Nursing Homes 227 Beginning with Nursing Home Basics 228 Defining nursing homes 228 Moving from a hospital to short-term rehab 229 Comparing nursing homes for a long stay 231 Visiting Nursing Homes 232 Checking off important points 233 Noting policy details 236 Checking Out New Models of Nursing-Home Care 237 Eden Alternative 238 Green House Project 238 Beatitudes 239 Responding to Residents' Problems in Nursing Homes 239 Chapter 17: Getting the Healthcare You Want (And Avoiding What You Don't Want) 241 Talking about Future Healthcare Decisions 242 Realizing the importance of advance planning 242 Making wishes known with advance directives and living wills 243 Dealing with the Rules of Advance Directives 243 Finding the forms for advance directives and living wills 244 Putting all your wishes down on paper 244 Choosing a healthcare proxy 245 Adding do not resuscitate (DNR) orders 246 Keeping your advance directive accessible 246 Choosing Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) 247 Understanding Care Options for Serious Illness: Palliative Care and Hospice 248 Palliative care 248 Hospice 249 Part 5: Services for Special Groups 253 Chapter 18: LGBT Older Adults 255 Recognizing LGBT Aging and Health Issues 255 Physical conditions 256 Mental health risks 257 Knowing Legal Protections and Their Limits 258 The U.S Supreme Court and same-sex marriage 259 Obama presidential memorandum on hospital visitation 261 Keeping Legal Documents at the Ready 263 Finding LGBT-Friendly Providers and Facilities 264 Finding healthcare providers 265 Considering independent- or assisted-living facilities and nursing homes 266 Looking at LGBT-specific options 267 Chapter 19: Services for Veterans 269 Getting into the VA System 270 Comparing the VA to other healthcare systems 270 Understanding eligibility for VA healthcare 271 Supporting Veterans and Their Families 273 Shared decision making 273 Caregiver support 274 Noting VA Options for Older Veterans 275 Receiving pensions 276 Using Aid and Attendance and Housebound programs 277 Finding the Right Residential Setting or Nursing Home for Veterans 279 Veterans' medical foster homes 279 Community living facilities (nursing homes) 280 State-operated veteran homes 280 The domiciliary program 281 TRICARE for Life 281 Using Other Resources to Navigate the VA System 282 Chapter 20: Family Caregivers 283 Defining Family Caregivers 284 Family caregivers by the numbers 284 What family caregivers do 286 Family caregivers' rights and obligations 287 Becoming a Family Caregiver 290 Identifying yourself as a family caregiver 290 Readying yourself for negotiation 291 Checking Out Different Types of Family Caregivers 292 Family caregivers who are employed 292 Long-distance family caregivers 295 Multicultural caregivers 296 Looking at Your Caregiving Experience through a CareMap 297 Looking for Help 299 Family and friends 299 Federal programs 300 State programs 302 Community-based organizations 302 Internet resources 303 Part 6: The Part of Tens 305 Chapter 21: Ten Myths about Aging and Future Care 307 Serious Memory Lapses Are Normal in Older Adults 307 Older People Fall: Not Much You Can Do about It 308 Antibiotics Are the Best Drugs for Older Adults with Coughs and Colds 309 Americans Dump Their Older Relatives in Nursing Homes 310 Medicare Pays for All Long-Term Care 311 Hospice Is Just a Place Where People Go to Die 312 Millionaires Take Advantage of Medicaid 313 If I Need Care, I'll Wind Up in a Nursing Home 314 Assisted-Living Facilities Are Regulated Like Nursing Homes 315 Long-Term Care Insurance Covers All Your Needs 316 Chapter 22: Ten Resources with State-by-State Information 317 Identifying Local Services through Area Agencies on Aging 318 Assessing Assisted-Living and Rehabilitation Facilities 319 Finding Services and Housing Options through Eldercare Locator 320 Getting Support for Family Caregivers 320 Modifying Your Home with Rebuilding Together 321 Getting Information on Medicaid in Your State 321 Calculating Costs 321 Finding Your State's Advance Directives 322 Solving Problems through an Ombudsman 322 Resolving Complaints through BFCC-QIOs 323 Part 7: Appendixes 325 Appendix A: Glossary 327 Appendix B: Resources 339 Index 347

Additional information

CIN1119481589G
9781119481584
1119481589
Navigating Your Later Years For Dummies by Carol Levine
Used - Good
Paperback
John Wiley & Sons Inc
20181019
384
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

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