Report: Worldwide, Alzheimer’s on the Rise


Report: Worldwide, Alzheimer's on the Rise

The number of people worldwide with Alzheimer’s is staggering. Currently, upwards of 35 million people suffer from some form of dementia, a cognitive disease which has no known cause or cure.

And this is projected to triple by 2050 to 115 million.

Perhaps one encouraging sign out of these otherwise eye-opening numbers is the fact that experts from around the globe are currently working together for better Alzheimer’s care and family support, as evidenced in a collective report published by Alzheimer’s Disease International, a group comprised of 79 Alzheimer’s associations.

Among the many policy recommendations in the report, perhaps the biggest takeaway is the suggestion that countries should develop national plans directed at funding and monitoring quality care and support for dementia patients, as well as sharing care support among the state, private businesses, families, and others.

Some other key points are below.

  • Alzheimer’s needs to become a national (and international) public health priority, one where countries develop efficient long-term care systems, from the initial diagnosis, to respite care as the disease progresses.
  • Ongoing services for families after dementia diagnosis must improve.
  • Governments should have policies in place now (or very soon) to finance this long-term care.
  • Caregivers should be valued more–i.e., governments should offer payments directly to family caregivers. Likewise, caregiving professionals should be paid more.
  • To reduce stress and ensure better care, family caregivers should receive more education, training, support, and respite.
  • Worldwide, there should be at least ten times as much research money as there currently is invested in dementia to put it in line with other major health crises, such as cancer.
  • The main goal should be to maintain/increase the quality of life for people with dementia.

You can read the full 2013 World Alzheimer Report here.

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

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Home Care Aides to be Included in Wage and Overtime Law


Home Care Aides to be Included in Wage and Overtime Law

Last week, the Obama administration announced that it is extending minimum and overtime protections to American home care workers.

This is good news for the nearly 2 million home care aides currently working in the U.S., whose work caring for the daily needs of elderly and disabled people had been classified as a “companionship service,” the very same as baby sitting.

Under the new law, which will go into effect in January of 2015, all home care aides will be required to make at least minimum wage, and also make time-and-a-half pay for additional hours when working more than 40 hours per week.

Here are some more key points from the new law, as reported by the New York Times:

  • Unlike baby sitters, home care aides will be covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the main wage and hour law in the country.
  • The law defines care as assisting with the activities of daily living such as dressing, grooming, and feeding, as well as assisting with instrumental activities of daily living–ranging from meal preparation, to driving, to managing finances and assisting with the physical taking of medications.
  • The seemingly unusual delay until 2015 is to give families who employ home care aides–as well as state Medicaid programs–time to prepare.
  • While most home care aides already receive at least minimum wage, many aren’t allowed time-and-a-half overtime pay for working 40-plus hours in a week. The Times also noted that upwards of 20 states currently exclude home care workers from local wage and hour laws.
  • Home care workers average between $8.50 to $12 an hour, a bit more than the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
  • Under the new law, home care aides hired through home care companies or third party agencies cannot be exempt from minimum and overtime wages.

There are also concerns with the new law. Some home care industry officials believe that the changes will cause increases in Medicaid and Medicare spending, in turn raising costs for families that use such services. All of this could potentially result in fewer jobs for home care workers, or less care for people in need.

Do you think the new law is good or bad? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter.

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

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“Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit http://www.private-duty.pchhc.com.”

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A Care Plan with No Family?


Care Plan with No Family

One assumption that most people have is that no matter who you are, there is a trusted, younger friend or family member who is able to make important end-of-life decisions for an aging loved one.

While this is true for the majority of people, in 2003, a study by the American Bar Association found that nearly 4 percent of aging adults are unable to make decisions for them themselves, have not made an advance directive, and have no friends or family to assist as a surrogate decision maker.

And with a rapidly-increasing elderly population in the U.S., it’s safe to assume that number will only grow over the next few decades, especially as the boomers age, who are likely to live longer and have less children than those in generations past.

So what should a person with no relatives or close friends do when faced with end-of-life care, and how should they make a care plan? New York Times senior care blogger Paula Span tackled this topic in a recent post. Below are several main points of her advice.

  • If possible, put together a care committee, where the senior recruits a few friends and professionals and makes his or her personal values and preferences clear. From there, the committee can be authorized to handle a variety of decisions.
  • Health care professionals are also available to help. Anyone can be appointed as a health care proxy. Still, restrictions apply in 38 states when it comes to having your personal care team of doctors and nurses be your proxy as well. Ask hospital staff what your options are.
  • Another option is asking an independent professional, such as an elder lawyer. With that said, it’s important to note that independent professionals may be hesitant to drop everything if/when a crisis arises.
  • Better yet, seek the help of a geriatric care manager or other social worker. Span notes that “they’re comfortable in hospitals and nursing homes and charge lower hourly rates than lawyers.”

At Encompass, we prefer to be the “feet on the ground, so to speak. While in rare cases we can become the POA (power of attorney) for a client, we generally opt to coach the person to obtain a POA, and coach the POA to navigate the system. This helps us maintain a professional relationship with all of our clients, whose best interests we always pursue.

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

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“Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit http://www.private-duty.pchhc.com.”

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