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Living with a serious medical condition or caring for an ill loved
one can often be challenging and emotionally draining. Meeting these physical
and emotional needs in times of illness, combined with the demands of
daily living, can become overwhelming. Community-based services are available
to help those with serious medical conditions and their caregivers. Eligibility
for these services may depend on the type and stage of illness.
Some services may also have clinical and financial need criteria.
Home
Care Services
Several types of agencies provide a range of health and support services
in the home. Visiting nurse associations or community nursing agencies
offer skilled nursing care. Individuals who require this skilled care may
also be eligible for home health aides, homemaker services, social services,
case management, and a range of therapies provided through the same agency.
Medicare and many other insurers will pay for these services only if you
are homebound. Talk with your doctor or other healthcare provider about
which services might be appropriate.
In addition
to skilled nursing care agencies, some home care agencies provide homemaker
services to help with household tasks or someone to help coordinate
needed services.
Day
Care
With some medical conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, a person's
physical or cognitive abilities may decline slowly, yet he or she may be relatively stable medically. In this situation,
the person may have physical or cognitive difficulties that require more
supervision or stimulation than is available at home. Community-based
day care programs can provide needed supportive daytime care. These programs
can usually arrange transportation to and from the program site.
Respite
Care
Family caregivers of an ill or disabled person sometimes need a break,
or respite, from daily caregiving demands. Respite care services offer
the short-term (residential) placement of the person needing care in
an appropriate setting. Typically, respite care placement may be from a
few days to a week. Residential care facilities, hospitals, extended care
facilities, and inpatient hospice houses sometimes offer this service.
Talk with your healthcare provider if you anticipate a need for this
kind of support.
Extended
Care Facilities
As a person's health declines, it may be inadvisable or impossible
to continue living at home. There are several types of extended care facilities
that provide different levels of care for residents.
Nursing
Homes
Nursing homes provide long-term care for the elderly, chronically
ill, and disabled. Services include nursing care, personal care, and rehabilitative
care, such as physical, occupational, and speech therapy. An increasing
number of nursing facilities also provide specialized services for people
with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
Nursing homes
may also provide short-term care for patients who have been hospitalized
and need a brief period, usually up to a month, for rehabilitation or
medical monitoring before returning home. Finally, some nursing homes
provide respite care to enable caregivers to have time off.
Assisted Living
Assisted living residences provide resources for the elderly or the
disabled who need more supervision and services than living in a private
home can provide, but who do not need 24 hour nursing or rehabilitative
care.
Assisted living residences are a special combination of housing and personalized support services designed to meet the needs - both scheduled and unscheduled - of those who require help with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, and other similar personal care needs.
Assisted living residences generally offer a range of services including
meals, social activities, assistance with personal care, coordination
of healthcare services, medication management, and emergency response.
Assisted living is a residential option that promotes self-direction and self-participation in decisions regarding care and services. As a model of supportive housing, assisted living emphasizes independence, individuality, privacy, dignity and choice.
Assisted living can be found as freestanding residential complexes or
within continuing care retirement communities that provide multiple levels
of residential support and care.
Planning
Ahead
While some people prefer to provide care at home rather than to place a loved one in a nursing care facility, the demands of a
progressive or debilitating condition can eventually exhaust caregivers.
The ill person's condition may also deteriorate to the point where a home
setting is no longer safe.
Discussion
of and planning for care options should occur before the situation becomes
urgent. This should include investigating extended care options in your
community, carefully choosing facilities that can meet your loved one's
needs, adding your name to waiting lists, and exploring payment options.
Planning
together for future needs will help to ensure that the best possible living
setting for your loved one is available if he or she needs it.
| For
other information and resources: |
| The
following organizations can provide you with the names of facilities
in your area |
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Massachusetts Assisted Living Facilities Association (Mass-ALFA)
460 Totten Pond Road, Suite 600
Waltham, MA 02451
email:
massalfa@massalfa.org
Phone:
781-622-5999
Fax:
781-622-5979
website: www.massalfa.org |
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Massachusetts
Extended Care Federation
2310 Washington Street, Suite 300
Newton Lower Falls, MA 02462
email: info@mecf.org
Phone: 617-558-0202 or 800-CARE-FOR
Fax: 617-558-3546
website: www.mecf.org |
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Mass
Aging Services Association
60 Seminary Avenue
Auburndale, MA 02466
Phone:
617-244-2999
Fax:
617-663-7046
website: www.massaging.org
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Massachusetts
Long Term Care
website: www.masslongtermcare.org |
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Visiting
Nurse Associations of America
99 Summer Street, Suite 1700
Boston, MA 02110
Phone:
617-737-3200
Fax:
617-737-1144
website: www.vnaa.org |
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Home
& Health Care Association of Massachusetts, Inc.
31 St. James Street, Suite 780
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-482-8830 or 800-332-3500
Fax: 617-426-0509
email: tburgers@mass-homehealth.org
website: www.mass-homehealth.org |
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