What is Aging in Place?

 

“Aging in place” means remaining in the place you call home even when age- or health-related changes may make it difficult to do so. The place you call home may be your home of many years. It may be your children’s home. It may be a retirement community that provides a continuum of services and programs. It may be an assisted living community. Regardless of location, it is where you choose to age in place.

 

Although a large majority of older Americans say they want to age in place within the home they have lived in for years, this is often more easily said than done. The care infrastructure, technologies, housing, funding and services to help people age in place must respect the wishes of aging Americans to live in a place of their choosing.

 

Aging in place focuses on helping people:

 

1. Be more independent, happy and satisfied living in homes of their choice with control, dignity, and respect.

2. Take advantage of the resources available to them. 

3. Connect family caregivers and service providers with products that support the communication, mobility, health and well-being needs of people as they age.

4. Provide information for aging in place planning such: remodeling, access to estate planners and attorneys, financial advisors, and other tools for aging adults.

 

Why was Aging In Place Essential Toolkit™ created?

 

The Aging In Place Essential Toolkit™ offers products and services that help families develop an objective roadmap to manage their caregiving needs.

 

How does the Aging In Place Essential Toolkit™ differ from searching on Google?

 

We put the family in charge of their caregiving plan. We do this with up-front information and focused search criteria which yield better options and informed choices. The Aging In Place Essential Toolkit™ is designed to help families become more educated, discerning and proactive caregivers.

 

What is the real need for family caregiving?

 

Our nation’s caregivers are in crisis. The estimated 34 million families caring for their elderly loved ones need more information and support to fulfill their responsibilities and maintain their own health, financial security, and well-being. Family caregivers identified stress, family conflict, time management, and finances as the major issues they face daily. (AARP & Family Caregiver Alliance)

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What’s the demand for caregiving information online?

 

The baby-boomer generation that is currently wrestling with providing homecare for elderly family members is used to going online for data of all sorts. This generation knows how to assess the quality of information on many topics. According to a recent Pew Internet & American Life Project survey, eight in 10 adults ages 50-64 use the internet, with 76 percent of these going online every day.

 

Existing online resources are fragmented and confusing. Families need a better way to address and deal with caregiving challenges. They need a caregiving roadmap unique to their loved one’s and their needs that’s supported by on-demand expert advice, all within an easy-to-use online portal. The Aging In Place Essential Toolkit™ is designed to help families create their caregiving roadmap and receive expert advice on-demand.

 

What are home health care and hospice agencies? 

 

More than 12 million individuals receive care from more than 33,000 home health care and/or hospice providers in the U.S. Some are Medicare-certified (meaning they have met federal requirements to receive reimbursement for the services they provide). Most agencies offer a wide range of services, including doctor care. Or the agency may just offer a few services, such as basic nursing care. Most home health agencies assemble a care team for the client based on his or her needs. Because all home health agencies are responsible for their personnel, they assume liability for all care.

 

What are home care aide agencies?

 

Home care aide agencies provide patients with the assisted daily living needs a variety of services. These can include cooking meals, bathing and dressing the patient, cleaning the house and providing companionship. Home care aides provide support based on the person’s needs and care plan – from several hours per day to 24-hour care. Home care aides are typically supervised by qualified managers who track the patient’s care. 

 

Each state has their own licensing and certifications requirements for home health care, hospice and home care aide agencies. Most of the agencies on the Aging In Place Essential Toolkit™ are listed by that state’s regulatory agency and/or are certified for Medicare reimbursement.

 

How do I know which home care agencies or services are right for my loved ones?

 

Choosing the service that is right for your family requires research. Before you begin the search process on the Aging In Place Essential Toolkit™ website, we strongly encourage you to visit the site’s information and education section help you ask the right questions as you screen potential home care services. If a loved one is at home alone or with another disabled elderly person and the children are far away then the need for active socialization outside of the house, or being in a community environment, to maintain health, happiness and well-being must be considered.

 

How does the Aging In Place Essential Toolkit™ decide what agencies to include on the site?

 

The agencies listed on the Aging In Place Essential Toolkit™ come mostly from states’ professional homecare associations. These homecare agencies have been reviewed by us to make sure that the information listed on the website is as accurate as possible. Each agency pays a subscription fee to be listed, but they do not receive preferential treatment in how they are positioned or listed on the website; the search process, which relies on the consumer’s unique criteria, is completely objective and non-biased. Each agency’s listing on the Aging In Place Essential Toolkit™ includes detailed information provided by the agency and from public records.

 

Can I find agencies that accept Medicare or Medicaid on your site?

 

Agency listings on the Aging In Place Essential Toolkit™ show whether they are certified to take Medicare or Medicaid payment. However, it is up to the agencies to determine if they are able to provide home health care services for each consumer under Medicare or Medicaid based on the consumer’s individual situation. We also recommend that those seeking government-funded home care options contact their local state health or social services departments to assist in their search for home care options.

 

Some agencies listed in your search results will be Medicare-certified. This ensures you that they are part of the nation’s healthcare delivery system and that they accept Medicare payment for many medically necessary services recommended by your physician or provider. Until recently, most services provided in the home were not eligible for Medicare payment because they were not considered “restorative.” However, new Medicare regulations allow reimbursement for homecare services if they are considered medically necessary treatments, are supportive of the patient’s overall health, and are likely to result in an improved quality of life for the patient even if the outcome is not full restoration to health.

 

The Aging In Place Essential Toolkit™ lists providers for homecare services in the town/city where care is needed, some of which are certified for Medicare reimbursement. If you are entitled to Medicare reimbursement, check with the providers you are considering to determine which services can be reimbursed by Medicare and which services -- or portions of services -- will require another source of funding: private pay, long-term care insurance, or other option.