Action Line: Finding resources for aging parents
| Friday, Jul 30 2010 11:00 AM
Last Updated Wednesday, Aug 11 2010 02:30 PM
Editor's note: Action Line is a weekly column from the Better Business Bureau answering consumers' questions and concerns about money and business issues.
Dear Action Line:
My father is 89 and has almost reached the stage where he needs everyday assistance with his living needs. He is a veteran and, between his VA benefits and Medicare, I thought his bills for care would be totally covered. Now I am reading and hearing that this may not be the case. He owns his own home and has some savings, but he is not wealthy by any means. And I don't have the savings or income that can pay for extended long-term or assisted care living. Where can I go to find the correct answers to my questions? And what should I look for when and if I need to find an assisted living facility for him?
Dear Reader:
You have asked difficult questions that most of us always hoped we would never have to answer. The truth, however, is that we do need to confront the issues regarding long-term elder health care and assisted living. And the time to deal with those issues is before they become reality.
The questions you raise are complex and the answers are based on your father's individual circumstances and income. I suggest that you contact a lawyer who specializes in elder issues. There is no attorney referral service through the bar association in Kern County, but you can check with the California Bar online (www.calbar.ca.gov/Public/LawyerReferralServicesLRS.aspx) or look in the telephone book. Better yet, ask your friends if they have a referral. Make sure you ask for a low-cost initial consultation so you can determine if the attorney is the right one for you. This is an important issue and you need to feel comfortable with your advisor. Think of this as an investment in the security of your father's future, not as an expense.
There are several research steps you can take yourself, but I warn you that the answers can be confusing and contradictory. When I did some quick Google searches, I made the discovery that Medicare does not pay for long-term assisted living. Medicare coverage for long-term care of any sort is very limited, covering only short-term stays in a skilled nursing or rehabilitation facility while someone recovers from an illness, injury, or surgery (www.medicare.gov/longtermcare/static/home.asp).
Veterans' benefits are available but you will need to have the appropriate discharge and military papers in hand before you can apply for any benefits. There is an Aid and Attendance (A&A) benefit available, but you need to go to www.va.gov or talk to someone at Kern County Veterans Services at 1120 Golden State Ave., 868-7300, to determine exactly how much or if your Dad is eligible for benefits.
You should also contact the Social Security Administration (www.ssa.gov) to see what benefits are available through that avenue.
As for choosing an assisted living facility itself, make sure the facility you select is licensed by the California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division (www.ccld.ca.gov) and check with your BBB to make sure the facility has a good grade for reliability. There is also an excellent checklist of things to look for and questions to ask available at www.caassistedliving.org/web/learn/checklist.asp.
I wish you the best of luck with your endeavors. None of us is ever prepared to become the "parent" of our mothers and fathers and none of us is prepared for them not to be the vital people we remember from our childhood.
-- Vickie Sanders is assistant director of business services for the Better Business Bureau serving Central California. Send your consumer concerns, questions and problems to Action Line at the Better Business Bureau, 1601 H St., Suite 101, Bakersfield, CA 93301 or vickie@bbbcencal.org.
