Monthly Column for the Kitsap Reporter
By Carl Johnson, CSA

One-Stop Shopping for Senior Care Services

In case you hadn’t noticed, a fast-growing generation of seniors, needing care, is starting to put a great deal of pressure on caregiving family members. More and more we are seeing articles and books about the burden of long term care on families.

According to research by the National Care Planning Council (NCPC), only about 16% of long-term care services are covered by the government. The other 84% are provided by family caregivers, or provided by services paid out-of-pocket by families, or from those receiving care. And the bulk of government care services are provided only after a care recipient has depleted all of his or her savings. The NCPC also estimates that at any given time approximately 22% of the population over age 65 is receiving some form of long term care support. About 44.4 million adult caregivers provide 21 hours a week of care with 4.3 years average time spent providing care.

The problem is that the need for care usually occurs without warning, when a stroke, heart failure or other medical condition or illness suddenly happens to an aging senior. Family members end up in panic mode trying to understand and educate themselves on what needs to be done and what resources are available. If they need to take time from work to handle the crisis then it becomes urgent to find answers and solve caregiving needs. The need to balance work with urgent caregiving responsibilities creates untold stress on employed family caregivers.

Unfortunately, most family caregivers simply don't know where to turn for help and advice. For the majority of Americans, eldercare becomes a frustrating do-it-yourself process. How do you find out what government services are available and what they will pay for? What legal documents are necessary and how do you protect assets? What type of home care or facility care is needed? Should you quit your job to become the caregiver? Will the government or insurance pay you for caregiving to help replace your lost income?

The question often arises as to whether to use long term care professionals or go it alone in arranging care and services. Well … according to a publication from the NCPC, entitled: The 4 Steps of Long Term Care Planning … “Using care professionals is the most cost effective and efficient way to provide help for a loved one. Hiring professional advisers or providers to help with long term care is no different than using professionals to help with other complex issues such as car repairs, dealing with taxes, dealing with legal problems, or needing trained employees to help run a business. With their education and training, long term care professionals also bring experience that only comes from dealing with countless ‘hands-on’ caregiving challenges”.

So where do you find this professional help?

In addition to the Kitsap County Division of Aging and Long Term Care, which “provides a network of services responsive to the needs of all older persons (age 60+)”, there is the Kitsap Alliance of Resources for Elders (KARE), a non-profit organization that provides education and resources pertaining to Home Care, Assisted Living, Elder Law, Reverse Mortgages, Physical Therapy, Geriatric & Internal Medicine, Counseling, Architectural Design for Seniors, Financial Planning, and even a Senior Real Estate Specialist.

For more information on this non-profit organization you can go to their website at www.kare-wa.com, or call (360) 394-KARE (5273)

Carl R. Johnson

Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®

Community Relations Director

Kitsap Alliance of Resources for Elders (KARE)