The Veterans Administration offers Aid and Attendance benefits that are often highly misunderstood by those who have served and by their families. However, it’s important that seniors understand the details of what these benefits entail, as they can often make a major difference in that person’s life. These benefits help to cover the cost of caretaking for those who need help dressing, taking medication, eating, bathing, and attending to other necessary daily tasks. They are also useful for those who are in a nursing home, and assisted living care applies too. For this reason, all adult children should look into the kinds of benefits that their elderly parents might be able to enjoy.
When it comes to care for seniors, it’s necessary to get a full grasp on the benefits for which they are eligible. One such benefit is the ability to receive money to help care for ailing seniors and their spouses. This is known as a “pension benefit,” and it isn’t just dependent upon service-related injuries, as many people falsely believe. A person who enjoys Aid and Attendance can use this money to help pay for a stay in a nursing home or assisted living facility, thus helping to relieve the financial burden on their family.
For those who care for elderly parents, it’s important to investigate these veterans’ benefits to see if they qualify for this useful assistance. Keep in mind that this help isn’t just for the person who has actually served. If their spouse is sick, your loved one can file as a veteran with a sick spouse in order to help offset the cost of their medical care. For many people, this can make a significant difference in their financial situation.
A veteran is eligible for up to $1,758 per month, while a surviving spouse can enjoy up to $1,130 a month. A veteran with a spouse can receive up to $2,085 per month, and a veteran with a sick spouse may receive up to $1,380.1 This financial compensation can play a major role in your senior’s ability to afford care and medical treatment. Family members of elderly parents should do some research in order to understand exactly the kinds of benefits that their senior or their spouse can enjoy. Don’t simply assume that they don’t qualify and miss out on the chance to receive highly useful financial assistance.
1http://www.veteranaid.org/
When you’re spending time taking care of your elderly loved one, it can become easy to neglect your own needs. You’re so focused on making sure they eat well, get enough rest, and remain in good health that you forget to focus on these aspects of your own life. In order to provide excellent care while still feeling your best, keep these tips in mind:
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
There’s no reason for a caretaker to try to shoulder this entire burden on their own. Elder care services professionals can make sure that your elderly loved one receives everything they need to be healthy, while allowing you to enjoy some quiet time to yourself. If you’re constantly worn out and stressed, consider bringing in someone, even if is just a few days a week, to assist. When it comes to elderly care at home, both the senior and the caregiver benefit from this respite.
Stop trying to achieve perfection
Many family caregivers drive themselves nuts striving to achieve perfection when it just isn’t possible. Instead of worrying about accomplishing everything perfectly, simply focus on making sure that your senior is happy and well cared for. It doesn’t matter if there are fresh flowers in the vase or if a three-course meal is prepared each night. Work on proper nutrition and mental wellness for both of you, and abandon the notion of perfection. No one, no matter how competent or devoted they are, can achieve it all.
Take personal time each day
Many caregivers are so focused on providing for their elderly parent that they lose sight of their own needs. To prevent this from happening, take time each day to reset and recharge. Read a good book, enjoy a glass of wine, see a friend, or take a yoga class. This time alone is highly important for both physical and mental health. According to those who work in home care, Iowa families must ensure that those sharing caretaker responsibilities don’t neglect personal needs too.
By acknowledging limitations and building in time for self-care, adult children are able to successfully attend to their elderly parent’s needs. With the help of a home care professional, the caretaker can be well rested, while still ensuring that their senior is in good physical and mental health.
Unfortunately, some people choose to prey on a senior’s more fragile physical state. They know that an elderly person is often less likely to stand up to physical or mental abuse, particularly if they can’t hear or see as well or think as clearly as they used to. Family members who care for elderly loved ones should be aware of this potential for abuse, and should take steps to protect their senior.
The most common kinds of elder abuse
- Physical abuse: When a family member, caretaker, or other person in your elderly loved one’s life uses non-accidental force that results in pain and injury. This can include shoving or hitting, as well as inappropriate use of drugs, restraint, or confinement.
- Emotional abuse: When this kind of abuse takes place, a person treats your loved one in a way that causes them pain. This may be by threatening or intimidating them, through humiliation and ridicule, by ignoring them or isolating them, or by routinely blaming them.
- Neglect: This can be intentional or unintentional. Your senior may suffer from poor nutrition or hygiene, lack of social interaction, or fail to receive necessary medical treatment.
- Financial abuse: This is when a person uses a senior’s financial information and bank accounts in an inappropriate way. They may forge the person’s signature, engage in identity theft, steal money, or misuse that elderly individual’s private banking information.
Those who care for seniors should take their complaints seriously. Instead of assuming that they misunderstood a situation, ask for more details about what took place. If it’s possible that some form of abuse has happened, investigate the situation further and report any necessary information to authorities. Don’t just assume that your loved one is exaggerating. Many cases of abuse go unresolved because the senior’s complaints were quickly dismissed.
When it comes to care for elderly loved ones, education is essential. Some people simply aren’t aware that their behavior toward elderly people is abusive. By providing information about what is and is not acceptable, you help to ensure that all older people receive respectful and kind treatment.
There are many housing options that your senior can enjoy as they age. However, when your elderly loved one needs medical supervision, a long list of medications, and help with bathing and feeding, a skilled nursing facility is often the best choice. A skilled nursing facility is the highest level of care available to your senior outside of a hospital. In this place, they’ll enjoy supervision from a licensed physician, nurse, or other highly trained medical professional. This kind of care is available 24 hours a day.
Why choose a skilled nursing facility?
Skilled nursing facilities ensure that your senior gets social interaction, as well as thorough medical care and assistance with daily tasks. Instead of having to shuttle your loved one to and from the doctor regularly, they can visit a medical professional right inside the place they call home.
Many people are confused about the differences in skilled care at nursing homes versus assisted living facilities. While nursing homes typically offer more extensive care from a medical team, it is becoming increasingly common for assisted living facilities to have medical personnel on-site. When it comes to assisted living, Iowa families should ask about the kinds of medical treatment a senior would receive while living in that residence.
There are a wide range of benefits to selecting a skilled nursing facility for your elderly loved one. In many cases, a family member doesn’t have the time or the knowledge to meet the senior’s health needs. These kinds of facilities ensure that your elderly parent receives the medical attention and medication they need to stay well. Everyone can enjoy peace of mind, and your loved one will feel their best.
In order to figure out whether your senior would benefit from this kind of care, it’s important to have them assessed. A medical professional can determine what kind of treatment your loved one needs, and can make a determination about whether it’s possible to receive this kind of care at home. Sometimes, residence in a skilled nursing facility is only necessary for a few months, but in other instances it’s a more permanent solution.
