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TOPICS
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CARE OPTIONS
____Social activities for elders Your Office on Aging can provide help you scout out local resources and services to match your needs. Respite Care
Home Care Services
Designed to meet the needs of frail elders or cognitively impaired adults (e.g., Alzheimer's disease or stroke), adult day care centers provide a safe and caring setting for individuals who can no longer be left at home alone. Services may include: RESIDENTIAL CARE While deciding upon residential care is never easy, learning where to aim your search is the first step. Understanding the range of residential options available will help you and your loved one select the most appropriate type of facility.
Your Office on Aging can provide help you scout out local resources and services to match your needs. BEREAVEMENT COUNSELORS Specially trained professionals or volunteers will help those who are experiencing new or unresolved grief over the death of a loved one. Grief reassurance helps individuals through the many stages and problems associated with the grieving process. Support is offered in a variety of ways: one-on-one assistance, groups, camps, printed materials, and/or referrals to other resources. Your local hospital, Hospice and/or funeral services director may be able to refer you to a local counselor or grief support group. DO NOT RESUSCITATE/COMFORT ONE DNR Comfort One (DNR) is a program offered by the State of Idaho Emergency Medical Services Bureau. This program gives terminally ill persons who are not hospital in-patients an opportunity to limit their treatment by Emergency Medical Services in a medical emergency. By enrolling and displaying the proper identification, only supportive care will be given in a emergency. A DNR patient is identified by a pre-numbered and signed form or a DNR bracelet with a Comfort One logo. This program applies only to the Emergency Medical Service personnel working on ambulances or Quick Response units. Only persons who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness may enroll in this program. The Comfort One DNR form must be signed by themselves and their physician. Only an unaltered Comfort One form or bracelet can be honored in the pre-hospital setting. Living wills can only be honored in a health care facility setting and are not a substitute for the Comfort One form or bracelet.
For more information about DNR, contact your personal physician or State of Idaho EMS at 208-334-4000. ESTATE PLANNING SERVICES Your estate includes all of the property you own, or any part of property in which you might have a stake. Your estate also includes direct financial assets such as stocks, mutual funds, insurance, benefits from retirement, IRA's and bank accounts. Your estate consists of your personal possessions as well, such as cars, valuables, furniture, etc. In order to find the value of your estate, add the fair market value of all the items in your estate and then subtract the liabilities you might have, such as mortgages or other loans and debts. Knowing the value of your estate will help you understand the potential taxes your estate might be subjected to upon your death, as well as the type of estate plan that can help you preserve as much of your wealth as possible.
a number of resources that can help you understand and plan certain aspects of your estate. Adapted from Careguide - Elder Care Services. You will find tools at this site for calculating the size of your estate, links to related articles, and an Estate Planning Quiz to test your knowledge of estate planning. FAMILY CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUPS Support groups are generally educational and supportive in nature, lead by a health care professional. Caregiver's stress, practical advice and ideas regarding nutrition, safety and relationships are usually addressed. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Long term care can be ruinously expensive, but research and planning will help relieve the stress of paying for your care, or a loved one's care, and make difficult situations more manageable.
There are many respectful and meaningful options to traditional funerals. Hospice is a special concept of care designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families when a life-limiting illness no longer responds to cure-oriented treatments. Generally, this care is provided in the patient's home or in a home-like setting operated by a hospice program. Hospice care neither prolongs life nor hastens death. Hospice staff and volunteers offer a specialized knowledge of medical care, including pain management. The goal of hospice care is to improve the quality of a patient's last days by offering comfort and dignity. Hospice care is provided by a team-oriented group of specially trained professionals, volunteers and family members. Hospice addresses all symptoms of a disease, with a special emphasis on controlling a patient's pain and discomfort. Hospice deals with the emotional, social and spiritual impact of the disease on the patient and the patient's family and friends. Hospice offers a variety of bereavement and counseling services to families before and after a patient's death. Medicare, private health insurance, and Medicaid in most states cover hospice care for patients who meet certain criteria. In addition, many hospices depend on charitable contributions to cover the costs of care for terminally ill patients who cannot afford to pay for their care. Directory of Idaho Hospice programs National Hospice Helpline 1-800-658-8898. From important numbers like your social security number and your medicare number, to the name of your pet's veterinarian; from a list of your investments to your wishes for burial, this form guides you through the process of gathering the information your family will need when you die. There is a helpful form you can download. MEALS ON WHEELS Meals on Wheels typically provide regular lunch time meals at a senior meal site. They also deliver prepared meals to homebound seniors in need of nutrition services. ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATIONS A designation can be put on your driver's license which indicates that you are willing to be a tissue and/or organ donor. This is an excellent first step. However, it is your next of kin who will be making that decision on your behalf when you die, so you need to talk about your wishes and put it in writing. In addition to organs (heart, kidneys, liver), various tissues can be donated also. Skin tissue can be used for burn victims and cartilage and bone is used in reconstructive orthopedic and orthodontic surgeries. For more information, contact Life Center Northwest Donor Network toll free 1-877-275-5269. PALLIATIVE CARE In recent years, many hospice care programs added "palliative care" to their names to reflect the range of care and services they provide. Hospice care and palliative care share the same core values and philosophies. Defined by the World Health Organization in 1990, palliative care seeks to address not only physical pain, but also emotional, social, and spiritual pain to achieve the best possible quality of life for patients and their families. Palliative care extends the principles of hospice care to a broader population that could benefit from receiving this type of care earlier in their illness or disease process. To better serve individuals who have advanced illness or are terminally ill and their families, many hospice programs encourage access to care earlier in the illness or disease process. Health care professionals who specialize in hospice and palliative care work closely with staff and volunteers to address all of the symptoms of illness, with the aim of promoting comfort and dignity. SENIOR SERVICES Senior citizens and their families can get comprehensive information on services and resources available in their town or county by contacting an area Office on Aging. TELEPHONE REASSURANCE Volunteers call homebound and/or disabled elderly each weekday morning to assure their safety and well-being. Other programs check on seniors who fail to call in each day on a pre-determined schedule. TRANSPORTATION Whether for a medical appointment, to shop for groceries or to a Senior Center, transportation is available to seniors. Contact your area Office on Aging. VOLUNTEERS Frequently, volunteers who assist seniors in their homes are available by contacting your area Office on Aging or an RSVP program. The Retired Senior Volunteer Program provides an opportunity for those seniors interested in volunteering their time to improve the lives of others in their community. Senior volunteers may serve as mentors to low income youngsters, deliver meals on wheels, volunteer as part of hospice programs, or perform a myriad of other important community services. If you are interested in being a volunteer, many worthwhile and fulfilling opportunities exist. WILLS Although wills can be very complicated, they are fairly simple in the grand spectrum of legal instruments. A will is essentially a legally valid document that outlines how one's money, property or other assets are transferred when he dies. There are different types of wills, but most wills are referred to as "simple wills." A will can usually be drawn up by an attorney for a reasonable fee, unless the estate is very large or the instructions are very complex. It is also possible for you to draw up your own will using standard forms or software. Be aware of the laws governing wills in your state of residence. If you draw up your own will, be sure that anything your state requires is included or the will could easily be judged invalid.
Funding for this landmark PBS series and the companion outreach campaign is provided by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; The Fetzer Institute; The Nathan Cummings Foundation; The Kohlberg Foundation, Inc.; The Laurance S. Rockefeller Fund; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; and Mutual of America Life Insurance Company.
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