HOW TO FIND LONG-TERM CARE FOR A PARENT
Making the decision to move a loved one who has dementia into an assisted-living facility or nursing home is never easy. Not only can it be emotionally difficult, but it can also be hard to figure out how and where to start your search for a place where your parent can receive the care he or she needs at an affordable price.
There are resources, though, to help you find specialized care for a parent with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
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The U.S. Administration on Aging’s Eldercare Locator will provide you with a list of resources in your area, including the local Area Agency on Aging — which can give you information about nursing homes. For more personalized assistance, try AlzheimersLocator.com. It’s owned and operated by A Place for Mom, the nation’s largest senior-living adviser network.
AlzheimersLocator.com has advisers who can help you find the right facility for your loved one’s needs. There’s no charge for the advice because AlzheimersLocator.com is compensated by properties that advertise with the site.
Simply visit the site, enter the care type, location, your name, e-mail and phone number and an adviser will contact you (usually within minutes after you submit your information). The site will also generate a list of facilities, with information about each one.
The benefit of talking with an adviser is that she can help you narrow down the choices if you tell her what you’re looking for in a dementia-care facility. For example, an adviser can tell you which facilities accept Medicaid or which ones have various levels of care. It helps make the process of finding long-term care easier.
ORGANIC FARMS GROWING IN POPULARITY
The number of U.S. organic farms and food processors is also rising fast. It will tally 18,000 this year, double what it was in 2005. About 500 organic operations start up each year. Also, now that the U.S. and Canada have established reciprocity for each other’s organic operators, 5,200 Canadian farmers and processors are free to sell in the U.S as part of over 11,000 foreign organic operations with USDA approval.
SOME HEALTH INSURERS WILL HAVE TO PAY UP
Come Aug. 1, many small businesses can expect a health insurance rebate: Up to $1.4 billion may be doled out by insurers who failed to meet standards requiring 80 percent of premiums to be devoted to medical care and quality improvements (85 percent for insurers serving large groups rather than individuals and small groups). Premiums paid that exceed this medical loss ratio must be returned to customers.
Rebates will vary widely from state to state, from nearly $500 per insured in California to a mere $76 per insured in Florida. Six states (Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Nevada and New Hampshire) received waivers from the standard, so rebates will be phased out there.
Employers can choose how to pass workers’ share of the rebates to them; refunds, lower premiums or some other way, as long as it benefits plan participants.