The Everything Guide to Caring for Aging Parents by Kathy Quan

Author:Kathy Quan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Adams Media, Inc.
Published: 2009-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

There are more than 3,500 adult day-care centers in existence in the U.S. today. Two-thirds of adult day-care consumers are women, and the average age is seventy-two. While the national average daily fee is $56, according to the National Adult Day Services Association ( www.nasda.org ), this is about half the cost of a day’s care in a skilled nursing facility.

Private-Duty Care

Private-duty agencies offer twenty-four-hour live-in care, or live-out shift and partial-shift care in your home from several levels of providers ranging from unlicensed sitters to registered nurses. In most instances, this is an out-of-pocket expense; however, some insurance policies and long-term-care policies cover some or all of the cost. Medicaid may also cover the costs if significant skilled care is needed and the cost savings over being placed in a skilled nursing facility can be demonstrated.

Some agencies offer short-shift wake-up services, which can include bathing, grooming, dressing, and breakfast preparation. They may also offer a put-to-bed service that can include bathing and diapering. However, most require a four-hour minimum, which is primarily to meet their staffing needs. This is a highly competitive business and employees will often opt for the best deal they can get each day by working for more than one agency. In order to compete, an agency needs to provide eight hours of shifts. These can be split shifts, but this is why the four-hour minimum is often required.

It is often difficult to maintain a staff of registered nurses in private duty, so most skilled nursing services will be provided by licensed practical or vocational nurses under the supervision of an RN.

An issue often cited as a disadvantage is that because it is a licensed agency, it has to adhere to regulations such as requiring a licensed nurse to dispense medications or to change even simple dressings. Hiring privately means you could instruct the person in how to dispense your parents’ medications and perform simple treatments or have a home-care nurse instruct them. Hiring an aide or even a layperson you train can be a cost savings over hiring a licensed nurse.

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