Americans in denial about long-term care

MSN Hotmail More Bing ▾ Account ▾ . . . By Jennifer Agiesta and Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press We're in denial: Americans underestimate their chances of needing long-term care as they get older — and are taking few steps to get ready. A new poll examined how people 40 and over are preparing for this difficult and often pricey reality of aging, and found two-thirds say they've done little to no planning. In fact, 3 in 10 would rather not think about getting older at all. Only a quarter predict it's very likely that they'll need help getting around or caring for themselves during their senior years, according to the poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That's a surprise considering the poll found more than half of the 40-plus crowd already have been caregivers for an impaired relative or friend — seeing from the other side the kind of assistance they, too, may need later on. "I didn't think I was old. I still don't think I'm old," explained retired schoolteacher Malinda Bowman, 60, of Laura, Ohio. Bowman has been a caregiver twice, first for her grandmother. Then after her father died in 2006, Bowman moved in with her mother, caring for her until her death in January. Yet Bowman has made few plans for herself. "I guess I was focused on caring for my grandmother and mom and dad, so I didn't really think about myself," she said. "Everything we had was devoted to taking care of them." The poll found most people expect family to step up if they need long-term care — even though 6 in 10 haven't talked with loved ones about the possibility and how they'd like it to work. Bowman said she's healthy now but expects to need help someday from her two grown sons. Last month, prompted by a brother's fall and blood clot, she began the conversation by telling her youngest son about her living will and life insurance policy. "I need to plan eventually," she acknowledged. Those family conversations are crucial: Even if they want to help, do your relatives have the time, money and knowhow? What starts as driving Dad to the doctor or picking up his groceries gradually can turn into feeding and bathing him, maybe even doing tasks once left to nurses such as giving injections or cleaning open wounds. If loved ones can't do all that, can they afford to hire help? What if you no longer can live alone? "The expectation that your family is going to be there when you need them often doesn't mean they understand the full extent of what the job of caregiving will be," Susan Reinhard, a nurse who directs AARP's Public Policy Institute, said. "Your survey is pointing out a problem for not just people approaching the need for long-term care, but for family members who will be expected to take on the huge responsibility of providing care." Those who have been through the experience of receiving care are less apt to say they can rely on their families in times of need, the poll found. With a rapidly aging population, more families will be facing those responsibilities. Government figures show nearly 7 in 10 Americans will need long-term care at some point after they reach age 65, whether it's from a relative, a home health aide, assisted living or a nursing home. On average, they'll need that care for three years. Despite the "it won't happen to me" reaction, the AP-NORC Center poll found half of those surveyed think just about everyone will need some assistance at some point. There are widespread misperceptions about how much care costs and who will pay for it. Nearly 60 percent of those surveyed underestimated the cost of a nursing home, which averages more than $6,700 a month. Medicare doesn't pay for the most common types of long-term care. Yet 37 percent of those surveyed mistakenly think it will pay for a nursing home and even more expect it to cover a home health aide when that's only approved under certain conditions. The harsh reality: Medicaid, the federal-state program for the poor, is the main payer of long-term care in the U.S., and to qualify seniors must have spent most of their savings and assets. But fewer than half of those polled think they'll ever need Medicaid — even though only a third are setting aside money for later care, and just 27 percent are confident they'll have the financial resources they'll need. In Cottage Grove, Ore., Police Chief Mike Grover, 64, says his retirement plan means he could afford a nursing home. And like 47 percent of those polled, he's created an advance directive, a legal document outlining what medical care he'd want if he couldn't communicate. Otherwise, Grover said he hasn't thought much about his future care needs. He knows caregiving is difficult, as he and his brother are caring for their 85-year-old mother. Still, "until I cross that bridge, I don't know what I would do. I hope that my kids and wife will pick the right thing," he said. "It depends on my physical condition, because I do not want to be a burden to my children." The AP-NORC Center poll found widespread support for tax breaks to encourage saving for long-term care, and about half favor the government establishing a voluntary long-term care insurance program. An Obama administration attempt to create such a program ended in 2011 because it was too costly. The older they get, the more preparations people take. Just 8 percent of 40- to 54-year-olds have done much planning for long-term care, compared with 30 percent of those 65 or older, the poll found. Mary Pastrano, 74, of Port Orchard, Wash., has planned extensively for her future health care. She has lupus, heart problems and other conditions, and now uses a wheelchair. She also remembers her family's financial struggles after her own father died when she was a child. "I don't want people to stand around and wring their hands and wonder, 'What would Mom think was the best?'" said Pastrano, who has discussed her insurance policies, living will and care preferences with her husband and children. Still, Pastrano wishes she and her husband had started saving earlier, during their working years. "You never know how soon you're going to be down," she said. "That's what older people have a problem understanding: You can be in your 60s and then next flat on your back. You think you're invincible, until you can't walk." The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey was conducted Feb. 21 through March 27, with funding from the SCAN Foundation. The SCAN Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization that supports research and other initiatives on aging and health care. The nationally representative poll involved landline and cellphone interviews with 1,019 Americans age 40 or older. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage point Related: •Few seniors prepared for long-term illness •Boomers not aging gracefully •Managing aging parents from afar .199comments Explore related topics: insurance, aging, long-term-care 2011 NBCNews.com TODAY Nightly News Rock Center Meet the Press Dateline msnbc Breaking News Newsvine Home US World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Local Weather Advertise | AdChoices Recommended: Gut bugs linked to heart attacks, strokes Recommended: Government issues first safety rules for nano-dust Recommended: FDA device will screen for fake medicines overseas Recommended: Celebrity chef recipes not necessarily so good for you One body. One mind. That's what each of us gets to last a lifetime. Get the critical news and views to keep yours healthy, sharp -- and safe. ↓ About this blog ↓ Archives E-mail updates Follow on Twitter Subscribe to RSS . 199comments Print 264 8 hours ago Americans in denial about long-term care By Jennifer Agiesta and Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press We're in denial: Americans underestimate their chances of needing long-term care as they get older — and are taking few steps to get ready. A new poll examined how people 40 and over are preparing for this difficult and often pricey reality of aging, and found two-thirds say they've done little to no planning. In fact, 3 in 10 would rather not think about getting older at all. Only a quarter predict it's very likely that they'll need help getting around or caring for themselves during their senior years, according to the poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That's a surprise considering the poll found more than half of the 40-plus crowd already have been caregivers for an impaired relative or friend — seeing from the other side the kind of assistance they, too, may need later on. "I didn't think I was old. I still don't think I'm old," explained retired schoolteacher Malinda Bowman, 60, of Laura, Ohio. Bowman has been a caregiver twice, first for her grandmother. Then after her father died in 2006, Bowman moved in with her mother, caring for her until her death in January. Yet Bowman has made few plans for herself. "I guess I was focused on caring for my grandmother and mom and dad, so I didn't really think about myself," she said. "Everything we had was devoted to taking care of them." The poll found most people expect family to step up if they need long-term care — even though 6 in 10 haven't talked with loved ones about the possibility and how they'd like it to work. Bowman said she's healthy now but expects to need help someday from her two grown sons. Last month, prompted by a brother's fall and blood clot, she began the conversation by telling her youngest son about her living will and life insurance policy. "I need to plan eventually," she acknowledged. Those family conversations are crucial: Even if they want to help, do your relatives have the time, money and knowhow? What starts as driving Dad to the doctor or picking up his groceries gradually can turn into feeding and bathing him, maybe even doing tasks once left to nurses such as giving injections or cleaning open wounds. If loved ones can't do all that, can they afford to hire help? What if you no longer can live alone? "The expectation that your family is going to be there when you need them often doesn't mean they understand the full extent of what the job of caregiving will be," Susan Reinhard, a nurse who directs AARP's Public Policy Institute, said. "Your survey is pointing out a problem for not just people approaching the need for long-term care, but for family members who will be expected to take on the huge responsibility of providing care." Those who have been through the experience of receiving care are less apt to say they can rely on their families in times of need, the poll found. With a rapidly aging population, more families will be facing those responsibilities. Government figures show nearly 7 in 10 Americans will need long-term care at some point after they reach age 65, whether it's from a relative, a home health aide, assisted living or a nursing home. On average, they'll need that care for three years. Despite the "it won't happen to me" reaction, the AP-NORC Center poll found half of those surveyed think just about everyone will need some assistance at some point. There are widespread misperceptions about how much care costs and who will pay for it. Nearly 60 percent of those surveyed underestimated the cost of a nursing home, which averages more than $6,700 a month. Medicare doesn't pay for the most common types of long-term care. Yet 37 percent of those surveyed mistakenly think it will pay for a nursing home and even more expect it to cover a home health aide when that's only approved under certain conditions. The harsh reality: Medicaid, the federal-state program for the poor, is the main payer of long-term care in the U.S., and to qualify seniors must have spent most of their savings and assets. But fewer than half of those polled think they'll ever need Medicaid — even though only a third are setting aside money for later care, and just 27 percent are confident they'll have the financial resources they'll need. In Cottage Grove, Ore., Police Chief Mike Grover, 64, says his retirement plan means he could afford a nursing home. And like 47 percent of those polled, he's created an advance directive, a legal document outlining what medical care he'd want if he couldn't communicate. Otherwise, Grover said he hasn't thought much about his future care needs. He knows caregiving is difficult, as he and his brother are caring for their 85-year-old mother. Still, "until I cross that bridge, I don't know what I would do. I hope that my kids and wife will pick the right thing," he said. "It depends on my physical condition, because I do not want to be a burden to my children." The AP-NORC Center poll found widespread support for tax breaks to encourage saving for long-term care, and about half favor the government establishing a voluntary long-term care insurance program. An Obama administration attempt to create such a program ended in 2011 because it was too costly. The older they get, the more preparations people take. Just 8 percent of 40- to 54-year-olds have done much planning for long-term care, compared with 30 percent of those 65 or older, the poll found. Mary Pastrano, 74, of Port Orchard, Wash., has planned extensively for her future health care. She has lupus, heart problems and other conditions, and now uses a wheelchair. She also remembers her family's financial struggles after her own father died when she was a child. "I don't want people to stand around and wring their hands and wonder, 'What would Mom think was the best?'" said Pastrano, who has discussed her insurance policies, living will and care preferences with her husband and children. Still, Pastrano wishes she and her husband had started saving earlier, during their working years. "You never know how soon you're going to be down," she said. "That's what older people have a problem understanding: You can be in your 60s and then next flat on your back. You think you're invincible, until you can't walk." The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey was conducted Feb. 21 through March 27, with funding from the SCAN Foundation. The SCAN Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization that supports research and other initiatives on aging and health care. The nationally representative poll involved landline and cellphone interviews with 1,019 Americans age 40 or older. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage point Related: •Few seniors prepared for long-term illness •Boomers not aging gracefully •Managing aging parents from afar .199comments Explore related topics: insurance, aging, long-term-care More from NBCNews.com Shakira sued for $100 million by ex-boyfriend Old Faithful's underground cavern discovered Preventing aging from the inside out Sharon Osbourne 'devastated' by Ozzy Osbourne's drug relapse MDs warn teens: Don't take the cinnamon challenge The children of killers: 'There are wounds you can never heal' From around the web The frightening connection between hearing and falling (hi HealthInnovations) The Benefits of Vinegar for your Skin (HealthCentral.com) 13 Things a Debt Collector Won't Tell You (Reader's Digest) Why Long-Married Couples Split (AARP.org) 13 Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder: Are You Bipolar? 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Adult Day Care Center

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search An Adult Day Care Center, also commonly known as adult day services, is a non-residential facility that supports the health, nutritional, social support, and daily living needs of adults in professionally staffed, group settings.[1] Adult day services centers serve as an emerging provider of transitional care and short-term rehabilitation following hospital discharge. Most centers operate 10 – 12 hours per day and provide meals, meaningful activities, and general supervision. Operations in adult daycare centers are often referred to as social models (focusing on socialization and prevention services) and/or a medical model (including skilled assessment, treatment and rehabilitation goals). Day care centers may focus on providing care only for persons with a specific chronic condition such as Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, or their services may be available for any adult with disabilities. Many centers maintain a nurse on-site and devote a room for participants to have vital signs checked, and receive other health services from a medical assistant/nurse when needed. They may also provide transportation and personal care as well as support groups for caregivers. According to the 2010 MetLife National Study of Adult Day Services, there is one direct care worker for every six participants, facilitating individualized, person-centered care and enabling staff to care for increasingly complex needs.[2] Nearly 80% of adult day centers have a nurse on staff, nearly 50% have a social worker on staff, and approzimately 60% offer case management services.[3] Participation in adult day centers may prevent re-hospitalizations and may delay admission to residential long-term care. For participants who would otherwise stay at home alone, the social stimulation and recreational activities may improve or maintain physical and cognitive function. For caregivers, adult day centers provide respite care, enabling caregivers to work or to have a break from their caregiving responsibilities.[4] More than 5,000 adult day centers are operating in the United States providing care for more than 260,000 older Americans each day.[5] Almost three-quarters of all adult day centers (71%) are operated as nonprofit organizations, and 16% are affiliated with the public sector.[6] Daily fees for services are almost always less than a home health visit and about half the cost of a skilled nursing facility. Daily fees for adult day services vary depending upon the services provided. Average daily fees across the country are approximately $62.[7] Funding for adult day services comes from participant fees, third party insurance, and public and philanthropic