Lawrence Community Matters September 2017

Commun ty Matters Lawrence Presbyterian Manor

September 2017

Veterans’ program can help support long-term care cost Here’s a frightening statistic from the just-released United States of Aging survey: Only 3 percent of professionals supporting people 60 and older say they are very confident older Americans will be able to afford their health care costs as they age.

(The survey was conducted by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, National Council on Aging and UnitedHealthcare.)

One reason: The steep and rising cost of long-term care.

What long-term care costs now The median price of a private room in a nursing home is $91,250, up 4.17 percent from a year ago, according to Genworth’s 2015 Cost of LongLONG-TERM, continued on page 3

Beth Brown exercises at Presbyterian Manor.

Full circle Beth Brown independent again after PATH® rehab Beth Brown had barely moved into Lawrence Presbyterian Manor in August 2015 when she had to relocate — to the hospital. Beth fell and fractured her pelvis less than two weeks after moving into her duplex.

“One of reasons I liked the duplex was that I could live independently, and when I was older I could move (into more advanced care),” Beth said. “But then my life got changed.”

Beth’s journey to recovery took her through the entire spectrum of care available at Presbyterian Manor, much sooner than she expected.

FULL CIRCLE, continued on page 2

Beth Brown’s PATH® rehabilitation allowed her to return to her normal life.

FULL CIRCLE, continued from page 1

After her hospital stay, Beth needed rehabilitation to return to living independently. Her recovery was complicated by the development of foot drop, in which nerve damage or paralysis makes it hard to raise the front part of the foot.

Beth had almost eight months of rehabilitative therapy. Her treatment plan in PATH included physical therapy three times a week.

Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Lawrence Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org.

Christie Patrick, executive director Angela Fonseca, marketing director To submit or suggest articles, contact afonseca@pmma.org.

Telephone: 785-841-4262 Fax: 785-841-0923 Address: 1429 Kasold Dr., Lawrence, KS 66049-3425 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.

LawrencePresbyterianManor.org

2

Community Matters September 2017

“The staff was very nice,” Beth said. “Any place you go in the manor, the staff is wonderful; they know you personally, and they call you by name. It’s just really a very nice place to be.”

Because of her positive experience, Beth has become a great ambassador for new residents. “When people are moving into assisted living or health care, I tell them, ‘It’s really wonderful; you’ll love it; there are lots of services; and people take good care of you.’”

Once she had completed rehabilitation, Beth moved into assisted living to continue her transition. Today, she is literally back on her feet, working out daily in the wellness center, doing tai chi and aerobics. Beth is once again living independently, enjoying the maintenance-free lifestyle that made Lawrence Presbyterian Manor so appealing in the first place.

Thanks to her experience in PATH, Beth made the move from a duplex to an apartment in the main building. “I learned that I could have all the services without having to leave the building and still be independent,” she said. Now she doesn’t have to go outside in bad weather to join in the activities and spend time with her friends.

“When you look toward retirement, you have to think of the long term,” Beth said. “You won’t always be in good shape; you need to have places available that you can turn to. This place is nice because you can live in your own duplex for years and years before you get to where need more care.”

Like us on Facebook

LONG-TERM continued from page 1

Term Care Survey. The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College estimates that 44 percent of men and 58 percent of women will use nursing home care. Many more will need long-term care in assisted living facilities or at home.

This is why I want to tell you about a little-known Veterans Administration (VA) program that pays for some long-term care costs for vets and their families, called the Aid and Attendance Benefit.

Never heard of this benefit, which has been around for more than 60 years and covers some expenses for in-home care, nursing homes and assisted living facilities? You’re in good company.

The little-known VA benefit By one estimate, only 5 percent of vets entitled to the benefit apply for

it. In a January 2015 Los Angeles Daily News article, Robert W. McKenrick, of the VA’s Los Angeles Regional Benefit Office, said: “My personal opinion is that if one veteran is unaware of their benefits, that’s one too many.”

be processed after someone applies by writing to a VA regional office and submitting evidence. But some frustrated applicants have run into much longer waits.

Honorably-discharged wartime veterans over 65 and their widowed spouses who are eligible for a VA pension and require the “aid and attendance” of another person or are housebound may be eligible for what the VA calls “additional pension benefits for care assistance in the home or in an assisted living community.”

Here’s Lyons’ advice to others who want to receive this VA pension supplement:

Aid and Attendance pays up to: $1,788 per month to a single veteran, $1,149 to a surviving spouse, $2,120 to a married veteran and $2,837 to a veteran couple. The benefit is tax-free.

Who is eligible for aid?

To qualify, the applicant must either: • Require assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) such as dressing, undressing, bathing, cooking and eating • Be bedridden • Be a patient in a nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity • Or have eyesight limited to a corrected 5/200 visual acuity or less in both eyes or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less Now here’s the catch: applying for and receiving the money is daunting.

The VA says it takes 156 days (roughly five months), on average, for an Aid and Attendance claim to

Like us on Facebook

Tips for applying

You may be denied the Aid and Attendance benefit if your assets are too large. “The VA doesn’t have a hard and fast rule on how much assets you can have,” said Lyons. “I’ve found that it’s generally not more than $80,000, depending on your age.” (That doesn’t include your home.)

Get help from an elder law attorney to apply. The rules and paperwork can be a bear, so a pro who’s familiar with them can make the process more tolerable.

The lawyer may also be able to assist you in preserving assets and get the benefit. “A lot of middle-class folks can really benefit from this sort of planning,” said Lyons.

Be prepared to document your longterm care expenses and provide all the application materials.

“You must show the VA your ongoing prescription and in-home or assisted living expenses every month,” said Lyons. “And if you had a previous marriage, you must show the VA your divorce decree.”

Be patient. “When I was doing this a few years ago, it could take nine months before a client saw the money. Lately, it’s been more like four months,” said Lyons.

Lawrence Presbyterian Manor

3

Lawrence Presbyterian Manor 1429 Kasold Dr. Lawrence, KS 66049-3425 Return Service Requested

Show your gratitude...

We will feature gratitude in an upcoming issue of Community Matters. If you have a story about how gratitude has shaped you, or if you just want to tell the world what you love about living in your senior living community, we want to share the story.

If you’ve got a story to share, contact Marketing Director Angela Fonseca and your story could be featured in an upcoming edition of Community Matters.

4

Community Matters September 2017

Sign up to receive our newsletter by email. Visit LawrencePresbyterianManor.org

and enter your email address in the subscription box.

It’s that easy!

Like us on Facebook