Similar to many heterosexual elders, the lack of coverage for long-term care for most gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender elders constitutes a crisis in their care as well as personal finances. Often, seniors who enter nursing homes spend all of their assets on their care, then simply apply for Medicaid when they have next to nothing left, a phenomenon known as the “Medicaid spend-down.” (more…)

Developers have built and marketed assisted living primarily for middle- to upper-income older persons—those able to pay $2,000 a month or more—a cost prohibitive for many older persons. According to a survey of 300 assisted living facilities in 1998, only 20% of facilities charged a single rate. The other 80% charged varying rates, depending upon room sizes or apartments or for assistance beyond the facility’s standard package of services. Most of the basic monthly rates ranged between $1,100 and $2,900 per month (Hawes, Phillips, and Rose 2000). Only 7% of the residents surveyed by the National Investment Center (NIC) and the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) (1998) received public assistance for services (provided through Medicaid), and only 9% received public assistance for shelter costs (provided through the federal Supplemental Security Income program). (more…)

First and foremost, many of the services supported by the Aging Network would not exist without network funding and advocacy. Without network services, an essential tier of the continuum of long-term care would be lost—the one that bridges total independence in one’s own home and institutionalization. (more…)

Elderly adults are becoming increasingly interested in learning about end-of-life issues. As a woman in her late 80s observed, ‘‘I am still responsible for my life. I have end of life choices in me. I think I should take some responsibility for my death, too, don’t you?’’

It may be necessary first to overcome the resistance of adult children (more…)

Are you confidence enough that your retirement fund can pay all medical health care cost when needed in time? Can your Medicare and Medicaid insurance cater medical bill and doctor’s visit when you need them? You better think again. Medical health care costs are increasing all the time. You should also consider inflation factor that eats up your money to pay your medical health care bills. Well, lots of reasons are driving those cost to increase. There are several factors which you must understand why medical health care costs are increasing all the time. (more…)