Aging Well Blog

Would you be ready if you had to leave home in a hurry? September is National Preparedness Month, and if you’ve never packed a “go bag” or haven’t revisited yours in a while, now is a great time to do so.

You might have an idea of who would lend a hand to help you as you age, but have you asked them yet? Take the time to identify who is in your support network and what information they might need now so everyone is prepared for the future.

Does the thought of losing cognitive abilities make you feel like hiding under the covers? That’s understandable! Consider that planning can be empowering. Try shifting your focus from anxiety to what you can do now to prepare for the possibility.

Most people are surprised to learn that Medicare pays for only a limited amount of the daily care you are likely to need in your lifetime (about 14%).

Medicare covers only services delivered by medically trained professionals. That means you need to have savings or insurance and rely on a collection of local programs. Or family and friends who may be able to pitch in with labor or funds.

Allowing a stranger into your home can leave you feeling quite vulnerable. It’s important that you trust the individual and the company that does the background checks, verifies training, and puts together the schedule.

You also need to interview each company to find out pricing and minimum number of hours, and to see if they have independent quality ratings.

Choosing an assisted living community, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), or a memory care facility is a big decision. You want to get unbiased recommendations for a good match from the start.