Senior Housing and Assisted Living

Many senior citizens live under limited income. Their social security payments are just enough to pay for food and rent. But there may be other necessities that seniors need but cannot afford, such as a cell phone.

Having a cell phone nowadays is important. Cell phones can be very useful during an emergency. For example, you may need to call your doctor or hospital should something happen to you.

Fortunately, the government subsidizes cell phones now. Seniors can get free cell phones for senior citizens if their income qualifies them. If you are getting social security income and food stamps then you probably qualify for a free phone too.

Free cell phones for senior citizens allow seniors about an hour of free minutes each month. If you plan on using the phone more than the allocated amount of minutes each month, you have to buy prepaid minutes.

Free cell phones are not for life either. You have to show that you are still considered low income every year in order to continue using the free cell phone. Once you are not considered low income then you have to start paying for the minutes.

In order to sign up for free cell phones for senior citizens, find a carrier in your state that offers it. Submit the appropriate documents and you should get your free cell phone. Some states might not have this service yet so be sure to check.

Use your free minutes wisely. Since you only get a certain number of minutes each month, you should not waste it. You can check the amount of minutes you have used by checking your phone.

If you do not need to use the free minutes, then do not use it. Unused minutes may be rolled over into the next month. Therefore, the more minutes you save up, the more you will accumulate.

Selina Yen has helped numerous senior citizens get free cell phones for the elderly. For further information, please go to her site.

According to a new report, the need for substance abuse treatment among Americans over age 50 projected to double by 2020.  A new study done by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that the aging of the baby boom generation is resulting in a dramatic increase in levels of illicit drug use among adults 50 and older.  The report, which examines the prevalence of any illicit drug use, marijuana use, and nonmedical use of prescription drugs, is based on data collected during 2006 to 2008 from a nationally representative sample of 19, 921 adults aged 50 or older who participated in SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

The latest SAMHSA short report, Illicit Drug Use among Older Adults, shows that an estimated 4.3 million adults aged 50 or older (4.7 percent) used an illicit drug in the past year. In fact, 8.5 percent of men aged 50 to 54 had used marijuana in the past year (as opposed to only 3.9 percent of women in this age group). The SAMHSA report also shows that marijuana use was more common than nonmedical use of prescription drugs among males 50 and older, (4.2 vs. 2.3 percent), but among females the rates of marijuana use and nonmedical use of prescription drugs were similar (1.7 and 1.9 percent).

“This new data has profound implications for the health and well-being of older adults who continue to abuse substances,” said SAMHSA Administrator, Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. “These findings highlight the need for prevention programs for all ages as well as to establish improved screening and appropriate referral to treatment as part of routine health care services.”

Although marijuana use was more common than nonmedical use of prescription drugs for adults age 50 to 59, among those aged 65 and older, nonmedical use of prescription drugs was more common than marijuana.

“This study highlights the fact that older Americans face a wide spectrum of healthcare concerns that must be addressed in a comprehensive way,” said Assistant Secretary for Aging, Kathy Greenlee.  “The Administration on Aging is committed to working with SAMHSA and all other public health partners in meeting these challenges.” 

Smith Crossing, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Orland Park, Illinois, announced plans to build a $35 million addition that will add 200,000 square-feet and convert 16 existing memory care suites that will be converted to skilled nursing care rooms.  Currently Smith Crossing has 175 residences with 87 apartments and 10 free- standing villas for independent living, 32 assisted living apartments, 16 suites for Alzheimer’s and memory care, and 30 accommodations for skilled nursing care and was opened in 2004.  The original retirement community was a $60 million investment by the not-for-profit Smith Senior Living and consisted of 260,639 square feet of residences and common areas.

“This major expansion makes it possible for us to extend our mission by enriching the lives of many more senior adults through the highest quality of services and the finest residences in all levels of care,” says Michael A. Flynn, chief executive officer of Smith Senior Living. “Crossing’s significant waiting list for independent living apartments prompted us to take a closer look at this opportunity to extend our services.”

This second phase of development adds three new wings to the existing main building. Two new wings to the east will house 76 new independent living apartments and common areas. The new west wing will contain 14 assisted living apartments and residences for 16 more seniors in Alzheimer’s and memory support. The latter will replace 16 suites that are being converted into skilled nursing care accommodations.

The new independent living apartments will be available in one-bedroom and two-bedroom combinations, as well as a one-bedroom plus den. New common areas will include a theater, arts studio, gallery, a pub and an additional meeting room, as well as two formal gardens.

Smith Crossing will be working with AG Architects, the original architect for Smith Crossing and the redevelopment of Smith Village, and Weis Builders, Inc., the general contractor for Smith Village’s construction, to be certain that the project is completed to Smith Crossing’s exacting standards. The Lakota Group will complete the landscape architecture for all exterior spaces. Sawgrass Partners, a development advisory firm that specializes in senior living, will assist with strategic planning, market research, financial planning, marketing and sales, and development throughout the expansion phase.

Long term care can happen overnight. We are unfortunately not in control of our destinies and an accident can put us into a special needs life pretty soon. Or you might not even think about it, but sooner or later you will get old and frail and will not have the means to pay for your medical bills or special accommodation. Whatever the reason, you should plan ahead now.

We all agree that medical expenses are extremely expensive and can max out our insurance overnight. Can you imagine what it will be like in 50 years from now? It will be literally impossible to pay for medical care on your own.

In case of old age and frailty, you should consider who will pay for your special equipment like walkers, hearing aids, oxygen bottles or special diets. There are so many baby boomers that are heading for long term care, that we need to take action now, before it becomes a burden for the family. The financial strain should be lifted and you should be able to get well, without having the stress of bills that become overdue.

There is also another issue that you need to consider, and that is who will take care of your chronic medication should you need it in the future? You normal medical insurance will not cover it, then you will have to pay for the medicine out of your own pocket.

Here is where a good insurance plan comes in. It will take care of your long term needs while you take care of your convalescences. It is proven that the less stress you have when getting over a long term illness, the higher your chances are to recovery.

So the most likely thing for you to consider then, is to take out an insurance policy which will cover you should you have to receive long term care. This policy will include things like; hospitalization, chronic medicines and normal medicines, day or night care nurses and doctor’s visits. It will also provide protection against inflation which you can choose how to pay.

We all hope that we never get to this stage in our lives, where special care has to be given to us. It is almost unthinkable, but can happen in a wink of any eye. That is why long term care insurance is the only solution for you which is sustainable for the future and, for just in case.

Before you go out and buy a policy go to Long Term Care Insurance, ask questions and request a long term care insurance quote. We represent 20 of the top LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.

Ventas, Inc. (NYSE: VTR) (“Ventas” or the “Company”) announced last week its preliminary normalized Funds From Operations (“FFO”) results for the year ended December 31, 2009. The results were referenced by Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Debra A. Cafaro at the Jefferies 2010 Global Healthcare Services Conference in New York.  The Company said it expects to report 2009 normalized FFO in the range of $2.67 to $2.68 per diluted share, exceeding the Company’s previously announced guidance range of $2.62 to $2.65 per diluted share.  Ventas expects Net Operating Income after management fees (“NOI”) for the Company’s 79 communities that are managed by Sunrise Senior Living, Inc. (NYSE: SRZ)to be $130 million to $131 million for 2009, exceeding the Company’s prior NOI guidance of $122 million to $129 million.

“Our diversified portfolio of high-quality healthcare and seniors housing assets delivered excellent cash flows during 2009, and occupancies in our 79 communities managed by Sunrise continued to trend positively during the fourth quarter,” Ventas Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Debra A. Cafaro said. “At year end, Ventas had strong liquidity and cash on hand, a great balance sheet and a hard-working team committed to delivering value to our stakeholders. We are well positioned as we begin a new year and a new decade.”

Vendome Group, publishers of Long-Term Living magazine and producers of the Environments for Aging.10 Conference, is teaming up with Partners In Health to help with the relief efforts in Haiti. The partnership is designed so that for every attendee registering for the 2010 Environments for Aging Conference from now until the start of the show, Vendome Group will donate $100.00 to Partners In Health to help with the distribution of the much-needed medical supplies and services in the earthquake-stricken areas of that country. In addition, for every booth that is sold between now and the start of the show, Vendome Group will donate $500.00.

“As everyone knows and sees on the nightly news, Port-au-Prince, Haiti has been decimated by the recent earthquake, and is in desperate need of medical supplies and services. As a company that strives to advance the healthcare industry, we feel that it is very important for us to give back and to help those in desperate need. Partners In Health works to bring modern medical care to those in the poorest areas, and has been working on the ground in Haiti for more than 20 years.  We are very excited about this partnership and know that our donations will help save lives,” says Eric Woods, V.P. and Managing Director of Vendome Group.

“Our goal is to not only save lives during this critical time, but to raise enough money to help sustain modern medical care in Haiti for a long time to come. It will be a very long road to recovery for that country. We are happy to be doing our part, and hope that other people will join us in that effort,” says Woods.

In 2009, the Environments for Aging Conference attracted more than 40 exhibiting companies and 450 attendees. This year, the conference will be held at the Hotel Del Coronado, in San Diego, California, on March 21 – 23.

Getting older is not fun. Many middle age adults tend to ignore the fact that they are indeed getting older, and as they deal with their own approaching mortality, they all too frequently find themselves face to face with their parents’ issues of advancing years. As these adults try to provide whatever assistance they can for mom and dad, they rue the day that they decided that long term care insurance just wasn’t worth looking into. But, what is long term care insurance?

Long term care insurance is an excellent investment, no matter what age you are when you buy your policy. Unfortunately, too many of us ignore the fact that we are going to get old someday, and we put off anything to do with forcing us to deal with our own mortality. Until it’s almost too late.

And so we wait, usually until it’s too late. By the time we see that our spouse might be needing some rehab or nursing services, the actual insurance premiums can be prohibitive.

This type of insurance, in actuality, is one of the most reasonably priced types of coverage when it comes to costs vs. Benefits. A policy purchased in your forties, for example, with standard coverage such as nursing homes and rehab (or hospice), will probably be less expensive than your car insurance!

Policies differ, as with all sorts of insurance, and you can pick and choose options according to what you can afford or according to what you believe you might need. For instance, if Alzheimer’s runs in your family, you may want to get a plan that supports the in depth level of specialized care these patients need. If everyone in your family lives till 105 and drops dead on the golf course, you may decide to purchase a lesser type of coverage.

Deciding on the type of coverage you want might take into consideration your family history. Someone whose family suffers from heart attacks and strokes might select a more in depth type of coverage than someone whose family members tend to live well into their 90s without major health issues.

When the instance comes, a long term coverage policy can provide a tremendous amount of financial help along with the peace of mind you and also the rest of your family will need in order to get through the current health crisis at hand. Typically, additional out of pocket expenses are minimal, or nothing at all.

Before you go out and buy a policy go to Long Term Care Insurance, ask questions and request a long term care insurance quote. We represent 20 of the top LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.

Right now, it’s a buyer’s market when it comes to houses, so locating your dream home will be easy, right? What will it change, though, if someone’s dream home must be Electric Wheel Chair accessible? Locating an existing home which happens to be wheelchair accessible it not easy to do. It’s more economical to stay in the home you currently own and, if feasible, renovate your home to be wheelchair accessible. A simpler possibility, though not substantially cheaper, is to construct a new house. Whichever of those alternatives you select; what follows are some basic bits of advice to consider.

Logically, a two-story home is almost never considered wheelchair accessible. Staircases cause issues, and even motorized lifts require significantly more room than the staircases are designed to occupy. If you could steer clear of upper floors or downstairs hobby rooms in your house; do it. Ramps are useful for sunken living rooms, but substantial alterations in floor level will create more problems than they fix.

If you currently have a basement room, it’s worth determining if a small elevator is feasible. Once your floors are modified or built, though, you need to figure out floor coverings. Accent rugs won’t be a good idea, because they are famous for getting caught in wheels. Carpets will probably function well, assuming they will be wall-to-wall carpets or they include a beveled trim edge made to be affixed to the floor.

If you’ve had a wheelchair for any amount of time, you understand that doorways and work surface heights are very important. A wheelchair accessible doorway ought to be more than 32′ wide, and any work counters for the Mobility Chair user should be about 34″ high. A seated person can encounter problems reaching anything over 48″ in the air, so upper doors or shelving should not be stocked with anything important.

A bathroom should be an oasis of calm in our stressful world, as a result, that is not a place where you ought to be continually working around your complications. If at all possible, a 3 x 4 foot roll-in shower stall should be in your bathroom. Most standard toilets can be modified by installing grab bars and maybe a seat riser, although any attempts to accessorize a standard bathtub will only decrease the level of irritation instead of curing the problem.

As a result of the aging populace of the USA, you’ll find a greater interest in wheelchair accessible living quarters. Therefore, we have an expanding number of available home plans and also very helpful fixtures to help customers with limited mobility. Relying on a Transport Wheelchair is not enjoyable, but this may be the best time in history to deal with that minor aggravation in your life. So, contemplate your choices, grab a carpenter and turn your house into your home. Happy building!

Tariq Yaman works with an Wheelchair Disability Scooter website that educates consumers about the Transport Wheelchair.

An Electric Mobility Scooter gives us self-reliance, alacrity and style. More specifically, a scooter looks very unlike a wheelchair, consequently it’s really fun to use. Identifying and buying the correct mobility scooters can seem bewildering, though, a bit like finding the ideal pair of jeans.

Fortunately, as with jeans, as long as you select a few reliable brands that normally meet your preferences, you might have a significantly easier experience when narrowing down your possibilities. Some of the most renowned and reliable scooter manufacturers are Pride, Pacesaver and Invacare. Each manufacturer has its own strengths and weaknesses, so you’ll want to arrange your priorities and decide accordingly.

Pride mobility scooters are very reliable general purpose scooters that manage equally well outside or inside. Pride scooters are thoughtfully made, which makes them rather pricey. Regardless of that, roughly half of this company’s range of models is approved for reimbursement by Medicare, therefore they are still perfectly accessible for a customer needing a bit of financial aid.

Pride’s Sundancer is a reliable three-wheel scooter designed to negotiate confined homes, work areas and bathroom stalls. Despite its compactness, this little scooter manages playgrounds as easily as malls.

Pacesaver mobility scooters are solid and dependable. More notably, the company is well known for their maintenance, service and customer friendliness. Pacesaver scooters are engineered with their users in mind, so all of their controls are honestly in convenient places. Pacesaver’s Fusion Heavy Duty scooter can accommodate passengers up to 450 lbs and includes a small universe of useful accessories. These brawny scooters could climb slopes and negotiate unpaved ground without giving up power. You might not need a scooter made for supporting 450 lbs, but no matter what you are looking for, Pacesaver most likely makes a well made model to fulfill your requirements.

Invacare mobility scooters are reputed to manage just fine on flat, hard terrain. Make sure to take a good look at Wheelchair Vans also. Invacare’s heavy duty scooters steer well enough to be useful in shops and libraries, while the smaller Invacare scooters can hold their own while motoring down the hallway or up a driveway. Unfortunately, they manage quite badly on grassy or uneven ground, and they are infamous for bumpy rides. If you’re a city dweller who simply needs to not hold up traffic, though, this manufacturer has a product for you. The Invacare Panther can get through the crowded streets while squeezing four wheels and as much as 300 lbs of live cargo through any checkout line.

Obviously, there are more scooter companies, and there are plenty of other machines to choose from. Identifying a good brand or two is a sensible start, though, because it will let you to identify a benchmark against which others could be judged. You could be surprised how far some expertise can go in helping you to find your next Electric Mobility Scooter & Wheelchair Vans.

Tariq Yaman manages a Wheelchair Disability Scooter Site that educates and teaches consumers everything there is to know about the Electric Mobility Scooter.

In reality, there are few similarities between Term Life Insurance vs Whole Life Insurance other than they both pay out a death benefit. Term insurance is the newer type; whole life – also known as cash value and universal life – has been around since the late 1800s, although some of the basic tenets have changed and been updated over time.

The cheaper insurance is term. It’s so much cheaper because you are only buying the insurance. You aren’t paying high premiums that the insurance company is going to invest for you. You are also only paying for a period of time, or the term, and the insurance company is betting – in the truest sense of the word – that you won’t die during the term of the policy.

Term policies are very affordable as compared to whole life policies because with term, you are only paying for a death – or burial – benefit. Unlike whole life or cash value, you are not using your insurance policy as a form of savings or investment portfolio. A typical term policy is about 65% cheaper than the same policy purchased as whole life.

With term, however, if you survive the term of the policy, you don’t get any refunds as some people think. You pay your premiums, and both you and the insurance company are gambling that you don’t die. With whole life, your policy covers you for of course you whole life. The drawback is that you must keep paying premiums for the rest of your life, and if you took out your policy at an early age, you could actually be paying more than you should for a simple death benefit.

If you have a whole life policy, a major part of your premiums are used for your investment portion. The problem with this type of investment is that you only receive a tiny portion of any profits made from these investments. Your insurance agent will never tell you this, although it is clearly outlined (in small print of course) in the actual policy itself. If your agent is telling you that “your investment is assured to have a return of about 15% a year”, he’s probably right. What he doesn’t tell you, however, is you will only see about 3% – the insurance company keeps the rest!

If you have a term policy you will have the option of renewing at the end of the policy. Your renewal rate will be much cheaper than if you were start at that age and try to buy insurance. Usually the insurance companies don’t require extensive medical testing or anything like that.

Whole life payouts are confusing to the policy holders as well because when the policies are originally purchased, the insurance agent rarely explains to the person what happens when a claim is made. With this type of insurance, you only get the death benefit. So when you die, any “cash value” built up is not sent to your family. What happens to it? The company keeps it! Again, this is clearly stated in the policy but the carriers know that people don’t read these.

If you happen to borrow any of this money, by the way, your death benefit is decreased until you pay yourself back. With interest!

You can use the term life insurance calculator to find the best level of insurance today! When looking at term life insurance vs whole life insurance, a person will be able to see the benefits and advantages of each type of insurance instantly!