Assisted Living vs. Long Term Care

Assisted Living is a housing plus health option for individuals who need a little extra help. It includes affordable rental accommodation, hospitality services, as well as personal care services to individuals in need. Subsidized Assisted Living (accessed through the health authority) is primarily intended for seniors and those with physical disabilities. If you are living alone, isolated, and need help with meals and personal care, this may be an option for you. The subsidized rate for Assisted Living is 70% of After Tax Income (Taxable Income after deducting tax paid, the Universal Child Care Benefit and RDSP deductions). To read more about Assisted Living in the Vancouver Coastal Health area visit this site:

http://assistedliving.vch.ca/

If you need more help than is available under the Assisted Living program then the case would be escalated to Long Term or Residential Care. The calculation of the subsidized Residential Care rate is 80% of the After Tax Income unless the After Tax Income is less than $16,500. If this is the case, the resident is allowed to keep $3,300 a year for their own expenses.

See: https://www.health.gov.bc.ca/exforms/commcare/1.6NEWfil.pdf for the current paperwork that is completed when applying for subsidized Assisted Living and / Residential Care.

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Ombudswoman says province isn’t moving quickly enough in helping consumers decide between services. When faced with the decision of whether to try and maintain independence at home, or to try and hunt down a facility that would be an enjoyable community to join, this report highlights some of the difficulties that BC residents face. It also looks at the reluctance of the Provincial government to adopt all of the recommendations to make life easier for BC seniors and their family support. Click here.

But it doesn’t even begin to address the financial minefield attached to making the decision – for a free consultation with a certified financial planner to assess the opportunities and / or difficulties you or a parent are faced with, click here.

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The answer would appear to be – YES. Provided that the pet can be looked after if you pass away, AND, provided you can afford the veterinary bills. This article proposes a neat solution to both of these eventualities and showcases a great way to bring together the people and pets who really need each other:

http://www.seniorlivingmag.com/articles/fostering

But what about those who already have a pet and are worried about how to pay the vet bills – every dollar often counts when you’re retired. To help you work out if you can stretch your income further click here to arrange a complimentary consultation.

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The cost of care for the elderly, and the concern as to who will pay for it, are not just issues in British Columbia. Back in 2006 this article explained that in England most of the people who are approaching retirement have made no financial provision for care. The more recent article in the Telegraph demonstrates that this known issue is not going to go away and the survey findings echo ominously the general attitudes here in BC:

“Over half (55%) thought that should they need a place in a care home, they planned to rely on their basic state pension to help cover costs. But that is just £84 a week, compared to £400 a week average cost of a care home.

A similar number (56%) thought their personal savings would cover the cost – despite two in three not having made any plans to fund such care.”

Older folk deserve to be well looked after, but clearly it takes some planning to make sure this happens.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5357806.stm

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Paying for the parent’s care and accommodation is a global issue. It certainly affects those in the UK as shown by this article in the Telegraph in the UK. Here are some stark quotations from our cousins on the other side of the world:

“The warnings came as Health Secretary Andy Burnham admitted the care system could no longer cope amid a healthcare “time bomb” currently facing Britain’s ageing population.”

“He said some families could even face bills of up £200,000 to pay for their time in care homes.”

It may be a global issue but that doesn’t make it right, and it doesn’t make it go away. Contact us to see how you can be best prepared to weather the storm.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6204605/More-families-with-elderly-relatives-forced-to-top-up-for-old-age-care.html

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From the BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA) web site, this article serves to highlight some devastating issues facing families where the care of parents becomes an issue. Apart from all the issues around humanity, the inequities of how the care can be paid for are considered:

“In January most nursing-home patients will start paying more for their care. Patients with the lowest income will get a 5% cut, but everyone else’s rates rise. The cut affects only those earning less than $14,034 a year, a $46 reduction. But those earning up to $22,000 a year will pay 13% more, up to $1,392. Higher income earners face a 9% rate increase, to $1,815 a month.

Announcing the new formula, Health Minister Kevin Falcon said it is more equitable, and protects those who need care the most. Meanwhile Clarkson grows increasingly frustrated watching her mother’s condition worsen in what she now calls the “broom closet” at NRGH.

“If my mother could afford $5,000 a month, she could have a bed tomorrow… I just want her out of that room.””

http://www.bccare.ca/2009/10/senior-stuck-living-at-nrgh#more

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The recent hike in residential care rates is significant for many seniors. An extra $22.10 a day is $8000 a year!

Click here for an article on this issue published in The Tyee, October 8, 2009.

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According to an article in BC Local News on October 8, 2009: “The province will jack rates for most seniors in residential care to generate an extra $54 million a year of revenue.

Health minister Kevin Falcon said the new rate structure will be more equitable, delivering a rate cut for the 25 per cent of seniors in care with the lowest incomes.

But the other 75 per cent face significant hikes, effective January.”

You can read the full article by clicking here.

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