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Managing The Stress ~ Making The Decisions ~ Discovering The Meaning |
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Caregiving |
Solutions To Your Caregiving Situations Throughout Your Caregiving Years |
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Home Modifications Funding Your Home Modifications Some states have developed programs which offset the costs of home modifications and adaptations. Call your local Area Agency on Aging to learn if your state has such assistance and if you and your care recipient qualify. If you can’t locate the number of your agency, call the ElderCare Locator hotline at 1-800-677-1116. Long-term care insurance: If your care recipient has a long-term care insurance policy, check with the insurance agent to see if home modifications are covered under the policy. Your local city or township: In Chicago, assistance is available for disabled, low-income persons to modify their homes. Check with your local government to see if such assistance is available in your area. Habitat for Humanity: Volunteers may be available to help with home modifications. Check with your local chapter. Veteran’s Administration: Benefits may be available to pay for ramps and home modifications. Visit its web site at http://www.va.gov/ or call 1-800-827-1000. Reverse mortgages or home equity loans: Your mortgage broker or financial planner can provide details on how these programs works and if they provide a sound financial option. Quick Tip My grandfather and grandmother made a good team. He was physically well, but was often confused. My grandmother was physically frail, but, mentally, she was sharp as a tack. When my grandfather died, we worried whether we could keep my grandmother safe at home, where she wanted to be. We removed as many throw rugs as we could (she insisted the one in the kitchen remained), added grab bars, a shower chair, and a hand-held shower nozzle in her bathroom. The huge problem, we discovered, though, was how we could adapt her kitchen utensils so she could still prepare her meals. We knew if she couldn’t prepare her own meals, she just wouldn’t eat. When my grandfather was alive, he opened all her jars and cans; her arthritis made that just too difficult. We really worried about this: How would she open the jars that she needed to prepare her meals? I found a simple gadget through, of all places, QVC. Lids Off from Black & Decker is an automatic jar opener. She just presses one button and the lid is removed. It cost us about $40, but what it has added to her quality of life is immeasurable. She’s able to prepare simple meals, which is so important to her. --Becky, Illinois Home Modifications and Products for Safety and Ease of Use Funding Your Home Modifications Making It Easy For My Wife So It’s Easier On Me |
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