Veteran Aid and Attendance Benefits
March 29, 2010
We have stated using a new company to handle our veteran client’s needs.
What They Provide:
- A complete review and assessment of your current financial situation.
- Guidance to help you better understand the veterans benefits that might be available to you.
- Resources that may benefit you and your family, when it comes to better understanding your options for government assistance.
- Information that may be vital to you if you and/or your loved one are currently, or plan to be, in an assisted living community.
- A personal Concierge that will assist you throughout the entire process.
Whether you may now or in the future need assistance either in an assisted living community, a nursing home setting or in your own home (using a home care company like Champion Home Care), Veterans Benefits Advocates can help you find the right path to secure your heritage. We are here to help families, and their loved ones, better understand their eligibility, as well as provide important information concerning benefits made available to veterans and their spouses.
The A&A Pension Benefit can pay more than $1900 per month.
See if you Qualify for Aid and Attendance Benefits Here!
- We take the time to pre-qualify persons who may be eligible for the Veterans Administration Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit by verifying their current needs, circumstances and past military experience.
- Our highly trained staff is dedicated to helping veterans and the families of veterans, take advantage of the benefits and rights that they richly deserve.
- We provide a step-by-step process that will enable each client the opportunity to discover what benefits that they may qualify for, as well as a comprehensive program which provides all the needed, assisted living community research and various other services that affect veterans and their families.
- We specialize in helping families of veterans protect their life savings that could be potentially wiped out by medical and/or long term care expenses.
- We know how to defuse the “Medicaid Time Bomb”… which means that we know how to make Medicaid work for you, and not the other way around.
Their service is FREE to you!
Qualify for Veteran’s Aid and Attendance Now!
The Eyes Have It
September 26, 2008
My father was in the Air Force, and as a result as a child I moved around quite a bit, coming to rest in one place only when my dad retired and decided to buy a house in Minnesota. (And as an aside, I hated it. Not Minnesota, per se, but the fact that we weren’t moving every two years…something I’d grown accustomed to and liked!)
However, growing up in Minnesota, and as a sports enthusiast, I became a fan of the Minnesota Twins baseball team, and I can still remember the game way back on May 8, 1984, when Kirby Puckett was brought up from the Minor Leagues to start in center field, and went 4 for 5 in his first major league game, a feat that only nine players in history have ever done.
So I grew up watching the Twins and Kirby Puckett, and saw him lead the team to two world championships.
And then, o n July 12, 1996, it was all over. Puckett, aged only 35 years old, had to retire from the game because he had lost sight in one eye, thanks to glaucoma. It was such a shock… how could someone only 35 years old, an athlete…get glaucoma, and how could that take his eyesight so quickly?
Glaucoma is the number two cause of acquired blindness in America, and indeed, around the world.
Glaucoma. Otherwise known as “sneaky thief of sight.” Loss of vision occurs so gradually over such a long time period of time that it quite often goes unrecognized…until it is too late to do anything about it. Once vision is lost due to glaucoma, it cannot be recovered.
Which brings me to your vision.
When is the last time you had your vision checked for glaucoma? Or for cataracts?
Technology has advanced so far these days that cataract surgery is a relatively simple procedure, and can restore your vision quite quickly. Glaucoma surgery is the same – except that any vision you lost before stopping the glaucoma will not return.
Here’s the statistics: Glaucoma affects one in two hundred people aged fifty and younger, and one in ten over the age of eighty.
For more information about glaucoma and its treatment, check out the Glaucoma Research Foundation website at http://www.glaucoma.org/index.php.
There is also the National Eye Institute: http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/glaucoma/glaucoma_facts.asp
The National Eye Institute also has information about cataracts.
http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/cataract/cataract_facts.asp
Both of these conditions can be cured …but they are the type of conditions that cannot be cured by “positive” thinking or by waiting until the absolute last minute before you can take action. When your eyesight is concerned, you must take action immediately.
Champion Homecare Solutions has years of experience helping people with vision problems. From poor eyesight to blindness, we have helped many individuals and families deal with these type of in home care problems in the Houston area.
A Will… How Important Is It?
September 25, 2008
I read mysteries and science fiction, and am not much up on the classics, but one of the books I have read, that has always resonated with me is the aptly named Charles Dickens novel, Bleak House.
A major theme in the novel is that members of a family are quarreling over the disposition of an estate, and because the individuals can’t settle it amicably they get lawyers involved. After twenty years of litigation, the case is settled… but there is no money left because it all went in lawyer fees.
There are similar cases in real life, of course – many involving extremely wealthy people that make the headlines, but also smaller, intime tragedies caused by just a few thousand dollars or a single antique or treasured item that two or more people fight over.
A lot of pain, anxiety…and indeed, money, can be saved if you – and your spouse, and indeed, any family member once they’ve reached the age where they’ve got a full-time job and are making money – should have a will.
According to a survey by a company called FindLaw, admittedly taken 5 years ago (2003):
The latest annual survey by the legal Web site FindLaw (www.findlaw.com) found that 57 percent of Americans do not have a will, potentially leaving them without any say over issues involving their assets or care of any minor children after they die.
Only 41 percent of American adults currently have a will, a drop of three percentage points from a year ago. The percentage of Americans with wills increased slightly in 2002 – possibly because of changes to estate tax laws and the impact of terrorist attacks – but fell back again this year.
Of course, that percentage can be misleading. It is typically younger people, in their 20s and 30s, who don’t think about wills, as every young person knows they will live forever.
But quite a few seniors also don’t have wills, and this is a big mistake.
If you don’t leave a will, the state gets to decide who gets your stuff, from your money to your house, to the contents of your home. And they take a sizable chunk of change to probate your estate. (Much as a lawyer will do even if you have a will, admittedly…unless you establish a living trust, which frankly is the way to go.)
However, if you do have a will, you need to take some care about that as well. If you have family members who have sentimental attachments to various household items…family heirlooms, make sure they are listed by name in the will so that there can be no disputes.
Why don’t more people have a will? Several reasons, of course. One reason may be superstition. Having a will is so…final. But look at it this way. Having a will is final..the final key to your peace of mind.
Another essential key to your peace of mind is to have what’s called a “living will.” With a living will, you get to tell people what your wishes are regarding your treatment, if you’re no longer able to do so because you’ve been incapacitated for some reason.
Check out http://www.agingwithdignity.org/ to see their Five Wishes living will. This “Advanced Directive” – how you want to be treated medically if you can’t speak for yourself – is translated into twenty languages including Spanish, French, Hmong and more.
Reference
Fewer Americans Have Wills, Says New Survey by FindLaw
http://company.findlaw.com/pr/2003/092203.willsurvey.html
Choosing Your Caregiver
July 24, 2008
Choosing the “right” caregiver can be the “icing on top of the cake.” The cake may be great, but what a joy to have the icing! At CHS we spend time with the family and/or client asking questions, getting to know them, and, then, select the best person we have for that assignment. We ensure the client and the client’s family that they are guaranteed 100% customer satisfaction with their assigned caregiver. At any time, no questions asked, the client or client’s family can request a different caregiver. Of course, we encourage communication with the agency if the caregiver has done anything wrong. But, in cases of personality, or “it just doesn’t work”, a call to the supervisor is all the client needs to do to continue the search for the right caregiver.
When a client is first doing an assessment to sign up for services, it is important that they help the supervisor find the right person for the job! Some things to consider when selecting a caretaker either privately or with an agency are the following:
- Do you like a quiet or talkative person?
- Do you want a young person or older?
- Does strength and size matter as it pertains to the tasks you need done?
- Do they need to love pets? Tolerate pets?
- Do you need someone that smoking doesn’t bother?
- Do you want someone with a specific interest?
- Do they need to be a certified nurse assistant to better serve you?
- Do you want someone to read to you or do a certain activity with you?
- Do you need a driver? What sort of car will work?
- What characteristic of your caregiver is the most important to you?
Thinking through these questions will help the client and the client’s family discuss caretaker possibilities with their supervisor during the first assessment. Hopefully, that way, services will begin with the right caretaker for the assignment. The first two weeks should be used to “settle in” with the caregiver. A call to the supervisor should be made if improvements, changes in methods, or training “to do it your way” is needed. Or, if the first caregiver has not worked out, the client and client’s family can talk to the supervisor, and with the knowledge gained, make a better selection. Sometimes it requires “trying a few” to find the right long-term “fit” for a specific person.
Champion Homecare Solutions believes that spending the extra time at the beginning to help the client get the right caretaker will make a huge difference. We are committed to spending the time with our clients to make this happen.
It is our policy to assign permanent caregivers to all clients. The only exception is one hour clients, PRN, or flexible schedules that cannot be scheduled with one person. Then, we use a rotating process to minimize the number of people in the home. We, also, consider if having more than one caregiver is better for the client. For example, we have had very active business people who have needed short term care. They have preferred having several caregivers, instead of just one, because they enjoyed the diversity of conversations.
Choosing your caregiver will always be a joint effort of the client, the client’s family, our supervisor, and the “team of support” at CHS. Together we can be Champions!
Educating for End of Life Choices
July 22, 2008
Life is such a time-consuming adventure that many times families find themselves with loved ones at the end of life, devoid of the knowledge needed to make choices that will not wait. Perhaps, an other wise healthy loved one falls and end of life comes with out warning, or perhaps someone with a lifetime of good health has a stroke. Adult children and other family members are faced with decisions that they do not feel prepared to make.
Champion Homecare Solutions hears these stories every week. We feel it is part of our responsibility to help you be informed to make decisions.
Here is some good basic information with which to start:
- Personal Assistance Services – Routine ongoing care or services required by an individual in a residence or independent living environment that allow the individual to engage in the activites of daily living or to perform the physical functions required for independent living, including respite service. (In other words, PAS agencies are able to help your loved one in their home or other living facility, which includes hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, independent living, homes, foster homes, group homes or any other setting the client participates in activities, such as, school, work, or church.)
- Personal Assistance Service can bridge the gap between the hours the family can help, or it can provide 24 hour care for a client; all done in the privacy of the client’s own home.
- Personal Assistance Service gives the senior timely, flexible, in-home care and support, and still allows independence as much as possible.
- Personal Assistance Service agencies must complete a written plan prepared by the agency staff with family and client input. This is called a Individualized Service Plan or ISP.
- This plan will be given to the caregiver so the caregiver knows what is expected of them on a daily basis.
- The plan will be set in place for a certain time period, but may be redone if there is a significant change in the client’s condition and more or less services are needed. (At our agency the plan may be redone at request.)
- The question often comes up in family concerns if PAS services are enough. The answer depends on the client. PAS often works hand in hand with other agencies, such as, Home Health or Hospice.
- Home Health is given as a prescription by a doctor. It could be given for one or more of the following health services required by an individual in a residence or independent living environment: nursing, blood pressure monitoring, diabetes treatment, physical, occupational, speech, or respiratory therapy, medical or social service, intravenous therapy, dialysis, RN delegated tasks, the furnishing of medical equipment and supplies, excluding drugs and medicines, or nutritional counseling.
- Home Health can be in the home doing the medical needs and the PAS agency can be in the home doing the non-medical needs. The times assigned for each agency can complement each other.
- The state of Texas requires that state home health agencies coordinate care. This means that the agencies must work together to provide a team of assistance to your loved one.
- Hospice Agencies give palliative care for terminally ill clients and support service for both clients and their families. These services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, during the last stages of illness, during death, and during bereavement. These services are provided in the client’s home or residence.
- Often PAS works with hospice at the end of life by doing the non-medical needs of the client, as well as, the housecleaning, meal preparation, and other needs of the client.
- Learning the basics of these three agencies and their differences can help you toward your decisions. PAS can be paid from Medicaid; however, not every PAS agency is a Medicaid agency. So, you should ask. Many PAS agencies are private pay. Many agencies have a standard rate, and a lower rate for 24 hour care. It never hurts to ask. The lowest price may or may not be the best agency. Find out what you will get from the agency and well as what the standard for caregivers is.
- At our agency we follow stricter guidelines than required by the state for caregivers. We have supervisor case management so you always know who to talk to about your services. We offer 100% satisfaction with your caregiver no questions asked. We do not require a time contract. You may cancel with a 24 hour notice. No amount of time is too small or too large. We offer flexible PRN schedules. We offer split schedules. We give specialized first two week care to ensure your satisfaction and to make sure your individualized plan is the right plan for you.
- How do you decide if your loved one can stay in their home and receive the help they need? Consider the support you have above in Personal Assistance Services, Home Health, and in Hospice. Consider family available time and support. Consider finances. Consider preference and desires of the one needing services. Consider lifetime values. Find someone you trust to talk to about your decison. If we can help you, please call and ask questions. We train our supervisors that their job is not complete until you have found the solution to your need. That solution does not have to be us.
What makes CHS different?
April 10, 2008
Choosing an in home care agency can be a difficult choice. Every state licensed agency must comply to the same laws; so, in many ways agencies are alike. However, every agency has its own uniqueness, its own culture, and its own strengths. By careful review of how an agency is different from others, you can make an informative decision as to what is best for you or your family member.
Champion Homecare Solutions is different from many agencies in the following ways:
- CHS caregivers are always screened above the state standard.
- CHS has no time contract. You may stop services with a 24 hour written request at any time.
- CHS has no minimum or maximum hours. CHS services clients from one hour to 24 hours.
- CHS gives service to our clients every day of the year. This provides help during holiday seasons when it is most needed.
- CHS offers 100% satisfaction with the assigned caregiver. The client/client’s famiy may request a new caregiver with no questions asked.
- CHS has flexible schedules. Schedules may be changed simply by calling the office and making a request.
- CHS takes the time to train your caregiver “to do things your way.” We recognize that our Individual Service Plan only tells your caregiver what to do and when to do it. You will have an assigned supervisor who will work with you to make sure your caregiver learns to do things the way you want them done.
- CHS provides a supervisor with a Master’s degree in special education to clients/client’s families who have disabilities. This supervisor can be assigned to help when the client is handicapped in any way.
- CHS culture is to be relational and compassionate to both employees and caregivers.
- CHS does not proclaim to be a perfect agency, or to have perfect employees. We do promise to be here for you, listen to you, and correct your concerns and complaints quickly. In other words, our goal is to demonstrate integrity to you on a day to day basis.