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Gift Ideas for Mother and Father’s Day

Boomersaide.com – Last minute gifts solutions for Mother and Father’s Day during Covid-19 Pandemic

My wife is always asking me for gift ideas, especially for the men and boys in our family.  I have been an online shopper for several years now and with the Covid-19 pandemic, many other people are doing the same.

With Covid-19, we are doing even more online shopping and Amazon makes it extremely easy.

Here’s what I do when asked about a gift idea what ever gender or age.

Men –   Gifts for men

Women – Gifts for women

Girls – Gifts for girls

Boys – Gifts for boys

If you click on these Amazon links and make a purchase within 24 hours, Boomersaide.com will receive a small commission that does not affect your cost.

The majority of profits from Boomersaide.com (after cost) will go to several of my favorite non-profit organizations.

Surviving Covid-19, “so far”

Sometime in March 2020, my wife and I became convinced that Covid-19 was something to avoid. Regardless of all the politics, we had friends and family members catching the virus. Some with light or no symptoms and some with very bad symptoms. The worst case was a good friend and neighbor who died from the virus.

So far we have been able to avoid catching the virus. Here’s what we’ve been doing;

1. We have avoided crowds as much as possible. When we are in a crowded situation we try to stay the recommended distance of 6 feet, wear a mask and wash our hands as often as possible.

2. We do our best to not touch our face when we’ve been close to others until we’ve washed our hands or use a hand sanitizer which we keep with us at all times. A doctor friend said that not touching your face is possibly one of the best ways to avoid catching the virus.

3. We wear a mask when around other people, such as in the grocery store, restaurant, retail stores, etc. We limit our time in these places as much as possible.

4. Took our flu shot as soon as it was available.

5. We take Vitamin C, D3, and Zinc every day to boost our immune system.

6. We have taken a daily probiotic for years which I’m convinced has helped both of us stay healthy. Not sure if it has any effect on boosting our immune systems against the virus.

7. For exercise we’ve been going for a mile to two mile walk almost everyday.

8. While not going to church as usual, we been attending online and continuing to read the Bible everyday.

I don’t think the actions above will guarantee freedom from the virus, but “so far” we are clear of it. We will take the vaccine as soon as it is available.

For more information go to the CDC link:    CDC Link

Leave a comment and let me know what you are doing to survive this pandemic.

How can Veterans stay home, not a Nursing Home

How to keep your Veteran parents at their home, not the Nursing Home!

Many World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans are at the age where they need extra care due to their health.  With Nursing Homes being possible “hot spots’ for the Covid-19 Virus, staying at home is even more critical!

If you have a loved one who is a veteran or spouse of a veteran, then you need to investigate the  VA’s Aid and Attendance Program!  If eligible, you can receive up to $1,788 Monthly individually or $2,120 monthly with a dependent.  Two married veterans can receive up to $2,809 monthly.

These monthly checks can go a long way to pay for “at-home” health care.

When our veteran parents needed this help from the VA, we were totally unaware of it.  Many of our friends who are veterans and need that aide do not know about it.  It seems like it’s a secret.

Nursing homes, even when our parents were there, could be breeding grounds for infections.  The one we encountered most often was the Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)!  The nursing home staff tried to stay on top of it and would close wards off and keep people in their rooms when it broke out.  Covid-19 seems to be much more contagious than UTI so I cannot imagine how much harder it is to contain.

Here’s the VA web site you can access to learn more about this benefit and how to apply for it.  Click here. Do not assume your veteran or spouse of a veteran does not qualify, it could mean an extra check each month to save your loved one.

Pass it on and tell every veteran or veteran spouse you know!   Leave a comment below and I’ll send you an 800 number to see if you qualify for this benefit.

COVID-19, Veterans, and Nursing Homes

Post is about Covid-19 virus that looks like this.

How to keep your Veteran parents at their home, not the Nursing Home!

 

Many World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans are at the age where they need extra care due to their health.  With Nursing Homes being possible “hot spots’ for the Covid-19 Virus, staying at home is even more critical!

 

If you have a loved one who is a veteran or spouse of a veteran, then you need to investigate the  VA’s Aid and Attendance Program!  If eligible, you can receive up to $1,788 Monthly individually or $2,120 monthly with a dependent.  Two married veterans can receive up to $2,809 monthly.

 

These monthly checks can go a long way to pay for “at-home” health care.

 

When our veteran parents needed this help from the VA, we were totally unaware of it.  Many of our friends who are veterans and need that aide do not know about it.  It seems like it’s a secret.

 

Nursing homes, even when our parents were there, could be breeding grounds for infections.  The one we encountered most often was the Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)!  The nursing home staff tried to stay on top of it and would close wards off and keep people in their rooms when it broke out.  Coved-19 seems to be much more contagious than UTI so I cannot imagine how much harder it is to contain.

 

Here’s the VA web site you can access to learn more about this benefit and how to apply for it.  Click here. Do not assume your veteran or spouse of a veteran does not qualify, it could mean an extra check each month to save your loved one.

 

Pass it on and tell every veteran or veteran spouse you know!   Comment on this post and I’ll give you an 800 number to call to see if you qualify.

Are Nursing Homes bad? Be an investigator and an advocate!

Are Nursing Homes bad? Be an investigator and an advocate!

Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Homes can be really bad places for your loved ones or really good!  What can you do when a nursing home becomes your only choice?

First of all, do a lot of research of any facility you are considering.  Visit the facility and meet with the manager, the intake person and anyone else you can talk to.  If you know any of the residents or their families, talk to them and see what they think.  Be friendly and smile a lot, they are judging you too.

When you decide that a facility is appropriate get your loved one’s name on their waiting list immediately.  Don’t be overly concerned if the waiting list is long, waiting list are very volatile and can change daily.  Get on as many waiting list as possible.

BE AN ADVOCATE – Once your loved one is in an assisted living or Nursing Home facility; become the best advocate you and your family can be.  Below are what we came to believe are best practices;

  1.   Someone from the family needs to visit every day if possible.  If other family members live close then try to share those visits with them.
  2.  Visit at different times of the day and get to know the workers on each shift.
  3.  Be friendly to all workers (they have a hard job) and to all residents.  Get to know their names.
  4.  Get to know other family members of residents, especially if there is a roommate.
  5.  Listen to your loved one’s opinion about his or her treatment.  If there is a problem then bring it to the attention of the head nurse right away in a friendly manner.
  6.  If a problem continues, don’t be afraid to bring it to the attention of the facility manager.  They are very concerned about any reports of abuse.  Most problems in our experience are system or communication problems which can be solved with proper training.
  7.  If you or a family member cannot be there every day, there are “sitters” you can hire to go and just be company to them.  Those sitters can become advocates too.

Our family has experienced three parents in home care, assisted living and nursing homes.  We’ve had good experiences the majority of the time by doing those practices listed above. We view most of the workers at these facilities as “saints” and try to treat them that way.  Most are underpaid and over worked.  Being nice to them pays dividends to your loved ones.

What has been your experiences?  Please leave your comments, good or bad!

Personal story on admission to a Veteran’s Nursing Home

Recently, I was asked for help in finding a long-term care facility for the husband of a friend who is presently very ill and in a rehabilitation facility.  Since he is a veteran, I contacted a Veteran’s Home in a town nearest to our friend’s home with the following discoveries.

Speaking by phone to the Veterans Home’s Admission Director, I asked the following questions and got the following answers from the director.

  1. What is the application process for this veteran who is presently in a rehabilitation facility in a nearby town? The Admission Director said that the present facility would have to send them a referral for a transfer to the Veteran’s Home.
  2. When asked if there was a waiting list, the Admission Director said there is a waiting list but because he was presently in a rehabilitation center he could be admitted, if eligible, without being on the waiting list.
  3. When asked about the Per Diem afforded to veterans at the Veteran’s Home, the Admission Director stated that he would be eligible for the 110 dollars per day if admitted and he would be responsible for the remainder of 155 dollars.
  4. When asked about the possibility of Aid and Attendance funds for veterans and if he got those funds could they be used for paying the 155 dollars per day. The Admission Director stated that he could use that money to pay toward the 155 dollars, his part of the daily rate.
  5. The veteran is also receiving dialysis three days per week and when asked about help with getting to those appointments the Admission Director stated that the patient would have to contract with a local company to receive those treatments.

The answers from the Admission Director were very encouraging and I would advise our friend to visit the Veteran’s Home and get confirmation on all these questions since the answers are to my best recollection and need to be doubled checked in case I misunderstood.

Plus, a personal visit would give our friend a close look at the staff and the facility to see it is a good fit for her husband.

CAREGIVERS LOOKING FOR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES

CAREGIVERS LOOKING FOR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES

(from our experiences, yours may be different)

Many caregivers come to the point where they can no longer do all that is needed to care for their loved one.  That happened to our family and here’s what we did. It’s important to note that my wife’s sister and her husband all worked closely together during these multiple events.   I’m hopeful it will help you.

Assisted Living (Upscale senior living facilities, the ones we contacted did not take Medicaid)

We contacted and visited assisted living facilities and learned all about them.  Most of the ones we contacted had a waiting list.  We went ahead and put our loved one’s name on it.  You can always decline if or when they contact you with a vacancy.

Health Care Facilities aka Nursing Homes or Long-Term Care

We did the same with long term facilities “nursing homes” or health care facilities.  These facilities are usually both rehabilitation centers and long-term care facilities.  Those we contacted do take Medicaid.

Get an appointment with a social worker or intake person at those facilities. We learned a lot by visiting those facilities.  The people there are very knowledgeable and willing to help.  We were also able to prioritize which ones we thought were the best places to consider.

Explore those close to you first!  It’s super important to be able to visit as often as possible and to be an advocate for your loved one.  Enlist other relatives to help you if possible.

Check out those places you prefer as much as possible and narrow your choices to two or three.  Contact them at least once a week to see if they have vacancies.  They may tell you the waiting list is long but those waiting lists are very volatile with people getting off for various reasons.

Cost of Long-Term Care Facilities

Find out how much they cost.  Assisted living facilities may initially cost less but costs can increase as the amount of care increases.  It’s also important to know that Medicaid does not pay for most assisted living facilities.  The ones we contacted where all private pay so you either paid out of your loved ones assets or from Long Term Care Insurance if you have it.

Nursing Homes or long-term care facilities do take Medicaid if you qualify for help with the monthly cost.  If you are like me, you may not know the difference between Medicare and Medicaid.  Click here to learn more.

Ways to pay for Assisted Living and Long-Term Care Facilities

If you don’t have long term care insurance or qualify for Medicaid then you will have to pay from your own or your loved one’s assets.

When our parents both went into long term care, they did not qualify for Medicaid, so we had to sell their home, car, other assets and use all the cash value from their life insurance to pay the nursing home bills.  Once those assets where exhausted (three years), they qualified for Medicaid which paid the nursing home bills the rest of their lives.

Note:  Medicaid may be different in your state since it is a mix of federal and state assistance.

If you are having to pay out of pocket there are several possible sources you can explore.  One is a HELOC loan on your home, especially if one spouse is still living in the home, also known as a second mortgage. This source allows you to keep your home but you will have to make monthly payments, but can stretch it out over time and HELOC loans usually have a better interest rate than other loans.

Another source is cash value from life insurance policies you may have.  This source is a little more complicated and you need to talk with your insurance agent for details.  The times we have borrowed from cash value, we haven’t had to make monthly payment unless we chose that method.  If we decided to not pay it back, we did not have to, we just would not get the full amount of your policy when the insured passes.

Veterans Long Term Care

Veterans may have access to a long-term care funds called Aid and Attendance.  You may contact the local VA or call an 800 number for help in getting these funds.  Most assisted living and long term care facilities will have this information for Veterans.

The 800 number we called was 800 878 2149 a law office that specializes in helping with this benefit.  They can tell you if you qualify or not.  If you don’t qualify their service are free, if you do qualify and get it then they charged you 800 dollars at that time.  If you qualify then you may get up to 2000 dollars or more each month to help with health cost.  We did not know about this fund and missed out on it but several of our friends have gotten it.  Do not assume you don’t qualify.  The people at the 800 number can tell you for sure and they won’t charge you unless you do get it.

We will add more to this post as we have time and learn even more!

Triple E virus Outbreak due to Mosquito Bites

According to news media there is an increase in people becoming ill with the EEE Virus from a Mosguito bite.  The same medias are saying there is no cure for this disease.  So what can you do?  Click here for more info on the Triple E Virus.

1. Go outside and remove any standing water around your home that helps breed mosquitoes.

2. Use sprays that kill mosquitoes around your house.

3. When you go outside, use appropriate spray on your exposed skin to deter mosquitoes.

4. Wear clothes that cover most of your body.

5. Limit you time outdoors after sundown.

6. If you have symptoms get medical help immediately!

Boomersaide is not an expert on this but common sense tells me we need to be pro active on this danger, especially for our children and grandchildren’s sake!  This alert will help prevent the Nile Virus too

What documents are needed NOW!!

When my wife’s parent became ill and needed more care than we could give them we needed several documents immediately.  The most important was a Power of Attorney since we needed to start making decision for them.  The sooner you have this document the better.  If the person is not mentally capable of giving you their Power of Attorney them it may be too late.  A Will, an Advance Health Care Directive and a Trust are the other “most” important documents to have in your possession as soon as possible!  Below is a short and beginning list of the most important documents needed but not all.  Another post coming soon will list others.  Study these and make sure you understand them.

The Most Important Documents for Boomers and their Children!

Will (especially if you have under age children)

Many Boomers do not have a will.   Having a lawyer’s help is the best way to create a will but its important to have a will now.  Click here to discover what your state requires and you can have a will today.

Advance Directive or Advance Health Care Directive

When visiting your doctor you may have been asked if you have an Advance Health Care Directive, Click here
to discover what they mean.  If you are ever incapacitated it will be very important to your family members to have these instructions.  Also known as Living Will, Health Care Proxy and Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)

Trusts

What is a “Trust”, how is it different from a Will?  Click Here for a definition of a Trust.

Power Of Attorney

Wow!!  This is a complicated one.  Be sure to read the whole definition.  Click Here to find out about Power of Attorney and what it can mean to you and your family.

Senior Citizens Need Help – July 20, 2019

Senior Citizens Need Help

Even though we started getting mail when we turned forty from organizations telling us we were now seniors, my wife and I did not know how much we needed help as Senior Citizens until we were in our fifties. We didn’t even know the difference between Medicare and Medicaid!

Tipping Point

The tipping point was when my wife’s parents needed our help to live at home. Her father started have mini-seizures and before long he could not take care of himself at home even with his wife’s and our help. After many trips to the hospital and stays in rehabilitation centers, he became confined to a long term care health center for his care.

Medicare vs. Medicaid?

At that point, we did not even know the difference between Medicare and Medicaid. We soon learned that to pay the super expensive care of a long term care facility, we had to get him on Medicaid.

The High Cost of Long Term Care

Soon after, his wife, my wife’s mother, was diagnosed with Alzheimer and had to be admitted into a special long term care facility in another town for her care. The cost of these two facilities was over 10,000 dollars per month! They could not afford that and we were forced to learn all about Medicaid and how it is different from Medicare.

If you are in your fifties, this will be valuable information for both you and your parents! Medicare/Medicaid

If you are retired and need extra funding for what ever reason, read my review of Wealthy Affiliate on this site.  I’m loving it!

This is my first blog in this website. Come back for more in the coming days.

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