Home Downsizing Solutions Home Downsizing SolutionsLaunches Consumer Protection Information To Help Senior Home Sellers Weed Out Fake Cash Home Buyers Lincoln, Nebraska Even with a red hot real estate market for home sellers, there is still a need and want by some home sellers to sell their house quickly to a direct cash home buyer. Maybe the house needs repairs or updates that the home owner just doesnt want or have the resources to do.  Maybe the benefits that a cash home buyer provides are of value to the home seller, and the home owner just doesnt wantto sell their house in a traditional manner and list it on the market. But as some home sellers are discovering, finding a real cash home buying company can be a challenge. Unfortunately, with the current real estate market, combined with todays technology, the barrier of entry for someone to say they are a cash home buyer is VERY low. Today, someone is able to easily create a web site, put an ad online, and make it look like they are a home buying company. Then add the ballooning creative real estate industry of the self-proclaimed gurus (even calling their groups cartels) teaching others how easy it is to get involved in real estate with the practice of wholesaling, and you have a dangerous situation for home sellers that want to sell their house in a non-traditional manner. Identifying a legitimate cash home buying company can be a challenge for individuals that dont typically work in the real estate market.  But, there are a few questions to ask home buying companies to help ensure they are real. One, ask if they are actually going to look at your house.  Some of these companies will want to just make you an offer based on pictures they ask you to send them.  You will typically want a company to actually come and inspect your house to provide you with an offer. Two, ask for a reference of a local title company.  You will want to call the local title company to confirm that this company actually does buy houses and not just flip or sell the contract to another company. Three, ask how fast they can close and buy the house.  A real cash home buying company can close as soon as the title company checks title and prepares closing paperwork, typically in less than a week. These wholesaling companies will generally ask for 21 days or more to get their contractors in to see the house which is a red flag. There are a few other questions you can ask home buying companies to ensure they are legitimate. To get this information, just go to www.StopLowBallOffers.com or contact Ben Souchek at Ben@SGRealEstate or call/text him at (402)-450-0199. To check out more about Bens company, a legitimate cash home buying company, just go to www.HomeDownsizingSolutions.com Home Downsizing Solutions has been buying houses direct from home sellers for more than 20 years. We also can assist with our concierge services of locating moving services and senior community locating services, to make the transition to senior living as stress & hassle free as possible. 

Plan While You Still Can Do you know what healthcare treatments you would and would not want if you could not speak for yourself? Have you considered what wouldhappen if you were no longer able to make decisions for your healthcare or finances? These are hard questions to think about but taking time to answer them and make them official is essential. To make your decisions knownand give power to those you choose, you need legal documents in place; specifically, a Healthcare Durable Power of Attorney, an Advanced Directive,and a Financial Durable Power of Attorney. A Healthcare DPOA allows you to document who makesmedical decisions about your healthcare. The person designated as your agent is authorized to speak ONLY if you cant speak for yourself. An AdvancedDirective is a document that states your wishes for medical treatments at the end of life. These documents are essential for making your healthcare wishesknown and avoiding a Guardianship during incapacity. You can prepare these documents with an Estate Planning or Elder Law Attorney, or there are freeversions of them available with the Center for Practical Bioethics. A Financial DPOA is a document that gives authority from oneperson (the principal) to another person (the agent) for the agent to act on behalf of the principal. These are much more technical and require theassistance of an attorney to ensure they are prepared properly. Creating a Financial DPOA is essential for you to ensure your finances are in the hands ofsomeone you trust. If this year has taught us anything, its to plan while you can. Talk to your attorney to get started.Disclaimer: This is not intended to be legal counsel. The choice of an attorney is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.This article was submitted by Aaron L. Love, JD, an attorney with The Love Law Group, LLC and may be reached at 816-554-3330 or by email at planning@lovelawgroup.com.

Hospice And Palliative Care To Empower Your Loved OneChris DiMaso | July 28, 2021Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort 2 Cor 1:3Hospice and palliative care are unique services available to help empower you and your loved one during end-of-life. This article is to help you make a decision on what services you need and provide you with resources to move forward.What is hospice?Hospice is a unique service that focuses on patients and their caregivers who are facing advanced end-of-life illness. Hospice provides compassionate care for people in their final phase of life so they can live in peace and comfort. The guiding philosophy of hospice is to regard death as the final stage of life. It respects life without trying to postpone death. Hospice focuses on the needs of the person and alleviating the symptoms afflicting them, related to their disease process instead of aggressively trying to cure the disease. Hospice works as a holistic team to manage symptoms, so the patients final time is met with quality and dignity. Hospice care is family-focused and includes the patient and their loved ones when making decisions.What does hospice do?When a care provider deems hospice is the right course of action, the patient will choose a hospice agency that suites their needs. Often the hospital or nursing facility can help provide options if the family doesnt already have a choice in mind. The patient will be visited by a hospice nurse for an evaluation. Two doctors must agree that the patients prognosis is 6 months or less to qualify for services. If a patient qualifies, they are admitted and services begin. An interdisciplinary team is assigned to the patient/family that includes: an RN Case Manager, Social Worker, Home Health Aide, bereavement coordinator and a Chaplain and volunteers if they wish. Often hospice agencies also have complementary therapies such as music therapy, massage therapy, aromatherapy, and beautician services. This team approach is overseen by a hospice medical director who will collaborate with the primary physician of the patient. A patient can choose to have the hospice medical director as their primary physician if they prefer.Services offered in hospice care include, but are not limited to:Symptom and medication management from a nurse.Coordinating resources with a social worker.Personal care and assistance with bathing needs from a home health aide.Spiritual support from a chaplain.Companionship from volunteers.Bereavement support for 13 months after their loved one passes away.Supplies/delivers medications that relate to the course of treatment, medical equipment that the patient needs in their home such as a hospital bed/wheelchair/shower chair etc.Supplies personal care protection such as bathing supplies and dignity items.On-call nursing support 24/7. Outside of business hours, there will be a nurse available to make visits for emergent needs at all times. Hospice wants to be the new 911 for their patient.Who needs hospice?Hospice is considered when you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an illness that will limit the length and quality of life. Speak with your care provider about all options, including hospice. Frequent reasons to consider hospice include but are not limited to late-stage dementia and Alzheimers, cancer, heart disease, AIDS, ALS, COPD and others. Patients can become eligible for hospice care services when their provider deems that the natural course of illness has a life expectancy of six months or less. It is important that comfort and care of symptom management becomes the priority, and continuing treatment of the illness is no longer beneficial. Hospice care provides a level of support that is unrivaled. An interdisciplinary team of clinicians, social workers, spiritual and grief counselors, and volunteers rally around you or your loved one to meet their needs. This can range from medical treatment and cessation of pain, to coordination of services, or making peace with family and a higher power.At the end of our lives, what do we most wish for? For many, its simply comfort, respect, love. -BJ MillerWhat are the options in hospice?End-of-life care is personal and should be tailored to meet the needs and desires of the individual. This can include everything from the level of care needed to directives of where someone wishes to pass.Hospice vs palliative careHospice and palliative care address many of the same issues, but can look very different on a case-by-case basis. Hospice is intended for individuals will a life expectancy of fewer than six months, where palliative care isnt limited to this time period. Your loved one could benefit from advanced care even if their illness is not life-limiting in the near future. End-of-life goals and symptom management are crucial in both scenarios, and it is important to meet with your healthcare provider to discuss which is appropriate for you or your loved one.Home-based careDepending on the resources needed, some patients choose to remain in the home at the end of their journey. This decision is closely linked to the goals of the patient, their condition, and the amount and quality of support available. It is important to note, that the hospice benefit does not include private duty care/or around the clock nursing services.Long-term care facilitiesFacilities like Villa St. Francis offer higher levels of support and can address needs on a case-by-case basis. We offer tranquil settings both in private and semi-private rooms. Our team works closely with Hospice services to ensure pain and symptom management is addressed 24 hours a day, and our nurses and CNAs are available to take care of the patient around the clock and coordinate care plans with hospice professionals who supply supplementary care. We have social workers and spiritual care on-site. Working with Villa St. Francis and a hospice service offers a comprehensive level of care.General inpatient careThe highest level of care under hospice is called GIP- general inpatient. A patient can qualify for this if their symptoms are unmanageable in their home. GIP is considered the ICU of hospice. This can occur in the hospital, but most patients prefer not to return to or remain in the hospital at end of life. Villa St. Francis has a dedicated wing, called The Hospice Suites, with private rooms that can accommodate GIP level of care, with 24 hour RN support.Who pays for hospice?The majority of patients requiring hospice services will be eligible for Medicare Hospice Benefit, which covers up to 100% of services. You should not defer hospice due to concerns about payment or financial concerns. Medicare covers hospice as an inclusive benefit and all services related to a life limiting illness are included up to 100% by Medicare Part A. Services unrelated to the illness are covered by Parts A and B where normal rules apply.Little known facts about hospiceHospice isnt giving up; it is speaking up. Working with a hospice service ensures you or your loved ones needs will be heard and addressed.People can live longer with hospice. It is not unusual for someone to live longer when the quality of their life increases. Pain management and peace of mind are contributing factors to someones life expectancy.Hospice isnt a place; it is a philosophy of care. Most hospice patients receive care in their home, but even when it is it elsewhere it remains about the treatment.Hospice gives you control, not take it away. Death, just like life is very personal. Hospice professionals work diligently to ensure that the wishes of the patient and their family are upheld.Hospice isnt about giving up medical care, it merely changes the goal. Rather than focusing on length of life, you focus on quality of life.Through medical treatments and therapies, you or your loved one can enjoy the rest of their life.Hospice is for the entire family, not just the patient. End of life is a stressful time, not just for the patient but also the family. Hospice can relieve some of the burden by offering care and respite to the family.Working with social workers and bereavement counselors can help in planning.What to look for in a hospice provider.Talk to the professionals. Your doctor, nurses, and social workers are great resources when it comes to choosing a hospice provider. Also, speak with friends and neighbors for advice, it is likely they have had the experience you can draw from in making your decision. You are encouraged to interview hospice agencies to choose the one that is best for you and your family.Consider asking some of the following questions of the hospice agencies before making a decision:Are you Medicare-certified?Who is on the hospice care team and how often do they make visits?Are you non-profit or for-profit?Do you have a dedicated pharmacy for medicine and do they deliver medications?How are pain and other symptoms managed?What services are offered in your program?What complementary therapies do you provide?What services do you offer the family?Read more about what Villa St. Francis has to offer you and your loved one during this time. 

Community Visit Questions The search for the right senior living community in Kansas City can be difficult because there are many great options. So we developed a list of questions to help you choose the right one for you.OverallWhat was your first impression? Do you feel comfortable with the location and overall presentation of the campus? Do they offer an apartment style that appeals to you? What is the travel time to restaurants, theaters, airports, etc.? Do team members smile and offer courteous greetings? Do team members address residents by name and show respectful familiarity? Are the residents friendly and welcoming? What levels of living does this community have?What they offerWhat levels of living are available?  Are transportation services offered? Is there a fee? What is the process for discussing your care needs if your health begins to decline? What is their CMS quality rating? Do they have recent customer satisfaction survey results?Community LifeWhat is the minimum age? Do they embrace cultural diversity and inclusivity? Do they host events? What do the current residents have to say about the services? What are their policies related to pets Are they tobacco free? How secure is the community? How does parking work? Are there crisis plans in place? Do team members undergo screenings and background checks prior to employment? Do they have a newsletter and activity calendar?  DiningAre the dining rooms inviting and clean? Are the tables, chairs and linens clean and in good condition? May residents invite guests to meals? How does the community accommodate special diets? Is there a dietician or nutritionist involved in meal planning? Have you sampled a meal? FinancesAre they a stand-alone campus or part of a family of communities? What happens if you outlive your resources? What does the monthly fee cover? What is not included in the monthly fee? What are their policies related to transitioning to another unit or level of care? How might that impact you financially? What are their policies related to refunds? Next stepsCan you envision yourself living here? If so, what is the next step in making the move?  Editors Note: This article was submitted by Jill Lamb. Jill Lamb is the Marketing Director with Colonial Village and may be reached at (913) 730-3700 or by email at Jill.Lamb@CLV-OP.com.