Massachusetts - Greater Boston

Inpatient RehabilitationFacility vs. Short-term Rehabilitation Facility You have just gone through an illness (stroke, brain injury, amputation, prolonged hospital stay, etc.) now what?  You are not ready to go home, where should you go?  The hospital service isrecommending rehabilitation, but which type and where?  There are two different types of facilities that you reside/stay while you get your rehab: inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) and short-term rehabilitation facility.  What is the difference? Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Short Term rehabilitation -       Hospital level of rehabilitation -       24/7 in-house physician care -       24/7 nursing care -       Intensive therapies: regulated by CMS o   Individualized therapy session o   At least 3 hours/dayx6-7 days a week -       Shorter stay: average stay is 14 days -       Nursing car level of rehabilitation -       Physicians available but not always in-house -       24/7 nursing care -       Less intensive therapies: o   30min-a few hours, a few times a week (this varies among facilities)-       Longer stay: average stay is 20-30 days  Your medical team has determined you qualify for IRF level of rehabilitation.  Where should you go?  VA Boston Healthcare System (BHS) has an accredited IRF just for Veterans, regardless of service connection located at the West Roxbury Campus. Our physicians trained at some of the best rehabilitation medicine facilities in the country.  They are board certified in rehabilitation medicine and brain injury medicine.  Our therapy staff also trained at some of the best facilities in Boston and have advance certifications.  Our nursing staff are caring, loving, and Veteran centered too.  What separates BHS IRF from community IRF?-       We are Veteran centered-       We can provide equipment that other community facilities may not be able to -       A sense of comradery with other Veterans can help with improvement in mood and function -       We understand PTSD and other mood changes and can offer on-site services -       We provided outpatient follow-up after discharge from IRF to assess, manage and treat issues that may interfere with your function and/or quality of lifeHow do I contact BHS IRF?-       Please have your case manager in the hospital call Boston Healthcare System Flow center and request referral to BHS inpatient rehabilitation program: 857-203-3835-      The rehabilitation physician will review your medical record and provide a decision to your medical team            This article was submitted by Dr. XinLi, Medical Director of Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility at West Roxbury VA, Boston Healthcare System. Information Contact:  David Hencke, US Dept of Veterans Affairs, Directors Office, VA Boston Healthcare System  Veterans Outreach Coordinator  O: 857-364-5934; C: 617-275-6101  David.hencke@va.gov 

What is a CCRC? What defines a Lifecare community? Is there a difference? In this article, you will learn about the available contract types at CCRCs so you can make an educated decision about thetype of community thats best for you. CCRCsalso referred to as continuing care retirement communities or Life Plan communitiesoffer a secure pathway for aging and future healthcare needs and eliminate the need for a disruptive move if you ever need a higher level of care. Residents typically enter these communities as independent living residents and enjoy access to continuing on-site healthcare, including assisted living and memory care, should the need for such services arise.There are three types of care contracts available at CCRCs (Type A, Type B and Type C), all offering different levels of care coverage.1.     Type A Contract: LifecareType A Lifecare contracts include coverage of all potential care costs as part of the initial contract, which includes housing, services, and amenities.  All Lifecare communities are CCRCs, but not all CCRCs offer a Lifecare contract.  A Lifecare contract requires an entrance fee but ensures predictable monthly fees regardless of your care needs. Plus, couples with a Lifecare contract can occupy two residences on the same campus but only pay one monthly fee.Those who opt for Lifecare know they can count on high-quality care available at predictable rates for the rest of their lives. Generally, Lifecare residents pay far less for these services than they would on the open market as part of a smartfinancial plan to protect themselves and their estate from the ever-increasing costs of long-term care.2.     Type B Contract: Modified CareType B Modified Care Contracts offer lower upfront deposits and monthly fees but also have limitations on covered long-term care services. Healthcare is typically provided in one of two ways:         1.     A limited number of free days included as part of the entrance fee, with additional care billed at per diem market rates        2.     An ongoing, minimally discounted rate Healthcare services may be delivered on or off site, and two monthly fees may be incurred if couples require different levels of care.   3.     Type C Contract: Fee-for-Service Care       With a Type C Fee-for-Service Contract, access to long-term care, while typically guaranteed, is charged at market rates. If a resident requires care on a short-term basis, to maintain their independent living residence,      that resident would be required to pay the monthly fee on the independent living residence plus the costs of housing and healthcare received in assisted living, memory care or skilled nursing. While theres no upfront expense under this plan, the market costs of care can rapidly exceed the amount of an upfront entrance fee without the benefits of pre-arranged long-term care costs.Making a DecisionSo which CCRC contract is the best? Theres no one right answer for everyone. It comes down to making the decision that youre comfortable with after considering things like your family history regarding life expectancy and health in addition to knowledge about the different types of CCRCs. ContributingWriter Adam Manchester, Executive Director, New Pond Village amanchester@benchmarkquality.com 508-660-1555

Home Care Heroes: In-Home Caregivers Provide Essential Services During COVID-19 PandemicEvery day, thousands of older adults depend on in-home caregivers to help them manage everyday tasks. These caregivers have become even more essential during this unprecedented coronavirus pandemic which has caused significant public health and safety concerns for the elderly.As the nation tries to find answers, in-home caregivers for the elderly remain resolute in delivering safe and compassionate personal care that is essential to the health and well-being of older adults. Older adults can rely on in-home caregivers to:Maintain routinesPredictable visits from an in-home caregiver can help seniors feel safe and comforted. Caregivers help maintain familiar routines such as bathing, dressing, grocery shopping, taking medication, and preparing and eating meals.Communicate with loved ones & stay engagedThe virus has changed the way this most vulnerable population socializes and interacts. Caregivers can helpseniors find new ways to connect, whether through setting up a new communications device or encouraging them to write letters. Caregivers can also support new ways to engage, such as participation in on-line classes or virtually touring cities or museums. Engagement with a caregiver reduces boredom and isolation which can be heightened during the pandemic. Their visits provide rewarding companionship.Stock upCaregivers can help seniors obtain necessary household supplies by doing the shopping or arranging for delivery of medication, groceries, and other goods.Give peace of mind to familiesWhen families cant be with their loved ones, caregivers are there to monitor a seniors health and overall well-being. Caregivers practiceproper hygiene to reduce health risks. They exercise frequent handwashing and disinfecting inside a seniors household to keep contagious illnesses and viruses at bay. They look for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, flu and other viruses, as well as depression and anxiety. Their efforts reassure families their loved ones are doing well, emotionally and physically.Providing Safe, High-Quality Care the Elderly DeserveDespite the challenges with COVID-19, home care agencies like Visiting Angels partner with families to provide essential home care services for older adults. Caregivers continue to be heroes, taking the necessary steps toprotect the elderly and prevent the spread of COVID-19.Editors Note: This article was submitted by Karen Woodrow. Karen is the director/owner of two Visiting Angels locations. Visiting Angels provides compassionate home care for adults who want to remain independent in their own homes. She can be reached at KWoodrow@VisitingAngels.com.

When was the last time you looked at how much youre paying for your home service subscriptions?Most people sign up for monthly subscription services like cable, internet, home phone, and cell phone,and rarely revisit them to see whether they could be paying less, or which of these services theyre actually using.Home service companies use several tactics to take advantage of customers.First, they often offer inexpensive introductory rates for services and increase the price after thefirst year.  This gets customers signed up before the price shoots up to the normal rate when they arent monitoringthe bill.Second, they often require customers to bundle services. There might be an excellent deal on home phoneservice, but to get it, you must sign up for a service youre not using (like internet).Third, service providers will sell high margin, add-on products that customers are unlikely to use, increasing the total price of the service.This is especially true with cell phone providers, who will try to get customers who usually use verylittle data onto expensive unlimited data plans.Here are two steps you can take to get your home services under control.Start by auditing your subscriptions, looking at every service youre paying for, and asking yourself two questions: How much am I using this service? Does the price Im paying line up with how much Im using it?If you dont feel youre getting enough value out of a particular service, consider alternative options. You might find better, cheaper options today that werent available when you first signed up.For instance, you could cut the cord with online cable alternatives, like YouTube TV or Hulu Live TV.For home phone services, companies like Community Phone connect your home phone to cell towers rather than copper wire cable, which lets you get out of restrictive home phone contracts, or expensive internet + home phone packages that most traditional providers require.The bottom line is, you could save hundreds of dollars per year just by taking some time to review the subscriptions youre paying for and looking for cheaper alternatives that more closely align with your needs.This article was submitted by James Graham, Founder and CEO of Community Phone, Cambridge Massachusetts