Arizona Senior Law

Hey all you bloggers/families/web surfers/health care professionals out there! We’re still fairly new to this whole blogging thing and want to remind all of our readers that we’re here for you. We’d love your questions, comments and feedback because we want to make sure we’re posting about things that matter to you. So that being said we have a question… (and yes, there’s a prize at the end)

What question about ALTCS are you asked the most? Or, what ALTCS question have you had for a while, but never gotten a straight answer too?

As an incentive (see, I told you there was a prize) the first 15 comments answering our question will be entered in a drawing for a pair of Harkins movie tickets!  Rest assured that your contact info will remain confidential and you won’t be contacted or asked for anything else (unless you’re the lucky winner). We plan on doing this giveaway every month but, in the meantime, please feel free to post on any blog topic that sparks your interest.

Thanks and we look forward to hearing back from you! 

Tags: ALTCS, Harkins Movie Question

To be eligible for the Veteran’s Pension Program the law states that the Veteran must have served 90 days or more of active duty with at least 1 day during a wartime. So what is wartime? Wartime dates are set by the United States Congess and are as follows:

World War I : April 6, 1917 - November 11, 1918

World War II : December 7, 1941 - December 31, 1946

Korean Conflict : June 27, 1950 - January 31, 1955

Vietnam Era : August 5, 1964* - May 7, 1975

Persian Gulf (Operation Desert Shield/Storm) : August 2, 1990  - ??

* Between 2/28/61 and 8/5/64 only if In-Country Military Advisor

Keep these dates handy - especially if you are a health care professional who is able to assist Veterans (or their widow’s) with this benefit. For more information on the Veterans Pension Program or Aid and Attendance visit JacksonWhite Elder Law.

Tags: Veterans

Did you know that there are still some physicians and nurse practitioners in Arizona that will do home visits?  This is great news for seniors living at home who can no longer drive, those living in the group home setting, or those who may be physically unable to leave their homes due to illness or limited mobility. 

Do you know of a good physician or nurse practitioner who makes house calls?  Are you one yourself?  We would love to know this information in order to refer to our clients.

If anyone would like more information about these medical professionals and how they can be contacted, or if you have someone to add to the list, please call Jackson White Elder Law Services at (480) 464-1111 and ask to speak to one of the Elder Care Coordinators.   

It was recently brought to my attention that those with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia might not be getting all of the options available to them.  I’m not talking about forms of treatment, I’m talking about places to live.  Some practitioners are only in support of the home setting. Many families choose to keep their loved one at home, no matter what.  I can see this being a wonderful option for those who have mild dementia, or are pleasantly confused and have no behaviors.  However, in situations where this is not the case, I can picture disaster. 

Here are some of the dangers of telling those caregivers that home is the only option:  1. Let’s say that a wife weighing about 120 lbs is caring for her 6′5” husband that weighs 250 lbs.  One day he starts to get violent; shaking her and throwing things.  Do you think she is going to be able to physically stop it?  Doubtful.  So, the first danger would be an unsafe environment for both people.  2. Now, let’s look down the road a few years.  This wife has been taking care of her husband, day in and out.  She, herself, is starting to fail because she doesn’t have time to get to her own doctor.  She’s too worried about leaving her husband alone.  This leads to a second problem; caregiver burnout.  3. Finally after several years of being the primary caregiver, with limited outside help, the wife feels there is no choice but to find placement.  She goes back and forth about her decision, crying herself to sleep at night.  This leads to a third major issue; caregiver guilt.  These issues can all be avoided if there are options given and education provided about what else is out there for someone affected by dementia.

A large number of our clients have memory care issues whether they be Alzheimer’s or other forms dementia.  It is our job to assist them in determining what is the safest and most beneficial option for their specific situation.  Again, many will choose home, but they need to know what else is out there.  There are a number of Assisted Living Centers and Assisted Living Homes that specialize in memory care.  And, many of these places are also contracted with ALTCS, which is great for those who do not have the funds to pay out-of-pocket.  These can be lifesavers for the caregiver who feels she has no support.  She can rest easy knowing her loved one is in a safe, nurturing environment with people who are trained to care for those with dementia. 

It seems irresponsible to put that kind of pressure on a caregiver who is already having to deal with a horrible disease and the loss of the person they once knew.  This leads me to a question for all of you out there: What options do you provide? 

Most people associate grief with death.  But what do you call what you feel when you know your loved one is going to die?  Anticipatory grief is a term used to describe those feelings we feel before our loved one dies.  When a loved one is given a diagnosis of a chronic progressive illness such as Alzheimer’s many begin the grieving process.  We are all aware of the five stages of grief.  We might have learned about these stages from hospice, a counselor or social worker.   It is healthy to grieve.  It is just as important to us as it is to the one dying.  If you feel that you need help with coping with the anticipated loss of a loved one don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are many programs such as hospice and organizations like the Alzheimer’s Association that can offer support.

JacksonWhite has been invited to participate in the “Summer Learning Series” workshop.  The “Summer Learning Series” is being hosted by the Catholic Outreach Center, a program of The Foundation for Senior Living.  The first Workshop will be held at St. Clement Parish Church located at 15800 Del Webb Blvd on Thursday, August 7th from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. 

The title of JacksonWhite’s workshop is “Navigating the Legal Waters of Long-Term Planning.”  Find out why it makes since to plan ahead in order to maintain control over health care and financial decisions.  A basic overview will be given regarding types of power of attorney documents available and a brief explanation of the Medicaid/ALTCS program will also be included. 

As an attendee of this workshop you will walk away feeling more confident about making your wishes known and followed, options for paying for long-term care and why planning may be important to your future.

If you would like to register for this free workshop and learn about the other topics in their Summer Learning Series, please call The Catholic Outreach Center at (602) 532-2981. Space is limited so please make sure to RSVP.

Tags: ALTCS, Event, Power of Attorney

Can you imagine living in a facility nine and a half years, spending your life savings to live in a place you now call home, only to be kicked out when you’ve spent 300k and told that paying with Medicaid was no longer an option?

That’s exactly what happened to a 98-year-old woman in Washington State. The woman’s family claims that over the years, they’ve been repeatedly assured by facility management that their loved one could stay at the facility when her money ran out and have Medicaid pick up the payments but it appears the facility’s corporate owners changed their policy regarding the acceptance of such payments - leaving the woman to fend for herself.

We have seen similar corporate decisions occur in Arizona-based assisted living facilities. Arizona families have relied upon the assurances that the facility would accept Medicaid payments once the resident qualified for coverage only to be informed later, after the resident has lived in the facility for a time, of the company’s change in policy.  If this has happened to someone you know, please contact us so that we can gather this information and provide it to appropriate authorities.          

Tags: ALTCS, Assisted Living, Family & Caregiver, Senior Exploitation

Are you caring for a loved one with dementia?  As a caregiver myself, I know how difficult it can be.  We sometimes think if we remind those we are caring for enough, they might remember.  All we end up doing is frustrating ourselves and creating more confusion for them.   Let’s face it, denial is a true defense mechanism that we all may encounter at one point or another throughout our caregiving journey.  You may find ways to cope with your caregiving issues by reading books or getting advice from a support group.  What seems to work best for me is choosing to redirect.  I recognize that her reality is not the same as mine.  If she says it’s Thursday then by all means, Thursday it is.  If you have a rule, trick, or words to live by that have or are helping you we would love to hear from you -  please share.  You are not in this alone.

Our Arizona Long-Term Care (Medicaid) program is unique.  Since 1989, our state has offered home and community-based services (HCBS) to those living in their own homes or other alternative residential settings in addition to nursing home care.  That’s right!  You can live in your own home and be on ALTCS.  Some of these great home-based services include: personal care, housekeeping, transportation and Adult Day Center services. 

One of my favorite HCBS is respite care.  ALTCS offers 720 hours of respite per year.  These respite hours are in addition to the already approved weekly attendant care hours.  Respite can take place in the home or can mean a short-term stay at a residential community.  All HCBS are approved by the case manager with the chosen program contractor.   Caregivers, don’t forget to take some time to care for yourself.  Respite is there for you to get a break!

Tags: ALTCS, Caregiver, Respite care

In Arizona, Medicaid is called AHCCCS - or the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System.   Arizona uses federal medicaid dollars in a managed care fashion - we call this program AHCCCS  (pronounced “access“).   The different branches of AHCCCS are for acute care medical benefits and a branch for long-term benefits called Arizona Long Term Care System or “ALTCS” (pronounced “all techs“).   The acute care branch covers medical benefits like doctor visits, hospitalization and pharmacy, and the long-term care branch is for long-term services that include the acute care benefits plus services designed to keep the client in the lowest level of care possible. These services include: personal care, housekeeping, meals, nursing, and help with the room and board for assisted living and nursing home level of care.  Still confused?  Give us a call or attend one of our many free presentations!