How do you care from afar when your loved one is elderly & chronically ill? (Part 4 of 5)
This is part 4 of my five-part long-distance family caregiving series. In parts 1, 2 and 3 we discussed Sally’s health challenges, the results of her long-term care survey, and the team of professionals needed to help Sally remain in her home happily while getting good care. The survey asks very good questions such as where (in their private residence or in a retirement community) your loved one would like to be cared for, who would be the preferred caregiver (family members or paid professionals), and how much money and what kind of resources are available, etc. In Sally’s situation, she has chronic illnesses, and it is her wish to remain in her home and have Comfort Makers provide in-home care services for her rather than move into a retirement community. Using the data from the caregiving survey, I built a team of professionals that I call “Sally’s committee.“
The fourth step in my process is to develop a budget based on the amount of funding and financial resources that she has available. Sally’s wish is to remain in her home for at least five years. Considering the fact that she had already experienced many emergencies and hospital and rehab visits, she and I made some goals; to improve her well-being, get her symptoms under control, improve her mobility, improve her mental wellness, and help her enjoy life as much as possible. To accomplish this, the secret is to begin with a very specific caregiving modality for three to six months. This will make it possible to reduce the cost of post-hospital, post-rehab in-home care from $35 - $40/hour down to $26 - $29/hour within thirty to ninety days, making it possible for her money to last for several years even though she would be older and living with chronic illnesses.
If someone you love needs to get better faster or needs to stretch their care budget, please call or email me. Until next time, be well, be safe and if you are a family caregiver, remember to stop and take a break.
– Katie Klem, Owner, Comfort Makers, 503-369-2460
