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Mountain View News Saturday, August 3, 2024

SENIOR HAPPENINGS


FREE ASSISTED LIVING PLACEMENT SERVICE

 

 Discover the perfect assisted living community with 
Safe Path for Seniors. Our compassionate advisors 
specialize in assisting individuals with unique needs. 
Benefit from our extensive network and affordable 
options. Plus, we offer personalized tours to help you 
explore each community firsthand. Call (626) 999-
6913 or visit www.safepathforseniors.com for free 
assistance.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …AUGUST Birthdays*

Nancy Beckham, Karlene Englert, Juanita Fernandez, Jeanette Francis, 
Joseph Kiss, Jacquie Pergola, Pat Miranda, Jerry Burnett, Margaret Aroyan, 
Phyllis Burg, Beverly Clifton, Rosemary Morabito, Susan Poulsen, Joy Barry, 
Marcia Bent, Joan Spears, Ruth Torres, Jane Zamanzadeh. Helen Stapenhorst, 
Chandy Shair, Heidi Hartman, Erma Gutierrez, Margaret Switzer

 * To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 
626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required 


From The Desk of Steve Sciurba, Safe Path For Senior


VARIOUS CHOICES WHEN CONSIDERING ASSISTED LIVING FOR A LOVE ONE

Assisted living communities provide varying levels of care and support tailored to the needs of their 
residents, who are typically older adults needing assistance with daily activities. The key differences among 
these communities often revolve around the services offered, the environment, and the level of medical care 
provided.

Services and Amenities: Basic assisted living facilities generally offer assistance with activities of daily living 
(ADLs) such as bathing, dressing, and medication management. More comprehensive communities may 
include additional services such as housekeeping, laundry, transportation, and recreational activities. Luxury 
assisted living communities might offer upscale amenities like gourmet dining, spas, fitness centers, and 
private apartments.

Levels of Care: The level of care can vary significantly. Some communities are designed for relatively 
independent individuals who need minimal assistance, while others cater to those requiring substantial 
support, including memory care for residents with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. The availability 
of skilled nursing care or on-site medical staff can also differ.

Environment: Assisted living communities range from home-like settings to more institutional environments. 
Some are situated in urban areas, providing easy access to city amenities, while others are in quieter, 
suburban, or rural settings, offering a more tranquil atmosphere. The size of the community can vary from 
small, intimate homes with a few residents to larger facilities housing hundreds of residents.

Cost: Cost is a significant differentiator, influenced by the location, level of care, and services provided. 
Luxury communities in prime locations with extensive amenities will generally be more expensive than more 
basic facilities.

Philosophy of Care: Some communities emphasize a person-centered care approach, focusing on the 
individual needs and preferences of each resident, while others might have a more standardized approach to 
care.

These differences allow families to choose an assisted living community that best fits the lifestyle, medical 
needs, and financial situation of their loved ones.

For those considering assisted living for a loved one, it is advised to speak with a referral specialist. There is 
no charge for this service and one will save time and money in the selection process. 


PAYING FOR A NURSING HOME WITH MEDICAID


PAYING FOR NURSING HOME CARE 
WITH MEDICAID

Dear Savvy Senior:

If my mother needs to move into a nursing home, what are 
the eligibility requirements to get Medicaid coverage? Caretaking Son

Dear Caretaking:

The rules and requirements for Medicaid eligibility for nursing home care are complicated and will 
vary according to the state your mother lives in. With that said, here’s a general, simplified rundown of 
what it takes to qualify.

Medicaid Eligibility

Medicaid, the joint federal and state program that covers health care for the poor, is also the largest 
single payer of America’s nursing home bills for seniors who don’t have the resources to pay for their 
own care. (Note that some states have different names for their Medicaid program.)

Most people who enter nursing homes don’t qualify for Medicaid at first but pay for care either through 
long-term care insurance or out-of-pocket until they deplete their savings and become eligible for 
Medicaid.

To qualify for Medicaid, your mother’s income and assets will need to be under a certain level that’s 
determined by your state. Most states (except California) require that a single person have no more than 
about $2,000 in countable assets ($3,000 for a married couple) that includes cash, savings, investments 
or other financial resources that can be turned into cash.

Assets that aren’t counted for eligibility include your mother’s home if it’s valued under $713,000 (this 
limit is higher – up to $1,071,000 – in some states), her personal possessions and household goods, one 
vehicle, prepaid funeral plans and a small amount of life insurance.

But be aware that while her home is not considered a countable asset to determine eligibility, if she can’t 
return home, Medicaid can go after the proceeds of her house to help reimburse her nursing home costs, 
unless a spouse or other dependent relative lives there. (There are some other exceptions to this rule.)

After qualifying, all sources of your mother’s income such as Social Security and pension checks 
must be turned over to Medicaid to pay for her care, except for a small personal needs allowance – 
usually between $30 and $160.

You also need to be aware that your mother can’t give away her assets to qualify for Medicaid faster. 
Medicaid officials will look at their financial records going back five years (except in California which 
has a 30-month look-back rule) to root out suspicious asset transfers. If they find one, her Medicaid 
coverage will be delayed a certain length of time, according to a formula that divides the transfer 
amount by the average monthly cost of nursing home care in their state. 

So, for example, if your mom lives in a state where the average monthly nursing home cost is $8,000 and 
she gave away cash or other assets worth $160,000, she would be ineligible for benefits for 20 months 
($160,000 divided by $8,000 = 20).

Spousal Protection

Medicaid also has special rules (known as the community spouse resource allowance) for married 
couples when one spouse enters a nursing home, and the other spouse remains at home. In these cases, 
the healthy spouse can keep one half of the couple’s assets up to $154,140 (this amount varies by state), 
the family home, all the furniture and household goods and one automobile. The healthy spouse is also 
entitled to keep a portion of the couple’s monthly income – between $2,465 and $3,854. Any income 
above that goes toward the cost of the nursing home recipient’s care. 

What about Medicare?

Medicare, the federal health insurance program for seniors 65 and older, and some younger people with 
disabilities, does not pay for long-term care. It only helps pay up to 100 days of rehabilitative nursing 
home care, which must occur after a three-day hospital stay.

For more information, contact your state Medicaid office. You can also get help from your State 
Health Insurance Assistance Program (see ShipHelp.org), which provides free counseling on 
Medicare and Medicaid issues.

 Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.
org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

HOW TO ACT YOUR AGE

I just celebrated another birthday. Every time I turn around, I have another 
birthday. I guess I'm going to have to stop turning around.

This year, I turned 73, which is a landmark as far as I'm concerned.

After celebrating my birthday, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage asked, "Do you 
think you'll be able to act your age this year?"

I just smiled because I didn't know what she was saying. How do you act your age when it 
changes all the time? It's hard to realize how old I am because my age changes every year. 
Just when I think I have it all under control, I have an-other birthday.

I remember my teenage years. It's easy to act your age when you're a teenager because you 
can do whatever you want. When I turned 16, I got my driver's license, and I was rather 
excited to drive. One evening, I asked my father, "Dad can I borrow your car for tonight?"

With a big smile, he said, "Yes, you can."

He gave me the car keys, and just as I went out the door to get into the car, he said, "Oh, 
by the way, there's no gas in the car, you'll have to go and get it filled up at the gas station."

He looked at me and smiled and I knew exactly what he was doing. I can drive the car, but 
there is a cost to driving a car.

Then, when I was 21, I became a full-fledged adult. I'm not sure what that means, but I had 
arrived, or so I thought. I was now in charge of my life, and I was so happy about it. Nobody 
was ever going to tell me what to do. I carried this attitude around for quite a while until I 
realized that being an adult has a price tag to it. 

All through my life, I have been trying to act my age at every level. It's been hard, but I have 
been trying as best I can. It seems I’m not a very good actor.

The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage's birthday is two days after mine. I arranged it that 
way on purpose so that I would always remember her birthday. We were both celebrating 
our 70th birthday and went out for evening supper. We made our order and then after 
we finished our order we had a piece of cake brought out. Looking across the table, The 
Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage said, "Well, my dear, how does it feel to be old?"

I reached across the table, grabbed her arm, and began to squeeze it. Looking at her, I said, 
"It feels rather good." Her voice had a very sarcastic tone; she said, "Are you ever going to 
act your age?"

At my age it doesn't matter. I'm wondering if there's some kind of thespian school that 
teaches acting your age? I should take some of these classes for sure.

My problem is that when I turned 73, it was the first time I had done so. I have no idea how 
I should act at 73. I went to a bookstore the other day to look through the books, trying to 
find some book that would help me act 73. I found none.

I was tempted to write a book on that subject, but as I medi-tated on it for a while, I realized 
that by the time I finished writing a book called "Acting Your Age at 73," I would have 
another birthday and be 74. What's a geezer to do?

The other day, somebody asked me how old I was. I told them that I had just turned 73, and 
they looked at me, smiled, and said, "You sure don't look that old." I smiled and then walked 
away. Later, I began thinking about what that person said. If I'm correct, he was insinuating 
that I was entering my second childhood. Oh boy. My first childhood didn't turn out very 
well, and I don't know how my sec-ond childhood will turn out.

A lot of people are infatuated with birthdays. I don't know how many restaurants I've been 
at when there were birthday celebrations. Everybody was singing Happy Birthday. And I 
usually joined in on the celebration because sometimes I've gotten a slice of birthday cake. 
That's how you act your age.

As I was thinking about my second childhood, I wondered if maybe I could do a lot better 
this next time. In my first child-hood, it went so fast that I really couldn't keep up with any-
thing. By the time I had caught up, I was retired.

Being retired gives you many opportunities to rehearse act-ing your age. I don't always get 
it, and I stumbled on the script, but I'm trying. When I stumble on the script, I can blame it 
on getting old and my memory failing.

It is very difficult to act my age. Now that I'm 73, I have mo-ments when I want to act like 
I was 37 or even 25. The problem is that I didn't have enough practice being 37 or even 25.

In thinking about this I was reminded of what David said. “Now also when I am old and 
greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, 
and thy power to every one that is to come” (Psalm 71:18).

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Telephone 
1-352-216-3025, e-mail jamessnyder51@gmail.com, website www.jamessnyderministries.
com


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com