Ask the Expert: Making Our Home Safe for Dad

Published: Fri, 12/20/13



Ask the Expert: Your Elder Law Questions Answered by Evan H. Farr, CELA

Ask the Expert: Making Our Home Safe for Dad

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Q. We just found out that my father, Barry, will be moving in with us in the new year. He is in his 70's, has Parkinson's, arthritis, and is in a wheelchair a lot of the time. We don't have much money to renovate, but we want to make sure our home is safe and comfortable for him. Being in our home with his grandchildren is where he is the happiest, and quality of life for my dad is of utmost importance to us. I am most worried about him falling. What small adjustments can you recommend to make our home safe and livable for him, so he can stay as long as possible? Also, if it is too much for us to handle alone, who can we call for assistance?

A. There are lots of simple modifications you can do to make your home safer for your father that don't cost a lot or are completely free. By making some minor adjustments, your father can move into your home and hopefully live safely, comfortably, and independently, among his loved ones.

As you mentioned, falls are certainly a cause for concern, as they are the leading cause of home injury among seniors. Falls can result in hip fractures, broken bones, head injuries, and significant loss of independence. Those over age 75 who fall are four times more likely to be admitted to a skilled nursing facility. The good news about falls is that most of them can be prevented.

The following are a few simple modifications from the AARP Home Fit Guide, that will help to decrease the likelihood of falls and to make your home all-around more accessible for your father:

Pick up any clutter that can cause your father to trip, such as newspapers, books, shoes, clothes, electrical cords, or and phone cords.
If you have throw rugs, remove them or use double-sided tape or non-slip pads underneath to secure them.
If you have stairs, consider installing handrails on both sides.
Add lamps, light fixtures, and night lights, where needed, to improve visibility. Consider installing motion sensor lights outside the front and back doors and in the driveway.
Get some non-skid bath rugs for the bathroom floors, put a non-slip rubber mat or self-stick strips on the floor of the tub/shower and install grab bars inside the tub/shower. Consider getting a hand-held adjustable shower head installed and purchasing a shower or bathtub seat so your father can shower from a safe seated position.
Organize your kitchen cabinets so things are within easy reach. Make your cabinets and pantry easier to access by installing pullout shelves or lazy susans.
Since your father uses a wheelchair, adapt your home by installing ramps on entrance steps, and mini-ramps to go over high entrance thresholds. You can even widen the doorways an additional two inches by installing "swing clear" offset door hinges.
To make things more comfortable, since he has arthritis, replace round doorknobs with lever handles, round bathroom faucets with lever faucet handles, and knobs on cabinets with pull handles.

If you are not handy or need professional guidance to make your home accessible for your father, please consider the following:

Think about hiring a Professional Organizer to help you organize and declutter, making rooms less crowded and therefore less of a fall hazard. You can find a directory of Certified Professional Organizers (CPO) by visiting the website http://www.certifiedprofessionalorganizers.org.
Find an Aging in Place Specialist to make your home accessible. You can find a directory of Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) by visiting the website of the certifying organization - the National Association of Home Builders, at http://www.nahb.org.
All the help available to seniors may in itself be overwhelming. How do seniors choose the right service provider for their needs? If you live in Northern Virginia, be sure to check out the Trusted Referrals listed on our website.

It is always a good idea to plan for the future, just in case your father needs more adaptations and assistance than you can provide. Nursing homes in Northern Virginia cost $9,000 - $12,000 per month (less in Fredericksburg). Life Care Planning and Medicaid Asset Protection is the process of protecting your father from having to go broke to paying for nursing home care, while also helping ensure that you he gets the best possible care and maintains the highest possible quality of life, whether at your home or, in the future, in , in an assisted living facility, or in a nursing home. Learn more at http://www.VirginiaElderLaw.com and call us at our Virginia Elder Law Fairfax office at 703-691-1888 or at our Virginia Elder Law Fredericksburg office at 540-479-1435 to make an appointment for a no-cost consultation.

Can Long-Term Care Insurance Companies Discriminate?

Q. My father is 60 and has diabetes, is considered to be obese, and has other health issues, such as short-term memory loss. He has been turned down by several long-term care insurance companies. It ok for these insurance companies to discriminate against him like that? What other options does he have?

Annie Bodie-Gonnacoverdad
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Dear Annie,

A. A long-term care insurance policy usually defines a pre-existing condition as one for which you received medical advice or treatment or had symptoms within a certain period before you apply for the policy. Certain pre-existing conditions can make it impossible for someone to qualify for long-term care insurance.

According to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI) , if an applicant has any of the health issues listed below, it "doesn't pay to take the time to request a quote for long-term care insurance":

Uses a multi-pronged cane, crutches, oxygen, walker or wheelchair
Requires assistance with bathing, dressing, feeding, toileting, urinary or bowel continence, or transferring between your bed or a chair
Uses or needs home health care, adult day care, assisted living or nursing home care
Requires assistance with grocery shopping, use of transportation, use of telephone or banking.
Has Alzheimer's, dementia, memory loss, Parkinson's, Schizophrenia, or other conditions, as described here.

According to the AALTCI website, 24% of people age 60-69 are rejected for individual policies, while 41% of 70-79 year olds are rejected. For more details, read the requirements for long-term care insurance policies in the Virginia.

Don't despair, it's really not so ruff! Long-term care (LTC) insurance is just one way to pay for long-term care, but it is not ideal for everyone. Please read our blog post, "Long Term Care Insurance is Not for Everyone," for more details. Please keep in mind that there are dozens of long-term care asset protection strategies other than long-term care insurance. For example, the Living Trust Plus^(TM) Medicaid Asset Protection Trust is just one of many long-term care asset protection strategies.

If you or your father have not done Long-Term Care Planning, Estate Planning or Incapacity planning (or had your Planning documents reviewed in the past several years), or if you have a loved one who is nearing the need for long-term care or already receiving long-term care, call The Fairfax and Fredericksburg Medicaid Asset Protection Law Firm of Evan H. Farr, P.C. at 703-691-1888 or 540- 479-1435 to make an appointment for a no-cost consultation.

Happy Holidays!
Baxter

About Baxter:
Baxter is a 2-year old terrier mix that belongs to Justin Cohee and his girlfriend Ashley. He was originally a stray, but was found by a family in Frederick, Maryland who brought him to the local animal shelter. He loves attention and has a lot of energy and can jump up to Justin's nose (Justin is 6'4). He loves to go on runs and hikes as well. Despite his energy, he is a cuddler and frequent napper, often to the discomfort of others. At night he either sleeps at Justin's feet or climbs atop a mountain of pillows and makes a nest where he eventually rests with his paws on Justin's face.

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Note: Our next Living Trust Plus: How to Protect Your Assets from the Expenses of Probate and Long Term Care seminars are on January 7,16, 21, or 30 in Fredericksburg and Saturday, January 11, January 18, February 8 or March 8 in Fairfax. View the calendar of upcoming seminars and sign up here.
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