Employment

Pricing & Payment

How to Plan and Pay

Planning for senior care can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Take it one step at a time. Before you can begin to develop an appropriate senior care plan, it is first recommended to prepare yourself by asking a few initial questions and gather the necessary information. It’s also essential to undergo a medical evaluation with your family physician to rule out any temporary condition that could make living independently difficult or dangerous for you or your loved one. Generally speaking, assisted lifestyle is a safe and reasonable solution for those who cannot take care of activities of daily living such as cooking, cleaning, driving. It may also be a viable option if in-home care is not possible.

Questions and Ideas to Explore:
  • Have you or the senior in your life already made any future long-term plans? If yes, what are these plans?
  • Do you or your loved one want to explore alternative housing (e.g., senior housing, assisted living)?
  • Who will be the primary contact, or which family members would the senior like to assist with long- term care planning and potential issues?
  • Have you taken any steps in healthcare and financial planning (e.g., long-term healthcare insurance, living will, power of attorney)?

Gathering Important Information

The next step is to gather relevant information that will be necessary in making specific decisions for the level of care needs, the type of medical treatment, in the case of a crisis, or upon the senior’s passing. A sampling of the information that you will want to collect will include the following:

  • Social Security Number
  • Medicare Number
  • Medicaid Number
  • Veterans Administration Claim Number
  • List of Insurance Plans (e.g., medical, car, life)
  • List of Doctors and their Telephone Numbers
  • Medical History
  • Medications and their dosages
  • Financial Information
  • Legal Papers (e.g., will)
  • List of Medical Devices (e.g., pacemakers, hearing aids, or bifocals)
  • Driver’s License Number
  • Passport Number
  • Name of Mortuary, Location of Burial Plot, and Deed
  • Birth Certificate

Planning for the Costs of Care

Senior care is typically covered under long-term care insurance, private pay, or Medicaid. Residents of assisted living facilities use private pay to cover the costs. This could include using personal savings, pensions, and/or social security to cover the expenses or using a long-term care insurance policy. Assisted Lifestyle is 100% private pay.

How Do I Make the Transition?

This is a significant change for anyone, so doing your homework is key. Here are a few tips:

Take time to research the many options and list out what is important in terms of living space to you and your loved one.

  • Start looking at facilities well before you may need one – many have waiting lists, and you want to be able to make the decision based on what is best for you, and not feel rushed by an urgent need.
  • Visit a campus more than once on different days and times to get a good sense of how other residents are interacting and how the staff meets their needs.
  • Work with an eldercare specialist team. This may be a lawyer specializing in eldercare issues, a geriatric care manager, or a social worker who can clarify questions and make sure resources are available to care for you or your loved one.
  • Eldercare or senior care attorneys can assist with advising on managing assets, including the sale of a home, power of attorney for health and property, guardianship issues, wills and estates, and more.
  • Understand what type of private insurance, Medicare coverage, or long-term care coverage you or your loved one has and how they work
  • Once you decide to move, ease the transition by including your loved one in determining what personal items to take, keeping things organized and easy to see in their new living space, and visiting them often.
  • Be involved! A licensed sheltered care campus will have all kinds of activities to engage residents, and they always welcome friends and family along – this is a great way to keep your loved one feeling connected and purposeful.
  • Expect some bumps along the way – this is a difficult transition for any adult, and your loved one may not fully appreciate or understand the reasons behind the decision; just know they need a lot of positive encouragement and support from you.

Admission Process Information

The admission process can be overwhelming, as there will be many forms that will need to be completed, including family information, background information regarding the resident’s daily routine, financial screening, etc. Our staff will work to make this process as simple as possible, helping family members and their loved ones complete and obtain all the information needed. The following items are needed at the time of admission:

  • Social security card
  • Medicare card
  • Insurance card
  • A check payable to the campus for the first 30 days of residency
  • A copy of all advanced directives already in place: living will, power of attorney for healthcare, power of attorney for finance, guardianship documents, etc.
  • A list of all family members who will need to be contacted in case of an emergency
  • All personal clothing and room items must be labeled with the residents’ name; residents’ belonging can also be taken to their CNA to be labeled in laundry upon admission
  • Information to complete financial screening
  • A physical
  • Any doctor’s orders

Insurance Network

We accept most insurances, but may have to verify certain plans, and/or get prior authorization before admitting. All insurances are subject to change, and we verify coverage prior to admission.

Medicare Guidelines

Medicare Part A Benefits

A patient must have a 3-midnight qualifying hospital stay to receive Medicare benefits in a skilled nursing campus.

Medicare only covers what they consider a “skilled care need.” This includes skilled physical, occupation or speech therapy, IV medication, extensive wound care, and new feeding tube placements. In skilled therapy, the patient must make “significant functional progress” every week. If the patient reaches their goal and becomes independent enough to return home, Medicare stops payment. If the patient reaches a point where they plateau and are not making significant functional progress, Medicare stops payment. You/and your POA or family will be notified if the interdisciplinary team observes this happening. For more information visit: http://www.medicare.gov

Welcome to The Villas Senior Care Community – Important Forms

For more information about The Villas pricing and payment or assistance with the above information, please contact Sharon Reynolds by email or phone: (217) 744-2299.