by Anita Schnee, Attorney at Law
It is the most natural thing in the world to want to age at home for as long as possible. And as we have seen during this pandemic, those who can avoid going into nursing homes should definitely do so. Yet the expense to pay for home health care can even outpace the cost of nursing-home care in some situations.
Arkansas has expanded federal Medicaid coverage for those who meet strict financial and physical criteria. Those Medicaid benefits pay for in-home services like bathing, dressing, getting around at home, preparing meals, or doing household chores. But not all states have taken advantage of this option, so staying home in those states is even more unaffordable.
If Congress passes President Biden’s American Jobs Plan, that ambitious program includes home health care as part of the package. Proposed is coverage for medical equipment like wheelchairs or oxygen tanks, home visits from professional caregivers, attendance at adult day centers, and home repair and accessibility improvements.
The program also includes plans to support a larger, better-paid, better-trained workforce of care-giver aides. This assistance is sorely needed. As the White House webpage explains, family members currently carry the vast burden of caring for the elderly and disabled. That labor is unpaid. For those caregivers who do get paid, they are among the lowest-paid in our economy. One in six lives in poverty.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta writes, in his recent book KEEP SHARP, that 60% of caregivers are women. The problem is especially acute for the 60 million Americans – more than the population of Texas – who are caring for those with dementia. “Caring for someone with the disease can be one of the most challenging jobs ever undertaken,” Gupta notes. Spouses who care for their mate with Alzheimer’s are up to six times more likely to develop dementia than people in the general population.
