What are Some Alternatives to Nursing Home Care in North Carolina?

At Daly Mills Estate Planning, our Mooresville long-term care planning attorneys know that nearly 70% of U.S. adults who reach age 65 will eventually need long-term care, but that fewer than 20% of Americans plan for it.

The reality is, there are several scenarios where seniors may need assistance as they grow older, but not all will require the full level of care a nursing home provides. Others may not have the financial means that will allow them to live in a nursing home full time, and some simply will not want to leave their homes at all.

No matter your or your loved one’s needs, there are nursing home alternatives in North Carolina that may provide the appropriate solutions.

Here is what you need to know about the most common nursing home alternatives.

Assisted Living Care in Charlotte, North Carolina

Assisted living communities to deliver a balanced living arrangement for seniors who can live on their own in a private apartment or similar setting with access to caregivers, who are available to provide personalized assistance around the clock, and nursing staff members, that provide medication management and communicate with physicians as needed.

North Carolina assisted living communities provide three meals per day in a social dining room, where seniors can interact with neighbors, and lifestyle amenities that include onsite events and programs, planned excursions, and scheduled transportation services.

Memory Care Communities in North Carolina

We have talked before about Creating a Long-Term Care Plan After a Dementia Diagnosis, and know that families may believe a nursing home is the only solution for their loved ones whose memories are deteriorating.

For seniors living with Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia, their challenges begin to mount rather quickly, and family members ordinarily cannot handle the difficulties on their own.  Fortunately, memory care communities are designed to meet those daily challenges head-on.

Not only are the caregivers in these facilities specially trained on dementia disease progression and best practices for care, but the facilities also provide specially designed environments to enhance independence, health, and comfort through medication management, nutritious meals, and events to increase socialization.

In-Home Care Providers in North Carolina

Depending on your loved one’s needs, in-home care providers can prepare meals, take on light housekeeping duties, and supply personal care assistance that allows seniors to maintain their independence.

Other home care services can address medical tasks, including therapy or wound care, while other businesses and organizations provide both.

Caregivers come into the home to perform these tasks on a schedule that suits the individual and/or their family’s preferences and budget, so their loved ones can remain comfortable in their residences.

Medicare and Medicaid Senior Living Programs in North Carolina

There are two types of senior living programs sponsored by Medicare and Medicaid in North Carolina.

Medicare PACE Programs in North Carolina is for Medicare beneficiaries and is a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) that offers a combination of services to individuals who would otherwise require nursing home care.

The eligibility requirements for the Medicare PACE program include:

• The individual be 55 years of age or older
• The individual be enrolled in Medicaid only, Medicare only, or be dually eligible for both
• That is has been determined the individual needs the level of care required under the state Medicaid plan for coverage of nursing facility services
• The individual resides in the PACE organization’s service area
• The individual must be able to live in a community setting when enrolled without jeopardizing their health or safety
• The individual meets program-specific eligibility conditions imposed under the respective PACE agreement

Medicaid HCBS Waivers care for Medicaid beneficiaries and provide a variety of care services and non-medical support for the elderly and their caregivers using Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers.

Both services are specifically intended to prevent nursing home placement and allow seniors to live at home or in the homes of their caregivers.

Adult Foster Care in North Carolina

Adult foster care is offered in private residences. The environment usually allows for one to three seniors to live together while receiving personal care, the ability to socialize and share meals and help with their daily living activities.

Contact Our Skilled Lake Norman Area Long-Term Care Planning Attorneys Today

Our North Carolina long-term planning attorneys in Iredell County & Charlotte, NC  can help you and your loved ones plan for later in life expenses, including creating solutions that allow for non-nursing home living arrangements by calling 704-610-6420 to schedule an initial consultation with our estate law attorneys in Mooresville, North Carolina at Daly Mills Estate Planning today.