Anonymous
Post 10/02/2023 11:58     Subject: New Medicare proposal to help families of dementia patients
Anonymous wrote:I love the way they want to now rope in neighbors as well as daughters to do the free care, but now you get some "training."


Yeah this does not seem that helpful. More of a way of justifying the fact that the government doesn't do much to help in cases of dementia (unless the person qualifies for Medicaid).
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2023 07:56     Subject: New Medicare proposal to help families of dementia patients
I love the way they want to now rope in neighbors as well as daughters to do the free care, but now you get some "training."
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2023 07:46     Subject: New Medicare proposal to help families of dementia patients
This is like when seniors get evicted, or their building shuts down, and the county helps out by...sending a list of links to new apartments. Useless.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2023 07:10     Subject: New Medicare proposal to help families of dementia patients
What families need is more respite care. Unless they are providing more free care it is another useless waste of money. People can google strategies and other things to deal with their loved one with dementia. Often regardless that loved one is the most difficult for family members. Rather than push family members to the point of a nervous breakdown by saying we just threw more government money at a program that you don't want, they need to actually get input from caregivers.

As a special needs mom I got plenty of instruction about how to do therapies with my child and help with all sorts of things. What I needed was more relief.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2023 00:14     Subject: Re:New Medicare proposal to help families of dementia patients
https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/guide/faqs#ben-cgs
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2023 00:00     Subject: Re:New Medicare proposal to help families of dementia patients
Ooh -- but four hours of respite care...per... week? month? year?

Margaret’s dementia has progressed so that Kathy is unable to leave her alone. Margaret receives 4 hours of in-home respite care so that Kathy may attend her doctor’s appointments.
Anonymous
Post 10/01/2023 23:59     Subject: Re:New Medicare proposal to help families of dementia patients
Here's the road map:

https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/media/document/guide-dementia-care-journey

The key difference between before and after is that after a hospitalization after wandering away from home, the caregiver is provided with a phone service that coaches her in convincing her mom not to leave the home at night the next time she tries to.

Kathy enrolls in caregiver skills training. The next time Margaret tries to wander at night, Kathy calls the care team for support and convinces Margaret to stay home.


So, it's training the family to keep their family member at home longer, with dementia, I guess?

Anonymous
Post 10/01/2023 23:56     Subject: Re:New Medicare proposal to help families of dementia patients
Well it's not *just* training.

Caregivers of dementia patients will have access to a Care Navigator...who I guess makes sure that families are aware of all the community services they qualify for. I'm familiar with this type of "help" ... they give you tips and a helpful guide with some website links to community agencies, usually ones that you don't qualify for if you have any kind of assets, or else it's just all self pay.

emphasis is on "enhancing access" but not helping pay for it of course.

https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/07/31/biden-harris-administration-announces-medicare-dementia-care-model.html#:~:text=Under%20the%20model%2C%20people%20with,transportation%20through%20community%2Dbased%20organizations.

Anonymous
Post 10/01/2023 22:50     Subject: New Medicare proposal to help families of dementia patients
It seems really weird to get training, most of this is really not rocket science.

What really helped my family member was that the county had senior centers. They had buses and would come to your front door. The elderly would then go to the senior centers during the day, get fed, activities and their relatives got a break or could work.

They had a variety of activities- from water coloring to playing cards and yoga.
Anonymous
Post 10/01/2023 22:42     Subject: Re:New Medicare proposal to help families of dementia patients
Although the amount they would pay family members would probably be $11/hour...
Anonymous
Post 10/01/2023 21:41     Subject: New Medicare proposal to help families of dementia patients
Anonymous wrote:What would be great is if family caregivers could get paid somehow. So many of us are under/unemployed due to caregiving issues. I don’t need someone to show me how to do something I’m already doing, we need more money.


Yes, please.

Anonymous
Post 10/01/2023 19:23     Subject: New Medicare proposal to help families of dementia patients
What would be great is if family caregivers could get paid somehow. So many of us are under/unemployed due to caregiving issues. I don’t need someone to show me how to do something I’m already doing, we need more money.
Anonymous
Post 10/01/2023 19:22     Subject: New Medicare proposal to help families of dementia patients
I don't get it either. I already know the basics (help people use the toilet, bathing, dressing, etc.). It doesn't seem like much to me.
Anonymous
Post 10/01/2023 19:18     Subject: New Medicare proposal to help families of dementia patients
That would be great.
Anonymous
Post 10/01/2023 19:13     Subject: New Medicare proposal to help families of dementia patients
I just learned about this:

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230818/A-new-Medicare-proposal-would-cover-training-for-family-caregivers.aspx

A new proposal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services addresses this often-lamented failure to support family, friends, and neighbors who care for frail, ill, and disabled older adults. For the first time, it would authorize Medicare payments to health care professionals to train informal caregivers who manage medications, assist loved ones with activities such as toileting and dressing, and oversee the use of medical equipment.

The proposal, which covers both individual and group training, is a long-overdue recognition of the role informal caregivers — also known as family caregivers — play in protecting the health and well-being of older adults. About 42 million Americans provided unpaid care to people 50 and older in 2020, according to a much-cited report.


It's just to help families of those patients who have dementia - not any other chronic or severel illness. As a family caregiver myself, I appreciate any help on the horizon - but I've been reading about this program and am trying to understand, exactly what kind of help will be offered?

All I'm seeing is that now, it will be possible to bill medical professionals for a few sessions to "train the informal caregivers"? So great, a few training sessions... but again, family caregivers are expected to perform all the care. So it's not really much help... Why is it being touted like it is a big deal?