Care at home, decided well
Plain guides for families: finding a home care provider, hospice, caring for a parent - and living independently for as long as possible.
Guides for families
Costs, insurance and what to ask - keeping a loved one at home can be a comfort to everyone.
When hospice becomes the most practical and dignified choice - and the common misconceptions about it.
Preparing to care for an aging parent: the options that make it less stressful and less costly.
Medication, wound care, money - where an aide's job ends and a nurse takes over.
Fingernails usually yes, toenails often no - and why diabetes changes the rules.
The signs of caregiver burnout, and the help that lets you step back without guilt.
The first days, who visits and how often, and what the family does in between.
Short breaks for family caregivers: what it includes, what it costs and who pays.
What Medicare, Medicaid and the VA cover, and the costs families still carry.
Visits, on-call nurses and crisis care - and how families fill the hours in between.
Up to five days of rest for the caregiver while your loved one stays in a facility.
When Medicare pays for an aide at home, what it leaves out, and where else to look.
Daily duties, training, live-in or hourly care, and what an aide typically costs.
Adult day programs, short stays and in-home help - how long, what it costs, who pays.
A room-by-room check of the home, and the signs that staying there no longer works.
Goals, timing, treatment and who pays - the real differences, side by side.
What home-based palliative care includes, who qualifies and what Medicare covers.
What the phases mean for your family, and when to ask for palliative care.
The common fears, what the research shows, and how to tell good care from poor care.
The types of help at home, what each one costs, and how to take the first step.
A little guide to independent living
Most people look forward to living on their own terms. What helps older adults stay independent at home - and when a little help makes the difference.
Five questions for any provider
Interview several companies before you decide. These are the basics every good provider should answer clearly.