Up to this point, people who need extended in-home care services or adult day care services have had to pay quite a bit out of pocket. This is about to change, though.

Last year, it was announced Medicare Advantage would be making some important adjustments. One of those changes is in-home care and adult day care services will be covered.

What does this mean for seniors and their caretakers?

Additional Medicare Support – What It Means for Seniors

The government has approved in-home care coverage for seniors who need assistance. This means seniors who need long-term care can get this care in their own home, instead of having to go to a care facility. Long-term care is something Medicare has never covered in the past.

Seniors will also have the ability to attend adult day care programs. We highly recommend these programs because they provide seniors with the ability to work their body and their brain. Plus, they get some much-needed social time with their peers.

All of this can increase the happiness and satisfaction seniors feel.

The Benefits Are Incredible – How This Change Will Affect Caretakers

Caretaking is a full-time job, particularly for people who care for loved ones with dementia or Alzheimer’s. A senior’s sleep cycle can be thrown off completely by this disease, which means the caretaker may have to be up at night to make sure their loved one is safe and sound. Then, they have to work during the day.

All of this can take a toll on the physical, mental, and emotional state of the caretaker. But with help from in-home care providers and adult day care, caretakers can get a much-needed break – to rest, run errands, or to just have some peace of mind.

How Seniors Can Get the Most from Their Medicare Benefits

There are multiple ways seniors and their families can take advantage of these new Medicare benefits for in-home care services and adult day care services. To start, they can utilize the Medicare services and stick to the limitations therein. Limitations can include:

• The number of hours of in-home care they can get each week
• The amount of time they can spend at an adult day care facility.

For those who want full coverage for in-home care services, we recommend talking to an insurance provider about supplemental coverage. This type of coverage can be a lifesaver for families of seniors who need extra care due to:

• Illness
• Injury
• Family/employment responsibilities.

Take Advantage of This New Medicare Provision

Most of the seniors want to stay in their home for as long as possible and maintain their independence.

This is possible with some extra at-home help as well as adult day care services. And now, it seems more people will have the opportunity to take advantage of these services.