Attorney-CPA Joe Cordell and co-host Susan Arthur discuss the various elements to long-term care and the various methods involved in paying for it. They break down the monthly costs of assisted care and nursing home care and how city care can differ in cost and quality from rural care.

Joe and Susan talk about long-term care insurance and how the costs of prescription medications can impact your finances. They also touch on the possibility of being able to afford paying for long-term care yourself and how many make assumptions regarding having your children assist in paying for the costs of long-term care.

Joe talks about the assumption of financial risk when you are younger and planning for the future, and highlights the differences between the advice he may give to someone younger and able to take the risks versus someone older who cannot afford to take on financial risk.

Joe and Susan talk about qualifying for government programs, such as Medicaid, in order to qualify for long-term care. They talk about the Medicaid planning process, as well as the utilization of irrevocable trusts.

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Co-host Susan Arthur begins her journey highlighting nursing homes and long-term care facilities within the St. Louis metropolitan area with the Villages of St. Peters Memory Care in this audio walking tour. She joins Villages of St. Peters Memory Care administrator April Haskins. April takes Susan through the facility and talks about how some of the features of the facility, such as a pool table or various games, can be utilized to stimulate community members who suffer from dementia.

April describes the neighborhood concept of Villages of St. Peters Memory Care to Susan and how it provides the comforts of home. She talks about the role of the staff members in getting community members to participate in the many activities that the facility offers. April also talks about how each member provides all of their own belongings to their room.

April talks about her role as a representative responsible for educating families on the journey that their senior family member is experiencing. She also talks about the different stations that are available in each community.

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Attorney-CPA Joe Cordell and co-host Susan Arthur make an announcement regarding the show, detailing how ElderTalk with Joe Cordell is going to highlight living arrangements as you age more often on the show.

On this episode, Joe and Susan are joined by Cordell Planning Partners Business Manager Keri Stoner to discuss the variety of communal living arrangements available in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

They talk about the upcoming audio tours that Susan and Keri will be conducting, in order to portray them and their services for the listening audience. Joe details how they will have complete editorial freedom and will be able to offer criticism, in order to fully provide as much information as possible regarding the given facility.

Susan tells a personal story about her in-laws and their journey to moving into a facility, in order to maintain the balance of comfort and social interaction that they needed. They discuss going into the facility while you still have the ability to choose, as well as ways to pay for long-term care.

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Attorney-CPA Joe Cordell and co-host Susan Arthur continue their discussion from the previous episode about nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Joe explains the historical timeline of legislation that regulated the nursing homes and long-term care facility industry, as well as what a resident assessment plan is.

Joe states that a resident assessment plan is a document that includes the senior’s health history, doctor’s orders, and prescriptions, among other items of information. He also explains what a comprehensive person-centered care plan is, as well as the regulations regarding informing family members of significant changes in the senior’s health.

Joe goes into detail on areas that government regulations forbid within nursing homes and long-term care facilities. The issues that seniors face in long-term care facilities need to be treated, and the families need to be notified with explanations given. Joe also details alternatives to restrictive methods that long-term care facilities may employ for the safety and well-being of the senior, as well as issues surrounding facility staffing.

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Attorney-CPA Joe Cordell and co-host Susan Arthur detail the ins and outs of nursing homes. Joe breaks down the different types of facilities that exist and the different types of services that each of them offers.

Joe talks about the standards and requirements of skilled care and long-term care facilities. These facilities have a specific standard that they are expected to maintain, and Joe addresses major concerns that historically do exist in the quality of care and meeting the expectations of the senior and their family members.

Joe details the federal and state activities of daily living and highlights their importance in deciding what type of facility is best for the senior in question. He also talks about what law reforms have come to pass, in regards to any possible safety issues that can arise. Joe details the issues surrounding wandering and elopement at the skilled care or long-term care facility.

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