Elder CareTips:
Mastering The Eldercare Maze™

A hearty welcome to all our new readers. We're glad to have you along on this up and down ride!  Remember, there's no such thing as a dumb question, and none of us know what we don't know.

Spell "World" Backwards: The Mini-Mental State Exam

If you have ever accompanied an older person to the doctor you may have seen the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) administered. You may have even experienced it yourself. Most doctors like to use this test because it is quick (ten or eleven minutes usually), non-invasive, and easy.

The MMSE is a screening tool that professionals use to evaluate cognitive ability. Many people think of it as the "Alzheimer's test," but in reality a multitude of things including medications and infections can cause cognitive changes.

Mini-Mental State Continued >>>

Pay For Providing Care

I am often asked if there isn't some way that a family caregiver can be paid for staying at home and providing care to a beloved older person who would otherwise have to be placed in a facility.

Unfortunately, there are really only two ways that I know of for family caregivers to receive pay for providing care. If your elder has a long-term-care insurance policy that permits hiring family caregivers, and if you meet the requirements of the policy, the policy might pay you to the extent it covers home care. These policies are very rare, however, and most older people don't have long term care insurance coverage.

If your elder is eligible for in-home care through your state Medicaid program, some caregivers have been able to hire on as employees of the Medicaid provider agency. The agency then pays them a salary to provide care to their family member under the Medicaid contract. Many state Medicaid programs forbid this practice, and even if it is permitted by your state, many agencies will forbid it because of the difficulty monitoring the quality of care provided.

Those are really the only two options I know about, unless your elder or your other family members are prepared to help you financially in exchange for the care you provide.