Ellen Waldman

I heard from the family of a 99-year-old woman who was getting discharged from a local hospital. She wanted to go back to her own home and bring in around-the-clock caregivers. She did not realize that the cost for this care from a licensed caregiving agency would be around $1,000 per day.

Yes, at $42 per hour on average for caregivers now, this is what it would cost. Clearly, this was more than she could manage, and had to choose a different option for meeting her care needs.

If you think you won’t find yourself in this situation, you might want to reconsider. At some point in life, most people do need help caring for their basic needs. The question becomes, how can you plan for this financial expense?

A recent AARP report found that 38 million Americans are spending one-quarter of their annual income on caregiving costs. In Oregon, out of 4.3 million people living here, there are 470,000 people taking care of loved ones. These family caregivers provide a combined 440 million hours of care per year. Most of this is unpaid care. What if you needed to pay for this care?

Here are some possible ways to ease the burden financially.

Start this conversation with family members early, and talk about how you plan to pay for it. This is a multigenerational issue.

Long-term care insurance is expensive. Check into policies while you’re younger.

Have all your medical and legal documents in place. It lets others know what your wishes are and who can access help for you, when the time comes.

Check with government agencies for eligibility such as Medicaid or the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs.

There might be tax benefits or credits to qualify a person as a dependent on your tax return.

Check out employer benefits such as flexible spending accounts and paid time off.

Locally, contact the Rogue Valley Council of Governments (https://rvcog.org; 541-664-6674) or the Aging and Disability Reserouce Connection (https://www.adrcoforegon.org; 1-855-673-2372) to see if you qualify for any of the caregiving programs.

A privately hired care manager specializes in helping with pre-planning, which is always better than crisis management.

There is also support if you’re providing care for a loved one at home. Oregon Care Partners (https://oregoncarepartners.com/) has classes for anyone living or working in Oregon. They are offered at no cost, both in-person and online. Although their website seems to be designed for older adults and people living with Alzheimer’s, there is useful information here that applies to any medical condition.

People often ask if their family members can be paid to care for their loved ones. There is not a simple answer to this question, but in some cases, yes, they can. So-called “caregiver agreements,” also known as personal-service or personal-care contracts, can reduce tension among family members. There are many details to these agreements, and it’s best to speak with a local attorney before the need arises.

There’s something else important to remember. Medicare (for people age 65 and older) does not pay for long-term care services, such as in-home care, whether such services are provided by a caregiver from an agency or a family member.

As for the 99-year-old woman whose family reached out for help. They found excellent care for their mother in an adult foster care home. The fee for this was $5,500 a month, which, while still costly, was a lot less then in-home care.