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Click links to jump down to:
Help Me Stay at Home | Determining
Your Needs | Self Advocacy
Click links to view other webpages:
Assisted Living | Adult
Day Services | Elder Group Homes
Help Me Stay at Home
There are currently thousands of older Iowans who qualify for nursing
home level of care, but are successfully living in their own homes
with the support of services and their communities. Many times when
individuals think of "long term care" they think of facilities;
however, there is a wide array of services included within the long
term care continuum. Long term care ranges from Home and Community
based services (such as housekeeping, chore services, adult day
services) to Skilled Care Facilities which provide ongoing nursing
care.
Am I Ready to Leave the Home in Which I Currently Live?
If you are looking for information or wanting assistance in making
decisions about staying in the home you are currently living in
or your options in finding a future home, your local Area Agency
on Aging (AAA) is available to you and your family and a comprehensive
source of information about services and options in your community.
Iowa's AAAs provide information and referral to all Iowans 60 and
over, including, but not limited to: adult day services, case management,
chore services, companion & respite care, congregate meals, consultations
about other problems, employment assistance, health-care aides,
home-delivered meals, home repairs, legal assistance, meal sites,
modifying the home for disabilities, nursing & homemaker services,
senior centers, and transportation. AAA's are also a valuable source
of information on how to access and purchase services. There is
no charge to the consumer for information and referral services.
For further information on the services available in your local
area please visit the Area
Agencies on Aging website or the National
Alliance for Caregiving website.
Another valuable Web-based source of information is Iowa's Aging
and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) and the ADRC website LifeLongLinks.org.
LifeLong Links is a resource for all Iowans, especially older Iowans
and their caregivers and persons of all ages with disabilities.
The website provides information about several issues areas related
to future planning and long-term living and connects informed consumers
with local services through Iowa's existing information and referral
resources for aging consumers and caregivers (Iowa Association of
Area Agencies on Aging Family Caregiver Program). In addition, the
ADRC website connects persons of all ages with disabilities, family
members of persons with disabilities (Iowa COMPASS) and consumers
seeking information about general health and human services resources
(Iowa 2-1-1) to information on local services.
What if I want to stay in the home in which I currently live?
There are several ways to accommodate your desire to stay in the
home you are currently living in. Please visit the following links
to find out more about what services are available to assist you
in this process. The case
management section of this website explains what type of assistance
a case manager can provide.
Lifelonglinks.org
Housing
- Ensuring a Safe Living Environment
Are there services out there to support caregivers?
We understand the difficulties spouses, partners, children and friends
face in trying to keep adults experiencing disabilities at home.
The caregiver
section of our website provides information on how to help caregivers
find resources and assistance.
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Determining Your Needs
Many families and support networks wait until an individual is in
crisis before they begin communicating about future care needs.
Due to the crisis, there is often not enough time to consider all
of the important issues that may arise within families and support
networks. It is extremely helpful to discuss your potential future
care needs with your family or support network before a crisis arises.
Planning for the future can be difficult, but is necessary to better
assure your desires are met. The bullets below can help you identify
some of the issues that you will want to consider in your discussion.
To download a printable version in a checklist format please click
here.
The first step in remaining in your own home is accessing the types
of services or supports you and your family will need. What specific
services are important to you? Will you need to consider the health
of a partner or family member as well as yourself? Remember, you
will likely need more support and services in the future than you
do now. You will want to consider the following specific services:
- Financial Planning
- Legal issues (Wills, Advanced Directives, Power of Attorney, estate
planning, etc.)
- Transportation - Social activities
- Snow Removal & Lawn Care
- Housekeeping Services
- Assistance with cooking & meals
- Physical Therapy
- Speech Therapy
- Occupational Therapy (improves ones ability to perform daily activities)
- Health monitoring of blood pressures, food or liquid intake, weight
- Mental Health
- Exercise
- Mental stimulation
- Personal care or assistance with bathing, shampoos, shaving, toileting
- Adult Day Services
- Assistance with walking
- A safe, secure environment
- Dementia Services
To find out more about how to bring needed services or supports
into your home you can contact your local Area
Agency on Aging or you can go to the Iowa
Family Caregiver website to find out what services are available
in your area.
Many older people need help paying for prescription drugs, health
care, utilities and other basic needs. Many older Americans are
eligible for but not receiving benefits from existing federal, state
and local programs. Ranging from heating and energency assistance
to prescription savings programs to income supplements, there are
many public programs available to older Iowans in need if they only
knew about them and how to apply for them. BenefitsCheckUp
is a web-based service to screen for benefit programs for older
adults with limited income and resources.
If you do not wish to remain in the home where you currently reside
you may want to consider an independent living community or a senior
retirement home.
If you feel you need a higher level of services or supports Assisted
Living Programs, Elder Group Homes, Residential or Nursing Care
Facilities are other options available to you.
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Why Should I Care About Self Advocacy?
The best advocate is YOU, your legal representative, family and
support network. Try your best to solve problems at the local level.
However, if full resolution doesn't occur we strongly encourage
you to contact any of the following organizations:
Iowa Department of Elder Affairs (IDEA) The IDEA serves all Iowans
60 and older in multiple ways. IDEA's mission is to provide advocacy,
educational, and prevention services to older Iowans so they can
find Iowa a healthy, safe, productive, and enjoyable place to live
and work. IDEA has two divisions: Policy & Administration and Elder
Rights/Home & Community-Based Services. The goal of both divisions
is to work to accomplish the wide-ranging goals of the Older Americans
Act.
Jessie M. Parker Bldg
510 E 12th St., Suite 2
Des Moines, IA 50319
Website: http://www.state.ia.us/elderaffairs/index.html
E-mail: terry.hornbuckle@iowa.gov
Phone: 515-725-3336
Long-term Care Ombudsman & Tenant Advocate
Inquiries of all types related to long-term care are welcomed. Callers
can choose to remain anonymous. There are several common types of
inquiries that this office receives:
. To report concerns about a nursing facility, assisted living program,
elder group home or residential care facility. At the request of
the resident or family, the Ombudsman/Tenant Advocate may visit
or call the facility, review records, meet with staff, and put a
plan in place to deal with the problem.
. To obtain assistance in situations where a resident/tenant is
facing discharge from a facility involuntarily.
. To check on standard practices in long-term care.
. To clarify state guidelines on particular practices.
. To obtain information on choosing a care facility, assisted living
program, or elder group home
. For general information about long-term care.
. For Resident Advocate Committee volunteer opportunities.
. For educational materials or programs.
Local: 515-725-3327
1-800-532-3213
Website: http//www.state.ia.us/elderaffairs/advocacy/ombudsman.html
Area Agencies on Aging
Area Agencies in Iowa provide information and referral services
to older Iowans, including, but not limited to: adult day services,
case management, chore services, companion & respite care, congregate
meals, consultations about other problems, employment assistance,
health-care aides, home-delivered meals, home repairs, legal assistance,
meal sites, modifying the home for disabilities, nursing & homemaker
services, senior centers, and transportation. There are 13 different
Area Agencies on Aging throughout Iowa.
For a list of all the Area Agencies on Aging, or to locate your
own please click on the following link: http://www.state.ia.us/elderaffairs/Documents/AAAList.pdf
Website: http://www.iowafamilycaregiver.org/index.asp
E-mail: i4a@i4a.org
Phone: 866-468-7887 or 515-255-4004
Iowa Department of Inspections & Appeals (IDIA)
The IDIA enforces regulations for assisted living, elder group homes
and adult day services. They provide the monitoring services that
relate to licensing and certification standards. When you have a
compliant about an assisted living, elder group homes and adult
day services the IDIA leads the investigation process into your
complaint. Examples of when to contact the IDIA include:
. To file a complaint
. To check on the status of a certification or recertification of
assisted living, elder group homes and adult day services
To file a complaint about assisted living, elder group homes and
adult day services, please call the Iowa Department of Inspections
and Appeals complaint hotline at 1-877-686-0027.
Iowa Department of Inspections & Appeals
Lucas State Office Building
321 East 12th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0083
Website: http://www.state.ia.us/government/dia/
E-mail: Webmaster@dia.state.ia.us
Complaint line: 1-877-686-0027
To obtain a copy of the monitoring reports of any assisted living
program, adult day service or elder group home call: 515-281-6325.
Medicaid Services
If you are a recipient of state of Iowa Medicaid and are not happy
with the services you are being provided, in addition to the Tenant
Advocate and the Department of Inspections and appeals, you may
present your concerns to the Medicaid Services Complaint Line.
Complaint line: 1-800-338-8366 or 515-725-1003
Dependent Adult Abuse Hotline
If you suspect abuse, neglect or exploitation of an individual 60
or older, please contact the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs for
information at 1-800-532-3213.
Website: http://www.elderabusecenter.org/
If between 8am to 4:30pm Monday - Friday call: (515)281-4115
Institutional elder abuse phone: 1-800-362-2178
If the victim is currently in danger, a report should also be made
directly to local law enforcement officers.
H.O.M.E. Inc (Tenant/landlord issues)
If you feel your rights as a tenant are being overlooked or you
have concerns with how an ADS/EGH/ALP are implementing discharge
procedures you should contact the Longterm Care Ombudsman at 1-800-532-3213
as well as the Home Inc Complaint line.
Community Housing Services Program
1111 9th St. Ste. 210
Des Moines, IA 50314
Website: http://www.homeincdsm.org/news.html
E-mail: staff@homeincdsm.org
Phone: 515-243-1277
Iowa Attorney General's Division of Consumer Protection
To receive more information regarding Arbitration Agreements or
for other legal issues involving assisted living, elder group homes
and adult day services contact the Division of Consumer Protection.
Iowa Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
1305 E. Walnut Street
Des Moines IA 50319
Website: http://www.iowaattorneygeneral.org/consumer/index.html
E-mail: consumer@ag.state.ia.us.
Phone: 1-888-777-4590 or 515-281-5926
National Senior Citizen Law Center (NSCLC)
The NSCLC works on a variety of senior issues and may be of assistance
in obtaining further information or support on any of the issues
discussed above.
1101 14th St., NW Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005
Website: http://www.nsclc.org/
Email: nsclc@nsclc.org
Phone: 202-289-6976
Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer's Association has multiple sites throughout Iowa and
can assist caregivers in a variety of ways. Locations in: Burlington,
Davenport, Dubuque, Newton, & West Des Moines
Website: http://www.alz.org/
Phone: 1-800-272-3900
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