To that end, below I have a series of tips and ideas that will allow your stress levels and as a result aid you in the rest of your life.

Make The Frig Your Friend

Telling a caregiver that they have to eat right is normally an exercise in futility. That’s because they wither don’t have the time to took to eat right or succumb to the cravings of emotional eating to cope with the stress of caregiving.

Therefore, one of the potential solutions is “batch cooking”, making large portions of food that can then be stored into individual, tupperware-style trays so that they can be frozen and quickly accessed for healthy, nutritious meals on the go that you can microwave.

Soups and stews work particularly well for this.

Meditation

There are wonderous benefits to meditation which vary from relieving stress to slowing down the aging process at the cellular level of our bodies. And for stressed out caregivers, taking a few minutes to become one with yourself can have even added benefits.

Meditation has also been shown to assist in dealing with depression, making it an ideal activity for caregivers.

Nutritious Snacks

The key here is finding something that you can quickly grab on-the-run. Be careful of items that have too much processed sugar in them but instead focus on “real food” with high levels of proteins or healthy fats…these will ward off hunger without the added calories.

Things like admonds, fruit or a PB&J are ideal for a quick “pick me up” and to keep you moving on a busy schedule.

Slow Down

This advice is about self-preservation. When you are stressed and in a rush, you are more prone to accidents. So no matter what you are doing or how you do it, take your time and do it right…you won’t make a mistake and have to do it over again and you lower the risk of an accident.

Improve Your Sleep

Those under stress need the most sleep…and more importantly the highest quality sleep. Unfortunately what normally happens is the opposite. You get less sleep and that sleep tends to be more restless.

So you need to adopt as many quality sleep habits as possible…

• Don’t drink 2-3 hours before bed
• Make your bedroom as dark as posslble
• Make it as quiet as possible, or…
• Get a white noise generator which simulates a constant sound, such as a fan running or falling rain. This can help those with sleep problems as well.

Get Some Help

One of the easiest stress busters is for you to know that you are not alone. Finding respite care, whether from an organization, volunteer or a family member, will alleviate the burden and enable you to relieve your stress.

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However, when such mobility aids become a way of life, there are often certain side effects that must be contended with. For people who spend most of their day in a bed or a wheelchair, bed sores (also known as pressure sores,) can be just such a difficulty.

Bed sores are ulcers on the skin, sometimes similar to blisters, that develop as a result of the patient being unable to frequently shift their position when lying in bed or sitting in a transport chair. This leads to sustained pressure and friction, which cuts off blood and oxygen to the tissues, causing them to become fragile and eventually die.

Bed sores can develop quite quickly, and when left untreated can become severe. Pressure sores are easier to prevent than they are to treat, so if you or a loved one feel you are at risk, here are some precautions you can take.

Change It Up

Since bed sores often develop as a result of sustained pressure on one area of the body, it is important to reposition yourself as frequently as possible in bed or in a wheelchair. In a wheelchair this should be about every 15 minutes, in a bed about every two hours. If independent movement is difficult for you, have a nurse or loved one assist you with this. If you have the upper body strength, you can also use the arms of your wheelchair to do this, or bed rails or a trapeze bar.

Keep Comfortable

Mattresses and wheelchair cushions specially designed to prevent bed sores are also a good way to go. Extra cushioning can help protect boney areas such as the hips, knees, and elbows, which are often more susceptible to bed sores. These come in foam, sheep skin, polyester, and often include pressure or air pumps with the purpose of redistributing the pressure on your body. These pumps can also be effective in treating bed sores, as they change the patient’s position in order to prevent new sores and give the old ones a chance to heal.

Pamper Your Skin

It’s also important to take good care of your skin. Daily washing and drying can prevent infection, and you can protect vulnerable skin with talcum powder if it’s too moist, and lotion if it’s too dry. Inspect your skin frequently so you can catch a bed sore forming before it becomes severe. You can also nourish your skin by changing what you eat. Protein, omega oils, vitamins C and D, and zinc are all nutrients that will help keep your skin happy and healthy.

For people with very limited mobility, bed sores are a real danger and require constant care to prevent. If you don’t feel up to the task by yourself, recruit a caregiver to help you change positions, do daily checks, and care for your skin. This may seem like a lot of work for just prevention, but it’s worth every second!

About the Author:

Elena Watson is a blogger for justhomemedical.com and a student at Bard College. She spends her time researching and writing about health care, particularly child and senior health.

This equipment is important to those with failing health because these adaptive devices allow seniors to maintain their independence and age in place longer than they would ordinarily be able to. 

However, such equipment can be expensive. So with that said I want to take you through an explanation of what is durable medical equipment, what are the steps to procuring it and how much will Medicare pay for. 

Is Durable Medical Equipment Covered by

Medicare? 

As long as the equipment is medically necessary and you have a “Certificate of Medical Necessity” from your doctor Medicare Part B will cover the equipment. 

You are covered as long as you are prescribed the equipment. 

What if I don’t have Medicare Part B and instead

have a Medicare Advantage Plan?

Medicare law requires that Advantage Plans cover the same services as government sponsored Medicare. 

However, due to the fact that there are two different types of Advantage Plans (HMO and PPO plans) the costs and fees associated with your equipment will be different. 

You will have to pay more out-of-pocket for your durable medical equipment with an HMO plan vs a PPO plan, so the best thing to do is to call the plan administrator and find out for yourself. 

And I have to say, based upon my personal experience, this may be one of the places where being in government-run Medicare may be better for you. I had a hell of a time getting some of my mother’s adaptive devices, such as leg braces, approved by her Advantage plan. 

The business office of the nursing home asked me to switch her to government-run Medicare, and after that the approval process was much easier. 

What Is The Process To Receive The Durable

Medical Equipment I Need If I Have Medicare? 

First of all, understand that you need to have the equipment prescribed to you by a doctor.

In addition to the prescription, in some instances (my Mom had to go through this) the doctor will need to fill out a “Certificate of Medical Necessity”.

This is a two page document that clarifies the patient’s condition and reason for needing the equipment.

Once this information is submitted you then need to find a Medicare-approved supplier for the equipment. If you don’t get the equipment from a supplier that Medicare approves of they aren’t paying, regardless of whether or not Medicare actually approves the claim, so this is very important.

Normally, your doctor will know of a supplier and the two will work together to get the necessary information and approvals, but I cannot stress enough for you to be proactive and make sure that this is the case. 

I Need A Powered Wheelchair or Scooter. How Do

I Work With Medicare To Get One?

This is one of the items where a Certificate of Medical Necessity is required (normally it is the more expensive items). On that form the doctor must state that the durable medical equipent requested is needed because of a medical condition. And here is a special note…

Medicare will NOT cover the cost of scooter or powered wheelchair that is exclusively used and needed outside the home.¹ It must be medically needed and used inside the home.

How Much Does Medicare Pay?

For most durable medical equipment, Medicare Part B pays 80% of the cost of the item. It is the responsibility of the Medicare participant (that is you) to pay the remaining 20%. To do this, you have to either pay out-of-pocket or pay through your Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan.

And you should always purchase your durable medical equipment through a “participating supplier”. These are companies that agree to accept the Medicare-approved amount as full payment.

This is a concept known as “assignment”.

If you do not purchase from a participating supplier, there is no limit to what they can charge you and you will be responsbile for the difference.

So it is vital when you are seeking out a supplier to ask…

• If they have been accepted as a Medicare-approved supplier
• If they are a participating supplier (there are Medicare-approved suppliers that are not participating. This is why you must check)

I stated this earlier but MUST stress it again…if the supplier is not enrolled in Medicare then Medicare will not pay your claim regardless of your status in Medicare or the medical necessity of the device.

Renting vs Buying 

If there is a question as to whether or not Medicare will purchase equipment for you or merely rent it, you don’t need to worry about that. Your Medicare-approved supplier will know the rules are for each particular type of equipment so let them handle that part of the equation. 

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References:

1-http://www.medicare.gov/pubs/pdf/11045.pdf

Few people realize though, that this healthy favorite contains nutrients that can help fight the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

Recent research at Mount Sinai School of Medicine¹ shows that the polyphenols that occur naturally in grapes can directly prevent the cognitive decline that occurs with Alzheimer’s.

While these results have only been proven on mouse specimens it shows great hope for the future of people afflicted with the disease and with further research might even lead to a better form of treatment or a cure being produced.

The polyphenols found in grapes are antioxidants that when extracted from the seeds, have been found to directly target the neurotoxin Aβ*56 which has been found to promote memory loss and has been linked to the main neurotoxin that manifests into the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

Grapes and other berries have long been recommended to improve cognitive function, inhibit the growth of free radicals that damage tissue, and decrease one’s risk of heart disease by promoting healthy blood flow.

You might ask, “Does this mean products made from grapes like say…..wine….are beneficial in these areas?” According to doctors the answer is yes, bit in MODERATION.

The same researchers from Mount Sinai² tested wine consumption in men, women, and mice. The relative amounts consumed were the equivalent to one glass a day for women and two for men and at the end of the trial both had a reduced level of cognitive decline.

The polyphenol resveratrol has long been considered a main nutrient in red wine that promotes heart health and cognitive health. However, it has been found at least in the case of cognitive health, that catechin³ and epicatechin⁴ are actually more beneficial in even smaller doses.

These two substances, also found in cocoa and tea, prove that not just red grapes and red wine have healthy benefits but that white grapes and white wine as well. The fact that catechin and epicatechin are found to have tremendous effects in small doses also tells us that drinking is healthy but best results occur when drank at a moderate one glass a day for women and two for men.

A cup of good sized grapes is only 60 calories and can also serve as a great snack for those trying to watch their weight as well as inhibit your chances of developing Alzheimer’s. These studies have only been thoroughly researched in mice at the present but have proven to be helpful to those whose families have a history of developing the disease.

The healthy substances in grapes have had the most positive effects on those in the earliest stages of developing the disease and haven’t really been shown to reverse the effects of severe cases.

Hopefully with more research those in the later stages can also help themselves with these substances. But for now grapes are merely considered a healthy food that happens to contain the substances most proven to inhibit the onset of Alzheimer’s. Think of them as in the same category as green tea with inhibiting the growth of cancer cells.

Grapes are one of the foods that we never seem to run out of and their benefits can be received in smaller doses than people realize. It’s fairly easy to pick out which grapes are the best ones when shopping as well. Look for the bigger; more colored ones that are most securely attached to the stems and you’ve got yourself a cup of possible lifesaving nutrients. 

Cheryl Swanson is a loving wife and mother with a passion for caregiving. She believes that every person deserves a sense of independence regardless of their age. In her very little spare time she writes for Just Walkers, a leading supplier of rollators.

References:

1-http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110715135211.htm

2-http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-09/tmsh-csr091806.php

3-http://www.voiceofeden.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/greenteacancer.pdf

4-http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23531502

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Medicaid is part of the social safety net, reserved for those who truly cannot take card of themselves. This doesn’t mean, however, that those in the middle class, or even the affluent, cannot access benefits for long term care.

The problem is that to qualify for these benefits involves a long process of qualifying and spending down assets in order to accomplish this.

There are ways to avoid this, such as turning your assets into “non-countable” assets. There are legal and legitimate ways to do this and qualify for Medicaid.

Note: if you at seeking a great primer on the subject I recommend Gabriel Heiser’s book, Medicaid Secrets, as an amazing resource to give you a good idea of what is considered good Medicaid planning…and also what is illegal and considered Medicaid fraud.

But there are inherent problems with Medicaid planning and I need to take you through them so that you have a clear understanding of the challenges and hurdles facing you, both now and in the future.

You Really Cannot Own It

In order for you to avoid having to spend your assets down to pay for your long term care costs, you have to take these out of your name and transfer ownership in most instances. There are safe, legal and legitimate ways of doing this from a Medicaid planning perspective without getting into the trap of Medicaid fraud.

However, the catch is that you end up giving up control of your assets. This means you really can’t count on having access to whatever it is you transferred. Whole books could be written of the horror stories of seniors who have legally transferred assets to their children and had their life savings lost due to theft, gambling, drugs, divorce, etc…

There are ways to avoid this outcome, through the setting up of a trust. That entire concept is beyond the scope of this article, but the point is you really need to make sure who you are transferring your assets to is the right person for the job.

The Future of Medicaid

In case you haven’t been watching, our nation is hemorrhaging debt at a rate of almost a trillion dollars a year. That’s $1,000,000,000,000.00 a year! Combine that with the fact that our demographics situation is horrible over the next 20 years is we have the makings of a catastrophe.

Note: By demographics I mean that our population is aging. We will have more and more seniors seeking the benefits of programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, yet there will be fewer workers paying the taxes to support the system. And that’s why all three are projected to go bankrupt over the next 20 years.

We have already seen substantial changes to Medicaid over the last few years, such as the look-back period going from 3 years to 5 years. Let me ask you a question. Do you really think 10 years isn’t around the corner?

And what about any other cuts to the system? Who will qualify? Will you be forced to sell your home and have ALL of your assets sold for long term care? What changes will the new health care law bring to the table? What currently legitimate techniques in Medicaid planning will be considered illegal in the future?

As our nations fiscal problems get worse, entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare will eventually be on the table. And we just don’t know what those changes in fact will be.

It’s Complicated

Just try and sit with an elder law attorney and figure this stuff out. Or better yet, understand that Medicaid is a joint Federal-State program where the states have wide latitude in how they can comply with Federal mandates.

This means that there are 50 sets of rules governing 50 separate states when it comes to Medicaid.

It gets better, because something that is perfectly legal on one state from a Medicaid planning perspective can be considered Medicaid fraud in another.

Like I said, Medicaid planning is complicated and there is no way around it.

It’s Expensive

Yes, it’s expensive. It wouldn’t surprise me if the legal bills for setting up a Medicaid plan ranged from $10,000 and up. But in all honesty this really is a case of being penny wise and pound foolish.

If you are looking for safe, legal and legitimate ways to shelter your life savings from nursing home costs it is going to cost you, no doubt. So investing in and finding the right elder law attorney could be one of the best investments you ever make.

I Didn’t Plan On This

Most aspects of Medicaid planning deal with the potential upside of the situation. And by that I mean people are thinking about the process of protecting their life savings from the effects of nursing home costs.

And if you have busted your tail your whole life you would like to have something to pass down to your family.

But in many cases people aren’t thinking about what they could potentially be giving up for the right to protect their assets…and that needs to be factored into the equation.

Here are some of the things you need to consider…

Medicaid pays for nursing homes, but not necessarily the one you want to go to. Beggars can’t be choosers and you are not in a position in many instances to choose. Normally the list of facilities willing to take Medicaid is short…and those willing to take “Medicaid pending” patients is even shorter.

Note: Medicaid pending is where the nursing home takes card of you…and does not receive payment (sometimes for months) until your Medicaid application is approved.

While on Medicaid you can all but forget having a private room. So figure on having at least one roommate. And this can lead to a while host of problems.

And Medicaid does not pay for assisted living facilities. And while they are beautiful, they are either private pay or for those with long term cafe insurance.

Conclusion

Explaining the problems of Medicaid planning above was not meant to deter you from proper financial planning when it comes to protecting your life savings. But it was meant to inform you of all of the available options at your disposal…and the consequence of those options.

Medicaid planning can protect your nest egg from long term care costs, but it can limit your options. And I wanted you to be aware of everything before going forward.

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Here are some of the things you should consider when thinking about a long term care insurance policy…

Which Policy Is The Best

I start with this question because it is the one everyone asks. The problem with answering is that the policies are constantly changing as well as the health and underwriting guidelines that companies use changes as well.

This means that the premiums for a policy are also in a state of flux. Plus, because different companies use different underwriting guidelines the premiums for policies with the same level of benefits can vary from company to company.

We also have to add the fact that everyone’s financial and health situation are different…making it impossible to answer this question because of the variables involved.

I don’t mean to disappoint you but the best thing for you to do is to allow yourself to be guided by an elder law attorney or financial planner into answering this question for you.

Per Diem or Reimbursement Policies

Most long term care insurance policies are reimbursement policies. You spend money for services out-of-pocket and then are reimbursed by the insurance company up to the policy limits, which is normally the daily amount.

The other type of policy is known as a per diem policy. This type of policy pays a flat benefit to the insured when they are receiving LTC treatment-even if the insured has no out-of-pocket expenses for their care (if the care is coming from family members, for example).

But for most policies, this is how it works…

If you have a policy with a 30-day elimination period, and you meet all of the policy stipulations and qualify for coverage, you would pay out-of-pocket for your care for the first 30 days.

After the 30 days, all subsequent care that you pay out-of-pocket for is subject to reimbursement as long as such care qualifies under the terms and conditions of the policy.

Home Health Care Coverage

For those who are looking to receive coverage and benefits when they are receiving long term care assistance at home, it is important to check the terms and conditions of the policy to make sure you are adequately covered. Here are some of the things that you should look for…

Is The Home Care Benefit Limited?

You need to check this out because some policies cover home health care differently than nursing home care. So if having this type of option is important to you and your loved ones so that they can successfully age in place you will need to check the policy provisions to make sure that the home option is not limited.

Due to the skyrocketing costs of long term care…especially in nursing homes…more and ,ore policies are adding these types of provisions, so it may be possible to get most, if not all, of your home health care costs covered. Just make sure to check before accepting the policy.

Home Health Care Only

This is a new twist on long term care policies…a policy that will ONLY cover home health care costs.

Obviously the big advantage to these policies is their cost, which is significantly cheaper than a conventional long term care insurance policy because home health care is far cheaper than institutional care in a nursing home.

But in my opinion these policies can be a big problem for those who own them. Here’s why.

If you are purchasing a long term care policy in your 60′s, you have no idea what your health and financial situation will be 20 years down the road. You could be in a position where trying to live in your home and maintain it is a nightmare. You could also be concerned about safety issues and be unable to live on your own without help.

In these cases, you would need to enter a nursing home or assisted living facility. And in these instances that home health care only policy you purchased to save on your premiums won’t do you a bit of good.

In fact, you flushed all of those premiums down the drain due to the fact that you bought the cheaper policy under the guise of saving money.

And the same actually holds true for nursing home only policies…you are once again limiting your options where you would have to go into a nursing home where home health care may be a viable option. Even though they are the most expensive a comprehensive policy gives you the peace of mind of knowing that you have all of your available options to you.

Daily or Monthly Benefit

Some policies come with a monthly benefit, while others have a daily benefit. Is there a difference?

If you are in a nursing home, then it really doesn’t matter. This is because you are charged daily for your care and that charge isn’t going to vary.

But if you are receiving home health care then there could be a great deal of difference in the care you receive each day. You may receive a 2 hour visit on one day followed by another day where you receive an 8 hour visit or need 24 hour care for a certain length of time.

So make sure you are at least aware of how your policy works…you don’t want to get surprised down the road.

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This type of intensive care is costly, especially because it is needed 24/7/365. 

Now, I have seen it reported that the average cost is around $80,000 a year, but in all honesty I have to question where these people are getting their information from.¹ I will agree that New York, where I live, is one of the places in the country where the costs are highest. 

After all, my mother’s nursing home costs $14,000 a month!!! That’s over $160,000 a year. 

So if the average is $80,000 a year, does that mean that some places in the country only charge $20,000 a year? 

That’s what I mean about not believing that information. 

But as if this information wasn’t bad enough there are two other points that make it even more difficult to account for nursing home costs… 

• They are going up at around 5% a year. ²
• The vast majority of the public is under a huge misconception as to how to pay for this staggering cost. 

And this misconception starts with most people feeling that their current health insurance or Medicare will pick up the tab for this. 

And that is not the way it works. Because Medicare, or even your current health insurance, does not pay for custodial care. And that means that you have three options for paying for this cost… 

• Out-of-pocket, which means that your life savings goes to the nursing home
• Long term care insurance 
• Medicaid 

Of the three, out-of-pocket obviously gives you the most options, but unless you are independently wealthy you will be depleting your savings in short order. 

Long term care insurance certainly is a viable option, but it is expensive and needs to be in place before it is needed. 

And that means that the vast majority of people (and this includes my mother) gets pushed into Medicaid because they have no other way to afford nursing home costs. So if you are looking for information on how to apply for Medicaid I have already written about it extensively, giving you real world examples from my own experience. 

The best thing to do is to plan ahead. And there is no better resource that I have found to educate the average person on nursing home costs than Gabriel Heiser’s “Medicaid Secrets”. I have read this book myself and it contains a ton of information that will allow you to get the information you need to protect your life savings from the effects of nursing home costs. 

1-http://money.cnn.com/2013/04/09/retirement/nursing-home-costs/index.html 

2-http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/cost-nursing-home-stays-new-york-roof-study-article-1.1311951

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Fortunately, I have a friend who sells long term care insurance who sat down with me to explain the ins and outs of the policies. And I am now able to pass along this important information to you.

Benefits vs Pricing

Economists like to talk about trade offs, meaning that there is no such thing as a free lunch. If you want to experience a particular benefit, then there is an associated cost to that benefit.

Long term care insurance works the same way. But the price of the policy is not necessarily the most important component to your decision. For example, while a policy offered by one company may initially seem to be far cheaper than another policy offered by another company, there are different types of long term care policies that could account for the discrepancy.

As an example, some companies nursing home only policies as well as home home health care only policies that will be far cheaper than those policies that offer comprehensive coverage. But the problem is that you are limiting your options…and you don’t know what your health or financial situation will be 20 years from now.

I only point this out because when you are comparing long term care insurance policies people will inevitably look at the price first. And in the long run that may turn out to be the least important part of your decision.

Inflation Protection

Unlike price, the inflation protection option may be the most important decision you make when it comes to comparing long term care policies. It is often one of the ,most overlooked features of policies as well…which is why I am pointing it out here.

The best way to illustrate the inflation protection feature is by giving an example. Let’s say you purchase a long term care policy with a daily benefit of $250 a day at age 60. (I pick this number because with the current average cost of a nursing home as I write this in 2013 being about $80,000 a year, a $250 daily benefit would cover that).

But if you do not choose the inflation protection option and end up in a nursing home at age 80…your policy is only going to pay the $250 a day daily benefit! And being that nursing home costs are going up at greater than the rate of inflation, you can be sure that 20 years hence that came nursing home will probably cost around $1000 a day…and you are on the hook for the $750 difference between what your policy pays and what you owe.

Now do you understand the importance of inflation protection?

Really, your only choice is the type of inflation protection to look for when comparing long term care policies. The first, and most expensive, will automatically increase your benefit each year without an increase in premium. As you could imagine you are paying for the increase by your monthly premium being higher…sometimes as much as double the initial amount without this layer of protection.

Needless to say, it is a very expensive option but this feature gives you the benefit of doubling or tripling your monthly benefit over the life of the policy…so that you never reach the point where your coverage outstrips the costs of your care.

The other choice is to receive inflation protection in the form of an option. This option let’s you purchase more coverage at specific times in the future without undergoing any further medical underwriting. As you are purchasing more coverage, your premium goes up.

So for this reason this version of inflation protection is more economical. But it should also be remembered that because you have the option of turning down the coverage in the future, combined with the fact that many policies freeze the daily benefit once you file a claim, you need to understand that this type of inflation protection really is incomplete coverage. And you could still be hurt in the future financially if you take this option.

Waiver of Premium

The waiver of premium benefit allows you to continue to collect your benefit after you have filed your claim without having to pay the premium. And while just about every long term care policy has this benefit today, there can be substantial differences in how the waiver of premium actually functions. So this is one of the things to check when comparing long term care policies.

As an example, the premium may only be waived if you are receiving care in a nursing home. So if you are receiving home health care the waiver of premium does not apply.

I only point this out because you need to be aware of how the waiver benefit exactly works with your particular policy.

Home Care Details

This can be one of the most important elements of a policy, especially if the policy holder is looking to age in place without going to a nursing home. These policy holders may need help with groceries, errands, housework, laundry, shoveling the driveway, cutting the lawn, etc… But they may not require 24-hour care and not require to be a nursing home resident.

Now most policies will cover in home medical care provided by a nurse from a Medicare-approved agency. Additionally, some polices will let you hire a freelance caregiver who is licensed but does not work for an agency (it makes sense for the insurance company to cover these costs because they are cheaper than having to deal with an agency).

So the key is for you to be aware of the types of benefits that you would want and additionally to compare long term care policies to make sure that whichever policy you eventually choose has the appropriate benefit that you are seeking.

Elimination Period

Why they just don’t call this the deductible is beyond me. But that’s what it is…the deductible. It is the number of days that you have to pay for care on your own before your policy benefits kick in and start making the payments for you (or reimbursing you for out-of-pocket costs, depending upon how your policy works).

And that is the biggest difference between the elimination period and the deductibles that we are familiar with…it is measured in days as opposed to a dollar amount (as in car insurance).

As with all policies there could be some variance in how this elimination period is calculated. And also the shorter the elimination period the larger the monthly premium you will have to pay for the policy, all other things being equal.

So as you compare different long term care policies, these are some of the most important policy terms and conditions that need to be evaluated so that you can make an intelligent decision as to which is the best for you. And as always, if you have any questions about your own individual financial situation you should seek out the advice of a competent elder law attorney or financial planner to assist you in these decisions.

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It can be particularly difficult if after years of raising kids and climbing the corporate ladder you are both left feeling disconnected and somewhat estranged.

Fortunately, retirement may actually be the answer. With some work and a dedication to rekindling the spark that once brought you together in the first place, the next stage of your lives may be your best yet!

Create a New Routine

Creating a new normal routine may be the most difficult part of retirement for couples to navigate. Suddenly, you have all day together to step on each other’s toes. Instead of letting this time push you apart, discuss household responsibilities and decide who should be in charge of each one.

While some chores can be accomplished together, trying to do everything together all day can lead to conflict. Instead of fighting over how to make a bed or wash the dishes, divide responsibilities evenly and give each other the space necessary to get them done.

Don’t forget, however, when planning your new routine, to set aside time to spend together. Make it a priority to do something together every day. Play a board game together; do the newspaper crossword puzzle together.

Keep it simple so that you can focus on talking and enjoying each other’s company. Whatever you choose to do, make sure that you don’t let anything stand in the way of your special time together each day.

Plan and Dream Together

For the last several years, much of your planning and dreaming may have revolved around children and careers. Retirement is a perfect opportunity to reconnect with dreams you may have pushed to the back because you didn’t have the time or money to pursue them.

The secret to maintaining a happy marriage while pursuing your dreams is to spend time together creating new dreams that involve both of you. Is there a new place you have always wanted to live? Is there a travel destination you have always wanted to visit? Help each other realize these long forgotten dreams and you’ll love each other all the more for it.

Spend Time with Mutual Friends

It may be surprising to learn that one of the secrets of a successful marriage is spending time with mutual friends. Making plans with friends gives you an excuse to get out of the house and enjoy cultural or recreational activities.

Mutual friends can also be helpful in giving you perspective on marriage. Hearing other people’s struggles yet seeing them working and loving each other can give you motivation to make your own marriage a priority.

Support Each Other’s Hobbies

As much as time together is important for retirees looking to reconnect, spending time apart may be just as vital. People that feel excited and energized about activities they are involved in often bring that same level of excitement to the marriage.

Having a spouse that supports you in these interests can make you feel especially close to and appreciative of that person. Outside activities also give you something new to talk about and discuss together helping you to keep your relationship fresh and interesting.

Keep Your Sense of Humor

Aging can be difficult but it is much more bearable if you can see the humor in things. Instead of mourning the changes in your life, try to focus on the bright side. Make sure that your sense of humor doesn’t slip into making fun of your partner or his or her sensitive issues, however. Be sensitive to each other’s feelings but don’t be afraid to face the realities of life and aging with a smile.

Keep the Lines of Communication Open

Of all of the seasons of your life and marriage, the years following retirement present some of the most difficult decisions and dilemmas. Health challenges and financial decisions can weigh you down with stress and worry. Share the load with one another and don’t make any topics off limits. As you work together to make difficult decisions you can find strength in numbers. This strength can be vital for navigating the sometimes precarious road ahead.

The good news that most retirees need to hear is that marriage after retirement can be especially fulfilling and meaningful. The transition into new roles and routines can be difficult but the challenges are not insurmountable. Whatever your marriage has been like in the past, the future can be as successful and satisfying as you are willing to work to make them.

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