Before looking at how to pay for care, it is essential to understand how much care is actually needed. People often over-estimate or under-estimate care needs. It is also common to misunderstand or be misled regarding eligibility for benefits. Don’t make the mistake of under utilizing benefits that have already been paid for. We can help you sort out the care you need and the resources that are actually available to you. That way, you can make informed decisions and set worthwhile goals regarding the direction you want for your life.

Many falls occur in the home, and everyone’s home setting is unique. A home is based upon the patterns of living established over a person’s entire life. Therefore, it is important to understand why and how rooms and other sections of the home have been set up and maintained – either efficiently or maybe less than optimally. Only then, can workable changes and modifications be made to the home and/or to a person’s routine within the home. Some simple organizational methods can remove the clutter that often cause falls. Other minimal safety strategies may include: improvements to lighting, the addition of railings, alternative furniture options and rearranging work stations. Sometimes, we advise clients to work with general contractors to implement our more involved home modification recommendations. Other times, a Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Orthotist or other medical professional will prove helpful in reducing the risk of falls. We work to identify what is needed for your unique home and way of living, and then we help you put it in place.

Champion Advocates has developed a time-proven approach to communication with medical providers. Recognizing the vital role that physicians and other medical professionals perform, we work with providers as team members for the betterment of the health of our clients. We work to achieve our clients’ health and wellness objectives by: 1) employing a comprehensive Discovery Process 2) documenting significant issues into a person’s medical record and 3) using cross-communication methods throughout the entire continuum of care.

Multiple studies have shown that doctors have ignored Advanced Directives for Health Care in actual medical situations. This means that medical providers could be taking your medical care in a direction that you do not want, even in a direction that is contrary to your actual wishes. We have found that communication with providers can be a tricky and difficult issue also for the person you may have designated to be your “agent” in your Advanced Directive for Health Care. We work to help you clearly understand how to designate your preferences, so your wishes and goals have a good chance of being respected in difficult medical situations.

Time and time again, we hear stories of families upending their lives to deal with family members growing older. We understand the concerns families face when confronting this challenge, as we too have been family caregivers. Family caregivers often believe by living closer to an aging loved one that they will prevent the need for institutional placement. Unfortunately, placement out of the senior’s home is usually the final result. By discussing the shared objective to ‘age in place,’ we can often help families find better alternatives than moving a senior out of their home to live with the family or a family caregiver moving in with a senior. When we talk with families before such a drastic move has been made, we can often prevent many of the mis-steps taken by caring families. We believe Compassionate Aging is the solution for older and younger generations, alike.

Rarely, does someone tell us that they want to leave their home to live in their children’s home or in a facility, no matter how nice it may be. We work to help boomers and seniors remain in their own homes for as long as possible by crafting care plans to achieve greater objectives than just finding a suitable assisted living facility with tasty meals. Boomers and seniors grew up with The American Dream of owning their own homes and of living out their lives in their homes. We work to honor that dream, when other professionals may not see a way to achieve it. Some of our most determined clients have not wanted to spend their final weeks, days or even hours in a medical care setting, so at the appropriate time we have helped to arrange the required end-of-life care to be provided in their homes. Aging in Place can be a real and practical possibility for many individuals and couples, when a dynamic and responsive plan has been designed and implemented.