Kansas senior home care is designed to provide a range of services aimed at letting older adults live independently in the comfort of their own homes. Between homemaker services or hiring a home health aide, seniors can receive assistance with anything from daily errands and companionship to 24-hour care. Currently, there are about 476 home care agencies in Kansas with an average monthly cost of around $3,813.
Hiring a home care aide is a way to provide professional help for you or your loved one, ranging from bathing, dressing, feeding, toileting, and general hygiene, to performing instrumental tasks like housekeeping, general shopping, transportation or meal preparation. For seniors who may be recovering from an illness, surgery, or who just need assistance in their homes, this care type can be the solution. Depending on if a caretaker is a licensed medical professional or a non-medical paraprofessional, your costs will vary in accordance with the specific services provided.
There are a number of cities throughout KS that have senior home care agencies but the median monthly cost ranges from:
City Homemaker Services Monthly Costs Home Health Aide Monthly Costs Lawrence $3,909 $3,909 Manhattan $4,195 $4,767 Topeka $3,813 $3,813 Wichita $3,813 $3,886 Rest of State $3,356 $3,432
Of Kansas' many attractions, the Museum of World Treasures, the Orpheum Theatre, Botanica, Old Cowtown Museum, are some of the must-see locations in the state. The Museum of World Treasures has artifacts from all over the world like dinosaur fossils, Egyptian mummies, a piece of the Berlin wall, signatures of past presidents, and many more interesting artifacts. At The Orpheum Theatre, patrons can enjoy plays, dances, music, and films from some of the best performers in the nation. The Wichita Gardens features a greenhouse for tropical plants, a butterfly house, and other breathtaking garden displays. Old Cowtown Museum is a history museum in Wichita, Kansas complete with historic and reconstructed buildings displaying architecture from the late 19th century.
As a senior, Kansas provides numerous places to go and see, even if you aren't as mobile as before. There are senior centers throughout the state that provide senior-oriented activities such as movies, exercise classes, senior sports, and book clubs. Specialized senior trips are also available to places such as the Cosmosphere, Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, or Monument Rocks. No matter what, you'll be sure to find plenty of interesting activities for seniors in Kansas!
The climate in Kansas supports four seasons with the summers and winters often reaching extremes. The average high during the summer is 92 degrees and the average low during the winter is 18 degrees. Kansas averages around 230 days of sunshine per year and when combined with the moderate to high humidity levels, summers can get quite hot. Short-term temperature extremes are not uncommon. Intense storms are also relatively common with blizzards, thunderstorms, and tornados occurring every year bringing 32 inches of rain and 16 inches of snow annually. Lightweight clothing during the summer and much heavier clothing for the winter are recommended along with raingear.
Kansas is a state with a long history of agricultural excellence, overcoming both the Great Depression and the historical Dust Bowl. This state is situated in the heartlands of the United States and is home to some of the most hard-working people in the nation. Kansas derives its name from the Kansa Native Americans who had once flourished in the area. Today, the state is known as a very conservative and religious state with its fair share of strong-willed Americans staying true to themselves and the land.
Sperling’s Best Places ranked Kansas 44 on a scale of 100 (1 being the lowest crime) for violent crime and 45 for property crime; the United States overall ranked 41 for violent crime and 44 for property crime in comparison to Kansas’ ranking.
When searching for home care in Kansas, it can help to know which areas are safer than others. Here are a few of the safest places found throughout the state of Kansas:
Location Violent Crimes Per 1,000 Residents Property Crimes Per 1,000 Residents Prairie Village 0.41 10.18 Basehor 1.61 9.88 Bel Aire 1.58 10.50 Louisburg 1.16 10.95
(source: safewise.com)
Home health agencies that are Medicare-certified are required to employ health aides who have undergone the approved training and evaluative measures according to federal legislation (42 CFR 484.36). A standard 75 hours of training, along with 16 hours of supervised clinical training and an additional 12 hours of continuing education every 12 months is needed to maintain a home care certification. Federal regulations also outline the qualifications for approved trainers and define the competency evaluation process in tangent with state specifications.
Senior paying for home care can do so in a variety of different ways, each with its own advantages based on your unique financial and health situation.
To start, Medicare does not pay for home care aides, and only covers medical home health care very selectively. The benefits of medicare just do not apply to non-medical care, period. Regardless, Medicare Supplemental Insurances do cover Medicare copayments and deductibles for medical home care, as long as it is determined to be necessary.
Next, U.S. veterans can receive assistance for home care through benefits like the Improved Pension or Homebound and Aid & Attendance Pension. To apply you can contact your local Area Agency on Aging.
Seniors may also choose to pay privately using their private funds, assets, or pensions. Others may choose to open a home equity line of credit or utilize a reverse mortgage put money toward their care. Long-term care insurance is another great way to ensure you receive the proper care, in addition to the option of converting a standard life-insurance policy to cash.
Medicaid is another joint federal and state insurance program available to seniors and their families with low income. The rules, eligibility requirements, and benefits of Medicaid are state-specific and will vary based on your location. Home care is referred to as Home and Community Based Services (HCBS).
Seniors receiving home care from a Medicare-approved home health agency retain a series of guaranteed rights and protections with the intention of keeping your needs met. Before receiving home care in any form, it is required that the home health care agency provides you with information detailing your rights. You’ll be informed that you reserve the right to choose your own home care agency and to decide what services (medical or non-medical) you want to participate in. Your personal privacy and property are to be respected at all times in circumstances that it does not interfere with necessary medical attention.
If there comes a point when you are unable to make decisions regarding your own medical care, you have the right to entrust this responsibility to a family member or legal guardian. Remember, you also retain your Constitutional rights and those afforded to you by the Bill of Rights as a citizen of the United States. If you believe that you have experienced a violation of your rights, do not hesitate to contact a lawyer familiar with elder law or have someone advocate for you.
While receiving home care or any other medical service in Kansas, your rights to obtain written or digital copies of your medical records is possible via written request. It is a common misconception that this information cannot be released to you due to privacy laws, however, this is simply not true. While some cases warrant the denial releasing your information, your healthcare provider must respect your requests and respond within 30 days, or as many as 60 days later including a statement addressing the delay.
Details of your mental and physical health are included in your protected health information which includes medical records, billing records, claims adjudication records, and other private documents. By reviewing your information you’ll always be able to make any corrections needed with the supervision of your healthcare provider and ensure the overall accuracy of these records.
