Transitional care can fill a gap between returning home from the hospital after a procedure, or a rehab facility after an associated stay.A senior in-home care agency and the care givers they provide are a good option when returning home from a surgical procedure. The healthcare reform that has been evolving over the last several decades has been moving to a shorter hospital stay, and this means patients go home before they might have in the past. This leaves that patient vulnerable, especially if they do not have a support system in place to help them with activities of daily living (ADLs) during their at-home recuperation period.When you are discharged from a hospital or facility, your recovery is often just beginning. A non-medical in-home care agency makes the transition from hospital to home easier with an approach to care management that is built around patient goals and creating a safe environment for recuperation.A customized in-home assessment will take stock of what you need to successfully recover and builds a care plan around your condition and goals. The agency will provide only the most appropriate assistance with companion or personal care services to support their ongoing success. Companion care can include tasks such as transportation, shopping, medication reminders, pet care, meal prep, light housekeeping, and errands. Personal care refers to assistance with hygiene, bathroom use, dressing, and walking.The care plan is designed with your input and is the blueprint for the activities that you need accomplished on a day-to-day basis until you are self-sufficient once again just like prior to the surgical procedure. It should spell out the days and hours of care that will occur as well as the specific tasks that must be completed. Regular visits to the doctor and any necessary follow-up appointments are important to a successful recovery.If you need a ride, the care agency has insured drivers who can get you there and pick up your prescriptions as you return home.Eating nutritious meals is very important to maintaining good health. It becomes even more important when special dietary requirements are necessary, such as with a post-surgical, diabetic, or congestive heart failure patient. Compliance with any post-discharge nutrition orders can be enhanced by prepared meals to meet your specific dietary needs.Many people delay or even avoid having a procedure completed due to not having in-home help when they are back in the comfort of their own home. Being in this situation may not necessarily be restricted to seniors, as anyone of any age might need supplemental help with their care after a hospital stay.Editors Note: This article was submitted by Jeff Kosor, owner of Senior Helpers of Southwest Pittsburgh. He can be reached at 412-851-3223 or JKosor@seniorhelpers.com

The Seniors Blue Book was first published in 1983 by Clifton Chadwick. At the time Cliff was 69 years old and enjoying his retirement when his wife experienced a debilitating stroke. Cliff became her full-time caregiver, a job he cherished, but he was distraught that there was no place to turn for a comprehensive list of resources and services. It was from the love for his wife and commitment to his community that the Seniors Blue Book was born. Fifteen years later in 1997, when Cliff was 83 years old, Gil & Marion Hersch took over the reins from Cliff. With a history in publishing and Gerontology Gil & Marion were very impressed with the publication Cliff had nurtured along and wanted to become a part of it. After Cliff was certain that Gil & Marion had enough integrity to take over the guide and keep intact the many free listings and helpful editorials that he had published, Gil & Marion took over the Seniors Blue Book and soon joined forces with their children Oliver & Samantha. SeniorsBlueBook.com was launched soon after their arrival in 1999. Now, 40 years later, we have no question Cliff would be humbled and proud of where the Seniors Blue Book is today in 2023. Printing 2.7M copies serving 28 markets as well as a nationwide on-line database, the Seniors Blue Book helps thousands of seniors and caregivers every day navigate the confusing and often daunting senior landscape. Our local Publishers truly love the opportunity to help serve people in their communities and I know that would put a big smile on Cliff's face. Today all the Publishers of the Seniors Blue Book thank Cliff for his vision, and we work hard to make sure his vision is respected and honored. One of the greatest benefits of the Seniors Blue Book is the sense of community it fosters. By bringing together information on local resources and services, the book helps seniors and their families feel connected to their community and less isolated. It also provides a sense of empowerment, as seniors are able to make informed decisions about their care and well-being.  Please enjoy reading and learning from the local edition that you hold in your hands, and feel free to reach out to us at any time for any questions or advise we can help you with. The book is an invaluable resource for seniors and their families as they navigate the often-complicated world of aging.  As the Seniors Blue Book turns 40, it is a testament to the vision of its founder and the importance of providing reliable and comprehensive information to seniors and their families. We look forward to many more years of service and support for seniors and their families!

The environmental costs of death are significant and constantly rising. With 8 billion people on the planet right nowall of whom have bodies that die and must be disposed ofwe need to start seriously considering alternatives to traditional options for burial and cremation. Fortunately, more and more green options are being developed to reduce these costs, and this article looks at some of the latest innovations.In most conventional burials, the body is pumped with toxic embalming fluid, placed in a steel casket, and buried within a cement-lined vault six-feet underground. According to the Green Burial Council, burials in the U.S. go through roughly 77,000 trees, 100,000 tons of steel, 1.5 million tons of concrete, and 4.3 million gallons of embalming fluid each year.Although cremation is touted as more eco-friendly than burial, it still comes with serious environmental risks. In fact, cremating a single body uses about the same amount of gas as a 500-mile road trip, according to the Natural Death Center. Cremation also releases some 250 lbs. of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, roughly the same amount an average American home produces in a week.A return to natureWith the death rate expected to spike as Baby Boomers age, the funeral industry is poised to cause even more damage. While green funerals are a recent trend, natural burials were the norm until the Civil War, which coincided with the rise of the industrial age, embalming, and the modern funeral director business.Today, natural burials are making a comeback. Green funerals are designed to not only be more environmentally friendly, but also less expensive overall than conventional burial or cremation. If you want to make your last act on this planet less harmful to the ecosystem, here are 6 green funeral options, along with the best way to include your final wishes in your estate plan.01 Green burialFounded in 2005, the nonprofit Green Burial Council (GBC) establishes environmental standards for green cemeteries, funeral professionals, and funeral-product manufacturers. According to the GBC, a green burial must meet three general criteria:The body cannot be embalmed. The body must be buried without a cement or metal vault or grave liner.Only biodegradable burial containers and shrouds may be used.In green cemeteries, graves are typically marked by GPS or with a simple stone or tree, instead of headstones, metal plaques, and other ornate markers. The grounds are often planted with native species, forgoing pesticides and mechanical landscaping. The graves are shallower than conventional plots, exposing the body to more natural organisms to speed decomposition.Green caskets are constructed from biodegradable materials, such as untreated wood, bamboo, wicker, or cardboard. Burial shrouds should be non-bleached, undyed, and made of natural fabrics like cotton, linen, silk, wool, or hemp. To find funeral providers in your area that offer green burial, use the GBCs list of approved companies.02 AquamationWithout the need for embalming, caskets, or burial vaults, cremation is considered less harmful to the environment than burial. However, a new water-based methodaquamationpromises an even greener alternative. Also called resomation or flameless cremation, the method involves a chemical process in which lye, superheated water, and pressure dissolve the body, rather than burning fossil fuels. The ashes produced by aquamation can be scattered or placed in a biodegradable urn for burial.03 Mushroom burial suitsOne of the latest innovations in green funerals are special burial shrouds containing mushroom spores sewn into the fabric. The suit fits like long-john pajamas, and the mushrooms facilitate decomposition. In addition to absorbing and purifying toxins released by the body, the fungi delivers nutrients to the soil to encourage plant growth. When he died of a stroke at the age of 52, TV and film star Luke Perry was reportedly buried in a mushroom burial suit.04 Eternal reefsEternal Reefs combine ashes from cremated remains with environmentally friendly concrete to create an artificial reef. Submerged on the ocean floor, these hollow reef balls create new habitats for coral, fish, and other marine life. Marked by GPS, your loved ones are encouraged to visit these living memorials by boat, snorkeling, or scuba diving. The company currently has locations in the waters off the following states: Florida, New York, North Carolina, Texas, South Carolina, Maryland, and New Jersey.05 Become a treeIf you arent near the water, but still want to leave a living memorial of yourself, a tree burial might be an attractive alternative. The startup Transcend plans to open forest-based cemeteries across the U.S., where rows of trees, rather than headstones, mark the graves. Heres how it works: the body is wrapped in a biodegradable, linen shroud and placed in a shallow grave thats lined with wood chips or hay. Then, a mixture of soil, wood chips, and fungi is used to fill the grave, and a young tree is planted on top. As the body decomposes, it provides nourishment to feed the tree.Additionally, Transcend has partnered with the nonprofit One Tree Planted, which specializes in planting trees around the world. For every tree burial reserved, Transcend promises to plant an additional 1,000 trees right away. The company expects to launch their first tree burials in 2023. Visit their website to learn more, including how the company plans to ensure your tree will be well-maintained for years to come.06 Human compostingAnother way your death can create new life is by having your remains composted. Known as human composting or recomposting, the process is similar to composting used to fertilize gardens and farms. The body is first placed in a steel cylinder filled with wood chips, straw, and alfalfa, along with bacteria designed to break down organic matter.After roughly a month, your body is transformed into what basically amounts to soil. The end product can either be returned to your family or used to revitalize local conservation areas. Developed in 2020 by the Seattle-based company Recompose, human composting is currently legal in five states: California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and Vermont, with legislation pending in Hawaii and Delaware.Put Your Final Wishes In Your Estate PlanRegardless of the method you select, its critical to include your desires, plans, and the money to pay for disposal of your body in your estate plan. While green funerals are typically less expensive than traditional burial and cremation, they can still cost thousands of dollars. To avoid burdening your loved ones, at the very least, your plan should include enough money to pay for your funeral and legally name the person you want to carry out your desired wishes.Moreover, its typically not a good idea to leave money for your funeral in your will. Any money left in your will wont be accessible to your family until your estate goes through the court process of probate, which can last months or even years. Since many funeral providers require full payment upfront, if you leave funds in your will, your loved ones will likely be stuck with the bill.To avoid the necessity for probate, we often advise our clients to leave money and directions for their immediate post-death wishes in a revocable living trust. A living trust doesnt require probate, so the money for your funeral would be available to your loved ones right away. In the terms of your living trust, you can specify how you want your funeral carried out, and the person you designate as trustee is legally bound to use the funds in the exact manner the terms stipulate. This can be especially important for green funerals, which might not be something your loved ones would choose if left to plan things on their own.Finally, you can change the terms of your living trust at any point during your lifetime, and with new alternatives being developed all the time, this flexibility would allow you to use the very latest innovations in green funerals. If youre interested in creating a trust to cover your funeral expenses, meet with us to discuss the options.Help Your Loved Ones And The PlanetWith proper planning, you can ensure that your death is not only significantly easier and less expensive for your family, but that it also has the most beneficial impact on the environment. Well work with you to prepare an estate plan that includes enough funding to have your funeral handled in the exact manner you desirewithout forcing your family to pay for it. Contact us today to learn more.This article is a service of Sharek Law Office, LLC. We dont just draft documents; we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love. That's why we offer a Life and Legacy Planning Session, during which you will get more financially organized than youve ever been before, and make all the best choices for the people you love. You can begin by calling our office today to schedule a Life and Legacy Planning Session and mention this article to find out how to get this $750 session at no charge. Please note this is educational content only and is not intended to act as legal advice.

To recognize your service as a Veteran, here is some education to highlight the benefits that veterans may get. Essentially there are two Veterans Administrations there is the Veterans Health Administration, and the Veterans Benefits Administration. The Veterans Benefits Administration The Veterans Benefits Administration deals with retiree pensions, service connected disability benefits and improved pension. You could expect to receive a financial reimbursement from the Veterans Benefits Administration. The idea behind the VA improved pension is based on wanting to prevent our wartime veterans from going broke after their services, due to long term care needs.The eligibility requirements for the improved pension is based on the different tiers of care offered. Theres a traditional improved pension and there is whats known as Housebound benefits. In addition there is the Aid and Attendance program catering for those with an increased need for care, when we want to keep people in their home with privately paid caregivers. With this level of care, there are often out of pocket medical expenses, but there is a program which compensates people on a monetary basis for these expenses. Veterans can get between $2,000 and $3,000 in reimbursements to help them.Improved Pension BenefitsThere is also a benefit for the widow of a veteran who has unreimbursed medical expenses which includes a personal care home. The Eligibility requirest the deceased spouse to have been a wartime veteran. He didnt need to serve in the war, but was required to have served 90 days of continuous active duty. One of those days had to have been during a period of war. The veteran would have also needed to be disabled within the VA definition of disability, requiring some form of care. To find out more about the improved pension and the Aid and Attendance program, there are veteran service organizations that will help you with these applications. The social workers at the VAs will point you in the right direction.The Veterans Health Administration The Veterans Health Administration provides access for veterans to receive healthcare in clinics and hospitals. Most veterans are eligible for some level of care and there are different eligibility criteria, depending on how long you served for, or if you were disabled. It is a complicated system and the information on the VA website is vague. I believe it is my duty to provide some helpful information for veterans who may need some form of long term care, either now or in the future.If you are eligible for VA health care coverage, you have to go to a VA and apply for benefits. This involves an analysis for your eligibility to receive healthcare. In addition to the clinics and hospitals, within the VA system there are VA nursing home beds, should you need long term care. There are also privately contracted nursing home beds in private nursing homes which the VA helps pay for. In addition, there are VA in-home health benefits to get a helper to provide care at home. Dont Rely Only On Federal VA BenefitsUnfortunately there are often waiting lists for veterans waiting for nursing home beds. As a result, many veterans end up in private nursing homes paying privately, just like everybody else. Sadly there are many veterans requiring long term care but it is not being provided through the VA because of limited resources. This is why I encourage Veterans to not rely solely on the federal VA for their health care.The state of Pennsylvania has a department of Military and Veterans Affairs, offering some good programs for veterans. There are six nursing homes within the state which service veterans in Allegheny County. It is called the Southwest Veterans Centre in Pittsburgh, and has both a memory care unit and skilled nursing facility. Some of the other centres in Erie County, Blair County, Lackawanna and Philadelphia offer personal care services. You would need to apply for eligibility, and prove your veteran status. I know that Pennsylvania residents are given priority, so Im not sure how many out of state people are served. Their website states that a resident at a veterans home must make monthly payments against maintenance fee liability in accordance with the residents ability to pay. However, this is vague, so if you are helping a veteran, or you are a veteran in need of some long term care, visit their website here. Theres an application online providing the information you need to apply for the long term care benefits.Why You Should Consider Medicaid BenefitsWhile Veterans should not rely solely on VA for their healthcare, I will add that Veterans shouldnt rely too much on Medicare either. This is because Medicare only pays for acute care, and not long term care. Often, veterans end up in civilian long term care settings and they need to apply for Medicaid benefits. It is therefore important to understand the Medicaid rules, if VA benefits dont provide the care that Veterans need. Medicaid is the other payment source for long term care, so being eligible for Medicaid benefits is important. Often, a senior is only eligible for Medicaid benefits when they are broke, after paying for long term care. However, we can avoid that by using an asset protection trust to protect your house and money.How We Can Help YouTo learn more, come to one of our upcoming free estate planning workshops. Register for one of our Three Secrets Workshops by calling us at 724-364-6615. Well teach you about Medicare, Medicaid, trusts, wills and what you need to do to set yourself up for success. See you there!