Resource for Alzheimer’s/Dementia: MEternally

MEternally is who you are, where you come from, what may not be seen but is still there. We believe that connections can be made between those with dementia and those who love and care for them through pictures of things that they love and identify with. These same pictures can provide comfort and promote reminiscence.

What started as a college class project has turned into a business dedicated to create comfort, promote connections, and inspire reminiscence. Below is an article that was written which actually gives a very good history of how it all came about. Snap of the past, connects to today – Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Through our software and DVD products we provide collections of common and creative themes and continue our progress towards custom and deeply meaningful products at reasonable prices for those affected by dementia. The first DVD in the series (Favorite Things – Nature Collection) is ready to ship with others scheduled throughout the year. We also have an active software pilot which we offer through our website, in exchange for feedback on how we can make our product better. People can sign up to participate in the software pilot, purchase DVDs, or find out more about us on our website. MEternally.com

Review in Alzlive.com

When Care At Home Is No Longer Possible

While you and other families provide 75 percent of long-term care in this country, at some point it may become impossible to provide care in the home. Necessary care may be too specialized, too expensive, or may be required 24 hours a day. For many families, moving a loved one to a residential care setting is the most difficult decision they will ever face.

Residential Care May Be The Right Decision If:
  •  The person has health needs that can’t be met at home.
  • The caregiver is emotionally and physically exhausted and family and community resources have already been tried.
  • The person can’t be safely cared for at home.
  • The caregiver’s safety is at risk.
  • Although the person you care for may not need residential care now, it’s smart to prepare for that possibility. It’s stressful to arrange for care during a crisis; you may find yourself with care you would not have chosen if you had more preparation time.
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Who Needs Estate Planning?

Why estate planning is so important, and not just for the rich.

You have an estate.
It doesn’t matter how limited (or unlimited) your means may be, and it doesn’t matter if you own a mansion or a motor home.

 

Rich or poor, when you die, you leave behind an estate.
For some, this can mean real property, cash, an investment portfolio and more. For others, it could be as straightforward as the $10 bill in their wallet and the clothes on their back. Either way, what you leave behind when you die is considered to be your “estate”.

 

“But, I don’t need estate planning … do I?”
Let’s think about that. If the estate is small, should you still plan? Well, even if you’re just leaving behind the $10 bill in your wallet, who will inherit it? Do you have a spouse? Children? Is it theirs? Should it go to just one of them, or be split between them? If you don’t decide, you could potentially be leaving behind a legacy of legal headaches to your survivors. This, quite simply, is what estate planning is all about – deciding how what you have now (money and assets) will be distributed after your lifetime.

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Care Management: What it is and how we help

Geriatric Care Managers, also known as Care Consultants, Care Coordinators or Elder Care Managers are professionals who specialize in working with seniors and their families to coordinate their care needs. A Geriatric Care Manager may be a nurse, social worker, counselor, psychologist or gerontologist who has training and experience specifically in working with older people.  Geriatric Care Managers help with short-term projects or can be involved in a more on-going relationship. Geriatric Care Managers offer a large variety of services to assist older people and their families in meeting their care needs.

Geriatric Care Managers can:

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Partnership Plans for Long Term Care

Many states are assisting their residents to buy LTC insurance.

A helping hand for a pressing need – With the baby boom generation maturing, numerous studies and articles have pointed out the rising need for long term care. Some state governments have directly responded to it.

Now, many states have created partnership programs to encourage their residents to purchase LTC insurance coverage. It only makes sense: if more people opt to privately insure themselves, a state will face less of a burden and less liability when it comes to its own eldercare programs and eldercare costs.

How the partnership plans work – Essentially, these plans provide dollar-for-dollar asset protection when you buy an LTC policy. So for every dollar the policy pays out in benefits, you get an equal dollar amount in asset protection under a state’s Medicaid spend-down regulations.

What does this mean for you? It means that you are able to retain assets you would otherwise have to spend down before you could qualify for state Medicaid benefits. These partnership plans let you protect an amount of funds equal to the amount the policy pays out in benefits and still qualify for state Medicaid assistance (as long as you have used up all policy benefits and still require long term care).

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Learning more about ACT on Alzheimer’s

YouTube
Collaborative Work and Goals for ACTing on Alzheimer’s

 

YouTube
Caregiver Support Priority and Local Resources

 

The work of ACT on Alzheimer’s® succeeds largely because of the passion and commitment of the partners, supporters, action communities and Minnesotans dedicated to preparing our state for the future.

As a statewide collaboration, ACT on Alzheimer’s fosters collective ownership and accountability in preparing Minnesota for the personal, social and budgetary impacts of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.  No single organization owns, finances or controls the initiative.  The collaboration has more than 250 participants, including 60+ nonprofit, governmental and private organizations, and works toward five goals:

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