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4B Daily News – Tuesday, December 6, 2011 On Tuesday, Nov. 22, the Red Bluff FFA Officer team delivered approximately 800 perishable food items to three different families for the Thanksgiv- ing holiday. Mr. Pritchard, Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Svejda's dif- ferent classes brought in canned food items over a two week period. At the FFA monthly chapter meeting, the items were counted and the agriculture department all together had donated about 800 canned foods. The officer team went to Raley's on Tuesday and bought all the foods they thought the families would love to have for their Thanksgiving dinner. Turkeys, stuffing, pumpkin pie, potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, bread and butter and apple cider were all purchased for each family. They then all delivered the food to the families personally, and each family was so grateful to see the multiple boxes of food. The children were so overjoyed and thankful for the food. Thank you to everyone who helped in participat- ing in the Thanksgiving Canned Food Drive. Many seniors lack long-term care plans and risk seeing their Golden Years tarnished CHICAGO (MCT) — Living at home is no longer a safe option for Anna Vitko, who has been in and out of the hospital at least six times since June. She's unsteady on her feet and has battled numer- ous health problems, including diabetes, conges- tive heart failure and chron- ic obstructive pulmonary disease. Her son shares a home with her in Cicero, Ill., but even with his help and the assistance of a part- time caregiver, she has not been able to manage. Like many seniors, she cannot afford to pay for long-term care on her own. Medicare covered her care in a skilled nursing facility for 100 days only, and her Medicare supplementary insurance has run out. Vitko, 83, knows she is better off in the nursing facility and would like to stay there. "The only thing is, the insurance has run out and I have to figure out a way to pay for it," said her son Carl Vitko, who said the situa- tion is stressful financially and emotionally. "It breaks my heart because I didn't want her there. I would love to have her at home." The last thing on most people's minds when they're THE Locally owned & operated Keep the 5A>6 air out & the WARM air in with ENERGY EFFICIENT WINDOWS & DOORS Better Built Windows REMEMBER US FOR ALL YOUR DOOR & MOLDING NEEDS. We're not just for contractors 1040 B Monroe St., Red Bluff (530) 527-7962 LIC#659256 young and healthy is con- templating what life might be like when they aren't. But as they age, they are likely to need costly help, whether it is specialized nursing care, in-home caregivers or assistance with the simple tasks of daily life, like get- ting dressed in the morning. The wealthy can afford to pay for such things, and the poor can qualify for cov- erage through the federal Medicaid program. It is the nation's expansive middle class that can fall between the cracks when it comes to long-term care, experts say. Even those who think ahead often don't save enough because they are struggling to make ends meet. "People buy insurance for their life because they know they are going to die, for their car because they know that can get in an acci- dent, and for their health because they know they can get sick, but people don't tend to buy insurance because they think they are going to need someone to help them take a bath," said Phyllis Mitzen, co-program director of the Center for Long-Term Care Reform at the Health and Medicine Policy Research Group in Chicago. An initiative that would have incorporated long- term care into the Obama Crafter's Boutique Monday-Saturday 10am - 4pm To sell your crafts. CALL NOW! Christmas gifts for family & friends Plenty of parking on Pine Street 650 Main St., Red Bluff 530 528-2723 SPACE AVAILABLE "The government wastes money on ridiculous things and they can't afford to take care of the elderly population. What are they going to do with all of us? They have to come up with some solution." — Carl Vitko administration's health reform plan was scrapped in October after actuaries determined that it would not be financially self-sustain- able over the long haul. The Community Living Assis- tance Services and Supports Act would have created a voluntary, self-funded, employer-based insurance option to help people save for long-term care. In announcing its demise, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius wrote in a letter to Senate leaders that the problem was not going away. "By 2020, we know that an estimated 15 million Americans will need some kind of long-term care and fewer than 3 percent have a long-term care policy," she wrote. "These Americans are our family, our friends and our neighbors. If they are to live productive and independent lives, we need to make sure that they have access to the long-term care supports that make that pos- sible." Costs to society also are expected to skyrocket. Without insurance coverage or personal wealth, Sebelius said "more Americans with disabilities will rely on Medicaid services once their assets are depleted, putting further strain on State and Federal budgets." In Illinois, nursing home care averages about $79,000 per year for a pri- vate room and $61,000 for a semi-private room. The annual cost for care in an assisted living facility aver- ages about $41,000, and home health aides cost about $21 per hour. Most people assume Medicare will pay the bills, but the program covers long-term care only under certain conditions and for a limited time. While Medic- aid covers long-term care, beneficiaries have to be poor or willing to "spend down" their assets to be eli- gible. Private insurance can be expensive and excludes applicants with serious medical problems. As a result, many fami- lies pay out of pocket until they exhaust their resources and then turn to Medicaid. That's the situation the Vitkos find themselves in. "People are forced into poverty," said Jonathan Lavin, president and CEO of AgeOptions, the Area Agency on Aging of Subur- ban Cook County, Ill. "We have people transferring assets so they can get into the Medicaid program. We've asked family care- givers more than anyone should really ask them to do. We've never sorted this out. It's a major concern that ... there aren't enough resources available." In Illinois, the state is establishing a long-term care insurance partnership program to encourage peo- ple to buy private insurance and think about their future needs. "If you get into the pro- gram and buy a special type of long-term care insurance, it will allow you in a legal way to keep your assets, dollar for dollar equal to the amount of benefits you get from your long-term care insurance and still legiti- mately qualify for ... Medic- aid," said Julie Hamos, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Experts agree that the best time to plan for long- term care is when it's not yet needed. Some say con- sumers should start thinking about it in their 40s. The first step is for con- sumers to ask hard ques- tions about how they want to live in their senior years. The answers will guide their planning and determine their choices. For example, do you have children or grandchil- dren who are able and will- Lassen House Lic. #525002331 Assisted Living & Memory Care Community Where our family is committed to yours 705 Luther Road Red Bluff (530) 529-2900 www.LassenHouseALF.com Mon-Fri: 9am - 7pm Sat: 9am - 5pm Sun: Closed En Español 26 Sale Lane, Red Bluff (530) 529-2192 www.Claytonredbluff.com $48,505 3 bedroom, 2 bath Singlewide: Includes home, set-up, delivery, X12 foundation, gravel pad, A/C, skirting and steps www.expresspros.com 530-527-0727 243 So. Main Street ing to help you when you need it? Do you want them to? Would you prefer to stay at home if you become dis- abled? Do you plan to move to another state? Other considerations are: Do you have enough money to pay premiums for private insurance for many years, even decades? Do you have financial assets that you want to leave to your fami- ly? Are you comfortable with the idea of going on Medicaid? What does your spouse or life partner want? Even people with finan- cial means and family members willing to help have to be realistic, said Murray Gordon, CEO at MAGA Ltd., a company based in Riverwoods that specializes in long-term care planning. Gordon said family members often don't know what's involved in caring for a loved one at home. "It takes a big toll on a caregiver, especially if they are not trained," he said. To start planning, Mitzen suggested attending a semi- nar on long-term care run by one of the local area agencies on aging or a local senior center. One option is private insurance, which costs less when the buyer is young. "A good-quality policy bought at age 65 is going to cost between $2,400 and $3,000 a year per person," said Joshua Wiener, director of the program on aging, disability and long-term care at RTI International, a nonprofit research institute. "Even if you're talking about someone who is 50, it is about $1,000 to $2,000 a year per person," Wiener said. "For a married couple, you're talking about as much as three or four grand. That's not chump change, especially now, when peo- ple may be unemployed or under water in terms of their mortgage and the cost of going to college is skyrock- Auto Recycling Inc. *WILL PAY CASH FOR JUNK CARS* Quality Used Parts for Less 824-2880 10 ACRES OF INVENTORY Highway 99W & Capay Road (Halfway between Corning & Orland) 22521 Capay Road, Corning CA. 96021 Mon-Fri 8am-5pm • Sat. 9am-2pm All Star • DOMESTIC • FOREIGN • PICK-UPS eting." Long-term care policies cover in-home care, assisted living facilities and nursing homes, as well as special- ized facilities for people who have Alzheimer's dis- ease, Gordon said. "You can start out at home and move on (to a nursing facility), or vice versa," he said. Although the plans are highly individualized, Gor- don said a typical plan pro- vides for benefits of $200 a day for a five-year period, or about $365,000 in benefits. If the policyholder doesn't use the entire daily benefit, "it remains in your benefit pool, like a saving account," Gordon said. Experts recommend get- ting an inflation rider for the policy, which protects against rising costs. "The way these products work, you buy a fixed max- imum dollar payment per day, unlike health insurance where you pay a percentage of the charge," Wiener said. Policyholders should budget for possible rate increases, which require approval from the state department of insurance, and consider the cost of care in another area if they expect to move. When consumers need care, Mitzen suggests link- ing up with a care coordina- tor who can help them navi- gate the patchwork of ser- vices and put together an individualized plan. "The system is fragment- ed," said Elizabeth Lough, information and assistance team leader at AgeOptions. "You might have to get Meals on Wheels from one agency. You might have to private-pay to have some- one help with bathing. It's not necessarily a seamless system; it can be somewhat patchwork." The Vitkos turned to Solutions for Care, a non- profit social services agency in North Riverside, for help. They also have applied for Medicaid. Carl Vitko says his fingers are crossed. "The government wastes money on ridiculous things and they can't afford to take care of the elderly popula- tion," he said. "What are they going to do with all of us? They have to come up with some solution." Respecting People. Impacting Business Call us. And get back to work. Call us any time for: • An extensive network of recruiting sources • Testing and training • Experienced recruiters • Full-time employees • HR expertise and support services • Temporary Workers • Evaluation hire • Carefully screened candidates • Dedicated service