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Talking with Home Care Services Providers
Caregiving

Talking with Home Care Services Providers

by Richard Bitner
written by Richard Bitner

Home care services can make a huge difference in an elderly loved one’s quality of life. But many families feel like they’re without a road map when starting out with in-home senior care. Talking with Home Care Services Providers
As America’s choice for home care services, caregivers from Visiting Angels understand these feelings better than almost anyone. We know how important it is to feel comfortable with a home care agency and your loved one’s caregiver or caregivers. Talking with Home Care Services Providers
In the words of our CEO and President, Larry Meigs, “Great home care services come down to trust between each care recipient and his or her caregiver.” Talking with Home Care Services Providers

Open Conversation = Trustworthy Home Care Services

One way that top home care agencies promote comfort and trust is through having clients meet with caregivers before starting care. This is a great opportunity for you, your loved one, and your family, allowing you to learn more about a particular caregiver and whether or not they would make a good fit for your loved one.
But if this is your first time hiring a home care services provider, you might not be sure how to handle this conversation. Never fear – our team is here to help.

What to Ask a Home Care Services Provider

To help you through this conversation, we’ve put together a short guide to give you some idea of what to expect and how to prepare. Use the following questions as guidelines for the subjects you’ll want to cover when speaking with your home care services provider.

  • Are they licensed? Most, but not all, states require licensing to provide home care services. Find out if your state requires licensing. If it does, make sure that a prospective caregiver can prove he or she is licensed.
  • Are they experienced? At Visiting Angels, we focus on hiring caregivers with two years or more experience. Other agencies or independent caregivers might not be able to guarantee that kind of experience. So ask your caregiver to detail their experience in senior care.
  • Are they compassionate? Pay close attention to the way your caregiver talks about their work and past clients. The best caregivers treat their clients with kindness, warmth, and compassion. Look for red flags, such as talking about their work as if it’s a chore, or – worse yet – badmouthing their previous clients.
  • Can they meet your needs? Spend time before meeting your home care services provider thinking up all of the potential situations they might run into during care. Write these down, then ask your home care services provider how they would handle these situations.
  • What is their availability? At Visiting Angels, we offer 24/7 scheduling availability and after-hours emergency response. But we know that this isn’t possible for all home care service providers. Your interview is a good time to discuss your caregiver’s availability – both for regular scheduling and urgent situations.
  • Does it feel like a good fit? A caregiver can check off all the right boxes but still give you or, more importantly, your loved one bad vibes. If the fit doesn’t feel right, voice your concerns to the agency. Or, if you are interviewing independent home care services providers, consider expanding your search.

Visiting Angels is proud to offer professional in-home care services throughout the United States. Get in touch with your local office today for a no-cost care consultation. Talking with Home Care Services Providers

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Making Changes to your Medicare During Open Enrollment
Caregiving

Helping Seniors Maintain Their Independence

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

Caregiving agencies typically provide assistance with all activities of daily living. You often hear this referred to as “ADL’s”. These include such everyday tasks as bathing and dressing, personal care, cooking, light housekeeping, medication reminders, transportation, laundry, shopping and running errands, respite care and even hospital discharge assistance. In-home care has been shown to delay the need for and reduce the length of permanent nursing home stays among the elderly giving them the choice to remain living independently in the familiar surroundings of their own home. Helping Seniors Maintain Their Independence
Most caregiving agencies offer part-time, full-time and live-in companions qualified and trained to provide in-home care. These companions are dedicated to providing personal and individual care to their clients and peace of mind to the families. Each caregiver should be thoroughly screened through a national background check as well as rigorous reference checks. In addition, legitimate caregiving agencies protect their clients by maintaining liability and workers’ compensation insurance, and by bonding caregivers through licensed companies. Agencies should also carry “nonowned” automobile insurance covering the caregiver and the client, regardless of whether they are driving their own car or the client’s.
Look for agencies with case managers on staff. Case managers should be available, at no cost to the client or family, to visit prospective clients to evaluate and assess their individual needs before placing a caregiver in the home. This step ensures, or at least increases the likelihood of a perfect fit between client and caregiver. Helping Seniors Maintain Their Independence
Every effort should be made to carefully match the caregiver with the client. Case managers should maintain an ongoing relationship to ensure that the caregiver is meeting and exceeding the client’s current and anticipated needs. Caregiving agencies can help senior citizens and their loved ones deal with the very real, and increasing burden, of independent living without sacrificing the quality of life we all want.

Article provided to the La Quinta Chamber of Commerce

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Understand Your Caregiving Options
Caregiving

Outsourcing Caregiving Help

by Kathy Macaraeg
written by Kathy Macaraeg

Caregiving is challenging. Between managing another person’s health and well-being and running a household, the tasks can become overwhelming. It’s hard to know when to ask for help. We focus on what needs to get done and don’t even realize when it’s time to ask for help. Critical to both of your well-being is to step back and evaluate the situation and accept that you can’t do it all. Outsourcing Caregiving Help

Outsourcing Caregiving HelpDo you need Outside Caregiving Help?

If caring for a loved one is important, you can still do it, but you don’t have to do everything. Find ways to outsource what you don’t want to do so that you can spend more time doing the things you want to do. If preparing healthy meals for your caree is important to you, then do that. If you hate sitting around while your parent gets his/her hair done, outsource that task.
If you are experiencing any of the following, you may want to explore getting some form of caregiving help:

  1. Are you forgetting important appointments or tasks that are impacting your or your caree’s well-being?
  1. Are you becoming angry? Do things get under your skin more quickly than they have in the past? Is the anger affecting your relationship with your caree or family?
  1. Is your health being impacted by the constant stress or workload?
  1. Are you avoiding spending time with your family or friends? Is this because you are so tired or stressed out that you can’t imagine being around people?
  1. Is your caree’s health or safety affected because you don’t have the time or ability to properly care for him/her?

If the situations above sound familiar, you may want to consider getting help with your caregiving or household roles. Society leads us to believe that we can do it all. If we aren’t busy every second of every day, we are not living life to the fullest. That simply isn’t true. Everyone needs downtime. Do You Need Caregiving Help?

What help can you get to lighten your load? Outsourcing Caregiving Help

  1. Errands/Tasks:

    Whether you work full-time or not, if you are caring for someone else and maintain a household, you can drown in the to dos. Is there a high school or college student in your neighborhood who can run the simple errands such as post office trips, grocery shopping, picking up dry cleaning or prescriptions? If you don’t know anyone, there are sites like Task Rabbit that allow you to hire someone to do tasks such as errands, cleaning or even work around the house.

  1. Help with Paperwork:

    If you work outside the home and are managing care for someone with a medical condition or someone with a busy schedule, you may want to consider hiring a personal or virtual assistant a few hours a week to take some of the coordination off your plate. They can help with tasks such as making appointments, following up with providers or doing research. You can also hire someone to handle finances for your caree, but before doing so, make sure the person is licensed and bonded. Outsourcing Caregiving Help

  1. Companion for Caree:

    Do you need some time for yourself, but feel guilty leaving your caree alone? Or, does your caree have early stage dementia and you are concerned about him/her being alone? There are a new crop of companions who will keep your caree company when you aren’t available. They can take them to lunch, play a game of cards or chess with them, or even accompany them to the theater. Of course, you will want to background check any companion you hire and be sure that he/she carries the appropriate insurance if they will be transporting your parent.

  1. In-Home Caregiver:

    You don’t need to bring a caregiver into your parent’s home full-time. I had many clients who had in-home care for a few hours a week. A caregiver can do anything from walk with your senior parent to ensure they are getting exercise safely to cook meals or provide personal care. Once client even had a caregiver come every morning to assist her with getting started for the day. The caregiver helped with bathing and dressing, prepared breakfast for her and went for a walk with her. Some agencies have a minimum hourly requirement while others reduce the rate the longer the caregiver is with your parent. Do your research before bringing someone in the home. Be sure to request the opportunity to interview the caregiver, not just the in-take person from the agency. They are not the same person. And, most importantly, if the caregiver is not the right fit for your parent, don’t feel shy about requesting a new caregiver. You are paying for the service and are entitled to have the right person in your parent’s home.

These are just a few ways to get outside help for everything from the little tasks to the big tasks. You shouldn’t think that hiring help means that you aren’t capable of providing care, or aren’t cutting it. It means that you are focusing on your strengths and making sure that both you and your caree are being well taken care of. Outsourcing Caregiving Help
 

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Cancer Caregiver Tips
Caregiving

Cancer Caregiver Tips

by Kimberly Johnson
written by Kimberly Johnson

Caring for someone with cancer is a stressful job. While doctors handle the cancer treatment, caregivers often manage their patients’ everyday needs — transportation, food, recreation, medications and visits with friends. All the while caregivers must deal with feelings of helplessness and frustration as they watch their loved ones fight battles in which they cannot help. Many people feel guilty if they focus any attention on themselves.
Cancer Caregiver TipsAccording to the Family Caregiver Alliance, studies have consistently reported higher levels of depressive symptoms and mental health problems among caregivers than among their non-caregiving peers. Cancer Caregiver Tips
But caregivers can learn to manage their stress. For example, talking with a trusted friend or counselor can help caregivers reduce stress, feel less helpless and understand how to respond to their loved ones. Cancer Caregiver Tips
Many of the same methods that help caregivers can apply to anyone facing a stressful situation. Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) offers the following tips:

  • Find a treatment center that will help. CTCA’s mind-body medicine team work closely with both patients and caregivers to listen and provide support. CTCA also helps ease stress by coordinating appointments, providing transportation and scheduling travel arrangements and hotel accommodations.
  • Ask for and accept help. If another family member is willing to help out, let them ease your burden. Depending on the source of your stress, you should also seek out additional community resources. For example, cancer caregivers can find support groups for both themselves and patients.
  • Know your limits. Determine what you can and can’t handle, based on your responsibilities to your family and professional life. If adding another obligation is too much, either say, “No” or find someone with whom to split duties.
  • Take care of yourself. Sufficient sleep will help you manage challenges more easily. Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. Start exercising — regular activity can help reduce irritability, fatigue and overall stress levels.
  • Make time for yourself. Relaxing or doing something that you enjoy — even for a few minutes — can go a long way towards lifting your mood. Caregivers should set aside at least five minutes a day to meditate or simply be still and relax.

Provided by: CRC Cancer Caregiver Tips

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Information to Know Before You Hire a Caregiver
Caregiving

Information to Know Before You Hire a Caregiver

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

Information to Know Before You Hire a Caregiver

Information to Know Before You Hire a CaregiverWhen looking for the perfect caregiver, many families don’t know where to begin. Though the Internet offers a quick solution for finding caregiver information, it can also be a misleading source.
Whether looking for a babysitter for a few weeknights or a full-time nanny, knowing the history of your caregivers is vital. In fact, according to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, babysitters are responsible for 4.2 percent of criminal acts against children under six years of age. Though this is a small percentage, some believe these types of crimes could have been prevented with the appropriate information up front.
When conducting a background check, there are two main types to choose from: live court research and online database searches.
Online databases: With an affordable price tag and a quick turnaround with information, many people turn to online sites when looking for the appropriate caregiver for their family. Though many of these sites tout that their applicants are ‘mom recommended,’ many are simply electronic databases with little investigative reporting on applicant history. Though they do report major offenses, such as felonies, these sites often miss the mark on reporting minor crimes and misdemeanors. These are the types of crimes that speak volumes about an applicant’s character and past.
Live court research: In addition to a traditional online search, you should also conduct the more thorough option of live court research. Though a more costly choice, live court research extensively searches current and past court records, both state and federal. Look for a screening company with the most up-to-date information, such as Validity Screening Solutions, who has more than 1,600 record researchers that cover all jurisdictions in the United States, to offer the most current and accurate information. For more information, visit www.validityscreening.com.
Create a caregiver checklist
“A thorough screening includes live court research in addition to an online web search,” said Darren Dupriest, president and CEO of Validity Screening Solutions. “Make sure your search includes an all-encompassing look at an applicant’s verifications, records with federal and state agencies and other personal assessment screenings, which are all important determinants when choosing the best caregiver for your family.”
Before choosing the appropriate background check, make sure it hits all the important marks listed below:
Criminal Records: A thorough search will identify any felony or misdemeanor criminal convictions. This search should be current enough to include any pending cases involving the candidate.
Sex offender registries: A criminal record search alone does not include significant sex offender information because each state has its own stand-alone registry. Be sure to look for a screening company that offers a multi-state check.
Driving records: For caregivers required to drive on the job, a thorough check of their driving history is essential. This includes the possession of a valid driver’s license, and ensuring it has not been suspended, revoked and the applicant has no objectionable moving violations.

Verification: A proper check will ensure that past employment, certifications and references are verified through the original source.
A complete review of a potential caregiver ensures you are entrusting your family to the safest, best care possible. It also provides peace of mind while you are away from them, which, in itself, is priceless.

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Consider Elder Care Franchise Ownership
Caregiving

Consider Elder Care Franchise Ownership

by Richard Bitner
written by Richard Bitner

The Joys of Professional Caregivers & Senior Care Franchise Owners

One of the greatest pleasures in life is knowing that your work is making a positive impact. In few industries is this felt as much as when you work as a professional caregiver or run a senior care franchise. By helping the elderly find comfort and contentment at home, caregivers bring more happiness minute-by-minute into other people’s lives than almost any other kind of professional.
At Visiting Angels, our work in the home care industry has taught us that as well as anyone. As the #1 rated senior care franchise in Franchise Business Review’s 2015 Satisfaction survey, we’ve helped countless entrepreneurs, senior care experts, and professional caregivers discover the satisfaction that comes through delivering high-quality senior care.
Here are some of the joys that our team and our caregivers have found in over 18 years of professional caregiving…

Little Gestures, Lasting Happiness

CaregiverWhen it comes to senior home care, sometimes even the littlest gestures bring out the biggest smiles. Every one of our senior care franchise owners has some story of a tiny moment that delivered lasting memories. As people age, they grow to cherish the little things more and more. A cup of tea at the right moment. A steadying hand walking up the front steps. Someone to share a fond memory with. By being there with a helping hand and a sympathetic ear, you’ll discover how the small things lead to lasting happiness.

A Link to the Past

When you work with the elderly, you’re given a first-hand window into history that no other line of work can afford. Many of our senior care franchise owners pass along the stories their own clients have shared with them. From major moments in American history to small-town family memories, caregivers often see a side of the past that they never would have otherwise.

Aging Made Graceful

It’s no secret that aging can be difficult. As we grow older, our bodies and minds sometimes fail us, leaving us feeling vulnerable, weak, or embarrassed. As a professional caregiver or senior care franchise owner, you’re able to relieve these feelings of helplessness. Often all it takes is a supportive reminder or a little bit of help with a common household task. You might not notice it at first, but the relief that comes in these moments can be immense for the care recipient.

Extraordinary Relationships

Unlike any number of other industries, caregiving leads to close relationships. When you become part of a senior’s life, you can’t help but form a bond. For many of our clients, senior care franchise owners, and caregivers, these relationships are a two-way street. Our elders are often sources of great warmth and great wisdom, and many caregivers find that they receive just as much from their care recipients as their care recipients receive from them.

A Far-Reaching Impact

From the outside, a caregiver’s work might seem like it has a limited impact. But any caregiver or senior care franchise owner can tell you that senior care helps more than just individual seniors. In many cases, our work is a lifeline for busy, overburdened families. For children and other family members of elderly persons, the difference made by high-quality senior care is tremendous. At Visiting Angels, we’ve received open appreciation from so many of our clients’ families – thanks that we truly cherish.
To discover more about the joys of professional caregiving, listen to Visiting Angels franchise owners talk about the joys of being a senior care franchise owner/operator.
Visiting Angels
YouTube.com/user/VisitingAngels1
https://www.facebook.com/VisitingAngelsCorporate
 

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Is Your Aging Loved One At Risk for Malnutrition?
Age-In-Place

When Is At-Home Senior Care Necessary?

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

It’s no surprise that many people want to do all that they can for an aging parent or relative. But life sometimes gets in the way. From work, to family, to the difficulties that aging brings about, its rare that you can do it all on your own. When that happens, you may need at-home assistance from a senior care professional. When Is At-Home Senior Care Necessary?
At Visiting Angels, our caregivers provide high-quality at-home senior care to families in need, so we know what kinds of situations make senior care necessary. We’ve helped countless families navigate the decision around senior care, and we can do the same for you.
Are you concerned that a parent or relative may need at-home senior care? If so, the following signs may let you know whether or not you and your loved one can benefit from professional care:

You Find Yourself Overwhelmed

Does caring for your parent or relative eat up most of your free time? Do you regularly find yourself tired, overworked, or exhausted from the burden of caregiving? Are you finding it hard to make time for work, family, or relationships due to the time you spend caring for your loved one?
If so, at-home senior care may be exactly what you need. Professional caregivers provide much needed respite for overwhelmed family members charged with the care of a loved one. One option you may wish to explore is part-time care, which will allow you to manage the amount of time, effort, and energy you spend caring for your parent or relative.

Your Loved One Is Starting to Struggle

Often, the need for at-home senior care stems from challenges and difficulties related to advanced aging. Generally, these challenges fall into one of three categories: physical, mental, or emotional.

  • Physical Challenges. As your loved one ages, they may begin to struggle with movement, balance, everyday tasks, or bodily functions. These kinds of challenges can be tough to deal with. Sometimes you may feel physically overmatched. Other times, your loved one may be embarrassed to ask for your help and would prefer the help offered by a non-family member.
  • Mental Challenges. Problems with memory can occur naturally with aging, making it difficult to leave a loved one unattended. Even bigger challenges are posed by memory disorders like dementia or Alzheimer’s, which can be tough to handle without the help of a professional and are often particularly taxing on family members.
  • Emotional Challenges. Aging can sometimes trigger feelings of depression or loneliness. Blue feelings can be brought about or made worse by the death of friends or the loss of a spouse. If you find that your loved one is struggling with mood or emotional issues, you may find that a service such as companion care can help.

You Worry About Leaving Them on Their Own

You can’t be in two places at once, so it can be tough to make sure someone’s there to look after your loved one. If you find that you worry about leaving your loved one at home alone, then at-home senior can help. A care provider will be able to watch over your parent or relative throughout the day, ensuring someone is always there in case anything happens.

Distance Is Getting in the Way

In today’s world, many of us live miles and miles away from our loved ones. While phone calls and emails can keep you connected, they’re not enough when your loved one starts to struggle with day-to-day living. In this case, you may wish to explore long distance at-home senior care. Long distance care programs help families look after and regularly check-in on aging loved ones – all without the need for a red-eye flight or several hours on the highway.
If you find yourself in need of at-home senior care, contact your local Visiting Angels office. Our at-home senior care providers help the elderly and their families make aging at home easier.
Visiting Angels
YouTube.com/user/VisitingAngels1
https://www.facebook.com/VisitingAngelsCorporate

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Personal Consulting for Seniors
Caregiving

Senior Respite Helps Caregivers

by Kimberly Johnson
written by Kimberly Johnson

Senior Respite Helps Caregivers

Senior Respite Helps CaregiversCaregiving is a very hard job. The Center for Disease Control has reported that caregivers end up suffering a lot because of all they do.

  • 35% of caregivers believe it’s hard to find time for themselves
  • 29% suffer emotional and physical stress
  • 54% report that their health is worse
  • 29% have a hard time finding a work life balance

Since caregiving is so incredibly hard, many people decide to take advantage of respite. Senior Respite Helps Caregivers

What Is Respite?

Respite care is often offered by assisted living communities. They provide short-term stays for seniors whose caregivers need a break. They take care of seniors for that short time, so caregivers do not have to worry.
Does this sound like something you would like to take advantage of? If so, I recommend doing it. You work so hard for your older loved one, so take some time to pay attention to your care.
Actually, the National Respite Network advises that caregivers use respite before they become exhausted. This is what prevents burn out and stress related illnesses and diseases.
Some caregivers find respite care to be better than having someone come to their loved one’s house because it’s a different environment. A change of pace can do wonders for your loved one, especially when he or she can meet some people. Not only is this a benefit for you, it’s a benefit for your loved one.

How to Get Respite Care Set Up for Your Loved One

All you have to do to set up respite care is contact assisted living facilities around your local area. Not all of these places offer respite, but many do, so find the ones that do and arrange an interview. During the interview, you can ask questions about how their respite care services work. You can take a tour of the community, and then decide if it’s something your older loved one would like. If possible, bring your loved one with you. This way he or she can have a say about which one is better.
When you’re ready to use respite care, contact the director and arrange the stay. You will need to bring everything that the assisted living facility has requested. If you do not have something, ask if that is okay before you go to drop off your loved one. Sometimes, facilities will not care for your loved one without all of the items needed because of licensing requirements.

Additional Help Is Available

Do you need more help with your caregiving? Kendall Van Blarcom can help you. Offering information about respite care is only one of the ways that he helps people like you. He genuinely cares about you and wants to help you. By talking about your problems, he is able to help you solve them in the ways you want to. Learn more about his personal consulting services. It may just be what you need to turn your life around, so you and your older loved one can be happier and healthier.
Kendall Van Blarcom
www.KvanB.com

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Discussing Your Aging Care and Death
Health

Discussing Your Aging Care and Death

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

Discussing Your Aging Care and Death

Now that Medicare has begun to cover advanced care planning, chaotic life – and dying – decisions will hopefully diminish Discussing Your Care and Death

Discussing Your Aging Care and DeathThe “death panels” have arrived. Starting this month, your physician can charge Medicare for the time she spends speaking with you and your family about end-of-life care – a very good and important step. Lawyers bill for the time they spend counseling clients about estate planning. Until now, doctors have generally provided the analogous service – advanced care planning – for free.

Patients often postpone such discussions because they’re afraid to face their own mortality. And doctors have had an incentive to defer these discussions because they weren’t compensated for their efforts. When the time came, this job often fell to another doctor, usually in the hospital, who hadn’t known the patient as long or as well, and at a time when the patient was likely less able to participate meaningfully in the conversation. This isn’t any different outside the hospital; fewer than a third of people have end-of-life conversations with their loved ones.
While visiting my in-laws in July, I sampled how the new Medicare eligibility for advanced care planning will hopefully change how we doctors approach the conversation. My husband and I had a series of discussions with his parents (at his mother’s request), and I learned a lot from the experience. It’s not that I don’t have these discussions with my patients; I have them all the time. But with my in-laws, I’m not restricted to a one-time office visit or to the chaos of end-of-life decision-making in the hospital. The conversation could unfold slowly and thoughtfully over time.
On the first day, we spent an hour talking about what they enjoy, what makes life worth living and what they fear. On the second day, we spoke for over an hour about how to keep them healthy and safe in their home and what daily activities they find challenging. In other words, we focused a lot on the living, not the dying. It wasn’t until the third day that we spoke at length about end-of-life care. And we’ve spoken more about all these topics (and others) since.

These were not easy conversations. More than three hours of discussion over three days was not long enough to get to everything. It was hard for them to open up – even with us, their loved ones – to reveal their insecurities. And it was hard for my in-laws, as for many older or sick patients, to concentrate for a long period of time.
There’s so much we’ve touched on but haven’t resolved. My mother-in-law, who is seven years older than my father-in-law, is very worried about the increasing load of caregiving. “Thank heavens that we have the support groups, because they are so helpful,” she told us. “But you get a picture painted of what’s going to happen. I hear women in the support group talking about their husbands. They dress their husbands from top to bottom. They wash them. Right now we really have it good.”
As we’ve told her before, being a wife doesn’t mean she has to be the primary caregiver. But it isn’t cheap to hire outside help; 90% of long-term care of the old or disabled is provided by unpaid caregivers like spouses, and it takes a heavy toll on their health, well-being and finances.

My father-in-law is worried about the progression of his Parkinson’s disease. “I see people in the Parkinson’s support group who are in steady decline, and all of a sudden they’re in a care center. And then you read about them in the obituary column,” he told us. My father-in law doesn’t want to go to a memory care center alone. He wants my mother-in-law to go with him. But the reality is that – unless she develops dementia – she won’t. And we still haven’t dealt with this head-on.
It’s important to know if a patient wants CPR, electric shocks, to be put on a ventilator, to be given a feeding tube or antibiotics, or other life support. But it’s also important to understand how someone wants to live; isn’t what happens to us in life more important than the distribution of our assets when we’re gone? So why is it so controversial to talk about these issues: our challenges with falling, taking medications, getting out of bed or a chair, walking, bathing, dressing, preparing meals, eating, toileting, housekeeping, managing our finances, shopping or driving?
Starting this month, Medicare is also testing an approach that wouldn’t force us to choose between treatment that might cure and hospice care, which seeks to alleviate pain and other end-of-life symptoms. We can choose both, an approach that has been shown to improve quality of life while reducing costs.
That said, this is the United States of America: how we live often boils down to how much money we – or in the case of our health, our insurance company – have to spend. At least now, there will be money to help us talk about how we want to live until we die.

Author Celine Gounder at The Guardian

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