In an effort to improve public understanding about issues related to health care later in life, reporters at Kaiser Health News recently wrote two important stories. The first, How To Spend Your Final Months At Home, Sweet Home, focuses on people’s desire to be cared for at home for as long as possible. The majority of people with chronic and late-stage illness, such as diabetes and cancer, prefer to stay at home towards the end of their life. Yet, only one-third of deaths occur at home and 30 percent of Americans are in the ICU the month preceding death — a place most people should not be. So do a few more weeks at home matter? The simple answer is “yes” and particularly if what a person truly values is taken seriously.
The second story covers the financial cost of being a caregiver Study: Many Caregivers Spend $7K Annually Out Of Pocket. When it comes to caring for a loved one during the last phase of life, there are a lot of unexpected and unfamiliar responsibilities. Nearly half of caregivers carry out nursing tasks, such as wound care, for which they have not been trained and few resources are available to help with their role. But there’s another unknown that people are not prepared for and that is the cost of being a caregiver. More than three out of four caregivers absorb out-of-pocket costs currently averaging nearly $7,000 a year. These costs, which can be even greater for many people, drain them of their life savings and leave them taking out loans to meet expenses.
To learn more on aging and end of life care, follow Kaiser Health News here.
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Thank you for sharing.