A book co-authored by a University of Missouri professor helps when people need to make quick calls in finding long term care for their loved ones.
Marylin Rantz is a professor at the University of Misssouri school of nursing who began her research more than 15 years ago. The newest edition of her book, "How to Find the Best Eldercare," focuses on telling people the best ways to find long-term care, and in a short amount of time. She says the book covers common sense topics.
Rantz says other topics tackle tough decisions that might not be so common sense, others might take people by surprise.
She says the biggest change in long-term care over the past few years is the number of options available regarding in-home care, nursing home care and assisted living.
She says families need to weigh their care wishes with their savings. Elder care ranges between five and seven thousand dollars a month. In some cases, but not all, Medicaid kicks in once personal assets have been exhausted.
The book — "How to Find the Best Eldercare: A 20-Minute Guide to Assisted Living, In-Home Care, Nursing Homes & Senior Housing in Your Community" — is available through most retail book stores.
She says the book is both for those who are planning ahead for themselves and others, as well as those who are faced with the task of having to make a quick decision.
The book takes a "series of studies to learn about the best ways to help nursing homes do the best possible care," she says. "We’ve also learned a lot about how to judge the quality of care of nursing homes, what the best quality of care is and what that really means to consumers and healthcare providers. We’ve been able to summarize it so people can actually use it and make judgments."