|
 Senior
Living | Jean
Morelli
Jean Morelli
received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Keuka College
in Keuka Park, NY. She has served in the US Army Nurse Core and
was a clinical instructor at St. Francis School of Nursing. She
was the Clinical Director of John J. Kane Hospital. Most
recently she has been the Director of Nursing and an Assistant
Administrator for the Baptist Homes of Western Pa. She will move
to the Director of Health Services at Providence Point at its
opening. Jean is a Registered Nurse, Licensed Nursing Home
Administrator, a member of PANPHA (the Pennsylvania Association
of Non-profit Homes for the Aging), and Vice Chair of the Faith
Based Network.
Considering
a retirement community move?
Most long-term care
insurance policies pay for some or all of the long-term care you
may eventually need, but do not guarantee that you will be able
to find a quality long-term care facility with an opening near
to where you live. An alternative approach to long-term care
insurance is a LifeCare Retirement Community that not only
provides payment for long-term care, but also provides
guaranteed access to a long-term care facility within the
retirement community.
A “LifeCare
Retirement Community” or “Continuing Care Retirement
Community” is an organized residential community for seniors
that provides long-term access to different levels of health
care and other services in a single location. These levels of
care range from “active living” to “assisted living” to
“memory enhanced living” to “skilled nursing care”.
LifeCare Communities assure members access to all levels of care
for their entire remaining life. They also protect the members’
financial security by offering extensive coverage for long-term
care services when needed, for little or no additional cost at
the time services are delivered. This gives community members
both the financial advantages of long-term care insurance and
the answer to where services will be provided. This is called
the LifeCare Advantage!
The number of
LifeCare Retirement Communities has been growing rapidly and is
now the fastest-growing segment of senior living communities.
Many of the communities are accredited by the Continuing Care
Accreditation Commission (CCAC), a national not-for-profit
accrediting body founded in 1985. This commission promotes
quality and integrity in the retirement community industry by
evaluating the community sponsor for financial viability,
governance, quality of residential life, and quality of health
services. In addition to the review by this commission, many
LifeCare communities are also regulated by their State
Department of Insurance.
One generally
thinks of HMOs or health plans, not retirement communities, when
one hears the term “managed care.” However, the greatest
advantage to LifeCare is that it is the only long-term care
alternative whereby the retirement community is “at risk”
for its members’ health. As a result, members of a LifeCare
community typically have the best holistic health and wellness
programs available. This greatly enhances the quality of living
in the community. Residents are healthier and happier and the
community is better off financially because of its intensive
effort to keep members active, engaged, healthy and away from
long-term care health environments. LifeCare is the classic
example of where a member’s interest in staying out of a
nursing care setting is aligned with the community’s financial
interest. The result is truly “managed care” at its best.
Finally, a LifeCare
community offers a unique advantage that may have a significant
impact on your tax return. The Internal Revenue Service has
determined that a member of a LifeCare retirement community may
deduct a percentage of the entrance fee and monthly fees as a
prepaid medical expense on federal income taxes. Your personal
tax advisor can best advise you in this area, but many members
believe this LifeCare advantage helps offset a significant
portion of the cost of the community.
For additional
information on LifeCare Retirement Communities, visit the
American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (www.aahsa.org).
or Pittsburgh’s newest LifeCare Retirement Community
Providence Point (www.providencepoint.org). |
'Tis
the Season
