The main objective for most families is to help their loved ones dwell in their own home for as long as possible. No one's preferred choice is to go to a facility or an institution, despite how appealing the building or the decorations. For a senior to stay home securely they many need a few hours of support or around the clock care. An assessment by you, their doctor and a home care professional is needed to determine what care level is best.

UNDERSTANDING THE COST OF ELDER CARE SERVICES:

According to the MetLife Mature Market Annual Survey on the Cost of Care in the United States, the findings look like this:

 * The national average daily rate for a private room in a nursing home rose 4.4% from $229 in 2010 to $239 in 2011.
* The national average monthly base rate in an assisted living community rose 5.6% from $3,293 in 2010 to $3,477 in 2011.
* The national average daily rate for adult day services rose 4.5% from $67 in 2010 to $70 in 2011.
* The national average hourly rates for home health aides ($21) and homemakers ($19) were unchanged from 2010.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST YOUR FAMILY?

The most effective way to know accurately the amount elder care services will cost is to speak to one of our professionals. All together you can come up with a plan of care and a number of hours that is not only reasonably priced, but keeps your aging loved one safe and in their own home.

Talk to someone about options like The VA AID and ATTENDANCE PENSION BENEFIT, Reverse Mortgages, Life Settlements, and Long-Term Care Insurance. Chances are that one of those programs may be able to help with the cost.

HOW SOON CAN ELDER CARE SERVICES START?

As soon as today in most cases. The start date is up to you, but our team is dedicated to getting a caregiver in your home as soon as you need them.

Contact Liberty Healthcare Services today:             888-877-5282      

Cutting Down on the Clutter That Goes With Elder Care Services in New Jersey

By Paula Spencer Scott, Caring.com senior editor, and Carol O'Dell, Caring.com contributing editor

How quickly every corner of a caregiver's home seems to fill up with medication bottles, assistive devices, insurance paperwork, and all the other stuff associated with elder care services! These ideas will help you clamp down on clutter - and restore a bit of calm to your life:

1. Build an oasis: one little area that's your "no caregiving" zone.

It doesn't have to be a whole room or even a corner of a room - a certain surface, like a stretch of countertop or tabletop, will do. No pills, no papers. This area is meant to always stay nice. Place flowers there and forbid anyone else's junk in this serene, worry-free space.

2. Set up stations.

Designate one elder care "station", where you store medications, hygiene and cleaning products, emergency paperwork, and a care-tracking journal (in which everyone who takes part in the care can record events). It can be a cupboard or shelving. An entertainment station could store all books and DVDs, so they're not scattered everywhere. A coat station (like a closet) becomes the only place outerwear is stored. Having designated areas teaches all family members what "the place for everything" is.

3. Pitch when your loved one isn't looking.

If your loved one raises a fuss because you're throwing out magazines she hasn't read or paper cups that could be used again, get in the habit of tossing things out of the person's range of sight. For your loved one, it's usually "out of sight, out of mind." For you, the purges are sheer necessity.

4. Call a five-minute cleanup.

Set a timer and involve everyone in the house in spending five minutes picking up stray items and putting them where they belong. It doesn't take long - it's even energizing! - but it goes a long way toward minimizing the drifts of stuff.

5. Preserve clutter digitally.

So much of clutter is memorabilia, framed photographs, collectibles, and other objects that family members dread letting go of. Only problem: They take up so much room! One solution is to take pictures of these items - then box the actual things up for storage, donation, or sale. Many older adults enjoy looking at the photos without actually needing to have the objects in the room.

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If you have a loved one who could benefit from the help of elder care services in New Jersey, contact the caregivers at Liberty Healthcare Services. We help seniors and their families with many levels of home care service. Call 888-877-5282 for more information.