From Hospital to Home: Know Your Options

By Amy Miller

Are you aware that Medicare will cover a hospital stay for 14 days and then release you to a rehab center, nursing home, hospice or home (“your choice”)? This can come as a surprise to many who are hospitalized with a serious illness.

A Hospitalist (a doctor who manages your care while in the hospital) makes recommendations for nursing or rehab care when you are released. What they don’t talk with you about is the cost - just where to go for care.

Room rates are not included in medical bills and not covered by Medicare. Room rates alone might costs up to an average of $1600 a day in an assisted living/rehab facility. This bill may require you to place a lien on your home or cash out your life savings. Some attorneys may advise you to get a divorce to prevent your spouse from being responsible for your medical debt after it’s been incurred. Only those who have been pre-qualified and meet the financial requirements ($120,000 for couples and $3000 for individuals in assets, excluding your home), will not have to worry about the cost of the rooms fees.

Basically, you are being told to spend down your income and wealth until you qualify for bankruptcy. Believing this is the only option you have, you don’t know to look for another options.

Many people want to live in their homes and receive care and support from their family members while they recover from their illnesses. Yet, many say they don’t want to be a burden: families are busy, live too far away, have broken relationships, or just unaware.

Men are especially vulnerable as many wives cannot physically care for their husbands should they fall. Many sons are not aware of who provides personal care (showers, shaving, toileting) for their parents. If they were, they might be more engaged. Adult children assume someone else will provide better care for them than we can for our parents. I’m here to tell you, don’t assume anything.

Family members are often surprised to learn they can be paid to care for their loved ones. Personal care companies are paid $33 an hour by insurance (yet PCA’s take home pay is between $12-$17 an hour). Private nursing care can cost be between $70-$125 an hour.

Instead, gift a family member $16,000 a year as a tax free gift (per IRS guidelines) for that same care while at home. Payroll taxes may apply if you pay them more. Of course, more than one family member can receive this gift as they provide respite or other services. Long term care and life insurance may pay if certain requirements are met. If you don’t have the money, pay what you can.

Create and design a Family Caregiving Agreements in advance to communicate your wishes. Customize it to fit your personal circumstances. This gives you and your family the peace of mind that you will get the care you need while providing for your family.

Amy Miller is Founder and CEO of Our Family Encounter, an end of life planning service covering everything from assistance with simple chores to final wishes, based in Eden Prairie. Visit ourfamilyencounter.com for more information.

  

About Age-Friendly Maple Grove

Age-Friendly Maple Grove is a community-driven, city-sponsored initiative to make Maple Grove a better place to grow older.

In 2016 the City of Maple Grove joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities, part of the World Health Organization’s Age-Friendly Cities program. Member cities & counties (see the list here) include 22 in Minnesota--including Hennepin County--more more than 818 in the U.S., and 1,000+ worldwide. The State of Minnesota also joined the network in January 2022. As members, we commit to taking steps to become age-friendlier by following this program’s framework. According to WHO, age-friendly cities are places where older adults can “live in security, enjoy good health and continue to participate fully in society.”

Our fundamental model of society must change. Cities simply haven’t been built, and services developed, with modern lifespans in mind. In Maple Grove, nearly 28% of the population is 55 or older, up from about 11 percent in 2000. Society-wide ageism persists as well, with negative consequences for all of us. Aging is being redefined as we enter this unprecedented era.

Age-Friendly Maple Grove launched with the recognition of these profound demographic and cultural shifts and a mission to ensure that older adults are valued, supported and able to contribute to and participate in community life for as long as possible. Its Leadership Team is comprised of city staff, community volunteers, and representatives from health care, senior housing, nonprofit community organizations, home health care service providers, and others.

AF MG launched its second three-year action plan in January 2024. The plan covers numerous domains of community life - including housing, transportation, communication and information,  social connection, and more. It addresses priorities that were developed through a community needs assessment conducted in 2022 and 2023.

Interested stakeholders and community members are encouraged to get involved at any level--from simply attending a meeting to diving into a project to contributing to strategic planning.

Learn more:

Leadership Team

The Leadership Team meets quarterly. In 2024, meeting dates are Feb. 9, May 10, August 9, November 8, and meeting times are 9-10:30am.* All are welcome to attend. Meetings are held virtually via WebEx. To join a virtual meeting, please email efaust@maplegrovemn.gov.

Members


Patty Anderson, Resident
Byron Byraiah, Hindu Temple
Tim Conaway, Resident; Maple Grove Lions
Andrea Erickson, SilverCreek on Main
Liz Faust, 55 Forward Supervisor, City of Maple Grove (Chair, Age-Friendly Maple Grove)
Deane Gradous, Resident
Goytree Hakim, Resident
Joe Hogeboom, Community Development Director, City of Maple Grove
Esther Hollender-Felson, CROSS Services
Kristy Janigo, Councilmember, City of Maple Grove
Marie Maslowski, Resident
Carmen Mazzuchella, Resident
Carrie McLachlan, North Memorial Health System
Kara Melvin, CROSS Services
Lydia Morken, Morken Consulting
Giannina Posner, Three Rivers Park District
Jennifer Olson, SilverCreek on Main
Kelly Swanson, Resident; MHealth Fairview Maple Grove Clinics
Cheryl Nelson Theuninck, Resident; United Health Group
Bill Tiedemann, Trellis (Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging)
Jane Warren, Resident

 

 

Services & Resources

Welcome! Age-Friendly Maple Grove has compiled a collection of resources to help connect residents to services and information on a range of topics related to aging. New information will be added over time. Use the topics below/left to find what you are looking for. 

Please note that by making this information available, it does not constitute any endorsements by the City of Maple Grove, its officers or employees of the linked web sites, or the information, products, or services contained therein. View full disclaimer.

Please note that by making this information available, it does not constitute any endorsements by the City of Maple Grove, its officers or employees of the linked web sites, or the information, products, or services contained therein. The City of Maple Grove does not exercise editorial control over the information you may find at these locations and is not responsible for it. All links are provided and are intended solely for informational purposes and are not to be construed, under any circumstances, by implication or otherwise, as an endorsement by the City of Maple Grove.

(View full disclaimer.) 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Age-Friendly Maple Grove?

AF MG is community-driven, City-sponsored initiative to make Maple Grove a better place to grow older and where residents can thrive at all stages of life. Maple Grove is a member of the World Health Organization/AARP Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities. Learn more by clicking here, or view our three-year action plan. This plan details the history of Age-Friendly Maple Grove and the work to be completed through 2021.

How can I participate in Age-Friendly Maple Grove?

Community members and other interested stakeholders are encouraged to get involved. Attend monthly Leadership Team meetings, join a sub-committee (such as Housing, Transportation, Social Participation, etc.), or volunteer in another way that fits your interest and availability. Use the Contact Us form (or send an email to info@agefriendlymaplegrove.org) to be added to the email list or learn more about how you can help shape the future of Maple Grove.

How can I share a concern or provide input about what would make Maple Grove an age-friendlier community?

Age-Friendly Maple Grove encourages ongoing feedback and ideas about how to make the community a better place for older residents. Use the Contact Us form or call us at 763-494-6524 to share your thoughts.

How can I become a sponsor or make a donation?

Age-Friendly Maple Grove is grateful for its generous sponsors and community supporters. Financial contributions from businesses and other organizations, community groups, and individuals are welcomed. We are a lean operation that accomplishes a lot with a modest budget. For information about sponsorship or donation opportunities, please contact info@agefriendlymaplegrove.org, call 763-494-6524, or request more information at Contact Us.

How can I add information to the Age-Friendly Maple Grove website?

News or Events
If you would like to add an event or community news to our News & Events section, please send details to Contact Us.

Other information
If you would like to request that your business or service be listed on the Age-Friendly Maple Grove website, please send information about your business/service, its relevance to AF MG, a link to your website, any other important information, and your contact information using the Contact Us form. 

How can I become an age-friendly business?

Age-friendly businesses are an important aspect of age-friendly communities. Businesses can attract and retain more older customers by making simple, thoughtful changes to their physical spaces and customer service. Age-Friendly Maple Grove is developing an Age-Friendly Business initiative. View our Age-Friendly Business audit by clicking here. Businesses can do a self-audit to identify opportunities for age-friendly improvements.To be considered for a formal audit conducted by Age-Friendly Maple Grove, please Contact Us. This initiative is in progress and will continue to develop over time.

 

On the Blog

Check out the Age-Friendly Maple Grove blog for helpful tips and information. Do you have an idea you would like to share on our blog? Contact Liz at efaust@maplegrovemn.gov to send us your ideas. 

Contact Us

Age-Friendly Maple Grove
12951 Weaver Lake Road
Maple Grove, MN 55369
763-494-6524
info@agefriendlymaplegrove.org
Monday to Friday l 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

  • Please add me to the AF-MG Email List
  • I would like to volunteer with Age-Friendly Maple Grove

Contact information will not be shared and will only be used by Age-Friendly Maple Grove for responding to inquiries.

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