I have a crystal ball on my desk at work. I can peer into it, but all it ever shows me is the woodgrain of my desktop, because I have no psychic abilities to tell the future. It’s a shiny paperweight. Yet, I do have forecasting abilities, based on data. For instance, I know that more than 98% of people would prefer to age in place, in their own homes, than to go to a facility.
There are exceptions, though! I know some people that, once services are needed, are looking forward to assisted living for the different levels of nursing home care. Their food, personal care, and housekeeping are provided for them, and they have community rooms for activities to remain physically and socially active. For generations, this was the most common option if living at home was no longer feasible.
Living with relatives may not be feasible, either. Perhaps you’d rather not, or their home doesn’t have enough space, or it’s filled with stairs or other impediments that you cannot navigate. Maybe there’s an unpleasant resident who shall remain nameless. It happens. Plus, you want to live in your home, not theirs. It’s all about maintaining your independence, your choices, privacy, dignity, in the familiarity of your own home.
Is this often in the back of your mind, wondering if your fate, one day, is checking into a nursing home? Or maybe you’re worrying about a friend or loved one in that situation. What if I told you that it’s not the only option? That’s right. There are several ways to stay in your home, comfortably and safely, and often at no cost to you.
CareWell Services Southwest is a proud grantee of the MI Options Program. The program’s mission is to show you the various programs and local individual supports available in your home, so you can remain there. We’re trained, certified, and funded by the State of Michigan to provide you with free and unbiased counseling. We’ll find out what types of support and services you wish to have, and help you put those in place. Some of these options include Home Help, MI Choice Waiver, P.A.C.E, D-SNP plans, and ACLS programs, plus Adult Foster Care and Assisted Living if you would prefer that.
You might think, “I make too much money to qualify for that.” Maybe I’m a psychic after all! No, it’s still data and education. The plans and programs above have varying income and asset eligibility. Many have eligibility criteria that are dramatically higher than regular Medicaid, and one has no income limit at all. Some are only based on your individual income, rather than a couple’s total income. In other words, we’re here to maintain, and in some cases improve, your lifestyle while helping you do what you can no longer do for yourself.
We also have other programs and activities to help you thrive. Try our Matter of Balance class, offered multiple times each year – it’s popular. It teaches fall prevention, safety measures, strength, flexibility and showing you how to get up if you do take a tumble. We have many other exercise classes to optimize your fitness and vitality, and each is for every fitness or mobility level. Those are free too. In fact, everything is at no cost to you, except our Friday Lunch and Learns, with topics that are relevant, informative and entertaining. Lunch is $7, but you are welcome to bring your own if you prefer.
MI Options counseling is open to any resident 18 and older and/or their caregivers. Sometimes services are immediately needed, but we also encourage you to visit now even if you’re in perfect health, so that you can decide how your future will unfold.
CareWell Services Southwest is your Area Agency on Aging. All of the described programs are provided to you via local, state, and federal grants. We exist to promote your health, independence, and choice. This is one of the many ways we achieve that. Call (269) 966-2450 or stop in to set an appointment. We’re located in the Kool Family Community Center, on the second floor at 200 W. Michigan Avenue, in Battle Creek.