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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
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A Continuum of Services
from Monitoring to
Long‑Term Care
or nearly 50 years, Jack Halpern of My Elder has been
helping seniors and their adult children find their way in
a world where things are changing so fast.
“On one hand, we are an advocacy organization,
intervening for people in crisis situations, helping them find the
best facility, and helping them avoid evictions,” explained CEO
Jack Halpern. “But we also help families who don’t know what
they have to do in planning for their elderly parents. We’re there
for the families and the elders to make sure they get the best
care.”
With a national network of businesses and facilities that
provide all levels of care, My Elder can help families who are in
the beginning stages of long-term care planning or those who
are in crisis with equal efficiency and sensitivity.
Judi Birch, an advocate for My Elder Pittsburgh, said there’s
a lot that goes into proper planning for the care of your loved
ones.
“We as a society tend to put it off”, says Birch when asked
about proper planning for elder care. “Our entitlement systems
have also programmed us into expecting that certain services
will be paid for by someone else. It’s not until they need the help
that most people learn what Medicare or insurance will pay for…
and what they will not pay for.”
My Elder is a flat- fee based service that helps families plan for
the future so they’re prepared when health services or assistance
is required. “Plan, Prepare, Protect, I like to say” says Birch. “As
parents age, families encounter sensitive issues more frequently.
If my parent goes to the hospital and I live out of town, how will
that stay be monitored? When the time comes, who will monitor
the discharge? What if my parent needs to be transferred from
hospital to nursing home? Who oversees the process to make
sure my parent’s rights and dignity are protected? What if the
next step is home care? How do I find a qualified agency? When
a family engages the services of My Elder, we step in when this
time comes.”
Halpern notes that getting started early improves results.
“The earlier we get in, the more effective we can be. Families
should contact us at the earliest point they can so we can come
up with solutions and ideas,” he said. “We are there to advise and
assist with the completion of paperwork. We help them make
decisions about appropriate in-home care or entering a facility,
ensuring that a good experience is a likelihood, not just a guess.
When we do our needs assessment, we’re able to determine
what’s the best match for them. We use all of our resources for
whatever the situation calls for and are able to match people to
almost exactly what they need.”
Birch said that if a senior desires to age in place (the industry
term for staying in his/her own home for as long as possible), My
Elder can assist families with making it happen.
Aging in place is a universal desire for seniors, and My Elder
loves nothing more than keeping someone in their own home.
Many times there are solutions like getting the best home care
for them. If they do need more services, My Elder is there to help
maximize resources to provide the correct level of care, while
allowing seniors to maintain their freedom and dignity.
“That’s what our company is about: My Elder is really a
standard for how to take care of your parents all the time.
And with age-in-place clients, we’re not looking at a home
aide coming into the home, sitting there watching TV. We
look for people who will purposefully engage with the clients,
stimulating them to remain active. Additionally, we provide
ongoing monitoring of all services to ensure the care provided is
consistently the highest quality possible.”
For more information on how My Elder can help you and your
loved ones today, call 412.782.4534 or go to myelder.com to see
everything that it offers
821 Main Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15215 412.782.4534 myelder.com
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