Commun ty Matters Topeka Presbyterian Manor
June 2016
The two biggest misconceptions about aging care By Sudipto Banerjee There are many uncertainties in retirement. For example, we don’t know how long we are going to live, what the interest rates will be or how the stock market will behave. But one thing is nearly certain: our health will decline as we age. That means at some point, most of us will face serious functional limitations and, in the event of serious health shocks, maybe even permanent disability. As a result, a large number of older Americans might require professional medical care at home or in institutions such as nursing homes. But there is a lack of awareness about the risk of long-term care because of two big misconceptions surrounding the topic. Misconception No. 1: Very few people end up using long-term care. This study by researchers from LONG-TERM CARE, continued on page 3
Charles Moore with his three winning entries in Art is Ageless®: “Altered Book, But Not the Word,” “Quilted Butterfly” and “Hippo-Drama Clock.”
Topeka artist has history with Presbyterian Manor Local artist Charles Moore may be a familiar face around the Topeka Presbyterian Manor, but not for the same reasons he was known around here from 1979 through 1981. “I was the administrator here and was responsible for the day-to-day operations and delivery of health care for those individuals living in the nursing wing as well as those in independent living,” said Charles. “What I learned from my experience with PMMA was the importance of the network and camaraderie I would build with other administrators as a valuable tool in forming my management style for the administration of adult care homes and continuing care retirement communities.” Charles had a long and successful career at various senior living communities. He most recently served as the director of health facilities and survey support at the Bureau of Child Care and Health Facilities with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Now, Charles is well known around here for his artistic talent and the multiple prizes he’s taken home from our Art is Ageless juried art competition. He’s now a professional artist and is the resident artist for the Topeka Zoological Park. So how did Charles make the change from a career serving others in the ARTIST continued on page 2
ARTIST, continued from page 1
adult care community to a career delighting others with the arts? “My last office with the state in the Curtis Building at 10th and Kansas faced a mural being designed and painted by a group of elementary school children. I remember thinking over that summer that surely this is something I could do if given the opportunity with a local business,” he said. “Mose Hugghis with K9 OTC gave me such an opportunity upon my retirement to paint a mural for his business (which trains dogs for law enforcement). I recall thinking later that it was something like jumping in the deep end of a pool before knowing how to swim. But swim with my paintbrush and cans of paint I did.”
This partnership later led to Charles gaining access to the Topeka Zoological Park to complete a series of murals in their Gary Clarke Education Center. “From that point, one could say the rest is history,” said Charles. “Since that first mural in downtown Topeka I have gone on to complete at least one to two murals a year for the zoo, one mural for the city of Perry, and a variety of other artistic endeavors.” Charles thoroughly enjoys his newfound career, and takes great delight in the variety of different works he creates. “My mediums now consists of everything from murals as large as 2,000-plus square feet in size, to small drawings and acrylic paintings (usually of animals), to
photo boards, to altered book creations, and even a face-painting endeavor that has netted over $6,000 in contributions to the conservation fund for the protection of endangered species.” We’re grateful Charles has shared his artwork with us, and we congratulate him for taking home three prizes from the most recent Art is Ageless® event. “I am always on the outlook for events that I can share my work with others, and I felt an event specifically for those over age 65 and from an organization I had previous experience with was the perfect opportunity,” said Charles. “I spotted the ad in a newspaper while filling in as a guest teacher for one of the art teachers at Washburn Rural High School. What a perfect opportunity!”
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Jami Colson, marketing director
To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Jami Colson, marketing director, at jcolson@ pmma.org.
Support Presybterian Manors of Mid-America with a gift to the Good Samaritan Program. We’ll add another balloon to the bouquet and residents will see how much you care. Donate online at: PresbyterianManors.org/How_To_Give or stop by the front desk to make a gift.
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Community Matters June 2016
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LONG-TERM CARE, continued from page 1
the National Bureau of Economic Research estimates that a 50-yearold has a 53 to 59 percent chance of entering a nursing home during his or her lifetime. In a recent study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), where I work, we found that between 2010 and 2012, nearly a quarter (23 percent) of those at or above age 85 recorded overnight stays in a nursing home facility. This number may not seem too high, but it is only for those who survived the entire two-year period of the study.When we analyzed the sample of only those who died during the same two-year period, the corresponding number was 62 percent. Misconception No. 2: Medicare pays for all long-term care needs. Medicare covers some part of nursing-home expenses up to 100 days, but only in a skilled nursing facility and the nursing-home stay
must be preceded by a qualifying hospital stay of more than three consecutive days.
during the two-year period examined, households with a member aged 85 or above spent an average of $24,185 out-of-pocket for long-term care Custodial care (nonmedical assistance, expenses. But the households in the typically for activities of daily living such as bathing, eating and dressing), top 10 percent of nursing-home spending spent more than $66,600. which is the most common form of long-term care provided by nursing Long-term care costs are probably homes, is not covered by Medicare. most concerning for middle-income Medicaid pays for such care, but families typically must exhaust nearly all of their income and assets to qualify. As a result, Medicaid is the long-term care coverage of last resort for those with no assets. Long-term care costs According to a John Hancock national study of long-term care costs, in 2013, the average annual cost of care in the U.S. was $94,170 for a private room in a nursing home ($82,855 for a semi-private room); $41,124 for an assisted living community and $18,460 for adult day care. In the EBRI study mentioned above,
households. High-income households may be able to self-insure and lowincome households may not have enough assets to protect, so Medicaid will likely cover their expenses.
According to EBRI’s Retirement Security Projection Model predictions, 89 percent of households in the second-income quartile will not run short of money in retirement if these unpredictable health care costs are ignored. However, if these costs are included, only 42 percent of households in that income group won’t run short of money, based on projections.
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MAKE THE MOVE Take advantage of Presbyterian Manor’s maintenance-free lifestyle—and find more time for what you enjoy. Call 785-272-6510 for more information. Topeka Presbyterian Manor
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Topeka Presbyterian Manor 4712 S.W. Sixth Ave. Topeka, KS 66606-2284 Return Service Requested
August signals the beginning of school What are your memories of school? Were you a teacher or lifelong student? Did you get a degree late in life? How did education shape your life? If you’ve got a story to share, contact Marketing Director Jami Colson, and your story could be featured in an upcoming edition of Community Matters.
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Community Matters June 2016
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