Posts by Jennifer Kean
What do Assisted Living Costs Include?
Understanding Base Rates, Levels of Care, and Hidden Costs When families start looking at assisted living for a loved one, the monthly price tag can seem manageable. But many discover that the number on the brochure is just the starting point. The services they assumed were included often cost extra. We talked with Lori Maloney,…
Read MoreDoes Medicare pay for nursing homes?
The Truth About What Is (and Is Not) Covered One of the most common and costly misunderstandings about senior care is that Medicare pays for nursing home stays. Many families assume that after a lifetime of paying into Medicare, it will cover long-term care when they need it. This is not true. Understanding what Medicare…
Read MoreSenior Loneliness Is a Health Crisis
This Mental Health Awareness Month, Let’s Treat It Like One. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s a good time to talk about something many older adults are quietly struggling with: senior loneliness. Loneliness might sound like just a feeling. It’s actually a serious health risk for seniors. It can hurt the brain, the heart,…
Read MoreMeet Ajala Clark, RN, CSA
Ajala Clark is a registered nurse, Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) and patient advocate with Umbra Health Advocacy. She has more than 30 years of nursing experience and focuses on supporting older adults and their caregivers. Ajala Clark’s nursing background Ajala’s nursing career spans acute care, emergency medicine, cardiovascular health, neurosurgery, orthopedics, and home healthcare. She…
Read MoreState-by-State Long-Term Care Costs
A Reference Guide for Families Planning Senior Care Understanding Long-Term Care Costs Long-term care costs vary dramatically by state and care setting. Use this guide to understand what families in your area typically pay for different levels of care. Remember: these are averages. Actual costs depend on the specific facility, location within the state, level…
Read MoreUnderstanding Long-Term Care
A Complete Guide to Your Options When a parent starts struggling at home, missing medications, falling, or just seeming less like themselves, families often find themselves thrust into a world they know little about. What is long-term care? What’s the difference between assisted living and a nursing home? Will Medicare pay for any of this?…
Read MoreMeet Amanda DiGiovanni, OTD, BCPA
Amanda DiGiovanni, OTD, BCPA, is a patient advocate with Umbra Health Advocacy and a Doctor of Occupational Therapy with more than 25 years of experience. She is also a Certified Aging in Place Specialist and holds an Executive Certification in Home Modifications, so she can set up a home to work for someone with disabilities…
Read MorePatient Advocate: Noel Harrington, MSN, RN, BCPA
Noel Harrington, MSN, RN, BCPA is an Umbra patient advocate and a registered nurse with more than 35 years of clinical experience. She supports older adults, people with complex medical needs, and the families who care for them, with particular depth in senior care, heart health, and care coordination. Noel Harrington’s story “My path to…
Read MoreAdvocate Spotlight: Dalia Cabrera
Dalia Cabrera is a patient advocate with Umbra Health Advocacy who specializes in health insurance and billing problems. She spent 17 years working inside the health insurance industry for Medicare, and she now uses that knowledge to help patients and families fight denials, understand their benefits, and get the care they are owed. Dalia Cabrera’s…
Read MoreHow to Support Someone Going Through Breast Cancer: Tips from Survivors
When someone you love gets diagnosed with breast cancer, you want to help. But you might not know what to say or do. The good news is that you do not need to have all the answers. Simply being there and showing you care can make a huge difference. We talked to breast cancer survivors…
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