Seniors Can Live A Smartlife At Home

BY CATHY MOLITORIS

Correspondent

Colin Shultz is thinking about his future.

At 71, Shultz and his wife, Judy, 70, have begun to envision how they'll live once they need assistance with medical and home care tasks.

With both of his parents having positive experiences at Willow Valley, Shultz considered the communities for himself. But, he didn't think it was the best fit for him.

"They took wonderful care of my parents there," he says, "and I liked Willow Valley, but I couldn't see myself living there. I want to stay in my own home, but I want the assurance that if need be, I can get the care I need."

For the Shultzes, the solution was SmartLife VIA Willow Valley.

Launched in June, SmartLife VIA Willow Valley is a unique concept in care, says Michele Sipel, director of home and community-based services.

"We give the peace of mind of knowing that whatever happens, you're covered," she says. "You don't have to worry about your family advocating for you. You don't have to worry about being a burden on someone else or worry about how the health-care world is changing. You're taken care of."

According to Sipel, SmartLife is one of only 15 similar programs in the country, and the only program like it in Lancaster County.

"Every program is a little bit different, but the basis of what each Lifecare at home program stands for is the same," she says.

Using Cadbury Consulting, a Cherry Hill, N.J.-based program as a consultant, the staff of SmartLife spent two years researching and focusing on what Lancaster County residents want in a Lifecare at home program.

"Willow Valley is very wellness focused, so a lot of our programs are based on wellness concepts," Sipel says.

Many retirement communities in the county offer home-care services, including Pleasant View, Brethren Village and Landis Homes - but SmartLife is different, Sipel says.

"Home-care programs are based on fees for services," she says. "It's care based on a specific need. If someone needs companionship or help with showering or daily activities, they talk to a licensed homecare agency and then pay a fee based on the service provided."

These home-care programs are licensed through the state Department of Health, while SmartLife is licensed through the state Department of Insurance, Sipel says.

"Our program is a membership-based program and it encompasses much more than home-care programs," she says. "Members pay a one- time membership fee and then pay a monthly fee thereafter."

Services provided by SmartLife VIA Willow Valley include everything from development of a personal wellness plan to home inspection, delivered meals, adult day care, transportation, memory support personal care or nursing care.

"You get whatever care you might need," Sipel says. "It could be home care, like help with meals or bathing, or personal care, or nursing home care. There are all different levels of care we can offer."

Additionally, members have limited access to Willow Valley amenities, including programs at the Cultural Center and new Clubhouse.

Members pay the membership fee actuarially based on age and the plan chosen. The one-time fee ranges from $20,000 to $45,000 for a 70-year-old individual.

Monthly fees range from $485 to $530 for individuals. Both membership fees and monthly fees are tax deductible as pre-paid medical expenses.

SmartLife offers three types of plans, which vary depending on the amount of shared risk and cost members want, Sipel says. One plan pays 100 percent of costs. The second offers a cost-sharing plan where SmartLife covers the majority of costs and members pay the rest. The third option is a 50-50 split of coverage.

"The fee we charge is based on the plan members choose, not the services they need," she says, noting all three plans provide the same services.

SmartLife is a proactive choice for seniors, Sipel says, because members must be healthy and living independently in their home to enter the program.

"This is a way for members to proactively think about their future," she says.

The idea for SmartLife came to Willow Valley president John Swanson after he attended a conference and learned about the concept.

"Studies have shown that 90 to 95 percent of people who are age- and income-qualified to move to a retirement community don't want to move," Sipel says. "They want to stay in their own home. They want to stay where they raised their kids and where their grandkids come to visit."

Knowing Willow Valley offered attractive retirement community options for seniors, but also knowing a large number of people didn't want to move into any community, the company began considering the new concept.

"We thought, 'How else can we share our services with people, who don't want to move?' " Sipel says. "This was the solution."

Sipel says SmartLife can be a great option for people who have already purchased long-term care insurance because it can either replace a poor policy or complement a good one.

"We have seen a ton of people who thought they had a robust long- term care policy, but when they look at what they have versus what today's real costs are, what they have is just a drop in the bucket," she says. "People have said, 'My policy covers $100 a day for skilled care.' That's great, but skilled care costs $300 a day."

And while health-care costs vary and are on the increase each year, SmartLife fees are a fixed monthly amount.

"There's a level of financial protection that comes along with SmartLife because you know what your membership fee is and what your monthly fee is," she says. "It safeguards your assets and protects you if you need more expensive care down the road."

"The minimum age for enrolling with SmartLife is 60 and there is no maximum age," says Sipel. "It's a lifetime policy and there is no set number on what we consider a lifetime. Our program is very comprehensive. It covers everything to the end of the spectrum. We cover from the time of membership to end of life, and we can even help coordinate end-of-life services."

Sipel says one of the key concepts of SmartLife is the care coordination component.

"Each member is assigned to a lifecare coordinator, who's a master's degree-level social worker, who is then your advocate for anything you need," she says. "She will be there to help you through preplanned surgery, to advocate for you in the hospital, to come and visit you and make sure all your long-term needs are accounted for. Just one phone call to her and she will guide you through everything you need."

That was part of the appeal of SmartLife for Kathy Habecker, 69.

Having lost her husband and parents in the span of three years, she knew she wanted to eliminate as much of the stress and worry that accompanies the aging process as possible.

"I was looking for ideas of how I wanted to handle things for myself and how I could arrange care that wouldn't be a burden on my family," she says.

She researched local retirement communities and says she seriously considered Willow Valley as an option, but when she learned about SmartLife, it just seemed to be the perfect fit.

"I've lived in my home for 38 years," she says. "I wanted to stay here, and I really liked everything I heard about SmartLife.

"You can't plan for everything that might come up in your life, but as far as I'm concerned, this is as good a preplanning option as you can get."

To learn more about SmartLife VIA Willow Valley, visit smartlifewv.org or call 299-5673.