Certified Care Resource Specialist (CCRS) Designation
Course One: The Long-term Care Challenge
Course Overview: The author draws on his research experience to present a course that details the societal and long-term care impact of aging in the United States. The course includes discussions on demographic trends and long-term care, the impact of baby boomers and increasing life expectancy, projected costs of long-term care, the supply of long-term care services and attitudes of both the elderly and baby boomers.
Course Author: David G. Wegge, Ph.D. — Professor, St. Norbert College
Course Two: Long-term Care, Eldercare and Disability Terminology
Course Overview: Long-term care, elder care and disability create a world of terms that are ever evolving. The course begins with an overview of the care-giving environment, which includes types of services, types of care, housing options, and administration. The student will study various illnesses and disabilities that will likely cause the need for long-term care. The lesson concentrates on defining terms in eldercare, including services provided in elder care, personnel in elder care, elder needs and abuse, medications, and equipment. As the course discusses the care-giving process, the lesson focuses specifically on home care and managed care. In addition, students will study terms in Medicare and Medicaid, and long-term care insurance. The course will conclude with a lesson concerning some legal terms in care giving.
Course Author: Robert Pearson, LTCGS® Founder, President & CEO of CareQuest University
Course Three: Elder Law: Sources, Concepts and Application
Course Overview: By 2020, 53 million Americans will be sixty-five and older. Elder Law is a term that describes a group of subject areas affecting older persons and their families. Many people assume the only issues impacting elderly persons relate to illness and institutionalization. However, many other topics such as employment, protecting financial assets, lifetime planning and housing are critical. Whether one is a healthcare practitioner, social worker, financial or insurance planner, attorney or others working collaboratively, great sensitivity to the needs of the elderly client is paramount to responding effectively to individual needs.
As the aging of America continues, people who serve the elderly must understand elder law. The knowledge gained in this course enables students to advise and counsel clients, family and friends on many of the key Elder Law issues. Specific sources of information are provided to facilitate further research on specific questions. The reader is also empowered to participate more effectively in the public debate on matters of policy.
Course Author: Seymour Moskowitz, J.D. — Professor at Valparaiso Law School
Course Four: Medicare and Medicaid: Their Roles in Long-term Care Financing
Course Overview: This course is designed to help the student understand Medicaid and Medicare, and the role they play in the long-term care system in the United States. The following topics will be covered in the course: the definition of long-term care, an overview and brief history of Medicaid and Medicare, Medicaid eligibility, Medicaid covered services, Medicaid waivers; and rights and protections for Medicaid beneficiaries.
Course Author: Instructor Vernon K. Smith, Ph.D.— Principal with Health Management Association — with Esther Reagan, Nicola Moulton & Marshall Kelley
Course Five: Long-term Care Financial Planning
Course Overview: This course focuses on the key essentials of retirement financial planning. Special topics include the three phases of retirement planning and evaluating financial planning software. In addition, a special feature of this course is the use of a financial planning software program.
Course Author: Russell Francis, CPA, CFP
Course Six: Long-term Care Insurance Design and Pricing
Course Overview: Nationally recognized actuarial experts combined their experience and skills to author a course on long-term care financing. The course provides an actuarial perspective about all facets of long-term care financing from insurance design and pricing to reverse mortgages. Special topics covered in this course include: long-term care insurance contracts; evolution of the long-term care insurance policy; long-term care insurance pricing; limitations and exclusions; and optional riders.
Course Authors: Gary Rose, FSA, MAAA, CLU; Anthony Proulx, FSA, MAAAA;
Course Seven: Overview of Geriatric Medicine and the Medical System
Course Overview: The subject matter in this overview course covers issues essential for attorneys, counselors, social workers, skilled nursing facility administrators, financial advisors, and anyone who strives to improve the services for the disabled and elderly. This course presents the key issues of the health care delivery system in the context of the home, hospital and skilled nursing facility setting. The discussion includes details regarding Medicare benefits, geriatric conditions, and the roles of health care workers.
Course Author: Mark Yurkofsky, M.D. — CMD Geriatric Medical Center, Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
Course Eight: Eldercare, Working Families and Care Management
Course Overview: The process of integrating the demands of our families and our jobs can become a source of stress. Workers continue to have diverse family care responsibilities that are infl uenced by types of geriatric care, family composition and care arrangements. These responsibilities affect job performance and absenteeism rates. The author provides insight to help advisors evaluate and address the affects of family care at home and in the workplace. The course examines care responsibilities, impact of eldercare on families and the workplace, costs and consequences, solutions for caregivers and employers, and care management.
Course Author: Andrew E. Scharlach, Ph.D., Kleiner Professor of Aging at the University of California, Berkeley
Course Nine: Institutional Long-term Care: How it Works
Course Overview: This course provides an overview of institutional long-term care and how it works. The course traces the development of long-term care and examines the links between long-term care and other types of health care services. The course discusses the variety of nursing care facilities including nursing homes, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities and specialized care facilities. Special attention is given to licensure, certification and accreditation of facilities; the types of services provided in each type of facility; how to pay for these various types of services; and management and administrative issues.
Course Author: Douglas Singh, Ph.D. — Associate Professor at Indiana University
Course Ten: Using CareOptions Assistance™
Course Overview: This course focuses the communication of long-term care resources to help people address the effects of eldercare responsibilities at home and in the workplace. Special topics include communicating the long-term care solution, extended family — Notification, Education & Information methods; and applying the CareQuest University Resources available. Students will learn how to use the CareOptionsOnLine resource to assist family caregivers in making informed choices about care situations. With this resource students can help families better achieve the goal of providing the best possible care for disabled relatives without compromising individual and family well-being.