Husband Caregiver Day 2024 is on Saturday, June 15, 2024: my husband will be getting medicare this august 2007: but with his health getting worse i was

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Sorry your husband is having health problems--he is lucky to have you to help him!

You don't say how old your husband is, however, since you said that he is eligible for Medicare in August, I am making an assumption that he is over the age of 60.

Medicare --and questions about Medicare benefits--including the new prescription drug benefit --can be confusing! There are "real people" not far from where you live who will listen and provide help to you and your husband as you sort out the red tape and possible options. These folks are at the Area Agency on Aging serving your county.

While your husband's eligiblilty of Medicare may be the key issue-- it is possible that there may be some alternative sources of assistance that may be of some help in your state. For example, if the costs of prescription drugs is a problem, Area Agency staff would be able to guide you to prescription assistance plans that may alieviate some of the financial stress in this area. If your household is income-eligible, there may be help available Medicaid--but be forewarned--the fianancial tests that are done to determine income eligibility are rigorous.

If caring for your husband at home is a problem--especially if you are working to maintain family income-- the Area Agency on Aging may be able to guide you to in-home help that is available on a "cost share" basis.

So, if you want to talk to "real people"--who aren't selling any particular Medicare insurance plan, who also will know sources of free or lower cost prescription medications for income-eligible people and who will listen and will do their best to help you and your husband assess other possible options, I would highly recommend that you connect with your local Area Agency on Aging. These groups are one of the best kept secrets around for older Americans and their families who are seeking information on Medicare and other kinds of consumer questions. This is a national network--and, like I said, they aren't selling anything! The staff there visit with seniors and family caregivers every day and will guide you to information you need to answer your question. Since they talk with seniors every day--and answer lots of questions--they will know the "scoop" on the Medicare nuances--and if they do not know, they will know who to call to get the information you need.

You can call toll-free 1-800-677-1116 to find how to contact the Area Agency serving you.

Area Agencies on Aging have resources and support services that help older Americans and their caregivers. When you call your local Area Agency on Aging, ask for the folks in "Information or Assistance" or those who help "Family Caregivers" You are likely to find other helpful information for you and your husband by making this call.

If you do contact your local Area Agency on Aging and like the help that they give you, let your local county officials and your folks in Congress know, too. Area Agencies on Aging don't have big budgets--their funding comes from the Older Americans Act and appropriations have not increased for years! Your voluntary financial contribution of any amount--which is absolutely not required to get the help you need in your situation--would certainly be appreciated.

Hope this helps. Good luck and best wishes to your husband and to you.

does anyone know, if Medicare covers a caregiver?

No, Medicare does not cover home care services but they have a program called PACE which helps to incorporate community and home services. You can contact Catholic Charities because they offer household caregiver services for a low charge. If you and your husband qualify for Medicaid, some states have in home care if you qualify by need and income. In California it is called In Home Support Services and here there is a waitlist in my county. You should check with your TriCare to see if they know where a disabled vet can avail himself of such services, and check with some Vets Associations where you live such as Disabled American Vets.

Alcoholic Husband in hospital....?

Yes, there are tens of thousands of stories just like yours going on right now. You are not unique by any means. And the graveyards have many alcoholics in them who took the same stance as your husband. You see, it's not so bad for them because they get to go through life in a drunken stupor. You are one that gets the crappy end of the deal with taking on responsibilities that they should be handling and just being their caretaker when they get sick. The only thing they really love is their booze because it means more to many of them like your husband than life itself. They would rather die than live without it, and many do. I suspect your husband is going to be another one.

If you decide to stay for the pending tragedy, it is not going to be easy on you. His liver is failing right now and he has cirrhosis. Once the liver damage is severe, there is no turning back even if he would stop drinking. It's only in the early stage of the disease that they can get well again and only if they stop drinking forever and take good care of themselves. In the later stage, the only thing that will save them is a transplant, and your husband would never qualify for one with his drinking. This is serious stuff and his continued drinking will only make the progression of the disease to being fatal go much faster.

So you must ask yourself a serious question about how to handle this since it means your husband will die if he doesn't quit drinking. You would know what would work better than anyone here. If there is nothing you can do, and I suspect that may be the case, then you must decide whether or not you will be there for him as he kills himself. Personally speaking, I would never do it for my own husband. If he wants to kill himself, then he can do it alone without me helping him in any way. I would feel guilty if I did help him as he did this not only to himself, but to the both of us together.

I have never been in this situation myself, but I did have end stage cirrhosis and got a liver transplant, so I know this disease personally. It's not much fun as it gets worse, and it will get worse, much worse. I got mine from biliary disease, but no matter what the cause of cirrhosis might be, it pretty much acts the same with everyone. I have also talked to many people who were alcoholics and were trying to get transplants. Some made it, many didn't. The transplant centers require at least 6 months of proven sobriety and you must be willing to take random drug/alcohol testing any time they feel like asking for one before they will even consider an alcoholic for transplant. Your husband would not only have to deal with the disease of cirrhosis, but he would also have to deal with his addiction and do everything the doctors tell him to do. I doubt if he would be willing to do any of that from your description of him.

You want to know how much longer he might be in the hospital? When he is stable enough, they will discharge him. Get used to him being admitted to hospitals because that is also part of cirrhosis. Routine hospital visits are quite common. Bleeding problems, fluid retention that needs tapped, and episodes of encephalopathy are a few reasons that come with cirrhosis. When the problems act up, it's off to the hospital again. Like I said, get used to it.

My heart goes out to you because you have a real tough road ahead of you. He will have it tough too, but I think the caregiver has the worst of it towards the end. Your husband will eventually stop drinking because he is going to get too sick when he does drink with his liver failure. It's just so sad that it will be too late by that time. I hope that you can do something to make him sit up and take notice that this is not something that is just going to go away if he ignores it. It will take his life.