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Announcer

And now America's Healthcare Advocate, Cary Hall.

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Cary Hall

Hello, America. Welcome to America's Healthcare Advocate show broadcasting coast to coast across the USA. Here on the HIA Radio Network, you can find out more about us by going to the website AmericasHealthcareAdvocate.com. All the shows are posted on 16 podcast platforms and our YouTube platform with almost half a million views.

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Cary Hall

Thanks to all of you out there in the audience that either listen on the radio or go to the website or go to our YouTube platform, America's Healthcare Advocate. You can like me on there or subscribe. That really doesn't cost anything. Just so you know. We greatly appreciate all that. So today is a show that reunites me with an old friend of mine.

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Cary Hall

Steve Kuker is in studio with me today. Welcome back Steve.

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Steve Kuker

Thank you, Cary.

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Cary Hall

It's great to have you here, man.

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Steve Kuker

It's great to be here.

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Cary Hall

Yeah, we've been doing radio. How long? We've been doing radio together. Back and forth.

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Steve Kuker

As long as I've been doing this, which is about 12 years.

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Cary Hall

Okay, so. And so there we go. So it's been 12 years that we've worked together on and off, doing different shows together, complement each other's shows. Steve’s show is Senior Care Live. His company is Senior Care Consulting. And the reason why I want him on here is, you know, you see all these commercials that are out there, but, you know, with all these different companies that are going to help you find a place for a parent or grandparent, whatever the case may be, there's a part of this industry you know nothing about.

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Cary Hall

It's what I call the dark side of the industry. Steve does an amazing job what he does. And I've sent many people to him that he has done a great job for, that have had difficult situations financially. Some people had the financial wherewithal, but others that don't. Okay. And, you know, he helps people and he helps families find facilities where your loved one is going to go, where he knows how they're going to be taken care of.

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Cary Hall

There's accountability, there's a track record. And you're going to hear about that today. And so the purpose of my doing this show is to tell you that there is a better way to do this than using what you see on television. And believe me, there's a much better way to do it. And then “A Place For Mom” or some of these other ones that are out there, and we're going to talk about that, and then we're going to talk about what he does to help people find a facility that fits their budget and fits their needs.

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Cary Hall

So welcome back, as I said, why don't you just talk a little bit about Senior Care, how long you've been doing this and you've really developed a niche in the industry? I don't see anybody else doing what you're doing, Steve.

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Steve Kuker

Well, they're all trying to do it free of charge. And there's

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Cary Hall

except, hold on. It's not free of charge!

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Steve Kuker

Yeah, yeah. Okay. Yeah, it's free to you, but it's not a charity. So they're getting kickbacks from the places they recommend. I am unapologetically old school enough to think that's a gross conflict of interest. So that's not how I conduct my business.

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Steve Kuker

But, I've been doing this coming up on the 23rd anniversary of Senior Care Consulting. I'm a former nursing home administrator and assisted living executive director. So I think I look at it differently than a lot of people, and I help my grandparents through this transition. And that turned into Senior Care Consulting, helping other families in the same way that I helped my own.

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Steve Kuker

It's kind of like.

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Cary Hall

You want to compare to something. Go try to navigate Medicare on the on the government website. I mean, yeah, this is extremely confusing for people they don't know. You know, what to expect. They go into a place, they get sold a bill of goods. And they think they've got somebody in the right place that I've sent people to you

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Cary Hall

that have been on their second and third facility before they came to you? And then they get into a place where they're really well taken care of and they're happy for what they have. But talk a little about what you look for when you show up at a facility to inspect. To decide, am I going to be willing to send my clients here?

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Cary Hall

What do you look for?

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Steve Kuker

So when I meet with my clients initially, I conduct a very thorough geriatric care assessment to determine exactly what we need. So then I call it building a care profile. And it and it identifies the right level of care type of care payment method, location, personal preferences and needs. So you have to know that before you even begin your search, because there are hundreds of options available in the market and in thousands across the country.

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Steve Kuker

And so now that I know what I'm looking for, then I researched the market, I narrowed it to our top options, and then you're right, I take a tour with my clients, we go out in person and take a tour. At that point I conduct a performance audit. So again, it's with my administrator glasses on, just like I did for my own grandparents.

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Steve Kuker

And I ask a lot of questions about turnover rates. I calculate their exact staffing ratios because frankly, most of them do not know their own staffing ratios. And I think it's an important data point to compare and contrast between your top options. I also report what was found in the most recent surprise health inspection from the state. So each state will come in unannounced and they tear the place apart, making sure you're following your own policies and procedures, state and federal guidelines.

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Steve Kuker

And if you're not, they write a citation is called a deficiency. It's very important. This is very good, third party, objective oversight. And depending on what I see in that report, you know, we may or may not be visiting you on this trip. So I do all that homework before even determining our top three. And then when we're there again, I ask a lot of questions my clients would never know to ask.

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Steve Kuker

And we're in and out of each place in an hour or less. So we're done by 12:30p or 1:00p.

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Cary Hall

If you start in the morning.

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Steve Kuker

Yeah, we start in the morning. Let me put that in perspective. The average family spends 50 to 100 hours in the search and selection process. My clients spend about four, and that's during the tours.

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Cary Hall

50 to 100 hours. And let me tell you this, they get it wrong. A lot. Okay. Yeah. As President Trump would say a lot. Good. I get it wrong a lot. And then it's you got to get them out of there and get them to a different facility and it becomes a bigger problem.

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Steve Kuker

Yup. Absolutely. And so when we're finished and I prepare a report that has every question asked, every piece of information discovered, again, I calculate their exact staffing ratios. I report the state survey information. There's a wealth of information in here. And again, a lot of these questions are questions that most of my clients wouldn't even know to ask.

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Steve Kuker

And so now you have a wealth of information on the top places meeting your exact needs. They check all the boxes. You can make an informed decision and move forward with confidence. And that's what it's all about for me, helping my clients make one of the biggest decisions they'll ever make and get it right first time.

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Cary Hall

Yeah. And you know, it's funny because, you different people deal with this different ways. Okay. And, you know, I tell a story, I had a financial planner on this show, a number of years ago, and he talked about having the “go-to child”. The go-to child is the child that if you're a senior citizen, when that day comes, that somebody is going to have to make decisions for you and help you is going to be the child that does it with your best interest in mind.

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Cary Hall

And he told a story about a brother. His sister. And the father had a very good, long term care policy. And he had money. And they were looking at facilities and one facility was much, much cheaper than the other one. But the facility that cost more money, was a far better facility, better care. I think it might have been the Marriott facility over here.

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Cary Hall

And I don't know which one it was, but it was very nice facility. And the son looks at, the daughter goes, well, he's got Alzheimer's. He's never going to know. And I'm well, I when I heard that story, I was like, it never even occurred to me. I'm 76. It never even occurred to me.

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Cary Hall

And I thought to myself, Thank God I've got two daughters that love me and will always be there if we need help. But I thought to myself, My God, what a position to be put it. He’ll never know?

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Steve Kuker

It sounds like we're trying to save some money there.

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Cary Hall

Yeah, yeah, we're we're doing we're trying to figure out how much money for your own inheritance. What's my inheritance look like? Yeah.

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Steve Kuker

I see it all the time. It it's disgusting.

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Cary Hall

I think that's part of what you know, I want people to understand about this process and why it's important. There is a solution. I don't care what your financial situation is, there is. We're going to talk about that here When we come back after the break. But it’s being informed because information allows you to make good decisions.

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Cary Hall

And that's really what it's all about. If you want information from Steve their website is SeniorCareConsulting.com phone number (913) 945-2800. Give them a call. If you've got a parent, grandparent, relatives that are having an issue and you know you're going to have to do something. It's better to get ahead of it than wait until it happens.

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Cary Hall

We'll be right back after the break. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate broadcasting here on the HIA Radio Network coast to coast across USA. We've got more. Don't go anywhere.

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Sponsor

Quid pro quo. A Latin phrase that means an exchange of goods or services, where one transfer is contingent upon the other. Here's an example. I'll recommend your senior care community if you'll pay me a huge kickback for my referral. The free referral services have a vested interest in you choosing one of their business partners. That's how they make their money.

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Sponsor

Does this is paid recommendation sound, objective or credible? Of course not. I'm Steve Kuker with Senior Care Consulting. I'm so proud to say we have never received a single penny from any provider ever. We offer a placement service with integrity. For help finding the right senior care community without conflict of interest and without the “quid pro quo”. Call (913) 945-2800.

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Steve Kuker

A placement service with integrity at SeniorCareConsulting.com.

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Cary Hall

Welcome back. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate show, broadcasting coast to coast across the USA here on the HIA Radio Network. Once again, you can find out more about us by listening to the shows go up on the podcast platforms. There's 16 of them, along with our YouTube channel with almost half a million viewers. And obviously across the country on all of our terrestrial affiliates that air this show, we thank all of you on our listening audience for all your participation.

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Cary Hall

In studio with me today is Steve Kuker he is the CEO and founder of Senior Care Consulting here in Kansas City. You know, as I said the show is going to run nationally. And I'm sure if you call Steve anywhere you are, he'll be happy to help you in any way that he can. But my point in doing this kind of show is that people don't know what they're getting into.

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Cary Hall

We're going to tell a story now about one of these groups that it's free. They're going to help you find a place for your mom, your dad, your grandfather, whatever it is. And we're going to tell you the story behind that. When I opened the show, I said, there's a dark side to this industry, but you're going to hear what the dark side of the industry is right now.

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Cary Hall

So I was looking at your show notes around 5:00 this morning, and, I saw this piece in here about where you were actually mistakenly give it a fee of $6,750 from an assisted living community. First of all, what they're giving. They're giving fees to people that are recommending people to come in.

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Steve Kuker

Yeah.

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Cary Hall

Okay, well, that's.

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Steve Kuker

Not a conflict of interest, right? No.

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Cary Hall

I think it. Oh, why don't we go here as well I like this. Well, no, but that's a better facility. You need to go here. Yeah. Why? Well, they're not going tell, because.

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Steve Kuker

That's where I get 6750 bucks.

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Cary Hall

Thank you.

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Steve Kuker

That's where I get my highest commission.

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Cary Hall

I didn't explain that, Steve.

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Steve Kuker

So I worked. First of all, I don't get reimbursed by the facilities. I work directly for my clients for a reasonable flat fee for service. There's no conflict of interest. I have no problem sleeping well at night. Okay. So we went in. Long story short, she chose this particular assisted living community, and then she delayed her move in until last October.

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Steve Kuker

She moved him in, and then right after that, I get an email from the salesperson. Thank you for, you know, referring Mr. So-and-so. He's doing well. Don't forget to send me your invoice for $6,750 so that I can get you paid. And I'm like, oh, boy. So I called her back, and I said, you. You have obviously forgotten my business model.

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Steve Kuker

Remind me again. And I reminded her, and she goes, oh, that's right. That's wonderful how you do that. That's that's really the right way to conduct business. Well, just disregard that. So she mistakenly thought I was one of these free referral services. And I said, let us make sure we get you the $6,750 for your fine work. And, and that happens an equal 100% of the first month's cost.

00;13;17;26 - 00;13;21;14

Steve Kuker

It's a 100% commission off the first month's cost.

00;13;21;17 - 00;13;37;13

Cary Hall

So talk about the services. We see them on national television, and I'm sure you can name them. I have no problem with it. Talk about the services that do this and they you it’s free as the old saying goes, there's no such thing as a free lunch. So let's talk about it.

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Steve Kuker

So what they'll do? Here's how you if you have any question about how to recognize one of these services. And I wonder if it works that way. You just look for one word and the word is free. If it's free to you, then they're getting paid by the facility they recommend. That's it. That's the whole ballgame. And so what they'll do is they will contract with any senior care provider willing to pay them, typically 90 to 100% of that first month's cost as a commission, referral fee, a kickback, whatever you want to call it.

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Steve Kuker

And so then their mission, their goal is to increase the occupancy of their partners buildings. That's it. It's just a pure sales engine. And I had one of my clients, the light bulb went off for me and it goes, then I'm the product, I'm the product. And they don't care where I choose as long as it's on their list, where they make their kickback.

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Steve Kuker

And I'm like, that's a that's a good way to look at it.

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Cary Hall

Is that disclosed to the client?

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Steve Kuker

That's a good question. Here's one of my issues is in real estate, you have a lot of different disclosures. And one of the disclosures is a seller disclosure that discloses how much of a commission the salesperson is going to make in that transaction. It is a federal requirement. Why isn’t that required for these placement services.

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Cary Hall

So it's not required.

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Steve Kuker

It's not required yet. And for any of our federal regulators listening to this right now, look into it. If you want information give me a call. I will help you out. But it should be disclosed you are helping these people move into senior housing. This is their home. Why isn't there a disclosure requirement?

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Cary Hall

Well, here's the thing. You said on the break. We were on the break. We were talking about this. You're bringing in your mother, your father, your grandfather, your grandmother, whatever it may be, okay? And you're entrusting their lives to a total stranger to think about that. Okay? Now think about that. If it's you, okay, that you're doing this for your parent or you're doing it for your grandparent, maybe it's your aunt, your uncle that you're helping out.

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Cary Hall

Okay. Think about that. Well, how is that going to feel to a total stranger? So how important is it to know what you're going to get when you put that person in that facility? Are they going to be taken care of? Are they going to be laying in their own filth because their bed isn't changed? Are they going to be taken to a shower and given a shower if they can't take care of themselves, are they going to get the proper nutrition?

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Cary Hall

Are they going to get the meds? There's a host of things. How does talk about it Steve.

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Steve Kuker

Yeah, yeah. You just you have to know. One of the questions I ask is what is your call-light response time. What is the expected call-light response time here. And sometimes there's 2 to 3 minutes and they're just right on it. Sometimes it's maybe 10 to 15 minutes. I'm like whoa, that that is way too long to be waiting on a call light response time.

00;16;36;11 - 00;16;42;05

Steve Kuker

But it's one of the questions of the many questions that I ask on this performance audit right in front of my client.

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Cary Hall

Let’s stop for a second. If you've got a cardiac problem. My wife suffers from heart failure. If she were in a facility, which, God willing, she'd never would be, and she had to wait 10 to 15 minutes, she could be dead.

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Steve Kuker

You could be dead.

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Cary Hall

Yeah, that amazes me. I had no idea.

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Steve Kuker

And a lot of these places will have a call light tied to a computer tracking system so they can actually measure the call-light response time. Okay. And so if there's a problem then they can address it. But you know what if it's too late, if you have to use the restroom and you're waiting 15 minutes.

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Cary Hall

You may not make it.

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Steve Kuker

You’re probably not going to make it. I had a lady call the other day and she said, well, they don't even come in like for 30 minutes. So my dad just gets up and stumbles into the bathroom and he fell the other day and broke his hip. I'm like, why are you still there? Why are you still there?

00;17;36;29 - 00;17;51;18

Cary Hall

Because they don't know any better. More than likely. Yeah, okay. Or the or they don't know that they, you know, this is the second or the third facility that they saw. I've sent you a couple of people who are on their second or third facility, and every one was a disaster until they got to you.

00;17;51;18 - 00;18;05;29

Steve Kuker

Yeah, yeah. And there's just so many things to look at. And it's and again, it's all in that performance audit. And I have tailored that and developed that over all of these years. We're coming up on 23rd anniversary of Senior Care Consulting. So I know what I'm doing.

00;18;06;05 - 00;18;24;15

Cary Hall

Yeah. He really does what he's doing. When we come back from the break, I'm going to ask him to tell a story about a good friend of mine, Steve Sanborn, who is an executor, and he's the person in charge of taking care of a woman in his church who has memory issues, dementia issues, other issues.

00;18;24;15 - 00;18;46;25

Cary Hall

I'm going to have been told story about the facility he was going to put her in. And what happened when he talked to Steve. We'll be right back after the break. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate broadcasting coast to coast across the USA. If you want to reach out to Steve (913) 945-2800. The website SeniorCareConsulting.com.

00;18;47;00 - 00;19;04;26

Cary Hall

There's a lot of information on that website. Go look at it okay. You'll probably learn something. We'll be right back after the break. Stay right there. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate.

00;19;04;29 - 00;19;36;25

Cary Hall

Welcome back. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate show, broadcasting coast to coast across USA here on the HIA Radio Network. You can find out more of us by going to the website America's Healthcare Advocate. My producer today, Mr. Dave Thiessen and Behind the Cameras, doing a great job as he always does. And Garner Cowdery behind the microphones here in the Cumulus Studios, our flagship station in Overland Park, Kansas, broadcasting across the country on the HIA Radio Network in studio with me, Steve Kuker, Steve and I've worked together for about 12 years now.

00;19;36;27 - 00;19;56;04

Cary Hall

He has a great company. Senior Care Consulting is the company. They do a wonderful job. You know, if you've got a loved one and you're trying to figure out where you're going to put them, what are you going to do? We're going to talk a little bit about a friend of mine who I sent them to see, Steve and the problems they faced with the assets and disposing of assets.

00;19;56;04 - 00;20;17;21

Cary Hall

So they qualified for Medicaid and how that all went about. We'll talk about that, too. But again, the website, if you want to get ahold of him, SeniorCareConsulting.com. The phone number (913) 945 2800. Give them a call. If you're facing this issue could make a big difference. All right. So Steve Sanborn who is a business partner mine in another business came to me.

00;20;17;28 - 00;20;37;01

Cary Hall

He's got a woman in church that he is the executor of the estate. He's the guardian. He's the one that has to make decisions for her. He's put an amazing amount of time in helping her. He was researching facilities and he was going to make the move. He very bright guy, etc. I said, you know, before you do that, just do me a favor, call Steve Kuker.

00;20;37;04 - 00;20;37;18

Steve Kuker

Yeah.

00;20;37;21 - 00;20;40;03

Cary Hall

He called you to tell him what happened.

00;20;40;05 - 00;21;01;28

Steve Kuker

Well, we had a nice chat and he said, I'm thinking about moving her to this place, and I was already aware of some of the challenges with this particular place. Traditionally, it's been a good place, but there is a major, major issue recently. And I say, and I said, which place? And he said, the place. And I said, you don't want to do that.

00;21;02;01 - 00;21;23;08

Steve Kuker

He's like, oh, why is that? So I explained that, unfortunately, and I don't even I just this stuff blows my mind. Unfortunately, a female resident had recently been sexually assaulted, and most of the time you don't see it on the news. You're not going to see it in the newspaper. But guess what? It is shows up in the state documents.

00;21;23;08 - 00;21;45;21

Steve Kuker

And that's where I found it. The state, had to come out. They issued them a J level deficiency, which is as high as it gets. The person's, health and well-being are in immediate jeopardy, and you never want to see a J on your on your record. Well, there was a big fat J on this record, and it was due to a cognitively impaired female resident without consent sexually assaulted.

00;21;45;24 - 00;21;51;04

Steve Kuker

And he goes, you got to be kidding me. And I know. And he goes, okay, thank you very much. We're not moving.

00;21;51;09 - 00;22;07;20

Cary Hall

No. And then you got him in a decent facility. So yeah, you know, this is the stuff that you know I always say. You don't know what you don't know. That's a classic example. You may in. The place may look good. It may smell good. You may think, hey, you know what? This is a nice facility. These are nice people, but you can't lift the curtain, okay?

00;22;07;21 - 00;22;13;11

Cary Hall

He can. That's the difference. All right. And again, like I said, you don't know what you don't know.

00;22;13;14 - 00;22;27;06

Cary Hall

Here's another story that I found that was interesting. So we had a lady who was our housekeeper. Very nice lady. She had her grandfather who owned a bunch of houses, but he didn't have any money. He owned houses. He didn't have any money.

00;22;27;08 - 00;22;48;00

Cary Hall

They were trying to move him into a facility, either Missouri or Kansas. I can't remember what it was. And they were. They were going to have to use Medicaid, but he wouldn't meet the standard. You came in, you helped them. They went from they relocated him from one state to the other. I remember this. Then they liquidated those houses so there was enough money to take care of his needs.

00;22;48;00 - 00;23;08;02

Cary Hall

Talk a little bit about how you evaluate. Less than 10% of the people in this country have a long term care policy. I've had a long term care policy since I was 52 years old. Okay, and I will keep it forever. Okay. But that is not the norm. And so what happens is people think number one.

00;23;08;02 - 00;23;09;09

Cary Hall

Medicare is going to pay for it.

00;23;09;10 - 00;23;10;14

Steve Kuker

Yeah. No they won't.

00;23;10;17 - 00;23;12;11

Cary Hall

Thank you. Repeat that. Make sure they hear.

00;23;12;11 - 00;23;33;01

Steve Kuker

Medicare will not pay for your care in a long term care community, Medicare is your health insurance. This is long term care. Now, if you are one of the less than 10% that owns a long term care insurance policy, yes, that will pay it. But it's a separate type of policy. Medicare will not pay for your stay in assisted living or long care, Period.

00;23;33;04 - 00;23;50;02

Cary Hall

An executive at one of the large insurance companies here, her father, you know, there were some issues with him and she was like, I said, well, what did he do it? Well, they spent all their money. They they traveled. They spent it all on travel. Now he doesn't have anything. What happens when you find somebody financially challenged like that.

00;23;50;04 - 00;24;08;04

Cary Hall

The children are trying to do the best they can. They don't have enough disposable income to pay for. I was in my case, I had enough income I could pay for my mother. She was out at Saint Mary's, a Catholic facility. The nuns are running it. It was spotless. It was run well. And whatever she needed, I just paid for whatever that was, that.

00;24;08;10 - 00;24;14;19

Cary Hall

But talk about what happens to a person that doesn't have that, their Social Security and their Medicaid, all they have.

00;24;14;22 - 00;24;32;12

Steve Kuker

So one of the questions I cover every single time I work with the client is, is there a chance that you could outlive your assets? And if that answer is yes and actually most of the time, yeah, that's possible. and sometimes, we're going to need help right now because we have our income and that's it.

00;24;32;16 - 00;24;53;06

Steve Kuker

We have very few assets. So now we have to talk about Medicaid. I educate them on what Medicaid is, how to qualify for it, and what it pays for. And there are there are differences between, so we're in Kansas City right now, but there are big differences between Missouri and Kansas that could factor into your favor in a major, major way.

00;24;53;10 - 00;25;04;28

Steve Kuker

So you have to understand Medicaid and all of these nuances. And around the entire country, you could have the same opportunities or not, depending on where you live.

00;25;05;01 - 00;25;22;03

Cary Hall

Talk about what you're allowed to keep under Medicaid in terms of assets, money that you're allowed to keep, and how much are you allowed to hold on to. So you have $250,000. That's all you have in the bank. You're done. It's all the money you've got left. How much is that you allowed to keep if you?

00;25;22;09 - 00;25;29;23

Cary Hall

And you know, that's not going to be enough to pay to keep you in a facility. For the rest, you're going to outlive that. 250 right?

00;25;29;23 - 00;25;50;01

Steve Kuker

So long term care is going to be 9 to $10,000 a month for a shared room, about 12 to $15,000 a month for a private room. So your 250 is going to go go away real fast. So say, for example, in we're sitting in the state of Kansas right now, you have to spend down your liquid assets to $2,000 and so you're basically broke.

00;25;50;03 - 00;26;19;15

Steve Kuker

And then you would automatically qualify for Medicaid. Your house is exempt for now. One car is exempt. A pre-paid funeral plan is exempt. A small amount of cash value in a life insurance is exempt. And the stuff in your house, that's it. Everything else, just think liquid assets, money market checking, savings, money market, mutual fund, CDS, 401Ks, IRAs, all of those sort of things are accountable and you have to spend them down to 2000.

00;26;19;18 - 00;26;35;07

Steve Kuker

And it's $5,909 in the state of Missouri. So you're almost broke. And then they will start. They will pay for the majority of your care in a nursing home, not an assisted living. In a nursing home.

00;26;35;09 - 00;26;37;21

Cary Hall

Okay. So what's the difference?

00;26;37;24 - 00;26;57;04

Steve Kuker

Assisted living is a social model that can help you minimally or fully with bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, incontinence, support, medication management. They make all of your meals, snacks, and hydration. At that point, there's a full slate of activities for meaningful social engagement. Doctors make house calls. There's transportation to take you out to see your doctor.

00;26;57;04 - 00;26;59;13

Steve Kuker

In the nursing home level, long term care level.

00;26;59;16 - 00;27;16;20

Steve Kuker

It's a medical model, so they do all of that, plus medical needs such as diabetic management with insulin injection, wound care, urinary catheter care, feeding tubes. I just goes on and on and on. So you I have a lot more RNs and LPNs at that long term care at that nursing home level.

00;27;16;23 - 00;27;25;26

Cary Hall

So let's go back to the assisted living facility. There is no safety net on assisted living. You got to pay cash.

00;27;25;26 - 00;27;46;08

Steve Kuker

There are technically in the state of Kansas? They will pay through the HCBS program. But they they'll only pay for your care, not for your room and board. So it gets really messy in the weeds in this calculation. And I can tell you whether this is going to work or not, depending on how much care you need and how much money you have, typically it just doesn't work.

00;27;46;08 - 00;28;05;06

Steve Kuker

And most of them are the vast majority are private pay only, in long term care, most of them are Medicaid certified. But there's a there's a catch. Some of them, you're not going to find it on their website or anywhere. They have a six month private pay requirement, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, and some of them longer than that.

00;28;05;06 - 00;28;11;21

Cary Hall

So you run out of money, but you pay for 12 months or whatever it is, and then they are required to keep you in the facility.

00;28;12;09 - 00;28;37;11

Steve Kuker

So if you can pay. lets say if its 10,000 a month, if you, if you can pay 120,000 over the next 12 months, then after 12 months, we will bill Medicaid or 18 months or 24 months. Now, not all of them have that requirement, but some of them do. And you have to know this stuff. This is part of my job, is to help you navigate these very, turbulent waters, if you will, this minefield, if you will, to help you get it right the first time.

00;28;37;16 - 00;28;57;08

Cary Hall

Yeah. You see, this is what I'm talking about. Okay. And did you hear those numbers? A shared room, a shared room is going to be 9 to $10,000 a month. Okay, now you think about that, you know, would you want to be in a room with a stranger? One television. You're going to fight over who you know, who watches what.

00;28;57;15 - 00;29;07;29

Cary Hall

Maybe they like CNN and you like Fox, you know, see how that's going to go. You know what I mean? So those. Yeah. Those are. Yeah. Now you want to go to a private room. What was it 14.

00;29;08;01 - 00;29;10;06

Steve Kuker

12 to 15, 12 to 15,000.

00;29;10;06 - 00;29;28;14

Cary Hall

Not okay. This stuff is not cheap. And 90% of the people in this country are not prepared to deal with it. And that's where the problem comes in. And that's why you need an expert to negotiate these things and help you go through the labyrinth of understanding what's going to work. And and it can it can be done.

00;29;28;16 - 00;29;54;07

Cary Hall

But you need an expert. He's an expert. You want to call Steve Kuker (913) 945 2800. SeniorCareConsulting.com anywhere in the country. Call him. He'll help you. Okay. Or go to this website. You'll be happy to respond to you, but he can definitely make a difference. We'll be right back after the break. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate Broadcasting here on the HIA Radio Network.

00;29;54;13 - 00;30;05;17

Cary Hall

Coast to coast Cross, USA. We'll be right back.

00;30;05;19 - 00;30;25;16

Cary Hall

Welcome back. You're listening to America's Healthcare Advocate show, broadcasting coast to coast across the USA, here on the HIA Radio Network. Steve Kuker is in the studio with me. His company is Senior Care Consulting. He can help you anywhere in the country. Call him. He'll be happy to assist you in any way that he can. The website is SeniorCareConsulting.com.

00;30;25;16 - 00;30;51;02

Cary Hall

SeniorCareConsulting.com. Phone number 913 945 2800. You pay him upfront, but let me tell you something. It's going to save you a lot of grief down the road and probably a lot of money from making mistakes you don't want to make when trying to take care of a loved one. You've learned a lot here today. Now, I know we have a lot of people listening to show that are business people, because I get calls and emails and information from them on a constant basis.

00;30;51;04 - 00;31;07;23

Cary Hall

So you're now offering this as an opportunity for folks that think this might be a business they want to go into. So and there seems to be a lot of that going on. You've got people with Visiting Angel franchises, all these other franchises. So talk about what you're offering. You're kind of doing a special deal now.

00;31;09;08 - 00;31;31;11

Steve Kuker

I am now, offering franchise, opportunities all across, the nation. And I'm just I just want to here's where I came from. I was I want to help more people than just in the Kansas City area. And so I think the best way to do that is through the franchising model. So, I'll be awarding franchises, all across the country to, to the right people.

00;31;31;13 - 00;31;53;00

Steve Kuker

And I have created a Founders Club. So the first five in, we'll get a nice discount off of the franchise fee and I will I will give them 2 or 3 times the territory. That package is going to be worth, you know, 20 to $30,000. And they're going to get, you know, personalized training from me. I have a vested interest in their success, so I.

00;31;53;02 - 00;31;53;28

Cary Hall

Because you don’t want them to fail.

00;31;53;28 - 00;31;54;11

Steve Kuker

Yeah. Yeah.

00;31;54;12 - 00;31;54;27

Steve Kuker

Exactly.

00;31;54;27 - 00;31;55;18

Cary Hall

It’s your name.

00;31;55;19 - 00;32;15;15

Steve Kuker

That's right. The first five in, it's going to be an all out sprint, and, and I'm looking for the right people to partner with on that. And the franchise fees are reasonable. Some of these franchise fees are several hundred thousand dollars. Because you have you have staff and buildings and equipment and cost of goods and inventory and all that stuff. This is a pure service.

00;32;15;15 - 00;32;32;10

Steve Kuker

This is something you can operate from your home office. You can have work life balance. You don't have to ask your boss if you can see your daughter, your granddaughter, play basketball at 4:00 in the afternoon at the school. You can schedule around that and go do it, just like I did for all of those years.

00;32;32;16 - 00;32;47;01

Steve Kuker

So, this if you've ever thought about owning your own business, you're tired of asking your boss to, you know, to use the bathroom every day. Every time you need to I mean I’m making fun of that a little bit, but not that much. This this may be a good opportunity for you.

00;32;47;02 - 00;33;05;09

Cary Hall

Yeah, it may be. And I'll if you want to deal with somebody that's honest and does things the right way, it’s Steve. I've worked with them for 12 years, okay. In fact, Dave Thiessen even used him when he was dealing with his mother’s situation. So he's got a great reputation in this town, and it's a great business and it's a great business model.

00;33;05;15 - 00;33;24;20

Cary Hall

So if you're interested, reach out to him. SeniorCareConsulting.com, or give him a call at 913 945 2800. All right. So I have a long term care policy. And one of the beauties of my policy, I think it pays about $360 a day now. It's really quite a nice policy. I've had it for a long, long time. Is I have an option for in-home care.

00;33;24;23 - 00;33;46;17

Cary Hall

How do I know when I got to do in-home care if who I'm considering, is going to give me the kind of in-home care I need? I’m going to tell you a quick story. My brother passed away here about a year and a half ago. When I went to take care of him during that time period in his apartment. He was in hospice at that point, but I was going through his things, trying to get everything in order.

00;33;46;17 - 00;34;07;27

Cary Hall

And I said his wife had passed earlier. I said, Where's Julia’s diamond ring? Oh, it's in the jewelry box in there. Okay. Well, wasn't there, okay. Along with some other things were missing. So which meant that some of the people that were coming in were going through his, his things, okay. And they were stealing. So that. How do you know that you're going to bring somebody in?

00;34;08;00 - 00;34;24;13

Cary Hall

You know, it's it. You know, I'm you're it's this this is somebody doing it for their mom or dad. They think they've got a good company that’s going to come in and do this. How do you know that person's really going to take care of him, not take advantage of him. You know. You know, or her. And how how do you screen that?

00;34;24;15 - 00;34;48;23

Steve Kuker

So I offer a free home care provider screening tool. And there over 30 questions. They're really good questions to ask a home care provider when you're interviewing them. So I would recommend, choosing your top 2 or 3 choices and then ask them all the same question to help you choose one that you're most comfortable with. But I'll tell you what I hear stories every almost every day like that.

00;34;48;26 - 00;35;11;12

Steve Kuker

One lady somehow befriended herself to this, this elderly lady who had some cognitive issues. Somehow got her to turn against her entire family. Pretty soon, this caregiver had power of attorney. Pretty soon, this caregiver is driving around in a brand new $50,000 car. Pretty soon the caregiver was gifted heirloom jewelry from the safe. I mean, this happens all the time.

00;35;11;14 - 00;35;15;21

Steve Kuker

Here's how you fix that. You want to fix it? Put up cameras.

00;35;15;23 - 00;35;16;08

Cary Hall

Okay.

00;35;16;10 - 00;35;23;03

Steve Kuker

Put up cameras. They're cheap. They're small. Put cameras absolutely everywhere. Put them everywhere.

00;35;23;03 - 00;35;24;14

Cary Hall

And then they know.

00;35;24;14 - 00;35;49;28

Steve Kuker

And let them know they're being monitored. And then have this service that uploads all the footage to the cloud so that if there's any question, you can go back and look. Now, if you're working with a reputable home care provider and you can say, hey, here they are, they're walking off with mom's ring or her clothing or whatever it is, then that home care provider will reimburse you, okay, because they're insured and that person would be fired and all the stuff.

00;35;50;00 - 00;35;55;02

Steve Kuker

But but you you have to be able to prove it. Put cameras everywhere.

00;35;55;04 - 00;36;12;05

Cary Hall

Now that that's a simple piece. I'd not even thought of that. Okay, that is a simple piece of advice. It can make an enormous difference. So, you know, I, I say this all the time. You know, I bring people on this broadcast that I know do a good job at what they do. Services, companies, products, whatever it is.

00;36;12;05 - 00;36;30;22

Cary Hall

I don't put things on the air that either I don't use. I haven't tried or I and I don't endorse things that are not part of meeting my standards, the standards, the people that produce this show. This guy does that. He's been doing it for 12 years. You know, if you're looking for that franchise opportunity, this is probably a great thing to do.

00;36;30;23 - 00;36;50;20

Cary Hall

You're dealing with the guy who's honest, understands the business, is very smart. He's invented this whole model and he's very, very good at it. And if you're somebody that's got this issue with a grandmother, grandfather, mother, father, aunt, uncle. I don't care what it is, give him a call. He can make all the difference in the world for you and save you a lot of heartache and a lot of trouble.

00;36;50;27 - 00;37;06;11

Cary Hall

His phone number is 913 945 2800. The website is SeniorCareConsulting.com. He is Steve Kuker and he does know what he's doing. Thank you again. Great show today.

00;37;06;12 - 00;37;06;21

Steve Kuker

Thank you.

00;37;06;27 - 00;37;16;27

Steve Kuker

You want to know something really cool. I just was recently awarded a registered trademark for the phrase: “A placement service with integrity”.

00;37;16;29 - 00;37;17;12

Cary Hall

There you go.

00;37;17;18 - 00;37;19;13

Steve Kuker

That's it. That's the hope. That's the bottom line.

00;37;19;14 - 00;37;34;05

Cary Hall

That's the bottom line. And that's the bottom line of what he does. And now I leave you with this thought from Albert Einstein. The one who follows the crowd, they usually get no further than the crowd. The one who walks alone will likely find himself in a place no one has ever been. Remember, friends, that's the funny thing about life.

00;37;34;05 - 00;37;50;17

Cary Hall

If you refuse to accept anything but the very best, you most often get it. Thank you for listening to America's Healthcare Advocates Show. Broadcasting coast to coast across the USA. Goodbye, America.

00;37;50;20 - 00;37;57;06

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