Care Changes | Senior Care Connection

Many Seniors Leave Hospital Without Their Regular Meds - Quality Health

2012-01-19T22:12:00.000-05:00

While hospitals can be lifesavers, especially for the elderly, an alarming number of older patients fail to continue taking their regular medications after they return home—particularly if they spent time in intensive care. Why? Mainly because they neglect to renew their prescriptions.

Researchers at Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital examined data on almost 400,000 people living in Ontario between 1997 and 2009. They were all over the age of 66 and were regularly taking one of five medications commonly used to treat chronic conditions-statins for lowering cholesterol, anti-clotting drugs, thyroid replacement hormones, respiratory inhalers, and drugs that suppress gastric acid. During that time, slightly fewer than half of the study participants were hospitalized for unspecified conditions, and less than 10 percent of those were admitted to the ICU. What the researchers found is that admittance to a hospital resulted in patients being less likely to renew a long-term prescription. Almost one-fifth of patients did not renew their medications after discharge. Being admitted to the ICU carried an even higher risk-almost one-quarter of ICU patients failed to renew medications after discharge.

Why do so many seniors neglect their medications once discharged from the hospital, particularly if they were in the ICU? The study's lead researcher, Dr. Chaim Bell, said in a statement that the reason may be that ICUs are focused on treating acute illnesses, not chronic conditions. It's not uncommon for a long-term medication to be temporarily discontinued as the critical-care staff deals with a more pressing problem. Regular prescriptions "may later be forgotten or overlooked upon discharge," Bell said. He also noted that ICU patients are typically sent to a regular hospital bed once the emergency is over, and this handoff presents another opportunity for miscommunication and error.

The problem with seniors forgetting to take long-term medications is that the diseases for which the medications are intended are still present and causing damage. Patients who suspend their prescriptions are at increased risk of being readmitted to the hospital. That's why it's a good idea for senior citizens to keep a record of all prescriptions in one handy place. If one medication is temporarily suspended, the patient can review the list with his or her doctor upon discharge and make sure there are fresh prescriptions for everything needed.

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"Right-sizing" nursing homes - The Connecticut Mirror

2012-01-17T08:44:00.001-05:00

State officials are developing a plan to dramatically reshape the state's long-term care system, just as demand for it is expected to skyrocket.

The effort -- referred to as "right-sizing" the system -- is aimed at allowing more seniors and people with disabilities to live in community settings rather than institutions.

If it goes as officials hope, nearly one in four nursing home beds in the state won't be needed within the next two decades -- at least according to projections being used by state officials. They're planning to award millions of dollars in federal grant money to nursing homes looking to diversify their business models.

Those leading the effort say it's about creating choice, removing the barriers that make it harder to get Medicaid-funded long-term care at home than in an institution.

"We're designing a system that will someday support us," Dawn Lambert told a roomful of people helping to design the effort, including state agency officials, home health care and nursing home industry leaders, long-term care recipients and advocates for seniors, people with disabilities and mental illnesses.

Lambert is project director for Money Follows the Person, a federal-state initiative to help people in institutions move into home- or community-based settings and rebalance the long-term care system.

Doing so requires transforming not just the care system, but the infrastructure of a state sorely lacking affordable, accessible housing and transportation options. There will be a need for community supports to help people avoid being isolated at home, and a major increase in home care workers, who are already in short supply.

The shift will also require a more subtle change in the way care is thought of, those behind the effort say, from a sometimes-paternalistic model that treats people as patients in the care of an institution to one that emphasizes independence, choice and the right to take risks, including getting less care than professionals might advise. While many nursing home residents are seniors, the changes will also affect people with disabilities and mental illnesses, some of whom live in nursing homes.

Many longtime advocates for rebalancing the system say they're cautiously optimistic, saying previous resistance seems to have subsided, and policy changes are starting to reflect a move toward expanding home- and community-based care. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's administration has already announced plans to expand Money Follows the Person, and Malloy issued a controversial executive order establishing a path for home care workers in state-funded programs to gain collective bargaining rights, citing the expected increase in demand for personal care attendants.

"I don't think we have any choice," AARP Connecticut State Director Brenda Kelley said. "The services that we currently have are not what people want. They're not what people need, and we can't afford it."

The nursing home industry is participating in the planning process, and leaders have acknowledged that a shift toward more home care is inevitable. The industry understands that an overreliance on institutional care, mixed with the looming demographic trends, will lead the state to a long-term care system that's unaffordable, said Matthew V. Barrett, executive vice president of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities, which represents nursing homes.

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Tax Tips: Assisted-living costs in your home - Hometown Annapolis

2012-01-16T08:20:00.002-05:00

The cost of assisted-living (should it ever become necessary) is always a primary concern when planning for retirement. We all need to be mindful of the cost of continuing care facilities in our general locale but, in most cases; it would be preferable to stay in the comfort of our own home if at all possible.

If home care becomes a viable option one day for you or a family member, you need to be aware of some key tax considerations that apply to so-called "household employees"- such as the pesky Nanny Tax.

Based on IRS's definition, household employees also include "private nurses" or "health aides" who provide services in your home. The definition also goes on to include babysitters, cleaners, caretakers, drivers, housekeepers, maids, yard workers and of course, nannies.

How the Nanny Tax works: If a caregiver (or another household employee) is paid more than $1,700 in 2011 you are required to pay the Nanny Tax. (The threshold level will rise to $1,800 in 2012.)

This means you will need to pay and withhold Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes, and also pay federal unemployment taxes on each household employee. These taxes are generally paid once a year at tax time with a Schedule H form that you must attach to your tax return.

Some notable exceptions: A continuing care worker will not be considered your employee if he or she is hired through an agency and the agency has control over (a) who does the job and (b) how the job is done.

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2012 Medicare debate is all about the baby boomers - The Richmond Register

2012-01-05T12:27:00.002-05:00

Washington — Baby boomers take note: Medicare as your parents have known it is headed for big changes no matter who wins the White House in 2012. You may not like it, but you might have to accept it.

Dial down the partisan rhetoric and surprising similarities emerge from competing policy prescriptions by President Barack Obama and leading Republicans such as Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan.

Limit the overall growth of Medicare spending? It’s in both approaches.

Squeeze more money from upper-income retirees and some in the middle-class? Ditto.

Raise the eligibility age? That too, if the deal is right.

With more than 1.5 million baby boomers a year signing up for Medicare, the program’s future is one of the most important economic issues for anyone now 50 or older. Health care costs are the most unpredictable part of retirement, and Medicare remains an exceptional deal for retirees, who can reap benefits worth far more than the payroll taxes they paid in during their careers.

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The Unspoken Diagnosis: Old Age - The New York Times

2012-01-04T17:20:00.002-05:00

Dr. Alexander K. Smith is a brave man.

It has taken physicians a very long time to accept the need to level with patients and their families when they have terminal illnesses and death is near — and we know that many times those kinds of honest, exploratory conversations still don’t take place.

Now Dr. Smith, a palliative care specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, who also practices at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and two co-authors are urging another change, one they acknowledge would “radically alter” the way health care professionals communicate with their very old patients.

In a recent article in The New England Journal of Medicine, they suggested offering to discuss “overall prognosis,” doctorspeak for probable life expectancy and the likelihood of death, with patients who don’t have terminal illnesses. The researchers favor broaching the subject with anyone who has a life expectancy of less than 10 years or has reached age 85.

“Advanced age itself is the greatest predictor of poor prognosis,” Dr. Smith told me in an interview.

By age 85, the article points out, the average remaining life expectancy for Americans is six years. An 85-year-old has a 75 percent chance of living another three years, but only a one in four chance of surviving for 10. Which category a particular old person falls into has much to do with the medical problems he or she has, or doesn’t have, and with his or her ability to function.

When the odds are that they have only a few remaining years, should doctors discuss that with them?

Dr. Smith and his co-authors, Dr. Brie Williams and Dr. Bernard Lo — a geriatrician and an internist, respectively — vote yes. “This is about empowering patients to make informed choices and encouraging individual decision-making,” he said.

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Senior housing become big business across region, nation Senior housing become big business across region, nation - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

2012-01-02T11:25:00.001-05:00

Construction of new senior citizen housing -- including independent-living and assisted-living communities -- is growing in Western Pennsylvania and nationwide, despite the national slowdown on new housing development, experts say.

The total value of senior housing deals in the July-September period was greater than the combined total in the previous two full years, according to the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry, based in Maryland. It said 380 properties valued at $5.2 billion were completed, primarily by real estate investment trusts that specialize in housing for the elderly.

In the Pittsburgh region, developers say production of senior citizens complexes often consists of 50 units or fewer, and that larger complexes with more than 100 units are no longer being built.

Developer William Gatti of Trek Development in Pittsburgh developed four senior citizen communities this year, involving a combined 120 units and costing about $20 million. One of the four was the 24-unit Kittanning Cottages in Kittanning. Others are in Pittsburgh's Hill District and in Punxsutawney and Blairsville.

Gatti plans four more communities in 2012, with a combined 150 units. They will be in Gibsonia, Ridgeway, Somerset and Braddock.

"Obtaining financing for senior citizen housing is not easy but it is better than for other housing developments," he said. He has used a federal tax credit program to help fund these affordable-housing complexes, which are not subsidized.

Bob and Ruth Lind are typical of seniors who gave up their homes to move into senior citizen housing. They decided this year to sell their seven-room, three-bedroom home in Somerset and become residents of the Village of St. Barnabas in Gibsonia.

"I got tired of taking care of a large yard and at 84, I decided it was time to enjoy living in a community where those maintenance matters were taken care of," said Bob Lind, former publisher of the Somerset Daily American newspaper.

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10 Places to Retire on Social Security Alone - US News & World Report

2011-12-25T13:28:00.001-05:00

The average monthly Social Security benefit was $1,179 in March 2011. A couple who each earns that amount would have a retirement income of $28,296 annually. Here are a few places where the median household income is lower than the average Social Security benefit for a two-earner couple.

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The 10 Best Places to Retire in 2012 - US News & World Report

2011-12-25T13:25:00.000-05:00

Whether you want to spend your golden years watching the sun set over the water or taking on a second career, we’ve identified an ideal place to relocate. Using data from Onboard Informatics, U.S. News selected 10 key attributes that many people look for in a retirement locale, and a city that excels in meeting each need. Here are 10 great places to retire.

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Assisted living facilities are slow to gain acceptance - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

2011-12-21T10:47:00.002-05:00

When 91-year-old Marie Holtzapfel arrived at RoseCrest Assisted Living Residence in July from another long-term care facility, she could hardly have been aware she was part of some rare vanguard in Pennsylvania.

For one thing, like all 15 initial residents in the homelike setting in Mars, Mrs. Holtzapfel has had dementia for years. For another, RoseCrest wasn't supposed to be the only licensed assisted-living center in southwestern Pennsylvania as of the end of October, and one of just 10 in the state.

State officials began using the new category of long-term care called assisted living in January as a middle ground between Pennsylvania's long-existing personal care home and nursing home industries. The Rendell administration, which oversaw development of the assisted-living regulations, had predicted there would be at least 150 centers licensed by now, aiming for a less institutional atmosphere than nursing homes but higher standards than what is mandated in personal care homes.

The new category is part of a trend in which state governments have tried to de-emphasize nursing home use because it is the most costly form of long-term care to help fund, in addition to being the least desired by the public.

But assisted living's growth depends on an upgrade to it among the more than 1,300 personal care homes in Pennsylvania. Thus far, they are reacting to it with all the eagerness of frail Aunt Hazel hearing it's time to move out of her longtime home into a group facility for her own good.

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Assisted living: What you need to know - Buffalo News

2011-12-12T23:11:00.001-05:00

Assisted living may be in your future.

That may not be an ideal scenario for most retirees, given its association with a loss of independence. But it’s becoming reality for many as living in retirement for decades becomes more common.

There are close to a million residents in some 38,000 assisted-living facilities across the country, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. That population is expected to soar as the number of retired baby boomers continues to grow.

But even before their retirement, many boomers are having to deal with placing elderly parents in an assisted- living or other type of care facility. That means it’s time to do some homework on this residential option — an intermediate step between independent living and nursing home care — and in many cases to cast aside preconceived ideas.

“The name has a connotation of ‘I can’t live by myself anymore,’ ” says Ellen Eichelbaum, a Northport, N. Y.- based gerontologist whose company, the SpeakEasy Group, consults on aging issues. “But an assisted-living facility provides a lot of the social and security issues that seniors are worried about.”

It takes away the burden of having to care for your home and allows you to be part of a community, she says. And if you don’t feel well, help is just a button away.

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Gift Giving for a Loved One in Skilled Nursing - Brookdale Senior Living

2011-12-09T14:59:00.000-05:00

After buying gifts your entire life, it can be challenging to come up with new and creative ideas for your loved one. As time changes, the needs of your loved one will change. The decorative vases you used to purchase your aunt just aren’t going to cut it anymore.

When you have a loved one in skilled nursing, you know they need practical gifts. By targeting your gift-giving strategy to your loved one’s needs, you will be able to get gifts that show how much you care and that show you understand their needs.

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Assisted Living Federation of America & Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics & Neonatal Nurses Join the National Healthcare Career Network

2011-12-08T12:15:00.001-05:00

HUNT VALLEY, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Terri Pla, Vice President, Healthcare, National Healthcare Career Network (www.NHCNnetwork.org) has announced the addition of two new NHCN partners. “We are very excited that the Assisted Living Federation of America (www.ALFA.org) and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics & Neonatal Nurses (www.AHWONN.org) have chosen to join the Network. Both organizations represent the best in their fields and bring an impressive depth of talent to employers recruiting for specialists in assisted living and nurses in women’s and newborns’ health.”

AWHONN, which was formed in 1969, is the foremost nursing authority that advances the health care of women and newborns through advocacy, research and the creation of evidence-based standards of care. Tom Quash, CAE, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development of AWHONN said, “AWHONN wants to provide our members with access to careers with prestigious employers. The NHCN’s proven track record of combining technology and management to build and promote successful career centers – and its impressive roster of employer-clients – played a big part in our decision to join.”

Jamison Gosselin, ALFA’s Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications, added, “The NHCN’s business model is exclusively dedicated to healthcare associations, which we considered important. The NHCN’s caliber of partners - and its ability to provide a robust career center to our members and specialized job seekers in the senior living industry - made it easy for us to become part of the Network.” ALFA was founded in 1990 and is dedicated to supporting the principles of choice, dignity and independence for seniors and to serving as a voice for operators of senior living communities and seniors and families those communities serve.

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Modern senior living: homes of the future, worries of the present - Los Angeles Times

2011-12-07T12:07:00.001-05:00

The future of senior living -- design, real estate pitfalls, technology -- is the subject of a Home section package in the Saturday print edition of The Times. Among the stories:

Modern design: Retirement communities often rely on a traditional look to create environs that feel familiar and comforting. But rather than reference the past, a design and development team behind a proposed community called Boom in Rancho Mirage is pointing squarely at the future. Ten firms contributed their visions for what modern senior living might look like at Boom, including this rendering from Diller Scofidio & Renfro. The result is an interesting exercise in dreaming about the perfect retirement home. Read the article or check out the 20-image gallery.

Buyers, beware: Financial difficulties at some senior care communities have created a new set of worries for prospective residents and family members trying to ensure their safety and happiness. At some high-end communities, large up-front fees that residents thought were refundable have been lost in bankruptcy. And at more modestly priced, family-run board-and-care homes, a foreclosure can mean all residents are forced to vacate. Writer Rosemary McClure has the full story.

Staying in touch: In an era when extended families are often spread across state lines, companies are developing technologies to help adult children more easily monitor an aging parent from afar. Family Health Network, part of a technology incubator near Durham, N.C., has developed a touch-screen computer system that guides older people living on their own through a series of daily questions, along the lines of “How are you feeling?” and “Have you taken your medications this morning?” By simply touching buttons on a simplified display, answers can be recorded and relayed to family members as reassurance that the loved one is safe. The program can incorporate email, shared calendars for monitoring appointments and shared photo albums for reducing feelings of isolation. The system also can be set up to handle video calls. The touch screen system was one of several advances cited by Majd Alwan, vice president for the Center for Aging Services Technology at Leading Age, a nonprofit group formerly known as the American Assn. of Homes and Services for the Aging.

Monitoring from a distance: WellAware Systems in Glen Allen, Va., has developed a way of embedding motion sensors in homes so caregivers can infer the activities of daily living. The system includes a bed sensor that can alert loved ones if Mom is getting up nine times every night, or if Dad got out of bed at 2 a.m. but never returned, perhaps because of a fall. Or motion sensors might note an unexpected lack of movement in the home all morning -- perhaps another sign of a potential problem.

For readers of McClure's article who would like additional resources of information, keep reading ...

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A Slow Exodus From Nursing Homes - The New York Times

2011-12-06T14:54:00.001-05:00

If you’ve helped an older relative move into a nursing home in the past year, you’ve likely heard a nurse or administrator pose The Question: “Do you want to talk to someone about the possibility of returning to the community?”

The resident will hear The Question again every three months, when her condition is reassessed. She’ll hear it if there’s a significant change in her condition. Whatever her health issues, whoever is paying the bill, Medicare regulations adopted in October 2010 mandate that she (or a family member or guardian, if she’s not mentally competent) be asked it.

A nursing home resident has always had the legal right to leave. In the past, though, “the question was asked, and nothing had to happen as a result of the answer,” said Barbara Edwards, director of disabled and elderly health programs for the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Now, The Question has been reworded to make its point — you can go home again — more explicit. As important, a resident’s “yes” now triggers contact with an outside agency that will explain how going home might work.

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Boom in senior citizen housing - The Buffalo News

2011-12-05T11:29:00.001-05:00

Sector of realty market lists 3rd-quarter deals higher than combined total of previous 2 years

PHILADELPHIA -- Though the overall housing market has not escaped the doldrums, the senior citizen housing sector, driven by investment companies, has gone gangbusters since 2010.

In the third quarter of 2011 alone, 39 senior citizen housing deals worth $5.5 billion were completed, primarily by real estate investment trusts that specialize in housing for the elderly. That figure includes independent- and assisted-living communities, but not nursing homes.

The total value of senior citizen housing deals in the quarter ended Sept. 30 was greater than the combined total in the previous two full years, according to the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry in Annapolis, Md.

Brandywine Senior Living in Mount Laurel, N.J., has participated in the consolidation frenzy. Brandywine, which had been owned by New York private-equity firm Warburg Pincus LLC since 2006, sold its 19 assisted-living facilities in five states in December to Health Care REIT of Toledo, Ohio, in a deal valued at $600 million.

The Brandywine firm, now primarily a management company owned by CEO Brenda G. Bacon and other executives, leased the facilities back and continues to operate them.

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China elderly facing HIV/AIDS crisis - CNN

2011-12-02T10:29:00.001-05:00

When an old widower from the central Chinese city of Wuhan went into hospital last summer because of a persistent high fever, he was diagnosed with the AIDS virus -- and made national news.

The man, in his late 70s, had frequently hired prostitutes after his wife died, and doctors believe he contracted the HIV virus -- which can eventually develop into full-blown AIDS -- through unprotected sex, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

With the population rapidly aging, more than 10% of China's 1.3 billion people are now over the age of 60, census figures show. Improving living standards mean many Chinese are living and remaining sexually active for longer.

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The 10 Best Places to Retire in 2012 - US News & World Report

2011-12-01T11:19:00.001-05:00

Hard Times for Gay Retirement Havens - The New York Times

2011-11-30T10:02:00.002-05:00

SANTA FE, N.M. — Like so many others who have settled here, Janice Gaynor and her partner, Barbara Cohn, wanted to retire somewhere where they could be themselves, whether that meant holding hands in public or making decisions about each other’s end-of-life health care.

So when RainbowVision swung open its doors in 2006 as one of the first retirement communities in the country to proudly serve gay men and lesbians, offering elegant adobes where people could live out their lives among friends, the couple could not move in fast enough.

“This was our safety valve,” Ms. Gaynor said.

These days, that promise is all but forgotten. RainbowVision has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, racked by financial problems and an increasingly bitter dispute between residents and management. Its problems mirror those of many other gay retirement communities around the country that have either failed to open or fallen on hard times, victims of a weakened housing market, a deflated economy and, in some cases, poor business decisions.

They were once hailed as havens where the so-called Stonewall generation — the first “out” group of senior citizens — could age without being treated with hostility or forced back into the closet. But such communities in Austin, Tex.; Boston and in the Phoenix area never opened because of a lack of finances and a decline in real estate values. A development near Portland, Ore., is struggling at 25 percent of capacity, and another near Sarasota, Fla., has, like RainbowVision, filed for bankruptcy.

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ALFA Accepting Submissions for Senior Living Art Showcase

2011-11-29T12:49:00.002-05:00

ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) is now accepting submissions for the annual ALFA Senior Living Art Showcase, an art competition for residents of senior living communities. As one way of showcasing seniors’ continued zeal for life and artistic talent, current senior living residents are being asked to submit their paintings around the theme carpe diem! (seize the day!)

“Senior living communities not only encourage residents to pursue the activities they have always loved, they also offer enriching environments to learn new skills,” said Richard P. Grimes, ALFA president and CEO. “Whether a senior living resident has recently begun to pursue painting as a hobby or is continuing to pursue a lifelong passion, we expect there will be many submissions, since art is such an important aspect of many seniors’ lives.”

The competition is open to all residents of assisted living, independent living, and memory care communities. Digital photos of artwork can be submitted online through January 13, 2012. Semifinalists will be chosen and shared online through ALFA’s Facebook page, where people across the country can vote for their favorites.

Finalists will be honored at COMMUNITY 2012, the annual ALFA conference and expo, and will each finalist will receive a cash prize and a set of note cards with their painting printed on the front, to share with family and friends. Two grand prize winners will be selected and each will be given a painting party for his or her senior living community as a way of celebrating the winner’s talents and involvement in community life. To learn more about the ALFA Senior Living Art Showcase, visit www.alfa.org/art.

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Study Reveals Most Needed Services for LGBT Seniors - ALFA

2011-11-28T12:41:00.001-05:00

A study of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender seniors finds that LGBT seniors experience higher levels of disability and social isolation than the general population. The study, funded by the National Institute of Health and National Institute on Aging, identified the most needed services for this group.

The report released by the University of Washington’s School of Social Work, found a disparity in rates of disability between LGBT older adults and their heterosexual peers. Among LGBT older adults 47 percent were disabled, while 35 percent of heterosexual older adults were disabled. These LGBT older adults also faced increased psychological concerns. About 31 percent of LGBT seniors experienced depression, while 53 percent reported loneliness. Many LGBT do not seek help out of fear of discrimination, and many do not have children or a partner, which may contribute to the social isolation and limit access to community services.  

Only 28 percent of participants used programs or services available in their community, and many identified that more services were needed to cater to their specific population. 66 percent of respondents identified senior housing as being the most needed service, and about half called for tailored assisted living communities specifically. Those aged 50-64 or 80 and older were more likely than those aged 65-79 to request more LGBT assisted living options. While senior housing options are the most needed according to participants, transportation and social events were tied for second, with 62 percent of respondents reporting a need.

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Study Reveals Most Needed Services for LGBT Seniors

2011-11-28T12:38:00.000-05:00

Study Reveals Most Needed Services for LGBT Seniors

SunBridge Healthcare

2011-04-26T11:25:00.007-04:00

SunBridge Healthcare and its affiliates offer short-stay care, residential skilled care, rehabilitation therapy, Alzheimer’s care, behavioral health services, and hospice services, as well as operate assisted living and independent living residences in more than 200 locations across the United States.

From coast to coast, our primary goal is to deliver quality care in safe, warm and comfortable environments that offer peace of mind and support for patients, residents and their families.

For more information about a SunBridge Healthcare center near you, please visit SunBridge Healthcare or Care Changes.

Nearly 15 Million Alzheimer's and Dementia Caregivers Provide Unpaid Care Valued at More Than $200 Billion

2011-03-15T08:25:00.004-04:00

Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's and Timely Intervention Can Lead to Better Planning

CHICAGO, March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- According to 2011 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures, released today by the Alzheimer's Association, there are nearly 15 million Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers in the United States. This new report shows that there are far more Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers than previously believed – 37% more than reported last year. These individuals provided 17 billion hours of unpaid care valued at $202.6 billion. If Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers were the only residents of a single state it would be the 5th largest state in the country.

Studies indicate that people 65 and older survive an average of four to eight years after a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, yet some live as long as 20 years. The prolonged duration of this disease often places increasingly intense demands on the millions of family members and friends who provide care to those with Alzheimer's. Facts and Figures reveals that Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers have an increased potential to develop their own serious health issues. Those complications represent a financial burden of nearly $8 billion in increased healthcare costs.

"Alzheimer's disease doesn't just affect those with it. It invades families and the lives of everyone around them," said Harry Johns, president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association. "It is stressful and heartbreaking to see someone you love trapped in a present where their past is fading and their future too frightening to contemplate. Nearly 15 million dedicated and committed family members and friends are living with this every day."

Escalating Impact of Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia

Today, an estimated 5.4 million people are living with Alzheimer's disease. While the greatest risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease is age, Alzheimer's is not normal aging. Alzheimer's is the sixth-leading cause of death in the country and the only cause of death among the top 10 in the United States that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed. Based on mortality data from 2000-2008, death rates have declined for most major diseases – heart disease (-13 percent), breast cancer (-3 percent), prostate cancer (-8 percent), stroke (-20 percent) and HIV/AIDS (-29) − while deaths from Alzheimer's disease have risen 66 percent during the same period.

The Alzheimer's Association estimates that total payments for health and long-term care services for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias will amount to $183 billion in 2011, which is $11 billion more than in 2010.

Medicare and Medicaid costs will make up the majority of this increase. By 2050, Medicare costs for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias will increase nearly 600 percent and Medicaid costs will soar almost 400 percent.

"The projected rise in Alzheimer's incidence will become an enormous balloon payment for the nation – a payment that will exceed 1 trillion dollars by 2050," said Robert Egge, Vice President for Public Policy for the Alzheimer's Association. "It is clear our government must make a smart commitment in order make these costs unnecessary."

Early Detection, Diagnosis and Hope

The 2011 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report also explores the issue of early detection and diagnosis. Alzheimer's and dementia is a costly and often unrecognized problem in older adults. Increasing evidence suggests that early diagnosis of Alzheimer's and timely intervention is beneficial, both for people with the disease and their caregivers. Experts believe that early detection of Alzheimer's disease and early interventions with improved therapies provide the greatest hope to delay or stop additional damage to the brain.

"For people affected by irreversible cognitive decline or dementia, a formal and documented diagnosis helps the individual and their family explain and expect behaviors, and opens doors to vital care and support services," said Beth Kallmyer, senior director of constituent services. "A diagnosis can help reduce the anxiety and emotional burden experienced by opening access to valuable support services."

Early detection also allows for prompt evaluation and treatment of reversible or treatable causes of cognitive impairment. If Alzheimer's is diagnosed, it allows the growing number of families affected by the disease the opportunity to consider which medical and non-medical services are available – including the option of participating in clinical trials.

Full text of the Alzheimer's Association's 2011 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures can be viewed at www.alz.org after the embargo lifts. The full report will also appear in the March 2011 issue of Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association (Volume 7, Issue 2).

Alzheimer's Association's Facts and Figures

The Alzheimer's Association's Facts and Figures report is a comprehensive compilation of national statistics and information on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The report conveys the impact of Alzheimer's on individuals, families, government and the nation's health care system. Since its 2007 inaugural release, the report has become the most cited source covering the broad spectrum of Alzheimer's issues. The Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report is an official publication of the Alzheimer's Association.

Alzheimer's Association

The Alzheimer's Association is the world's leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

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Memory lapse or Alzheimer's? Multi-tasking fuels forgetting

2010-09-30T09:51:00.002-04:00

Those twinges of forgetfulness that appear to be getting more pronounced may worry you. After all, the statistics are scary: Every 70 seconds, someone in the USA develops Alzheimer's. But every lapse isn't a signal that your memory is kaput.
Cheryl Edwards-Cannon, 57, says she relies on Post-it notes and spiral notebooks to help her remember, since she's multitasking "the majority of the time."

Edwards-Cannon, of Belmont, Mich., is married and works for a company that manages charter schools. She travels 10 to 15 days a month. She also oversees care of her father, who is in assisted-living, and her mother, who suffers from dementia and requires a different place, four miles from her father's.

Click here to read more...

By Sharon Jayson, USA TODAY

How to Choose the Right Sun Block for the Elderly

2010-06-11T13:47:00.002-04:00

As we age, skin thins and becomes more fragile and susceptible to the sun's damaging rays. Protecting this sensitive skin means selecting a nurturing and effective sunscreen that blocks the sun's UV rays. Protecting elderly skin with hats and clothing in addition to sunscreen provides the best defense.

1. Consult with a physician or dermatologist to discuss the best options for sun block and additional protection methods. Physicians suggest drinking ample water and fluids to hydrate skin. They also recommend wearing a wide brimmed hat and long sleeved clothes

2. Select a sunscreen for sensitive skin with an SPF rating of at least 15, but SPF 30 is preferable. Also, choose PABA-free products with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide because these are less likely to trigger an allergic skin reaction.

3. Choose a sunscreen with broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection. Sunscreen with added vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin E benefit elderly skin's health.

4. Use sunscreen that is easy to apply such as sunscreen towelettes in SPF 15, SPF 30 and SPF 45. Powder, sticks and gel sunscreens are also easy to apply.

5. Counter elderly skin's dryness with water-based sunscreens or chemical free sun block alternatives. Burt's Bees offers chemical free sunscreens with SPF 15 or SPF 30 online and in many drugstores.

For more information, visit eHow.

Know the 10 Signs by Alzheimer's Association

2010-06-08T10:01:00.004-04:00

Have you noticed any of these warning signs?

There are 10 warning signs of Alzheimer's disease. Along with the advice of a doctor, these signs are critical to detecting Alzheimer's.

1. Memory changes that disrupt daily life. One of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s, especially in the early stages, is forgetting recently learned information. Others include forgetting important dates or events; asking for the same information over and over; relying on memory aides (e.g., reminder notes or electronic devices) or family members for things they used to handle on their own. What's typical? Sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering them later.

2. Challenges in planning or solving problems. Some people may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before. What's typical? Making occasional errors when balancing a checkbook.

3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure. People with Alzheimer’s often find it hard to complete daily tasks. Sometimes, people may have trouble driving to a familiar location, managing a budget at work or remembering the rules of a favorite game. What’s typical? Occasionally needing help to use the settings on a microwave or to record a television show.

4. Confusion with time or place. People with Alzheimer's can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there. What's typical? Getting confused about the day of the week but figuring it out later.

5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships. For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer's. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast. In terms of perception, they may pass a mirror and think someone else is in the room. They may not recognize their own reflection. What's typical? Vision changes related to cataracts.

6. New problems with words in speaking or writing. People with Alzheimer's may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue or they may repeat themselves. They may struggle with vocabulary, have problems finding the right word or call things by the wrong name (e.g., calling a "watch" a "hand-clock"). What's typical? Sometimes having trouble finding the right word.

7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in unusual places. They may lose things and be unable to go back over their steps to find them again. Sometimes, they may accuse others of stealing. This may occur more frequently over time. What's typical? Misplacing things from time to time, such as a pair of glasses or the remote control.

8. Decreased or poor judgment. People with Alzheimer's may experience changes in judgment or decision-making. For example, they may use poor judgment when dealing with money, giving large amounts to telemarketers. They may pay less attention to grooming or keeping themselves clean. What's typical? Making a bad decision once in a while.

9. Withdrawal from work or social activities. A person with Alzheimer's may start to remove themselves from hobbies, social activities, work projects or sports. They may have trouble keeping up with a favorite sports team or remembering how to complete a favorite hobby. They may also avoid being social because of the changes they have experienced. What's typical? Sometimes feeling weary of work, family and social obligations.

10. Changes in mood and personality. The mood and personalities of people with Alzheimer's can change. They can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. They may be easily upset at home, at work, with friends or in places where they are out of their comfort zone. What's typical? Developing very specific ways of doing things and becoming irritable when a routine is disrupted.

To read the full article, click here Alzheimer's Association.

9 Things to Consider in Your Search for an Assisted Living Facility

2010-06-07T18:22:00.003-04:00

The decision to move shouldn't be taken lightly, say experts. Here's some guidance

As people age and need more help with daily activities, such as bathing or taking medication, moving to a facility that provides some assistance, without sacrificing independence, may be an option. This type of environment, known as assisted living, has emerged in the past two decades as an increasingly available option for housing and long-term care. In 1999, one third of the facilities that offered assisted living services had been in existence for less than five years, and 60 percent had existed for less than a decade, according to research published in January in the journal Health Affairs. The growth of assisted living facilities has leveled off in recent years, however, as the economic downturn hampered new construction and occupancy rates.

In 2007, there were approximately 38,000 assisted living facilities nationwide, serving about 975,000 residents. The overwhelming majority of assisted living residents in the United States are female, according to the National Center for Assisted Living. One of the most common types of facilities that provide assisted living are called community care retirement communities, which offer a stepwise approach to care, says Kerry Peck, an elder law attorney based in Chicago. "The concept is you age in place," meaning you never have to leave the grounds for housing, he says, "You buy an apartment or cottage, and then as your health declines, the facility agrees to provide continuing care. Some of the most successful [centers] have independent living, then assisted living, then a nursing home for acute care."

But much like deciding whether a nursing home is necessary, the decision to move into an assisted living facility is not an easy one. So what factors should you consider when looking for a place to move to? First, think about what activities you or your loved one need help with. People residing in assisted living facilities may need assistance with any number of daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, using the bathroom, cooking, or eating. About 87 percent of residents need help preparing meals, for example, and 81 percent need help with managing or taking their medications, reports the NCAL. Most residents come from living in private homes or apartments; fewer come from living with adult children or other family members, from nursing home facilities, retirement or independent living communities, or another assisted living or group home.

For some people, however, assisted living may not be an option, mostly for financial reasons. Assisted living facilities cost an average of $34,000 annually in 2009, compared to about $74,000 per year for a nursing home, according to research published in January in Health Affairs. How this expense is paid varies. Residents can buy into a facility by paying a large, upfront sum of money, followed by smaller monthly assessment fees. Or if the resident opts for a facility where he can rent instead, he would pay monthly for the cost of housing and care. The facilities are also mostly located in areas where home values are higher and people nearby have higher incomes. Because of this, people with low incomes, minority groups, and those living in rural areas do not have much access to assisted living facilities, the study reports. Also, some states are home to more assisted living facilities than others. Minnesota, Oregon, and Virginia each had more than 40 facilities per 1,000 elderly residents, according to the research, while Connecticut, Hawaii, and West Virginia each had fewer than 10 facilities per 1,000 elderly.

If you are contemplating an assisted living facility for yourself or a loved one, here are 9 considerations to help guide you:

Reflect on what is most valuable in you or your loved one's life. What gives your life purpose and meaning? "Keep that in mind when choosing your living environment," says Linda Fodrini-Johnson, president of National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. Think about where your doctors, your church, your children, and grandchildren are located. Is the assisted living facility near the things and people you hold dear? Will you have transportation to get where you need to go? "Choose a place that can keep you connected to your medical team, church, clubs you belong to, [and] your family," Fodrini-Johnson says. "You want to keep as much [of a] social network as you can."

Think about your current and future needs. If you have a progressive illness such as Parkinson's disease, for example, look for a facility that can accommodate you as your mobility changes, Fodrini-Johnson advises. You might ask questions like: What are the levels of care that you offer? How long can a resident stay? Will you be provided with wheelchair escorts to the dining room? Are there ramps located throughout the facility? Is your room or apartment fully accessible if you require a wheelchair in the future? Also, if you have dementia and you eventually become at risk of wandering off, does the facility offer a secure unit that they could transfer you to? "That helps you narrow down your choices," Fodrini-Johnson says.

Assess the financial stability of the facility. Although assisted living occupancy rates remain stable industry-wide, some newer facilities and locations that attempted to expand during the recession have struggled to fill their beds, according to the Health Affairs study. And because many prospective residents use the profit from the sale of their homes to pay for their assisted living stays, the downturn in the housing market has hurt facilities located in parts of the U.S. where home values were hit hardest in recent years. Because of this, some assisted living companies have filed for bankruptcy—which can be problematic for residents who have paid a lump sum up front that they expected to cover their housing and care for as long as they're able to live there; if the assisted living facility goes bankrupt, the resident may be out that money, says Craig Reaves, an elder law attorney based in Kansas City, Mo.

Make sure the facility is licensed to ensure it meets your state's assisted living regulations. To confirm this, check with the agency that licenses assisted living facilities in your state. The agency tasked with doing so varies by state. In Maryland, for example, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Office of Health Care Quality is responsible. To find the appropriate agency in your state, start by searching Eldercare.gov and drilling down by Zip code. Also, check with the Better Business Bureau to find out if there are complaints against the assisted living facility you're interested in.

Get referrals. Go to people you know who have done the search before you, advises Joy Loverde, author of The Complete Eldercare Planner (Random House, revised and updated, 2009). Also, contact your local agency on aging or a geriatric care manger to find out if they can provide a list of facilities they'd recommend in your area.

Ask if there is a waiting list when you make first contact with the facility. "Most of the good assisted living communities have a waiting list," Loverde says. "Don't assume that there's going to be room when you need it." So start your search early and get on the list if you find a place you love.

Visit a few times before you agree to move in. Stop by the community at least twice—once during the day and once at nighttime, Loverde advises, and go on at least one guided tour. Show up unannounced for your other visits, experts say, so you can see what happens when they're not expecting visitors. The nighttime visit is especially important because most of the staff has likely gone home. That's when you can get a good sense of "who is left in the evening shift," she says. "Observe whether the evening shift is aware of the needs of the residents. Ask current residents if they've had problems at night," such as not being able to get assistance in the wee hours due to low staff levels.

Talk to current residents. Talk to residents you meet during your on-site visits and ask if they've experienced any problems at the facility. Probe them about issues with the facility's staff, quality of meals, and on-site thefts, for example. Also, ask the facility if they have a resident council, and ask to talk to the resident in charge of the council to find out what complaints, if any, occupants have about the facility, Loverde suggests.

Get a copy of the contract and show it to a lawyer. The contract or written agreement should detail how the facility handles residents as they age or become sicker, and should include a staff-to-resident ratio, and information about any costs associated with leaving the facility—such as how much of your money you will be refunded and in what time frame. An elder law attorney can help you understand the contract and may advise you to ask the facility for changes that may work to your benefit, Loverde says, such as negotiating future rate increases—especially important for those on a fixed income.

Still, many times, assisted living residents do not get their contracts reviewed prior to moving in. "People underestimate [the] need to have contracts reviewed," Reaves says. "It depends on the facility, but there can be some provisions in those contracts that you may not want," and the facility may be willing to remove them if asked, he says. For example, some contracts allow facilities to kick a resident out if he runs out of money to pay for continuing housing or care. This can be negotiated before the contract is signed, so that a resident can tap into Medicaid, for example, to help cover the costs, Reaves says.

For more information, click here U.S. News.

Senior Housing Types - Descriptions, Payment Options & Average Monthly Costs

2010-05-12T10:19:00.005-04:00

Assisted Living
Assisted Living communities provide a residential setting for seniors to live safely. They offer assistance with medication reminders, bathing, dressing and special dietary requirements. Amenities typically include three meals a day, social activities, transportation, housekeeping and laundry. Most living areas offer walk in showers, wide doors for wheelchair access, emergency call services and more. Many assisted livings also offer specialized Alzheimer’s/Dementia Care. They may be stand alone communities or part of a retirement community.
Payment Options: Mostly Private Pay; Some Accept Medicaid
Average Monthly Cost: $2500-4000

Alzheimer’s/Dementia Care
Alzheimer’s/Dementia Care communities are designed with the memory impaired or Alzheimer’s resident in mind. The environment is secured allowing residents to explore and wander safely. The staff is typically well trained and more experienced in working with memory loss and Alzheimer’s care. They may be stand alone communities or part of an assisted living community.
Payment Options: Mostly Private Pay; Some Accept Medicaid
Average Monthly Cost: $3000-6000

Retirement Living
Retirement Living communities provide independent seniors an active apartment style living environment. Apartment types include studio, 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom units with full kitchens. Most retirement communities offer 1-2 meals a day in a dining room or restaurant style setting, weekly housekeeping, social activities and transportation to shopping and doctor appointments.
Payment Options: Mostly Private Pay; Some Government Funded
Average Monthly Cost: $1500-3500

Residential Care Home
Residential Care Homes provide personal assistance to residents in a smaller homelike environment. Most are operated by their owners and offer help with meals, medications, bathing, dressing and social activities. The number of residents varies, but most are less than 10 residents.
Payment Options: Mostly Private Pay; Some Accept Medicaid
Average Monthly Cost: $1500-3000

Senior Apartment
Senior Apartments are designed specifically for independent seniors 55 years or older who desire maintenance free living. Most do not offer meals, housekeeping, transportation or medical assistance. Many senior apartments are subsidized and offer lower monthly rates.
Payment Options: Mostly Private Pay; Some Government Funded
Average Monthly Cost: $750-1500

Nursing Home/Skilled Nursing Facility
Nursing Homes are designed for seniors who require medical attention 24/7 in a hospital like setting. Typical services involve managing complex medical problems such as infections, wound care, IV therapy and coma care. Most facilities offer short term and long term care options. They may be stand alone facilities or part of a retirement community.
Payment Options: Private Pay; Medicaid; Medicare
Average Monthly Cost: $5000-9000

Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)
Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) provide a continuum of care from independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing all in one location. Amenities typically include daily activities, meals, transportation, housekeeping and laundry. Traditionally, most CCRCs required a buy-in or membership fee, but now many offer month-to-month leasing.
Payment Options: Private Pay; Most Require Buy-In
Average Monthly Cost: $2000-6000

Home Care
Home Care services help individuals with activities of daily living including medications, bathing, dressing, housekeeping, meal preparation, transportation and more. Most are private pay and based on an hourly rate. Home care services are provided in all types of settings including private residences, assisted livings, retirement communities or wherever the client resides.
Payment Options: Mostly Private Pay
Average Hourly Cost: $14-30

For more information, click here Senior Housing Types.

Gardening for Seniors

2010-03-26T08:45:00.007-04:00

Gardening has many health and therapeutic benefits for older people, especially when you create an edible garden. Garden beds, equipment and tools can all be modified to create a garden that is interesting, accessible and productive.

Some medical conditions and physical disabilities may restrict or prevent older people from participating in gardening. However with planning and a few changes, you can create a safe, accessible, and pleasant space.

Gardening keeps you fit and healthy
Everyone can benefit from creating an edible garden. Seniors can get particular benefits because gardening:

- Is an enjoyable form of exercise.
- Increases levels of physical activity and maintains mobility and flexibility.
- Encourages use of all motor skills – walking, reaching and bending – through activities such as planting seeds and taking cuttings.
- Improves endurance and strength.
- Helps prevent diseases like osteoporosis.
- Reduces stress levels and promotes relaxation.
- Provides stimulation and interest in nature and the outdoors.
- Improves wellbeing as a result of social interaction.
- Provides nutritious, home-grown produce.

Physical and mental considerations
Some physical, mental and age-related conditions must be considered when older people work in the garden. These include:

- Skin – fragile, thinning skin makes the elderly susceptible to bumps, bruises and sunburn.
- Vision – changes in the eye lens structure, loss of peripheral vision and generally poorer eyesight can restrict activities.
- Mental abilities – mental health, thinking and memory abilities may be affected by dementia and similar conditions.
- Body temperature – susceptibility to temperature changes and tendency to dehydrate or suffer from heat exhaustion are common concerns with outdoor physical activity for older people.
- Skeletal – falls are more common because balance is often not as good. Osteoporosis and arthritis may restrict movement and flexibility.

Changes to equipment, tools and the garden
Garden spaces, tools and equipment can be modified or adapted to help reduce the physical stress associated with gardening. Suggestions include:

- Use vertical planting to make garden beds accessible for planting and harvesting – try using wall and trellis spaces.
- Raise beds to enable people with physical restrictions to avoid bending and stooping.
- Provide retractable hanging baskets, wheelbarrows and containers on castors to make suitable movable and elevated garden beds.
- Find adaptive tools and equipment – these are available from some hardware shops.
- Use foam, tape and plastic tubing to modify existing tools.
- Use lightweight tools that are easier to handle.
- Provide shade areas for working in summer months.
- Have stable chairs and tables to use for comfortable gardening.
- Ensure that there is a tap nearby or consider installing a drip feeder system for easy watering.
- Make sure the toilet is nearby.

Safety in the garden
Here are a few safety tips that older people and their carers should follow.

- Attend to any cuts, bruises or insect bites immediately.
- Take care in the use of power tools.
- Secure gates and fences if memory loss is an issue.
- Ensure that paths and walkways are flat and non-slip.
- Warm up before gardening and encourage frequent breaks.
- Prevent sun exposure by working in the garden early in the morning or late in the day. Wear a hat and apply sunscreen frequently.
- Drink water or juice, and avoid alcohol.
- Wear protective shoes, lightweight comfortable clothes that cover exposed skin, a hat and gardening gloves.
- Store garden equipment safely.

Legionnaire’s disease and gardening
Legionnaire’s disease is sometimes linked to handling potting mixes. Always follow these safety rules:

- Wear a facemask and gloves.
- Do not lean over an open bag of potting mix. This avoids the risk of breathing in spores.
- Moisten contents of potting mix bags when you open them.
- Wash hands with soap and water after handling soil.

Plant selection
An edible garden is a garden that contains flowers, herbs, seeds, berries and other plants that you can eat. You should also consider using varieties of plants that have sensory and textural qualities. Sensory plants include those that have special smell, taste, touch and sight qualities.

Gardening activities
There are many activities associated with cultivating an edible garden that seniors may enjoy. These include:

- Digging
- Planting
- Watering
- Harvesting food and flowers
- Crafts and hobbies associated with plants
- Food preparation.

Where to get help
Community or local garden groups
Local council
Cultivating Community Email: info@cultivatingcommunity.org.au
Occupational Therapists Victoria Tel. (03) 9481 6866
Horticultural Therapy Association of Victoria Tel. (03) 9848 9710.

Things to remember
- Gardening is a healthy, stimulating physical activity that can be enjoyed by seniors.
- The garden, equipment and tools can all be modified to suit the needs of older people.
- Make sure your edible garden is a safe and accessible space.

For more information, visit Better Health Channel.

Words for Seniors Facing Loss by Paula Span

2010-03-03T08:11:00.002-05:00

My father is a relentlessly upbeat guy. “Up and around!” he reports when I call. “Keeping busy!” He tells me about his volunteer work, his card game winnings, the (seated) yoga class he enrolled in at the library. His favorite refrain is, “I can’t complain.” (And yes, yes, yes, my sister and I do know how lucky we are.)

He does tell me about the funerals, though. At 87, watching his peers struggle with the physical and psychological trials of old age, he goes to a lot of them. He keeps losing people he’s known for years — onetime co-workers, senior members of his synagogue, neighbors in his tightly knit apartment building.

His friend Molly, too frail in her 90s to remain alone in her house, recently moved to the Midwest to live with her son; they’ll probably never see each other again. The weekly card game now involves an entirely different group of guys than when he started years ago, and it sometimes stalls for several weeks as the players have health crises or move or die. Replacement players are growing harder to find.

“These things keep happening when you’re over 80,” he told me.

He goes to funerals because, he said: “It’s just the right thing to do. It shows that you feel bad, that you’ve lost a friend.”

What do you say to this litany? You want to offer something reassuring, something to lighten the sense of loss, but you can’t evade the reality: He’s outliving his friends and family members. His cohort is thinning.

Luckily, I can turn for counsel to Barbara Moscowitz, senior social worker at the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Senior Health program. (One benefit of writing this blog is that you can call up experts and pose questions, supposedly on behalf of readers, that you really want answered yourself.) Ms. Moscowitz hears such litanies from clients and their adult children all the time.

And her personal guideline is to remove age from the equation and ask yourself how you would respond if the one suffering losses was a peer, not an older person.

“We impose our expectations,” she said.

When old people lose their friends, she added: “We think, ‘You should be able to manage this. This is what happens. You should be used to it.’ Because if we ask what it’s like, we may hear what it’s like. We fear opening the floodgates of sadness.”

But we wouldn’t tell a 55-year-old friend who had attended three funerals in two months to just buck up, would we?

“When there’s been loss, to expect happiness is just denying the truth,” Ms. Moscowitz continued. “It opens up a divide between older people who then deal with the sorrow privately, knowing nobody wants to hear about it, and younger people who want them to be cheerful all the time.”

Of course, some older people don’t want to talk about the illnesses or deaths of their friends or neighbors, either — but in her experience, Ms. Moscowitz said, most do.

“Those people are part of their history, their legacy,” she said. “If we send a message that we don’t want to hear about it, it says: That person is not worth remembering.”

Grief — feeling sad, weepy, temporarily at sea — is different from clinical depression, it’s important to recognize. Grief is a normal response to loss; depression is an illness that’s usually treatable, both in young people and old ones. Symptoms that persist — like appetite loss, sleep problems, loss of interest in normal activities, thoughts of suicide and, in older people, confusion or agitation — are red flags that signal the need for a medical evaluation.

But my father is not depressed. He’s coping with one of the more difficult aspects of a long life. So I listen to the funeral reports and try not to respond by pointing out all the reasons he has to feel fortunate.

I try to remember to say things like: “Ah, that’s so sad. How long had you known this person? What was he like? Do you need help arranging a ride to the funeral home? I’m sorry, Dad. It must be hard. I bet you’ll miss him.”

Read “Words for Seniors Facing Loss” from The New York Times.

Paula Span is the author of “When the Time Comes: Families With Aging Parents Share Their Struggles and Solutions.”

2009 Tax Information for Seniors and Their Families

2010-03-02T13:48:00.006-05:00

The following is helpful information for seniors and their families for the 2009 tax season:

Tips for Seniors in Preparing their Taxes

Claiming the Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled

Common Errors Made by Taxpayers 65 and Older

Life Settlements: The Legal Rights of Insurance Policy Owners by Chris Orestis, Life Care Funding Group

2010-02-16T13:21:00.008-05:00

The right of a policy owner to engage in a Life Settlement was guaranteed when U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes ruled in 1911 that life insurance is personal property and the owner is protected by all the same inalienable rights that any owner of real estate, stocks or any other assets enjoy. By the end of the 20th Century, Viaticals emerged as an opportunity for AIDS patients to cash out of a life insurance policy while still alive to cover the high costs of care not covered by health insurance. The Life Settlement market became an offshoot of Viaticals and has been growing rapidly ever since, with $13 billion in transactions completed in 2008.

In a 2003 study conducted by Conning & Co, they estimated that 90 million senior citizens owned approximately $500 billion worth of life insurance in 2003, of which over $100 billion was owned by seniors eligible for Life Settlements. The Wharton Business School issued a study where they observed, “Life insurance policies are typically assignable, which means that a policyholder is free to transfer their ownership of the policy to another person. A policyholder’s right to assign their policy to someone other than the insurance carrier has existed for some time.” The study also went on to observe that a life settlement, “gives the policyholder the economic freedom to choose between a number of buyers and, in so doing, to receive the fair market price for their policy.”

The right of a policy owner to engage in a life settlement is guaranteed by the landmark Supreme Court decision, Grigbsy v. Russell. In Justice Holmes’ final opinion it was codified that life insurance possessed all the ordinary characteristics of property, and therefore represented an asset that a policy owner could transfer without limitation. This decision established a life insurance policy as transferable property that contains specific legal rights, including the right to:

• Name the policy beneficiary
• Change the beneficiary designation
• Assign the policy as collateral for a loan
• Borrow against the policy
• Sell the policy to another party

A number of insurance industry organizations such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL), American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), American Association of Life Underwriters (AALU) and the Life Insurance Settlement Association (LISA) have also recognized the legal rights of a policy owner to liquidate a life insurance policy through a life settlement.

During a panel session at ReFocus 2008, jointly presented by the ACLI and the Society of Actuaries, industry CEO’s agreed on the need for Life Settlements. Stuart Reese, chairman, president and CEO of MassMutual Life Insurance Company said that if a policy is first purchased with protection in mind and is no longer needed after a period of time, then a contract holder does have property rights and “there is a legitimate Life Settlement business which is consistent with the purpose of insurance.”

“The Life Settlement industry provides an important and efficient function to the insurance marketplace-- and it is a practice established by the Supreme Court”, said Chris Orestis, President of Life Care Funding Group (www.lifecarefunding.com), “In light of the long standing Supreme Court ruling on the transferability of insurance as property; those holding a policy that they no longer need will always be able to maximize the value of that property through a life settlement transaction.”

Visit Life Care Funding Group for more information.

Healthy Older Adults With Subjective Memory Loss May Be At Increased Risk For Mild Cognitive Impairment And Dementia

2010-01-11T12:18:00.003-05:00

Forgot where you put your car keys? Having trouble recalling your colleague's name? If so, this may be a symptom of subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), the earliest sign of cognitive decline marked by situations such as when a person recognizes they can't remember a name like they used to or where they recently placed important objects the way they used to. Studies have shown that SCI is experienced by between one-quarter and one-half of the population over the age of 65. A new study, published in the January 11, 2010, issue of the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, finds that healthy older adults reporting SCI are 4.5 times more likely to progress to the more advanced memory-loss stages of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia than those free of SCI.

The long-term study completed by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center tracked 213 adults with and without SCI over an average of seven years, with data collection taking nearly two decades. Further cognitive decline to MCI or dementia was observed in 54 percent of SCI persons, while only in 15 percent of persons free of SCI.

"This is the first study to use mild cognitive impairment as well as dementia as an outcome criterion to demonstrate the outcome of SCI as a possible forerunner of eventual Alzheimer's disease," said Barry Reisberg, MD, professor of psychiatry, director of the Fisher Alzheimer's Disease Program and director, Clinical Core, NYU Alzheimer's Disease Center at NYU Langone Medical Center. "The findings indicate that a significant percentage of people with early subjective symptoms may experience further cognitive decline, whereas few persons without these symptoms decline. If decline does occur in those without SCI symptoms, it takes considerably longer than for those with subjective cognitive symptoms."

According to the authors, scientists and physicians can now target the prevention of eventual Alzheimer's disease in the SCI stage, beginning more than 20 years before dementia becomes evident

"These intriguing results more fully describe the possible relationship between early signs of memory loss and development of more serious impairment. This is critical to know, as we look for ways to define who is at risk and for whom the earliest interventions might be successful," said Neil Buckholtz, PhD, National Institute on Aging (NIA) which supported the research. "These findings also underscore the importance of clinicians' asking about, and listening to, concerns regarding changes in cognition and memory among their aging patients."

Co-authors of Dr. Reisberg at the NYU Alzheimer's Disease Center include Melanie B. Shulman, MD, Carol Torossian, PsyD, and Wei Zhu, PhD.

Primary funding for this study was provided by the NIA, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. Additional funding was provided by Mr. Leonard Litwin and the Fisher Alzheimer's Research Foundation.

Article Date: 08 Jan 2010 Source: NYU Langone Medical Center

Why Older Americans Will Have to Wait for Swine-Flu Shots by Betsy McKay

2010-01-08T10:50:00.007-05:00

On a visit to his doctor last week for a blood-pressure check, Neil Johnson, a former mortgage lender, dutifully got his annual flu shot. Having suffered from flu in the past—"you ache, you cough...you have fever all over"—he wanted to make sure to get his shot early.

But Mr. Johnson, an 81-year-old resident of an assisted-living facility in Sandy Springs, Ga., will have to wait quite a while before he can roll up his sleeve for a vaccine against this season's best-known virus: the H1N1 swine flu. People age 65 and older are nearly last in line for that shot.

Older Americans are normally at the front of the queue for shots against the seasonal flu viruses that circulate every fall and winter, and public-health officials and doctors strongly urge them to get one each year. There's little wonder why: An estimated 36,000 people die in the U.S. every year from the seasonal flu, and 90% of them are 65 or older.

Perk of Age
But so far the new H1N1 flu is largely sparing the 60-plus demographic, instead hitting children and young adults the hardest. While it has spread like wildfire through secondary schools and colleges, and claimed more than 2,800 lives world-wide, few older people have even gotten sick.

That's because many people 60 and older were exposed to H1N1 viruses that circulated between 1918 and 1957. Those earlier viruses were similar to the new H1N1 virus, so the immunity that some people built up then is helping them now.

A study by scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that about one-third of adults age 60 and older had antibodies that protected them against the new H1N1 virus. By contrast, children had none.

The pattern is similar to one seen in the deadly 1918 pandemic, in which death rates were highest among young adults, according to infectious-disease experts. One possible reason is that older adults had been exposed to similar flu viruses in the 1800s.

Be Patient
With the risk of infection lower for older adults, federal health officials are allotting the swine-flue vaccine first to pregnant women, children and young adults, and anyone under 65 with asthma, diabetes or another medical condition that can increase their risk of complications from the flu. The CDC says older adults should be offered the vaccine only when there's enough medicine for all the other priority groups.

That's likely to take a few months. The federal government expects to receive and distribute 195 million doses of swine-flu vaccine by year-end. Officials estimate that 159 million people make up the top-priority groups—not including older adults—though not everyone in those groups is likely to opt for a shot. The new vaccine is free, and many insurance companies have said they will cover administration fees for the shot.

Budgie Amparo, senior vice president of quality and risk management for Emeritus Corp., which operates senior-living facilities, including the facility where Mr. Johnson lives, says it's working on getting swine-flu vaccine for its residents as quickly as it can through its regular supplier of seasonal-flu shots. "We've taken some proactive steps," Mr. Amparo says. "We were reassured that once it's available, we're going to get it."

Extra Precautions
In the meantime, nurses at Emeritus properties plan to spend more time educating residents about ways to protect themselves from the flu, such as washing their hands, Mr. Amparo says. They will also more actively monitor residents' health, to reduce their chances of complications should they get the flu. "We want to make sure we're managing their overall medical condition," helping residents get medications in a timely fashion, or helping those with respiratory conditions such as asthma see doctors quickly, he says.

One reason for the extra precautions: While older adults account for the fewest U.S. cases of swine flu, the proportion of those who have died is higher than for other age groups, according to CDC data. "Once you do get infected, your risk is higher," says Charlotte Yeh, chief medical officer for AARP Services Inc., part of the Washington-based advocacy group. Many older Americans have chronic conditions that affect their immune status, making it harder to fight off any flu, she says.

Moreover, the seasonal-flu vaccine may not offer full protection this year against a long-circulating virus that traditionally is linked with more hospitalizations and deaths among older adults than other strains. A new variant of the H3N2 seasonal flu virus has been identified on several continents that differs from the H3N2 strain covered by this year's vaccine. So far it's in the minority of H3N2 circulating viruses, and it's unclear how widely it will circulate in the U.S. this flu season, particularly given the current dominance of the swine-flu virus. But officials at the CDC and the World Health Organization say they're keeping a close eye on it.

Doctors can't quickly determine what strain of flu a patient has. "If you come in with all the signs of flu, we can't tell you which flu you have," Dr. Yeh says. "The critical thing is that if you have fever, aches, congestion, cough, dizziness, that is something you should talk with your doctor about." A doctor may prescribe an antiviral such as Tamiflu, which can't cure the flu but can shorten its duration and severity if started early.

Read Why Older Americans Will Have to Wait for Swine-Flu Shots for more information.

By Betsy McKay is deputy chief of The Wall Street Journal's Atlanta bureau.

Irrevocable Trusts and the Reverse Mortgage Opportunity

2010-01-06T12:33:00.004-05:00

Irrevocable trusts can now be used for reverse mortgages, according to Paul N. Lovegrove Esq., President of Attorney Trust Review.

While traditionally reverse mortgages have not been permissible if the home is in an irrevocable trust, Lovegrove says there is no basis for the policy, adding that there is, “Nothing in the HECM guidelines that says you can’t use an irrevocable trust.”

Although lenders cant sell a reverse mortgage with an irrevocable trust to Fannie Mae, the recent growth of Ginnie Mae’s HMBS program has provided an opportunity for HECMs.

Lovegrove, an attorney who has been closing reverse loans for thirteen years and performs trust reviews for many lenders, including MetLife, proposes drawing up an agreement to the irrevocable trust that is agreed upon by all parties as a way to comply with the guideline.

An irrevocable trust may also not qualify for a reverse mortgage if one of the current beneficiaries does not meet HECM guidelines, amongst other things. All current beneficiaries of a trust must be HECM eligible for a HECM to be done on the home.

In addition, irrevocable trusts can pose a problem when the trust does not allow invasion of the principle by the settler. However, a lump sum distribution deposited into a bank account controlled by the estate can help solve this issue.

Lovegrove thinks that banks are not doing reverse mortgages on irrevocable trusts because they “never thought they could.” But Lovegrove adds, “By saying we can’t do it that’s closing out a lot of potential business that’s out there.”

By Reva Minkoff, Reverse Mortgage Daily, January 06, 2010

HBO Documentary Titled "The Alzheimer's Project"

2009-05-01T10:21:00.004-04:00

One of the most devastating forms of memory loss is Alzheimer's disease, an irreversible and progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. Today, Alzheimer's is the second most-feared illness in America, following cancer, and may affect as many as five million Americans. As the baby-boom generation moves through retirement, that number could soar to more than 11 million by 2040, and have a huge economic impact on America's already fragile healthcare system.

While there is no cure for the disease, THE ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT shows there is now genuine reason to be optimistic about the future. Created by the award-winning team behind HBO's acclaimed "Addiction" project, this multi-platform series takes a close look at groundbreaking discoveries made by the country's leading scientists, as well as the effects of this debilitating and fatal disease both on those with Alzheimer's and on their families.

Scientific research is gaining momentum in discovering ways to treat and possibly prevent Alzheimer's. Aiming to bring a new understanding, THE ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT features a four-part documentary series, 15 short supplemental films, a robust website, and a nationwide community-based information and outreach campaign. A book published by Public Affairs Books was developed by the producers as a companion to the project. HBO will use all of its platforms, including the HBO main service, multiplex channels, HBO On Demand, HBO Podcasts, hbo.com, HBO Channel on YouTube, and DVD sales to support the project. In addition, all films will stream free of charge on hbo.com and will be offered for free on multiple platforms by participating television service providers.

"The Alzheimer's research community welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with HBO, seeking to raise new awareness and understanding of this devastating disease," says Richard J. Hodes, M.D., director of the National Institute on Aging, the component of the National Institutes of Health leading the federal Alzheimer's disease research program. "There is a compelling story to tell of scientific discovery, of research advances and challenges, and of the human faces behind the disease."

The first of the four documentaries in THE ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT is "The Memory Loss Tapes" (debuting May 10), which provides an up-close and personal look at seven individuals living with Alzheimer's, across the full spectrum of the progression of the disease. "Momentum In Science" (May 11 and 12) is a two-part state-of-the-science film that takes viewers inside the laboratories and clinics of 25 leading scientists and physicians, revealing some of the most cutting-edge research advances. "'Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am?' with Maria Shriver" (May 11) captures what it means to be a child or grandchild of one with Alzheimer's, while "Caregivers" (May 12) highlights the sacrifices and successes of people who experience their loved one's descent into dementia.

THE ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT is a presentation of HBO Documentary Films and the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health in association with the Alzheimer's Association®, Fidelity® Charitable Gift Fund, and Geoffrey Beene Gives Back® Alzheimer's Initiative. The series' producer is John Hoffman; the executive producers are Sheila Nevins and Maria Shriver.

Premieres May 10-12 on HBO. For more information, please visit http://www.hbo.com/alzheimers/index.html.

Little-known veterans benefit can really help

2009-04-02T01:42:00.005-04:00

DALLAS - At 83, Byrdeen Goldsmith can still harmonize. To look at her, you wouldn't know she has Alzheimer's, but she can't live on her own.

A year ago, her daughter Betty moved Byrdeen into an assisted living facility in Dallas, and got an unexpected assist from the government.

"It's thrilling," says Betty about the veterans' benefit that helps her mom. "It's a real blessing. It's just something you didn't expect."

Byrdeen's husband, Hubbard, served in World War II, a Navy medic in the invasion of Sicily. Because of that service, Byrdeen gets about $900 a month, one-quarter of the cost of her care. The other $3,000 comes out of Betty and husband Ted's savings each month.

"The financial burden is stressful enough, then you have the emotional stress on top of it," says Betty.

It's called the Aid and Attendance benefit, for at home, assisted living, or nursing home care. Facility director Michael Halliburton says it never fails to surprise families.

"It's shock and awe," he says. "Their eyes light up; their jaws drop. I've had people cry. I've had people hug and kiss me. It can really make the difference as to whether someone can afford the services."

But the program is little known. Today, just 143,000 veterans or surviving spouses receive the benefit. The government says hundreds of thousands more could be eligible.

"We know that about 36 percent of veterans either didn't know about the program or thought they weren't entitled," says Brad Mayes with Veterans Affairs.

Eligibility is based on need, but you don't have to be impoverished. The formula includes your income, minus medical expenses, and your net worth, excluding your house and car. The benefit is available to veterans who served during wartime and their spouses, if they cannot live on their own.

It's a benefit that is now one more part of Betty's father's legacy.

"I think he'd be proud of the fact that his service was being honored," says Betty.

Hubbard Goldsmith helped his country then; his country helps his wife now.

By Anne Thompson, Chief environmental correspondent, NBC News, Feb. 26, 2007

The unseen costs of eldercare: employers can help employees help their aging parents, and save money in the process

2009-03-26T23:30:00.003-04:00

Sally the Sales Rep is a smart, dedicated worker who almost always provides her employer with excellent service. Sometimes she can't, though, because she's distracted by obligations relating to her elderly father. Does her company help her out? No. Does it wind up paying, anyway? You bet.

A new study prepared for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company quantifies how much employers are paying, whether they know it or not, for employees with eldercare responsibilities. MetLife's position is that offering eldercare benefits is fiscally wise. It finds that employers stand to save $3 to $5 for every dollar they spend helping employees find eldercare resources. "We tell employers: "This is a real problem for you,'" says James Weil, vice president of MetLife's mature market group. "If you think about the leading edge of baby boomers just hitting age 50, you can see that more and more employees are going to be affected by aging parents."

In a study that applied a model of eldercare costs to an anonymous manufacturing firm with about 87,000 salaried employees, Sally Coberly, director of the Washington Business Group on Health and Gail Hunt of Gibson-Hunt Associates, found that total annual employer costs ran to $5.5 million. The analysis prepared for MetLife estimates that 2 percent of the firm's employees provide actual physical help to older relatives in the form of assistance with eating, bathing, dressing, and so on.

The 2 percent estimate is conservative. It takes into account the fact that the manufacturer has a highly male-skewed work force; it doesn't include those who provide less intensive services to parents such as shopping and financial assistance, and it doesn't include costs incurred by employees who provide long-distance support to aging parents. Since women are much more likely than men to provide eldercare, organizations with larger shares of women employees can expect higher eldercare-related costs. Using a more liberal 12 percent prevalence of caregivers in the work force would crank up estimated employer costs for the study firm to $33 million.

Various factors feed into the price employers pay for eldercare. In the manufacturing case study, replacement costs stemmed from the estimated 1 percent of caregiving employees who quit their jobs altogether to care for an older parent. An estimated 11 percent of caregivers take off an average of six days a year to provide routine care, while over half of caregivers average three days a year dealing with eldercare crises. Other costs include extra managerial time needed to supervise caregivers, as well as the high demand placed by some caregivers on health insurance benefits and mental health services.

Partial absenteeism--late arrivals, long lunch breaks, early departures--takes its toll, too, but not nearly as much as the workday interruptions faced by caregivers who talk on the phone with loved ones and service providers. This situation can arise even with employees who don't physically care for parents or whose parents live elsewhere. Estimated at one hour per week per caregiver, this factor is the biggest drain of all on employee productivity, amounting to over half of the estimated total cost to the manufacturing firm analyzed in the study.

Employers can ameliorate many of these costs without too much trouble or expense by offering resource and referral hotlines that guide workers toward adult day care, meals on wheels, and other services. This type of benefit costs as little as 50 cents to $1 per employee, says MetLife's Weil. Today, about 1,200 corporations in the U.S. offer such resource programs. Two of the best, according to Hunt, are provided by Marriott International and IBM.

Since Mariott's business depends on customer service, the mood of its employees is extremely important, says Donna Klein, director of the corporation's worklife programs. Marriott tested its Associate Resource Line for nearly two years. Now, any of its 185,000 employees nationwide can dial a toll-free number any time of the day or night and consult in one of many languages with professional social workers about a wide range of personal problems.

"We want our resource line to handle anything and everything that may be happening in the employee's life that could affect his or her productivity," says Klein. The average Mariott worker is just 35, but 15 percent say they have eldercare responsibilities. During the test period, eldercare issues accounted for 8 percent of calls. As American workers and their parents get older, that number is bound to grow.

"The MetLife Study of Employer Costs for Working Caregivers" is available at no charge from MetLife Senior Services; telephone (203) 221-6580.

American Demographics, 06/01/96 by Tibbett L. Speer

Employee Assistance Program - The University of Vermont

2009-03-26T23:20:00.004-04:00

Eldercare Resources

The American family is undergoing historic changes. Because of an unprecedented demographic shift, we are changing from a young to an old society. We live at a time of unprecedented increase in life expectancy the average expectancy is 76 years. The National Institute of Aging predicts that by 2040 the number of Americans 85 and over could grow to more than 30 million (UVM Center for the Study of Aging). This trend has been called the "age wave," and it is forcing critical changes in the way we live and work, and in how we care for those we love. One of the most dramatic changes is in the number of people who are responsible for elder care. A study by the American Society on Aging estimates that approximately 25 million Americans are now caring for a parent or older loved one. Between one-third to one-half of all caregivers are also employed outside the home.

Working caregivers sacrifice leisure time, and often suffer stress-related illnesses. Negative effects on working caregivers include time lost from work, lower productivity, quitting a job to give care, lost career opportunities and lower future earnings. Eventually, some 12 percent quit their jobs to provide care full-time. Recent research indicates the costs to employers averages $2500 per worker involved in care giving (Scharlach, Lowe and Schneider, 1991). Nationally, recent research indicates the loss in productivity costs businesses between 11.4 billion dollars and 29 billion dollars annually (Metropolitan Life, 1997). When elder care issues arise, you need to act as early as you can. You need to know what questions to ask, what kind of help is available and what is most appropriate. (For example, your elder may not need to go into a nursing home; all that may be required is to safety-proof his/her own home, or bring in someone to do household chores, for a fraction of the cost.)

Many faculty and staff find themselves in conflict with their career and job responsibilities and those of being parents and having aging and increasingly dependent parents. By offering these resources and EAP services at the workplace, you will be provided the information, support and consultation that will decrease your stress levels and allow you to give better care and support to your family.

The Strain on Caregivers

If you feel that caring for a loved one has increased your stress level, you are not alone. In fact, many caregivers are at a higher risk of illness and injury than their non-caregiving counterparts. Sixty percent of caregivers report physical strain as a result of caregiving, and many others report anxiety, depression, substance abuse and weight changes as a direct result of caregiving.

The stresses of caregiving are not just physical, they are emotional and financial as well. Eighty percent of caregivers report a great deal of emotional strain brought on by caregiving. Financial burdens and concerns about work surely contribute to this strain.

http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmeap/?Page=eldercare.html&SM=eldermenu.html

Backup eldercare helps caregivers balance work and family responsibilities

2009-03-25T22:47:00.003-04:00

When UPS employee Diane Davies needed help in taking care of her dad, who is in his 80s, a coworker told her to try Senior Helpers, a service provider that offers backup eldercare.

"My mom had gone into the hospital to have an operation, and during the procedure she had a stroke," says Davies, who works at UPS's airline division in Louisville, Ky.

Her mother, also in her 80s, went into rehabilitation. "During that time, my dad really couldn't stay at home by himself, so my brother and I had to stay with him, but I also had to work," explains Davies, who didn't take the traditional route of contacting her employee assistance program for eldercare advice.

Davies' experience at UPS reflects how employers are recognizing that workers who are caring for an aging relative need an array of options to successfully manage professional and family responsibilities. Yet in offering eldercare programs and services, employers may sometimes struggle in communicating those efforts to their workforce.

Spreading the word

Even though companies have eldercare programs and services, employees do not always know about them, says Kathleen O'Brien, senior gerontologist with MetLife Mature Market Institute.
The Connecticut-based institute, which studies retirement and aging issues, conducted a survey of employees who were caregivers that worked at three Fortune 500 companies offering robust eldercare benefits.

"Two-thirds of the respondents did not know that the employer had those programs," says O'Brien.

"The company may announce the services, but people are not thinking about them when they are announced, and when they become a caregiver, it's not upfront anymore."

The implication for employers is to increase employees' knowledge about eldercare services. Citing research from the Society for Human Resource Management, O'Brien says about 11% of employers train their middle managers about caregiving programs and how to work with employees using those services.

Research from the institute also shows nearly 63% of all caregivers ages 51 to 64 work, with most employed full-time. About 75% of them are the primary caregiver. In addition, male and female children of aging parents alter their work schedules to accommodate caregiving responsibilities.

For instance, 54% of men and 56% of women have modified their work schedules, with 78% of men and 84% of women coming in late and/or leaving early. In addition, 38% of men and 27% of women have altered their work-related travel.

Bottom-line implications

More employers are starting to understand the financial toll eldercare may have on their bottom line, O'Brien confirms.

In 2006, the MetLife Mature Market Institute and the National Alliance for Caregiving reported that U.S. companies pay between $17.1 billion and $33.6 billion annually in lost productivity due to caregiving, depending on the level of caregiving involved. That equals $2,110 for every full-time worker who cares for an adult relative, notes AARP.

Historically, most eldercare services offered in the workplace resembled the childcare benefit model in terms of offering information and referrals to agencies that could help workers who were caregivers.

Some companies have moved to a more sophisticated model in which they provide a care management visit, where a long-term care specialist talks with the family to sort out the caregiving issues, explains O'Brien. What's more, some employers have onsite support groups, while others provide substantive resource materials written by caregiving experts.

"We don't really think of flextime as specifically for eldercare, but the ability [to take a] leave of absence without it impacting your job, and the ability to arrange your schedule in a different way, are benefits that help people deal with eldercare," she says.

Lending a helping hand

Maryland-based Senior Helpers provides in-home personal and companion care for seniors. This includes help with housework, meal preparation, errands, transportation, medicine reminders and Alzheimer's care.

UPS, which employs about 358,000 U.S. workers, offers an employee discount program where it collaborates with companies that provide group discounts on services and products, including Senior Helpers.

"Employees who may have the need to use Senior Helpers for services are offered a discount through Senior Helpers," says Jackie Blair, a UPS spokeswoman.

In Davies' case, it was a 10% discount on services rendered for a week. "It went smoothly, but more then anything, it took a lot of pressure off me in terms of work and taking care of my dad," says Davies, who has been with the package delivery company for 15 years. She is part of its administrative staff in the international support unit.

"I felt like he was being taken care of. He is at the point where, if something were to go wrong with the services, he would be able to tell me," Davies explains. "I never felt, as a caregiver, I was under a lot of pressure to retain my job." Management has been accommodating, she adds.

As the population ages, more people will start to have loved ones who are living longer. Consequently, they will need some extra help in taking care of those individuals, says Tony Bonacuse, president of Senior Helpers.

"We want to help employers understand the cost associated with eldercare crises and what workers who are caregivers are going through," he explains.

The idea for the company originated, in part, by watching his mother, who was working part-time, struggle to find professional help to assist her with taking care of one grandmother with a broken ankle and another one with a hip replacement. Both women were in their 80s.

"Unless you have had a need for homecare, you really do not realize our industry exists outside of the general health care industry," Bonacuse adds.

"In a lot of respects, senior care has been an underground issue," says Cindy Carrillo, president of Colorado-based Work Options Group, which offers backup care for infants, school-aged children and seniors.

"When someone has a baby, employers see the process unfold, and then the employee has the baby and pictures to show for it. You don't talk about mom falling and breaking a hip," she adds. "We're trying to help educate employers that senior care is a concern."

"Backup eldercare helps caregivers balance work and family responsibilities"
By Lydell C. Bridgeford, June 1, 2008
http://ebn.benefitnews.com/news/backup-eldercare-helps-caregivers-balance-work-586401-1.html

2008 Tax Information for Seniors

2009-03-21T22:25:00.007-04:00

The following is helpful information for seniors and their families for the 2008 tax season:

Tax Guide for Seniors
http://www.irs.gov/publications/p554/index.html

Tips for Seniors in Preparing their Taxes
http://www.irs.gov/individuals/retirees/article/0,,id=154021,00.html

Claiming the Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=106798,00.html

Common Errors Made by Taxpayers 65 and Older
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4644.pdf

The 4 Steps of Long Term Care Planning

2009-03-05T09:15:00.010-05:00

The Importance of Planning for Eldercare
According to some sources, 60% of us will need long term care sometime during our lives. It is important for all of us to prepare for that day when we will need to help loved ones with care or we will need long term care for ourselves.

We may prepare financially for unexpected disasters by covering our homes, automobiles and health with insurance policies. But no other life event can be as devastating to an elderly person's lifestyle, finances and security as needing long term care. It drastically alters or completely eliminates the three principal retirement dreams of elderly Americans:

Remaining independent in the home without intervention from others.
Maintaining good health and receiving adequate health care.
Having enough money for everyday needs and not outliving assets and income.

Yet, it is our experience that the majority of the American public does not plan for the devastating crisis of needing eldercare. This lack of planning also has an adverse effect on the older person's family, with sacrifices made in time, money, family lifestyles and even affecting the family's or caregiver's medical and emotional health.

Because of changing demographics and potential changes in government funding, the current generation -- more-than-ever -- needs to plan for long term care before the elder years are upon them.

What Is Long Term Care?
The need for long term care arises when an individual requires, from someone else, assistance with medical care, daily living activities, comfort, supervision or advice. This need for care may be caused by an accident, disease process, or frailty. Such conditions may require help with the ability to move about, dress, bathe, eat, use a toilet, medicate, and avoid incontinence.

Also care may be needed to help the disabled person with household cleaning, preparing meals, transportation, shopping, paying bills, visiting the doctor and answering the phone.

Oftentimes, long term care in the form of supervision or confinement is needed due to cognitive impairment from stroke, mental retardation, depression, dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's Disease, and so on. Most long term care is provided at home by family members.

What Is Long Term Care or Eldercare Planning?
For seniors, the terms "long term care" and "eldercare" are synonymous. For younger people, "long term care" is the more appropriate phrase.

For the uninformed, eldercare or long term care might appear to be a very straightforward and easy-to-understand process. Unfortunately, the reality is that long term care is very complicated and finding care systems and providers is a frustrating and time-consuming process. There is no one single source to help caregivers find services or solve problems with a simple phone call or a single community contact. For this reason, planning for care requires a great deal of prior knowledge in order to avoid operating in a crisis mode trying to find help when the need for care suddenly arises.

However, knowledge of long term care systems is not enough. Because it can happen suddenly, at any time, you must take action now to prepare for the day when you will need to deal with eldercare for your loved ones or for yourself. This action involves:

Determining the care settings and services you or a loved one most likely would want.
Providing funding for paying the cost of care, especially when government support programs are lacking or require sacrifice of assets.
Completing a survey to determine necessary financial and legal arrangements to be made.
Completing a written long term care planning document to provide instructions to caregivers and to your care coordinator in advance of needing eldercare.
Assigning a care coordinator and determining the role of other family members, friends or advisers involved in caregiving.
Holding a planning meeting and drawing up a written agreement for involvement between all those who are willing to participate in future caregiving for you or a loved one.

We have defined four critical steps necessary in this process for long term care planning. These four steps will be described below. The four steps are based on the following four concepts:

Knowledge and preparation are the keys to success.
Having funds to pay for care greatly expands the choices for care settings and providers.
Using professional help relieves stress, reduces conflict, and saves time and money.
Success is assured through a written plan accepted by all parties involved.

Our book is designed as a self-contained reference for long term care services and advisers. The book also becomes your written care plan since it contains your personal document locator, your personal survey, your written care plan with instructions and a written care planning agreement between all parties involved. By including all of the necessary information, documentation and instructions under one cover, the book becomes a single-source, valuable resource used by family members, caregivers and the care coordinator for carrying out the plan. The book also introduces the unique concepts of assigning someone as a care coordinator, who is not a caregiver, and organizing a meeting and completing a written agreement between family members or others who are involved in the care.

The 4 Steps of Long Term Care Planning is the first planning book of its kind. It offers a unique approach to helping you understand the need for and the process of planning for long term care. Filled with references, check sheets, and planning forms, the book guides you in 4 easy steps to creating a plan for you or a loved one's long term care. To request your copy of The 4 Steps of Long Term Care Planning, please visit http://carechanges.com/care-resources/the-4-steps-of-long-term-care-planning.

The Cost of Waiting

2009-02-25T21:03:00.004-05:00

Our Senior Care Coordinator, Mary Frances Moegling, found an insightful and thought provoking website titled "The Cost of Waiting" http://www.thecostofwaiting.com/. The site is sponsored by our friends at Atria Senior Living Group.

Tips On Touring

2009-02-23T08:08:00.005-05:00

Choosing a senior living community, whether for independent living or assisted living, requires thorough investigation. Location, convenience to friends and family, services offered and proximity to shopping, doctors, highways, are important parts of your search. Next, it is important to assess your current needs and understand how a community can accommodate changing needs over time.

Every community is unique, so it is important to do your homework. While brochures and checklists are good, personal tours of different communities will give you a lot more information. Your personal level of comfort with a provider is the most important criteria in determining what community is right for you.

Ask yourself the following questions as you walk around:

Were you greeted promptly at the front desk and offered assistance?
How does the environment make you feel?
Is the building and grounds clean and attractive?
Is the staff friendly and helpful?
Does staff know residents by name?
How do residents and staff interact?
What do residents say?
Do the resiendts seem happy?
Is there a varied range of activities?
Are there activities outside the community?
Do you observe residents socializing with each other and attending activities?
And of course, how's the food?

For those families or friends seeking a community on behalf of someone who cannot personally visit, it is important to include them in the search process as much as possible. Respect their needs and wishes as much as possible. This will lead to better acceptance in making the transition and ultimately result in greater satisfaction.

Other factors to consider:

Services offered (activities, housekeeping, maintenance, transportation, salon)
Licensure requirements
Community ownership/management
Available medical and health services
Contractual agreements
Memory impairment/dementia/Alzheimer's care programs
Resident/family participation in care planning
Costs (entry fees, bundled services and level of care charges)
Physical layout of building, elevators
Common area décor & amenities (library, lounges, card rooms, fitness center, exterior)
Handicap accessibility (doorways, corridor widths, grab bars)
Range of apartment styles and sizes (finishes, climate control, appliances, storage
Telephone and cable television
Residency criteria (admission/discharge, pre-lease assessment)
Fire alarm and sprinkler systems
Emergency call system
Staffing levels and availability (24-hour staffing, experience, length of employment)

We hope that these tips on touring are helpful. For more information about communities in your area, please call 1.866.657.3621 or click http://www.carechanges.com.

BLS Advisors LLC - Veteran's Pension Benefit

2009-02-22T22:53:00.008-05:00

BLS Advisors LLC is an experienced, trusted, professional financial advisor specializing in ways to finance long term care and plan for retirement. BLS Advisors works with seniors and their families to ensure that financial resources are available for the long term to cover the expenses of daily living as well as extraordinary medical expenses. We are best known for helping war Veterans and their widows qualify for the Veterans' Pension Benefit that helps pay for long term care. This benefit is also available to Veterans and widows with extremely low incomes.

A well thought out senior financial planning strategy to manage the financial challenges that seniors face is the most important step to achieving your retirement goals or long term care needs. At BLS Advisors, we help you plan for all areas of retirement: from financial needs to senior long term benefits. We follow proven, prudent practices to ensure our clients' needs are satisfied.

BLS Advisors specializes in:

Veterans' Pension Benefit
Financial Planning for Retirement
Reverse Mortgage
Long Term Care Insurance
Estate Planning

Barbara Steinberg, the founder of BLS Advisors, is a Certified Financial Planner™ and Registered Financial Gerontologist™. She is bound by the highest ethical standards in the financial services industry. As a Registered Investment Advisor representative, Barbara has a fiduciary responsibility to do what is in the best interest of the client.

Trustworthy, ethical and honest, BLS Advisors is obsessed with finding the best financial solution for each client’s situation. Contact us to learn more about our senior financial planning services, including the Veterans’ Pension Benefit and our long term care financial options. For more information and to receive a call from BLS Advisors, please call 1.866.657.3621 or click http://carechanges.com/care-resources.

Elderlife Financial Services

2009-02-22T22:45:00.011-05:00

Elderlife Financial Services provides loans for seniors and their family members or concerned adults who would like to help their loved ones access assisted living communities. Elderlife’s efs:Access loan structured like a Line of Credit, is an easy way to finance senior living, eliminating for many, a significant obstacle to moving into a senior living community. With low monthly payments, you and your family can utilize this loan to:

Pay for rent while waiting for a home to sell
Pay for rent while waiting for VA or other benefits
Finance move-in fees
Supplement monthly rent

Application is fast and simple. Decision in most cases within 2 hours and funding within 72 hours on an up to $50,000 Personal Line of Credit to help pay for monthly assisted living costs. Up to six friends or family members can join in the loan to help a loved one. Elderlife is accepted at more than 2,000 assisted living communities in the 48 contiguous states. For more information and to receive a call from Elderlife, please call 1.866.657.3621 or click http://carechanges.com/care-resources/elderlife-financial-services.