How Medicare Covers Alzheimer's Disease

REPRINTED FROM THE HUFFINGTON POST
By Jim T. Miller

Most medical costs to treat beneficiaries with Alzheimer's disease are covered by Medicare, but unfortunately, long-term custodial care costs that most patients eventually need are not. Read more...

How to ask a sibling to chip in for a parent's care

Reposted from CNN Money

The financial burden of caring for an elderly parent is typically a large one: Family caregivers spend an average $5,500 a year, AARP reports.

That's not to mention the physical and emotional toll. (Depression rates among working women caregivers over 50 are 2½ times higher than those of non-caregivers, one study found.)

So if your siblings aren't sharing the load, you're probably bearing some resentment. "Caregivers often don't know how to ask for help," says Gail Hunt of the National Alliance for Caregiving. "They just keep plugging away without realizing they're burning out." Read more...

How to Prepare to Financially Support Your Aging Parents

REPOSTED FROM US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT

Caring for an aging parent may be the highest calling of your life. But it can also rob you of time, money and your own experiences. In some cases, these personal sacrifices can create bitterness and regret, causing ill will toward the very people you love and have pledged to help.

Virtually every expert who has weighed in on this topic agrees that to be in a position to help another person, you first must help yourself. In reference to caregiving, this means you need to protect your finances, well-being and time when developing a program to care for one or both aging parents. Read more...

Negotiating Senior Caregiving with Siblings

REPOSTED FROM CARE.COM

A 2009 study by the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) reveals that almost fifty million Americans have served as an unpaid caregiver to an adult, often a parent. Sixty-six percent report that another unpaid caregiver helps with the role. Sharing caregiving responsibilities with family members alleviates the demands of assisting a loved one, but agreeing on who does what, when and how, can sometimes add to caregiving stress.

And when siblings are the caregivers, things can become even more chaotic. Sibling rivalry and decades-old arguments don't always go away because of an aging parent. Sometimes you can all work together harmoniously, but sometimes it takes a little planning and compromising. Read more...

10 Things Everyone Should Know About Medicare

Reprinted from US News and World Report

Almost all Americans who work pay into the Medicare system, but not everyone knows about the benefits they will become eligible for when they turn 65. Read more here.

New poll shows American attitudes toward aging and long-term care

Reprinted from The SCAN Foundation On April 24, the Associated Press - NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released the findings of a national poll on long-term care, funded by The SCAN Foundation. This poll surveyed Americans 40 and older on their attitudes, perceptions, and experiences around aging and long-term care issues.      Key findings of the survey include:  * Widespread misperceptions of the cost of long-term care, with most Americans underestimating the cost of nursing home care and overestimating what Medicare will cover.    * Nearly one-third of those polled would rather not think about getting older at all, and when prompted, a majority worry about losing their independence.    * Only 35% of Americans are setting aside funds to help pay for future long-term care needs.  * Family matters: 68 percent of Americans age 40 or older believe they can rely on their family in time of need. * Though Americans are concerned about issues of aging, nearly 60 percent have not taken the step of talking about long-term care preferences with their families.  * A majority of Americans across the political spectrum support public policy solutions for financing long-term care, with more than 75 percent in favor of tax incentives to encourage saving for long-term care expenses, and 51 percent in favor of a government administered plan.

Valley Care's art therapy instructor in the news!

Colleen Sherts, the art instructor at our adult day services centers, is featured in a lovely article in the Feb. 21st edition of the Sewickley Herald. See the article here.

Helping Aging Parents with Financial Matters

Reposted from MarketWatch.com

Make no mistake about it, there’s a large generational role reversal taking place in this country. Adult children are increasingly providing advice and counsel to their aging parents about a wide variety of financial and nonfinancial issues. And, they are being asked to answer questions about everything from Medicare to how to reinvest a maturing CD.

Knowing full well that you might be called upon to become a subject matter expert, if you haven’t already, we asked experts for some help.

Elder Wisdom Circle Offers Free, Anonymous Online Advice

Reprinted from Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency

Elder Wisdom Circle is a web-based nonprofit service organization that pairs online advice seekers in their teens, 20's and 30's with a nationwide network of Cyber-Grandparents, aged 60 and up, who share their hard-earned knowledge and wisdom. Anyone with access to the Internet can request anonymous advice on topics and will receive a personalized e-mail response in return.  Go to: http://www.elderwisdomcircle.org/ to learn more.

High-tech Dwelling Could Change Elder Care

Reposted from The Washington Post

Viola Baez wouldn’t budge.

Her daughter’s family had just invested about $125,000 in a new kind of home for her, a high-tech cottage that might revolutionize the way Americans care for their aging relatives. But Viola wouldn’t even step inside.

Read the rest of the story here.

6 Steps to Protect Your Older Loved One from a Fall

Reposted from the National Council on Aging

Did you know that one in three older Americans falls every year? Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries for people aged 65+.

Falls can result in hip fractures, broken bones, and head injuries. And even falls without a major injury can cause an older adult to become fearful or depressed, making it difficult for them to stay active.

If you have an aging parent, grandparent, or neighbor in your life, helping them reduce their risk of falling is a great way to help them stay healthy and independent as long as possible.

Change the Clocks, Change Those Batteries!

Daylight Savings Time took place this weekend, but it's not too late to take care of that OTHER piece of business - changing the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

One of the easiest ways to remember to take care of this annual chore is to do it the same day you change your clocks. Working smoke alarms cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire. Worn or missing batteries are the most common cause of a smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector malfunction. Changing the batteries at least once a year is one of the simplest, most effective ways to prevent tragic deaths and injuries.

November is Assistive Technology Month

In celebration of Assistive Technology Month, here is some helpful information from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Assistive Technology

Assistive technology is any service or tool which can help an older person or a person with a disability perform activities that might otherwise be difficult or not be possible.

Such technology may be something as simple as a walker to make moving around easier or an amplification device to make sounds easier to hear (for talking on the telephone or watching television, for instance). It could also include a magnifying glass that helps someone who has poor vision read the newspaper or a scooter that makes it possible to travel over distances that are too far to walk. In short, anything that helps the elderly continue to participate in daily activities is considered assistive technology.

For many seniors, assistive technology makes the difference between being able to live independently and having to get long-term nursing or home-health care. For others, assistive technology is critical to the ability to perform simple activities of daily living, such as bathing and going to the bathroom. Read more...

Pennsylvania RX Price Finder

PACE has updated their PA Prescription Price Finder brochure. The new booklet will help guide people toward the Price Finder website and inform them of the Price Finder program’s benefits. The brochure also includes examples of prescription price ranges, which can differ depending on the distributing pharmacy. For help with Price Finder, call 1-800-835-4080 or visit the Price Finder website.

Your Resource on the Pennsylvania Voter ID Law

From the Allegheny County Department of Human Services

As we move closer to Election Day, it is important to stay informed of changes to the Pennsylvania Voter ID Law. Recent updates include:

    Pennsylvania care facilities, including long-term care facilities, assisted living residences or personal care homes can create their own photo IDs for residents, as long as the document includes the name of the facility, the name and photo of the voter, and an expiration date.

    Department of State voter cards will be available for registered voters who are not able to provide all of the documents they would normally need to obtain a photo ID from PennDOT, such as a birth certificate. Voters will need to affirm they do not possess any other approved identification for voting and will need to provide two proofs of residence, such as a utility bill, along with their date of birth and Social Security number, if the customer has an assigned number. PennDOT will validate the voter registration status with the Department of State while the voter is in the PennDOT office. Upon confirmation of this information, the voter will be issued the voter card before leaving the PennDOT facility. These cards will be issued by PennDOT up to and through Election Day, Nov. 6, 2012, and thereafter.

    In most cases, those who have a Pennsylvania driver’s license, or a non-driver's license photo ID, will not be required to bring a birth certificate, or any other proof of identification or residence, to request a non-driver photo ID for voting purposes. They will only need to give their name at a PennDOT driver's license center, and once verified as being in the system, PennDOT will provide a non-driver's license photo ID, which can be used for voting purposes. Those with licenses that expired prior to 1990 should call PennDOT’s Customer Care Center (1-800-932-4600) to verify that their information is still in the system.

    For Allegheny County residents who are concerned that their ID may not be valid for the election, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette website has an interactive page to check your ID’s status: http://newsinteractive.post-gazette.com/voterID/

NO ONE legally entitled to vote will be denied the right to do so. If an individual does not have a photo ID, he or she may cast a provisional ballot, and will have six days to provide a photo ID and/or an affirmation to the local county elections office - in person, by mail, email, or fax - to have his or her ballot count.

To learn more, please visit http://www.votespa.com.

Keeping Seniors Healthy in Soaring Temperatures

In Pittsburgh, the first six months of 2012 were the warmest on record, and July was especially sweltering. While hot weather can be fun for swimming and outdoor activities, it can also be dangerous, particularly for older adults. To protect some of Allegheny County’s most vulnerable individuals, the DHS Area Agency on Aging (AAA) offers a variety of services to ensure that local older adults have opportunities to avoid the heat and stay safe. 

Medicare Scam Alerts from AARP

Don’t Fall for the Utility Bill Scam

Several news outlets have reported on a national scam that has claimed over 500 PA residents to date.  Scammers contact people in a variety of ways-- including door to door—promising that a new program from the Obama administration will pay their utility bills. To enroll in the fake program, victims are asked to provide personal information like social security and bank account numbers. 

Remember:

• Never give personal information to someone goes door to door or calls you unsolicited.
• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

“New” Medicare Card Scam

Residents all over Pennsylvania have received calls from scammers claiming to be “from Medicare.” The scammer states that Medicare is sending out new cards and instructs the beneficiary to provide a checking account number to receive the new card. In at least two cases, the scammer already had the beneficiary’s address, bank name, and bank routing number.

If you receive a call like this, hang up the phone.

Remember:

Medicare will never call to sell you anything and will never ask for your checking account number.

To report a similar scam or other Medicare Fraud, please contact the

Pennsylvania Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-800-356-3606.

Valley Care Video

Valley Care was recently featured in Three Rivers Wealth Management's online video series titled "Bridges." You can watch the video here.

Thank you, TRWM!

Valley Care Leads Efforts to Build Wheelchair-Accessible Gardens

Valley Care's own John Seitz, coordinator for the Home Safe Home program, recently led a collaborative initiative to build 8 wheelchair-accessible gardens at long-term care facilities in Allegheny, Butler, and Washington Counties.

A nice article was written about the effort by Dona Dreeland in the North Journal. You can read the article here.

Webcast Gives Voice to Elder Care Challenges

"Speak Up! Influential Women Give Voice to the Challenges of Elder Care" featured energetic conversations, passionate people, and valuable information – all with a focus on the issues and possible solutions. If you would like to watch the session, or share it with a friend or colleague, the webcast is available for replay at: http://www.altarum.org/roundtablejune5. The webcast was sponsored by the Altarum Institute.