The Caring Resource

Elderly Financial Abuse

It is estimated that over 80% of incidents affecting millions of seniors who are the victims of financial exploitation each year go unreported. Seventeen states and Washington, D.C. have passed laws that require bank personnel to report suspected cases of elder financial abuse and hold banks liable should they fail to report suspicions of elder financial abuse. Another 33 states recommend that bank personnel report those suspected cases.

Serena Brock

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Avenue Homecare would like to wish our family, friends, and clients a Happy Thanksgiving.

The Key to Alzheimer's: Recognizing Symptoms and Seeking Early Detection

In a new online survey conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by the Alzheimer's Disease Screening Discussion Group (ADSDG) titled, "Alzheimer's Disease: Current Attitudes, Perceptions and Knowledge," it is reported that nearly 95% of the survey participants agreed they would encourage a loved one to seek early diagnosis if they suspected signs of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

However, the report goes on to state that of the 34% who previously thought a loved one had the disease, only about one-quarter prompted that person to take an AD screener test, and less than 40% encouraged initiating a conversation with his or her doctor.

Given the rise of AD as the baby boomer population ages - up to 16 million are estimated to have the disease by 2050 - these new survey results are particularly important. The ADSDG encourages everyone with a loved one age 55 and over to visit http://www.seethesigns.com if symptoms are suspected. The link has resources to learn more about the disease, its signs and symptoms, and has an online memory screener one can complete on behalf of a loved one.

Serena Brock

What is a Do-Not-Resuscitate order?

A do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order is an instruction, issued for a specific person, by a physician providing treatment for that person; the instruction advises that the person has indicated that he or she does not want cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the event that his or her heart stops beating or he or she stops breathing. A DNR order in a person's clinical record instructs agency or facility staff, emergency medical services personnel (including ambulance personnel), hospital staff and physicians not to initiate CPR.

Serena Brock

WHAT IS A HEALTH CARE PROXY?

A health care proxy is a document created by a person (the principal) that names another person as his or her health care agent to have the authority to make decisions if and when the principal is determined to be incapable of making medical care decisions for himself or herself.

Serena Brock

Being a Health Care Agent for a loved one

Advocating for your loved one can be a difficult task. You should ensure that you are comfortable taking on this responsibility and have ongoing conversations with your loved ones about their wishes for end-of-life care. One of your most important responsibilities will be to communicate with your loved ones healthcare providers to ensure your loved ones wishes are honored.

How to talk with a doctor if you are a healthcare agent:

Establish open communication with the doctor.
Make an appointment to speak about your loved one's care.
Be assertive in expressing your wishes. Clearly state the reasons behind your requests without being hostile.
Ask questions. To be effective and to make informed decisions, learn as much as possible about your loved one's condition and prognosis.
Ask about the goals of the treatment plan - often. A physician's definition of recovery can be different from what is acceptable to you or your loved one. Seek the assistance of a social worker or patient representative if necessary. Such professionals can help improve communication between you and the physician.
Don't be afraid to speak to the facility's administration. If the physician is unresponsive, go directly to his or her superiors, including the chief of medicine, risk manager, hospital lawyer or administrator.

Serena Brock

Family tug of war - how to make sure it doesn't pull you - or your finances - apart.

You're rushing to drop the kids at school, fumbling with coats and lunch boxes, when you get the call. Dad has fallen down the stairs, is in the ER and your mom is panicking.  She needs you to come home, now.

You want to drop everything.  Your heart is racing and you can barely hold back your tears, because "home" is 2,000 miles away, and the last-minute flight, plus the home health aide you'll have to hire, will set you back $1,500 at least. Not to mention that you have a huge presentation to your biggest client this afternoon. All of the sudden, your anxiety level has gone through the roof and you can’t figure out how you will get home, get your kids, not lose your biggest client and manage to pay for the last minute details as a result of the situation.

All I can say, is, welcome, boomer. You're not just part of the sandwich generation - you're part of a triple-decker club with all the trimmings.

And if you feel trapped in the middle, you've got company:  According to the Pew Research Center reports, Nearly 10 million boomers are now raising kids or supporting an adult child while giving a financial hand to an aging parent.

We can all relate to this situation and only hope that we are prepared.  So let’s consider our own retirement and our own family preparation and protection.
There are so many resources available today, from local programs to national organizations, from books to Web sites, a veritable cottage industry has sprung up to assist you in juggling the demands of raising kids while also caring for aging parents.

Some of these services are a direct response by the government to meet the needs of the country's burgeoning senior ranks - with you, the taxpayer, footing the bill.

Others are the work of smart entrepreneurs who spy a business opportunity. Still others come from fellow boomers wanting to share what they've learned as they've grappled with these issues.

It is important that you consider your choices carefully.  Although the situation may have come on suddenly and you feel overwhelmed and uncertain of how you will manage it all, take a deep breath, sit down and review your options.

1. If you have not had these conversations with your parents, now is the time.  How are they doing financially and what plans have they made to protect them should be become ill or incapacitated?
2. How is your own personal financial situation?  Now is a good time to make certain that your own family is protected, too.
3. Do you have POA?  If an emergency situation arises, you will need to have the legal authority to act on your parents behalf.  Talk to an attorney about a durable power of attorney, which will authorize you to sign checks, pay bills and make financial decisions on their behalf.  You will need a durable power of attorney for health care (healthcare proxy), authorizing you or someone to make medical decisions and also ask about a living will, which will outline their wishes should their be a life-sustaining medical situation.  An attorney will also further direct you and your parents with the appropriate planning options.
4. You need to know about your options should a nursing home stay come into the future.  Bills for a nursing home, assisted living or in home care are very costly.
5. Before you do see an attorney, gather all of the policies that your parents may have as it relates to insurance.  Do they have long term care insurance?
6. Talk to your parents about all of their issues, concerns, wishes.  What do they want to happen?  Faced with reality, where do they want to live?  How do they wish to be cared for?  Are there things that they wish to happen?  What do they want to avoid?
7. Plan to protect them, and your own family.  This is a great time to ensure that you do not leave your own children in a similar position.  Planning in advance is the best option.
   

Serena Brock

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Aging with Dignity: Help is in place for our diverse, aging population

In June of 2007, Aging with Dignity, a non-profit organization launched a campaign to support our diverse aging population with the importance of end-of –life decisions, including using advance directives.

Five Wishes is a planning tool that helps individuals express how they want to be treated if they become seriously ill and unable to speak for themselves. It is an Advance Directive, or living will, that helps people make important end-of-life-care decisions that address their medical, personal, emotional and spiritual needs before a health crisis. Five Wishes helps answer the following questions:

Who will make decisions for you when you can’t make them yourself?
What kind of medical treatment do you/don’t you want?
How comfortable would you like to be?
How do you want people to treat you?
What do you want your loved ones to know?
Five Wishes meets the legal requirements in 40 states and is used as a model to prepare Advanced Care Directives in the remaining 10. It is now available in Albanian, Bengali, Arabic, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Croatian, French, Gujarati, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Hmong, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Urdu and Vietnamese, in addition to English.

The 500,000 Wishes Campaign is a nationwide “call to action” from leading organizations that are committed to focusing attention on the importance of end-of-life-care decisions and communicating those decisions to caregivers and family members. Additionally, the campaign is a response to the increasing number of people who require assistance in communicating their wishes in languages other than English.  It has received much support and endorsement from many people including U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging, Josefina G. Carbonell, who joined the launch of the 500,000 Wishes Campaign. For more information on this program, please visit www.agingwithdignity.org

Serena Brock

Personal Emergency Readiness

The unfortunate disasters that we have all been witness to, victimized by or known someone involved in has made us more aware of how quickly our lives can change.  In fact, these recent disasters remind us that personal emergency readiness needs to be a priority for everyone, including older adults and caregivers. AoA recommends a simple, three-step approach:

Step 1: Know the basics . Learn about the risks your particular community faces; know how to do things like turning off your gas and electricity; get to know your neighbors.

Step 2: Have emergency supplies ready . This includes items you would need to survive in your home until help arrives; it should also include a personal evacuation bag, partially packed and ready to go.

Step 3: Make a personal plan. Many older persons have special needs relating to medications, medical equipment, mobility, and support services; making a personal emergency readiness plan increases the likelihood that essential needs will still be met, even in an emergency situation.

For more information about AoA 's Emergency Preparedness and Response efforts, visit the Administration on Aging website at www.AoA.gov

Serena  Brock