1. Reimbursement of Expenses for Funeral and Plot – Form 21-530 The executor of a veteran’s estate can apply within two years of the veteran’s death for reimbursement for expenses related to the veteran’s funeral and burial plot. The estate of a veteran who dies because of an injury sustained during active duty can receive up to $2,000. Otherwise, the estate may receive up to $600. This probably won’t pay for the entire funeral, but every little bit helps.

2. Headstone or Marker – Form 40-1330 The family of a deceased veteran can apply for a headstone or marker from the VA. The headstone or marker is free, as is the shipping. The family does have to pay for the installation, though. However, the VA will inscribe endearments, such as “Beloved Husband and Father” on the headstone without cost.

3. American Flag – Form 21-2008 The families of veterans are also entitled to an American flag. The family may display it in a shadowbox or choose to have it laid to rest with the veteran. Either way, the VA will provide it free of charge.

4. Presidential Memorial Certificate – Form 40-0247 The family of a veteran may request a Presidential Memorial Certificate, which is signed by the President and thanks the veteran for his or her service to the nation. It’s a nice reminder of a thankful country.

5. Burial Plot Not every veteran can be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, but veterans can be buried in other federal veteran cemeteries. If there is not a federal veteran cemetery nearby, there may be a veteran cemetery operated by the state. More information is available by contacting the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs at 360-725-2152 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting

As with most benefits from the VA, in order to apply for them, the applicant must have a copy of the veteran’s discharge papers and a death certificate. A surviving family member can apply for a replacement copy of the discharge papers online at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/

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One of the past challenges to qualifying were the strict income restrictions.  A married couple could have no more than $2,200/month of income to qualify.  The State recently changed its guidelines, in order to allow more people to take advantage of less institutional environments for their care.

The new income requirements are as follows:

An unmarried applicant is income eligible if the applicant’s monthly income is no greater than $6,324, after reducing income by the amounts below.

• Income from certain sources (see WAC 388-513-1340)
• General disregard ($20)
• Earned income disregard (first $65 of earned income and one-half of any additional earned income)
• Health insurance premiums, other than Medicare (prorated monthly over a 12-month certification period);
• and
• Outstanding medical bills (prorated monthly over a 12-month certification period.)

A married applicant is income eligible if the monthly income in the name of the applicant spouse is no greater than $2,094. This is true regardless of how much income the non-applicant spouse has. If income in the applicant spouse’s name exceeds $2,094, the applicant may still be eligible if the couple’s combined income is no greater than $6,324, after reducing the combined income by the amounts below.

• Income from certain sources (see WAC 388-513-1340)
• General disregard ($20)
• Earned income disregard (first $65 of earned income and one-half of any additional earned income)
• Health insurance premiums, other than Medicare (prorated monthly over a 12-month certification period);
• and
• Outstanding medical bills (prorated monthly over a 12-month
• certification period.)

“For All Your Senior Care Housing Needs,”

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http://now.msn.com/now-plus/0329-86-year-old-gymnast.aspx#scptmg

At Adult Care Pro we see so many elderly people who inspire us;  we also see many who have given up on life for one reason or another.  If you know one of these seniors please share this video with them.  It goes to show you that you’re never too old do to whatever you set your mind on doing.  It is all about what we believe we can or cannot do. Get out and do it.  Become an inspiration to those you know and love.

Adult Care Pro is a senior care housing referral service, serving Washington and Alaska.  All Services are Free of Charge

877 373-6111

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“I cannot tell you of anyone who has actually developed a new skilled nursing facility in at least the last five years in California,” says
Edward Steinfeldt, a consultant to developers of retirement housing and health care. And existing nursing homes are struggling. They long have lost money on patients whose stays are covered by state-run Medicaid programs, which pay for long-term care for chronically or terminally ill patients who have run out of money. According to a report this month by the AHCA, in 2011 nursing homes lost at least $20 per Medicaid resident per day nationwide. Total losses came to $6.3 billion nationally, the highest yearly total ever, with higher deficits to come next year, according to the report. Making matters worse, last year the federal government also cut its reimbursement rates by 11 percent to nursing homes for Medicare patients—people released from hospitals to nursing homes who need short-term care to recover from injuries or acute illnesses. That’s a huge hit since Medicare payments are responsible for more than 20 percent of nursing home revenues. (Medicaid provides about 50 percent of revenues, and most of the rest comes from private long-term care insurance and people who pay out of pocket.)

For the 187-bed nonprofit Lutheran Home in Milwaukee, which has gross receipts of about $20 million, the Medicare slash will take $700,000 to $750,000 straight off the organization’s bottom line this year says CEO Scott McFadden. The real estate crash has added to nursing homes’ budget crunch. Many clients sell their homes and use the money to pay out of pocket for long-term care services from a nursing home. By obliterating more than $8 trillion in home equity, the collapse cut the number of patients who can pay their own way.

McFadden says that the private-paying clients his home serves used to run out of money in two or three years. Now they’re broke much more
quickly. Once they can’t pay, Medicaid picks up only some of the tab, and the Lutheran Home then starts losing money on them. It’s illegal for a Medicaid-certified nursing home to ask a patient to leave just because they run out of money. Residing at a nursing home is not cheap. The median annual cost of a private U.S. nursing home room rose to $77,745 in 2011—up almost 30 percent from 2005. People without chronic conditions have less costly options—it takes about $43,500 yearly to pay for a home health care aide who doesn’t have specialized medical skills, and $39,000 to live in an assisted living facility that provides help with activities of daily life like cooking, but doesn’t necessarily offer health care services. If nursing homes continue to be squeezed, they may need to cut more staff. A November 2011 report by the University of California-San Francisco concluded that poor quality of care is already endemic in many nursing homes, especially the largest for-profit chains where staffing levels have been cut the deepest to save money. Parkinson maintains that so far, homes in his association are keeping up their level of service with less money by eliminating managers, freezing wages, and cutting capital improvements like painting walls and
replacing carpets—anything to avoid laying off caregiver staff.

Bill Mulligan, a managing director at Ziegler Capital Management, which provides low-cost financing for nursing home developments,
argues that given the decreasing supply and rising demand, nursing homes are still a good investment. “The demographics are going to level off the number [of homes], maybe even increase it at some point,” he says. But Steinfeldt, who also works with developers, has little confidence in their profitability: “Why would you go into a business that can’t cover its costs?” If major shortages of nursing home space do surface, they’ll likely show up in urban and high-poverty areas first. Widespread waiting lists have already been reported in Tallahassee in Florida, Rapid City in South Dakota, and San Francisco. Homes also have been closing in poor neighborhoods – a study published last year in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that nursing homes shut down there more often than elsewhere (the hardest hit cities were New
Orleans, Oklahoma City, San Francisco, and Dallas). And Medicaid patients may have an increasingly hard time finding nursing homes that will take them – Kramer says when homes replace their old buildings, they often cut the number of beds to make space for more private
rooms and sophisticated medical facilities that can attract the higher paying Medicare and private-pay clients.

“Every adult is going to face this nursing home crisis in some way, whether it’s through their own care or the care of loved ones,” says
McFadden. “Ignoring it is not going to make it better.”

By
Steve Yoder, The Fiscal Times

1. Wander protection. Several new programs and gadgets have been introduced that aim to protect elders from Alzheimer’s-related wandering. Wanderers endanger themselves, as they can easily become disoriented and lost.
2. Wi-Fi is a must. Seniors are becoming increasingly tech-savvy, and much like the working generation, wireless access is considered a necessity, not a luxury. Wireless internet access allows seniors to use their own laptops to stay in touch with family, friends and even business associates.
3. Engaging websites. More and more, seniors and their families are turning to the internet in their search for senior housing options. Assisted living (and independent living, nursing homes and other types of senior housing providers) websites must be engaging and informative. The better your facility is tapped into the web, the more referrals you’re likely to receive. That means having a presence on prominent social networks, a quality static website and interacting with your potential customers on a regular basis. The internet is no longer an ancillary marketing tactic.
4. Opportunities for web-based continuing education. Baby Boomers are hesitant to retire, and today’s older adults aren’t about to let their minds go to waste as they age. Senior living providers are increasingly partnering with local colleges and universities to offer free or discounted continuing education opportunities, allowing seniors to remain sharp and even delve into totally new topics in retirement.
5. Going green. Not a “tech” trend in the literal sense, but environmental friendliness tops the list of many seniors’ priorities when choosing senior housing. Think: energy-efficient lighting, low-VOC paint and sustainable resources, like bamboo flooring. Going green can involve tech devices that help simplify processes, but the green revolution is all about making the most of the resources we have. Many of today’s seniors have experienced an economy slump at some point during their lives, so the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” concept in a senior housing complex rings true. And, it’s always good to feel like you’re doing something to help preserve the future of our planet for generations to come! An official environmentally-friendly certification is a hot selling point for any senior living community.

For all your Senior Care Housing Questions, 877 373-6111 or www.adultcarepro.com

 2011 by Angela Stringfellow

Corvallis, Ore. – A study suggests that it may not help senior citizens with sexual problems to talk to a doctor, but the senior men who talk to their partner report greater happiness – and those who talked with friends felt less depressed.

The research, to be published in the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, shows that the way men and women deal with sexual health and stress in their later years varies greatly and that there is not one solution that can help ease unhappiness caused by sexual problems.

The research was conducted by Ryo Hirayama, a Ph.D. student in Oregon State University’s Department of Human Development and Family
Sciences, and professor Alexis Walker, who is the Jo Anne L. Petersen Chair in Gerontology and Family Studies at OSU. The study was conducted with data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project.

The Oregon State researchers looked at 861 people ages 57 to 85 who were married or had an intimate partner, and who reported having at least one sexual problem. The sexual problems reported by older adults included lack of interest in sex, inability to climax, physical pain during sex, maintaining an erection, or lubrication issues.

Respondents were asked to indicate on a scale from 1 to 3 how bothered they were by each problem they listed. They also were asked about their well-being, which the researchers measured by using typical scales for happiness and for depressive symptoms. The study yielded several surprising findings. First, fewer than half of older adults with sexual problems discussed these problems with their doctors, although men were more likely to do so than women. In addition, whether older adults discussed these issues with their physicians did not make a
difference in their well-being.

“This was our most unexpected outcome,” Hirayama said. “Older adults are advised to talk to their doctors about sexual health issues, but not
all people do so and talking with a physician is not as helpful as you might expect.” However, confiding in a partner or with friends was found to be effective for many men in reducing stress and unhappiness related to sexual problems. Unfortunately for women, this same benefit was not reported. “In fact, women with higher levels of sexual stress who confided in their close friends reported lower happiness,” Hirayama said. “We aren’t quite sure what to make of this finding.”

Women did not see any reduction in stress or well-being (unhappiness and depression) when they talked to their spouses either. “What this tells is that women’s sexual issues are complex, and that complexity needs to be recognized,” Walker said. “A woman with a great deal of sexual concerns could feel threatened by talking to her spouse about it, or perhaps simply confiding in a friend is not enough.” Since the largest effect size was seen with men who confided in both spouses and friends, the researchers said the result brings into
critical focus the importance for men in middle and later life of confiding in family members and friends.

“The finding is striking because most people presume men do not have confidants,” Hirayama said. Hirayama is doing his doctoral studies on
male identity issues and men’s social ties in current society.“Men are not believed to be functioning socially in our society, yet research increasingly shows that social networks can be a critical part of a man’s life, especially as he ages,” he said.

Walker, who has done research in the gerontology field for decades, said the medicalization of aging makes some people feel as if there is
a “fix” for everything. She said that in some cases, certain sexual issues might just be part of the aging process and that the important part is that couples keep the lines of communication open. “In the general context of sex and aging, the rule is ‘use it or lose it,’” Walker said.

“The best prediction of sexual activity is to continue to be sexually active throughout your adult life, to make it a part of your life. But it is also true that older people can have sexual problems, and sometimes there are ways to work around these issues by emphasizing other activities you enjoy as a couple.”

Information Source:  Oregon State University College of Health and Human Sciences: Emphasizing a holistic approach to optimal health and disease prevention, researchers focus on nutrition, physical activity, the psychology of aging  improving the health of children and older adults, public policy, access to health care, and maximizing environmentally friendly materials and structures.

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Senior citizens are 12 percent of the U.S. population but a staggering 35 percent of all fraud is inflicted on seniors. A new effort to educate seniors on how to protect themselves from financial abuse and scams has been published by the National Council on Aging (NCOA).

The new toolkit – Savvy Savings Seniors: Steps to Avoid Scams – is produced in partnership with the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER), and the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.

Financial fraud is one of the most common forms of elder abuse, and also one of the most underreported. Scams and swindles deprive older
adults of their hard-earned assets and retirement savings, and can leave them feeling confused, fearful, and ashamed. “We must acknowledge that helping to protect seniors from scams is a vital component to ensuring their safety and financial independence,” said Sandra Nathan, senior vice president of economic security at NCOA.

“This toolkit helps older adults identify the common forms of financial fraud, and take action to protect their hard-earned resources. The toolkit is the second in the Savvy Saving Seniors financial education series, following the release of a guide on money management skills earlier this year.

In addition to offering typical scam scenarios, the toolkit includes step-by-step instructions for professionals to facilitate a workshop with older clients, and a list of signs for caregivers and family members to look for when concerned about their loved one.

“All seniors, but especially older women — the prime targets of financial scams, need the very best information to protect their income and assets and avoid financial exploitation,” said Cindy Hounsell, president of WISER.

The Savvy Saving Seniors toolkits are part of a larger initiative between NCOA and the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to provide
one-on-one financial assistance to over 1,200 older adults experiencing economic distress over the next year.

“Everyone can benefit from financial education—but it’s especially important for vulnerable populations, such as seniors, who may have
little income and resources,” said Kerry Sullivan, president of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. “We hope that this toolkit enables older adults to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to avoid scams and remain in control of their income and assets.”

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Summitt, who has coached the University of Tennessee women’s basketball team for 37 years, revealed the diagnosis in late August. Admirers and rivals too responded to the news with shock, as the Los Angeles Times reported, sending words of encouragement and statements of support.

“I’ve known Coach Summitt for 23 years,” said Louisiana State Coach Nikki Caldwell, who played for Summitt and also coached at UCLA, “and there has never been a fight that she’s backed down from.”

In an interview airing Friday on ABC’s “20/20,” Summitt talks about the diagnosis and reveals that it spurred a letter from Reagan: “She said, you know, I heard about your diagnosis of dementia, and I just wanted to reach out to you and just tell you, you know, that it’s going to be OK.”

President Reagan, who left office in 1989, revealed his Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 1994 and died 10 years later at age 93.

Summitt said she was touched by the former first lady’s good wishes and said receiving the letter gave her “the chills.”

There will be rocky times ahead for Summitt.  As The Times reports:

Early-onset Alzheimer’s can be a difficult diagnosis to face. It sets in well before the age of 65, the Mayo Clinic explains, the typical lower limit for standard Alzheimer’s disease, and thus affects people when they’re still in their prime, often with elderly parents or young children to care for as well.

Then there are those with a whole sports organization depending on them. Summitt is the winningest coach in college basketball.

Times reporter Baxter Holmes reported in September that despite the Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Summitt wanted to coach the Lady Vols “as long as the good Lord is willing.”

As a Senior Care Housing Specialist and Elder Care Advisor I think Pat’s winning spirit is an inspiration to anyone facing this disease. I would encourage family members who has a loved one with an early diagnosis to put them in front of Pat’s story. She is contagious in a very positive way and who knows she might just make a big difference in how they handle their own diagnosis.

For all your Senior Care Housing questions and concerns call Adult Care Pro 877 373-6111

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The plus side of the situation being reversed is that, in a way, your parents DO have an  instruction manual!

Unless your parent suffers from memory loss, their manual is their verbal and non-verbal opinions and actions.  An adult can tell you what they want, reason out an appropriate course of action, tell you their likes and dislikes.  A few families are fortunate they have parents who pre-plan and who discuss these sensitive topics with their families.  Most families aren’t so fortunate.  Adult children are faced with the tough job of broaching the subject of the visible signs of aging, of diminishing physical and mental capacities, even the ability of taking care of oneself.  Frequently they have to make decisions on their parent’s behalf because a plan was not put into place prior to the need for care.  The things our parents don’t say are sometimes more powerful than the things they do say.  Taking action to stay put is a very powerful stance many older adults take.

No matter what the situation, even if your parent has experienced some memory loss, you have to begin the process by having honest and open conversations about what your parent or parents want:

• If you weren’t able to do your own laundry any longer, what would you want to see happen?
• If you weren’t able to prepare a meal any longer or if you weren’t safe being alone, what would you like me to do?

You also have to be willing to share with your parents your own concerns and your own willingness or lack of willingness to help in the event of a change in health status or in the event of an emergency.  You need to be very frank and completely honest what you would be able to do for them, what you would be unable to do and why.  Explain the limitations you would have, because of your availability, your commitments and your willingness to become a care giver to your parent.  Also take time to explain for what period of time you would be willing to do which chores.

Keep in mind that what your parents want or think they want, may be quite different from the choices you feel they should make.  Remember, your parents are in charge of their own decisions, and they may choose to live in a different way than you would like them to live.  This doesn’t mean you can’t bring up the subject of a possible change down the road, though.  In fact, the more times you can bring up the subject over an extended period of time, the more likely it is that your parents will be receptive to your message.  But just because you’ve expressed your opinion, your parents still have the final say; you can’t force a parent to become accepting of your opinion.  Some parents have to be given the opportunity to fail on their own or to experience a fall or a sense of vulnerability before they recognize the fact that they do, indeed, need help.

Today, our parents don’t have to wait until their health takes a downturn before making a move from the family home.  Retirement living and active senior communities are available which offer varying levels of service, safety, and comfort.  These are not care communities they are lifestyle communities, much more like a resort or pleasant vacation spot.

A good alternative for many families is that, if parents need a little support, in-home care can be arranged or services can be brought into their home.

Several aspects of living alone do place a person at higher risk for injury or harm.  For those families with a senior living alone, here is a list of warning signs to be aware of:

Is your parent talking about the possibility of a future move?

Difficulty walking or unsteady on their feet?

Change of appetite or weight loss?

Reluctance to socialize?

Hearing, Memory loss or Difficulty Concentrating?

Medication errors and skipping medications?

Unopened mail or Lack of food in the home or spoiled food?

Poor grooming, Driving becomes worrisome?

Personality changes?

These are just a few ideas of what to watch for. If you checked several things on this list  it may be time to talk with an Elder Care Advisor. They will walk you through some of the varying options based upon the current needs.

The final thought regarding a possible move is that the senior needs to be reassured that they will not be solely responsible for the entire process.  Family and friends can be great resources when going through possessions and boxing items for the move.  There are also agencies available to seniors to help with the entire process; deciding what to keep and what to take with them, handling the packing up, moving all the belongings, setting up the new home, even putting sheets on the bed!  Help is readily available.

The main thing to remember is this: You’re not alone in what you’re experiencing.  Many people have and are dealing with the exact same situations you are.  Remember that parents are adults with their own set of likes and dislikes and values and opinions and that relinquishing any part of their independence will not be an easy process.  Keeping parents as involved as they can be in the decisions that need to be made will go a long way in helping them accept and adjust to their changing world.

To Speak with a Senior Care Housing Specialist call Adult Care Pro at  877 373-6111

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Several states are experiencing a rash of incidents where abusers or dealers are buying painkillers from senior citizens. A new state report in Ohio  finds they sometimes make the buy as the seniors are leaving the pharmacy. They have been other warnings to seniors to guard their medicine cabinets when visitors – young people in particular – are in their homes.

This new finding shows that more than 40 people die every day from overdoses involving narcotic pain relievers like hydrocodone (Vicodin), methadone, oxycodone (OxyContin), and oxymorphone (Opana).

“Overdoses involving prescription painkillers are at epidemic levels and now kill more Americans than heroin and cocaine combined, ” said CDC Director Thomas Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.

“States, health insurers, health care providers and individuals have critical roles to play in the national effort to stop this epidemic of overdoses while we protect patients who need prescriptions to control pain. ”

The increased use of prescription painkillers for nonmedical reasons (without a prescription for the high they cause), along with growing sales, has contributed to the large number of overdoses and deaths.

In 2010, 1 in every 20 people in the United States age 12 and older – a total of 12 million people – reported using prescription painkillers nonmedically according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Based on the data from the Drug Enforcement Administration, sales of these drugs to pharmacies and health care providers have increased by more than 300 percent since 1999.

“Prescription drug abuse is a silent epidemic that is stealing thousands of lives and tearing apart communities and families across America, ” said Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy.

“From day one, we have been laser–focused on this crisis by taking a comprehensive public health and public safety approach. All of us have a role to play. Health care providers and patients should be educated on the risks of prescription painkillers. And parents and grandparents can take time today to properly dispose of any unneeded or expired medications from the home and to talk to their kids about the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs. ”

In April, the Administration released a comprehensive action plan to address the national prescription drug abuse epidemic to reduce this public health burden.

Titled “Epidemic: Responding to America’s Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis,” the plan includes support for the expansion of state–based prescription drug monitoring programs, more convenient and environmentally responsible disposal methods to remove unused medications from the home, education for patients and healthcare providers, and support for law enforcement efforts that reduce the prevalence of “pill mills” and doctor shopping.

Adult Care Pro recommends that adult children of aging parents monitor this very closely, know what medications your senior parent is taking. Often times they have more than one Doctor and they can be taking medications that can have an interaction with another this is more common than you would think. They could be taking just too much of one or worse yet they could be taking something no longer even need.  

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