JustCare

Tag: Area Agency on Aging

  • Do you know about these free and low-cost benefits?

    Do you know about these free and low-cost benefits?

    Judith Graham reports for Kaiser Health News on several programs that offer free and low-cost benefits to help older adults cover the cost of basic needs. Today, millions of people are not taking advantage of them. Here’s how to get some of these benefits.

    There are literally thousands of programs intended to help older adults pay for health care, food, transportation and housing, among other needs. Some are targeted to people with low incomes and assets and others are open to everyone.

    How can you learn about these programs? Contact your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA). To reach your AAA, visit the Eldercare Locator, a service of the federal Administration on Aging, or call 800-677-1116.

    Reach out now! Plan ahead. Know what’s available and how to apply. Check out these federal programs:

    • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides help paying for food. But, it is estimated that more than 13 million people over 60 who could benefit from SNAP–71 percent of those eligible–are not receiving this help. Benefits for single older adults are typically over $100 a month.
    • Medicare Savings Programs provide help paying Medicare premiums, and sometimes also deductibles and out-of-pocket costs. The benefit is worth more than $170 a month. But. around three million eligible older adults  are not receiving these benefits. They are available through your Medicaid office.
    • Help paying Medicare Part D prescription drug costs is available through the Low-income Subsidy (LIS) program, sometimes called the Extra Help program. This benefit can be worth more than $400 a month. But, more than three in ten older adults are not receiving this help.
    • Federally Qualified Health Centers offer free and low-cost primary health care services. They are located in thousands of places throughout the US.

    You might also qualify for:

    • Home-delivered meals.
    • Legal assistance for older adults facing foreclosures and evictions.
    • Property tax break programs.
    • Home Energy Assistance Program or HEAP, which helps to pay your electric bills.

    Here’s more from Just Care:

  • How to be a good long distance caregiver

    How to be a good long distance caregiver

    If you do not live close enough to someone you love to stop in and see whether she needs help, how would you know?  What are the signs that this person needs support? And, how can you be a good long distance caregiver?

    Whether or not you know it, if you live too far away to visit regularly, just staying in phone touch with an older person you love makes you a long distance caregiver. You are providing emotional support. But, phone contact alone still makes it hard to know much about your loved one’s care needs. Your loved one may be able to pick up the phone but still may be struggling to bathe or feed herself. And she may not want you to worry about her or simply might be too embarrassed to discuss her challenges.

    One way to know whether this person is managing on her own is to ask whether you can speak to her neighbors, friends or doctor. In addition to asking them how your loved one is doing, you could let them know that you would like to be of help and that they can call you with any concerns. You might also ask for permission to reach out to them on a regular basis.

    Of course, you also want to speak with your loved one and the primary caregiver, if there is one, about how you can be of most service.

    As a long distance caregiver, you could help your loved one manage money or pay bills. You could arrange for paid caregivers. You could help her find supportive housing if needed. You could share information about your loved one’s health and care needs with other friends and family who want to be of help. And, you could help your loved one get her affairs in order in case of emergency.

    Beyond that, you should contact the local area agency on aging at 1-800-677-1116 or at eldecare.gov to learn about community resources. And, try as best as possible to understand your loved one’s health condition and care needs.

    Before you visit, ask your loved one what she would like to do when you get together. Ask whether it is OK to speak to her primary caregiver, if she has one, to better understand her needs. When you visit, check your loved one’s home for safety issues and other issues that need addressing. And, be sure to have some fun–play cards, take a walk or a drive, visit with friends and family.

    Afterwards, consider emailing the list of people who care for your loved one to update them.

    Here’s more from Just Care:

  • Caring for a loved one with mild dementia

    Caring for a loved one with mild dementia

    A diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease is challenging for both the individual and his or her family members. On one hand, you want to respect your loved one’s independence as much and as long as possible. At the same time, you need to understand potential challenges and limitations and plan for them. For people with mild dementia, it’s important to take these first steps.

    In the early stages of dementia, people may be able to do many things on their own, and you should encourage these activities. But, you need to assess what is safe and be prepared for a time when they need significant assistance. How will your loved ones get their meals, get dressed, comply with medication regimens, get around safely both inside and outside their homes, stay connected and engaged? Which family members will help oversee the care and how? Should a paid caregiver be hired? What are the costs?

    Your local Area Agency on Aging, 800-677-1116, can help you learn what services are available in your community. In addition, here’s how you might help:

    1. Suggest your loved ones keep a notebook they can refer to for information on anything they want to be sure to remember, including upcoming appointments. They should always have the notebook with them.
    2. Make the home as safe as possible. Here’s some key advice on safety at home to prevent a fire, exposure to hazardous materials and falls. The doctor, the Alzheimerʼs Association, or the local Area Agency on Aging should be able to refer you to someone who can modify the home appropriately and let you know about assistive devices.
    3. Get your loved ones an ID bracelet in case they get lost. Also contact the Alzheimer’s Association to register with its Safe Return program.
    4. Consider whether it is safe for your loved one to continue driving. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s or dementia, it could still be safe for the person to drive. But, you should contact the department of motor vehicles to do an independent assessment. If your loved one passes the test, make sure he or she is reevaluated every six months. If your loved one must give up driving, let your loved one ventilate about it, and understand what a loss of independence it is to a person. Find a taxi service or other form of transportation for the person to use.
    5. Find a grocery store, a restaurant and a pharmacy that will deliver to your loved one’s home. And, find out about nutrition programs in the community. You might be able to arrange for free home-delivered meals.
    6. To keep people with mild dementia active and engaged, make sure they see family and friends regularly, exercise, and get outside. Find out about adult day care services in the community. Contact the National Adult Day Services Association our your local Area Agency on Aging to learn more.
    7. Manage your loved ones’ finances along with them, as it can be hard for people even with mild dementia to write checks and manage finances. Ideally, take away their credit cards or significantly lower their credit limit. Also, keep in mind that they may be an easy target for a financial scam and protect against that.
    8. Encourage their independence by helping them to continue to do the things they’ve always done, whether it be using Facebook or knitting or playing bridge, even if they can’t do them perfectly.

    Here’s more from Just Care: