The holiday season can be hard for many seniors, especially those who have lost a loved one and are remembering times past that can never happen again. For others, the holidays are simply a source of stress because they can be extremely overwhelming. Here are some ways the families can help their loved ones better enjoy the holiday season:

1. Allow memories and past rituals to live on – don’t discourage seniors from reliving those important memories of holidays past, thinking that it will prevent depression. Share memories of family members no longer with you, look at photos, and keep old family traditions alive

2. Make sure visiting seniors are comfortable – to help reduce the stress of seniors coming into your home over the holidays, make sure that your home is senior-friendly, with safety being the primary concern

3. Avoid impulsive holiday activities – to ensure that seniors can be involved with all holiday activities, avoid being impulsive that way seniors can be well-rested for more excitement

4. Focus on the joy – while it’s okay to reminisces, over the holidays make sure that all memories discussed focus on the positive

5. Create new traditions – while you can focus on incorporating old rituals into the holidays, create new ones as well that give the whole family, including seniors, new things to look forward to doing together. Holiday activities can’t just focus on the past

Via: ArticleBase

Image source: sxc.hu

Home Care Indianapolis provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Indianapolis, Beech Grove, Cumberland, East Indianapolis, Irvington, Lawrence, Oaklandon, and Wanamaker. Call us today at 317.357.5411.

Indianapolis seniors today are finding that retirement doesn’t come when it used to, with seniors like Erma Paliana finding themselves unable to retire until the ripe old age of 92, 30 years after they’re eligible for Social Security benefits. Today’s seniors are finding that there are a number of things standing in their way from being able to step out of the workforce when they’d like, including:

• While the average age to claim Social Security Benefits is 63.9, many need additional income on top of it to be able to afford basic aspects of daily living, like housing and food

• Many seniors would love to retire and just focus on their family and relaxing, but based on the numbers of seniors aged 65 and older which are rising higher than ever before, this isn’t a reality for everyone. The number of older works, aged 80+ has had the most substantial increase at 67% to 500,000 Americans

• With people living longer, money doesn’t go as far as it used to, and as time goes on this might increase even more, keeping more and more seniors in the workforce longer than planned

• Government benefits, which were initially defined in 1940 certainly weren’t designed to support 30 or more years of retirement, which means seniors need a fairly substantial nest egg to make it through

Via: AARP

Image: elements4health.com

Home Care Indianapolis provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Indianapolis, Beech Grove, Cumberland, East Indianapolis, Irvington, Lawrence, Oaklandon, and Wanamaker. Call us today at 317.357.5411.

Q – My father was recently diagnosed with dementia. While we all saw it coming in a way, it has come as a shock, especially for him. What can we do to help keep him in positive spirits and cope with the emotional aspects that come with such a diagnosis?

A – While you may have suspected a diagnosis like dementia in your father’s future, actually hearing the words and having your fears reinforced can be shocking for everyone.

At this stage, your father may feel as though his mind and body are letting him down, and he may fear an inevitable loss of independence. In the early stages, your father should seek support from Indianapolis community groups for those suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia, and learn as much about his condition as possible. Planning early on for the future can also help ensure that his wishes with regards to care and medical treatment are met, if he reaches the point where he is able to voice what he wants. Encourage your father to create a living will, appoint a future Power of Attorney, and generally get his affairs in order. By researching care options in Indianapolis, he can choose the best fit for him if it’s needed in the future. Encourage him to maintain his lifestyle, but refrain from activities that are too stressful or demanding.

Sources:
1. Alzheimer’s Society UK
2. DementiaGuide

Home Care Indianapolis provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Indianapolis, Beech Grove, Cumberland, East Indianapolis, Irvington, Lawrence, Oaklandon, and Wanamaker. Call us today at 317.357.5411.

Identity theft insurance can be obtained by seniors as part of their home owners insurance or they can acquire a separate policy. While it does offer peace of mind for the elderly, by offering reimbursement for any expenses incurred following identity theft, it can still be difficult to evaluate whether or not identify theft protection by way of insurance is really worth it.

Since the elderly demographic tend to be the main victims of fraud, fraud insurance may be tempting. But seniors need to weigh the costs against the benefits. From a monetary perspective, identity theft insurance can be quite costly ranging from $20-$150 per year for $15,000-$20,000 in coverage and like any insurance plan, offers maximum claim amounts for specific elements related to the recovery from identity theft. For example, a maximum benefit amount for lost wages may be $2,000 and legal fees covered may range from $5,000 to $15,000. Unlike insurance policies that the aging population may have grown used to, identity theft insurance cannot recover the effects of the fraud; having fraud insurance will not rebuild damaged credit, it will simply cover costs related to proving the identity theft and trying to secure lost finances.

Provided identity theft insurance works within a seniors budget, and they understand the coverage available should they become a victim of fraud, the right insurance policy can help protect the elderly from fraud, but should not create the impression that they can drop their guard.

Sources:
1.    Spam Laws
2.    Globe and Mail

Home Care Indianapolis provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Indianapolis, Beech Grove, Cumberland, East Indianapolis, Irvington, Lawrence, Oaklandon, and Wanamaker. Call us today at 317.357.5411.

Grants for seniors in Indianapolis are available from the Federal Government and foundations that provide financial assistance for seniors relating to housing, education and more. There are Federal Grants for seniors that cover a number of areas like housing, volunteerism, nutrition and housing.

Popular Federal Grants for Seniors Include:

•    Capital Assistance Program for Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities provides funds to provide transportation to elderly persons in areas public transportation services are not available, or when they are inappropriate due to a senior’s physical or mental condition.
•    The Foster Grandparent Program encourages seniors to volunteer in their communities, specifically with special needs children, through funding which is available for seniors 60 and older who have limited incomes.
•    Mortgage Insurance-Rental Housing for the Elderly -  this grant insures mortgage lenders against loss, to increase the number of quality and affordable rental properties available for seniors.
•    Retired and Senior Volunteer Program encourages community service by seniors 55 and older by offering reimbursement
•    Nutrition Services Incentive Program works with the Department of Agriculture to provide nutritious foods to senior meal delivery programs and other nutritional-focused organizations.

To apply for senior grants provided by the Federal Government or foundations, Indianapolis seniors must write a proposal, demonstrating the benefits that they would receive, or be able to dispense to others were they to become an approved recipient of the grant.

Sources:
1.   LovetoKnow
2.    Foundation Center

Home Care Indianapolis provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Indianapolis, Beech Grove, Cumberland, East Indianapolis, Irvington, Lawrence, Oaklandon, and Wanamaker. Call us today at 317.357.5411.

Q – My mother is very ill, and I know that she has debt that was acquired by her and my father before he passed away. Will her children be responsible for paying off her debt when she passes away?

A – In your mother’s case, any shared debt with your father, would have been passed along to her in probate; especially if she was the sole beneficiary of his estate (or all assets were shared). Children are not directly responsible for the debts of their senior relatives, however, debts owing may first be deducted from the senior’s estate before distribution during probate, decreasing or eliminating completely the assets left to beneficiaries of the will or trust because when creditors are unable to collect debts during a senior’s life, seniors remain responsible even after they are deceased. If after your mother’s death, her estate demonstrates insufficient assets to pay off her debts, the creditors will be forced to take a loss; however, you and your siblings will not be responsible for paying her debts.

The only other situations where the survivors of a senior’s family may be responsible for the debts, are if they co-signed on a loan, or guaranteed payment to a creditor.

Sources:
1. Lawyers.com
2. Money Tips
3. Wikipedia

Home Care Indianapolis provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Indianapolis, Beech Grove, Cumberland, East Indianapolis, Irvington, Lawrence, Oaklandon, and Wanamaker. Call us today at 317.357.5411.

Q – What should be included in a living will and should all seniors have them?

A – A living will communicates a senior’s wishes with regards to their healthcare, to ensure that family and medical practitioners carry them out once they no longer have the ability to voice what they want. Every senior should prepare a living will before their health comes into question, because unfortunately illness just can’t always be predicted.

When creating living trusts and living wills during the process of estate planning, seniors should understand their options and clearly state their wishes when different medical issues occur. In a general statement, seniors can include treatments they would consider having or prefer should specific medical issues arise (for example, chemotherapy to treat cancer); while general statements are not legally binding, doctors will keep them in mind when determining the course of treatment. Advance decisions and advance directives also allow seniors to refuse specific treatments and actions by a medical doctor; for example, refusing life support under any circumstance. When creating a living will, seniors should also appoint an advocate, which can be a family member or caregiver, to ensure that medical wishes outlined in the living will are abided by.

Having a living will ensures that all seniors have a voice, and play a role in their own medical care; even when they are not physically able to communicate their healthcare needs.

Sources:
1.   CNNMoney.com Gerri Willis
2.  Directgov

Image: eHow.com

Home Care Indianapolis provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Indianapolis, Beech Grove, Cumberland, East Indianapolis, Irvington, Lawrence, Oaklandon, and Wanamaker. Call us today at 317.357.5411.

Talking to your senior parents about estate planning can be an uncomfortable subject, because many adult children don’t want to feel like they’re interfering with their parents’ personal affairs. Estate planning typically includes a legal will that outlines distribution of assets; a financial power of attorney which dictates who will look after a senior’s finances when they become unable; a medical power of attorney, the person responsible for carrying out a senior’s medical wishes; and a living will, which establishes a senior’s healthcare wishes if they become unable to speak for themselves. Discussing your senior parents’ estate early on with them ensures that you understand the role that they expect you to play after their deaths or during a medical emergency so that their wishes are carried out.

Talking to your elderly parents about estate planning becomes more important if they have not completed the necessary steps to protect their assets and secure their wishes. When approaching the topic of family estate planning, make sure that your siblings and immediate family members are involved so they don’t perceive your interests in your parents’ estate as self-serving. Ensure your parents understand you do not need to have the division of assets explained; it doesn’t matter how much they are planning on leaving you. What’s important is that they put the legalities in place to ensure they control what happens to their assets, even once they loose the ability to represent themselves.

Sources:
1. SeniorJournal.com Robert Valentine
2. FamilyEducation.com

Home Care Indianapolis provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Indianapolis, Beech Grove, Cumberland, East Indianapolis, Irvington, Lawrence, Oaklandon, and Wanamaker. Call us today at 317.357.5411.

Home Care Indianapolis provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Indianapolis, Beech Grove, Cumberland, East Indianapolis, Irvington, Lawrence, Oaklandon, and Wanamaker. Call us today at 317.357.5411.

Senior rights need to be protected, and since 1973 The Silver Haired Legislature has been doing just that by offering government help for aging Americans in many states across the US by giving seniors a voice.

The Silver Haired Legislature ( SHL) are a group of citizens aged 60 and older, who are formally elected in each participating state to ensure there is a legislative involvement that focuses upon the needs of aging adults, while providing an open discussion forum for senior issues. The TSHL was first founded in Missouri in 1973, and has now been adopted by 31 states in the US, including Texas, Alaska, California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, Utah and many others.

Elected volunteer officials of each state’s branch of the SHL are elected upon 2-year terms, and sworn in by the Secretary of State to become formal members of the organization. In the state of Texas, these elderly advocates select ten priority issues faced by older Americans and present them to the Texas Legislature for support when they’re in session during odd-numbered years. The 31 other states involved with the SHL follow a similar format to the Texas branch, and regularly provide advocacy support to senior issues that are occurring within their jurisdictions, while providing educational resources through the partnership with the Area Agency on Aging for senior citizens who are living with these problems.

The SHL tries to ensure that its senior representatives are approachable by both elderly members of the communities they represent and their families who are concerned about their welfare. Since the SHL members can be voted in to serve multiple consecutive terms, they often become recognized members of the senior community, which creates an open dialogue about the concerns and needs of senior citizens who feel they finally have someone to represent their voice and listen to their concerns.

To learn more about the SHL representatives in your area or approach them with an aging issue that requires government support and advocacy, visit the website of your local branch or contact your local Area Agency on Aging for more information about the SHL and how they can help you.

Sources: http://www.txshl.org/index.cfm
http://www.txshl.org/about.cfm
http://www.nemoaaa.com/shlfacts.htm

Home Care Indianapolis provides home care for the elderly, aging, and seniors in Indianapolis, Beech Grove, Cumberland, East Indianapolis, Irvington, Lawrence, Oaklandon, and Wanamaker. Call us today at 317.357.5411.

The Silver Haired Legislature, present in 31 states across the US, advocates the needs of aging adults, which includes providing guidance and support to their family members. One of the major issues that has been on the minds of the SHL relates to the sandwich-generation; those family caregivers who provide assistance to any aging relative, while raising their own young families and managing careers.

Not only can providing care for an elderly parent or other relative take a physical toll on the lives of these Americans, but it can also carry a serious financial burden which only grows as life expectancy continues to rise. The Oklahoma SHL is trying to pass Senate Bill 725, which has been cleared by the Senate, but has not yet been heard by the House. This Bill will provide a tax deduction to families providing care and support for its elderly members.

Not only is The Silver Haired Legislature in many states focused upon legislation that will provide family caregivers financial support, they provide community resources through the Area Agency on Aging to help educate seniors and their families about rights, care issues, and other factors which can impact the lives of older adults. The Texas Silver Haired Legislature offers online courses for family caregivers; understanding that when balancing responsibilities, it’s important to offer educational resources which can be accessed at their convenience. These courses provide useful tips relating to care techniques, provide community support for common care-related issues, and makes them aware of the resources available.

Once per session, the elderly advocates of The SHL meet to discuss and vote upon which issues faced by older Americans that they will present to the Senate. First, however, the groups in each state reach out to the senior community to learn about what issues the population believes requires government support. Every year, when the SHL and Senate are in session, the Texas Senior Advocacy Coalition organizes Senior Day at the Capitol. This took place at The Capitol in Austin on February 10th. Seniors and their families were invited to attend independently or with the groups they’re involved with where they had the opportunity to mingle with representatives of the SHL and of the state legislature to voice their concerns and learn about senior living resources. Seniors and their families are also welcome to contact SHL representatives directly by phone or email, or approach other state advocacy groups which will present the issues before the SHL.

The Silver Haired Legislatures across the United States exist to represent the needs of older adults.  So Families, it’s time to get yourselves and the seniors in your lives involved in advocacy for senior welfare.

Sources: http://www.oksenate.gov/news/press_releases/press_releases_2007/pr20070925b.html
http://www.txshl.org/training.cfm
http://www.txshl.org/calendar.cfm