Q – I recently moved to Houston with my daughter, who is my primary caregiver and has been since I was in my mid-70’s. We have limited finances, though my daughter takes on all expenses herself, and I would like to find out about the programs offered here in Houston that can help us out through the eldercare process. Where can we look?

A – How wonderful of you to try and assist your daughter by finding resources in eldercare. Here are 3 places you can look in order gain access to the senior care resources that you require:

1. Find out what local eldercare services are available in your area – contact the Eldercare Locator at 800-677-1116 so you know what’s available near your loved one’s Houston home and how you can get in touch to arrange services.
2. Know which services your senior qualifies for – NCOA has developed an online questionnaire which allows caregivers and seniors to take a survey that helps them determine which services and benefits that they may qualify for. Visit www.benefitscheckup.org to learn about eligible benefit programs for prescriptions, utilities and health care.
3. Understand seniors rights and know how to get assistance – whether you are helping a parent or senior loved one prepare a will, dealing with a situation where a senior has been abused or neglected, or simply want a professional to help explain the legal rights of seniors, knowing where and how to get legal assistance is crucial. Many organizations provide pro bono legal representation for seniors. Contact the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging or use the Eldercare Locator to find other resources.

Via: The University of Vermont

Image: pro.corbis.com

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Home Care Houston Northwest serving older adults in Humble, Katy, Spring, Cypress, and Tomball - call 281-440-5160.

Grants for seniors in Houston 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, Houston 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

Image: www.heartlandconnection.com 

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Home Care Houston Northwest serving older adults in Humble, Katy, Spring, Baytown, and Tomball - call 281-440-5160.

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 Houston 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 Houston 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

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Home Care Houston Northwest serving older adults in Humble, Katy, Spring, Baytown, and Tomball - call 281-440-5160.

Hiring a professional caregiver to help out a senior at home, can be a big decision. Hiring a caregiver from a professional caregiving agency has its benefit over hiring a private caregiver for a number of reasons. Even though some Houston caregiving agencies can be more costly, the piece of mind a caregiving agency can offer is well worth the expense. A professional caregiving agency, like Home Instead Senior Care, helps mandate the care provided by its caregivers; it dictates exactly what role the caregiver will play in the home and care of a senior, and helps to select a caregiver that will best fit the care recipient’s lifestyle, needs and personality. With a professional caregiving agency, elderly home caregivers receive comprehensive training in non-medical care techniques, so families can feel confident that their seniors living and aging in Houston are receiving quality care.

While hiring a private caregiver might sometimes save money, the hassles that come with making that care decision aren’t generally worth the savings. Unless you hire a private caregiver who files their taxes as an independent contractor, families become the caregiver’s employer, which requires that you pay Social Security, Employment and payroll taxes.

Sources:
1. Caregiver’s Home Companion
2. Elderlaw Cincinnati

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Home Care Houston Northwest serving older adults in Humble, Katy, Spring, Baytown, and Tomball - call 281-440-5160.

Talking to your senior parents living in Houston 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’ Houston 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 Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215.

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Home Care Houston Northwest serving older adults in Humble, Katy, Spring, Baytown, and Tomball - call 281-440-5160.

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.  

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215. 

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

Home Care Houston Northwest serving older adults in Humble, Katy, Spring, Baytown, and Tomball - call 281-440-5160.

Members of the Silver Haired Legislature are selfless individuals who are active in bettering the lives of seniors. In addition to the volunteer work that they do for the SHL, many also have a history of active members of their general community that don’t relate to their duties as representatives of the SHL. It should be no surprise that the committee volunteers appointed by registered voters of the SHL every 2 years take interest in activities that better the lives of people of all ages in their communities. Many are actively involved with religious organizations; sit on boards of community organizations; have a history working with consumer awareness businesses, like the Better Business Bureau; and had careers in fields like nursing and teaching.

While the members of the Silver Haired Legislature have certainly had a positive impact through their work within the general population, it is the elderly advocate work that they have done to improve the lives of older citizens that is most profound. Since the inception of the SHL in 1973 in 31 states, their government help for aging Americans and legislative involvement has resulted in addressing the following needs of the aging community:

Priority Bills Passed by the SHL in the 1990’s

• The senate passed a bill to provide low-income seniors with a pharmaceutical tax credit
• They made free health insurance counseling available to Medicare recipients
• State tax deductions for pensioners in Missouri were established
• Establishment of Department of Aging
• Funding for nursing home inspections
• Severe penalties for elder abuse
• Nursing home reform law

Top 10 Resolutions of the 12th Session of the SLH in Texas

• To establish a Legislative Committee to address issues of the aging population over the next 10-30 years
• To increase Medicaid funding
• To increase funding for public transportation systems in small urban and rural settings
• 5% increases in Cap Annual Property Valuations
• To develop support programs for grandparents caring for grandchildren
• To reenact state regulation of electric utilities
• To correct misuse of Eminent Domain power and not allow private property to be taken to benefit another private owner
• To increase the Personal Needs Allowance for nursing home residents on Medicaid
• To integrate more geriatric health awareness to students in the first 2 years in medical school
• To increase tax deductions for those volunteering to help senior citizens (i.e. transportation deductions for those delivering for Meals on Wheels)

Sources: http://www.txshl.org/docs/resolutions/12TH%20TSHL%20TOP%20TEN.pdf
http://www.nemoaaa.com/shlfacts.htm
http://www.txshl.org/

Home Care Houston Southeast serving elders in the Bay Area; Clear Lake, Webster, Pasadena, League City, & Pearland - call (281) 484-0200.  

Home Care Houston South Central serving seniors in Meyerland, Bellaire, Missouri City, Sugar Land, & Stafford - call 713-774-2215. 

Home Care Houston Southwest serving aging adults in Katy, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fushear, Sugar Land, Stafford, Memorial City & Galleria areas - call 832 379-4700.

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