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A history lesson for the young at heart and mind

February 16th, 2012

For forty years, he has researched, documented and recorded in detail the presidential elections from Washington in 1789 to Obama in 2008.  He provides a rigorous summary of the presidencies and synthesizes the essence of these events in a scholarly presentation.  Who were the candidates? What were the major issues of the times?  How did the elections conclude?  Which states went for which candidates?  Were the results expected or surprising?—Paul J. McCellan, CPA (retired), U.S. Navy Veteran, in the author’s biography. 

Time magazine once featured a story about the inauguration of America’s second President, John Adams.  As Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and our first president George Washington left Philadelphia’s Congress Hall for the inauguration, there was a brief moment of confusion.  What should be the order of their leaving?

President Washington, as was his custom, made the decision.  John Adams, President of the United States of America should go first, followed by Vice President Jefferson and finally, by George Washington, private citizen.

Did you know that story?  It points out that our Constitution had passed a major test.  The U.S.A.’s first transfer of executive power took place quietly, peacefully and under the law of the land.  The fact that this transfer has happened more than forty times since then is one of great fascination to one of the youngest senior citizens it has been my pleasure to meet – William A. McClellan of Laurel, former Navy Pilot and winner of the Bronze Star for meritorious service in combat.

Mr. McClellan has published a 400-plus page book about the American Presidency, an analysis focusing on the election process of every president including President Obama.  He began the book during the 50’s with the help and encouragement of his wife, Ruth, to whom he dedicates it with great love. Ruth died in 2006, and McClellan’s children and their spouses took up the task of assisting in the monumental effort.

The book was written by McClellan in long-hand, and his son, Bowie resident Kevin McClellan says he remembers his dad “dictating the book to mom so she could type it word for word.”  The elder McClellan and Ruth had 9 children and “every one pitched in one way or another.”   The author has 26 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren.  He wrote the book in his “spare” time while serving as Dean of the Graduate School of Benjamin Franklin University, subsequently a part of George Washington University, and during 36 years as a CPA in the Appellate Division of the Internal Revenue Service.

A historian as a hobby, McClellan has already observed changes and edits he wants to make in the thick book.  He said he left out when France invaded Mexico during Lincoln’s presidency (as if President Lincoln didn’t have enough problems already.)  He has lately been doing a lot of reading about the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

“The Presidents that we think of as ‘lesser presidents’ lacked leadership qualities,” McClellan said.  “Those we think of as successful have been notable for the energy they put into their work and lives.  The key thing is somehow an aspect of the force of their personality.”  He is very proud of the country and the “way we’ve continued with peaceful transfers of power.  Things need to be done, and we need people with heart and strength to do them.”

Mr. McClellan explained to me that the Electoral College system was a result of compromises entered into because of the need to have the constitution ratified.  The founders needed to get everyone to accept one constitution, and they accomplished that (although in some cases it was a close call) through the creation of the Electoral College.

“Our country is not perfect,” McClellan offered.  “But it is a good country to be in.  The process we have of electing presidents is a rather clumsy approach – but that’s all right.  We’ll be ok.  We could have ended up with a monarchy or power changes  by junta.”

In the book, the history of each election ends with a chart of the election results, and a United States map with colored pencil markings indicating by state how the votes worked out.  The children remember their father painstakingly coloring these maps, which are used in the book.

Just before publication in 2010, Mr. McClellan wrote the epilogue which ends the book.  Here is a portion of it:  In history books, the story is never completed.  Major problems are still with us.  [but] the history of the American presidency reminds us that the unusual method we have adopted to choose the executive branch in politics has been pretty effective.  Many have lamented our use of the Electoral College method, but I believe the present system is essentially necessary . . . The United States is a federal union of free states.  The Electoral College properly produces and reflects each state’s electoral result.  Although popular vote must be determined, the decision in its final nature is in terms of individual state’s results.  We should keep this feature in our political process.

This amazing, young in heart and mind, and gracious gentleman ends the epilogue with three words, “God Bless America.”

Thank you for reading.  Stay well.  See you next week

Posted in 2012, February 2012, Jackie's Columns | No Comments »

Not all stress is bad (don’t let that stress you)

February 9th, 2012

We must reserve a back shop all our own, entirely free, in which to establish our real liberty and our principal retreat and solitude. —Montaigne (1580)

How’s your stress level? Are you mellow? The Maryland Chapter of the National Association for the Mentally Ill has an interesting pamphlet titled “33 Ways to Reduce Stress.” The stress-busting tips seem very timely as a self-improvement measure consistent with any rusting New Year’s resolutions.

Stress, says NAMI, can be related to happy or unhappy events. It can be triggered by trivial matters as well as major life crises. Stress also builds up gradually when you have more things to do than time in which to do them. Some doctors believe that 90 percent of all illnesses are stress related.

However, not all stress is bad. A life without it would be stagnant and boring. It challenges us to do our best and to work out problems. It’s the constant, unrelieved stress that is nearly always negative, and there are practical ways to avoid, reduce or relieve that kind of stress.

The first stress reducer is touch. Hold hands with a good friend or relative, stroke a pet, hug a loved one. Physical contact is the best stress reliever of all. Find enjoyable ways to exercise. Breathe deeply, stretch your muscles, jump rope, ride a bike, or jog. Do something!

Get it off your chest. Bottling up your feelings increases stress. Talk to a loving friend or relative. A sympathetic listener is always helpful. They become “band-aid friends.” A band-aid friend helps prevent you from bleeding to death. Find one.

Schedule more fun into your life. Don’t give up seeing friends and doing the things you enjoy because you have too much to do. Work goes faster and produces less stress when fun is part of your life.

Treat yourself to a massage. Have you ever thought about it? See how that tension melts away under the touch of experienced fingers.

Prepare yourself to wait. Long lines in the post office, grocery store or dentist’s office can even be almost pleasant with a good book in hand.

Find the humor in it. Every disaster has a funny side to it if you look long enough.

Relax your standards. Doing everything perfectly is not only unnecessary, it’s boring. Ignore some of the dirt.

Get help with the jobs you hate. Whether it’s paying bills, defrosting the refrigerator or cleaning the oven—beg, barter or pay for help. It’s worth it.

Establish a serene island of your own. It can even be just sitting in a comfortable chair in a corner or propping up in bed with a book or TV.

Change your perspective. Instead of worrying about what will happen “if,” try asking yourself “So what?” So what if a birthday gift is a few days late? Also, you can think “What is the worst thing that could happen?” Even if our worst fears should be realized, they often turn out not to be as bad as we thought.

Count your blessings. No disaster is so bad that it couldn’t be worse, and it often helps to remember that. My dad always said that if we were allowed to choose trouble by going into a room full of everyone else’s troubles, we would end up picking out our own. There are always people with worse troubles than our own.

Unclutter your life. Get rid of clothes and furniture you never use and activities you don’t enjoy. Anything you can do to simplify your life helps reduce stress.

Pamper yourself. Get plenty of rest and sleep. Learn to use relaxation techniques, and consider finding a new hobby.

To avoid stress in the first place, try getting up earlier in the morning. Giving yourself an extra 15 minutes helps you to avoid morning mishaps. Prepare for morning the night before by picking out your clothes, making lunch, etc. Do not wear ill-fitting clothes. Shoes that pinch or a waistband that binds can be stressful all day. Don’t rely only on your memory, but practice making notes for yourself on things to do and remember. Practice preventive maintenance by keeping automobiles, heaters, air conditioners, washers, dryers and such things clean and serviced. Make duplicates of all keys. Exchange house and car keys with a trusted neighbor, or hide them where only you can get to them. Learn to say “no” more often, and walk everywhere you can. Exercise has a definite soothing effect.

Remember, you are the one who can do the most to reduce your stress level. Here are some concluding points to remember: Trust your irritation level – don’t allow yourself to remain irritated for too long. Take one step at a time. Remember there are unlimited options. Coping skills are learned, so they can be changed. Increase your available coping skills. This is difficult, but we need to take responsibility for our health. Good luck!

Thank you for reading. Stay well. See you next week.

Posted in 2012, February 2012, Jackie's Columns | No Comments »

Myths and truths about Medicaid

February 2nd, 2012

A man ninety years old was asked to what he attributed his longevity.  I reckon, he said, with a twinkle in his eye, it’s because most nights I went to bed and slept when I should have sat up and worried — anonymous

Today’s guest columnists, Texas elder law attorneys Wesley E. Wright and Molly Dear Abshire, wrote the following information for publication in the Senior Living Section of the Houston Chronicle.  I wanted to share it with Senior Moments readers:

Having worked with public benefit programs for many years, we are often struck by the numerous myths surrounding such programs, many of which are often widely believed to be true.

One such myth is that only the very poor can qualify for Medicaid. Another is that a veteran and his family must have a low income in order to qualify for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Both of these common assumptions are false.

We understand how such myths originate and why people often accept them as true. Many types of public benefit programs, such as Medicaid and certain types of VA benefits, are indeed based on financial need.

This means the governmental agencies that administer these programs consider the applicant’s resources and income in determining his/her entitlement to benefits. What the public often does not realize, however, is that public benefit programs, such as Medicaid and VA, sometimes allow generous resource and income disregards. This means that certain resources and income of the applicant may not be considered in the eligibility determination.

The VA administers a myriad of benefit programs, including compensation (for service-connected disabilities), dependency and indemnity compensation or “DIC” (for survivors), improved pension (for non-service-connected disabilities), and educational assistance. Persons who are severely impaired (owing to either age or disability) may qualify for additional benefits in the form of a housebound allowance or aid and attendance (“A&A”). The A&A benefit is for veterans and their dependants who require the services of an attendant.

In evaluating an applicant’s eligibility for improved pension and A&A benefits, the VA no longer has a fixed limit on net worth (i.e., the value of the applicant’s estate). Instead, if the applicant’s monthly income is less than his necessary expenses, the VA considers whether the applicant’s resources (e.g., money in the bank, etc.) are sufficient to pay his/her monthly income shortfall over his/her life expectancy. The VA does set a specific income cap for improved pension and A&A benefits. However, before the applicant’s income is tested against that cap, the VA deducts from the applicant’s income the amount of his/her un-reimbursed medical expenses (including assisted living and nursing home charges).

Since the cost of institutional care is extremely high, this often reduces the applicant’s countable income to $0.00, meaning that he/she will qualify for the maximum improved pension benefit plus A&A. Thus, applicants with very high income can qualify for VA benefits, especially if the applicant requires institutional care, because the VA does not consider all of his/her income in determining entitlement to VA benefits.

But a word to the wise is in order. Public benefit programs are enormously complex. Not all public benefit programs have generous resource and income disregards, nor will such disregards apply in each and every case.

For example, Medicaid is not one program at all, but a catch-all term for a whole host of programs targeting different populations and having vastly different requirements. The same can be said for the VA. Moreover, the rules for these programs are in a constant state of flux, and it is easy to confuse the rules of one program with those of another. For these reasons, one is always well-advised to contact an elder law attorney before plunging into the unforgiving sea of public benefits. It pays to ensure that your interests are protected by all legal means available.

Reminder: February 1 through April 11, AARP Tax Preparation Volunteers will be at the Bowie Senior Center on Wednesdays to assist you in filing your taxes.  If you would like assistance from one of these volunteers, you must make an appointment by calling the Senior Center between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 301-809-2300.

Also, did you know that the Bowie Senior Center partners with Prince George’s Community College in their SAGE (Seasoned Adults Growing Educationally) program?  There are more than 65 classes in this program, covering a variety of topics.  Art, Finance, Health and Fitness, History and Social Studies, Humanities, Languages and Music are just a few of the learning opportunities from which to choose.

Registration occurs three times a year for each 14-week semester.  There are three ways to register with the college: Online through Owl Link, through mail-in registration, or in person at the college. A $50 registration fee is payable to PGCC for seniors 60 and over.

The Spring semester begins February 6th, 2012.   Registration information, as well as a description of each class, is available at the Senior Center front desk.

Thank you for reading.  Stay well.  See you next week.

Posted in 2012, February 2012, Jackie's Columns | No Comments »

Senior chorale brings joyful noise

January 26th, 2012

Give up the idea of perfection. When you sing a wrong word, smile.  When you sing a wrong note, smile bigger.  The only thing that can hold you back is if you don’t give everything you got —Craig Leland Sparks, Director, Bowie Senior Chorale.

Being young-old is largely a matter of attitude.  At a certain age, knowledge about the tremendous power of attitude can be a heavy burden to carry.  Remember when everyone kept telling Charlie Brown that he had great potential?  Finally, he said “there is no greater burden than great potential!”  Sometimes we just want to have a “bad attitude” day.   That’s allowed.

However, if you want to get an effervescent, fusion-popping, animated attitude booster shot, as I did recently, consider dropping into the Bowie Senior Center for a look (and a listen) to the Bowie Senior Chorale.  From my count, they might actually have room for 3 more new members.

This amazing group got its start in 2003, under the direction of well-known local director, Dale Nonnemacher.  When Nonnemacher fell seriously ill before the first concert, the Senior Center reached out to a young local musician, Craig Leland Sparks.

Sparks has shared this memory of his introduction to the lively group:  “When I first walked in I was told – ‘most of us don’t read music and most of us have no musical training.  Some of us have never sung before.’  What I saw was a group of people who enjoyed singing.  They just needed to believe in themselves.”

“Half the members still don’t read music,” the director said. “Two things have changed:  we believe this to be a truly remarkable choir, constantly re-discovering what we are capable of, and secondly, we are inspired and passionate about singing!”

In the eight years since its creation, the Chorale has exceeded everyone’s expectations and wildest dreams.  Two years ago, the group received the Governor’s Leadership in Aging Award for Performing Arts in recognition of their excellence and their outstanding contributions to the field of aging and to quality of life for seniors.  That was shortly followed by a formal Proclamation from the City of Bowie with congratulations for the Leadership in Aging Award.

The Chorale itself is a non-auditioned group, although membership is capped at 110 in order to be able to deal with the logistics of performance room, travel, costumes, etc.  This spring, they have 100 returning members, 2 members re-joining from earlier years and five new members.  From time to time, they receive specific requests to perform in smaller venues.  The Bowie Senior Choraleers are an auditioned subset of the Chorale, and they can perform in smaller surroundings.

Long-time Chorale member Morey Petrone is the Manager and Executive Committee Chairman.  His organizational lists form the basic management structure of the Chorale.  The list of committees (including a hospitality committee), volunteers, management team, performance support, administration and member support is quite impressive.  Almost everyone in the group has a job that is additional to singing. The group emphasizes parties and fun activities, plans for which are headed up by the Social Team.  There are at least two socials each semester.  Petrone told me that the Chorale is “budget neutral” meaning that they take in enough funds from dues and tickets sales to underwrite their costs to the city and the Center.

An important, stated goal of Sparks is that the group has a lot of fun.  “We tap into our laughter, our sorrow, our introspection, our joy and our love to make our music an expression of our lives.  Our rehearsals are a light-hearted joy, full of laughter and camaraderie.  I make sure we work really hard, too,” he said.  Not that I had any doubt.  A frequent “Sparkism” (as the choir calls Craig’s sayings) is “Fun is required.  Perfection will be tolerated.”

Fortunate enough to sit in on the first rehearsal of the spring season, I noted an obvious mutual respect between the director and the singers.  The happiness, friendship, excitement  and affection between all participants was palpable. Rehearsal started with light physical calisthenics and loosening up.  Vocal warm ups followed, with Sparks explaining that sopranos can reach high notes by relaxing their throats – not tensing them.  Apparently there are a lot of high notes for each part in this spring’s repertoire.

The group’s great camaraderie is intentional, and a goal of Sparks.  He believes the choir’s strength comes largely from the unity of the group.  His mother, Paula Sparks, plays piano for the choir.  She wasn’t present when I interviewed several singers.  I had planned to ask her whether, as a mom, she ever found it difficult to take direction from her son.

I did ask Craig if he noticed, when he first started, that the singers themselves resented taking direction from a youngster.  He said they’ve always been respectful and, in fact, have taught him much.  “They help me all the time,” he said “and I, in turn, believe in their abilities and am willing to push them in positive ways.”   Although he started young, Craig Sparks had the credentials to back up his talk.  He is an accomplished composer, with a BA from Towson and an MA in music composition from the University of Pittsburgh.

Bowie is a city incredibly supportive of the Arts.  The wonderful Bowie Senior Chorale is a direct result of that emphasis.  Two concerts are planned for spring, 2012 based on a theme of “Places in America.”   May 17th will be a daytime program at the Bowie Senior Center.  On May 25th, the performance will be at the Bowie Center for the Performing Arts.  Get your tickets as soon as they are available.  They sell out quickly.

Thank you for reading.  Stay well.  See you next week.

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Posted in Jackie's Columns, January 2012 | No Comments »

Columnist ponders the serious questions in life

January 19th, 2012

A person taking stock in middle age is like an artist or composer looking at an unfinished work; but whereas the composer and the painter can erase some of their past efforts, we cannot.  We are stuck with what we have lived through.  The trick is to finish it with a sense of design and a flourish rather than to patch up the holes or merely to add new patches to it. —Harry S Broudy, Polish education philosopher, writer and speaker  (1905-1998)

Watching the newspaper coverage about the flight 90 crash, I pondered how that could possibly have been three decades ago.  Like most of you, I remember that day as if it were yesterday.

In fact, a few months later, local newspapers were full of what psychologists were calling the area-wide depression and gloom blanketing the whole metropolitan area as a result of the tragedy.  It was one of those events that is somehow, in some ways, life changing.

Here, thirty years later, I find myself pondering serious questions of life in a manner that I did not back then.  I was 38 years old with two beautiful young children, a wonderful husband and a challenging job in Washington, D.C.  It had not occurred to me to attempt law school since before the children were born.

After that many years, things have changed in my own life, as I imagine they have in yours.  I still have beautiful children and now have beautiful grandchildren.  I still have a wonderful husband and have been blessed with everything I need for happiness and contentment.

My career has taken a different, but satisfying and gratifying turn.  That same career and life work, though, causes me to ponder again and again the questions of growing older, the meaning of true success, and how to obtain the strength to deal with the challenges that face us each day.  What is success?  How can we best take care of our families during our lifetimes and at our death?

This month our family will celebrate my mother’s 90th birthday.  Years ago, she was diagnosed with vascular dementia.  I share the care giving challenges with many of my clients and readers.  We have lost the person that was one hundred percent my mother.  However, we lost my dad suddenly years ago at only age 56.

When I think about the challenges of growing older, as I often do, I remember that is one challenge my dad never faced. Like Ted Kennedy said about John F. Kennedy Jr., my dad was given every gift except length of years.  If everyone died at age 56, there would be very little work for attorneys who concentrate their practices in areas of elder law.

We do not get to choose which way is better, but are left to ponder the life lessons learned from each.

My professional, working life is now filled with thoughts of living wills, orders for Do Not Resuscitate, Medicaid eligibility – planning and applications, pharmacy assistance, long-term care planning, senior housing and on and on.  In the office, we meet with families who are facing a new Parkinson’s diagnosis or, more and more frequently, an early Alzheimer’s Diagnosis.

Being young-old is a frequent topic of this column. We must all grow older. The alternative is to die young, as my dad did. But how can we do this aging with grace, dignity and optimism?  I wish I knew. Some of us are daffy because of dementia of some sort, so we can’t get our minds straight to work out the grace, dignity and optimism thing. Some of us are so fearful of what may happen as we age that we are equally helpless. Some of us simply deny that

The National Council on Aging, www.ncoa.org, says it promotes vital aging in America. Vital aging would be good, wouldn’t it? Check it out. The organization at www.agingwithdignity.org has been working for about a decade to help “protect each person’s God-given human dignity.” And resources at www.aarp.org list 500 of the best web sites for people over the age of 50.

In 2012, take a new look at the Bowie Senior Center.  That is a place filled with young-old individuals.  There are classes to take, places to go, games to play, machines for exercising, all kinds of support groups, and friendly helpful people everywhere you look.  If you don’t feel like a “joiner,” stop over anyhow and notice the many things available to do by yourself.

There are quiet places for reading, pianos to play a few old tunes, and places to walk and contemplate.  The place is a real winner.  It is one of many “Bowie Blessings.”  Check it out.

Thanks for reading.  Stay well. See you next week

Posted in Jackie's Columns, January 2012 | No Comments »

Try not to procrastinate in writing your will

January 12th, 2012

At a certain age, it’s proper church etiquette to say you heard the sermon if you were awake at the beginning and the end.—Hallmark gift book, Old Age Ain’t No Place For Sissies!  

Sometimes called a “poor man’s will,” joint ownership of assets is repeatedly used to avoid probate and, in some people’s minds, obviates the need for a Last Will and Testament.

The Pittsburg courier on line (www.newpittsburghcourieronline.com) ran an article this month that said, still, “Less than 30 percent of Americans have a will.”  The article continued , “Many people procrastinate [writing a will] thinking that if they plan for life after death, it will accelerate their date of death.  Some people procrastinate because they don’t feel their worldly possessions are large enough to go through the trouble of preparing a will and planning for their family after their own death.  Some people procrastinate because they assume that their assets will automatically pass to their natural heirs.  Some people procrastinate thinking they are too young to be preparing for death.”

Truly, preparing for those who remain alive after your death is a sign of maturity and selflessness.  It’s really not about you.  If you have someone who depends on you, be it a spouse, minor child, parent, domestic partner, special needs or disabled person, you need a will and estate plan —regardless of your age or current financial situation.  The importance of having a will and preparing for your loved one’s lives after your death can be emphasized and understood if you truly contemplate and understand the consequences of dying without one.

A recent article in www.forbes.com/sites/trial and heirs/2011/09/13    discussed some

reasons to beware of the “poor man’s will” described above.  Here we’re not talking about when a husband and wife have joint bank accounts or when the title to their home is held in both of their names.  While not ideal for estate planning, this is quite common and can often be used without problems, except in many second-marriage situations or large estates that may suffer adverse tax consequences.

The area of significant problems is mostly when a parent adds a child’s name to an asset, such as a bank account, investment, or real estate.  Honestly, you should never, ever do this without checking with your legal advisor.

The article sets up a common situation, discussing an elderly woman, Mom, and her son Johnny.  Mom adds Johnny’s name as a joint owner on her checking and savings accounts, brokerage account and the family home.  You see she’s getting up in age and needs help and Johnny is the only one who lives nearby and is willing to help her.

Here are Trial and Heirs’ Top Five Reasons to Beware of something that sounds so simple – joint ownership between generations:

  1. Creditors – Johnny may someday have creditors, file for bankruptcy, or even get sued.  When that happens, because he is a joint owner of Mom’s accounts, the creditor or bankruptcy estate can try to claim some or all of the assets.  Once Mom added Johnny’s name, he had equal rights to the money and the assets, so mom needs to start worrying about Johnny’s debts, too.
  2. Divorce – Uh oh!  Johnny’s wife just filed for divorce.  What if she claims the joint assets as part of the marital estate during the divorce?  She mights hold the home “hostage” in exchange for money.
  3. Borrowing – what if Johnny is a little tight on money?  It’s pretty tempting to see Mom’s savings account sitting there, with his name on it, and a trusting mother who may not be watching very carefully.  Johnny tells himself that he will pay it back, and that Mom will never know it’s gone.  Do you think this is what Mom envisioned when she added Johnny’s name to the accounts?
  4. Doesn’t have to share – Sadly, Mom has passed away.  Johnny’s three siblings want to sit down and talk about her estate.  But Johnny tells them there is no estate because his name is on everything.  He’s the surviving joint owner and it’s his property now.  Of course, Johnny’s siblings can sue to enforce Mom’s actual intent, which leads us to the last point today,
  5. Family fighting – Using joint ownership in this way often provokes a family court fight.  If Johnny won’t share, his siblings can sue him and claim that Mom’s actual intent was not for him to keep the money, and that she only added his name as a convenience because he lived nearby.  The siblings have to prove what her actual intent was, and that’s not always very easy to do.  Or maybe, Mom really did want Johnny to keep all the property, since he was the one there for her, taking care of her day and day out.  But do the siblings know that?  They may think Mom wanted Johnny to share with them, even if she really didn’t.  This could still end up in a lawsuit, with Johnny spending thousands of dollars in legal fees fighting to keep what  mom wanted him to have.

Will any of these problems happen in your family?  Maybe, maybe not.  But is it worth taking the chance?  These problems, complications and lawsuits do happen every day.  When you add someone’s name to your bank accounts, investments, stocks, bonds, real estate, cars or almost any other asset of value, you are giving up control and risking complications that most people never imagine can happen.

Thank you for reading.  Stay well.  See you next week

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Posted in Jackie's Columns, January 2012 | No Comments »

Senior Moments offers profiles of caregiving

January 5th, 2012

Nobody chooses to be a family caregiver. It is a role that comes with many mixed emotions. It takes getting used to. Some people never do—they choose to leave. Others become permanently angry; still others become martyrs. Some come to terms with it and laugh in spite of the pain. Care giving can start gradually or it can start suddenly with a desperate phone call in the night. However it starts, in all probability the individuals involved will not be prepared.—Karen Henderson, Caregiver Network, Inc.

This week Senior Moments reminds readers of information from an in-depth study conducted by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, funded by the MetLife Foundation. The study is titled Caregiving in the U.S. and can be found online at www.caregiving.org.

Caregivers and caregiving are frequent topics of Senior Moments. While commentary could certainly be offered regarding the study, the results speak for themselves. The following are excerpts from the study’s key findings:

Profile of Caregivers

  • There are an estimated 44.4 million American caregivers age 18 and older who provide unpaid care to an adult age 18 or older. These caregivers are present in an estimated 22.9 million households.
  • Almost six in 10 (59%) of these caregivers either work or have worked while providing care. And 62% have had to make some adjustments to their work life, from reporting late to work to giving up work entirely.
  • Almost seven in 10 (69%) caregivers say they help one person. Nearly half (48%) of all caregivers say they provide eight hours or less of care per week and one in five (17%) say they provide more than 40 hours of care per week. The average length of caregiving is 4.3 years.
  • Many caregivers fulfill multiple roles. Most caregivers are married or living with a partner (62%), and most have worked and managed caregiving responsibilities at the same time (74%). The great majority of caregivers (83%) are helping relatives.
  • The typical caregiver is a 46-year-old woman who has at least some college experience and provides unpaid care to a widowed woman age 50 or older.
  • Although the caregiving landscape is still dominated by women helping women, the proportion of male caregivers is substantial. Nearly four in 10 caregivers are men.
  • Male caregivers are more likely to be working full or part-time than female caregivers (66% vs. 55%).
  • Overall, female caregivers are providing more hours of care and they are providing a higher level of care than male caregivers.
  • It is not surprising that women are more likely to report experiencing emotional stress as a result of caregiving than men (40% vs. 26% in the highest levels of stress rating).

Profile of Care Recipients

  • Most care recipients are female (65%) and many care recipients are widowed (42%). One in five care recipients is between the ages of 18-49 years, and nearly eight in 10 care recipients are age 50 or older.
  • More than half of care recipients live in their own home (55%).
  • Nearly 80% of care recipients are over 50 with the other 20% 18-49.
  • The average age of care recipients over 50 is 75 years old. Caregivers who help someone age 50 or older say the most common health problems of the person they care for are diabetes, cancer and heart disease. One quarter of caregivers helping someone age 50 or older reports the person they care for is suffering from Alzheimer’s dementia or other mental confusion.
  • Older adult caregivers (age 50+) are likely to be taking care of their mother (34%), grandmother (11%) or father (10%). Many older recipients are widowed (52%). More than half (53%) live alone.
  • Most caregivers (85%) say the person they care for takes prescription medicine.

Caregivers’ Unmet Needs

  • The most frequently reported unmet needs are finding time for one’s self (35%), managing emotional and physical stress (29%) and balancing work and family responsibilities (29%).
  • About three in 10 caregivers say they need help keeping the person they care for safe (30%) and finding easy activities to do with the person they care for (27%).
  • One in five caregivers say they need help talking with doctors and other healthcare professionals (22%) or making end-of-life decisions (20%).
  • Almost three in 10 caregivers say they turn to the Internet (25%) or a doctor (28%; another 10% would turn to a nurse or other health professional).
  • Seven in 10 (73%) caregivers say praying helps them cope with caregiving stress, six in 10 (61%) caregivers say they talk with or seek advice from friends or relatives and four in 10 (44%) caregivers say they read about caregiving in books or other material.

To sum it up: if you’re a caregiver, you’re not alone and your frustration is like an echo that can be heard across the country. A wonderful resource recommended by Senior Moments in the past is www.caregiving.org. This site provides a splendid array of articles, resources and advice for caregivers. Also recommended is Coping With Your Difficult Older Parent: A Guide for Stressed-Out Children, by Grace Lebow andBarbara Kane. This book is unanimously praised by those who find themselves needing extra help with a complicated caregiving situation.

So, all of you caregivers: be encouraged. Look around and you’re liable to find someone who shares a similar experience.

Thanks for reading. Stay well. See you next week

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Posted in Jackie's Columns, January 2012 | No Comments »

Life planning legal documents really important in new year

December 29th, 2011

Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties—Helen Keller

Maybe, despite all the reminders Senior Moments has given over the years, you still think that advance life planning legal documents are not really that important. Perhaps you think its okay not to have, for instance, powers of attorney. Maybe you still think that, if you needed one, you could just download it free of charge from the Internet (you could) or buy one off the shelf for a low fee at an office supplies discounter (you could) and it would work fine. Don’t be so sure. Let me tell you a story. (You could see that coming, couldn’t you?)

Once upon a time, around these parts, there lived a young man, who was an only child. By his own admission, he may have been a little immature and irresponsible, perhaps spoiled in the way that only children can sometimes be.

In 1997, his father died. A few months later, his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Having some understanding of the future, the mother signed a power of attorney designating her only child to act as her agent when she reached the point that she was unable to act. Signing a power of attorney was a wise and good decision. Unfortunately, this particular power of attorney was poorly drafted and had a fatal flaw—one that probably no one noticed at the time of its execution.

Later in 1997, the mother (whose last lucid thoughts may have included some satisfaction that everything was in order) was admitted to a local nursing facility, and her son began paying the facility using his mother’s funds. Coping with the double blow of his father’s death and his mother’s incapacity, the son, again by his own admission, had a few more months of unfortunate behavior. At some point, somehow, he picked himself up, dusted himself off and faced the fact that his mother’s well-being and his own future were in his hands.

Because of the work I do, I happen to know that the particular nursing facility caring for the young man’s mother was, and is still, excellent, and among the least expensive in our area. Even so, long-term custodial care is not inexpensive. The mother’s money funded care in the neighborhood of $42,000 annually in the beginning.  (This occurred in the late 90’s.  Today, the annual cost of custodial care is around $85,000 per year in our area.)  Six more years resulted in payments exceeding a quarter of a million dollars to the facility, which the young man says was taking wonderful care of his mom.

As the years passed, when mom’s money was getting low, the young man took out a loan. He continued to pay for her care and to personally pay off the loan. Then he took out another loan. He personally paid it back. Then, when interest rates lowered during those years, he said to himself, “Mom and I own this house jointly. I will refinance the house to get a lower interest rate, I will use that money to buy out mom’s share of the house, and then she will have money to continue paying for her care.”

Enter the poorly drafted power of attorney. After half a dozen tries, the young man had to face the fact that the power of attorney, drafted when his mom was legally competent, was not sufficient the way it was written to allow him to refinance the house he owned with his mother. Had the power of attorney been drafted, correctly and completely, all those years ago, there would not even be a story!

Unfortunately, the young man could not sell or refinance the jointly-owned house using the document his mother signed. Enter the court, which had to be asked whether the son could assume guardianship over his mother for the purpose of refinancing the house.

Senior Moments has previously explained that the courts, rightly so, do not look lightly upon a request to assume guardianship over another person—even if it is only for a specific transaction. Therefore, just so you’ll know, the guardianship court appointed an attorney to represent the allegedly disabled mother (called allegedly disabled because her disability has not yet been proven to the court). The court-appointed attorney presented, as allowed by law, discovery requests including interrogatories and requests to submit certain documents. A judicial hearing at which time the attorney representing the young man was required to prove, to the court’s satisfaction, that he had not wasted his mother’s assets in riotous living. (She would have had to begin with a lot of assets in order for there to be any to waste in riotous living after the nursing home was paid.  She did not.  She was a woman of modest means.)

Bank records from years ago were requested and paid for. Attorneys can accrue fees for preparing for court and going there to present the case. If the young man “won,” he would be able to pay the nursing home a while longer. If he lost, Mom would have to go on Medicaid sooner, and the state would put a lien on the house for recovery of funds after her death.

Ironically, as the law stood at the time, the young man could have gifted everything his mother owned, including mom’s one-half of the house, to himself earlier  and she would have been eligible for Medicaid three years from that gift. (Now, that time period is five years.)  However, since he had not consulted with a qualified elder law attorney, he did not make those transfers.  He continued to privately pay the nursing facility.

Moral: Doing the “right” things may not result in the “right” outcome, if your estate planning documents are poorly drafted. Check and double check.

Thank you for reading. Stay well. See you next week. And Happy New Year!

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Posted in December 2011, Jackie's Columns | No Comments »

So, at year’s end, where are you exactly?

December 22nd, 2011

I’m convinced that the only true disability in life is a bad attitude—Scott Hamilton

So – at the end of the year 2011, where do you think we are in the recession?  Still in for a long, long haul?  Are we approximately in the middle?  Do you think we’re maybe coming down off of it, and just getting ready to start back up to prosperity?  Will things be better at the end of 2012 than they are this year?

Some predicted the recovery would be slow, and from our vantage point, I don’t suppose anyone would argue with that.  Foreclosures continue to increase and predatory mortgages and scammers must find it easier to operate during recession in spite of new laws.  They understand how desperate folks can feel, and the chances they will take.   You’d have to be living on another planet to miss the seriousness of our economic situation, and not just ours, but the economy of the entire world.

Although it may not be the most important question on your mind today, professionals working with seniors wonder how the recession will ultimately affect assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and health care workers.  You may have wondered whether it has or will have any effect on your own estate and long-term care planning.

On the web site ElderLawAnswers.com you can find a discussion of likely trends in the senior support world.  Medicaid, a combination federal-state health care program for people who are “poor” under its complicated rules, pays for most nursing home care and, increasingly, custodial care at home.  The rapid growth of the program is straining the ability of states to pay the cost.  This has caused all states to restrict eligibility for benefits.  In spite of cash infusions from the federal government, state restrictions are likely to tighten further.

With fewer people working, it is possible that more family members will remain at home and will be available to care for family members at home.  This may delay or avoid a move to assisted living or a nursing home.

With money becoming scarcer for just about everyone, families will be more reluctant to pay for nursing home, assisted living or home health care.  This could result in more beds and services being available, causing a decrease in costs.  In fact, according to the 2008 MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home & Assisted Living Costs, over the past year, the cost of semi-private rooms in nursing homes increased just 1.1 percent and the cost of private rooms did not change.  This is a big change.  In most recent years, nursing facility cost increases have substantially exceeded the inflation rate.

We are likely to see bankruptcies and closing of nursing homes and assisted living facilities if they cannot fill their rooms and beds as anticipated and if Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement rates are insufficient to cover their expenses.  Facility shut downs will be very disruptive to residents as well as to their families.

Even prior to the onset of the recession, many more alternatives to nursing home care were being developed, including assisted living, new home care models, community partnership programs and increased Medicaid coverage of care provided in the community.  Anyone providing care for a senior must do much more research about the alternatives available.

Most importantly, planning ahead is even more crucial, whether purchasing long term care insurance, protecting assets from law suits, taxes, creditors or to qualify for Medicaid.

Is yourestate planmore than ten years old?  If so, it’s definitely time to find your documents, dust them off and have them updated.  There have been many changes in your life, in the tax law, in state laws governing advance directives and powers of attorney, and in financial circumstances since you had this work done a decade ago.  As a matter of fact, there have been many changes in the past few years – tax changes in 2001, medical records privacy changes in 2003 and Medicaid changes in 2006.  More recently, we’ve had the new health care law,  Medicare D and tax exemptions sitting at 5 million until 2012.  Maybe you’d better take a look even if you did anestate planthree years ago!

Have you moved, or added a family member, or learned of a family member’s disability?  Have you learned through bad experiences of a family member’s inability to manage money?    You need to get back to your lawyer’s office regardless of how the economic situation has changed.

Have your children’s economic circumstances changed since your last estate plan?  If you relied on them to be self-sufficient, (so that you could leave substantial inheritances to grandchildren or charities) are they?  On the other hand, have they thrived despite economic hard times?  If so, perhaps you should now be thinking about grandchildren or charities if you didn’t before.

Did you assume you would be covered by Medicaid if you ever need long-term care?  It’s time to think again, and to get in to see about long term care insurance.  You need to ask how the rules have changed since the last time you checked.  It is almost certain that there will be additional cutbacks in long term care services from government programs.

Has your net worth dropped dramatically?  If your net worth was under 1 million a few years ago, tax planning was probably not a big part of yourestate plan.  On the other hand, if your net worth was more than a million, and yourestate planreflected estate tax concerns, it wouldn’t hurt to have those decisions reviewed in light of the current economic realities and changes in tax laws.

Senior Moments is grateful to theArizona elder law firm of Fleming and Curtis, LLC and to elder law attorney Harry Margolis of ElderLawAnswers.com for many of the thoughts in today’s column.

Thank you for reading.  Stay well.  See you next week. Happy New Year!

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Posted in December 2011, Jackie's Columns | No Comments »

Accessible Taxi a nice gift for the new year

December 15th, 2011

 Whatever else be lost among the years, let us keep Christmas still a shining thing; whatever doubts assail us, or what fears, let us hold close one day, remembering its poignant meaning for the hearts of men.  Let us get back our childlike faith again.”—Grace Noll Crowell, American poet and author (1877-1969)

Bowie is about to receive an amazing and much-needed Christmas present courtesy of Prince George’s County and Accessible Taxi, Inc.

Yes, you read it correctly.  Beginning in January, Prince George’s County will have 15 bright and shiny new accessible cabs, made in the USA, and transporting folks in the county to their destinations.  The vehicles themselves arrive from the factory after having been designed from the ground up for wheelchair accessibility.  There is no aftermarket conversion. Each taxi meets or exceeds requirements of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act.)  Each has a 36” by 56” doorway featuring low step-in that allows easy entry for all passengers.  The van seats up to 5 passengers comfortably.

There’s more.  The company provides complimentary, door to door service to its clientele.  In other words, you are not required to be standing at the curb when your transportation arrives.  If needed, the driver will meet you at your door and assist you to the vehicle.

Fares, established by the jurisdiction in which the taxicab is licensed, will be determined by operation of a meter. The drivers will accept county-provided transportation vouchers, and debit and credit cards.There is not an extra charge for the accessible taxis, and service is available 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

Accessible taxis provide options that other services cannot.  For instance, Metro Access is a part of the public transportation system for the greater DC area.  As a result, Metro’s shared-ride service for persons with disabilities requires a call a day in advance and keeps to a strict schedule.  With wheelchair accessible taxis, riders can come and go as they please.  “Paratransit is very limited.  They’re on a schedule,” said Richard Devlyder, a senior adviser for accessible transportation to U. S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.  “Whereas taxicabs are used to doing things on the fly and they’re used to picking people up and changing times and changing locations without any problems.  It gives people with disabilities a lot more flexibility.”

In case that quote made you wonder, Paratransit services are special public transportation options for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Accessible taxis also have plenty of room and offer services for people without disabilities and who are not elderly.

The new taxi service is likely to help increase available jobs for county residents.  The taxi company, Accessible Taxi, Inc. is constantly recruiting new drivers from outside the industry.  They train new drivers, making sure they understand all the County rules and regulations.  Then, they help them pass the County test and get their operating licenses.  In support of the company’s goal to “Create a safe, customer service-conscious, business-savvy driver,” employees are required to participate in 2 hours per month of safety and sensitivity training, in addition to routine driver re-training.

David Mohebi, President of Accessible Taxis, Challenger Transportation, Inc. and Regency Taxi, Inc. started out in 1979 as a taxi driver himself.  As a result of those experiences, he has a wide reputation for understanding and supporting the company’s drivers.  He will interrupt any meeting to speak with a driver needing assistance.  This care shows in the numerous awards and honors won by company drivers from the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA.)

Maurice Davis, an employee of Challenger Transportation in Gaithersburg, was chosen as Paratransit Driver of the Year by TLPA in October.  Davis was chosen from a pool of thousands of other applicants and recognized for his extraordinary customer relations in an industry where “professionalism and sensitivity are paramount.”

The new taxis, model 2011 MV-1, are also environmentally sound.  They are the county’s first flex-fuel taxi vehicles.  It is the only vehicle in its class with an available Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) engineered and assembled Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fuel system option.  Because it’s factory-installed, the company says the MV-1 with the CNG options ensures the same durability, reliability and quality that fleets demand from gasoline-powered vehicles, while reducing operating expenses since CNG is significantly less expensive than gasoline.  The vehicle has a 290-mile CNG range.

Accessible Taxi, Inc. will be located at 7902 Walker Mill Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743.  Their phone number is 301-990-9000.  Keep your eyes open for the Grand Opening!

Important reminder for Friday, December 16th.  The Bowie Senior Chorale will present their holiday concert at the Bowie Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 P.M.  Tickets are $6.00 per person, and can be purchased at the door.  Tickets are also available at the Senior Center Reception Desk.  Call 301-809-2300.

Thank you for reading.  Stay well.  See you next week.

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Posted in December 2011, Jackie's Columns | No Comments »

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