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On February 10, 2004, the Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing entitled "Families Helping Families: Tax Relief Strategies for Eldercare." Testimony addressed the financial difficulties faced by family caregivers and the potential benefits of tax relief for families caring for individuals with long-term care needs.
Senator Larry Craig (R-ID), Chair of the Special Committee on Aging, introduced the Senior Eldercare Relief and Empowerment (SECURE) Act. This legislation will provide a 50 percent tax credit for expenses that exceed $1,000 for care provided to individuals age 65 or older. The expense statement must be accompanied by a physician-certified need for assistance with at least two Activities of Daily Living (ADL). These ADL's include:
- Bathing
- Eating
- Toileting
- Transferring
- Dressing
- Continence
To read the text of the legislation, go to
http://aging.senate.gov/pressreleases/secure.pdf
For more details on the bill, go to
http://thomas.loc.gov and do a search for the title or the bill
number, S 2072.
Stepping into the role of caregiver can be very frustrating and, at times, very lonely. You may feel helpless and overwhelmed as you watch the stress and struggles of caregiving affect your family.
Online support groups at Caregiving.com can help. This site features ten support groups: 1) for "new" family caregivers, 2) for "seasoned" family caregivers, 3) for caregivers transitioning out of their role, 4) for men in a caregiving situation, 5) for young adults affected, directly or indirectly, by a caregiving situation, 6) for those with alternative lifestyles (gays and lesbians) caring for a parent and/or partner, 7) for family members who support the primary family caregiver, 8) for family caregivers interested in discussing their Christian beliefs as these relate to their caregiving roles, 9) for family caregivers in the "sandwich generation," caring for aging relatives while raising a young family, and 10) for those grieving the loss of a family member or friend.
If you believe you would benefit from more than one of these groups, you may join as many as you can manage. You may join a group with the idea of helping others and sharing what you have learned (i.e., members of the veteran group join the group for new caregivers to offer guidance and suggestions).
To join a group, simply visit
www.caregiving.com and click on "Join a Support Group."
Colorectal cancer is a disease in which cells in the colon or rectum become abnormal and divide without control or order, forming a tumor. The exact causes of colorectal cancer are not known. However, studies show that certain factors, such as age, diet, and polyps, can increase a person's risk of developing colorectal cancer. People should talk with their health care providers about when to begin screening for colorectal cancer, what tests to have, the benefits and risks of each test, and how often to schedule appointments. For information on low or no cost colorectal screening, or to find out more about colorectal cancer and its risk factors, please contact the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER. Online assistance is also available for email inquiries and through the Live Help service at
http://www.cancer.gov
This group, for men whose wives or partners have been diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer, focuses on the unique impact these diseases have on men's lives. A male volunteer facilitates the group.
The Men's Support Group next meets on Tuesday, March 30, 2004, from
6:30 - 8PM at the SHARE Main Office. To register, call the Breast
Hotline at (212) 382-2111 or visit the web site at www.sharecancersupport.org
The Social Security Administration has translated the Medicare Fact Sheet into Arabic, Armenian, Chinese, Farsi, French, Greek, Haitian-Creole, Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. The fact sheet is now available on the multi-language gateway at
www.socialsecurity.gov (click on "Other Languages" in the upper right corner of the main page) or through the following link:
www.socialsecurity.gov/multilanguage/index.htm
The American Red Cross recently released a nine-module Family Caregiving Program designed to provide a variety of information to assist caregivers. Each module is offered during a one-hour session and for a nominal fee. Caregivers may take all of the following modules or just the ones that meet their needs:
- Assisting with Personal Care
- Caring for the Caregiver
- Positioning and Helping Your Loved One Move
- General Caregiving Skills
- Home Safety
- Healthy Eating
- Caring for Loved One with HIV/AIDS
- Caring for Loved One with Alzheimer's Disease or
Dementia
- Legal and Financial Issues
For more information on the American Red Cross Family Caregiving Program, contact your local Red Cross chapter or visit
www.redcross.org/services/hss/care/family.html
Established in 1996, the Hyman-Newman Institute for Neurology and Neurosurgery (INN) is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary center for the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders. A "dream" of pediatric neurosurgeon, Fred J. Epstein, MD, the INN was conceived and designed to deliver humanistic healthcare in one of the most technologically sophisticated fields. The standard of care offered by the INN attracts patients, both adults and children, from around the world.
The INN is committed to integrating the knowledge and experience of its full array of medical and surgical specialists, as well as professionals in allied health fields, on behalf of patients and their families. A team drawn from the comprehensive, multidisciplinary staff of the INN reviews all cases. For more information, visit
http://nyneurosurgery.org/contact.html
St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center announced plans to formally change the name of its world-renowned Smithers Alcoholism Treatment and Training Center to The Addiction Institute of New York. The program, founded in 1971, has gained international exposure in the area of addiction treatment. To learn more about the institute's services, visit
www.wehealnewyork.com
Every year, Continuum Health Partners helps thousands of people in the New York metropolitan area find a doctor, using a database of thousands of doctors affiliated with one or more of the following New York City hospitals: Beth Israel Medical Center, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Long Island College Hospital, and The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary.
You can access this database of New York medical professionals three different ways.
1. Call the Physician Referral Service. For the best service, carefully tailored to your health needs, we encourage you to call the Physician Referral Service, 1-800-420-4004, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 6:00 PM, EST. Discuss your health needs with the Continuum staff. They are specially trained to help you identify a doctor who is right for you.
2. Use the Online Referral Service. Enter your preferences into the Request Form, and instantly see a list of doctors who meet your criteria. Want an Ob-Gyn who takes your insurance? Or an orthopedic surgeon in your New York City neighborhood? With the online Referral Service, you can get a list of doctors who meet your needs. This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To complete the form, visit,
www.wehealny.org/referral/ref_criteria.asp
3. Send an Email. Use the email Referral form and, within 48 hours, you will receive the name of a doctor who fits your criteria. If your email is received over the weekend, the staff will get back to you within the first 48 hours of the following business day. This email service is convenient and personalized: write whenever you want, and get the benefit of Continuum staff's personal attention and expertise. To send an email visit,
www.wehealny.org/referral/ref_formemail.asp
In February 2004, eight national and local Parkinson's disease groups joined together to award more than $4 million in research grants through the new Community Fast Track (CFT) research initiative, led by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF). The program will fund 18 projects over two years. The CFT is designed to stimulate novel, innovative, and high-impact approaches in the field of Parkinson's disease research. To read more and see a complete list of awardees, visit
www.michaeljfox.org/
WebMD.com reports that the FDA has just approved a first-of-its-kind cancer drug, called Avastin, for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. This new drug is an angiogenesis inhibitor, meaning it prevents new blood vessels from forming, cutting off the blood supply to tumors and starving the cancer. It is the first of many drugs designed to treat cancer in this novel way. Read more about this new cancer drug at
http://my.webmd.com/content/pages/15/97442
Researchers at the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
have discovered that panic disorder patients are lacking a key component
of a chemical messenger system that regulates emotion. Brain scans
revealed that, in these patients, a type of serotonin receptor is
reduced by nearly a third in three structures straddling the center
of the brain. This finding is the first in humans to show that the
receptor may be abnormal in panic disorder, and may help to explain
how genes influence vulnerability. Drs. Alexander Neumeister and
Wayne Drevets and colleagues, of the NIMH Mood and Anxiety Disorders
Program, report their findings in the January 21, 2004, Journal
of Neuroscience. To read the full NIH news release, visit www.nimh.nih.gov/events/prPanicReceptor.cfm
Partnership for Caring and Last Acts have merged to become Last Acts Partnership. Last Acts Partnership is a national not-for-profit organization that educates consumers and medical and health care professionals, and advocates for improvement in end-of-life care. Among other services, Last Acts Partnership operates the only national crisis and information hotline dealing with end-of-life issues and provides state-specific living wills and medical powers of attorney.
Visit www.lastactspartnership.org/index_main.html
to view "Tending to the Ending." Hear Dr. Karen O. Kaplan speak on merging forces in end-of-life care, Dr. Joseph Fins on "Back to the Future: Death and Dying in America," and Dr. Riza Lavizzo-Mourey on "Roots and Wings: A Legacy in End-of-Life Care."
Stepping into the role of caregiver can be very frustrating and, at times, very lonely. You may feel helpless and overwhelmed as you watch the stress and struggles of caregiving affect your family.
Online support groups at Caregiving.com can help. This site features ten support groups: 1) for "new" family caregivers, 2) for "seasoned" family caregivers, 3) for caregivers transitioning out of their role, 4) for men in a caregiving situation, 5) for young adults affected, directly or indirectly, by a caregiving situation, 6) for those with alternative lifestyles (gays and lesbians) caring for a parent and/or partner, 7) for family members who support the primary family caregiver, 8) for family caregivers interested in discussing their Christian beliefs as these relate to their caregiving roles, 9) for family caregivers in the "sandwich generation," caring for aging relatives while raising a young family, and 10) for those grieving the loss of a family member or friend.
If you believe you would benefit from more than one of these groups, you may join as many as you can manage. You may join a group with the idea of helping others and sharing what you have learned (i.e., members of the veteran group join the group for new caregivers to offer guidance and suggestions).
To join a group, simply visit
www.caregiving.com and click on "Join a Support Group."
Colorectal cancer is a disease in which cells in the colon or rectum become abnormal and divide without control or order, forming a tumor. The exact causes of colorectal cancer are not known. However, studies show that certain factors, such as age, diet, and polyps, can increase a person's risk of developing colorectal cancer. People should talk with their health care providers about when to begin screening for colorectal cancer, what tests to have, the benefits and risks of each test, and how often to schedule appointments. For information on low or no cost colorectal screening, or to find out more about colorectal cancer and its risk factors, please contact the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER. Online assistance is also available for email inquiries and through the Live Help service at
www.agingwithdignity.org
I live in New York City and need help caring for my parents. How do I begin to find help?
There are several Department for the Aging (DFTA)-contracted agencies that offer services for caregivers in each NYC borough. These agencies are committed to assisting caregivers and their loved ones through a variety of approaches, including direct services and community resources. Services include, but are not limited to, information; referral, counseling, support groups, training and education; and respite care.
For more detailed information, contact the NYC Department for the Aging at (212) 442-3078, TTY (212) 442-3078 or visit their website at
www.nyc.gov/aging
My mom lives alone. What can I do to make sure she's okay in an emergency?
Family caregivers are always concerned about the welfare of older adults, especially when that older adult is a parent. You'll want to be sure that your parent has an emergency plan or medical alert system in place. If your parent suffers from a particular disease, one step might be to order a medical alert bracelet. If your parent has Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia and may wander, the Alzheimer's Association's Safe Return program is a safety net.
One of the biggest fears is that older persons may fall at home and not be able to reach the telephone. This has prompted many to purchase a personal response system (PERS). With the push of a button, the PERS will help the person contact the proper authorities 24 hours a day. Prices can range from $200 to $1,500 to purchase the equipment, and there may be an installation fee; monthly monitoring fees may range between $10 to $30. Some hospitals and service agencies subsidize fees for low-income families.
If you are thinking of buying a PERS system, take into consideration the following suggestions:
- Check out several systems before making a decision.
- Find out if the system can be used with other response
centers. For example, can you use the same system
if you move?
- Ask about the pricing, features, and servicing of each
system and compare costs.
- Make sure the system is easy to use. Will it work for
someone with dementia or will false alarms become
a problem?
- Test the system. Make sure it works from every point
in and around the home. Make sure nothing interferes
with transmissions.
- Read the agreement carefully before signing.
- Ask whether the monitoring center is available 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week.
- Know what the average response time is.
- Ask what kind of training the center staff receive.
These tips come from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the Federal Trade Commission. To view the full article visit:
www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/services/pers.htm
Search the AARP website to find the latest on purchasing PERS at
www.aarp.com or call 888-OUR-AARP (888-687-2277).
I need help to put my grandfather's finances in order. Who can give me some advice?
Many times, it is necessary to seek a financial professional who specializes in the issues and concerns facing seniors and their caregivers. Certain financial products and services are designed specifically to resolve the issues facing people 65 and over. If your questions concern wills and other legal matters, you may want to consult an Elder Law attorney because laws and regulations concerning elder issues are constantly changing.
To find a certified professional in your area, visit the Society of Certified Senior Advisors website at
www.society-csa.com
Have a question? Have caregiver news? Please contact
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