Aging with Grace Welcomes New Expert

Elisabeth Schuler Russell is the founder and President of Patient Navigator LLC, a company dedicated to helping patients and families navigate illness and aging. In 2007, she became a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)® and in 2009, she received integrative oncology training from the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, D.C. Elisabeth is a hospice-trained bereavement counselor and a charter member of the National Association of Healthcare Advocacy Consultants. In her first career, Elisabeth worked 24 years as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State. She holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University, and has lived abroad and traveled extensively. The gift of her daughter’s survival after a pediatric brain tumor led Elisabeth to her new calling as a patient navigator so that she can advocate, educate and solve problems for patients and families. Please visit her at www.patientnavigator.com

New Service Announced - AWG Veteran Benefit Consultants

Aging with Grace™ now provides veteran long term planning consultation services, which may include assessment of the client's needs, location and coordination of services and assisting veterans with understanding their benefits and how to receive them.

One particular program called Veterans Pension or more commonly known as the "Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefit," can provide money to pay for care for veterans and surviving spouses. Aid and attendance can also be used to pay for home care, assisted living or nusing home care for a veteran or the veteran's spouse.

AWG Veteran Benefit Consultants provide information and pre-filing counseling about the aid and attendance benefit including:
• what the benefit provides
• who qualifies
• information and documentation necessary to file a fully developed claim.

AWG Veteran Benefit Consultants is not connected with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Our consultants comply with federal statutes and regulations governing the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of any claim for veterans benefits with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

To learn more, visit the AWG Veteran Benefit Consultant web site or call for your free pre-qualification analysis 877-369-5418

AWG Veteran Benefit Consultants are proud members of the National Care Planning Council

Working Caregiver Survey Results

Of the 4523 Working Caregivers surveyed from March 2009 through August 2009, 74.4% of the caregivers indicated they would utilize an eldercare benefit if it were available to them through their employer, what is your organization doing to address this rapidly growing issue? View results....

In honor of Grandparents Day (September 13th)

Warman Home Care is running a “Warman Fuzzy” photo & video contest!

Send us your warm and fuzzy photo or video that includes your grandparents or another senior that has touched your life. Please include your favorite memory with this person as well.

Finalists will be chosen based on the number of positive comments on each photo or video on our Flickr and You Tube accounts, so rally your friends to support your entry! Learn more ...

Community Aging Services and Long Term Care

There are many private, religious and government organizations across the country that provide supportive services for older people. Many of these services center around helping people stay in their homes and avoid having to go to live in an institution or perhaps move in with family. Because of the emphasis on helping people remain independent, many community aging programs could be viewed as long-term care programs. In fact it's probably just a matter of semantics; long-term care and community aging services are just two sides of the same coin. Read full article ...

Eldercare Funding Options - Part II

The following article is Part II in a series of V on Eldercare Funding Options by Patricia Grace

Life Settlements

Most seniors rely on equity in their homes to fund retirement and then assisted living and long term care. For those forced to sell their home today, the economy could be costing them money—if they are even able to sell in a time frame that can address their needs. For many facing a health crisis that requires a move out of the home; waiting months and months to sell a home in a down market might not be an option they can afford.

Seniors typically sell their homes first when looking to fund retirement living or long-term care. But today, values are down, so selling could translate into a loss-- or more money later if you wait. On top of that, selling a home is taking much longer now, sometimes more than a year.

This is sobering news for seniors trying to ride out the bad times and regain that value later. But waiting is not always possible, especially when assistance with activities of daily living is needed now, not three years from now.

According to a MSN Money.com Market Watch report (March 28, 2008) “a sixty five year old couple retiring now would need more than $300,000 set aside just to pay for health care costs over twenty years and would need $550,000 if they were to live into their early nineties.” Particularly alarming, according to the report, is the fact that these numbers, “haven’t factored in the costs of nursing homes, assisted living facilities or home health aides—and those costs are staggering!” The reality is that very few people will have half a million dollars to cover health care costs-- without even accounting for the costs associated with long term care and retirement living.

So what is someone to do if they want or need to move into assisted living, independent living or even a long-term care situation soon? One option might be a Life Settlement, quickly becoming a popular financial tool to fund senior housing options. A Life Settlement is an alternative way for seniors to tap into an existing asset to generate liquidity to cover immediate needs. The seller of the life insurance policy gets a lump sum payment—and since it is not a loan, the funds are unrestricted and require no repayment. The gains of a Life Settlement option are tax deductible if applied to retirement living or skilled nursing care.

The definition of a Life Settlement: the sale of a life insurance policy by the policy holder while still alive to an institutional investor that will pay a lot more for the policy than the cash “surrender” value. And, because life insurance values are guaranteed and disconnected from the economy, there is no fluctuation, as is the case with real estate and stocks.

“In the face of falling home and stock values, rising inflation, and depleted savings, many people we are meeting with are taking a close look at the Life Settlement option because it helps a family preserve long-held assets, such as a home, until it is more convenient to sell. It is not complicated with transactions often completed in 30 to 60 days,” explains Chris Orestis, President Life Care Funding Group, a firm that specializes in funding programs for senior housing and long term care. “With billions of dollars worth of life insurance owned by people older than 65 today—tapping into Life Settlements as an alternative funding option for senior housing and care is gaining serious interest,” he said.

Life settlements pay seniors an average of 300-500% more than the cash
surrender value of a policy. Since almost 9 of 10 life insurance policies
issued are lapsed or are surrendered, according to a leading international
actuarial firm, life settlements are a valuable option for seniors.

As seniors face losses in income and value because of declines in stocks
and home prices, many are not able to maintain their life policies.
According to Doug Head, Executive Director of Life Insurance Settlement
Association (LISA), "This legislation empowers consumers who would
otherwise lapse or surrender their valuable life insurance policies."

According to Mr. Head, "Life insurers are taking taxpayer funds while engaging in self-interested, protectionist conduct which deprives policyowners of their property rights in life insurance. In today's rough economy, consumers, not carriers, should gain the full value of policies." Established in 1994, the Life Insurance Settlement Association is the oldest and largest trade organization in the industry. Its goal is to promote the development, integrity, and reputation of the life settlement industry, and to promote a competitive market for the people it serves.

By Us for Us Guides

Submitted by: Laura Bramly

For quite some time now I've been meaning to pass along information about the "By Us For Us" Guides, a set of inspirational and informative booklets put together FOR people with dementia BY people with dementia. A group of talented and passionate people got together and created guides for people with dementia to pass along what they have learned about strategies for coping and living their lives to the fullest.

There are currently five booklets available for order for a cost of $1 each on the Murray Alzheimer's Research and Education Program (MAREP) Web site at http://www.marep.uwaterloo.ca/products/bufu.html. Detailed descriptions of each booklet are provided on this Web site.

The five booklets cover the following topics:

Memory Workout: An exercise guide for your mind based on activities that the authors found helped them to improve or maintain their memory and quality of life.

Managing Triggers: Triggers that people have experienced and strategies for gaining back control after becoming agitated.

Enhancing Communication: Different ways of communicating, hidden meanings, tips on communicating with loved ones and for expressing emotion.

Enhancing Wellness: Helpful tips for eating well, taking care of your body, being physically active, staying centered and connected with others, and living in peace.

Tips & Strategies: Ideas and suggestions for daily living with dementia, provided BY people living with dementia based on their own experiences.

Each booklet is full of helpful tips and strategies, all based on real life experiences of those with dementia and therefore tried and tested. The booklets are clearly laid out and easy to navigate.

Laura Bramly is a communications consultant specializing in education programs about dementia. She is author of ElderCareRead Life Scenes 1, a book for people with moderate to advanced dementia to read and enjoy. Learn more about Laura