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Home care: these two words may overwhelm families as they’re considering viable options for their aging relatives, as well as senior citizens themselves. Home care allows a person with special needs to remain in their home, and may encompass a variety of roles such as personal care (i.e., bathing, washing your hair, getting dressed), homemaking (i.e., cleaning and yard work), cooking or delivering meals, and health care such as having a home health aide come to your home.

While it entails a variety of situations (such as people getting older, people who are chronically ill, recovering from surgery or disabled), there are many myths you might be aware of as you consider the possibility. Let’s take a look and learn the truth about them.

Home care is only for elderly people.

“People of all ages are eligible for home care,” says Maxine Hochhauser, CEO of Visiting Nurse Regional Health Care System. In fact, she notes older patients aren’t the only people receiving care; mothers and babies receive services as well as older individuals. In addition, home care may be necessary for a variety of life altering situations such as car accidents, unanticipated illnesses, or other mishaps.  It stands to reason that even a capable senior citizen in their 60s might benefit from aspects of home care.

The quality of care provided at home is inferior compared to institutionalized care.

According to Hochhauser, the clinical training of the staff for home care is the same if not better than training in institutions. She explains, “The clinicians need to be very well-versed since they’re on their own inside a home. It’s not uncommon to have advanced medical treatments such as intravenous therapy and ventilator care to be done at home.”

Home care is the solution to a problem.

Milca Pabon, RN, a home health care nurse with Adventist Home Health, indicates that home care is quite the opposite: it’ll help you find ways to cope with the problem, not cure it. “The purpose of visits is to teach family members how to provide care for their loved ones in the home.” She adds, “It will open them to the resources in their communities that will be able to assist them to function at their highest level if possible where they were prior to hospitalization.”

For instance, patients and family members are taught how to do procedures such as uncomplicated wound care and post-orthopedic home exercises. Many skills learned from short-term home care have assisted senior citizens in various situations that arise in their lives.

Home care is an alternative to other care options such as a hospital or nursing home.

Actually, home care provided by professional caregivers often supplements other care arrangements and helps ensure patients receive the care they need and deserve. Instead of viewing home care as a replacement for other care arrangements, it is about meeting people’s needs and wants regardless of where or when services are provided or who else is involved in the care process.

Home care is expensive and only wealthy people can afford it.

Peter Ross, CEO and co-founder of Senior Helpers, says there are actually many ways for seniors to afford quality home care. “With new programs such as reverse mortgages, VA benefits, long-term care insurance, and access to state and local programs such as Medicaid, many more families are able to afford quality home care for their loved one.” Consider contacting a professional such as an estate planning attorney, in order to discuss your options.

Long-term care only exists in a skilled nursing home.

This is not the case for many families. If a senior has medical issues that require health care throughout the day, a skilled nursing home may be the right option. However, most seniors require simple assistance, which oftentimes is non-medical (such as running errands). It’s a great option for those who want to live out their life in their own homes.

How do you know if home care is right for you? Next time, we’ll discuss the signs that indicate you might want to look into it.

Today my guest is Rachelle Wells. She does a lot of the research for my website and keeps my posts up-to-date.

The title for today’s entry is: No, You Can’t Have My Money! or 7 Tips to Protect Yourself From Financial Scams:

Millions of older adults fall prey to financial scams every year. Use these tips to protect yourself – with knowledge you can stay safe!

1. Be aware that you are at risk from strangers — and from those closest to you.

More than 90 percent of all reported elder abuse is committed by the older person’s family members, most often their adult children, followed by grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and others.

Common tactics include depleting a joint checking account, promising but not delivering care in exchange for money or property, outright theft and other forms of abuse, including physical abuse, threats, intimidation and neglect of basic care needs.

Everyone is at risk of financial abuse, even people without high incomes or assets. Understand common scams, so you can spot one before it’s too late.

2. Always tell solicitors: “I never buy from (or give to) anyone who calls or visits me unannounced. Send me something in writing.”

Don’t buy from an unfamiliar company and always ask for and wait until you receive written material about any offer or charity.

Neighborhood children you know who are selling Girl Scout cookies or school fundraising items may be an exception, but a good rule of thumb is to never donate if it requires you to write your credit card information on any forms.

It’s also good practice to obtain a salesperson’s name, business identity, telephone number, street address, mailing address and business license number before you transact business.

And always take your time in making a decision.

3. Shred all receipts with your credit card number.

Identity theft is a huge business. To protect yourself, invest in — and use — a paper shredder.

Monitor your bank and credit card statements and never give out personal information over the phone to someone who initiates the contact with you.

4. Sign up for the “Do Not Call” list and take yourself off multiple mailing lists.

Visit www.donotcall.gov or call the Do Not Call Registry at 1-888-382-1222 to stop telemarketers from contacting you.

Be careful with your mail. Do not let incoming mail sit in your mailbox for a long time. When sending out sensitive mail, consider dropping it off at a secure collection box or directly at the post office.

To get more tips on protecting yourself from fraud, visit www.onguardonline.gov, which has interactive games to help you be a smarter consumer on issues of related to spyware, lottery scams and other swindles.

5. Use direct deposit for benefit checks to prevent checks from being stolen from the mailbox.

Using direct deposit ensures that checks go right into your accounts and are protected. Clever scammers or even scrupulous loved ones have been known to steal benefits checks right out of mailboxes or from seniors’ homes if they are laying around.

6. Never give your credit card, banking, Social Security, Medicare, or other personal information over the phone unless you initiated the call.

Misuse of Medicare dollars is one of the largest scams involving seniors. Common schemes include billing for services never delivered and selling unneeded devices or services to beneficiaries.

Protect your Medicare number as you do your credit card, banking and Social Security numbers, and do not allow anyone else to use it. Be wary of salespeople trying to sell you something they claim will be paid for by Medicare.

Review your Medicare statements to be sure you have in fact received the services billed, and report suspicious activities to 1-800-MEDICARE.

7. Be skeptical of all unsolicited offers and do thorough research.

Be an informed consumer. Take the time to call and shop around before making a purchase. Take a friend with you who may offer some perspective to help you make difficult decisions.

Also, carefully read all contracts and purchasing agreements before signing and make certain that all of your requirements have been put in writing. Understand all contract cancellation and refund terms.

As a general rule governing all of your interactions as a consumer, do not allow yourself to be pressured into making purchases, signing contracts or committing money. These decisions are yours and yours alone.

Steps to Take if You’re a Victim

If you think you’ve been scammed, don’t be afraid or embarrassed to talk about it — waiting could only make it worse. Immediately:

• Call your bank and/or credit card company.
• Cancel any debit or credit cards linked to the stolen account.
• Reset your personal identification number(s).

Also, contact legal services and Adult Protective Services if warranted. You do have the ability to protect yourself from financial scams!

Rachelle Wells

This is our last post in the ongoing series on health topics, and we’re going to go over five basic tips that all seniors can apply in their lives. By taking these general proactive steps you can lessen and even delay the severity of any health issues that arise. As always, run any diet and supplement changes by your doctor first!

Tip #1: Take a fish oil supplement, which are rich in EFAs. Many seniors have a limited income and having something that gives the best bang for your buck is always a plus. Fish oil is one of them and highly recommended by many health professionals.

Fish oil helps manage cardiovascular health by making platelets less sticky and therefore reducing your likelihood of clots, which can cause strokes or heart attacks. They also reduce atherosclerosis by lowering two repair proteins that encourage the spread of atherosclerotic tissue in arteries. In effect, they help fully open arteries. Fish oil assists in reducing inflammation for those with osteoarthritis or injuries due to trauma. It’s actually a key factor in decreasing age related memory decline. Those at risk for Alzheimer’s and/or dementia will find this extremely important.

Tip #2: Eat a wide variety of fresh, organic food. This tip can be applied to anyone since many settle into a regular routine regardless of age. Eating the exact same thing for years increases one’s chance of accumulating food sensitivities. When this happens, digestive issues crop up and effective absorption of nutrients from food is reduced. Disease and other health related issues are guaranteed to become a problem. As we age, stomach acid (which is key in helping one break down food in the digestive system) is produced less. Eating seasonally and/or buying a CSA will help one increase variety in their diet.

Tip #3: Take a probiotics and eat foods rich in good bacteria. Probiotics help increase your immune system, which can be very helpful for seniors that get ill often. If you’re encountering any food sensitivities (because you didn’t follow tip #2!) then probiotics are definitely your friend. Some foods that are rich in good bacteria are kombucha tea, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso and kefir.

Tip #4: Take a CoEnzymeQ10 supplement. When our body becomes ill or imbalanced, it creates free radicals. One way of addressing this is to increase your antioxidants. CoEnzymeQ10 is an antioxidant nutrient and is a key factor in preventing atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular related problems. Many medications on the market directed at seniors have a side effect that drastically depletes your CoEnzymeQ10 reserves. If you take any heart medication it is imperative that you take this supplement.

Take #5: Include medicinal mushrooms in your diet. Fungi are more beneficial to humans than you might expect! Traditionally used in ancient cultures for a range of conditions, they are useful for the immune, respiratory, circulatory, nervous, digestive, and skeletal/muscular systems. They work very similarly to an adaptogen by helping the body return to a balanced state. Numerous studies suggest they contain compounds that support immunity, prevent infection and provide additive or synergistic effects in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Medicinal mushrooms include shitake, maitake, reishi and cordyceps.

Senior health care is often a cause of concern. You may have spent a large part of your younger life pursuing work, career and family goals. As you retire from your hectic routine, the pace of life begins to slow down. It requires effort to pay attention to what your body demands, and ensure that you continue to live a long and healthy life.

With age, priorities change. If those were the days when earning money or sustaining the needs of your family was your priority, the senior years can be looked upon as an opportunity to pamper yourself. Take care of yourself. Beyond these tips, look for other ways to improve your overall wellbeing. Go get a massage, join a spa, or sign up for an art class. Think outside the box. By incorporating practical healthcare with inner self-care, you’ll find great advantages to embracing your senior years!