Caregiver Tip of the Month

— Medicare's Open Enrollment Period for 2008 —

Starts on November 15, 2007

This year's open enrollment period begins November 15th and ends December 31, 2007. The open enrollment period applies to everyone now on Medicare as well as to people age 65 and older who did not enroll during previous open enrollment periods.

If you or your loved one is unhappy with their current Medicare plan, whether it is the original Medicare plan, one of the newer Medicare HMOs or another Medicare+Choice plan, or the Plan D prescription drug plan, this is the only time of the year when you or your loved one can make a change. Begin to evaluate the various choices now before it's too late; don't let December 31st sneak up ... the busy holiday season is almost here.

In most cases, your loved one won't have to do anything if they want to stay in their current plan. But, you and/or your loved one should read the information they received from their current company or companies to be sure.

This year's open enrollment period for Medicare's prescription drug plan (Part D) is very important for seniors for many reasons:

• Benefits for 2008 may change from this year's plan, leaving them with less coverage than they now have.
• Their earlier choice of plans may not have provided the best possible coverage for all of their prescriptions.
• They may be taking different prescriptions, or added new ones, some of which may not be covered by their present plan.
• Or, premiums may be increasing to the point where it's time to look for a lower-cost alternative.

If your loved one is NOT YET on Medicare, or if they just turned 65, they can apply for any of Medicare's plans beginning 3 months before the month of their 65th birthday, or they can delay their decision for up to 3 months after the month of their 65th birthday. For example, if their 65th birthday is August 20th, they can apply at any time from May 1st to November 30th without any penalty.

Visit Medicare's Part D Prescription Drug Plans for more information, including how to enroll. You can also find more information about all of the plans that are available to your loved one by using Medicare's online tool, Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder. You can reach it via Medicare's home page at www.Medicare.gov.

Find Eldercare for Your Loved Ones

We have partnered with ElderCarelink to help you find the right local eldercare services for your loved one. ElderCarelink has established a nationwide network of carefully screened eldercare providers and facilities. We are pleased to bring this referral service to you free of charge.

Within minutes of completing a brief Needs Survey, you will receive a detailed email report that list eldercare providers in your area who match your specific requirements. Last year alone, over 100,000 families utilized this service in their search for high-quality senior care.

We look forward to our family helping yours. Take a minute now to complete the Needs Survey and find the community that meets your family's needs. Let us assist you.

Our visitors ask ...

Q. My father is 90 and has some medical problems, including bone fractures and severe osteoprosis in his back. My mother is 80. She wants to be very independant and claims she can do most everything. The problem is that she is not doing much. Piles of stuff are everywhere, creating a hazardous situation for my dad.

They have been married for 57 years and have a solid relationship. We think she is in denial about how bad he really is, and just isn't seeing the problems. She has also started to become angry at him, regarding extra laundry, dishes, etc.

Five of us are willing to do anything, but we don't feel we can just go in and take over. She is very unresponsive to her children's offer of help. Any suggestions?

A. In our layman's opinion, yes, your mother is in a state of denial ... at least publicly ... about your father, and about her own abilities. Privately, it's probably a different matter entirely. No one likes to admit that they can no longer do everything that they SHOULD be doing, and that they used to do with ease. It's a matter of personal pride and dignity. And, a parent certainly isn't going to admit to their grown children that they need help.

A few suggestions. First, rather than asking your mom if there's anything you can do to help in a general way, pick a single task ... a very evident "problem," or a chore that she obviously has difficulty with... and ask her if she would like you to help her do whatever it is. Avoid telling her how something should be done, or how you would do it for yourself. Instead, get her active participation by asking her how she would like it done and then do it, despite the fact that you may know deep down that it's not the most efficient or most effective way of doing the chore. This is showing respect for her, something she probably desperately wants to feel, not that she's become "a useless old woman" who can't do anything anymore. Indeed, that fear, or the frustration of not being able to do everything anymore, is probably the reason she's becoming increasing angry at your father.

Second, caring for an elderly parent presents tough challenges. But you are not alone. Many other caregivers have already solved problems like those you now face. To help you find them, take a look at our online Support Group message board where family caregivers across the country share their stories and learn from others.

Click on Support Group to go to our message board. You will find a wide variety of messages from other family caregivers. You can also send a comment regarding one of their messages, or send (post) your own message for others to read and respond to.

Daily Living Solutions

— products for seniors and the elderly —

As we grow older, it often becomes difficult to use many everyday products because of arthritis, disability or other conditions. If you or a loved one needs a little help – or a lot – here are practical and affordable solutions that make life a little easier – solutions that help people continue living independently in their own home. To help you find what you need, everything is sorted into convenient categories in our Solutions for Seniors section.

You will also find, usually at a substantial discount, hundreds of medical equipment items, home health care products for the elderly, disability assistive devices, and more.

Whether you are looking for yourself or a loved one, Solutions for Seniors offers a wide variety of products, supplies and accessories – raised toilet seats, safety rails, incontinence supplies, large-handle eating utensils, pain relief, diabetic supplies, pill splitters and crushers, big-button hearing-amplified telephones, canes, walkers, rollators, wheelchairs – and much more.

Caregiving – Finding the money for care at home

A variety of resources can help pay for care at home. We discuss these resources in some detail in our article 12 tips to help you find money (and free resources) for care at home.

Caregiver Tip #2

— Observing while Visiting Older Relatives —

The holiday season is rapidly approaching. Quite often, that includes visits to older relatives when we should be watchful for unsettling warning signs that they may need assistance. Take a look at our checklists for more helpful information ...

Elderly Driving – When to put the brakes on elderly drivers. When the question of declining driving abilities becomes personal, the issues involved with elderly driving are very emotional. Elderly drivers might get defensive ... even angry – when the subject of their driving abilities is raised. For more information about elderly driving ...

Home Alone – Are they OK? Will your loved one be safe? Will he or she wander off? Will they let strangers into the house? Will they turn on the stove and forget to turn it off? Here's more information to guide you.

Home Safety – Is your loved one's home safe? More than 600,000 seniors are treated each year in hospital emergency rooms for injuries at home. These injuries often result from hazards that are easy to overlook, but easy to fix. Use this checklist to spot possible safety problems.

Our visitors ask ...

Q. My mother fell and was hospitalized. Upon release, she was sent to a rehab facility. Prior to her fall, she lived alone. All of us children decided she should move in with my sister, where she is today. However, she wants to go home. Mentally, she is fine, but needs some help getting around. I was wondering what services are available to her, such as a home health caregiver, who could see her everyday, help, etc. My brothers and sisters could also check in, but we would someone on a regular basis. Where we would go to see about this?

A. The best place to start would be the website of the Department of Aging Services for the state where your mother lives.

While you are online, it would also be worth your time to check out Benefits CheckUp. Millions of older adults are eligible for federal and state benefits but are not receiving them, including assistance to pay Part B and Part D premiums for Medicare benefits. This is unfortunate because these programs can help with housing, meals, transportation, health care, prescription drug costs, legal services and utility bills, just to name a few.

Benefits CheckUp, a website created by The National Council on the Aging, helps older adults quickly and easily find out which benefits they qualify for, and how to get them. (Many are available regardless of income.) This is a free service and is completely confidential. It does not require your name, address, phone number, Social Security number, or any other information that could be used to identify you.

Simply complete the online questionnaire. In a few minutes, you’ll have a list of programs for which you or your loved one most likely qualifies, including phone numbers and addresses. It also includes step-by-step instructions on how to apply for the benefits. To visit their website, click on Benefits CheckUp.

Recommended Reading and Videos

Many excellent books and videos can help guide you through the caregiving process. For our recommendations, including a brief description of each one, click here.

The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is intended as a supplement, not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider. More