|
|
Independence
December 2018
|
|
Caregiver Corner - Caregiver Holiday Tips
Holidays can make caregiving more challenging. There are a few things you can do to make it easier.
- Save a little time in the day to get some fresh air and a little exercise.
- Maintain a regular and balanced meal schedule.
- Set a time in the day to sit quietly or utilize a creative outlet to refresh your mind and body.
- Don’t be shy about asking for help.
- Keep a good dose of patience . . . keep emotions in check, and don’t take things personally.
- Find a positive message in a poem or a book to illuminate the start and end of your day.
- Give yourself permission to do less. The holidays aren’t about fancy decorations or multi-course meals. It’s about feeling good and spending time with people you care about.
- In fact, celebrating the holidays in low-key ways might be what’s best for your senior.
- No matter what, don’t pressure yourself to fit the holiday stereotypes that you see on TV.
- Know that you’re not responsible for your senior’s mood.
- As much as you want your older adult to have a happy and special holiday, you can only do so much. Some seniors won’t recognize or understand what’s happening, some stubbornly remain in a negative mood, and some just won’t appreciate your efforts.
- If your older adult doesn’t enjoy the holiday cheer, it’s NOT because you didn’t try hard enough or that you failed. You’ve done your best to create a joyous holiday under difficult circumstances and if your older adult can’t or won’t get into a happy mood, it’s absolutely not your fault. You’re taking care of the things you can control, so don’t feel guilty or beat yourself up over things you simply can’t control.
- Take a trip down memory lane. Remember your parents when they were young and healthy. Remember your children when they were tiny. Remember the good times before these difficult times. When you do that, you'll likely find a better balance in your life, because you'll start to recognize that life is cyclical and better times will come again.
- Arrange caregiving help early You need a holiday break too. To make sure you get some time off, make plans for holiday caregiving help as soon as possible.
The keys are to be realistic, not feel guilty over things you can’t control, and arrange help so you can take a break. Don’t worry about fitting the traditional holiday mold.
Most importantly:
Let go of perfection.
|
|
CHOICES - Medicare Fraud
Are you entitled to pension funds from a former employer and are not receiving your benefits? Many people work for multiple employers over their work-life and lose track of the benefits to which they are entitled. We tend to only think about benefits from our last employer when we think about retirement planning. Most of us are working for 50 – 60 years before retiring and it’s hard to remember what the personnel department told us 40 years ago about benefits. It’s worth your time and trouble to research whether you’re entitled to any money from a former employer.
How do you go about researching your benefits? First, if the company is still around, contact your former employer and ask if you are entitled to any benefits. They may have your information on file and can help you. If it was a long time since you worked there, they may refer you to an insurance company that is handling older pensions.
If they can’t find you, make sure you have them check in the various names you might have used such as maiden names, hyphenated names, abbreviated first names like Jim instead of James. If you can’t find it on your own, there are services that can help you.
There is an online database you can search if you suspect you’re owed benefits:
pbgc.gov
. A caveat: If a letter from the PBGC was delivered but you didn’t respond, you won’t be in the public database since the PBGC thinks your old address is still valid. 800-400-7242.
The best option: Call one of six regional pension counseling projects affiliated with the Washington-based nonprofit Pension Rights Center
pensionrights.org
On March 2, 2018, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Senator Steve Daines of Montana introduced legislation that would create an Office of Retirement Savings Lost and Found to serve as a clearinghouse for retirement plan information and require employers to provide data for a national searchable database that could be used by all retirement plan participants. The bill is entitled Retirement Savings Lost and Found Act of 2018.
More people are being reunited with their money, thanks to a
push by the Department of Labor
to audit more retirement plans’ missing-participants lists. In a successful pilot program in the department’s Philadelphia Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) office, more than $274 million owed to 4,018 people in 2017 were recovered. Maybe you have missing money as well. Worth checking out.
|
|
Did You Know?
- 60% of companies in the private sector offered pension plans in the 1980's. Now only 4% do.
- 35% of Americans over the age of 22 in private sector jobs work for companies that do not offer a 401k retirement plan.
A 2018 study by Northwestern Mutual found:
- One in five Americans (21%) have NO retirement savings at all
- One in three Baby Boomers (33%), the generation closest to retirement age, only have between $0-$25,000 in retirement savings
- Three quarters of Americans believe it is "not at all likely" (24%) or only "somewhat likely" (51%) that Social Security will be available when they retire
- Nearly half (46%) of adults have taken no steps to prepare for the likelihood that they could outlive their savings.
|
|
Spotlight on Volunteering
Time is a precious thing especially when given to a someone ...
Taking time to listen, share and provide empathy is a priceless gift we can give another. THANK YOU to all the RSVP Volunteers for all the time they give, support and care for another person, that once was a perfect stranger.
Bob, Ralph, Jennifer, Sharon and Connie who take the responsibility of their Money Management support seriously and go far beyond balancing a checkbook. Their willingness to assist with paperwork, doctor visits, homecare issues it what deeply touches their clients.
There are many volunteers serving with the RSVP Program who are just like this.
Tony who enjoys his weekly lunch dates with Dick, Macie who wouldn’t get to the grocery store without George or Steve, whose family says since he has met Gerry, he has a new sense of freedom and friendship. Larry looks forward to his weekly visits with Mariano, the Hamden Senior Center can’t imagine not having the support of volunteers like Angela, Connie or Patricia or the Mercy Center in Madison with the support of Marcia and Maryalice.
Our Pen Pal projects are another way we get to bring a connection. The intergenerational component is overwhelming the best part. Veterans, seniors and students are excited about receiving a letter filled with information about a stranger that we are interested in getting to know.
And our Tutors providing support in North Haven are irreplaceable with their hourly support to students at Ridge Road and Clintonville. Ginger, Anne Marie, Beryl, Diane and Anne just to name a few who offer consistent support to the students and teachers.
|
|
If you would like to join us in providing support to another,
|
|
AOASCC is Moving!
Watch for details - AOASCC will move its office to North Haven early in 2019!
|
|
Need help finding support at home? Care Network Link is a wonderful resource to find trusted providers: Homemaking, Personal Care Assistance, Live-In Caregivers, Wheelchair Ramps, Fall Alert Systems, Hair Stylists that come to your home.
Sign up at
CareNetworkLink.org
. Membership is FREE and will earn you discounts from the providers you hire. Care Network Link credentials all the providers before allowing them on the network to make sure they are trustworthy businesses to have in your home.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
