This section is dedicated to providing seniors, family members, and caregivers with news, tips, articles, and information pertaining to everyday living, housing, and other relevant issues that affect today's Seniors.  With all the options currently out there and the changing markets, choosing the best option can be difficult.  With valuable information provided here, we can help take the confusion out of the housing equation!

New State Law Requires Calling Senior LinkAge Line®

If so, the State Legislature recently made changes that might impact you. Before you sign a lease or housing contract, first call the Senior LinkAge Line® for long-term care options counseling. It can help you find services that meet your needs.
 

As of  Oct. 1, 2011, all people considering moving into housing with services need to call the Senior LinkAge Line^® at 1-800-333-2433 for long-term care options counseling. Housing with services includes independent living, assisted living and enhanced assisted living. At the end of the call, you will receive a verification code that signifies the completion of the counseling. You need to give this code to the tenant coordinator or housing manager at the housing setting you choose before signing the lease. You may decline the counseling, but you still need to request a code. Click on Senior LinkAge Line to learn more about this new requirement.

To Read Full Article Click Here

*Housing with services providers are registered by the Minnesota Department of Health.
 

A Guide to Home Care Services

Class A, or professional home care agency license. Provider may provide all home care services, at least one of which is nursing, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, nutritional services, medical social services, home health aide tasks, or the provision of medical supplies and equipment when accompanied by the provision of a home care service. These may be provided in a place of residence, including a residential center, and a housing with services establishment.

Independent Living for Seniors
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHOICES IN RETIREMENT FACILITIES AND HOMES

As we age, many of us are faced with the prospect of revising our living arrangements. While thinking about moving can be a source of anxiety and stress, planning ahead can give you more choices for the future, making a big difference in your level of independence and quality of life.  If home upkeep and maintenance has become overwhelming, if you’re starting to need help with some services, or if you’re simply looking for a community with more transportation access and opportunities to socialize, an independent living facility may be a good option. To decide if it’s right for you, learn about your choices in independent living, including common types, and find help in choosing a residence.  Read full article by clicking here

 

Private Pay Services - How They Can Help Seniors
submitted by Eric Pederson, CCP Self Directed Services, 651-209-3350 ext. 627
 

CCP Self Directed Services is certified by the State of Minnesota as a Fiscal Support Entity (FSE). The role of an FSE is to assist a person in paying for their services through payroll support, human resources support, and expense reimbursement.

Hiring Staff

Many people choose to hire support staff to help them live independently in their homes. These staff may help in completing household tasks and chores, as well as provide for companionship. The difficulty in hiring your own staff is managing the legal employment paperwork, filing the proper taxes, and maintaining insurance such as unemployment and workers compensation.

CCP Self Directed Services will work with you to hire the staff you choose as our employee, while you manage the day-to-day supervision of the employee. As our employee, they will have all of the proper employment paperwork completed, have the proper taxes withheld and paid to the government, and be covered under our workers compensation insurance policy.

We can also assist you with human resources support, such as coaching and counseling staff, resolving conflict, or providing additional training.

If there are additional employment expenses, such as mileage reimbursement or bonuses, we can assist you with those as well.

Why Use a Fiscal Support Entity?

Using a FSE will ensure that:

1. The proper employment requirements are met

2. Taxes are properly withheld for the employee

3. Employment taxes are properly paid

4. There is a clear and accurate documentation of how money was spent

Who Are We?

Cooperating Community Programs, Inc. (CCP) has been providing services to individuals in Minnesota and Wisconsin for over 30 years. We provide services to over 1000 people; including home-based support, employment support, case management, and self directed support.

All of our services are based on a “person-centered” approach. This means that the individual, not us, should decide what services they receive and how they receive them.


For more information:
CCP Self Directed Services
1885 University Avenue/Suite 398
St. Paul, MN 55104
Eric Pederson
Phone: 651-209-3350 ext. 627
Email: epederson@theccpinc.com

Tips For Living Safe
by Brenda Darr, Minnesota Seniors Online Staff Member
 

I recently took my daughter to the doctor because she had an earache.  In the lobby of the clinic, there was a sign on the wall stating that you "should keep a list of your medications with you in the event of an emergency."  That was the inspiration for this article!  Much of the tips below can really be applied to everyone and should serve as a friendly reminder for all of us. The one mistake lots of people, regardless of their age, make is complacency in familiar surroundings. To be honest, throughout my life I've been guilty of that from time to time.

The following is a short list of tips I've compiled from my internet research.  Obviously this list is incomplete, but this covers some important and basic things you can do to keep safe:

Some General Safety Tips:

1. Do not display large amounts of cash when out in public.
2. Use direct deposit for your pension and/or social security checks.
3. Travel in groups. If you must travel alone, do not advertise the fact that you are by yourself.
4. Work out a "buddy system" with a friend so you can check up on each other at least once a day.

You Can Practice Street Smarts:

1. Avoid dark, deserted, and/or isolated routes.
2. Do not walk near walls, high bushes, or near parked cars.
3. Project an image of self-confidence while you are walking.
4. Cross the street to avoid people who make you feel uncomfortable.
5. Know how to get where you are going ahead of time.
6. If someone demands your money, give it up.
7. Keep your money in several pockets instead of just one.
8. Never accept a ride from someone you do not know well.

While You're At Home:

1. Never let a stranger into your home. Always examine their identification badge before you allow a service technician into your home.   If it's an unexpected service visit, call the company they claim to represent to verify that their reason to be there is legitimate.
2. Lock your home when you are there and when you are away. Keep your 1st floor windows locked.
3. Do not let people on the phone know you are alone.
4. Keep your phone by your bed at night.
5. Post all emergency numbers close to the telephone.
6. Leave a light on while you are out. Use a different light each time you are not home.
7. Leave the porch light on.
8. Know your neighbors and make sure they know you.

If You're An Apartment Dweller:

1. Know where you can get help in a hurry.
2. Make sure all community areas such as hallways, entries/exits, and community rooms have good lighting.
3. Use the laundry room in the apartment building when other tenants are present.
4. Look in the elevator before getting in to be sure no one is hiding inside. Get off the elevator if someone suspicious enters.
5. If you are uncomfortable with another person waiting for the same elevator as you, do not get on the elevator...simply pretend you forgot something in your apartment.  Then wait for the next one.

Using Public Transportation:

1. Use well-lit bus stops.
2. Sit near the bus driver.
3. Sit in the aisle seat, so you do not get blocked in at the window.
4. Do not get off the bus with someone that makes you feel uncomfortable.

While Out In Your Car:

1. Never pick up hitch-hikers.
2. Keep your car doors locked at all times. Get in the habit of locking all doors upon entering and leaving your car.
3. Check the back seat before entering your car.
4. As you are approaching your car, look under the car to make sure no one is hiding underneath.

In The Event Of An Emergency:

1. Keep a list of all your medications including dosage information in your purse or wallet.
2. If you use a cell phone, 911 will route you to State Patrol in St. Paul.  Program your county or municipality's direct emergency number in your phone.  This can save critical time in a life threatening situation.


Also, get in touch with your county or municipality's law enforcement office for what non-emergency services they can provide for you.   For example, do they offer checks on your home while you are away on vacation or in the hospital?  Some counties/municipalities do.

You can also take self-defense classes through your local Community Education, Community/Senior Center, or through a martial arts studio.  You can also check with your local law enforcement agency and ask about classes.

6 Costs You Should Always Negotiate
by Jodi Helmer
 

Most consumers think haggling is only appropriate when buying tchotkes at a street fair or facing off against a used-car dealer. But why not negotiate the cost of medical procedures? Or a new Sub-Zero refrigerator? If you're not paying less than sticker price for these and other goods and services, you're leaving money -- and often lots of it -- on the table. "Everything is negotiable," says Stuart Diamond, adjunct professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business and author of "Getting More: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real World." "All you have to do is ask."

With that philosophy in mind, follow these tips to negotiate the best possible deal on 6 common fees and expenses:  Click Here To See Full Article

8 People You Trust With Your Credit Card, But Shouldn't
by Erica Sandberg
 

It's amazing how often we blindly hand over our credit cards and numbers to so many people and businesses. Why? We trust them! The problem is, however, that sometimes we'd be better off holding back and taking a more discretionary approach. Certain individuals and companies should be off limits. To keep safe, guard your credit, avoid giving the following folks unlimited access to your account.  

                                            Click Here To See Full Article

Credit Card Had A 79.9% APR From First Premier Bank
by Blake Ellis
 

Toni Riss had a credit card with a 79.9% interest rate.

The 58-year-old woman from Texas thought she struck gold when she found the First Premier card, which is aimed specifically at consumers with poor credit.

"I had an accident on a motorcycle, went through bankruptcy to pay for medical expenses and my credit went to hell in a hand basket, so I was looking for credit cards for people with bad credit" Riss said.

They granted her a card with a $300 limit -- typical for new customers -- and a starting rate of 29.9%, which Riss said she considered decent given her credit score.

But about six months after opening the card -- at the end of 2009 -- she received an unwelcome surprise in the mail.

                                          Click Here To See Full Article

How To Make Multigenerational Living Work
by Phillip Moeller
 

Putting three generations under one roof--the most common multigenerational living arrangement--has become a growth industry of the recession and an aging society. Even as the economy slowly recovers, experts expect that more seniors will find themselves in such expanded families. The mortgage crisis and collapse of home values may retard new home formations for years. Rising numbers of older Americans will require caregivers, and will either be unable to afford private care or unable to find professionals who provide it.

Before World War II, about 25 percent of Americans were in multigenerational households. After the war, rising affluence and a mobile society led to a steady decline. "In 2008, an estimated 49 million Americans, or 16 percent of the total U.S. population, lived in a family household that contained at least two adult generations or a grandparent and at least one other generation," the Pew Research Center reported in a study last year. "In 1980, this figure was just 28 million, or 12 percent of the population." In 2008 alone, 2.6 million Americans became part of multigenerational households.

                                            Click Here To See Full Article

Online Dating Is Not Just For Kids, Seniors Say
by Kristina Cook
 

Jo Ann Montrose-Eichelberger, 55, never thought she would meet her second husband on an online dating site -- especially not one for seniors.

The stewardess who lives in California said she signed up "as a joke" in March 2009. She had been divorced for about 18 years and was content being single, but an ad for the site sparked her curiosity.

At first she felt uncomfortable about even putting up her photograph.

"It felt like I was marketing myself. It was all new to me. At the time, I hadn't even gone on Facebook," she said.

The number of seniors -- classified as anyone over 55 -- using the targeted dating site is growing, according to SeniorPeopleMeet.com, which says they attract 1,000 new members a day.

                                          Click Here To See Full Article

Telephone Equipment Distribution Program (TED)

This program provides assistive telephone
equipment at NO CHARGE to individuals who
have difficulty using a regular telephone due to a hearing loss, speech, or physical disability. 
Click Here For More Information.

Past Articles

Don't Get Taken To The Cleaners - Protect Yourself

BBB Lists Top 10 Scams and Rip-offs For 2010

Grieving & Healing: 5 Steps To Help You Through The Grieving Process How To Work Through Grieving and Begin To Enjoy Life Again

The Best Places To Retire Outside The U.S.

Blood Clots and Stroke - Quick Info That Can Save A Life

Look-and-See Signs A Senior Needs Help

 10 Tips To Help Seniors Stretch Their Dollars

  Has The  Economic Downturn Affected Your Loved Ones?