Are seniors aware of existing programs to help them financially and to help them age in place

Every jurisdiction should have programs in place to help seniors, but many seniors do not seem to be aware of the programs or perhaps the programs are not easily accessible to seniors or they are not promoted/advertised to seniors. In BC last year the Seniors advocate did a survey about our awareness of programs. Here are some of the findings for BC

In November and December of 2014, the Office of the Seniors Advocate in conjunction with HealthLinkBC and BC

Stats, developed and conducted a survey asking British Columbia seniors a series of questions on a range of issues.

The survey explored a number of questions (which I will give results for over the next few days.) The first question asked was:

1.  Are seniors aware of existing programs to help them financially and to help them age in place?

There are several financial programs that seniors can access in British Columbia that can help them. The programs asked about in the survey were:

a.  The SAFER Program (Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters) helps make rents affordable for those with low to moderate incomes by providing monthly cash payments to eligible B.C. seniors. Currently, around 17,500 seniors use the SAFER program, which is about one in five senior renters

b.  The Property Tax Deferment (PTD) Program is a loan program that allows eligible seniors to defer the annual property taxes on their home for as long as they own and live in the home and continue to quality for the program. The deferred taxes must be fully repaid, along with a lower than prime rate of interest, when the home is sold or upon the death of the homeowner.

c.  Medical Services Plan (MSP) premium assistance and Fair Pharmacare program are income-based provincial programs providing assistance with medical costs to eligible low-income individuals and families. Each requires application to or registration with the program.

d.  The federal Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) for low-income seniors, and approximately one in five of those respondents received the supplement. A single senior qualifies for GIS if they receive Old Age Security (OAS) and their income is less than $17,088 per year. A single senior’s GIS allowance per month is $764.40. A couple qualifies for GIS allowance if they receive OAS and if they have an income of less than $31,584. They receive $1013.72 total per month. Regarding this program as well, rates of awareness seemed to be higher among younger seniors, although a greater proportion of older seniors reported receiving the GIS. 

Senior renters reported fairly high awareness of the SAFER program, with slightly younger seniors than older seniors having knowledge of it (50 per cent versus 42 per cent, respectively) but of those, slightly older seniors than younger seniors receiving the grant (38 per cent 22 per cent, respectively).  The Northern Health Authority (NHA) reported both lower awareness (22 per cent) and usage (21 per cent) of the program, suggesting that information about SAFER may not be reaching those in the northernmost regions of the province.

The senior homeowners who participated in this survey reported high overall awareness, though low usage, of the PTD program: 61 per cent were aware of the program and, of those, just less than a quarter (23 per cent) had used it. The survey found that younger senior homeowners (those in the 65-74 age category) were more likely to be aware of the PTD program, but less likely to have used it.

Perhaps the most surprising (and troubling) survey finding related to the PTD was that senior homeowners with household incomes below $30,000 were by far the least likely to be aware of the PTD program: only 40 per cent of homeowners in this income bracket were aware of the program, compared with 75 per cent of homeowners with incomes greater than $60,000. These low-income senior households are the ones that could potentially benefit the most from a tax deferment program, yet are the least aware of its existence.

Three quarters of seniors who participated in the survey were aware of the federal Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) for low-income seniors, and approximately one in five of those respondents received the supplement. Rates of awareness seemed to be higher among younger seniors, although a greater proportion of older seniors reported receiving the GIS.

Medical Services Plan (MSP) premium assistance and Fair Pharmacare program are income-based provincial programs providing assistance with medical costs to eligible low-income individuals and families. Each requires application to or registration with the program. Overall, awareness of the MSP premium assistance program was low among survey respondents (39 per cent), but was higher for Fair Pharmacare (62 per cent). The survey results showed that awareness of both the MSP and Fair Pharmacare program was higher among the younger respondents, especially regarding MSP premium assistance: half of the 65-74 year old seniors were aware of the program, compared to only a quarter of seniors 75 and over.

As well, awareness of the MSP premium assistance program was as low among those in the bottom income group (40 per cent) as among those in higher income brackets; although one would expect and hope that all seniors with incomes below $30,000 would be aware of this program, this was not found to be the case.

Finally, questions in the survey focused on their health benefits and coverage for things like dental care, vision aids, and hearing aids. Overall, about half of the respondents indicated they had such medical coverage, with similar rates among younger and older seniors and throughout the five health authorities. 

However, lower-income seniors were less likely to enjoy such health plan benefits; while approximately 62 per cent of higher-income seniors had extended health benefit plans, that proportion dropped to just 35 per cent in the lowest income bracket.

Ageism an attempt to stereotype elders

Ageism can take many forms, however like any discrimination it has, at its core, a
desire to stereotype an entire group of people.

There has been much discussion in the media recently about the increased and
relative affluence of seniors. Some, such as Maclean’s Magazine have called us “Old. Rich. Spoiled”. 

Statistics Canada pegs the 2011 median income for those over 65 at $23,700. This means that 50% of seniors in Canada are living on less than $23,700 per year, with the majority living alone. 

Compare this to the median income for 35-44 year olds at $43,300 with the overwhelming
majority living in a two-person household sharing costs that are often borne by the single senior.

Our Senior advocate states that in British Columbia alone, there are over 52,000 seniors who are living on $16,300 per year or less. 

While it is true that some low-income seniors live in a home with no mortgage, they still face
property tax, insurance and maintenance and repair costs all on a fixed income that is often not guaranteed to keep pace with inflation. 

Their equity in some cases has either been borrowed against, or is an insurance policy for future care costs. Additionally, let’s not forget the 20% of senior households that are rented and face annual increases against an often stagnant income.

Seniors face health-care costs related to drugs, mobility aids, dental care, eyeglasses and hearing aids with no workplace benefit plans to defray costs. BC is the only province that charges seniors as part of the BC medical service plan which has been increasing faster than the rate of inflation over the past few years

Householders today are enjoying record low interest rates. While this is a boon for some
homeowners, it can be a hardship for the overwhelming majority of seniors who do not receive a defined benefit pension plan and must produce an adequate retirement income from savings and investments. Since many seniors did not invest wisely or lost up to 50% of their savings in the recession of 2008, the low interest rates hurt.

It is important to remember that, whatever wealth seniors might have (outside of their primary residence) they are usually required to produce an income from it, unlike people
who receive their income from employment and can allow their wealth to compound.

The issue of the low income and poverty of some seniors is only one part of the picture. Seniors also make significant contributions to our communities and our health-care system. We know that the greatest amount of volunteering is done by seniors. More significantly perhaps is the millions of hours of care that is provided every year in this country by seniors to their spouses, and in some cases, their parents. 

If seniors didn't step up each and every day to the needs of their community, the cost to all levels of government would be staggering. The contribution of unpaid caregivers over 65, alone is an estimated four billion dollar savings to the Canadian health care system.

In addition to their contributions of unpaid labour, seniors also contribute to the costs of their
care. In B.C., seniors pay: 80% of their income toward the cost of residential care to a maximum of $3092.66; 70% of their income toward the cost of government subsidized assisted living with a maximum that varies according to local market conditions; and they co-pay the costs of their home support on a sliding scale based on income.

While it may be fair to question whether a minority of higher income seniors should benefit from the caps, it is also very evident that the majority of seniors are surrendering significant amounts of their income to subsidize their care needs.

The seniors of today, like the seniors of tomorrow, are unique individuals. Some have money, some do not. Some have good health, some do not. Some contribute to their community, others less so. Some need our help, others do not. What is most important is that we value the uniqueness of seniors just as we do those who are not yet 65 and in so doing, ensure we leave no one behind and create a society for all.

Concerns of Boomers

 The senior advocate spent some time talking to seniors in my province and in her report listed 13 major concerns of seniors. These are (in no particular order):

1. Being unable to continue to live where they want. Seniors are concerned that, because of a lack of supports and/or because of regulatory roadblocks, they will be forced to move. Across the spectrum of housing, from the single family house to the condominium to assisted living and residential care, seniors identified issues that potentially pushed them to the next level on the continuum prematurely. Some of these issues were financial in nature, others were regulatory, and some related to the lack of adequate supports in a particular community to enable a senior to remain at home.

There were stories of seniors being pushed out of their homes because they could not afford simple repairs and maintenance such as roof replacements or furnace repairs. There were stories of seniors who were challenged by a lack of home care services, who needed assistance with household chores such as snow shovelling or chopping wood. Isolated seniors were challenged by a lack of, or inadequate, transportation.

Seniors universally felt that their first choice was to remain in their own homes, and that all possible supports to achieve this should be fully utilized before a move to the next level on the housing continuum is required. Evidence suggests that, given more support in the community, some seniors could have delayed or prevented the move to assisted living, and that changes to the current assisted living regulations could have delayed or prevented the move to residential care. Seniors voiced that this is particularly significant given the scarcity of residential care that exists in some areas and the fact that, in some cases, residential care is clearly the appropriate choice given a senior’s care needs.

2. Having an adequate income to meet future health and housing needs. Seniors described facing economic hardship as a result of unforeseen expenses and rising costs. Statistics Canada data indicates that most seniors in British Columbia live on less than $25,000 per year. Provincial data shows that more than 52,000 seniors in B.C. live on $17,000 per year or less. In particular, many seniors identified that costs related to their housing, dental care, drugs, eyeglasses and hearing aids are causing current hardship or worry about future hardship. Federal and provincial governments provide a number of programs and subsidies to assist low-income seniors. Most seniors however, voiced their frustration with how they access those programs and with the bureaucracy involved in securing and keeping those benefits. Many questioned the adequacy of some programs that were established years ago and may not have kept pace with inflation. It was identified that no programs exist to help seniors with dental care, eyeglasses and hearing aids unless they were on certain types of income assistance before becoming seniors.

3. A lack of transportation to medical appointments and support services. Many seniors expressed grave concerns about their ability to get out and about once they are no longer able to drive. There were emotional stories from seniors about the trauma they experienced from the driving assessment process, and the devastation they faced upon losing the independence that driving provides. Those seniors who no longer drive appreciate services such as HandyDART, but they also highlighted concerns about the limitations of such services, frustrations around processing applications, wait times, frequency, and the cost for low income seniors.

4. A lack of, and inconsistency with, home care services across the province. The type and frequency of home care services varies significantly throughout the province. Needs appear to be met in some communities, but fall short in others. The elimination of meal preparation, reductions in services due to staffing shortages, changes in staffing, the availability of live in and overnight respite, day programs and residential respite care in some communities and not in others, and concerns about the capacity of the new Better At Home program were among the issues seniors and their family members raised. Inconsistency in the provision of home nursing services, and limited rehab for clients in the community and in assisted living, were also highlighted as gaps

5. The inability to secure a residential care bed at the right time and in the right place. Access to, and types of, residential care bed varied greatly throughout the province. In some communities, the average wait time to secure a first available and appropriate residential care bed (FAAB) is 32 days, whereas in others it is more than 89 days. It is not clear to the Advocate that the Ministry of Health’s FAAB policy is consistently applied in all health authorities. Local conditions significantly influence when and where a senior secures a FAAB. In addition, while provincially, 69 percent of seniors secure a FAAB within 30 days, in some communities only 30 percent of seniors secure that crucial bed within that time. In addition, families expressed significant frustration with the time it takes a senior to secure a bed in their facility of choice. The impact on seniors of the location of their care facility can be profound, as it often dictates the ability of a frail spouse and other family members to visit their loved one. Research clearly supports the positive therapeutic effects on residents of visits from family members. Health authorities recognize that they do struggle on this issue, but there was some evidence to suggest improvements could be made that would allow the objective of the FAAB policy to be met while reassuring families with a reasonable and accurate estimate of time to move to a facility of their choice.

6. Concerns about the quality of care in residential care facilities. Seniors and family members shared stories of their experiences with residential care that ran the gamut from “exceptional” to “appalling”. The care and compassion of staff was the most cited reason for satisfaction, and lack of staff and food quality were most often cited as reasons for dissatisfaction. In some communities, residential care facilities offered a single room with en suite bath, while others had more limited options, including four beds to a room with shared bath, while charging residents the same – 80% of income. Concerns were expressed by unique populations, most notably the multicultural, First Nations and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and queer (LGBTQ) communities, about discrimination in residential care and assisted living and the lack of culturally sensitive care. Many service providers acknowledged the need for more education and training to ensure that all residents feel safe and respected regardless of their ethnicity or sexual orientation

7. Proper dementia care. Whether seniors were housed in a residential care facility or in the community, there were concerns about the availability of supports necessary to provide proper dementia care. In facilities, this related to the physical environment, the training and clinical expertise of staff, the level of staffing and the use of antipsychotic drugs. In touring several facilities and meeting with service providers, it was clear that best practices are in place in some facilities and not others. Proper training of staff, the proper number and complement of staff including recreational, occupational and physical therapists, and the use and tracking of anti-psychotic medication varied across the province. In the community, there are concerns about getting support when needed and in properly addressing the possibility for those with dementia to wander and get lost. Linking families that are caring for a loved one with dementia to community resources is a challenge in some places, particularly in more rural and remote parts of the province.

8. Fragmentation of services. Seniors recognize that a significant number of services and supports are available to them; however, knowing what those services are and how to access them can be difficult, and navigating the application paperwork involved is daunting. A streamlined system of access, and better awareness of what services and supports are available, is required before the government and health authorities can be confident that the services they offer to seniors are actually being delivered.

9. Caregiver burnout. A significant number of seniors spoke of their role as an unpaid caregiver to a spouse or parent who is most often suffering from dementia. Seniors were unanimous in their commitment to care for their loved one and in their willingness to sacrifice many of their own needs, but they clearly require more support. Additional resources ranging from day programs that have been reduced or eliminated, to respite beds that are either overbooked or not available, to using home support as respite, not just care, were among the supports identified as lacking

10. Elder abuse. Seniors, service providers and stakeholders all shared their worries about the growing abuse of seniors. Concerns include:
abuse by paid caregivers, and questions about the regulatory adequacy of the Care Aid Registry to monitor:

• the concern about abuse of seniors within families, particularly financial abuse;
• resident-on-resident abuse in care facilities;
• conflict between concerns of self-abuse / neglect and personal autonomy.

 11. An ageist society that devalues seniors. A clear message from seniors was their strong desire to ensure that society values what they can do and their sense that they often feel “invisible”. While some seniors do need assistance, seniors actively contribute to their communities in many ways and their contributions should be recognized. Many, many seniors expressed their dismay at the portrayal of seniors as a drain on the system. Seniors spoke of the contributions they make as volunteers, as unpaid caregivers and donors to many philanthropic causes, and pointed to the taxes they pay and have paid in support of services available to all British Columbians.

12. A lack of respect for the decision-making abilities of seniors. While it is recognized that some seniors lack the capacity to make sound decisions, many seniors feel that long before this happens, care professionals and even family members begin to assume they know what is best for seniors. Respecting the right of seniors to make their own decisions will require a paradigm shift for everyone who is involved in the lives of seniors.

13. Challenges faced by the multicultural community. The multicultural community is concerned about a number of challenges faced by seniors who came to Canada from other countries. Their financial status can be precarious as they are often not able to enjoy the full benefit of a number of entitlements, and their isolation and loneliness can be exacerbated by language barriers. While not wholly successful in directly reaching some seniors in the multicultural communities, the Advocate focused, by necessity, more on the stakeholders and providers who serve them

Issues for Seniors in Canada

Aging seniors and their families are faced by the complexity of issues facing the elderly. Not only do older people have to contend with declining income, increased debt and poor investment returns, but they have to deal with declining health, medical crises, complex insurance programs, long term care challenges, who-gets-what decisions, end-of-life, where to live in their final years and a whole range of other difficult situations requiring hard decisions.

The Government of Canada and the Canadian Retired Teachers Umbrella organization have identified the following issues as important to Canadians. They may disagree on their solutions, but the problems identified are of concern to both groups.

1.       Health Care including Dementia and other cognitive impairments; lack of Doctors, Social Workers and others trained in how to treat or deal with Geriatricians; Health Accord Funding, and the lack of a National Phamacare programme; the sustainability of medicare, and the issue of end of life care.

2.       Poverty among Seniors, including Seniors Housing, and Pension Reform

The biggest challenges any  community faces with regard to caring for the aging are (1) the lack of awareness and connection to existing systems and supports; (2) the lack of coordination among many existing programs and resources; and (3) the fact that we tend to age differently based on our demographics, environment, formative experiences, and lifestyle.

Our structural orientation towards aging can assign resources in ways that do not always address the highest need. Aging is a process, not a number. Age is as much social as it is biological, and how we age affects our relationships and the ways we think about ourselves and how we think about our place in society.

As we age, the realities of our changing ability to engage the social and physical world affect us all. There is a need for investments to address seniors’ access to places, assistance, and resources. This includes improving how older adults learn about and approach the existing network of support and how they are thereby able to access physically services and amenities throughout the community. Connecting more seniors to the resources that are already available will make an immediate quality of life impact within the community, and will help reduce long-term crisis intervention and chronic illness costs.

At the local and provincial level, agencies and groups working with seniors could provide new and more efficient ways to help seniors and their caregivers navigate through existing programs and resources. This would make a distinct impact for seniors almost immediately.

Community investments can improve how senior advocates and stakeholders coordinate and collaborate across domains and providers. Streamlining the provision of services and the interaction among service providers could make a tremendous long-term holistic impact, leading to a reduction in costs associated with crisis intervention.

One way many seniors can be involved in the community is by volunteering.  A large percentage of seniors want to be active and engaged in their community. In Canada, thirty-six percent of seniors perform volunteer work, with volunteers over 65 contributing about 223 hours a year, compared to the national average of 156 hours. In fact, in 2012, baby boomers and senior adults contributed more than 1 billion volunteer hours. Governments at all levels and community groups should be working together to  support programs and initiatives to encourage and recognize volunteer work by seniors.

The most significant issue facing geriatric medicine right now is that we have an inadequate supply of clinicians who are trained to meet the demands of the aging baby boomers. We do not train nearly enough geriatricians to care for this growing aging population. This is an issue because seniors are living longer and healthier lives than previous generations. Between 2014 and 2036, the average life expectancy for a 65-year-old  in Canada is projected to increase by 1.8 years for women (to 88.8 years) and by 1.9 years for men (to 86.5 years).

Despite this increased longevity, recent statistics tell us that 90 percent of Canadians aged 65 and over live with at least one chronic disease or condition, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory conditions, diabetes, dementia, arthritis, or obesity. Chronic health conditions require more focus than ever before to ensure effective health care support and good health management. In fact, the Alzheimer Society of Canada has estimated that, in 2011, as many as 747 000 Canadians were living with Alzheimer's or related dementias, and that by 2031, this figure could increase to 1.4 million.

There is an issue of ageism. We all have innate prejudices, and we are surrounded by negative stereotypes of the elderly in the media. Many people think of old people as being crippled in nursing homes. Many physicians, who do not know that much about aging, assume every complaint from an older person is simply because they are getting older. We need to educate physicians, including internists who are not specializing in geriatrics; about what are really just age related issues and :

• What is a disease
• What is correctable
• What is preventable

If we are to honour our seniors we should act on the following principles:

Promote Independence, not isolation

Programs and initiatives that support independent living must do so without contributing to isolation. Helping seniors to remain at their current address is only a positive investment until it begins to limit their access to food, medical care, and active living. Making investments that help seniors age where they want to age, and to do so in the context of a supportive community, are as equally important as investing in “aging in place.”

Value Seniors as Assets not liabilities

Valuing seniors as community assets rather than just service-users opens up an array of possibilities for leveraging investments by funding senior programs that provide opportunities for seniors to invest in the lives of others. As seniors are increasingly valued as a community resource, investments in seniors will begin to make an impact in the lives of other seniors and younger generations in whom seniors invest their time.

Work on Early Intervention not late

Preventing injuries, illnesses, and crises in the life of older adults is important to maintaining quality of life as well as improving cost savings for seniors and local support systems. Investments that help prevent falls, malnourishment, and other costly and potentially deadly outcomes are simultaneously economical and empathetic. More broadly, since life expectancy and vulnerability vary across the county (and by race and gender in particular), current benefit eligibility standards for older adults as defined by the ages of 60, 62, and 65 may prove to be too late for some seniors

Some Resources for Seniors in Canada

• 211  Looking for Community, Social, or Government Services?
• Actuarial Report (26^th) on the Canada Pension Plan
• Affordable housing centre
• Age credit
• Age-friendly communities
• Allowance
• Allowance for the Survivor
• Assisted living program
• Canadian Employers for Caregivers Plan (CECP)
• Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
• Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)
• Compassionate care benefits
• Elder abuse awareness
• Elder abuse—It's Time to Face the Reality (video)
• Employment Insurance
• Fairness for the Self-Employed Act
• Family caregivers tax credit
• Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors Forum
• First Nations and Inuit Home and Community Care Program
• Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)
• Home Adaptations for Seniors Independence Program
• Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS)
• Housing first approach
• Information for Caregivers
• Information for Seniors
• International Social Security Agreements
• Investment in affordable housing
• National Seniors Council (NSC)
• National Population Health Study of Neurological Conditions
• National Seniors Day
• New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP)
• Old Age Security (OAS) pension
• Older Workers at Risk of Withdrawing from the Labour Force or Becoming Unemployed: Employers' Views on How to Retain and Attract Older Workers
• On-Reserve Non-Profit Housing Program
• Pension income tax credit
• Planning Your Retirement
• Post-retirement benefit (PRB)
• Power of attorney and joint bank accounts
• Prime Minister's Volunteer Awards
• Protecting Canada's Seniors Act
• RCMP website
• Safe Living Guide: A guide to home safety for seniors
• Canada.ca/Seniors
• Seniors Guidebook to Safety and Security
• Stair Safety at Home
• Targeted initiative for older workers
• ThirdQuarter Initiative
• You CAN Prevent Falls
• Your financial toolkit

Sources: 

http://magazine.uclahealth.org/body.cfm?id=6&action=detail&ref=1073 Winter 2014

http://www.veteransaidbenefit.org/book-21-Critical-Issues-Facing-Aging-Seniors.htm July 2014

Government of Canada Actions for Seniors Report

Meeting the challenges of an Aging Population with Success

ACER-CART Issues for Seniors in the 2015 Election

Social Security and the American Election

This is part of a post by "As Time goes By"  about the problem that the American elite are having with Social Security. 

Huffington Post, Nancy Altman, founding co-director of Social Security Works and the co-author of the best book ever written on Social Security, Social Security Works! subtitled, Why Social Security Isn't Going Broke and How Expanding It Will Help Us All, posted the known policy positions on Social Security of all the candidates who participated in the Republican debate:

JEB BUSH: Privatize Social Security, Raise the Retirement Age As High as 70, End Medicare

BEN CARSON: Views unknown

CHRIS CHRISTIE: Make Social Security a means-tested welfare program and raise eligibility age to 69

TED CRUZ: Privatize Social Security, Raise the Retirement Age, Cut Benefits

CARLY FIORINA: May Raise Retirement Age

JIM GILMORE: Views unknown

LINDSEY GRAHAM: Cut Social Security Benefits for People who are unmarried and have no children

MIKE HUCKABEE: Against cuts but erroneously believes trust fund has been stolen

BOBBY JINDAL: Privatize Social Security

JOHN KASICH: Privatize Social Security, Cut benefits

GEORGE PATAKI: Raise Retirement Age, Shift More Medicare Cost to Seniors and People With Disabilities

RAND PAUL: Raise the Retirement Age to 70, Means-Test Social Security

RICK PERRY: Social Security is a "Ponzi Scheme," "Monstrous Lie"

MARCO RUBIO: Raise the Retirement Age, May Cut Benefits, Privatize Medicare

RICK SANTORUM: Raise Retirement Age, Means Test Social Security, May cut cost of living adjustments for current and future beneficiaries

SCOTT WALKER: Raise the Retirement Age

There seems to be a consensus, or close enough to call it that: all Republican candidates want to damage Social Security and therefore harm old people.

See anyone missing from that list? Yes, Donald Trump who, Altman quotes him as saying:

"'Every Republican wants to do a big number on Social Security, they want to do it on Medicare, they want to do it on Medicaid. And it's not fair to the people that have been paying in for years and now all of the sudden they want to be cut.' He made clear, 'I'm not gonna do that!'"

Democratic frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders both advocate expansion of Social Security.

(You will find links for each candidate's statement at Altman's Huffington Post story.)

Here are a few good links about Social Security:

Did you know that Thomas Paine may have been the first person to think up Social Security. If you are historically minded, Nancy Altman explains.

ABC News lists the modest changes that would ensure Social Security for everyone for the next 75 years.

The National Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM) lists the top ten facts about the program everyone should know.

AARP has a page of facts about Social Security for each state of the union.

The CPBB link I gave you at the top has a lot of charts worth checking out that explain all the great, good things Social Security does for so many millions of Americans.

Let's also congratulate, in absentia, all the wonderful, unnamed people who for 80 years have fought so hard to preserve Social Security against its powerful adversaries - and let's all pledge to be one of them during this endless presidential election season.

- See more: 

How do I decide what to leave/give away or store when I move?

We just moved my mother-in-law who is 88 from her three bedroom town home to a one bedroom independent living complex. First, the idea of the move was a difficult one that took many months for her to decide she needed to move. Once she made the decision to move, then we needed to sort out what she wanted to take, what she wanted to keep and what she wanted to give away or sell. The process of making those decisions were difficult and very time consuming.

Lucky for us her place took a while to sell, so we were not rushed but the stress was hard on my wife and her mother. Downsizing is not easy but it is a situation that many of us will have to face. Here are some of the ideas that we used to help my mother-in-law move toward making tough decisions. 

One of the first things we asked is would it be necessary in her new situation. In her new place, she had two meals a day provided, so she did not need much in the way of kitchen products, so we sold/gave away or tossed most of her kitchen.

We then looked at if something could be used by her in her new home. If something was useful, but would not fit, we made the decision to sell or to give it away. 

We also looked at the sentimental value of each item to her. While there were certainly items that have sentimental value these were put into storage but if they had no value, we sold them or gave them away. Some people only need one item to represent many of these memories or people, my mother in law was not one of those people.

Finally we looked at collectables. My mother-in-law, collected stuffed toys and books, these were problematic, so in the end we stored them and will probably sell or give them away very soon. It can be difficult to decide what to get rid of. However, when you are forced to make choices, you have the chance to reduce your own consumerism and save more money in the future.

Canada Needs a National Seniors’ Strategy

 Here is an interesting story that I received via email the other day.  I think not only Canada but many countries may need a National Seniors Strategy. The story was written by By Dr. Christopher Simpson, Canadian Medical Association President for the Retired Teachers of BC newsletter. 

ll levels of government are at risk of being overwhelmed by Canada’s growing senior population and the health system’s inability to meet their needs. A national plan to deal with health care for seniors should be high on the agenda for Canada's premiers. The Mental Health Commission of Canada reported that family caregivers in Canada are experiencing extreme stress. Among those aged 15 and over who provide care to an immediate family member with a chronic condition, 16.5 per cent reported very high levels of stress. 

Some 35 per cent of the workforce is providing care to a relative or friend, accounting for an annual loss in productivity of $1.3 billion. Statistics Canada reports that family caregivers contribute an estimated $5 billion of unpaid labour to the health-care system. As our country’s older population grows, the need for care will only multiply. Recent Nanos public opinion polls conducted for the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Nurses Association found that an overwhelming majority of Canadians want the federal parties to improve financial support to family caregivers and to make seniors’ care part of their election platforms.

The tumbling dollar and sagging oil prices may now be getting the headlines but the real story,
however, is how our municipal, provincial and federal treasuries are at risk of being overwhelmed by Canada’s growing senior population and the health-care system’s inability to meet the demand.

The federal government has made a start with the creation of the Employer Panel for Caregivers and the Family Caregiver Tax Credit. However, it must do more to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Canadians caring for family members. For example, making the caregiver tax credit refundable would help mitigate care costs such as paying out of pocket for prescriptions, groceries and personal care items or taking time off work for medical appointments.  Until all levels of government come together to form a comprehensive plan-a Canadian seniors’ strategy, piecemeal initiatives will have a limited impact.

In a way, our generation has become a victim of our own success. Progress and innovation in
medicine mean Canadians are living longer. At the same time, more people are living with chronic diseases that complicate both their health status and the treatment they need. Treatment of chronic diseases consumes 67 per cent of all direct health-care costs. Chronic disease is the main reason seniors require health care. In 2011, between 74 and 90 per cent of Canada’s seniors suffered from at least one chronic condition, while nearly one-quarter had two or more. These conditions jeopardize a person’s ability to live independently at home. On any given day in Canada, “alternative  level of care” patients—that is, patients approved for hospital discharge who cannot access appropriate post-hospital care— occupy about 7,500 beds. 

Hospitals are routinely forced into a state of overcapacity called “code gridlock” in which patient flow grinds to a halt, elective surgeries are cancelled and transfers are put on hold. Code Gridlock is every bit as ominous as it sounds. When a hospital reaches and exceeds its capacity, these two words go out on pagers and smart phones to physicians, administrators, nurses and support staff in hospitals all over Canada. Code Gridlock means that the hospital is so full that patients can't move. Patients in emergency can't go upstairs to a bed because the beds are full. Sometimes ambulances can't offload patients into ER because it is packed—even in the hallways. 

Elective surgeries are cancelled. Transfers from the region are put on hold. Patient flow, as we call it, has ground to a halt. If you are in a car accident or have a heart attack, our health-care system can effectively mobilize world-class acute health-care services. But the system is woefully inadequate and under-resourced to properly prevent, manage or treat the long-term and chronic health problems facing most of our over 65 population. Too often, seniors who could and should be getting better are languishing in hospitals when more efficient and effective care could be delivered in their homes or in a long-term care facility. It costs $1,000 to keep a person in a hospital bed for a day. 

Long-term care costs $130 a day. Home care (excluding the economic costs of caregivers looking after relatives) costs $55. That translates to approximately $2.3 billion a year that could be better spent in the health-care system with some strategic thinking and investing. This country as we know it today was, in fact, built by our seniors—by our own mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles and grandparents. Canada’s health-care providers are determined and committed to prioritizing and improving their health. We expect the same of our country’s leaders. We ask that a comprehensive healthy ageing and seniors’ care strategy be at the top of the agenda for the premiers. 

Canada’s 5.2 million seniors represent almost 15 per cent of the population but account for almost half of all health costs. By 2036, the 65-plus group will account for a quarter of the population, and those over 85 will quadruple. If nothing changes in our health system, seniors will account for 59 per cent of our health costs in 2031. Can our universal health care system remain sustainable? It won’t unless we start rethinking seniors care and how it affects the overall system.