Seventy-six million American children were born between 1945 and 1964 (Wikipedia); as this generation retires, the stock market fluctuates, and retirement funds deplete much quicker than historically, these "baby boomers" are being forced back into employment just to make ends meet. This hard working generation who grew up during a time of impressive social transformation and endured the political and societal backlash of the Vietnam War, are now faced with a distressed economy; they should be relaxing, enjoying retirement, not worrying about how they are going to pay for their mortgage, medical or even grocery bills. Where is the much owed support? Does it even exist? Do you know where to look if it does?
Help is available, and, may be just around the corner, you just need to start looking! Government funds continue to be cut and private funds are rapidly depleting; however, we must seek out and utilize what assistance we can while it lasts. So, where can the aging find support? Well one can look first close to home; friends and family, neighbors, and in your own community, churches, the Salvation Army, and local senior centers. There is also a phone referral service, 2-1-1, available to many communities; simply dial "2-1-1" from your home phone and the operator you are connected with will refer you to available local (city and county) services. Another great resource is your local Area Agency on Aging; you can contact this agency and they will do a free assessment to determine what programs and services you are eligible for; many will even help you apply for aid. And, these services are not only available to the senior, but also to caretakers. Caring for a loved one can be trying, support is available for both caretaker and senior and may include; meals, respite care, in-home care, chore services, home accessibility modifications, etc.
So, can all seniors access assistance? Possibly; it depends on what services are available in your local area. Some states, counties and cities receive more funds than others, thus more assistive services are available. Also a factor in receiving aid is the number of residents living in the home and the annual household income. Sometimes the program will even factor in your medical expenses when determining income eligibility. Some programs simply require you to be 60 years of age or older to seek support; when program funds are low, lower income households become priority.
Even if you don't think support looks promising, you should at least find out what assistance is available and determine if you are eligible. Start by contacting your local resources mentioned above. Also, the following agencies and organizations may be of assistance when seeking aid; if they are not able to help you or your loved one ask them if they can refer you to other agencies or organizations who can.
Aging Resources and Support Services:
Department of Health and Human Services, 1-877-696-6775
Area on Aging Agency 1-800-677-1116
Medicare 1-800-MEDICARE
Veteran's Health Care 1-877-222-VETS (8387)
Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) Co-Pay Relief Program (CPR) 1-866-512-3861
Prescription Assistance Programs patientassistance.com patientassistance.com/
National Council on Aging, Benefits Check Up, helps you find federal, state, local and private programs:
No comments:
Post a Comment