Dallas County Living Well Magazine March/April 2016 | Page 17

Getting Old is Harder Than it Used to Be By Lori A. Leu, Erin W. Peirce, Lauren E. Olson, and Laura J. Chavero programs. If you have the advantage of time to plan in advance, long-term care insurance, or its equivalent, can make all the difference. T hese days, getting old seems to be harder than it used to be. Families live farther apart and aren’t always able to care for each other the way they did in the past. People are living longer, and providing quality care is getting tougher. And, there are many in the “sandwich generation” who are raising children and taking care of parents at the same time. That’s a lot to juggle. Though we can’t reverse the aging process, there are some things we can do to make it a little easier on ourselves and our loved ones. Fraud Awareness: Fraud on seniors happens more than we like to imagine. We see countless cases where seniors have been manipulated by someone they thought they could trust: a son, a daughter, a family friend, a teller at a bank, or even a caregiver. These people befriended the seniors and then abused their position to exploit them, almost always in ways that were financial or material. Take the time to talk to your loved ones regularly about their lives and daily activities and listen carefully for hints that they are struggling to manage on their own. Remind them not to give out their personal information or bank account numbers over the phone, and that anyone who pressures them for money or asks that they withhold information from family members does not have their best interests at heart. Make yourself available to help and make sure they know you care about their well-being and financial security. Know Your Health Care Options: It’s never too early to get the facts on your health care coverage and available public benefits. Many people don’t know what private health insurance and Medicare will and will not cover. People are often shocked to find out that Medicare or their health insurance will not pay for long-term skilled nursing, assisted living, or at-home care, all of which can cost several thousands of dollars a month. Some people can get government benefits, such as Medicaid or Veterans’ benefits, but not everyone qualifies for these public Long-Term Care Planning: Every week, we are asked to help families who are faced with the challenges of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. These situations are difficult for everyone involved. Debilitating illness can become the kind of worst-case scenario that leaves a family in financial ruin due to lost income, medical expenses, and nursing care costs. It’s impossible to plan for every circumstance that could arise in the future, but having your es ]B