Caregivers and Seniors Dilemma - Medicine, Food or Gasoline?

Caregivers and care-receivers can face a multiple choice in the current economy - medicine, gasoline, or food? Solving the problem can be like trying to find one's way through a maze and running into a wall at every turn. Forget about trying to hang on to luxuries. Many are trying to decide whether they can afford their prescription, a trip across town to a medical provider, or enough food for a nutritious diet. Below are some places to look for help on the internet.

1. FOOD RESOURCES: At the website for FRAC, the Food Research and Action Center, "Fighting Hunger In America" there are resources to help. A portion of the website is dedicated to the elderly, and has information about programs you can turn to for assistance.

Seniors Centers across the United States often have a commodities program (groceries), a brown bag program, and a senior nutrition program (hot lunches served or delivered, donation optional).

2. GASOLINE PRICE RESOURCES: If you visit gasbuddy.com you can type in your location and find the cheapest gas.

3. MEDICAL AND MEDICINE RESOURCES: The Medicare website offers explanations about prescription plans, bridging the coverage gap, and a long term care planning tool. AARP offers many resources and articles. Senior-health-insurance is a website that provides a service of helping seniors compare health insurance plans. Seniors centers often have programs to provide health insurance counseling and advice, low cost health screening and free or low cost seminars. ReverseHelpline has a variety of information and warnings about reverse mortgages.

AARP - Specialty Assisted Living Can Include Creative Options Such as RV Living, Pets, Making Wine, Organic Gardening and More

AARP has an article explaining that creative assisted living facilities can offer options such as (1) community gardens with mountain views, (2) making award winning wines , (3) pets (4) putting courses for the golfer, (5) Japanese themes, (6) woodland paths and other opportunities for residents to enjoy, (7) living in an RV park with assisted care. AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) has the article in their Bulletin, titled "Assisted Living - 10 Great Ideas" by Barbara Basler, describing creative specialty assisted care.

The article starts by describing Ray Croft, 77, who "zips around the gardens of Oatfield Estates in his motorized wheelchair carrying a large watering can." There he raises prize winning black eyed Susans, and works with "the organic vegetable gardens and colorful flower gardens, while enjoying breathtaking mountain views."

Residents live in their own RV's at Rainbow's End, Livingston, Texas. Each morning residents leave their RV, with assistance if needed, and go a few steps to the center, where assistance is available for bathing, dressing and medications. Nurses are available for health care. This is not technically assisted care, since residents still live in their own home, an RV, but has many of the same features.

AARP Reports on Long Term Care Trends

A new report from the AARP says meeting the upcoming demands for workers in Long Term Care will be difficult without recruiting and retaining more workers. The report said that " low wages, low prestige and dangerous working conditions will have to improve to expand the number of workers who fill difficult tasks associated with LTC." At the website for the American Association of Retired Persons you can read their article titled Long Term Care Trends, Comparing Long Term Care in Germany and the United States: What Can We Learn From Each Other? The research paper is by Mary Jo Gibson, AARP Public Policy Institute, and Donald L. Redfoot, AARP Public Policy Institute.

The article said the United States has made progress in (1) shifting from institutions to home based care (2) "strong civil rights protections for people with disabilities, including protections against unnecessary institutionalization "(3) regulations and monitoring that has resulted in improvements in care quality and (4) innovation in areas such as assisted living.

In Germany progress has been made in (1) universal coverage based on disability not income, (2) consumer choice (3) support for family caregivers (4) relieving fiscal pressures on government while maintaining LTC spending similar to U.S. (5) and "developing uniform standards of quality."