Aging isn't a process one should passively allow to happen. It often takes effort and education to do so comfortably.
Photo provided
Priscilla is a divorced business owner in her early 60s who provides care for her 90-year-old mother, Happy. Pictured here painting together, Priscilla and Happy are the subject of one of the powerful stories featured in PBS's “Caring for Your Parents” documentary to air this week.
Priscilla is a divorced business owner in her early 60s who provides care for her 90-year-old mother, Happy. Pictured here painting together, Priscilla and Happy are the subject of one of the powerful stories featured in PBS's “Caring for Your Parents” documentary to air this week.
The Cayuga County Office of the Aging has organized a series of events in April to educate seniors and caregivers on how to ease the transitions that come with aging.
“These are concerns people so easily put off until later, but they need to take the time to look into them now,” said Brenda Wiemann, an aging services specialist with the Office of the Aging. “Families are in crisis because they haven't thought about the issues.”
A PBS special documentary premiering this week, “Caring for Your Parents,” will focus on the burdens besetting most caregiving families. The filmmakers examine problems such as tensions between siblings and keeping parents at home, as well as the difficulty of discussing funeral arrangements, living wills and financial matters. Love, the documentary suggests, is the crux of caregiving.
“The family by necessity becomes involved, and it can be extremely time-consuming and potentially expensive,” said Flo Peters of Peter's Financial Services who conducts seminars on long-term care issues. “It'll disrupt the family quicker than anything.”
The special concludes with “A Conversation about Caring,” a panel discussion led by former NBC medical correspondent Dr. Art Ulene. The panel will provide advice on starting the dialogue between caregivers and parents, which often marks the most difficult step in the process.
Locally, following the premiere is an elder law seminar with the Karpinski, Stapleton, Galbato & Tehan firm. The meeting will complement the emotional focus of “Caring for Your Parents” with a more detail-oriented run-down of key issues caregivers and seniors must resolve together, such as asset preservation and Power of Attorney.
“We do long-term care insurance workshops, but often people want to know more about trusts and estate planning and things like that,” Wiemann said.
This particular financial planning workshop has not been offered to seniors in a few years. Wiemann and fellow aging services specialist Janet Taylor expect it will help clear up misconceptions about issues like long-term care insurance.
“You're getting things in place and assuring piece of mind before a crisis occurs,” Taylor said.
Wiemann points out that the scope of Medicare is often mistaken and the elderly are “shocked” to learn that only rehabilitation and recovery are covered by the program. Others are pleasantly surprised to learn that couples can keep significantly more assets than singles while still qualifying for Medicaid. Rules like these must be considered to optimize care.
“Financial planning has to be done far in advance,” Wiemann said. “You can't buy long-term insurance when you're already sick; that'd be like buying fire insurance when the house is burning down.”
An additional long-term care seminar later in April will outline financing issues and insurance options for elderly and caregiver audiences.
To follow up on what they learn at the two seminars, attendees will be able to schedule free personalized appointments with attorneys through the New York State Bar Association's Elder Law Section in late April. The experts will be able to help seniors and their caregivers improve their situations.
Wiemann expects that these appointments, along with the other opportunities the Office of the Aging will offer this month to educate seniors and caregivers, will lead to less stressful times ahead.
“Learning this information helps people not have a lot of worrying to do,” she said. “It's a sense of relief.”
If you go
What: Elder Law
Seminar
When: 6:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 9
Where: Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES
To register: Call
BOCES at 253-4899
or the Cayuga County Office of the Aging at 253-1017 by Monday, April 7
What: Long-term care insurance information seminar
When: Noon
Wednesday, April 23
Where: Seymour Library, 176 Genesee St., Auburn
For more: Call Brenda
Wiemann at 253-1017
What: Senior law clinic
When: 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 26
Where: First United Methodist Church, 99 South St., Auburn
To register: Call 253-1226; advance registration is required
“These are concerns people so easily put off until later, but they need to take the time to look into them now,” said Brenda Wiemann, an aging services specialist with the Office of the Aging. “Families are in crisis because they haven't thought about the issues.”
A PBS special documentary premiering this week, “Caring for Your Parents,” will focus on the burdens besetting most caregiving families. The filmmakers examine problems such as tensions between siblings and keeping parents at home, as well as the difficulty of discussing funeral arrangements, living wills and financial matters. Love, the documentary suggests, is the crux of caregiving.
“The family by necessity becomes involved, and it can be extremely time-consuming and potentially expensive,” said Flo Peters of Peter's Financial Services who conducts seminars on long-term care issues. “It'll disrupt the family quicker than anything.”
The special concludes with “A Conversation about Caring,” a panel discussion led by former NBC medical correspondent Dr. Art Ulene. The panel will provide advice on starting the dialogue between caregivers and parents, which often marks the most difficult step in the process.
Locally, following the premiere is an elder law seminar with the Karpinski, Stapleton, Galbato & Tehan firm. The meeting will complement the emotional focus of “Caring for Your Parents” with a more detail-oriented run-down of key issues caregivers and seniors must resolve together, such as asset preservation and Power of Attorney.
“We do long-term care insurance workshops, but often people want to know more about trusts and estate planning and things like that,” Wiemann said.
This particular financial planning workshop has not been offered to seniors in a few years. Wiemann and fellow aging services specialist Janet Taylor expect it will help clear up misconceptions about issues like long-term care insurance.
“You're getting things in place and assuring piece of mind before a crisis occurs,” Taylor said.
Wiemann points out that the scope of Medicare is often mistaken and the elderly are “shocked” to learn that only rehabilitation and recovery are covered by the program. Others are pleasantly surprised to learn that couples can keep significantly more assets than singles while still qualifying for Medicaid. Rules like these must be considered to optimize care.
“Financial planning has to be done far in advance,” Wiemann said. “You can't buy long-term insurance when you're already sick; that'd be like buying fire insurance when the house is burning down.”
An additional long-term care seminar later in April will outline financing issues and insurance options for elderly and caregiver audiences.
To follow up on what they learn at the two seminars, attendees will be able to schedule free personalized appointments with attorneys through the New York State Bar Association's Elder Law Section in late April. The experts will be able to help seniors and their caregivers improve their situations.
Wiemann expects that these appointments, along with the other opportunities the Office of the Aging will offer this month to educate seniors and caregivers, will lead to less stressful times ahead.
“Learning this information helps people not have a lot of worrying to do,” she said. “It's a sense of relief.”
If you go
What: Elder Law
Seminar
When: 6:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 9
Where: Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES
To register: Call
BOCES at 253-4899
or the Cayuga County Office of the Aging at 253-1017 by Monday, April 7
What: Long-term care insurance information seminar
When: Noon
Wednesday, April 23
Where: Seymour Library, 176 Genesee St., Auburn
For more: Call Brenda
Wiemann at 253-1017
What: Senior law clinic
When: 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 26
Where: First United Methodist Church, 99 South St., Auburn
To register: Call 253-1226; advance registration is required
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