Hands to Help Seniors

View From A Non-Profit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California Seniors are bracing for more budget cuts this year after a flurry of slashing last year at the state level, the Federal government is now analyzing how to pay seniors less.  One option is to change the index which determines what the cost of living increase (COLA) will be for Social Security recipients, retired government workers and military.  Particularly hard hit will be the latter.  If the government proceeds with its plan to link payments to the chained CPI (C-CPI), it will take a disproportionate toll on veterans, according to a study by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).  23 million veterans would lose $17 billion in benefits according to the AARP calculations.  The youngest disabled would be hit the hardest.  A 30-year old veteran would lose about $100,000 in disability payments, according to the study.  A 65-year old who is not a veteran, in contrast, would lose only $3,900 in benefits over the next decade.  Although the difference in the CPI and the C-CPI is only about 0.3%, this compounds over time and it will be a big hit for retirees.  Although the AARP will lobby against the change, I think at this point it is unlikely the government will back down from implementing the change given our current budget situation.

Please note that this blog reflects my personal opinion and may or may not reflect the opinion of Hands To Help Seniors and the individual members comprising the Board of Governors.

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View From A Non-Profit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California An article in the New York Times today pointed out the difference in retiring today versus 10 years ago.  Many American's leave their jobs at retirement age but then, fearful that they will outlive their income, go back to work at least part time.  Still others start their own businesses.  One frightening statistic was that a recent survey found that while 43% of American's say they can't wait to retire, 41% say they don't expect to retire ever.  "There's no consensus on what retirement is anymore," Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, the director of the Sloan Center on Aging at Work at Boston College told the New York Times.  "We're starting to rethink it.  Truly, today's grandparents are not like any grandparents.  The experience of aging is different.  People say, 'I'm not done yet.'  A Boston College study in October found that 53% of Americans were "at risk" of being unable to maintain their pre-retirement standard of living once they retire, up from 30% in 1989.  And a study last year by the Employee Benefit Research Institute found that 44% may not have enough money to meet their basic needs in retirement.  These are sad statistics that all baby boomers contemplating retirement need to consider.

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View From A Non-Profit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California

One of the biggest problems for seniors going into the hospital for something minor is the risk of getting infection.  As we get older, our immune system finds it increasingly difficult to fight off disease.  Despite valiant efforts to prevent infections, most hospitals are in a constant battle against staph and other very contagious infections.   Both of our Platinum sponsors, Alliance Home Health and Family inHome Caregiving, deal with clients that this happens to on a frequent basis.  It's very disturbing both for the patient and for their friends and family.  I was glad to read in today's Wall Street Journal that some hospitals are going the extra mile to make sure that their patients don't get infections when scheduled for surgery.  The article profiled a man who was going to have hip replacement surgery.  Two weeks prior, he was at the hospital prepping.  First his nose was swabbed for staph and then he attended a class on how to shower with anti-infective soap.  One frightening statistic : some infections fester and aren't detected until two years after the surgery.  In rare cases, amputation is necessary.  Knee and hip replacement surgeries are performed 1.1 million times per year and infection rates range from 1.6-2.4%, or 20,000 infections per year.  Simple things like making sure the patients sleep on clean sheets prior to surgery, and shave with an electric razor rather than a razor blade, can significantly reduce the potential for infection.  That's great news, because going through an infection after surgery can be very painful and debilitating.  I am glad to see the medical community is offering education to patients so infection rates can be reduced.

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View From A Non-Profit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California

The city of Seaside is pulling out all of the stops to try and meet a deadline which will allow them to get millions of dollars from the federal government to fund a Veteran's cemetery on the old Ford Ord.  On Thursday, the City Council approved a plan to transfer 78 acres of Parker Flats land, which was part of 178 acres set aside in the 1997 Ford Ord reuse plan for a Veterans cemetery, to the state by March 21.  This will allow the state to apply for $25 mil. in Federal grant money, something which must be done by August 15 in order to qualify.  Many are worried that the grant won't go through given the current fiscal mess in Washington D.C., but they must at least try.  If the state is unsuccessful, the land will revert back to the city of Seaside.  The remaining 100 acres may be sold to provide an endowment fund which would pay for upkeep on the new cemetery. I hope they are successful.  This project has been in the works for over a decade.

http://www.montereyherald.com/news/ci_22751177/seaside-rushes-secure-veterans-cemetery-funding

About Richard Kuehn & Hands to Help Seniors:

After more than a decade of caregiving, both in a professional environment and for a 97 year old family member, it became clear to me that there are many seniors that can't afford to pay for a private duty caregiver, not to mention medical expenses, food and property taxes on their home.  I decided to form a non-profit to help seniors with any service they might need to get by, should they be unable to afford this themselves.  From putting on a new roof to providing a hot meal, Hands to Help Seniors is there to help.  Please visit my blog where I talk about important senior issues at:

http://www.h2hs.org/news-and-media.html

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View From A Non-Profit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California

I was happy to read that two wireless carriers are starting to offer free phones and monthly plans including 250 minutes and 250 text messages for those who make less than $14,702, even the homeless.  Technology is definitely moving us forward.  Prior to this announcement, telephone companies did provide free landlines to the needy, but obviously these are becoming obsolete and not available to the homeless.  The California Public Utilities Commission approved the plan which will be funded in part through the Federal Communications Commission's Lifeline program.  Non-profits helping the poor will now be scouring low-income housing projects and shelters to get the word out about the program.  Sprint is one of the companies offering the cell phones via its Assurance Wireless division, while Reach Out Wireless will also offer the service.  What a great service for those who were unable to keep in contact with friends and family prior to this offering.

Please note that this blog reflects my personal opinion and may or may not reflect the opinion of Hands To Help Seniors and the individual members comprising the Board of Governors.

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