TOUCHING HEARTS SENIOR CARE



CERTIFIED DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS

 

 

The caregivers you see in the above photo have passed the Care and Compliance Dementia course tests with 80% or higher.  This training course includes the following segments:

 

• Introduction to Dementia
• Sundowning
• Medication in Dementia Care
• Encouraging Good Nutrition & Hydration
• End of Life
• Aggressive Behaviors
• Sexuality & Promoting Dignity
• Assisting with ADLs
• Therapeutic Interventions & Communication
• Wandering and Elopement
• Health Complications
• Positive Physical Approach and Hand under Hand techniques

 

After a caregiver completes these courses, they understand Dementia, know how to recognize the disease, and know how to respond appropriately to a person with Dementia. 

 

Alabama is still falling short on resources for individuals with Dementia, and there is a huge need for education for the public at large.  Many people do not understand Dementia, and think it is the same as Alzheimer's.  Many people do not know how to recognize Dementia, and think their family member is just mean or uncooperative; nor do people know how to approach someone with the disease. 

 

Touching Hearts Senior Care is taking caregiving to the next level by providing this comprehensive Dementia program to its caregivers.  The caregivers study for 6 months to 1 year to complete the 12 segments to qualify for their certificate.  The staff and caregivers at Touching Hearts take this disease and the training very seriously, and are moving forward to be recognized as the experts in the community on Dementia.

 

If you are interested in getting more information on how to become a Certified Dementia Caregiver or if you are needing assistance with care of a loved one with Dementia, please call 251-445-4204.

Identity Theft Prevention Information

Information provided by the Federal Trade Commission

In the course of a busy day, you may write a check at the grocery store, charge tickets to a ball game, rent a car, mail your tax returns, change service providers for your cell phone, or apply for a credit card.  Chances are you don’t give these transactions a second thought.  But an identity thief does.

Identity theft is a serious crime.  People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years-and thousands of dollars-cleaning up the mess the thieves have made of a good name and credit record.  In the meantime, victims of identity theft may lose job opportunities, be refused loans for education, housing or cars, and even get arrested for crimes they didn’t commit.  Humiliation, anger, and frustration are among the feelings victims experience as they navigate the process of rescuing their identity.

The following are some tips on how to protect your information:

·         Read your credit reports—you have the right to a free credit report every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies, or you can try www.creditkarma.com

·         Read your bank, credit card, and account statements and the explanation of medical benefits from your health plan.  If a statement has mistakes or doesn’t come on time, contact the business.

·         Shred all documents that show personal, financial, and medical information before you throw them away.

·         Don’t respond to email, text, and phone messages that ask for personal information.  Legitimate companies don’t ask for information this way.  Delete the messages.

·         Create passwords that mix letters, numbers, and special characters.  Don’t use the same password for more than one account.

·         If you shop online, use websites that protect your financial information with encryption.  An encrypted site has “https” at the beginning of the web address; “s” is for secure.

Red Flags of Identity Theft

·         Mistakes on bank, credit card or other account statements

·         Medical Benefits mistakes from your health plan

·         Your regular bills and account statements don’t arrive on time

·         Bill collection or notices for products or services you did not receive

·         Calls from debt collectors for debts that don’t belong to you.

·         A notice from the IRS that someone used your social security number

·         Mail, email or calls about accounts or jobs in your minor child’s name

·         Businesses turn down your checks

·         You are turned down unexpectedly for a job.

Protect yourself and your identity.  For more information, please visit www.ftc.gov/idtheft

VA TO IMPOSE THREE YEAR LOOKBACK PERIOD IMMINENTLY! By Kyla Kelim

BREAKING NEWS!  VA TO IMPOSE THREE YEAR LOOKBACK PERIOD IMMINENTLY!

 

Under current law, Veterans and their spouses are entitled to a much needed stipend, Aid and Attendance, to offset the rising costs of their healthcare needs and avoid nursing home placement.  The current monthly needs amount of $2,120.00 for married veterans and $1149 for surviving spouses are in jeopardy. 

 

The Veterans Administration recently released new regulations that are currently subject to a period for public comment.  One of the proposed regulations will impose a three year “look-back period”, similar to that imposed for Medicaid benefits, upon Veterans.  What this means is that those veterans who are able to get benefits, have sacrificed by serving during wartime and have counted on the VA to fulfill their promise to take care of the Vets and their families, will find it difficult, if not impossible, to qualify for the benefits without substantially eroding their personal savings.  Monies transferred would result in a period of ineligibility for benefits, up to a TEN year period.

 

It is important to note that Congress has made several attempts to have this type of rule put into place in the last several years but political pressure has stranded the unpopular measure.  The agency is under no such pressure.

 

I encourage EVERYONE to immediately review their plans with an elder law attorney in order to avoid being disqualified for much needed benefits.  You should also call or email your Congressman immediately to let them know that this regulation, which will impoverish those that have sacrificed, should not go into effect.  You can find your congressman here:  http://www.opencongress.org/people/zipcodelookup.   

 

Suggested text should be:

 

                               

RE:          Loan Guaranty: Adjustable Rate Mortgage Notification Requirements and

Look-Back Period, 80 Fed. Reg. 4812 (January 25, 2015)

Dear Congressman (or Senator):

 

I am aware that the Veterans Administration has issued regulations that are now undergoing a period of public comment.  I am outraged that the VA will impose regulations that are designed to impoverish our Veterans after their years of service.  The regulations are not carefully constructed to ensure the Veteran and his spouse are not left impoverished, quite the contrary.  In addition, there are no hardship provisions, no provisions to leave property for the Veteran’s disabled children, and goes further to impose a draconian 10 year penalty.

 

This is not the way to treat our Veterans.  All this is being done without the input of our elected representatives and I am outraged.  I am requesting that these regulations be withdrawn and that the Veterans Administration keep their commitment to honoring and serving those who have already sacrificed so much for our freedom.

 

Signed,  Your name

 

Please call Aging in Alabama with any questions, always a free telephone consultation:  (251) 281-8120 or (855) ELD-RLAW.

Finance & Consumer Resources

Finance & Consumer Resources

Into Reverse with Caution: Details about Reverse Mortgages

 

In the past, you handed over a monthly payment to your mortgage lender. Now there's a mortgage product, aptly named, that reverses the payment process. In a reverse mortgage, the lender pays you an amount of money that depends on your age, your home's value, and the loan's interest rate. To qualify for a reverse mortgage, you must be at least 62 years old, have equity in your home, and your home must be your principal residence. If more than one person owns the home, the youngest owner must be at least 62.

 

Under this plan, you make no monthly loan payments as long as you continue to live in your home. Ultimately, the loan—including the amount you borrowed, plus interest and any loan fees you rolled into the loan—will be paid off when you or your heirs sell your house.

 

Who could benefit?

Borrowers perhaps best suited to a reverse mortgage are those who are seeking financial security. They have plenty of money in their house, but they can't afford a home equity loan because they'd have to make monthly payments. They're on a fixed income. Being house-rich and cash-poor, these borrowers often face difficulties in meeting ordinary living expenses, medical bills, home repair costs, and property taxes. Selling their home seems the only way to make ends meet. A reverse mortgage offers another option.

 

However, there are tradeoffs and pitfalls. Opting for a reverse mortgage is a complex, often difficult decision.

 

Things to Consider

Your house may be the biggest asset you have to pass on to your heirs. But in a reverse mortgage, the payments you receive come from your home's equity. Your heirs will get less of that asset, based on how much you end up borrowing against your home equity. Only you can decide how important this issue is.

Keep in mind, too, that reverse mortgages come with sizable fees that may be as much as 5% to 6% of the home's value. You can roll these fees into the loan. Still, that increases the amount you'll borrow and adds to the amount of interest you'll pay. Because of the high fees, reverse mortgages aren't a good option if you think you'll be selling your home in the next couple of years, advises Bronwyn Belling, reverse mortgage specialist with AARP, Washington, D.C. "You want to be sure you're going to stay in the house," she says, "so you can amortize those fees over a longer period of time. Then the effective cost to you is less.” “Also," Belling adds, "it’s better to consider this type of loan when you're older, rather than younger." You can borrow a larger percentage of your home's value based on your age, or the age of the youngest borrower among the home's owners.

Still other factors affect how well this loan will work for you. Typically, reverse mortgages are adjustable-rate loans, with a lifetime cap. Interest rates can climb. Your home's value can change, as can your health and your ability to continue living in your home. All of these, Belling points out, "ultimately drive what the real costs of a reverse mortgage are to you in the end." You'll also need to find out whether receiving this money will affect your Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income benefits.

 

Much to learn

Which type of reverse mortgage is right for you? In the U.S., the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), which is federally insured, is the most common. More than 95% of reverse mortgages are HECMs, according to Belling. Another type is Fannie Mae's Home Keeper^®.

 

Other key decisions include: Do you want your money in a lump sum, as monthly payments, as a credit line to draw on as needed, or some combination of these?

All U.S. prospective borrowers who wish to apply for a HECM must talk to an independent, objective housing counselor who works for an agency (some charge a fee) approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

 

Belling concludes, "For some people, a reverse mortgage is not a good idea. For others, it's a godsend."

 

—By Dianne Molvig

Home & Family Finance Resource Center

http://hffo.cuna.org/331/article/930/html