Thousands of lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexual seniors who fought the earliest battles for equality are now so fearful of the care they need in their old age that they are going back into the closet, are afraid to ask for help, and are dying sooner.  But a small group of young and old is trying to change that...

SeniorCare Opens Additional Office at Cummings Center

Convenient Access to Aging and Disability Services for Residents of the Greater Beverly Area

 

Beverly, MA- SeniorCare Inc. is pleased to announce the opening of an additional office in Beverly at 106-H Cummings Center.  SeniorCare currently serves more consumers in Beverly than in any of the other communities it serves, and the opening of the Cummings Center office is seen as a way to increase service availability to the public in Beverly, but also in several surrounding communities.  The office is open now, and walk-ins are welcome.  The Beverly office will be staffed on week days from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.  

 “The new office will add convenience for consumers to access information and services, and provide greater opportunities for public and professional education regarding the elders and disabled people we serve,” said Scott Trenti, Executive Director of SeniorCare. 

SeniorCare Inc., founded in 1972, has its main office in Gloucester at 49 Blackburn Center.  It is the federally designated Area Agency on Aging and Massachusetts Aging Services Access Point serving the following cities and towns: Beverly, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport, Topsfield and Wenham.  The agency is consumer-focused, providing and coordinating services to elders and disabled adults, enabling them to live independently at home or in the setting of their choice.  Board members who volunteer their service to the organization come from the communities served, and more than half are elders.  The following Beverly residents currently serve on SeniorCare’s board: Linda Anderson-Mercier; Randolph D. Maloney, MD, FACS; Thomas E. Sullivan, MD; and George A. Winston.

 In Beverly alone, there are nearly 14,000 residents aged 60 and over, all of whom can potentially benefit from SeniorCare services, such as Meals on Wheels, Options Counseling, Home Care, Protective Services, or seamless referral to other services or agencies within the Aging and Disability Resource Consortium of the Greater North Shore Inc. 

SeniorCare Inc. is available online at http://www.seniorcareinc.org or by calling 978-281-1750, or our toll free line 1-866-927-1050.  Email pr@seniorcareinc.org.   Find SeniorCare on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/seniorcareinc.org. 

SeniorCare and NeedyMeds Announce Drug Discount Card Partnership

 

Gloucester, MA~SeniorCare Inc. recently announced an opportunity for those they serve to save money on prescription drugs through a program with NeedyMeds, a Gloucester-based national non-profit. The drug discount card, which is widely accepted by major chains and local pharmacies, provides a discount of up to 80% on prescription drugs and other medical supplies.

The free drug discount card is a joint project of NeedyMeds and SeniorCare. The card may be used to obtain a discount on prescription medications, over-the-counter medications or medical supplies written as a prescription, as well as pet medications purchased at a pharmacy.

 

The card is available during normal business hours, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at SeniorCare’s main office at 49 Blackburn Center, Gloucester (the card will also be available after March 4 at SeniorCare’s additional site in Beverly at 100 Cummings Center, Suite 106-H M-F from 9-4).

 

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with SeniorCare and hope this resource will contribute to the good work the organization is already doing supporting elders in the community,” said NeedyMeds President Richard Sagall, MD.  "Although the card can't be used in combination with insurance or state or federal programs, many seniors find it helps for medicines not covered by their insurance or if they’re in the Medicare Part D Donut Hole."

 

"One thing we really like about the card," said Scott Trenti, Executive Director of SeniorCare, "is that there is no tracking by individual. No one knows who is using the card or what medications they are buying. We value privacy and this card maintains user confidentiality.  We recognize that the cost of medications is very hard on people and are hoping that the Needy Meds card will help to defer some costs.”

 

SeniorCare (http://www.seniorcareinc.org) is part of the Aging and Disability Resources Consortium of the Greater North Shore and is the regional consumer-centered elder and disability service agency for Beverly, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport, Topsfield, and Wenham.  The agency administers programs such as the Massachusetts Home Care Program and Meals on Wheels, and their primary focus is on assisting elders and disabled adults to live more independently within their communities.

 

NeedyMeds, a national nonprofit, is a comprehensive and reliable source of information on assistance programs available for people having difficulties paying for their medications or health care. The website (http://www.needymeds.org) is visited by approximately 17,000 people each workday. NeedyMeds' information is always free, easy to access, and updated regularly. Unlike similar sites, NeedyMeds requires no registration and gathers no identifiable information on site visitors.

 

The NeedyMeds card is accepted at over 70,000 pharmacies nationwide and anyone, regardless of age, insurance status or income level, may use the card. An entire family can use the same card or each person can have their own.

 

Contact SeniorCare at 978-281-1750 or 1-866-927-1050 (toll free).  Contact NeedyMeds at 978-281-6666.

 

 

 

SeniorCare has announced that it will open an additional office location in Beverly.  It is expected that the office, which will be located at 100 Cummings Center, Suite 106-H, will be ready for business on or about March 1st.  The site will be staffed from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays.  There will be a formal ribbon cutting ceremony in May, during Older Americans Month.  

Unbeknownst to family and friends, many seniors struggle with the cost of heating their homes.  They may not want to burden relatives by asking for help, yet may be ineligible for assistance programs if their income isn't quite low enough to qualify.  That, coupled with frigid winter temperatures, is often a real health concern, as they try lower thermostats to save money, but at the same time have a diminished ability to retain body warmth due to age or infirmity.  

http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/eohhs/olmstead/olmstead-plan.pdf

Read the News Release: 

There is an organization that collectively represents the Aging Services Access Points (also known as Age Info Centers) in Massachusetts.  Mass Home Care keeps its members and seniors informed about legislative activities 

Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of New York and New Jersey, and many residents were unprepared for the magnitude of the difficulties they faced.  You may be less well prepared than you think, too, so SeniorCare is hoping that you will revisit your preparedness plans. 

Gloucester, MA – As financial exploitation targeting older adults continues to become more prevalent in the United States, SeniorCare joined a nationwide campaign to encourage older adults and their families to address the issue and to get informed about the warning signs and resources available to help prevent abuse.  Research shows that as many as 5 million older adults are victims of elder abuse each year and financial exploitation costs seniors an estimated $3 billion annually.

 

As part of its 10th Annual Home for the Holidays campaign, the Eldercare Locator, a public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging that is administered by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a), is encouraging older adults, caregivers and their families to use their time together this holiday season to discuss and get informed about strategies to prevent financial exploitation. The National Center on Elder Abuse partnered with the Eldercare Locator to produce a consumer guide that is now available to help inform this discussion with seniors during the holiday season.  SeniorCare is supporting the campaign by raising awareness for the issue and encouraging families to take steps to prevent financial exploitation this holiday season.

 

“This holiday season is an ideal time for families to get together and discuss these issues with their older family members,” said Jane Militello, Assistant Executive Director of SeniorCare.  “We strongly encourage North Shore and Cape Ann families to take some time to learn about the warning signs so that they can ask the right questions and take the right precautions to ensure that the finances of older adult family members are safe.”

 

There are several signs of financial exploitation for families to check for, including financial activity that is inconsistent with an older adult’s past financial history; confusion about recent financial arrangements; changes to key documents that have not been authorized; a caregiver or beneficiary who refuses to use designated funds for necessary care and treatment of an older adult; and an older adult who feels threatened by a caregiver or another individual who is seeking to control their finances.

 

“Financial exploitation is a threat to the health, safety, dignity and independence of vulnerable older adults,” said Kathy Greenlee, Administrator at the Administration for Community Living and Assistant Secretary for Aging. “This holiday season, we encourage families to spend some time asking older family members some basic questions to ensure that their finances are in good hands and that if there are signs of abuse, that the right steps are taken to stop it.”

 

“Unfortunately, financial exploitation is often committed by a person you know and trust, which makes it even more difficult,” said Sandy Markwood, CEO, n4a.  “There are steps older adults and their families can take and resources available to help identify and remedy this serious problem.  To ensure your safety and the safety and security of your finances, it is critical for you to assess your financial situation on a regular basis.  We are seeing more and more financial abuse across the country which is why this holiday season, we hope families will check in with their older relatives to be sure that their finances are in good order and in good hands.”

 

Families that are concerned about financial exploitation should report the issue to state agencies that deal with protecting the safety and well-being of older adults.  In this area, Adult Protective Services is handled by SeniorCare. The campaign, which encourages older adults and their families to plan and be cautious, released tips to help prevent financial exploitation, some of which include:

 

·         Get an estate plan in place. Talk with an attorney about creating a durable power of attorney for asset management; a living will; a revocable, or living, trust; and health care advance directives.

 

·         Learn how to avoid fraud and scams at www.stopfraud.gov/protect.html.

 

·         Consult with a trusted person before making any large purchases or investments.

 

·         Do not provide personal information (i.e. Social Security number, credit card, ATM PIN number) over the phone unless you placed the call and know with whom you are speaking.

 

·         If you hire someone to help you in your home, ensure that they have been properly screened with criminal background checks completed.  Ask for certifications when appropriate.

 

“Financial exploitation can be prevented if people know the right questions to ask and where to turn for help,” said Mary Twomey, MSW, Co-Director of the National Center on Elder Abuse.  “Although it is a sensitive issue and one that can be difficult to broach, it is critical for families to address it, and there are many useful resources available to guide them through the process.”

 

To download a copy of the financial exploitation brochure, visit: http://www.n4a.org/pdf/protectyourpocketbook.pdf.

 

 About Eldercare Locator

The Eldercare Locator is the first step to finding resources for older adults in any U.S. community and a free national service of the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) that is administered by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a). Contact the Eldercare Locator at 800.677.1116 or www.eldercare.gov. November 2012 marks the 20th Anniversary of the Eldercare Locator, which has received more than 2.3 million calls since it launched in 1992 and assisted millions of older adults and caregivers connect with local aging resources.

 About National Center on Elder Abuse

The U.S. Administration on Aging designated the Program in Geriatrics at the University of California, Irvine as the National Center on Elder Abuse in September 2011. Led by Laura Mosqueda, MD and Mary Twomey, MSW, the center is a clearinghouse for practical information supporting federal, state and local efforts to prevent, identify and effectively respond to elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. It is the national authority on elder abuse in the U.S. www.ncea.aoa.gov

 About SeniorCare

As the regional aging services agency for Beverly, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport, Topsfield and Wenham, SeniorCare administers the Adult Protective Services program, as well as many other programs and services that are intended to assist elders and disabled adults to live more independently within their communities, such as Home Care, Options Counseling, and Meals on Wheels.  Confidential reports of suspected abuse or exploitation of an elder can be made by calling 978-281-1750 or toll free at 1-866-927-1050 and speaking to a trained Information and Referral professional. On holidays and weekends, reports can be made via the Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-800-922-2275. 

 

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NortheastLink Care Management, Spectrum Adult Day Health Program, and SeniorCare Inc. are co-sponsoring "The

Congressman Tierney's web site says that Social Security has funds with which it can pay beneficiaries their full benefits until the year 2037.  But, even if you get your full benefit, how far will that monthly money go?  While Social Security was originally designed as a safety net, many people depend upon it as their sole source of retirement income if they were not able to save, or had some life event that wiped out the savings they had put aside.  So, if you were living just on that fixed income each month, what would it pay for?  AARP has a benefit calculator that can help estimate your Social Security benefits and help you decide the best time to claim Social Security, in addition to calculating approximately what you could expect to be able to pay for out of that monthly check. You can access the calculator by clicking on AARP.

Join us on Wednesday, August 8 from 4-6 PM as we formally open our new office space at 49 Blackburn Center, just up the road from our old digs.  
RSVP to: ilia.stacy@seniorcareinc.org

SeniorCare will honor its volunteers today at an Open House at their new offices in Gloucester.  Volunteers are the heart of any non-profit organization, because they take up the slack to complete tasks that might not get done at all without them.  Sometimes, the people they serve are too impaired physically or mentally even to thank them, but they persevere knowing that they are making a difference in the quality of such people's lives.  A gentle smile from a Meals on Wheels delivery person, or a Money Management Volunteer may be the only smile some people get for days on end.  A warm sweater that a volunteer has lovingly made by hand might be the only brand new item of clothing that a needy child gets all year.  None of these volunteers can possibly know how far the ripple of good will they create will go.  But, we do.  It goes very far, and it is the heart of our organization and of the spirit of neighborly giving.  Thank you to all the volunteers, everywhere, but most especially to ours, who we are honoring today.  We couldn't do it without you!