SENIOR SPIRIT
Living Longer & Loving It
PETS WORK MIRACLES
Growing therapy trend benefits seniors
By Shari Bernard, OTR
It was a normal day. Thelma was caring for her grandchildren in her trailer home. But before the day was done, nothing would ever be normal for Thelma again. The simple task of lighting the pilot on her heater ignited the trailer into a raging inferno. She managed to save the children, but 80 percent of her body was horribly burned/ Thelma lost her legs, her ears, the ends of her fingers and nearly her life.
After two months in the hospital, she was still delirious with pain, despite heavy medication. One day, Delight, a Pembroke Welsh corgi, came to visit. From the foggy recesses of her mind, Thelma became aware of the dog and yelled, "Hey, bring that dog with the cute hiney butt back here." Delight became Thelma's therapy partner, letting Thelma brush her coat and standing by to encourage as the patient learned to walk on double prostheses. Ultimately, Thelma left the hospital having been rehabilitated to a lever unimaginable in one with such severe burns.
Over the last 15 years, I've watched pets work miracles with seniors, children and accident victims of all ages. And while many facilities offer pet visitation for the purposes of pleasure and socialization, Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) adds a trained and tested animal to the therapy prescription. The animal's companionship, support and responsiveness encourage the extra effort required to walk further, overcome discouragement and exceed previous limits.
During these same treatment sessions, cognitive and perceptual deficits can also be addressed, as well as psycho-social benefits, including building rapport, increasing self-esteem and reducing stress. AAT is a holistic approach that succeeds often after all hope is lost.
For that reason, many hospitals and rehabilitation centers have or are adding AAT programs. Through the work of my foundation, Therapet, I've helped establish a number of these programs in Montana, Virginia, Louisiana, Florida and Texas. Everywhere I go, the same initial objections arise. Are the animals clean? Do they carry disease? Is this a real therapy program or just visitation?
Kevin Curran, MD, a nephrologist and Therapet's medical director, is convinced of the viability and safety of animals in the therapy setting. "It's more than making sure animals are clean and their shots are up to date," says Curran. "Pets that go to work as therapy partners are obedience trained in a group setting; they're temperment-tested to evaluate their response to stress; and they are exposed to the equipment and environment in which they will work".
Once certification requirements are met, the animal and its handler work as a team, bonding together through stressful situations. The animal looks to the handler for reassurance, and the human becomes sensitive to when the animal has had enough. Everyone benefits from AAT - the patient, the animal and the handler.
If you or someone in your care could benefit from AAT, or if you'd like to volunteer your services and those of your animal, call Therapet at 903-842-2150 for information about AAT programs in your locale. Or visit www.therapet.com
SENIOR MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
Low tech, high touch
Nine ways pets enhance your health
Get a dog, a cat, a bird, even a horse. Statistics show that people who own animals live longer, are healthier and are less likely to have heart attacks and strokes. Some health insurance companies even ask the pet question on enrollment surveys.
Particularly as we age, pets can help us bridge the loss of people and health by accepting and loving us unconditionally. Between Pets and People, written by Alan Beck, Sc.D., and Aaron Katcher, MD, lists nine ways that pets can improve their owners' health and resistance to disease. Shari Bernard (see previous article) uses this list in her training seminars. If you have a pet, you will agree with these benefits. If you don't have a pet, you can see what you are missing.
Pets can give you the following:
Or visit www.access-able.com
HOUSING ALTERNATIVES FOR SENIORS
ECHO housing
One solution to independent housing
As we age, we lost our ability to function comfortably in the house we bought in our 30s, 40s, or 50s. Stairs, narrow halls and doors, and elevated entryways make everyday living a chore. But not everyone is clamoring to get into retirement or assisted-living communities. Surveys show that people 60 and over prefer small, owned housing.
Elder Cottage Housing Opportunity (ECHO) units are an option to consider. These units are small, attractive, manufactured homes or in-law apartments that can be installed in the back or side of a single-family residence. Designed specifically for older persons and those with disabilities, they feature wider hallways and doors, level entrances, barrier-free bathrooms, easy-to-reach light switched and more. As an added plus, they can be easily removed from the property when no longer needed.
Developed in conjunction with the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University, ECHO units employ designs that offer accessibility without obtrusive features. And the Universal Design Series brings a standard of quality without increasing the cost. According to AARP's booklet, "Key Issues in Elder Cottage Housing Opportunity," a one-bedroom unit can be bought, shipped and installed in Pennsylvania with a foundation and all utility hooks for $26,635. Costs vary by region.
However, cost and design aren't the only issues. ECHO housing attached to or sits nearby somebody else's house. Will your need to downsize, save money and secure occasional assistance create relationship problems with the family or friend whose property you share? Gail Finger of Massachusetts entered into an ECHO arrangement with her parents. "It actually turned out better than I ever expected it could," she said after two years.
Another sticky issue can be local zoning ordinances and restrictive covenants preventing the construction of manufactured housing. Conversely, some state laws allow property tax exemptions for home improvements to provide housing for persons over 60 years old.
This is not a solution for every family. Success depends on a great deal of research, planning and frank conservation with involved family members. Call your local AARP office and ask for the brochure mentioned above. Or, for more information, you can contact the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University at 800-647-6777.
Home is where the help is
Board and care homes
Sometimes, living alone in your own home is too difficult - even unsafe. It it's not feasible to move in with a family member and relocating to a large, assisted-living complex is too expensive, consider a board and care home.
Depending on the locale, these small, homelike settings may be called personal care boarding homes, adult care homes of residential care facilities. Typically, fewer than 10 residents live much like a family in a setting where room, meals and supervision comprise the basic package. Some homes offer bathing and grooming assistance, on-call nursing services, transportation and organized recreational activities, usually for an additional fee. Board and care costs vary depending on the geographic location and services provided. Nationwide, the cost to live in a board and care home ranged from $450 to $2,000 per month. Here are some tips to guide your search.
Make a personal visit. Arrive unannounced, and talk with other residents before you choose. It's also very important to examine the contract carefully to see if the services you need are provided and that any additional fees for services are clearly stated.
Finally, find out if the home is licensed by state and local authorities. Call your local health department or nursing home licensing agency and ask what standards are required for licensure. Although many unlicensed homes offer excellent facilities and care, it's important to factor licensure into your decision. For assistance in locating the right referral agencies in your area, call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 toll-free. The Eldercare Locator, a public service of the Administration on Aging, is a nationwide directory assistance service designed to help older persons and caregivers find local support resources for aging Americans.
The taxman cometh … maybe not
By Kathleen Lenover, Med, CFP, CEPP, CSA
Many of today's seniors have successfully developed income-producing commercial property - a farm, a rental complex, a bed and breakfast, a warehouse facility or family-owned business for example. As thoughts of retirement approach, they dream of getting away from property-management responsibilities and taking advantage of opportunities to travel, indulge a hobby or visit grandchildren. Paying capital gains taxes on the appreciated value of their property may be a concern.
1031 exchanges
Section 1031 of the IRS Tax Code, Tax Deferred Property Exchange, offers a strategy for deferring capital gains taxes when proceeds from the sale of business or investment property are invested in "like-kind" property. To complete a 1031 Exchange, the property owner must retail a facilitator who will charge a fee for managing the transfers of property and funds between parties. Once the owner sells the original property, he/she has 45 days to identify a replacement property and 180 days to complete the purchase of the replacement property. Failure to accomplish tasks within these time frames will eliminate the tax-deferred status of the sale.
Although the 1031 exchange applies only to business or investment property, it may allow some seniors to defer capital gains taxes and maintain a flow of income from commercial property. Triple-net leases on the replacement property allow ownership without active property management responsibilities. The complicated nature of the rules surrounding the tax-deferred property exchange make it essential that a knowledgeable financial or real estate professional who specializes in 1031 exchanges be contacted before taking any action to transfer property ownership
PRACTICAL TALK ON RETIREMENT ISSUES
Be rich, be poor or be insured
By Crispin Sargent, CSA
Today's seniors have a whole menu of housing options when age and infirmity interfere with the status quo. However, the decision to remain at home or move to an alternative care facility often comes down to money. The more you have, the wider the choices. Make sure health care services and funding are part of your decision-making process.
If your condition requires physical therapy, speech and/or occupational therapy and confines you to your home, apartment or retirement facility, Medicare will cover these costs as well as home health-aide services on a short-term basis. Even those who enter a nursing home to recover from a stroke or broken hip will, in all likelihood, only remain for a period of rehabilitation. Returning home or to an alternative care facility may necessitate home-based health care, either short or long term.
Moving to an assisted-living facility or a nursing home means little help from Medicare. This year's average Medicare-paid stay in a nursing home in only 25 days. HMP plans pay an average of 23 days. Once coverage stops, you become a "private pay" resident. For the financially fit, long-term assistance is available - at a price.
Medicaid is an option when care needs continue after the money is gone. However, fewer and fewer facilities take Medicaid due to the poor rate of reimbursement. It's a good idea to check out state-sponsored programs to help with adult daycare, homemaker services, respite care, nursing home and alternative care costs.
If you want the peace of mind of having long-term needs handled, consider long-term care insurance. And even then, expect to pay for some of the costs. For more information about these and other issues concerning Medicare and long-term care insurance, consult your CSA.
CENTENARIAN SALUTE
Merle McEathron
By Lynn Peters Adler, JD
"On being 100: Some people think that the younger years are the best, but not for me. As I got older, I learned more how to live. You've got to live while you can. You can't give this day away."
My friend, Merle Cornoyer McEathron turned 105 in July. Like many centenarians, Merle says she does not feel as old as her chronological age. With typical joie de vivre, she makes friends with people of all ages. Merle enjoys the limelight and has traveled with me to television appearances on CNN, MSNBC and others. She delights and amazes everyone she meets, proving that it is possible to be happy, healthy and over 100!
Born in 1895 on a farm near Vincennes, Ind., she has many interesting stories. During the way, Merle served as housemother to 3,000 army aid cadets who trained at nearby George Field. Every year, Merle is feted at the annual reunion of these WWII aviators. Merle's reunion flights in now-vintage aircraft with her "fly boys" are as thrilling today as they were 60 years ago.
After the war, in her 50s, Merle set out to make a new life for herself. She visited Hollywood and was chosen "Queen For A Day" on the popular radio program. "I think the judges were impressed that I had married at 15, was left by my husband at 21 to raise two young sons along, and made ends meet by running a general store until my sons were through college."
Then Merle moved to Phoenix to be near her younger son and her grandsons. She met and married her second husband in Phoenix, and they worked together in real estate until his death. After that came a brief and unsuccessful marriage to a musician. On her own again at 70, Merle worked as a hostess in a Phoenix hotel restaurant. "I just got by," she recalls.
Finally, at age 80, she met and married the love of her life, retired Admiral Ellsworth McEathron. "We has 10 beautiful years together," confides Merle. "It was a real romance. They were the happiest years of my life."
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