AGING SUMMIT - 2 - (Conclusion).

SUMMIT-2.
WHEN ROLES REVERSE.
PANEL:
Peggy Phelps - Yolo Adult Day Health Center.
Will Tift - Area 4 Agency on Aging.
Ted Puntillo - Yolo County Veterans’ Service Officer.
Paul Driver Shimada - Yolo County Commission on Aging.
Veterans’ Administration -
They have the second largest federal budget, second to the Defense Department. Their services include Medical; Compensation and Burial. Local veterans have free burial in the Dixon Military Cemetery.
The Department has 100,000 employees.
The veterans cost for prescription drugs is limited to $8 a month for each prescription. For service-connected hearing and sight loss, the veteran can receive free hearing aids and glasses.
The V.A. will help to pay for assisted living - dependent on income.
BARRIERS TO SERVICE:
1.Indepndent living in your own area. You will need monitoring supervision. Some elderly say that they don’t want help. They should have this conversation with their children.
2. An incident happens, and a diagnosis of dementia is similar to that of cancer. (This is the denial stage). There is need of acceptance - both by the individual as well as the family.
3. Hands-on care giving. This is very important! You need other resources - especially, if you are home alone. Many needy elderly will say, “I don’t need that” (as Mother told me when I suggested a hearing aid - a life-line emergency system - and some one to stay with her for a few hours, so that I can get out and do things that I like to do.) Don’t ever tell your loved one that “I’ll never put you in a rest home!” Because the best choice may be not to care for them at home. Too, people (especially women) don’t like people coming into their home.
Elder Care - This is assistance with one’s “Activities of Daily Living” (ADL). The local Area Agency on Aging tries to keep people in their home, through their In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) unit. However, when you are seeking a caregiver, you are largely on your own.
It is estimated that the cost to employers for employee care giving is 17 billion dollars a year! A source for working caregivers is - working caregivers.com. Employers should treat Elder -Care benefits just like they have treated Child -Care benefits.
Barriers to V.A. Benefits. (Every County has a Veterans’ Service Officer.)
The veteran benefits aren’t known.
There are 15,000 working caregivers in Yolo County - one in four! In 20 years, this ratio will be 1 in 2!
“It takes a village to take care of everyone!” - Peggy Phelps.
You can register “wandering” people with dementia.
We need a private “Registry” for “Referrals” and “screening”.