Nearly 400,000 Chicagoans are either in or near their retirement years and few of them want to leave their homes for institutional care.
CHICAGO (Sun Times), February 1, 2008:
After a long career at United Airlines, Chicagoan George Reeder retired to his dream home in Utah. Alzheimer's has tarnished his golden years and left his adult children struggling to find a way to keep him safe at home.
Harry Elam was happy to while away his retirement in his Evanston condo. But he's not as sharp as he used to be, and his daughter worries that he'll be taken advantage of -- again -- by repairmen who sell him new appliances when a tune-up is all that's required.
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Senior facts at a glance
* 17 percent are currently helping care for an elderly person who lives independently.
* 33 percent are concerned about the condition of that person's home.
* 58 percent say that person lives less than 20 miles away.
* 25 percent say they spend vacations taking care of odd jobs for those that live more than 200 miles away.
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Welcome to the Sandwich Generation: adult children struggling to maintain their own homes and lives while helping their parents live out their lives at home, rather than in managed care.
Ten million Americans belong to this niche group, and they're fueling demand for contractors who can modify homes for the elderly and handicapped as well as tend to the everyday repairs.
Nearly 400,000 Chicagoans are either in or near their retirement years, and few, if any of them, will willingly leave their current homes for institutional care. Keeping these seniors at home is a responsibility that will fall to their adult children.
Like 84 percent of Angie's List Quick Poll respondents, Bernadette Elam wants to help her 88-year-old father stay at home as long as possible. While he's only a few blocks from her and her husband, Bernadette has incurred a series of challenges with his home maintenance.
First it was a refrigerator problem that resulted in Harry Elam purchasing a brand new subzero for $1,200 at the repairman's behest. Then it was the furnace.
"I'd rather have someone with better judgment talk to the repairmen, but it's always a battle because my dad still thinks he's capable," said Bernadette Elam.
Now she makes a point to ask how things are with the house and her brother spends every other weekend there poking around. "My father is willing to share information so I can follow up with the service providers, but it would be a bigger problem if he was being secretive," she said.
LuJean Reeder-Albrecht shares Elam's goal of keeping her father at home, but the miles between Lake Forest and Utah required a different approach -- a round-the-clock caretaker for her father.
"When the microwave breaks or the stove stops working, I'm not the one they call," said Reeder-Albrecht. "All I can do at this point is send him pictures, cakes for the holidays, family videos and warm pajamas -- it's the simple things he wants. You have to realize you can only do so much."
Reeder-Albrecht and her brother, who lives in Idaho, spent several months interviewing caretakers and hired more than a few that just didn't click. Then they found Guy, who moved in to provide around-the-clock care. "He cuts the lawn, keeps up with home repairs, makes sure Dad gets out and goes to the grocery store; takes him fishing and falls asleep on the couch while they're watching football -- all of the things a 90-year-old guy wants to do," she said.
When George suffered a fall last year that required inpatient rehab, Guy met with the in-home specialist to determine what types of modifications -- ramps, shower bars, safety rails -- were necessary before George returned home.
"He's very proud that his family can visit him in his own home. To me, the most important thing is his quality of life and keeping him there with a good caretaker," she said.
Recognizing the growing need for aging in place services, both the private and public sector is responding with programs, services and potential incentives.
The National Association of Home Builders, in collaboration with the AARP, has developed a program to address the needs of those who want to remain at home as long as possible. A Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) can add unique household safety features that enable an elderly person to live independently longer.
The Chicago Department of Senior Services offers a host of programs ranging from social interaction to meals, transportation, housing and fitness.
Members of Congress have proposed legislation to give up to $3,000 a year in tax credits to caregivers, regardless of where the relative resides. (Current law allows for a dependent care credit only if the relative lives with you.) Another bill would allow a caregiver to qualify for Medicare themselves at the age of 55 if they quit their job to tend to an aging relative. Yet another proposal would prohibit Social Security penalties for those who leave their careers to care for a parent. None of these measures have passed, however.
For people searching for how best to approach helping their parents age well, or for those approaching their senior years and wanting to plan, Judith Stein, executive director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy, suggests seeking assistance from a qualified elder law attorney.
"The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys is a good source," she said. Not only are elder care attorneys familiar with Medicare and Medicaid rules, but they can guide the caregiver through other financial options such as long-term care insurance and reverse mortgages.
Angie Hicks is the founder and CEO of Angie's List.
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Tips for senior care
By Angie Hicks, Special to the Sun-Times
52 percent of 1,232 members responding to an Angie's List Quick Poll are looking for ways to alleviate concerns about the household needs of their aging parent.
Here are some tips:
Consider these questions:
What kind of modifications are necessary in order for your loved one to remain at home - an extra bathroom or bedroom on the main level?
Lower countertops?
Better lighting?
Safety bars or ramps?
Determine how much your parent can spend on a home modification project and how the changes will affect other members of the family.
Before you hire, always check professional references with Angie's List, your local or state office of consumer protection and the local Better Business Bureau.
If you're planning a remodel, look for professional designations such as CAPS, Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR) or Graduate Master Builder (GMB).
If you're helping out on a regular basis, make sure to set aside specific days for yourself.
Find local resources to help keep your parent connected -- extended family members, a church group, etc. Isolation isn't good.
Think about the ways you organize your own life, and educate your parents to do the same -- postage stamps by mail; getting cash at the checkout line, automatic bill payments, etc. They'll be less likely to take on these changes when they're older or alone.
By Angie Hicks, Special to the Sun-Times
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