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Building on Wisdom: NJFA’s 15th Annual Conference

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Press Release

For Immediate Release                                                                      Contact:  Grace Egan

April 11, 2013                                                                                                  Melissa Chalker

                                                                                                                         609-421-0206

Building on Wisdom: NJFA’s 15th Annual Conference!

NJFA will hold its 15th Annual Conference on Wednesday, June 12th at the Crowne Plaza Monroe. This year’s conference, titled, Building on Wisdom will feature two nationally recognized keynote speakers.

The morning keynote presentation will be given by Dr. Mike Magee, President of Positive Medicine, Inc. Dr. Magee is committed to transforming powerful health visions into action. Recognized as a visionary leader of the home-centered health care movement and lifespan planning records, he has advised the Institute of Medicine on these topics. Dr. Magee is the author of 10 books including, Home Centered Health Care, Positive Leadership and Healthy Waters.

The luncheon keynote address will be given by reporter and editor, Patricia Cohen, who has worked for the New York Times, Washington Post, Newsday and Rolling Stone Magazine. Ms. Cohen published, In Our Prime: The Fascinating History and Surprising Future of Middle Age, a New York Times notable book.

The day will also include breakout sessions with great topics like, Financial Literacy, Sex and Aging, POSLT and End of Life decisions, as well as an update on the Comprehensive Medicaid Waiver. We hope you can join us for this informative, day-long conference!

Participants may register by email, by mail or by fax.  For more information about the conference visit: www.njfoundationforaging.org/events.html or call us at 609-421-0206.

  To learn more about the work of the Foundation visit www.njfoundationforaging.org or call 609-421-0206. The New Jersey Foundation for Aging was established in 1998, its mission is promote approaches in the delivery of services that enable older adults to live in the community with independence and dignity.

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Foundation’s Annual Fall Event and Honoree Dinner Announced!

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Foundation’s Annual Fall Event and Honoree Dinner Announced!

The New Jersey Foundation for Aging (NJFA) will hold its 5th Annual Fall Fundraising event on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012. The event will begin with a 2 pm Matinee at the George Street Playhouse to see the production, One Slight Hitch. The show is written by The Daily Show’s Lewis Black and is described as “a smart modern farce”.

Following the performance at the George Street Playhouse, guests will be invited to the Honoree Award Dinner at the Heldrich Hotel. This year NJFA is honoring Katherine M. Klotzburger, Ph.D., Founder, President and Executive Director of the Silver Century Foundation (SCF). After nearly four decades of devoting herself to social and political issues affecting women’s lives, Kay created the Silver Century Foundation in 2003. She brings her vast experience in advocacy, academia and consulting to helping others‚Äîwomen and men of all ages‚Äîsucceed in their quests to age well.

Dr. Klotzburger spent nearly 30 years in academic administration, primarily at the City University of New York, and as a management consultant specializing in organizational effectiveness and equal opportunity. She was the director of the CUNY Affirmative Action Office. She served as the coordinator of the American Council on Education’s program in the New York tri-state area, where she guided efforts to help women advance into major positions in academic administration. In addition to her work in the academic field, she founded Change-Agents, Inc., a management consulting practice providing consulting, counseling and training to colleges, small businesses and individuals wishing to make career transitions.

The Silver Century Foundation (SCF) promotes a positive view of aging. The Foundation challenges entrenched and harmful stereotypes, encourages dialogue between generations, advocates planning for the second half of life, and raises awareness to educate and inspire everyone to live long, healthy, empowered lives. SCF has provided key support for local senior transportation and to promote community dialogue on aging. SCP has partnered with the NJFA on projects related to mobility, public awareness and elder economics.

Dinner will feature an award presentation, a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle and a menu that is sure to please. More information, invitations and sponsorship opportunities are available by visiting our website, www.njfoundationforaging.org/events.html, or by calling the office, 609-421-0206 Or contact us by email: office@njfoundationforaging.org

Medicaid Myths in Long Term Care

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You may have heard a friend, family member or neighbor tell a story about an elderly relative that had “all their money taken by a nursing home” or “the state took all their money when they went into the nursing home”.  This is another one of those myths regarding coverage of long term care, like the one we covered in the last blog about Medicare.

Unlike Medicare, Medicaid does cover long term care, but you have to qualify. Medicaid both in the community and in a nursing facility is a program for low-income individuals who must qualify by meeting the income guidelines. When it comes to paying for nursing home care, you have to meet the medical criteria showing that you need the physical assistance, as well as, showing that you have no more than $4,000 is assets and no more than $2,000 in monthly income.

When someone states “the nursing home took all of my mother’s money”, most likely the Medicaid guidelines were not properly explained to them or it was oversimplified by the person explaining it. Often when someone is admitted to a nursing home for long term care, the nursing home must look at their financial records to see how they will pay for the care, they will counsel the person and /or their family on how much care at the facility costs and should help them determine if and when they will need to apply for Medicaid. When a person has enough money to pay, but knows they may run out in six months to a year, they call this a “spend down period” which means you pay the nursing home the monthly rate and when you’ve “spent down” your funds to the Medicaid eligibility level, you can apply for Medicaid.

There may be people who are under the false impression that Medicaid or some other program, will automatically cover you when you need nursing home care, similar to the false belief that Medicare covers long term care costs. We pay for goods and services all the time, but when it comes to long term care there is much confusion and false assumptions.

September 23rd is Fall Prevention Awareness Day!

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September 23, 2010 is Fall Prevention Awareness Day!

For people over 65 years of age, a fall is serious thing. Falls and injuries from falls are a major threat to health, independence and quality of life. Every year 1 out of 3 older persons has a fall and most falls occur at home. With much focus on aging in place and finding ways for seniors to stay in their homes, preventing falls should be a vital part of that plan. There are steps you can take to make your home safer and prevent falls. Removing area rugs that can cause someone to slip or trip, as well as installing grab bars in bathrooms are some measures that can be taken to prevent falls at home. Someone who has already experienced a fall is also more likely to fall, so making lifestyle changes that can prevent another fall or serious injury from a fall are also important. For example, regular exercise can strengthen muscles, as well as, help with balance and gait. You’ll also want to talk to your doctor about the medications your on to see if any of them could be increasing your risk of a fall, also keep in mind that consuming alcohol while on medication could contribute to a fall.

Falls are often the cause of serious injury in older adults and can lead to a hospital admission. Preventing falls can be done, as stated above, by making your home safer. In addition to the things you can do yourself, you can also have an evaluation by a physical or occupational therapist for help and suggestions for preventing falls at home. Exercise is key to keeping your independence for many reasons, but also for preventing falls. You can increase your strength and build muscle to protect your bones, you can also make sure you have a steady gait when walking and improve your balance, which could all prevent a fall or lessen injury from a fall. Senior centers and other community centers may offer exercise programs geared toward preventing falls or that are tailored for older adults.

For more information about preventing falls and about Fall Prevention Awareness Day visit:                                                                                                    NCOA- Center for Healthy Aging- Fall Prevention Information: http://www.healthyagingprograms.org/content.asp?sectionid=149

For programs in New Jersey or to find your Senior Center start with your County Office on Aging:   http://www.state.nj.us/health/senior/sa_aaa.shtml

2010 Conference Session: Ethical & Legal Response: Identifying and Reporting Elder Abuse

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At NJFA’s 12th Annual Conference on June 10th we were pleased to offer a workshop titled, “The Ethical and Legal Response: Identifying and Reporting Elder Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation”. This session featured, David Ricci, State Coordinator of Adult Protective Services; Pat Bohse, Manager, NJ4A; Linda Murtagh- Social Work Supervisor, Ocean County Board of Social Services; and Vincent Olawale- Human Services Division Manager FOCUS, Hispanic Center of Community Development, Inc. The presenters advised the group on how to identify elder abuse and the different forms it takes. Elders can experience abuse in many ways, physical, mental/emotional, financial and also through neglect. 

Also in the discussion was NJ Laws regarding elder abuse and reporting, as well as, the states rules and regulations regarding referrals made to Adult Protective Services. The law regarding Adult Protective Services applies to any “vulnerable adult”, meaning anyone over 18 years of age or older who resides in a community setting and who, because of a physical or mental illness or disability, lacks sufficient understanding or capacity to make or carry out decisions concerning his or her well-being. When reporting elder abuse, you should provide the name and address of the adult and as much information as possible about the concern and the person responsible for any abuse. The report should be investigated within 72 hours according to NJ State Law. Depending on what is found, the adult protective services worker may refer the older adult to services and may contact other Departments, such as the Office on Aging or Division of Developmental Disabilities.

The new NJ State Law regarding the reporting of abuse that was discussed in this session. The law makes it mandatory for certain professionals to report elder abuse, such as optometrists, psychologists, podiatrists, and physical therapists. The new law establishes mandatory reporting for these healthcare professionals and first responders because they are likely to come in contact with vulnerable adults.

Another part of the presentation included Pat Bohse of NJ4A and Bohse & Associates, showing a video about elder abuse. The video shows professionals, elders and family members talking about specific examples of elder abuse as well as numerous facts and figures about the problem. The point of the video is to raise awareness about the problem of elder abuse and encourage people to report it so that more elders can get help if they are in an abusive situation.

 Evaluations from the session indicate that attendees found the presentation informative and that the speakers were engaging. We’d also like to take this opportunity to again thank our wonderful presenters for taking the time to put together this session on a very important subject.

Volunteers in NJ

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Volunteering in NJ

Data from 2007 and 2008 showed that about 26% of the American population volunteered. This, according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics means that over 61 million people volunteered between 2007 and 2008. Volunteers were fairly evenly distributed over the age groupings of 35-44 (31%), 45-54 (29.9%) and 55 to 64 represents 28% of the volunteer pool.  A 2009 study by The Hartford, used this data, they state that those 50 and over are more likely to make donations of money rather than time.

In 2008 1.5 million New Jersey residents volunteered, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service. Of those who volunteered, 21.5% were 55-64 and 18.5% were 65-74, while just 17.3% were 75 or over. The largest group of volunteers was 35-44 at almost 26%.

Both studies indicate that volunteer activities vary among age groups as well. Many young adults volunteer to work with children, such as tutoring or mentoring. Coaching sports seems to appeal to  middle aged volunteers, while managerial or professional tasks are common for young retirees. Those retirees are also more likely to continue volunteering if the tasks are managerial versus labor or transportation. Older adults often state that they are more likely to volunteer without a set schedule.

Some barriers for older adults when it comes to volunteering are:

Unaware of volunteer opportunities- they just don’t know where or how to volunteer

Economic barriers- either having to choose a paid position over a volunteer one, or not being able to afford the costs associated with volunteering.

Lack of transportation- unable to get to places to volunteer.

Fears and worries- for physical safety or personal injury.

We’d love to hear from you! Do you volunteer? If so, in what way and why do you still do it? If not, why? What do  you see as  barriers to volunteering?

Do you know how much you need to retire in New Jersey?

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A recent survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute reports that 43% of workers say they have less than $10,000 in savings. The annual survey, Retirement Confidence Survey, included 1,153 respondents age 25 and older who were employed or retired. 27% indicated they had less than $1,000 in savings. On top of that 24% reported that they had to delay retirement. The survey did not account of the value of homes or defined-benefit pension programs.

They also found that only 69% of workers have reported saving for retirement. Research Director and co-author of the survey, Jack VanDerhei stated that the current economic situation is not the only factor, but that people don’t plan soon enough. The survey also reveals that only 46% of respondents attempted to calculate how much money they’d need in retirement, meaning over half of the respondents have not even begun calculating what they’ll need to retire.

 Planning for retirement sooner rather than later seems like a good idea. But where do you start? It can be a difficult and overwhelming task. You may need to consult a financial planner, but you can also start by looking at the NJ-Elder Economic Security Index.

The NJ Elder Index can help to determine how much an individual will need to retire in your community. This is because the Index shows the cost of living for someone over 65 in all 21 counties in NJ. It is comprised of the costs of housing, food, transportation, healthcare and a miscellaneous category. The Index also reflects the expenses of renting versus owning a home and also the difference in having mortgage or not. The data is also shown for singles as well as couples in each county.

The Statewide Index shows that a single renter in New Jersey needs $25,941 to meet their basic expenses, while a single homeowner with a mortgage would need $33,570. Some findings may point to key elements for retirement planning. Notably, those 65 and over with a mortgage could be paying twice as much as someone who does not have a mortgage. Housing is the biggest expense in an elder’s budget with healthcare being a close second.

An important contact for Seniors to learn about local resources is their county Office on Aging. To find the Office on Aging in your county visit, http://www.njfoundationforaging.org/services.html

Knowing what some of the costs are can help, but certainly the recent difficult economy has had an impact on the ability to save for retirement. Many New Jerseyans are struggling to make ends meet, let alone save for the future.

To view information from New Jersey Elder Economic Security Index follow the links below. If you have questions or need more information, contact us at office@njfoundationforaging.org or 609-421-0206.

Elder Index

Policy Brief

County Fact Sheets