PAX Centurion - March / April 2014

Page 36 • PAX CENTURION • March/April 2014 617-989-BPPA (2772) BPPA RETIRED PATROLMEN’S DIVISION MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Date:_ ____________________________________________ Name:____________________________________________ Address:__________________________________________ City, State, Zip:_ ___________________________________ Home Phone:_ ____________________________________ Cell Phone:_ ______________________________________ Date of Appointment:______________________________ Date of Retirement:________________________________ Email:_ ___________________________________________ Annual Dues are $24.00. The year runs from March to March. Please mail this application and $24.00 annual dues to the: BPPA Retired Patrolmen’s Division 9-11 Shetland Street, Boston, MA 02119 BPPA Retired Patrolmen’s Division News Your loved one’s next move… How to knowwhen it’s time S ometimes an elder’s need for help is sudden and obvious. More often, though, it becomes apparent gradually, experts say. So how will you know?Watch for changes in your loved one’s be- havior, such as ignoring favorite hobbies, missing dates with friends, or forgetting to pay bills. Not every change means danger, but when a shift happens, it’s important to understand why, says Claudia Fine, an executive at SeniorBridge, a geriatric-care management company. So snoop, Fine advises. Tag along to your loved one’s doctors’ appoint- ments and ask questions. Once you understand the person’s situa- tion, you can help develop plans, says Peter Notarstefano, director of home and community-based services at LeadingAge, an association for aging-services organizations. Although you may not see yourself as a “caregiver,” that’s the term for anyone who looks after a person who needs assistance with daily tasks. AARP’s Caregiving Resource Cente r-aarp.org/ caregivers—can help. Staying at home K eeping a lovedone in their house, or yours, can be chal- lenging if they need daily help with some tasks. Thank- fully, there are services to make it easier. • Adult day facilities offer meals, activities, companionship, and some medical care. One popular program for frail people is the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (RACE). It’s free for those who qualify for Medicaid; others pay about $3,000 a month. • Service programs such as Senior Corps send volunteers age 55, or older to visit elderly individuals at home and provide companion- ship. • Occupational therapists can evaluate a home and its resident and recommend grab bars and other changes to improve safety. They also help clients develop strength and skills, such as balance, so they can manage more of their daily activities. Studies show that visits from an OT help older people stay in their homes longer. • If you and your family member want to live near each other but not in the same house, you can now rent a fully equipped, back- yard mini-apartment that attaches to your home’s utilities. Some of these so-called assisted living structures come with monitoring systems. • Assistive-technology companies have products that can ensure your relative is safe. SimplyHome (simply home-cmi.com) offers monitoring equipment such as motion sensors and GPS watches, and QuietCare (careinnovations .com) has a motion-sensor system that can learn a person’s daily patterns and send alerts when there is a significant change. • In some areas non-profit support networks called Villages help older residents stay in their homes. Volunteers perform some everyday tasks, and theVillages also arrange for discounted services, from plumbing to nursing care. Annual membership fees are usually $300 to $500. To see if there’s aVillage near you, visit vtvnetwork.org . How to find care 1.Your local AreaAgency onAging (AAA) has info on living options near you and government services to which your relative may be entitled. Visit n4a.org for help locatingyour AAA. 2. SNAPforSeniors, a for-profit network of health care providers, lists residential facilities on its website, snapforseniors.com . 3. The National Association for Home Care & Hospice website, nahc.org , lists home-care agencies in your area. 4. LeadingAge, which represents 5,400 not-for-profit senior resi­ dences, has a housing-locator service on its website, leadingage. org . 5. Medicare’s website, medicare.gov , offers a ranking of local nursing homes and home-health agencies. 6. Geriatric-care managers are certified professionals who can help with all aspects of caring for older adults. For more information visit caremanager.org . • Ease into it. If possible, provide help bit by bit, “in spoonfuls and not buckets,” recommends Susan Johnson, former owner of Care ManagementAssociates. For example, start by offering to hire someone for a task your relative doesn’t like, such as cleaning house. • Set a time line. Try presenting care, in whatever form, as some- thing to try out for a little while. • Make your relative the boss. Describe care providers as “assis- tants” to show that your loved one is still in charge. • Tweak your language. Frame help in the way that will most appeal to your relative. Maybe it’s a deserved luxury; maybe it’s something recommended by a trusted doctor or friend. • Don’t command. Include your loved one in any decisions, and avoid telling her what she “needs to do”; this usually triggers resistance, warns Linda Fodrini-Johnson, executive director of Eldercare Services. Getting your loved one on board