Eldercare

Long-Term Care Insurance | Getting Started | Wills and Living Trusts | Advance Directives | Financial Power of Attorney | Guardians and Conservators | Home Health Care, etc. | Nursing Homes | Medicare and Medicaid | Eldercare Services | Insurance | Caregivers | Elder Health | Recreation | General Info. | Death & Dying

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"Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present."
Babatunde Olatunji

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IUPUI has many baby boomer employees who are starting to face the responsibility for care of elderly relatives. Care generally consumes 16 hours of the caregiver's time weekly, can be a drain on financial resources and can cause a great deal of stress in the caregiver's life. Here are some helpful resources.
General Eldercare Information

You may borrow the following from the IUPUI HRA Work/Life office:
Aging - U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (1996)
The Unofficial Guide to Eldercare - Chris Adamec (1999)
Be Informed, Be Aware and Be Involved (VCR tape about Medicare/Medicaid in both Spanish and Mandarin Chinese)

Thinking Ahead . . . Way Ahead

Long-Term Care Insurance?

Years ago, the state of Indiana set up a program called the Indiana Partnership for Long-Term Care Insurance. "Partnership" policies can potentially offer you advantages that non-partnership policies cannot, so it is wise for consumers to check out the various options and get what's best for them.

For basic information, a self-assessment guide and frequently asked questions, and a PowerPoint you can view, visit http://www.in.gov/fssa/iltcp. To learn what the differences between a partnership and non-partnership long-term care policy are, visit http://www.in.gov/fssa/iltcp/differences.htm. To see a list of the insurance companies that have met the criteria to sell the Indiana Partnership long-term care policy and how they rate, visit http://www.in.gov/fssa/iltcp/company_list.htm .
Questions? Call toll-free 1-866-234-4582.

Getting Started

There are many things you can do even before an elderly relative needs continuous care and it is often easier/more effective to talk with an elderly relative BEFORE he/she is ill.

A great place to start is for a trusted family member to collect information on physicians, current medications, past illnesses/surgeries, financial assets, living will, etc. We have found the ElderKit produced by Fannie Mae to be a great guide for this. Go to and print out a copy for yourself. Then collect the information a bit at a time.

Wills and Living Trusts

AARP has good general information about wills and living trusts.

For settling nonfinancial estate issues (personal belongings), visit http://www.yellowpieplate.umn.edu/indexB.html.

Advance Directives (health care proxy or medical power of attorney)

The health care advance directive or health care power of attorney allows a person to give instructions about his/her health care just in case, in the future, he/she cannot speak for himself/herself. For information about the health care advance directive, go to http://assets.aarp.org/external_sites/adam/html/1/001908.html on the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Web site or http://www.nolo.com/lawcenter/ency/article.cfm/ObjectID/22DE9DC9-8C59-424C-A212CA594C7E7A8C/catID/EDC82D5A-7723-4A77-9E10DDB947D1F801 on the NOLO Web site.

A good explanation of the difference between healthcare power of attorney and a living will can be found at http://www.familycaregiving101.org/manage/hospital.cfm .

Financial Power of Attorney

Financial power of attorney allows another person to handle financial affairs and can be granted to anyone the grantor trusts. The power of attorney should be granted while the person granting it is still of sound mind. It can be "durable" meaning the grantee has immediate access to accounts or it can be made "springing" so it springs into effect when the grantor designates (though HIPAA can make enacting a "springing" type more difficult). For information about financial power of attorney, click here.

Low-income people who cannot afford an attorney can contact Indiana Legal Services' Senior Law Project at 631-9424. It serves all of central Indiana and they publish a variety of helpful booklets regarding senior law issues, life planning (living wills, power of attorney, guardianship, etc.).

Guardians and Conservators

If an elderly person becomes incapacitated and has not made financial or health care power of attorney arrangements, a court can grant guardianship or conservatorship to someone. A guardian is a person who makes health care and other personal decisions for an incapacitated person, while a conservator is one who makes financial decisions. Setting up guardianship or conservatorship is generally more costly, difficult and time-consuming than making power of attorney arrangements in advance. For a description, visit the National Guardianship Association. AARP also has guardianship resources.

Home Health Care, Hospice or Adult Day Care

For a locator for finding home care in your area, a checklist for evaluating options and a list of typical services, contact the National Association for Home Care. In Indiana you can also call the Bureau of Aging/In-Home Services at 1-800-986-3505 or Indiana Association for Home and Hospice Care at 844-6630.

CICOA is designed to be your single point of entry for information on transportation, adult day care, respite care, homemaker services, home health aides, attendant care, home repair/modification, legal assistance and related issues. Go to their Web site or call at 254-5465 at the earliest possible onset of problems.

Indiana Association of Adult Day Services provides a listing of adult day care facilities in Indiana. Just as with child care listings, you need to do your homework to determine which facility is of the quality you need.

Nursing Homes

Looking for information (certification, licensure, survey results, services provided, etc.) about nursing homes in Indiana? Contact the Indiana State Department of Health Division of Long Term Care, 2 N. Meridian. St., Indianapolis, IN 46204. The phone number is 233-7442, and their Web site is at www.state.in.us/isdh.

You can find access to Long Term Care Facility report cards at http://www.in.gov/isdh/reports/QAMIS/ltc/profile/search.htm and Home Health Agency Consumer Reports at http://www.in.gov/isdh/reports/QAMIS/acc/hharep/search.htm.

If you live in central Indiana, are having a problem with a nursing home and need help resolving the problem, contact the Area 8 Ombudsman Program, Legal Services Organization, 151 N. Delaware St., Suite 1800 Indianapolis, IN 46204 or call 631-9410. They can also provide information about what to look for in a nursing home and can tell you if a nursing home is private pay or accepts Medicare/Medicaid patients. If you don't live in central Indiana, visit http://www.ltcombudsman.org/static_pages/memex/Indiana.cfm or call 1-800- 622-4484 to learn who your area ombudsman is.

Medicare and Medicaid

For Medicare information, contact U.S. Health and Human Services at http://www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-633-4227.

Contact the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Indiana office at http://www.in.gov/idoi/2393.htm or 1-800-452-4800. They can help you understand Medicare and suggest how to organize your records and file claims. They can also help you evaluate Medicare supplement and long-term care insurance policies.

If you have been denied Medicare and want to file an appeal, visit http://www.medicareadvocacy.org/default.htm.

Medicare Basics: A Guide for Caregivers can be downloaded at http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11034.pdf.

For Medicaid information, contact U.S. Health and Human Services at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/home/medicaid.asp.

Eldercare Services

If you need to locate the nearest area agency on aging/community services and are not from central Indiana, try the Eldercare Locator at http://www.eldercare.gov/Eldercare/Public/Home.asp or 1-800-677-1116. For central Indiana, contact CICOA at 254-5465. CICOA can also refer you to care providers in other states.

The Eldersource program of the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis offers the services of a professional staff that can help with needs related to transportation, housing, home care, adult day services and more. Services are for both Jewish and non-Jewish elderly. Go to http://www.jfgi.org/content_display.html?ArticleID=63447.

The Bureau of Aging & In-Home Services (BAIHS) provides a broad range of in-home and community-based services to older adults and disabled persons of all ages. The Bureau collaborates with communities, local organizations and other units of government to provide services to individuals and their families. FMI, visit http://www.in.gov/fssa/ddrs/2872.htm.

Go to www.benefitscheckup.org, a confidential, free service that helps older Americans identify state and federal assistance programs that they may be eligible for. Meals on Wheels - Call 633-6325 (Indianapolis), 776-7159 (Hamilton County) or 477-4347 (Hancock County).

Click here for a Meals on Wheels locator.

CICOA Aging and In-Home Services Home Delivered Meals - 254-3660 or 1-800-432-2422.

Insurance

Indiana is part of a federal network designed to provide an unbiased place for seniors and pre-retirees to find answers to their health insurance, long-term care insurance and Medicare supplement insurance questions. Contact the Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP), Indiana office at http://www.in.gov/idoi/2399.htm. SHIP is not affiliated with any insurance company and does not sell insurance. They can also help you understand Medicare, Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, and suggest how to organize your records and how to file claims.

Caregivers for the Elderly

Children of Aging Parents (CAPS) offers information and referrals, support groups, educational outreach and publications. Call 1-800-227-7294 or visit www.caps4caregivers.org .

The trusted Medline site has a special section just for caregivers here.

Full Circle of Care is a great site for caregivers, though some of the information pertains only to North Carolina and the caregiver specialists are for North Carolina residents only.

AARP has good general information at http://www.aarpmagazine.org/family/Articles/a2003-02-25-meformeresources.html.

Family Caregiver Alliance, has information helpful to caregivers, including a caregiver discussion group.

National Alliance for Caregiving, is a national non-profit agency that offers tips on caring for seniors.

Elder Health and Wellness

There are lots of sources for medical information on the Web but a local hospital recommends www.medlineplus.gov. It has over 600 topics, is sponsored by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health and is filtered to take out incorrect information. They have a special senior health section at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seniors.html.

The National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers is a good site for those with long-distance or local eldercare needs. The site includes some helpful NPR videos.

To report suspected elder abuse in Marion, Boone, Hamilton and Hendricks counties, call 327-1403. In other counties, call the county prosecutor's office. For help in recognizing elder abuse, visit http://medicine.iu.edu/body.cfm?id=5214&oTopID=0 or http://www.preventelderabuse.org/about/about.html.

Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) is for low-income, uninsured legal residents ages 19-64 who are not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare and don't have access to health insurance through their employer. Visit http://www.in.gov/fssa/hip/index.htm for details or call toll-free 1-877-GET-HIP9.

Rx for Indiana is a program that can help pay Medicare Part D prescription drug costs for certain low-income people.

For deaf senior citizens - Senior Silent Hoosiers 263-6272 or TTY 263-6278.

Dental Care for Low-Income Persons - Call CICOA at 254-3660 or 1-800-432-2422.

Vision Care for Low-Income Persons - Call Regenstrief Clinic at 630-7518 or Prevent Blindness Indiana at 815-9943 or 1-800-232-2551.

If you need information on specific diseases, alternative therapies and guidance on how to get quality care, visit Healthfinder, produced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
For a list of 800 numbers for health organizations (Alanon, Arthritis Foundation, Poison Control, Lupus Foundation, National Association for Sickle Cell, etc.), go to http://www.health.gov/nhic/pubs/2008tollfreenumbers/tollfreenumbers1.htm

Related links
American Cancer Society
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
American Heart Association
American Diabetes Association
Arthritis Foundation

Recreation, Leisure and Lifelong Learning

Indy Creative Aging - connects you to cultural. recreational, learning and volunteer opportunities in Indy.

The Indianapolis Senior Center at 708 E. Michigan Street offers educational, recreational, wellness, transportation, legal, tax, insurance and other services. If you are 55 years of age or older, check out their Web site.

Contact the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) at http://www.aarp.org/leisure.

Elderhostel offers educational travel opportunities for older adults. Go to their site or call 1-800-454-5768.

Indianapolis OASIS offers educational seminars, travel, volunteer opportunities, discounts and more to older adults.

General Information

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) Web site can help you link to a variety of elder-related sites as well as sites related to mental health, addiction services, adoption, disabilities, etc.

ElderWeb is a site with lots of on-site and off-site eldercare information on issues relating to legal, financial, medical and housing issues. It even has regional information so you can find information about Indiana law, insurance, housing, etc.

AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) has a wealth of topics.

The federal Department of Health and Human Services' Administration on Aging is a trove of information on everything from caregiver advice to nutrition and more.

Death and Dying

The GriefNet offers access to online support groups, information for suicide survivors/prevention and a link to a site just for kids.

Brooke's Place for Grieving Young People is a local place of support for ages 3-20.

You may borrow the book, How to Survive the Loss of a Love, by Harold H. Bloomfield, M.D., Melba Colgrove, Ph.D. and Peter McWilliams (2000), from the IUPUI HRA Work/Life office.