Caregiving Costly to Family Caregivers

The rewards of caring for a loved one who needs our help can be substantial. It’s an opportunity to pay something back, to offer a return on the loving investment someone once made in us. It’s a chance to help preserve a quality life for an individual who has a tough time completing life’s daily tasks. It’s the joy of knowing that we are easing someone’s way, lifting burdens and making sure they are not alone.

Family caregivers lovingly offer their help free of charge, contributing their time, their energy and often their own well-being. What they do is of incalculable emotional value and of enormous social worth.

In the past, AARP has tallied what society would be paying for the labor that family caregivers so willingly donate: In 2013, about 40 million family caregivers provided 37 billion hours of care worth an estimated $470 billion to their parents, spouses, partners and other adult loved ones.

The total estimated economic value of uncompensated care provided by family caregivers in 2013 surpassed total Medicaid spending ($449 billion) and nearly equaled the annual sales ($469 billion) of the four largest U.S. tech companies combined (Apple, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Microsoft).

What we haven’t included in the calculations before is the significant amount of money family caregivers often spend out of their own pockets as part of their contribution. A new AARP study, “Family Caregiving and Out-of-Pocket Costs: 2016 Report,” estimates that family caregivers spend an average of $6,954 on out-of-pocket costs related to caregiving, nearly 20 percent of their annual income.

Out-of-pocket spending is even higher among Hispanic/Latino caregivers ($9,022 annually, representing 44 percent of their income). African American caregivers report costs similar to white caregivers, but that amounts to a much greater percentage of income — 34 percent vs. 14 percent.

To cover the extra expense, many family caregivers have to pare back their own spending. They cut back on saving for retirement, leisure spending, eating out and vacations, and many have dipped into personal or retirement savings. See the full report at www.aarp.org/caregivercosts.

Clearly, family caregivers could use a break. The bipartisan Credit for Caring Act would help give them some of the financial breathing room they need, with a federal tax credit of up to $3,000 for those who are eligible. AARP and other national organizations are supporting this bill.

Each of us has the opportunity to give caregivers other measures of relief — by making a meal, doing the laundry, running an errand, raking leaves … any warm, friendly assistance that shortens their endless to-do lists.

They deserve — and appreciate — everything we can give them.

Full Article & Source:
Caregiving Costly to Family Caregivers

Caring for the Caregiver

Caregiving can take a toll on all those who love and care for the older loved one in need of help. Perhaps those who are quickly forgotten are the spouses, children and friends of the caregiver who find themselves having to change their lives almost as much as the caregiver herself or himself. Suddenly that pivotal person in their lives is really, really busy. Our day-to-day life changes and we stretch ourselves to do more for us and other family members. So how do we make the most out of this challenging situation? I truly believe you need to become a partner in the caregiving process and be a strong supporter of the main caregiver.

Lay Those Bad Feelings Down

It would take a saint not to feel some resentment when that significant other, mom, spouse or best friend is suddenly missing from your life. Now is not the time to wallow in resentment or frustration. Now is the time to put on your big girl or big boy pants and step up. Do what it takes to support the important person in your life. Be the cheerleader, the coach when approached, the back-up player whenever needed. Once you walk a mile in those moccasins you will have a lot more compassion for what your loved one is going through.

Where Can You Help and What Can You Do?

First realize that this is probably going to be a short season of life. Caring for an older loved one does not last forever. Life is full of changes and they will come. Secondly, look for the stressors your loved one has been facing as the primary caregiver. Usually they just need a little time off but everyone is different.

1. Bring a meal over.
2. Run to the store for needed items.
3. Mom-sit or Dad-sit.
4. Give that caregiver a full weekend off.
5. Pay for a little in-home care.
6. Take them to lunch and arrange for a temporary caregiver.
7. Call them often but keep conversations short.
8. Let them vent without trying to fix the problem.
9. Let their other friends know they are needed.
10. DO NOT STAY AWAY OR FAIL TO KEEP IN TOUCH!

Do not take their absence personally. They are struggling through a very tough time and doing a very important job. Love them. Feed them when you can. Let them take a nap when you can help. Treat them to a manicure or buy them some of their favorite music. Make them feel your love. Small acts say a million “I love you’s.” When in doubt, ask them what you can do to make it better. Tell them often how wonderful they are for doing an amazing and important job. Kudos never hurt!

Full Article & Source:
Caring for the Caregiver

Dementia and Alzheimer's leading cause of death in England and Wales

Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias have replaced ischaemic heart disease as the leading cause of death in England and Wales for the first time.

Last year, 61,686 (11.6%) out of a total of 529,655 deaths registered in England and Wales were attributable to dementia, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The statisticians said an ageing population, better diagnosis, and lifestyle and treatment advances with respect to other illnesses were among the factors that had pushed dementia to the top of the list.

The mortality rate for dementia, which was the second leading cause of death for the previous four years, has more than doubled since 2010, while that of ischaemic heart disease declined sharply over the same period.

Martina Kane, senior policy officer at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Today’s news that dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are the leading cause of death in England and Wales is a stark reminder that dementia remains a growing concern across the country. While the news represents improvements in diagnosis rates, general awareness and the accuracy of reporting, it also reflects that there are rising numbers of people with dementia.

“While there remains no cure for the condition, everyone who develops it will sadly still have the disease when they die. It is therefore essential that people have access to the right support and services to help them live well with dementia and that research into better care, treatments and eventually a cure remain high on the agenda.”

Ischaemic heart diseases were responsible for 11.5% of deaths last year, although it was still the leading cause of death for men, accounting for 14.3% of male deaths. Dementia, the leading cause of death for women, was responsible for 15.2% of all female deaths, up from 13.4% in 2014.

Hilary Evans, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said the figures “call attention to the uncomfortable reality that currently, no-one survives a diagnosis of dementia”. He added: “With growing numbers of people living with dementia, we urgently need treatments that can stop or slow the diseases that drive this devastating condition.”

The ONS said there was likely to have been an increased reporting of dementia on death certificates because of dementia diagnosis incentives paid to GPs (which have since been scrapped), the prime minister’s challenge to improve dementia care and an agreed ambition that two-thirds of the estimated number of people with dementia in England should have a diagnosis.

Elizabeth McLaren, from the vital statistics outputs branch at ONS, said: “In 2015, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease became the leading cause of death in part because people are simply living longer but also because of improved detection and diagnosis. An updating of the international rules for determining the underlying cause of death is also a factor, with the increase in cases attributed to these conditions accompanied by falls in other causes.”

The most common causes of death last year after dementia and ischaemic heart disease were cerebrovascular diseases, such as strokes, chronic lower respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer.

There was wide variation by age group. Dementia was the leading cause of death for people over 80 but it was the fourth leading cause of death for women aged 65 to 79 and not in the top five leading causes of death for men aged within that age group. Among men aged 35 to 49 suicide and injury/poisoning of undetermined intent was responsible for the most deaths, while for women of the same age group the leading cause of death was breast cancer.

If all cancers are grouped together, it was the most common cause of death, accounting for 27.9% of all deaths last year, compared with 26.2% caused by circulatory diseases, such as heart diseases and strokes.

Alzheimer’s Society estimates that there will be a million people with dementia in the UK by 2025, although research published earlier this year suggests that the number of new cases in recent years has been fewer than previously predicted.

Full Article & Source:
Dementia and Alzheimer's leading cause of death in England and Wales

Loneliness is bad for your health. This new campaign aims to curb isolation

A new national campaign rolling out on Wednesday aims to raise awareness of a hidden but devastating complication of aging: loneliness.

Tens of millions of adults are chronically lonely. And a growing body of research has linked that isolation to disability, cognitive decline, and early death.

The first-of-its kind campaign, organized by the AARP Foundation and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, aims to help seniors assess their social connectedness and suggest practical ways they can forge bonds with other people.

“This is a public health issue of growing concern,” said Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president of the AARP Foundation.

Addressing stigma will be a priority. “Who wants to admit that, ‘I’m isolated and I’m lonely?’” said Dallas Jamison, a spokeswoman for the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. “It’s a source of shame and embarrassment.”

Her organization represents 622 agencies across the country that provide meals, transportation, in-home help, and other support to seniors. They’ll take the lead in identifying older adults who are isolated and linking them to resources, in part through the federal government’s Eldercare Locator. 

The campaign will also encourage families to talk about these issues during the holidays.

These efforts come as research highlights the physical and emotional toll of isolation in later life.

A seminal study of more than 1,600 seniors age 60 and older found that lonely people were far more likely have difficulties with walking, bathing, dressing, and climbing stairs than those who were not. They were also 45 percent more likely to die during the six years that researchers tracked them, from 2002 to 2008.

Some 43 percent of seniors interviewed for that study said they were lonely — a subjective feeling of not being meaningfully connected to other people. Based on a separate analysis, AARP estimates that 42.6 million adults age 45 and older are chronically lonely.

That feeling of isolation sounds an “I’m not safe; all is not well” alarm in seniors, raising blood pressure, sparking inflammation, inspiring stress, and interfering with the immune system’s response.

“If you’re lonely, you feel there aren’t adequate people around to support you and that means you have to surveil your environment continuously for every kind of threat,” said Linda Waite, director of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project and a professor of sociology at the University of Chicago.

“This consumes cognitive, physical, and psychological resources,” Waite said, “and makes it harder for you to do other things that might be beneficial to your health.”

Social isolation may mean that you rarely get out of the house and lack a support system of people who will notice when you’re feeling sick, bring over chicken soup, go out and get a decongestant, or take you to the doctor. About one in five seniors reports being isolated, Jamison said.

Still another line of research suggests that loneliness and isolation doubles the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in older adults by inducing changes in the brain that are not yet well understood.

“Humans evolved to live in social groups, and we’re most comfortable when we feel part of a group — more relaxed, happier, with lower blood pressure and cortisol levels,” Waite said.

Along with the coming campaign, the AARP Foundation plans an initiative called Connect2Affect that will highlight research on loneliness and innovative attempts to address the issue.

Full Article & Source:
Loneliness is bad for your health. This new campaign aims to curb isolation

Burns & Levinson Wins Important Elder Abuse Case on Appeal

Appeals Court of Massachusetts affirms key decisions of lower court; awards attorneys' fees

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - Nov 14, 2016) - Burns & Levinson partner Robert J. O'Regan won a major appellate victory as the conservator for Alice Migell whose nearly $5 million estate was pilfered by one of her sons. The November 2, 2016 decision by the Massachusetts Appeals Court upheld judgments from Middlesex Probate and Family Court, that returned real estate and approximate sale proceeds that the son kept after selling real estate from a trust. The decision also upheld criminal contempt convictions against the son and his wife, Andrew and Kai Sun Migell, for their transferring assets to put them out of reach to satisfy what was owed. The Appeals Court will also require the son and his wife to pay O'Regan's legal fees.

The original lawsuit was filed in 2009 after O'Regan was appointed as Alice Migell's guardian.

O'Regan recovered real estate valued in excess of $2 million in addition to approximately $400,000 that Andrew Migell kept from selling the trust's real estate. The returned property included a vacation home in Hull, a house in Wayland, and rental property. An investigation revealed, and an earlier judgment against them determined that Andrew and Kai Sun Migell worked to take for themselves virtually all of the assets that Mrs. Migell had, either in her own name or as her inheritance following the death of her husband to whom she had been married for over 40 years.

The Probate and Family Court ruled in 2013 that Andrew and Kai Sun Migell had orchestrated a "continuous, willful campaign of fraudulent, obstructionist behavior designed to separate Mrs. Migell from her assets which should have been available to cover the costs of her 24-hour care necessary for the preservation of her mental and physical well-being."

In 2013, the Probate and Family Court also ordered Andrew and Kai Sun Migell to pay $512,680 in attorneys' costs that Mrs. Migell incurred to recover her own property and to defend against their attempts to impoverish her after they "set out on a ruthless campaign to totally and utterly deprive his elderly, ailing and recently widowed mother of her entire estate." The Appeals Court had upheld this decision in 2014.

"This was one of the worst cases of elder abuse that I have seen in over 30 years of practicing law. Alice Migell was 83 years old and suffering from dementia when we went to trial to regain control of the assets she needs to live the rest of her time with dignity and comfort," said O'Regan. "I feel fortunate to have been able to serve the Court and to help Mrs. Migell recover her funds and property.

I hope this case sends a message that exploitation of the elderly and infirm will not be tolerated. Anyone who takes advantage of the most vulnerable people in society should be held accountable for the harm they cause. That is what this Appeals Court decision stands for."

Full Article & Source:
Burns & Levinson Wins Important Elder Abuse Case on Appeal

Long-term use of opioid patches common among persons with Alzheimer's disease

Approximately seven per cent of persons with Alzheimer's disease use strong pain medicines, opioids, for non-cancer pain for a period longer than six months, according to a recent study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland. One third of people initiating opioid use became long-term users, and long-term use was heavily associated with transdermal opioid patches. The results were published in PAIN.

The researchers found that long-term use of opioids was approximately as common among persons with Alzheimer's disease as it was among those without it. However, long-term use of transdermal patches was twice as common among persons with Alzheimer's disease, while tablet form opioids were more common among those without Alzheimer's disease. In addition, long-term opioid use together with benzodiazepines was common, which is worrying as both medicines cause drowsiness.

The use of opioids was studied from the date of Alzheimer's disease diagnosis until death or admission into a long-term care facility. Those with active cancer treatment were excluded from the analysis.

Long-term opioid use is a problematic practice for non-cancer pain. Evidence of its benefits is limited, and the risk of adverse effects is increased compared to short-term treatment. Further, research on the benefits and adverse effects of long-term opioid use is very scarce among older adults and especially those with dementia. Changing doses and stopping medication when using patch-form opioids requires more time and thus, entails more careful monitoring. Pain, the need for analgesics, and possible adverse effects related to analgesics should be assessed regularly among persons with dementia.

The study is part of the MEDALZ cohort, which included 67,215 persons with Alzheimer's disease diagnosed during 2005-2011, of whom 13,111 initiated opioid use. Each person with the disease was matched with a comparison person without Alzheimer's disease of the same age, gender and region of residence. Data for the study were derived from Finnish nationwide registers.

Full Article & Source:
Long-term use of opioid patches common among persons with Alzheimer's disease

Who Makes the Decisions for Your Elderly Loved Ones?

Many aging loved ones have plans for when they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves, but are those plans legally binding??

Advance directives -- legal documents like living wills and power of attorney -- tell your family, doctors and the court your plans for end of life care.

But Channel 2's Dave Huddleston spoke with families who said they lost custody of their loved ones because those advanced directives weren't honored in probate court.

“My mother made it clear who she wanted to take care of her and where she was going to live for the rest of her life,” Doug Franks told Huddleston.

In his mother’s advanced directives, 94-year-old Ernestine Franks said she wanted to stay in her Pensacola, Florida, home, and have her son, Doug, be her guardian when she could no longer make decisions for herself.

Doug Franks, who lives in Austell, already had power of attorney.

But after Ernestine Franks was confronted by a scammer while home alone, older brother, Charles Franks, wanted mom to move near his home in New Orleans. He said he contacted his mother's trust who suggested a private guardianship company step in.

“He stated this was the biggest mistake he's made in his life,” Doug Franks said.

Charles Franks also spoke to Channel 2 and explained his regret about the decision.

The brothers' dispute landed in court.

In August 2012, a Florida probate judge said Doug Franks was unsuitable and unfit to act as guardian because of the dispute.

"We got in trouble because we wanted the best and we had different opinions what was the best for our mom," Doug Franks said.

Ernestine Franks' advanced directives, which included declaring Doug Franks durable power of attorney, designated healthcare surrogate and future guardian, were voided.

A private guardianship company, Gulf Coast Caring Solutions, took control of Ernestine Franks' well-being, and Synovus Bank controlled millions of dollars in her trust.

“It was sad,” Doug Franks said. “The entire way, I drove back thinking I let my mother down, and she's never let me down.”

According to court records, the sons' visits with their mother were limited, and mostly supervised.

Gulf Coast Solutions asked the Franks brothers to not contact their mother three weeks after the guardianship was finalized so Ernestine Franks could establish a routine and bond with her caregivers.

Gulf Coast Solutions and Synovus gave up their rights to the Franks’ estate and Ernestine Franks in November 2014, citing a challenging relationship with the Franks brothers.

A Florida Judge appointed CPA J. Alan Kohr as her guardian and conservator. According to court transcripts, Kohr had been court appointed to serve as guardian or trustee in Escambia County, Florida, 46 previous times.

Doug Franks said guardians spent thousands from Ernestine Franks' trust on food, personal care and fighting the brothers in court.

“It's a dark cloud that's over us all the time,” Doug Franks told Huddleston.

According to Escambia County Court system, guardianship cases are not handled solely at the discretion of the judges.

“Like all other cases in the judicial system, there are statutes, rules and other legal authority that apply and judges use their discretion and judgment within the parameters of the legal authority,” Susan A. Woolf, general counsel for Escambia Courts, told Channel 2 by email.

“Yes, they can override the advance directives,” elder attorney Danielle Humphrey said.

Humphrey said Georgia probate judges rarely void advance directives, and private guardianship is nonexistent in Georgia, but can effect Georgians with loved ones in other states.

In places with a high retirement population -- like Florida -- adult guardianship is big business.

“Possession is nine-tenths of the law and unfortunately, once they become under guardianship, they're like your child,” Humphrey said.

When a loved one lives out of state, it puts them at risk.

She said private guardianship companies, and individuals, can take advantage of an isolated elder.

"They're in it for the money. It's a business, so they're going to treat your mother, or your father, like a business," Humphrey said.

Humphrey, and other experts, said living far from an aging loved one puts them at great risk. They also said an interfamily dispute often leaves probate judges at a loss as to how to deal with the aging relative.

According to the National Guardianship Association, nearly 3,000 jurisdictions regulate guardianship nationwide and everyone is different.

While they stressed there is a great need for guardians and many do a great service, but not a lot of information on guardians nationwide aren’t tracked, so abusive practices, even the number of guardians, is unknown.

Channel 2 spoke to other families who say their loved ones' advanced directives were voided by probate judges, but most guardianship records are closed so it is hard to know why a judge thought a company would be a better guardian than the family member named in the advance directive.

After a four-year fight, the Franks brothers said the guardianship company gave up, because the cash dried up. It was nearly $2 million.

The case went to mediation and the brothers were given guardianship of Ernestine Franks.

They consider it a blessing to have their mother back.

“I was lucky, I was lucky as hell,” Doug Franks said. “We're going to get her back. The key is to help other people, too, so this doesn't happen to them.”

Doug Franks has been working with legislators in Florida and families across the county to strengthen guardianship and probate legislation.

He told Huddleston he is now in the process of moving to Pensacola to be closer to Ernestine Franks.

Source:
Who Makes The Decisions for Your Elderly Loves Ones?

CLICK this link to see the news video

See Also:
NASGA - Ernestine Franks, FL Victim

Judicial Tenure Commission recommends 30 days misconduct suspension for Judge Lisa Gorcyca

(WXYZ) - Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Lisa Gorcyca is facing a 30 days suspension and censure over her conduct in overseeing a divorce case.

A Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission report recommended the sentence because she committed judicial misconduct when she held three children in contempt and sent them to Children's Village.
According to the report:

The Commission concludes that Respondent committed judicial misconduct by abusing her judicial powers of contempt on June 24, 2015 in ordering three children to be confined at the Oakland County Children's Village for declining to engage in visitation with their father, abusing her contempt powers out of frustration at being unable to convince them to visit with their father, and by using insulting, demeaning, and humiliating language directed at the three children during proceedings in open court. For these acts of misconduct, the Commission recommends that Respondent be publicly censured and suspended from office without pay for a period of thirty days.

Earlier this year, the JTC ruled that Judge Gorcyca violated judicial conduct rules, including acting inappropriately on the bench, and making disparaging comments to children, who were part of a custody case she presided over.

This stems from a JTC hearing that centered around a contentious divorce and custody dispute in the Tsimhoni case. Gorcyca presided over the case for approximately five-years. Three children were involved in the case.

Gorcyca found the siblings in contempt and sent them to juvenile detention for refusing to have lunch with their father. After national media attention, the children were released.

The JTC report also says Gorcyca violated her contempt powers and failed to act in a dignified manner on the bench.  (Click to Continue)

Full Article & Source:
Judicial Tenure Commission recommends 30 days misconduct suspension for Judge Lisa Gorcyca

Family member charged with stealing $200K from Libertyville woman

Jacqueline M. Henry

A woman charged with stealing over $200,000 from an elderly family member is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 29.

An 86-year-old woman was living in a facility for senior citizens in Libertyville when in January 2015 administrators said her rent was not being paid, according to Sgt. Chad Roszkowiak of the Libertyville police department.

Jacqueline M. Henry, 53, of the 1600 block of Belle Haven Drive, Grayslake, had power of attorney over the elderly woman and joint access to bank accounts, Roszkowiak said.

"This relative oversaw the finances, and part of that was to make sure the lease payments were being made," Roszkowiak said. "When that stopped happening, the victim went to the bank to find out what was happening and discovered that her money was pretty much gone."

Over nearly two years, Roszkowiak said he and others have subpoenaed financial documents and found unjust financial activity dating as far back as 2010 that totaled over $200,000.

After showing evidence to a judge, police say they were granted a warrant and Henry was taken into custody at her home on Oct. 21. Documents show Henry was charged with financial exploitation of an elderly person, money laundering, and theft.

Attempts to reach Henry for comment were unsuccessful.

Roszkowiak said officers were not able to recover any money. He said a judge could order restitution if Henry is found guilty.

The 86-year-old woman was in a facility with provided meals and programming for socializing, but Roszkowiak said she's now alone in an apartment that she is paying for through public assistance.

"I go around and give presentations to our senior community about lottery scams and people calling claiming to be their grandkids, and the decoy burglaries schemes where people pretend to work for ComEd or some other company," Roszkowiak said, noting that he's Libertyville's lead officer on crimes against seniors. "Unfortunately, this type of abuse by family is another risk the elderly need to be conscious of."

Generally speaking, Roszkowiak said people who give power of attorney should create checks and balances by choosing more than one person, setting up review sessions, and setting a limit on how much money can be moved at one time or per month.

"Is this the first time we've investigated a crime against a senior citizen? Unfortunately no," Roszkowiak said. "Every community deals with this issue."

Roszkowiak said groups of people make a living and have turf wars over pretending to be repairmen and robbing people of jewelry and cash. He said seniors should always call the company or family who ordered the service before letting anyone inside the house.

But for this 86-year-old Libertyville woman, Roszkowiak said everything happened without her knowledge and Henry is not part of any organized crime group or larger conspiracy.

"The elderly are often seen as easy targets because they've let their guard down after getting through the rigors of life," Roszkowiak said. "We should all make time to check in on our loved ones and neighbors."

Full Article & Source:
Family member charged with stealing $200K from Libertyville woman