If an elderly family member suffers from hearing loss, here is something you need to know: Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc., (FTRI) will provide specialized phone equipment for them at no cost. FTRI is a statewide non-profit organization that provides this equipment as mandated by the Florida Legislature. The program is funded by an 11 cent surchage on all landlines in Florida. And these phones can be used in private residences, or in Florida nursing homes, Florida assisted living facilities, and Florida continuing care retirement communities.

And now FTRI has added a cordless amplified phone to its mix of available equipment. The Clarity W425 Pro amplifies incoming sounds up to 45 db.

Clarity W425 Pro cordless amplified phone

Permanent Florida residents who are certified as having a hearing loss can easily obtain the W425 Pro by completing an application and visiting one of FTRI’s 22 conveniently located distribution centers throughout the state.  For more information, call FTRI at 1-800-222-3448 or visit www.ftri.org. 

“FTRI aims to provide individuals with hearing loss a telephone solution like the Clarity W425 Pro,” said James Forstall, FTRI’s executive director.  “The majority of the people we serve are senior citizens and the Clarity W425 Pro is a device that may assist them with communicating with others on the telephone.”

 FTRI estimates that nearly three million Floridians experience some degree of hearing loss. Along with amplification technology, the W425 Pro contains large backlit numbers, a bright visual ringer, and is hearing aid compatible. 

 “FTRI is an outstanding program which helps so many people throughout Florida,” said Carsten Trads, president of Clarity.  “Hearing loss is a serious, yet often overlooked issue.  Many people are not aware that solutions like amplified telephones even exist.  Thanks to FTRI, hopefully more people in Florida will take the necessary steps to address their hearing loss and consider using amplified telephones.” 

FTRI also offers equipment for Florida residents who are deaf,  blind or speech impaired. Many other states have similar free programs.  Visit the Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program  Association to learn more.

Sunday, October 18, life threw me a curve. My elderly father fell in his Florida senior living apartment and dislocated his hip. That triggered a series of events – a trip to the ER to have it put back in place, his release that same night to come stay with me, a second hip dislocation followed by a  second re-location. Then six nights in the hospital to run tests,etc.  He is now back in his Florida continuing care retirement community apartment and gradually re-gaining his strength. So I thought I would share the top ten things I learned in this last week of helping my father recover from this fall:

1 – At any age, life can change in an instant.
2 – Healthcare workers are just like the general population – some are nice, some are not so nice; some are highly skilled, some are mediocre; some genuinely care, some are just doing a job. We shouldn’t make them “God-like,” nor should we start with the mindset they are all incompetent (like my dad is prone to do).
3 – Communication is critical when in the hospital – both from the patient to staff and from the staff to patient. I find nothing puts me, and my father, more at ease then feeling like the medical staff is keeping us up-to-date on his situation; and nothing was more frustrating then having to walk around begging someone to tell us what is going on.
4 – Nothing happens fast in the hospital. Patience is key.
5 – You must be an advocate for yourself, or for your loved one if you are their caregiver. Ask questions, ask for clarification, ask to see test results, ask “What would you do if this was your father?” Don’t be afraid to push a little. I had to call my father’s nurse to say “He would really like to shave, can you help him do that?” and “He has been lying in bed all day, can someone please get him up to walk the halls?” The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
6 – The whole experience of being hospitalized can be confusing and frightening, particularly for the elderly. In my elderly father’s case, anything outside of his normal daily routine causes some confusion. So suddenly being in a hospital, with no familiar faces, a different schedule for meals, none of his personal effects, etc., left him confused and a bit angry. I had to remind myself that his anger was just an expression of his confusion and frustration at the situation and at having to rely on everyone else.
7 – When caring for an elderly family member, remember to care for yourself too. It has taken me a long time to embrace this concept. When my father had a similar fall last year, and was hospitalized for a couple of weeks, I was constantly wracked with guilt if I was not by his bedside 24/7. I have finally learned that is not necessary for him , and not healthy for me. And actually I have found that by taking breaks, I have helped him re-gain confidence that he can do things for himself.
8 – Health insurance & Medicare rules are confusing and can sometimes be an overriding factor in determining care.
9 – When dealing with a variety of care providers (physical therapists, home health, rehab facilities, etc), don’t lose sight of the fact that they are all in business and that factors in to their recommendations.
10 – Getting old is not for sissies (credit goes to my husband for that one).

I remember the first time I saw a “Silver Alert” – it was posted on a highway message board in Orlando last December. The message said “Silver Alert” and also gave a description of a vehicle. I wondered out loud, “What is a silver alert?” And my 9-year-old daughter replied, “Mom, maybe it’s like an Amber Alert only for old people.” Bingo. We then proceeded to discuss what a great idea it was to create this type of alert program.

Florida’s Silver Alert system has now entered its second year, and state leaders are praising its success. The Silver Alert Plan is a standardized system to aid local law enforcement in finding people age 60 and older with documented dementia who have wandered or driven off. The plan calls for the broadcast of important information via the media and highway message signs to enlist citizens in the search for an endangered senior.  In addition, in August 2009, the Florida Department of Elder Affairs introduced a new capability that enables the general public to sign up to receive free Silver Alert e-mail messages. To sign up, visit www.elderaffairs.state.fl.us/index.php.

“Over the last year, law enforcement has drawn upon this program many times,” said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey. “Silver Alerts activate an army of citizens to assist law enforcement. The more people involved with the search, the better the chances of finding the missing senior in a timely manner.”

To date, 115 Silver Alerts have been issued – 110 individuals were located safely, with 18 of those recoveries attributed directly to the Silver Alert.

“I’m pleased and proud of the way this program has worked as a safety net for some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Florida Governor Charlie Crist. “I thank our citizens for paying attention to the Silver Alerts, and for doing their part to call in the information law enforcement needs to safely locate these seniors.”

“Not only is Silver Alert a safety net for missing elders, it is also a security blanket for their loved ones who can take comfort in knowing that they aren’t alone in their search,” said Elder Affairs Secretary E. Douglas Beach.

“Silver Alerts make more people aware that an elder is missing, and that’s a tremendous help to everyone.”

The Silver Alert program was modeled after the Amber Alert system, which spreads the word about missing children.

To learn more about the Florida Silver Alert Plan, visit http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/. To report a missing elderly person, call 911.

Christopher Williams, Senior Solutions

The words “long term care” usually bring to mind images of nursing homes and elderly people living in them who can no longer care for themselves. In truth, long-term care (LTC) comes in many different forms, is provided in many different settings, and can refer to people of all ages.

In 2008, the average annual cost of a stay in a private room in a nursing home was more than $76,000. A stay in an assisted living facility was $35,628. Yet the majority of long-term care services aren’t paid for at all. They are provided by 52 million unpaid caregivers – primarily family members and friends of those needing the care.

According to the Alliance for Health Reform, two-thirds of Americans age 65 will need some type of long term care in their lifetimes. For those who do not have family members to provide it, or those who do not want to be a burden financially (or emotionally) on their relatives, the out-of-pocket cost can be substantial. These costs vary widely from region to region, ranging from $25 per day to $500 per day, with the highest rates in the Northeast, Texas, and Florida. The average cost of a nursing home here in Florida is near $140 per day.  With the average stay in a LTC facility being two and a half years, that adds up to $127,700.

The question that needs to be addressed is whether someone has enough income or assets to handle these costs over time.  Typically, a senior’s income will not cover the costs, but their savings may be enough to handle the expenses. Unfortunately, however, there is no way for anyone to estimate the total of their future LTC expenses.

In making these decisions, one should consider all of the options. Many elderly people who do not have the assets to sustain the high costs of LTC may eventually qualify for Medicaid assistance. In order to qualify, though, they will have to spend down their own assets first before Medicaid steps in. Medicaid accounts for 49% of the total spending towards LTC in America. Another option is to purchase a Long Term Care insurance policy. These policies can be expensive, with costs varying greatly depending on the age and medical history of the insured. But the cost of these polices pale in comparison to the out-of-pocket potential of using one’s own assets. Before making any decision, it is a good idea to sit with a state licensed insurance agent to estimate the cost of a policy. This may be the agent who sold you your life or auto policy, or you may need to find a specialist. Either way, be sure the person fully understands your needs and is active enough to be selling at least a dozen policies a year.

In 1987, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation initiated the Program to Promote Long-Term Care Insurance for the Elderly. This program is available in eighteen states, including Florida. The program involves a partnership between Medicaid and private LTC insurance.  It allows nursing home patients with state-approved long-term care insurance policies to be eligible for Medicaid with substantially higher levels of assets than are normally allowed. This would permit them to receive nursing care but still have enough to live on and to bequeath to their children.

Whatever decision you make, you may want to make it sooner rather than waiting. The cost of an insurance policy is partly based on age, but you will also want to make arrangements with friends or family members should you choose to “self-insure” or to receive care from a relative. It’s never easy to discuss or think about, but definitely needs to be addressed before it’s too late.

I remember when I was helping my elderly father select a Florida senior living facility, one of the biggest issues for him was cost: What does it cost up front? What does it cost each month? And most importantly – will those costs increase every year? As someone living on a fixed income, he didn’t want to move into a senior community where he couldn’t afford to stay – forever.

The facility he selected guarantees only nominal increases each year, which gave him the peace of mind he was looking for. But I just learned about a Florida senior living provider that is going one better: Aston Gardens, which operates six senior communities in Florida, has enacted a three-year rent guarantee for new independent living residents.

“We know that times are uncertain and many seniors are faced with the worries associated with living on their own. Seniors who live on their own never know if the property taxes on their residence will skyrocket or when they’ll be hit with an unexpected, expensive home repair bill. Our three year Peace of Mind Rent Protection Guarantee means seniors will never have to stress about their monthly bills — everything remains the same month after month,” said Diana Ferrante Thies of Aston Gardens.

Aston Gardens has senior facilities in Parkland, Naples, Venice, Tampa and two in Sun City Center.

Maybe there are other senior living facilities around the state offering this type of rent-control program. If you know of any, please let me know.

A few weeks ago, I posted a story about felons working in Florida nursing homes.  Thanks to that series of articles in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Florida’s attorney general is getting involved.

Here’s the latest article from the Sun Sentinel’s Sally Kestin:

Florida’s attorney general has ordered a review of a state system that allows convicted felons to work in day care and nursing homes, after a Sun Sentinel investigative series.

In a letter to legislators this week, Bill McCollum said the series highlighted the “disastrous results” of Florida’s exemption process that has cleared more than 8,700 people with criminal pasts to work as caregivers of children, seniors and the disabled.

A Central Florida woman with a record for aggravated assault won an exemption from the state to work in a nursing home, where she stole $36,000 from patients, the newspaper reported.

“With her violent criminal background, she should have never been given the opportunity to work in a position of trust,” McCollum wrote. The Republican official directed his staff to review existing laws and policies and make recommendations before the Legislature convenes in March.

Legislators are already working on changes to state law to restrict who can receive an exemption and for what crimes. One proposed bill would ban people with records for violence and fraud from ever getting clearance to work as a caregiver.

The Legislature created exemptions two decades ago as a second chance for people with long-ago or minor offenses in their past.

But the Sun Sentinel’s “Trust Betrayed” series found the state also granted exemptions to career criminals and people convicted of rape, kidnapping and murder. A dozen registered sex offenders were cleared to work along with 200 people charged with harming children.

Research in Florida has found that as many as half of convicted felons commit more crimes within five years of their release, said Joe Jacquot, the attorney general’s chief of staff.

“The state shouldn’t give people the opportunity to do so,” he said.

Lawmakers have also pledged to fix other problems identified by the Sun Sentinel series. Caregivers would have to pass a nationwide background check before they could begin working with children, the elderly or disabled, under proposed legislation.

Now, many caregivers undergo a criminal history search in Florida only, and can be on the job several months before the results come back.

The reforms have the support of George Sheldon, secretary of Florida’s Department of Children & Families. Sheldon has written a four-page letter to lawmakers outlining his plan to tighten screening requirements and exemptions, and met with legislative leaders this week.

The newspaper series “really made a tremendous difference in people’s resolve to address these issues,” said state Sen. Nan Rich, D-Weston. “I think this is just going to be a no-brainer.”

Sally Kestin can be reached at skestin@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4510.

Most of Florida’s senior living facilities are concentrated around the state’s largest cities: Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville. The Palms of Sebring is an exception – thriving for the past 50 years in the tiny town of Sebring, Florida. Located about 90 miles due south of Orlando, far from any interstate, Sebring is a small town in the middle of the state. And location is not the only thing that makes The Palms unique.

Tower apartments at The Palms at Sebring

The Palms of Sebring is Highlands County’s only retirement community offering three levels of living – independent living, assisted living and a nursing home. This senior living facility has approximately 70 units each in independent and assisted living, and 120 beds in the nursing home.

While many Florida continuing care retirement communities such as this require a large, up-front community fee, The Palms of Sebring only charges new residents a one-time fee of $750. After that, independent living residents choose whether to live in the full-service Tower apartments, where monthly rent starts at $1689 and includes utilities, all meals, housekeeping, and transportation; or the Poinsettia apartments, where monthly rents starts at just $901 and does not include meals or housekeeping. Recreational activities and wellness programs are included for residents in both buildings. Another unique feature of The Palms is that they do allow residents to have pets – cats and dogs in the Poinsettia Apartments and cats only in the Tower Apartments.

In addition, the dining room is open continually from 7am – 6pm. “So if you want a steak dinner at two in the afternoon, you can have it,” explains marketing director Janice Roberts. “Our executive chef is wonderful.”

Roberts also told me The Palms has a home health agency that provides services to residents in their Palms apartments, and also to individuals who do not live on property.

To learn about this Florida senior living facility, visit The Palms at Sebring. To search for other senior living facilities around Florida, visit Florida Senior Living Advisor.

Funny how life gets in the way. It’s been several days since I posted on this Florida Senior Living Advisor blog. There are two reasons: first, I was busy helping my elderly father address some issues he is having with his eyes. Looks like cataract surgery is in his future. First he has to see a retina specialist, to make sure there are no underlying issues with his retina. I don’t mind taking him back and forth to doctors, but the fact is it is very time-consuming.

In addition to those obligations, I was busy on Friday and Saturday attending an amazing conferenced about social media and blogging. It was called “Izeafest” – a reference to the company that organized it, Orlando’s Izea, Inc. I learned so much and met so many wonderful people. I’m still going through all of my notes, mapping out next steps for this blog and for the Florida Senior Living Advisor website. But I know one my priorities needs to be to find other websites and blogs to link to me. So this is my first shout-out: if you know of a useful blog that focuses on issues such as senior care, senior living facilities, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, Alzheimer’s disease, Medicare, really ANYTHING of interest to seniors, please tell me about the site in a comment below. I also want to know about these sites so I can add them to my “Helpful Links” section of Florida Senior Living Advisor.