Dear Savvy Senior: What resources can you recommend for locating government assistance programs for seniors? My husband and I have been helping support his mother for the past three years and we can't afford to do it any longer.
--Tapped Out
Dear Tapped: Locating government benefits and financial assistance programs for seniors is actually pretty easy to do thanks to two key resources created by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a). Here's where you can turn to for help.
Online Search
If you have access to the Internet, the easiest and most convenient way to search for benefits for seniors is at benefitscheckup.org.
Created by the NCOA 10 years ago, BenefitsCheckUp is a free, confidential web-based service that helps low-income seniors and their families identify federal, state and private benefits programs that can help with prescription drug costs, health care, utilities, and other basic needs. This site contains more than 2,000 programs across the country.
To help identify benefits that could help your mother-in-law, you'll need to fill out an online questionnaire that asks things like her date of birth, zip code, expenses, income, assets, veteran status and a few other factors. It takes about 15 minutes to complete.
Once completed, you'll get a report detailing all programs and services she may be eligible for. You can also apply for many of the programs online, or you can print an application form, fill it out and mail it in.
Phone Assistance
If, however, you don't have Internet access you can also get help over the phone by calling the Eldercare Locator (800-677-1116), which will assign you a counselor to review your mother-in-law's situation, and provide you with a list of possible programs she may be eligible for, and who to contact to get the ball rolling.
Types of Benefits
Depending on her income level and where she lives, some of the different benefits that may be available to your mother-in-law include:
Food Assistance: Programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can help pay for her groceries. The average monthly SNAP benefit is currently $119 for seniors living alone. Other programs that may help include the Emergency Food Assistance Program, Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program.
Health Assistance: Medicaid and Medicare Savings Programs can help or completely pay for out-of-pocket health care costs. And, there are special Medicaid waiver programs that provide in-home care and assistance.
Prescription Assistance: There are hundreds of programs offered through pharmaceutical companies, government agencies and charitable organizations that help lower or eliminate prescription drug costs, including the federal Low Income Subsidy known as "Extra Help" that pays premiums, deductibles and prescription copayments for Medicare Part D beneficiaries.
Heating and Cooling Assistance: There's the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), as well as local utility companies and charitable organizations, that provide assistance in lowering home heating and cooling costs.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI): Administered by the Social Security Administration, SSI provides monthly payments to very low income seniors, age 65 and older, as well as to those who are blind and disabled. The average SSI payment is around $500 per month.
In addition to these programs, there are numerous other benefits such as HUD housing options, home weatherization assistance, tax relief, various veteran's benefits, transportation, respite care and free legal assistance.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of "The Savvy Senior" book.
Avg cost for assisted living is 42k in CA, over 3 years that's 126k. Try finding an investment where you put in around $100 a month for maybe 15 or 20 years that pays out 150-250k, you wont. Buy a LTC policy.
And if you are worried about paying for something you may not use, there are now life insurance/long term care hybrid products. You're either going to die fast or slow, you need the assistance its there, if you die an immediate death the money goes to your beneficiaries income tax free.
There is no mention of the Veterans Administration benefits for homecare, medications with very low co-pays, medical equipment and more for Veterans. Additionally there is an Aid & Attendance pension benefit to assist with care costs, which is also available for spouses of deceased Veterans if the spouse meets very reasonable criteria.
Many Catholic & Jewish family services, as well as the United Way have volunteers or can at least help guide a local senior to the services available for their particular situation.
Jonathan Pond, America's Financial Planner, says that 90% of estates are spent this way: 1) nursing home, 2) IRS, 3) children, 4) grandchildren, 5) charity. More people are worried about the IRS taking their money than about having to spend it on a nursing home.
Some 75 million boomers are ill prepared to cover the costs of long term care especially since Medicare and health insurance does not cover the bulk of long term care and Medicaid only does once someone has spent their live savings to the poverty level. http://www.longtermcare.gov
With only about 10% of those buying long term care insurance (http://www.nationalltc.com) the rest will spend their estates on paying for care and some will end up on welfare health care (Medicaid) after spending all their money.
The Federal Deficit Reduction Act provided for every state to have a Partnership program to provide asset protection for those who buy qualified long term care insurance policies. http://www.partnershipforlongtermcare.com/
Plan now, or pay later.
I just hope I don't loose my job, then there will be a number of us hurting.
Vote Obama 2012 !
I got an appointment almost immediately. The counselor gave me all the time I needed (more than an hour) to get advice and have questions answered about caring for my disabled, elderly, mother who lives with me. I walked away with facts about what help is available in my mother's income category, contact info, guidelines for making appropriate plans for the future, and a support group for me, as the care-giver.
I cried while I was in the meeting, but the counselor was genuinely empathetic and kind. I left feeling SO much better about our situation, which had me at my wit's end. I encourage everyone (and there are so many of us!) who are responsible for the welfare of elders to call their local Council on Aging.
Most of all, please vote for candidates who will promote policies to help our elders who are living longer and lacking the resources to live without assistance. We CANNOT have cuts to Social Security and Medicare! This is a major stress issue for millions of people and often leads to families breaking up — something neither Republicans or Democrats should want.
Bread is $2.50, Milk is $3.00, Eggs are $2.50, orange juice is $3.00. That's $11 right there. A pound of ground beef is $4.00. A bag of rice is $2.00. A box of chicken stock is $2.50. That's $19.50. Wow! Still have $5 left to spend! How about a box of cereal. There you have it, Folks. A week's worth of groceries for $25.
How pathetic.