RetirementHomes.com - Laws and Regulations

Video: Elderly woman escorted off train for singing

aadmin — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:28:05 +0000

One Florida family says it is considering take legal action after their elderly year-old mother was thrown off a train for singing loudly.

As reported by WDBO.com, 82 year-old Emma Anderson was holding worry beads and singing hymns on board a train in Miami-Dade, Florida, when a security guard asked her to stop singing. When she refused, he forced her off the train, where she is reported to have fell and suffered light bruises.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsiWtV88EH8

The confrontation on the train between Anderson and the security guard was captured by a passer-by’s cell phone video camera.

“I was beating my little beads with the bottle and I was singing a song, and he came up to me and said, ‘Ma’am, you’re making too much noise,’” Anderson was quoted as saying.

The elderly woman’s son, 42 year-old Kenny Anderson, said legal action is being considered as a result of the video footage, which he said appears to show his mother being forcibly escorted and is the cause of her injuries. A spokesperson for Miami-Dade Transit told the news source that her loud singing was disruptive and could drown out important loudspeaker announcements.

Roughly one-in-seven residents of Miami-Dade county are aged 65 and over, and there are many assisted living communities in Miami.

What do you think? Should the woman have stopped singing, or was the transit official beyond his rights? Tell us in the comment section below:

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Politics and Government

Elderly woman fights to fly American flag

aadmin — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:12:02 +0000

It’s the 4th of July – Independence Day – and across the United States, millions of Americans are celebrating the birth of their country. But in El Paso, Texas, one woman in an assisted living community says she is fighting just to fly a flag.

As reported in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal newspaper, 86 year-old Leonor Valadez, has tried to have management of Sun Plaza Apartments fly the American flag on a flagpole outside the housing complex, but to no avail.

When the flagpole was empty, she says she donated a flag to the facility, only to later have it later stolen, and then when she tried to install one herself, she was told that the rope disappeared. But now Old Glory is flying high.

Valadez says she fought hard to have the flag installed because she has a long history of patriotism.

“I was born in the United States and I had four brothers who were in the military,” she told the Avalanche-Journal.

Valadez grew up in Alpine, Texas, and was one of 12 siblings born to Mexican immigrants.

Management from Sun Plaza Apartments say the delays were unfortunate, but that they are happy to once again be flying the American flag.

“We have very patriotic residents, especially here at Sun Plaza. We’re grateful for some of those residents who are vocal about it,” Shane Griffith with the El Paso Housing Authority, which manages Sun Plaza, told the newspaper.

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Politics and Government

President Obama Proclaims May Older Americans Month

aadmin — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:11:57 +0000

America endured great trials and heralded defining triumphs over the course of the 20th century, and the men and women who saw us through that time remain among our Nation's greatest assets . . . Older Americans continue to steer and enhance our national life. Presidential Proclamation -- Older Americans Month, 2012. Barack Obama.

May is Older Americans Month. The theme for this year is "Never Too Old to Play."

The term 'older American’ refers to a large, rather ambiguous demographic. It's unclear when people become older; what defines this term. Traditionally, older Americans have reached the age of retirement at 65. Over time, 55+ Boomers also have been referred to as older Americans.

America is greying. Gains in life expectancy translate into an aging population. Older Americans need to remain open to play. Lifelong learning and travel ensure openness in the pursuits of knowledge and skills. It exhibits an adventuresome spirit.

Older Americans get a bad rap for being technologically inept compared to younger masters of e-gadgets. But, Baby Boomers and adults over 65 are significant e-book and tablet readers. They have embraced e-reading to carry on their love affair with fiction, research and news.

On the travel front, Baby Boomers have developed a penchant for exotic destinations. The 55+ crowd is fond of Botswana, the Serengeti (Tanzania and Kenya), Machu Picchu and the Galapagos, Costa Rica, India and Vietnam. They are still a generation in motion with global aspirations to discover far-off places.

Older Americans are never too old to play, learn and engage in active lifestyles.

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Laws and Regulations

Canadian Prisons Seek Solutions for Graying Inmates

aadmin — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:32:32 +0000

Aging brings about an agreed-upon segregation. Older adults seek to leave their work and find more comfortable living arrangements, in retirement residences like Assisted Lifestyle and Continuing Care. Different expectations are given to an aging population compared to the younger, up-and-coming generation.

This natural trend has been found to be missing in Canadian penal institutions and is being remedied through a North Nevada program, "True Grit". Inmate Cecil Williams told CBCNews.com that the program consisted of "no stealing, no thievery, no bulldoggin', no bullying." He added: "We don't have none of that stuff because we're all the in the same age bracket."

Beyond the segregation, "True Grit" engages older inmates in diversion therapy, like crocheting and creative writing classes, activities that have been found to reduce the dependency on prescription drugs. The program is for men between the ages of 55 and 86.

Mary Harrison, Nevada's sex offender co-ordinator and staff psychologist at the North Nevada Correctional Centre, is the creator of "True Grit".

"When I was transferred up here in January of 2004," Harrison told CBCNews.com, "I walked into the unit and at the time we had a lot of our men just lying in bed or they were sitting in wheelchairs in the rotunda, just sleeping." Their inactivity meant they were not performing duties necessary for consideration for parole.

"We don't want to be a nursing home where someone's going to stay here and die," Harrison told the media source. "If they're going to come in here into this program they will take responsibility for the crime. That needs to happen so that we can get them involved in the programs that they can take so that they're eligible for parole."

Detractors say that such humane practices are wasted on prisoners who have committed serious crimes; the program isn't gritty enough.

Harrison focuses on the positive aspects of the program. Inmates are healthier and in better shape, less money is being spent on prescription medications and trips to the doctor.

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Laws and Regulations

Seniors Could Lose Pets or Face Eviction

aadmin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:30:03 +0000

Rules are rules. That's what governments often proclaim.

That's what's happening to the senior community in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, where 7 residents are being asked to part with their pets or face eviction. A spokesperson with the Conservative Party's Provincial Government Department of Social Development has said that pets have always been inadmissable inside the units.

New Democratic Party Leader Dominic Cardy has contacted Social Development Minister Sue Stultz asking for a reversal of the order.

"Some of these folks have had their pets for years, and there was never any problem. So why are they getting eviction notices in the middle of the winter?" Cardy said in a statement that was quoted by cbcnews New Brunswick.

“Sharing your house with a pet relieves symptoms of depression and feelings of isolation and loss. It is hard enough being a senior on a fixed income, does the Conservative government really need to make things worse?” the media source wrote.

Residents who could lose their pets claim they will suffer psychological loss, even depression. Agnes Burges-Mitchell will surrender her cat Lily to the authorities if the eviction notice goes through.

"For two days I couldn't even think. I sat in the chesterfield," she told the media source.

The Provincial Government says the ruling is due to a resident's complaint.

Pet therapy is popular in Assisted Living and Continuing Care residences.

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Laws and Regulations

Prisons managing growing numbers of senior inmates

aadmin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:43:33 +0000

A new study by Human Rights Watch says one of the fastest-growing age demographics in American prisons are those age 55 and over.

As reported by Time Magazine, between 1995 and 2010, the over-55 prison population, as a proportion of the overall prison population, ballooned from three per cent to eight per cent. That growth was six times faster than average. But despite those expanding numbers, experts say that prisons are having some difficulty adjusting.

“Prisons were never designed to be geriatric facilities,” Jamie Fellner of Human Rights Watch, told Time Magazine. “Yet U.S. corrections officials now operate old age homes behind bars.”

According to the news source, there are two major reasons for the increase: more life sentences, meaning that people who were imprisoned while young remain in jail for many years, as well as an increase in the number of people convicted of crimes over the age of 50.

One of the experts told the media outlet that one of the major challenges for prisons in dealing with aging inmates is not the age itself, but some of the associated health issues.

“Dementia can set in, and an inmate who was formerly easy to manage becomes very difficult to manage,” A.T. Wall from the Association of State Correctional Administrators, told Time. Still, there are only about 125,000 people aged 55 and over in American prisons, a tiny percentage of the overall retirement living age bracket.

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Politics and Government

New Florida law adds a step to continuing care communities

aadmin — Mon, 16 May 2011 12:04:02 +0000

It used to be the case that moving into a continuing care community was a final, irrevocable decision and an emotional transition for many. This has proven to be particularly difficult in recent years as more baby boomers are looking to age at home, but also plan for their future.

That has all changed in Florida, thanks to a new law that allows older adults to receive the services of a continuing care community while aging at home.

The legislation effectively adds a new step to the experience, so that those who aren't ready - or able - to leave their houses can still employ skilled nursing aides and use other amenities.

"This gives the [facility] the ability to provide services to people who want to live off-campus," state representative Kathleen Passadomo told Naples Daily News. "A lot of people can't sell their home and they are stuck."

Continuing care communities are good options for those who are looking for an intimate, neighborhood-feel to services they will often use for decades to come. They can also be an optimal choice for spouses who have different levels of need, but want to stay together.

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Washington bill would introduce new standards for referral programs for caring agencies

aadmin — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:04:02 +0000

Washington state representative Jim Moeller, a Democrat, has recently proposed legislation that would introduce a new set of regulations for referral agencies that help with home care and skilled nursing services, which may make seniors more comfortable when using them, according to The State Column.

"The majority of referral agencies do a good job matching senior citizens with appropriate services," Moeller said, the news source reports.

"Fortunately most of the time, there's no problem at all. But yes, there are those agencies that fall way short of meeting their responsibilities, sometimes endangering the health and well-being of very vulnerable adults."

The new changes would highlight whether or not the agency charges older adults for the services. A disclosure would be given to each client and would require a user's signature. It would describe the promised services, any fees to be charged and the particularities of payment.

Seniors who are looking for day-to-day help or are researching their options for retirement living communities may want to turn to the internet as their first option. Afterward, try visiting each area in person and chatting with staff and residents to get a better feel for the experience.

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Georgia bill will designate some facilities as"assisted living"

aadmin — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:04:02 +0000

In Georgia, there are currently no facilities designated as assisted living, but that is all about to change - on Monday, the state Senate unanimously passed a bill that would begin to recognize some communities by the new status, according to The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

This will represent a marked change in Georgia, where it was previously difficult to find any kind of skilled medical or personal services in one central location.

Instead, seniors in need of care had to rely on personal care homes, which require residents to be mobile enough to walk during a time of emergency and also able to manage their own medications.

Now, with Senate Bill 178 ratified, senior living communities with 25 or more beds can offer medication aides and assistants to older adults who may need some help with day-to-day tasks, but not the intensive treatment of nursing homes.

In part, Georgia may be preparing for the increased demand for retirement living communities that is expected in the coming years as baby boomers age. The National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information expects that 70 percent of current boomers will need senior housing in the future, according to TCPalm.com.

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Healthcare law will carry new implications for seniors

aadmin — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:04:03 +0000

Those who are trying to enjoy as healthy a retirement living as possible may now have an even greater number of resources than before, due to the Obama administration's healthcare reform.

Starting this month, seniors will be able to receive free preventative screenings, vaccinations, annual well exams and will also be able to get a personalized prevention plan from the doctor, according to MSNBC.

Vending machines and chain restaurants will also be required to post the nutritional information concerning all of their food.

Additionally, many medications will be more affordable and seniors will have an average savings of $700 on their pills.

The downside to these changes is that monthly premiums will rise, especially for individuals making $80,000 a year and couples making $170,000 a year. Their premiums for Medicare Part B could be anywhere from $161.50 to $369.10.

Likewise, Medicare Part D will be affected by income - 1.2 million beneficiaries currently pay for Part D this year and that number will rise to 4.2 million in 2019.

Seniors should also still set aside some additional money for expenses, according to Alan Canton of A.N. Canton Insurance.

"Plain old traditional Medicare has a 20 percent co-insurance as well as hospital and outpatient deducts," he told SecondAct.com.

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