PCLS Senior Services Blog: July 2011

Friday, July 29, 2011

Public Hearing on Federal and State Funding for Senior Services

The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco – Pinellas, Inc. (AAAPP) has announced a Public Hearing for persons residing in Pasco County. Attendees will learn how Federal and State funds allocated for Senior Services will be used in Pasco County and gain knowledge of available resources for Seniors and/or family caregivers. Interested persons will be invited to comment on how these local services will be funded in 2012 and to comment about what they believe that Seniors need now and in the future. The hearing will be held:

Thursday, August 4, 2011

9:30 AM to 11:00 AM

CARES Rao Musunuru, M.D.

Enrichment Center

12417 Clock Tower Parkway,

Hudson, FL

GUEST SPEAKER:

Representative John Legg

Saturday, July 23, 2011

July/August Elder Update

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs publishes a bi-monthly publication called the "Elder Update". The July/August issue has articles about the Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program for the Elderly (EHEAP), Florida's Aging Road User Strategic Plan, maintaining oral health, a tai chi exercise program in New Port Richey, and more. You can read this issue online here. You can access back issues of the Elder Update here. In addition, you can receive a free print subscription to this publication by filling out the online form here.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Caregiving Costs to Working Caregivers

Almost 10 million people age 50 and above care for their aging parents in the United States. The MetLife Mature Market Institute has published a report based on data from the the 2008 panel of the National Health and Retirement Study (HRS). This report is called "The MetLife Study of Caregiving Costs to Working Caregivers: Double Jeopardy for Baby Boomers Caring for Their Parents". Here are some highlights from this study:

the percentage of adults providing financial assistance or personal care to an aging parent has tripled in the last 15 years.
approximately a quarter of all adult children (mainly baby boomers) provide care for a parent.
The overall cost in lost wages, pensions, and social security benefits for all of these caregivers is nearly 3 trillion dollars.
the average female caregiver loses $324,044.
male caregivers average a loss of $283,716.
caregivers age 50 and above are more likely to have fair or poor health than people who are not caregivers.

The full report can be read here.