What is Long-Term Care?

There are a lot of misconceptions about long-term care. Long-term care includes both assistance with daily living (for example: bathing, dressing, eating, housework, shopping) and skilled medical care. According to the Administration for Community Living, 70% of people turning age 65 will need to use some form of long-term care during their lives. Poor diet and exercise habits can increase your chances of needing long-term care. 

Medicare only pays for short term (less than 100 days) medically necessary care and rehabilitation. Medicare does not pay for personal care- such as assistance with daily living or for supervision (often called custodial care). Twenty percent of today's 65 year-olds will need long-term care for longer than 5 years. 

Medicaid may pay for long term care, but it is only available for people with low income. Medicaid eligibility rules vary from state to state. For more information about Medicaid in Florida, click here. For more information on how to plan for long-term care, please visit the longtermcare.gov website.

Find Help in Your Community

The Eldercare Locator is provided by the U. S. Administration on Aging (AoA) and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a). This tool can help older adults and their families to find the resources that they need in their communities - including Alzheimer's resources, caregiver assistance, transportation, home repair, and more. Below is a video explaining the services you can find through the Eldercare Locator:




Other resources from the Eldercare website include:  

• Factsheets about assisted living, adult daycare, and home healthcare.
• Brochures, such as Employment Options: Tips for Older Job Seekers
• Helpful Links to aging organizations, to caregiving organizations, and elder rights websites

New Research Report on "Aging in Place"

 The Population Reference Bureau has published a report, "Helping Americans Age in Place" about demographic trends in aging. They have summarized findings about the health, economic circumstances, and social well-being of older adults. Here are some of the statistics from this report:

• Among U.S. adults ages 65 and older living outside of institutions, more than one in four report having difficulty with at least one daily activity and receiving no assistance, according to the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study.

• Two nationally representative surveys suggest that more than one in 10 older Americans living outside of institutions are mistreated in some way, most commonly by someone who neglects, verbally abuses, or takes financial advantage of them.

• As many as one in seven Americans ages 71 and older has some type of dementia, according to the first estimates ever made using a nationally representative sample of older adults.

These statistics can be used by community-based social services to address the issues faced by older adults. You can read the entire report here.

Medicare and Medicaid Counseling

The State of Florida has a program called SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) that provides free counseling to Seniors about Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care planning, and prescription assistance. The program is administered at the county level through the local "Area Agency on Aging" (other states also have this program - either in their Department of Aging or in their Department of Insurance).
 
SHINE is an unbiased information and counseling program that trains volunteers to help older adults to get the information that they need to make informed decisions on health insurance issues. They provide information to elders, their caregivers, and their families. To receive Medicare counseling in Pasco County, you can call 1-800-963-5337.

The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco - Pinellas also provides many other services for seniors and caregivers. You can click on the picture below to access their website:

If you are interested in becoming a SHINE volunteer in Pasco County, please contact Sue Samson at 727-570-9696, ext 234.

Upcoming Library Programs

Would you like to go to a talk by a famous author, learn to scrapbook,  or attend a senior social? These are just a few of the upcoming Pasco library programs. The Friends of the Library sponsors our programs.  Here are some of the upcoming library programs for Older Adults in Pasco County:

Thurs, Aug 8th at 10:00am
    LOL Social Seniors
    Land O'Lakes Library
Join our new group of Social Seniors for coffee, cake, and conversation. Get involved at the library by offering programming suggestions. Or, take this time to meet new friends, discuss common interests, and engage in recreational activities. Occasional workshops on topics of interest may be scheduled. This is a brand new club for seniors, and we need your input!
Land O'Lakes Library
2818 Collier Parkway
Land O'Lakes, FL 34639
(813) 929-1214 

Thurs, Aug  8th and Aug 22nd at 6:00pm
     Knitting Club
     New River Library
 Learn basic knitting techniques. Please bring a pair of size 8 knitting needles and a ball of #4 yarn. This club is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
New River Library
34043 State Road 54, Zephyrhills, FL 33543
(813) 788-6375

Saturday Aug 10th at 2:00pm
    Best-selling Author Tim Dorsey
    South Holiday Library
As part of Viva Florida 500, come hear how Florida influenced best-selling author Tim Dorsey.
South Holiday Library
4649 Mile Stretch Drive 
Holiday, FL 34690 
(727) 834-3331

Wednesday Aug 14th at 6:00pm
    Scrapbooking
    South Holiday Library
Create a two page scrapbook layout. Please bring 2-6 photos with you to use in your pages. Registration suggested, sign up at South Holiday Library.
South Holiday Library
4649 Mile Stretch Drive 
Holiday, FL 34690 
(727) 834-3331
Wed, Mar 20th at 2:00pm

Thurs, Aug 16th at 1:15pm
    Friday Afternoon Movie
    Land O'Lakes Library
Join us to watch a movie based on a book, or a critically acclaimed movie. Genres will vary. Please contact the library at 813-929-1214 for more information.
Land O'Lakes Library
2818 Collier Parkway
Land O'Lakes, FL 34639
(813) 929-1214 

Thurs, Aug 23rd at 10:00am
    Senior Games
    Land O'Lakes Library
Join us for fun and games at the library. Meet new people while playing cards, board games, or challenging video games.
Land O'Lakes Library
2818 Collier Parkway
Land O'Lakes, FL 34639
(813) 929-1214

Sat, Aug 31st at 11:00am
     Sit-n-Knit            
     South Holiday Library
Join our knitting club for ALL AGES! No experience necessary. Supplies are provided for in-house use or bring your own project.
South Holiday Library
4649 Mile Stretch Drive 
Holiday, FL 34690 
(727) 834-3331

Also, many branches offer book discussions.