Is a CCRC Right for You?Leaving home may be the biggest decision seniors make. Until, that is, they have to decide where they will live next. How do you make an informed decision?Seniors who are still independent, but no longer want the responsibility of caring for a home, have two primary choices when it comes to senior living communities: Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) or independent living communities.The difference is that a CCRC, or a lifecare community, offers a full continuum of care as a person ages, including independent living, assisted living and memory care.Seniors living in independent communities should plan for the time when they or their partners need more care.In a CCRC, they may be able to stay in their residence or move to a better equipped living situation on the same campus when the time comes. What distinguishes a CCRC is the ability to provide housing and services for a wide spectrum of care with the cost being included in the entrance and monthly fees.That same care and support in independent living communities is typically contracted through an outside home healthcare agency and comes with an additional cost.Before deciding on that next big move, here are some questions to ask about a CCRC you may interested in:What is the entrance fee? And, what are the monthly fees?Is any part of the entrance fee refundable to my family when I pass away?How do the monthly fees increase as you require more care services?What levels of care are offered (Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, Nursing Care)?What services and amenities are available at each level?If I start in an Independent Living apartment, would I need to relocate for Assisted Living?If I am in an Assisted Living residence, would I need to relocate for Memory Care? Nursing Care?If my partner and I are living in an Independent Living or Assisted Living apartment and my partner needs more care, can my partner be moved to a different residence on campus to receive more care while I stay in the apartment I am in?Am I eligible for a medical tax deduction?Editors Note: This article was submitted Adam Manchester. Adam is the Campus Executive Director of New Pond Village and can be reached at (508) 660-1555 or by email at amanchester@benchmarkquality.com

Both your vision and your hearing are very important senses, and both cause great difficulties if they dont work effectively. Due to the way we use them, their loss affects us in different ways. Many adults get their vision checked regularly, so why do so many people ignore their ears?When you visit an optician, you look at a letter chart. If you have loss of vision, you may not be able to read the smaller letters because your eyes cant focus on them.Another way to understand vision loss is to think of how we age. Over time, the eyes gradually lose their ability to focus. If you are farsighted, you know seeing things close to you like reading become more difficult. This loss of sensitivity to nearby objects does not vary; it is uniform.Like vision, our ears often graduallylose the ability to hearhigh frequencies, both through damage and aging. However, unlike vision loss, the actual effects of this are not uniform.Speech is made up of many different frequencies and tones. If we cant hear high pitched sounds, we find it hard to understand specific letters such as f and s. This is because they contain high frequencies.In contrast to vision loss where we miss chunks of vision, the loss of hearing sensitivity affects many parts of speech that are scattered throughout a conversation, so random bits of conversation get lost.When people struggle to see, they wear glasses. These vision aids help a broad range of people. Prescription glasses require a professional to check your vision, write a prescription and orders lenses specifically addressing your individual needs.The same is true with hearing solutions. Since modern hearing aid designs are discreet, stylish and come in a range of colors. many people now find old stigmas to be silly. The life-changing, cutting-edge hearing aid technology of today offers solutions for every type of hearing loss, age and lifestyle. If you hear and see well, your entire world is brighter.Having ahearing assessment* is as easy as a vision test. Plus, at HearingLife its complimentary.Make an appointment to get started.

The Federal Trade Commission reports that each year aging Americans (ages 60+) lose hundreds of millions of dollars due to scams of varying types. Many everyday activities the aging population are involved in, such as telephone calls, emails, and other online interactions are being used as an entry point for scamming activity. Proactive steps to avoid victimization         Estate planning with an elder law attorney can help put trusted loved ones in a position of authority to help protect the aging person from undue influences. Documents like Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy, and Revocable or Irrevocable Trusts can all be valuable tools to create structure for when the aging adult is not able to make sound decisions for themselves.        A credit freeze (also known as a security freeze) does not allow a creditor to access your credit file, thus preventing someone from opening accounts in the victims name and may be an appropriate proactive step.         Review Statements from health insurance, banks, credit cards, IRA accounts, etc. should all be monitored closely for suspicious activity. Medicare Summary Notices and Explanation of Benefits should be reviewed for incorrect charges and information.        Research whether the companies, offers, or phone call regarding bills owed are legitimate. Scammers usually try to force the aging person to act now. Slow down your reaction to be sure that the call, email, or letter are in fact real.If you are a victim        Contact the bank/financial institution to let them know of a fraudulent or unauthorized charge. Ask them to give you your money back and reverse the charge.        Contact your local police department to notify them of the fraud.        Change the username and password for any affected online account and other account that you may use the same login information. Use a random password to make the account(s) less vulnerable. Use different passwords for different accounts and keep a record of your passwords in a safe place.         File a report, not only for your benefit but to possibly help prevent others from becoming a victim. A report can be made to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.  

Inpatient RehabilitationFacility vs. Short-term Rehabilitation Facility You have just gone through an illness (stroke, brain injury, amputation, prolonged hospital stay, etc.) now what?  You are not ready to go home, where should you go?  The hospital service isrecommending rehabilitation, but which type and where?  There are two different types of facilities that you reside/stay while you get your rehab: inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) and short-term rehabilitation facility.  What is the difference? Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Short Term rehabilitation -       Hospital level of rehabilitation -       24/7 in-house physician care -       24/7 nursing care -       Intensive therapies: regulated by CMS o   Individualized therapy session o   At least 3 hours/dayx6-7 days a week -       Shorter stay: average stay is 14 days -       Nursing car level of rehabilitation -       Physicians available but not always in-house -       24/7 nursing care -       Less intensive therapies: o   30min-a few hours, a few times a week (this varies among facilities)-       Longer stay: average stay is 20-30 days  Your medical team has determined you qualify for IRF level of rehabilitation.  Where should you go?  VA Boston Healthcare System (BHS) has an accredited IRF just for Veterans, regardless of service connection located at the West Roxbury Campus. Our physicians trained at some of the best rehabilitation medicine facilities in the country.  They are board certified in rehabilitation medicine and brain injury medicine.  Our therapy staff also trained at some of the best facilities in Boston and have advance certifications.  Our nursing staff are caring, loving, and Veteran centered too.  What separates BHS IRF from community IRF?-       We are Veteran centered-       We can provide equipment that other community facilities may not be able to -       A sense of comradery with other Veterans can help with improvement in mood and function -       We understand PTSD and other mood changes and can offer on-site services -       We provided outpatient follow-up after discharge from IRF to assess, manage and treat issues that may interfere with your function and/or quality of lifeHow do I contact BHS IRF?-       Please have your case manager in the hospital call Boston Healthcare System Flow center and request referral to BHS inpatient rehabilitation program: 857-203-3835-      The rehabilitation physician will review your medical record and provide a decision to your medical team            This article was submitted by Dr. XinLi, Medical Director of Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility at West Roxbury VA, Boston Healthcare System. Information Contact:  David Hencke, US Dept of Veterans Affairs, Directors Office, VA Boston Healthcare System  Veterans Outreach Coordinator  O: 857-364-5934; C: 617-275-6101  David.hencke@va.gov