Plans to Improve Aged Care and Protection of Elderly (UK)

The oldest are by far the richest – it would help if they paid for much-needed extra care, says Mary Riddell.

By Mary Riddell
29 Mar 2010

Today Andy Burnham, the Health Secretary, will announce plans for a national care service for the elderly in a White Paper outlining a comprehensive system, free at the point of use. As Mr Burnham will tell the Commons, in a reference to the five key areas outlined by Beveridge, fear of growing old is the "sixth giant" overshadowing progress.

Crucial to Mr Burnham's plans is the Personal Care at Home Bill offering a guaranteed free service to 280,000 of the most vulnerable. This measure, so mauled in the Lords that most thought it dead, will also be re-introduced in the Commons today. Mr Burnham, who is offering a less rushed variant of his reform, believes it will become law in this session.

Part two of a plan designed to protect people's savings and homes will offer help to care-home residents in the next session. Part three, for the Parliament after next, will specify who pays, and how, for the final pillar of the welfare state. Mr Burnham favours a compulsory levy, in which people can choose whether to defer their pension until 68, pay a tax on their estate or contribute in their retirement. A cross-party commission, to be set up if Labour wins this election, would study the options.

Does Mr Cameron subscribe to the paradoxical Right-wing view that the state, while far too powerful, should pay for all in their dotage, irrespective of their wealth? Does he think the old, the richest cohort in the land, should be subsidised by the young and most indebted? Or, in the King's Fund wider question, does he think the cleaner on £8,000 a year should pay for the care of someone living in a £400,000 house that he will leave to his children?

Whatever his instincts, Mr Cameron has a plan for a scheme under which people can choose to pay £8,000 to cover their bills for residential care. Not only would this have the perverse incentive of propelling people into nursing homes – as the charity Counsel & Care points out, there is no evidence from anywhere else in the world that enough people subscribe to voluntary levies to create a workable system.

Abridged
SOURCE:     The Telegraph, UK
_______________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Police, Family Warn of Signs of Elder Abuse (LONGMONT, USA)

Police, family warn of signs of elder abuse
Woman uncovered case in her own family

By Pierrette J. Shields 
© 2010 Longmont Times-Call

The Boy Scout who stared out from the Pressey family portrait in 1956 was not listed among the mourning family members in his father’s obituary.

The day after his father died in February, Mark Pressey was standing in a Boulder District courtroom to be sentenced for stealing nearly $600,000 from his dad.

Along with a felony conviction, Pressey found himself disowned.

Family fractured

Pressey was a Boy Scout and was known in Longmont for his musical talents. He competed in the Stars of Tomorrow competition and played on Main Street with his sister. Their father, Charles, was a respected certified public accountant who spent much of his time volunteering in the city.

Charles and Martha Pressey adopted both of their children, but their daughter, Candi Hayes, said that never came into the relationship. The Presseys were Mom and Dad as truly as any biological parents, she said.

That loving relationship made it all the harder for Hayes a few years ago as she started to piece together the information that ultimately led to her brother’s conviction for stealing nearly $600,000 from their father, who was well into his 90s at the time of the crimes.

“I think that is one thing that shocked everybody,” she said. “My dad was such a good person and such an honest person. This is every single thing he did not tolerate and did not believe in.”

Abridged
SOURCE:   PineWSWire
________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Caretaker Accused of Abusing 73-year-old Man (USA)

March 29, 2010

By Amanda Memrick

A third caretaker faces charges of neglecting and abusing a 73-year-old man.

Nancy Muriel Wright, 61, of 316 N. Morris St., Gastonia, faces elder abuse and neglect charges for confining Zettie Muriel to a bed for nearly three months and failing to provide medical care, which caused serious injury, according to arrest warrants.

Wright is Muriel’s sister, according to Gastonia Police Sgt. Jimmy Arndt.

Last Thursday, Gastonia Police filed elder abuse charges against Rodney Carelock and Christel Regina Wright Carelock, both 38, for keeping Zettie Muriel tied to a bed in their home on Morris Street for nearly three months. Muriel was restrained by his ankle and arms, said Gastonia Police Detective D.M. Whitlock last week.

Muriel is Christel Carelock’s uncle and began living with the Carelocks in 2008 after suffering a stroke, said Whitlock. He was fed through a tube and had numerous health problems.

Police investigated the abuse claims after receiving a report from Adult Protective Services, a division of the Gaston County Department of Social Services. Whitlock said social workers removed Muriel from the Carelocks’ home, and he is now living in a long-term care facility.

Wright was placed in Gaston County Jail Monday under a $5,000 secured bond.

SOURCE:    The Gaston Gazette
________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Who Guard the Guardians - New Development (TAS. AUSTRALIA)

I posted a short article regarding Elder Abuse by Guardianship Board, or the court appointed 'Trustees', on December 15, 2009. 


 http://elder-abuse-spotlight.blogspot.com/2009/12/guardianship-abuse-who-guard-guardians.html


I was informed of at least 2 cases in Tasmania, Australia. However, an anonymous email, has alerted me to more cases in Tasmania. This is more serious than we originally thought. Apparently, there was a 'email blitz' to politicians in that state; alerting them to this very issue.

If you know of more cases of  Elder Abuse by Guardianship Board or court appointed 'trustees' please contact me and supply me with details that I could use to help highlight this issue.


.................. Andrew


_________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Elder Abuse In and Out of Nursing Homes a Growing Problem

Elder Abuse In and Out of Nursing Homes a Growing Problem

by Ramona Bates MD 

2010, March

Australian Department of Health and Ageing has released a new report which shows an alarming rise in physical assaults on the elderly in nursing homes: physical assaults increased by more than 50% and sexual assaults by 36%.

Physical and sexual assaults on our elderly in nursing homes is a problem in the United States as well. Earlier this month the Chicago Tribune reported on the widespread problem within the state of Illinois.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dated statistics on elderly abuse -- “A studyconducted in 1996 found that more than 500,000 persons age 60 years and older were the victims of abuse or neglect during a one-year period.”

As baby boomers age, the sheer number of elder persons makes the risk of elderly abuse a national problem.

Elder abuse is defined as any knowing, intentional, or negligent act by a caregiver or any other person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to a vulnerable adult. Laws and definitions of terms vary considerably from one state to another, but broadly defined, abuse may be:

1.   Physical Abuse - inflicting physical pain or injury on a senior, e.g. slapping, bruising, or restraining by physical or chemical means.

2.   Sexual Abuse - non-consensual sexual contact of any kind.

3.   Neglect - the failure by those responsible to provide food, shelter, health care, or protection for a vulnerable elder.

4.   Exploitation - the illegal taking, misuse, or concealment of funds, property, or assets of a senior for someone else's benefit.

5.   Emotional Abuse - inflicting mental pain, anguish, or distress on an elder person through verbal or nonverbal acts, e.g. humiliating, intimidating, or threatening.

6.   Abandonment - desertion of a vulnerable elder by anyone who has assumed the responsibility for care or custody of that person.

7.   Self-neglect

– characterized as the failure of a person to perform essential, self-care tasks and that such failure threatens his/her own health or safety.

Often the elderly will suffer in silence, especially if the caregiver is the abuser. Some tell-tale signs that there could be a problem are:

1.   Bruises, pressure marks, broken bones, abrasions, and burns may be an indication of physical abuse, neglect, or mistreatment. Be especially wary if the bruises are around the breast or genital areas, as these may indicate sexual abuse.

2.   Unexplained withdrawal from normal activities, a sudden change in alertness, and unusual depression may be indicators of emotional abuse.

3.   Bedsores, unattended medical needs, poor hygiene, and unusual weight loss are indicators of possible neglect.

4.   Strained or tense relationships, frequent arguments between the caregiver and elderly person are also signs.

5.   If you

suspect abuse, report it. If the danger is immediate, call 911 or the police.

To report elder abuse, contact the Adult Protective Services (APS) agency in the state where the elder resides. You can find the APS reporting number for each state by:

Visiting the “Hotline” section of the National Center on Elder Abuse website

Sources
theAge.com.au
Administration on Aging (AOA)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

EmaxHealth.Com
________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Health Care Reform And Nursing Home Abuse And Neglect (USA)

Health Care Reform Includes $400M to Prevent Nursing Home Abuse

March 26th, 2010

The new health care reform package signed by President Barack Obama includes the Elder Justice Act and the Patient Safety Abuse Prevention Act, which will provide $400 million in federal funding to prevent nursing home abuse and neglect, as well as financial exploitation of seniors. It is the first time there has been dedicated funding for nursing home neglect prevention.

The Patient Safety Abuse Prevention Act will create a national nursing home employee background check database, to ensure that abusive nursing home workers do not find employment in other facilities. The new legislation creates the Elder Justice Coordinating Council, which will work with the Secretary of Health and Human Services to coordinate adult protective services on the federal, state and local level.

In addition to abuse prevention, the acts include provisions on nursing home transparency, which will require disclosure by anyone who owns more than 5% interest in a nursing facility.

________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Report Reveals Nursing Home Assaults Increased (AUSTRALIA)

Nursing home abuse 'horrifying': Roxon

March 28, 2010

AAP

A report that reveals nursing home assaults increased by 50 per cent in 12 months and sexual assaults jumped 36 per cent is "horrifying", federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says.

The Department of Health and Ageing was notified of 1411 alleged assaults in nursing homes in 2008/09, according to a report tabled in parliament last year.

Of those, 1121 involved alleged unreasonable force, 272 involved alleged unlawful sexual contact and 18 involved both.

Ms Roxon says the report and weekend newspaper stories about it, are alarming.

"I think this is a horrifying report," she told ABC TV.

But the Rudd government had been taking "a lot of action" to turn around the crisis in aged care, the health minister said.

"The spot checks that we do in aged care ... have increased seven-fold in the time that we have been in government.

"We are worried about these sorts of instances."

Ms Roxon said over time changes made to compliance and accreditation regimes would make a difference.

"I'm not denying this is a serious problem.

"(But) we are investing a lot more in aged care to make sure that proper care is taken of our very frail and elderly citizens."

Federal Labor has been heavily criticised for not revealing its plans for aged care when announcing its $50 billion national health and hospitals network reform agenda earlier this month.

However, Ms Roxon said on Sunday that changing the funding arrangements of the whole health system would lead to better outcomes for nursing home residents.

"If we don't reform the financing and governance arrangements ... we'll actually never invest in those other innovative models," she said.

"Because you'll have the states with hospitals and us with aged care, and never the twain shall meet."

Federal Labor had already invested in transitional care to help the aged leave hospital, Ms Roxon said.

"We've already got, I think, 700 of those places online (and) we're building 2000."

© 2010 AAP

SOURCE:    The Sydney Morning Herald, NSW, AUSTRALIA

_________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Turning E.V. Seniors Into Computer Sleuths (AZ USA)

Turning E.V. seniors into computer sleuths

MIKE SAKAL, TRIBUNE

March 24, 2010

At 77, Sun Lakes resident Marc Ross is learning how to use a computer and he wants to protect himself from Internet scams and viruses that may find their way into his e-mail box.

So he became a Senior Sleuth.

Ross was among more than 30 seniors who attended Attorney General Terry Goddard’s Senior Anti-Crime University’s Senior Sleuth program Wednesday at the Sun Lakes Center of Chandler-Gilbert Community College. The program provides tips and advice to avoid becoming a crime victim.

The topics ranged from simple personal safety issues such as not letting unsolicited, unknown people into your home to high-tech fraud schemes that might find their way in via personal computers.

“I’m just starting to use a computer, so I wanted to learn some information that would be important to know when getting on the Internet,” said Ross. “I found this program very helpful and received some valuable information. Now, I can go home and tell my wife what I learned.”

Law enforcement officials say seniors are sometimes isolated from their families and more vulnerable to scams and other crimes such as identity theft. They more freely provide personal information over the phone to someone posing as an IRS agent, a charity or even a representative of a bank, authorities say.

“Never give out your personal information over the phone,” said Bob Brown, who retired from the Pinal County Attorney Office’s Elder Abuse Task Force and is now teaching seniors in Senior Sleuth programs across the state.

“No government agency such as the IRS will ask you for personal information over the phone,” Brown said. “They already have it. “No bank will notify you over the Internet that your account is in jeopardy or possibly will be closed and ask to enter your account number and other personal information and e-mail it back to them.”

“No government agency such as the IRS will ask you for personal information over the phone,” Brown said. “They already have it. “No bank will notify you over the Internet that your account is in jeopardy or possibly will be closed and ask to enter your account number and other personal information and e-mail it back to them.”

For protection against viruses and scammers, Brown suggested purchasing spyware from a reputable computer or electronics store and installing firewall software to help avoid problems.

“By opening e-mails and communicating only with people you know or regularly correspond with, it greatly reduces your chances of encountering problems on the computer or being contacted by someone running a scam,” Brown said.

During another class about identity theft protection, Tom Reade, unit chief of the Attorney General’s Crime, Fraud and Victim Resource Center, told seniors that 95 percent of mail theft is liked to identity theft. Document shredders can help alleviate the threat of dumpster divers going through trash and stealing discarded mail.

Mary Kaye Allen, director of the Sun Lakes Center, said there hasn’t been a problem with crimes in the retirement community. But she said she decided to schedule the program because continuing education in crime prevention is important for any age.

“I’m interested in the well-being of our community,” Allen said. “Sometimes older people don’t have much social contact and these scammers come along and take advantage of them. We can’t grow old alone, we must be a community.”

Become a Senior Sleuth
What: Attorney General Terry Goddard’s Senior Anti-Crime University’s Senior Sleuth Program
When: May 19, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Paradise Valley Senior Center, 17402 N. 40th St., Phoenix


To Register online, go to: www.azag.gov/seniors/sleuths/sacu.html or call (602) 542-2124.


SOURCE:    EasyValleyTribune

__________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

AG Brown Arrests Former Nursing Home Official Who Kidnapped Alzeimer's Patient (CA. USA)

Brown Arrests Former Nursing Home Official Who Kidnapped Alzheimer's Patient and Stole Social Security Checks

Office of the Attorney General

22 March 2010

Oakland, Calif.-Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced that California Department of Justice agents arrested a former nursing home administrator, Concepcion "Connie" Pinco Giron, 51, of Richmond, who "callously stole" more than $50,000 from six of her elderly patients, one of whom she kidnapped and held for nearly a year in order to take her pension and social security checks.

Giron faces one count each of kidnapping to commit another crime, false imprisonment and elder abuse, and six counts of theft from elder or dependent adults by a caretaker. If convicted, Giron faces up to 12 years in prison. Giron is being held at Alameda County Jail, and bail has been set at $365,000.

"Giron callously stole thousands of dollars from elderly and sick people, even going so far as to kidnap an elderly woman with Alzheimer's and steal the woman's social security checks," Brown said. "This is a shocking case of nursing home abuse and a gross violation of trust."

In August 2009, agents from Brown's Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse (BMFEA) received a complaint against Giron, who at the time was the assistant administrator of Elmwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Berkeley.

To report cases of elder abuse, please contact the Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse hotline toll-free at 1-800-722-0432 or visit: http://ag.ca.gov/bmfea/reporting.php.

Abridged

SOURCE:   Jerry Brown.Org

__________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Serious Cases of Elder Abuse At Two Nursing Homes (CA. USA)

March 25,2010

SF Senior Care Examiner

By Liz Macera

Two serious cases of elder abuse came to light in SF Bay Area nursing homes this week--one a case of financial abuse and the second murder.

On Monday, March 22, 32 year-old Maximo Hong Fajardo Jr. of San Francisco allegedly smothered a nursing home resident, 87-year-old Barbara McIver, in full view of other residents and staff using a pillow. Although Fajardo has worked as a certified nursing assistant since 1999, he had worked only 2 weeks at Convalescent Center Mission Street at 5767 Mission St., near the Daly City border prior to the incident. He has no previous criminal record nor has a complaint ever been lodged against him.

Employees alerted police to the killing around 10 a.m., shortly after the suspect fled the home. Fajardo carjacked a Toyota Corolla outside the home and crashed it shortly thereafter at Geneva Avenue and Alemany Boulevard. He then stole a second car and was apprehended after he crashed it into a third car.

Authorities said Fajaro ran to 16th Street and De Haro and tried to steal yet another car, but that the driver resisted. Bystanders then chased him down and held him for police. He attempted to escape one more time while being questioned at the police station. He plead not guilty on March 24 and is being held on $10 million bail.

Across the Bay in Berkeley, Concepcion "Connie" Pinco Giron, 51, of San Pablo stole more than $50,000 from Carnell Williams and five other elderly residents, authorities said Monday. 

Giron, formerly an assistant administrator of the Elmwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center at 2829 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley, told a supervisor a year ago that Williams was being transferred to another care home.

In actuality, Giron allegedly moved into Williams into her own home and started cashing Williams' pension and Social Security checks. Williams was found in Giron's home in August 2009 and had apparently been cared for adequately. But Giron had also opened bank accounts at Citibank for five other patients in 2008 and transferred money from those accounts into her own bank account. Giron then allegedly wrote checks to herself from the residents' accounts and used their ATM cards. 

"This is a shocking case of nursing-home abuse and a gross violation of trust," said state Attorney General Jerry Brown.

(All San Francisco Senior Care articles © 2010 by Liz Macera) 

Abridged
SOURCE:    The Examiner.Com
_________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Health Reform Could Mean Help For Elder Abuse Victims (USA)

By DEAN MOSIMAN

March 24, 2010

It's received scant attention, but tucked in the sweeping health care reform bill signed Tuesday by President Barack Obama is the most comprehensive federal effort ever to fight elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.

The legislation includes the long-sought Elder Justice Act, which spotlights and devotes hundreds of millions of federal dollars to elder abuse for the first time. Its companion, the Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act, also included in the legislation, creates new protections for those in long-term care facilities.

"Elder abuse is a very significant problem in our society," U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., who co-authored the House version of the Elder Justice Act, said in an interview. "But there has not been a comprehensive federal response. This measure should have a significant impact."

The legislation comes as the latest reports of elder abuse reached new highs in Dane County and Wisconsin.

Two years ago, the State Journal's seven-day series, "Elder Abuse: A Silent Shame," found social service and justice systems barely able to handle reported cases, missing the majority of the abuse and unready to handle aging baby boomers who will soon challenge the system.

Abuse can lead to serious mental and physical problems and drain a senior's life savings, and studies have shown that elder victims have three times the risk of premature death.

The legislation "will put elder abuse more front and center nationally," Dane County Department of Human Services Director Lynn Green said. "Awareness is part of the cure."

Abridged
SOURCE:   Wisconsin State Journal
____________________________________________________


Yes, we  remember the wonderful work of  Wisconsin State Journal reporter Dean Mosiman, who won Inland’s community leadership award for the seven-day series “Elder Abuse: A Silent Shame” which detailed the failure of the state’s institutions to ensure the well-being of older citizens. 
Dean and his colleagues presented a great series, first of its kind, in highlighting the issue.


Our special thanks to Dean and his team.


.....................AC

______________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Tackling Community-Based Elder Abuse (NSW. AUSTRALIA)

15 March, 2010

New resource combines research and best practice.

A new resource to educate community care workers about the issue of elder abuse is being launched this week by the Benevolent Society.

The third in the ‘Community Aged Care Research to Practice’ series of briefing papers deals with preventing and responding to the abuse of older people living in the community.

At the launch of the paper this Thursday in Sydney, a panel of experts will discuss the issues involved.

Associate Professor Elizabeth Ozanne, the University of Melbourne; Janine Campbell, Senior Rights Victoria; Charelle Giobatti, Office for Ageing, Disability and Home Care; and Fiona Houldsworth, the Benevolent Society, are among those taking part.

The new briefing paper will be available online at www.bensoc.org.au from 18 March.

SOURCE:    AgedCareInSite.Com

__________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Photo Exhibit Places Spotlight On Elder Abuse

By Terrance Gavan

24 March, 2010

The Through My Eyes photography exhibit certainly opened some eyes last Thursday.

The event, sponsored by the Elder Abuse Prevention Network (Haliburton and Kawartha Lakes), was made possible by a grant from New Horizons, a federal agency that provides grants toward aging well programs in Canada.
Community Care, several seniors outreach bodies and representatives of the OPP all congregated at Park Lane apartments March 18 for an exhibit of photographs featuring seniors from the Haliburton and Kawartha Lakes area.

Haliburton County alone boasts a burgeoning population of 4,000 seniors and all indications point to a dramatic rise in that demographic over the next decade.

People are living longer these days. That's the good news. The bad news is that as the population grows so do incidents of elder abuse.

So the purpose of the photography exhibit was two-fold: to promote an active lifestyle and to bring a sense of urgency to the reporting of any and all incidents of elder abuse. Elder abuse includes both physical and mental cruelty.

Karen Anderson, an administrator and coordinator with the Elder Abuse Prevention Network says that this is a pressing and urgent problem, one that affects a large number of seniors.

She says that she has received more than 200 calls during her tenure with the program, but she believes that those reports form just a small percentage of the abuse numbers.

New Horizons provided a one-time grant toward the printing of a calendar based on the award-winning photos of seniors at play. The calendar comes chock full with the vital information and contact numbers for seniors that might be at risk.

"This is a one-time grant to create this photography exhibit and to create the 2010 Senior Safety calendars," says Anderson. "We have given out 2,000 of these calendars absolutely free of charge."

SOURCE:   The Haliburton Echo, CA

_________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Police Make Second Arrest in Deathbed Robbery (CANADA)

Police Make Second Arrest in Deathbed Robbery

Source: The Canadian Press

03/22/10

Crime Files

TORONTO  

Police have arrested a second man in a string of thefts at Toronto hospitals, including one victim who was on her deathbed.

Marcos Marinoni, 26, was arrested Saturday afternoon and is due to appear in court Sunday to face charges.

Marinoni's arrest comes a few days after police charged 29-year-old Isaac Lewkowicz of Toronto.

The thefts gained greater public attention after it was revealed that on Tuesday that $7,000 in jewelry was taken from the hospital room of an 83-year-old woman just moments before she died.

The family of Edna Davis had left the room to get coffee and when they returned, the jewelry was gone.

As the family was filling out a police report, Davis died.

Marinoni was arrested by a suburban police force just north of Toronto after a brief struggle.

"Mr Marinoni tried escape on foot, at which point members of York Regional Police who had him under surveillance, managed to get him under control and arrest him after a brief struggle," Toronto police detective Christopher Higgins told a Toronto radio station.

Police say Marinoni faces charges of theft and conspiracy.

Lewkowicz is charged with theft, possession of heroin and marijuana and failing to comply with probation and is next due in court March 23.

Davis's family says most of the jewelry were charms and necklaces.

Davis, who had brain cancer, had been keeping her jewelry with her because the couple's home had been broken into the last time she was in the hospital.

Police expressed doubt that the arrests would lead to the recovery of the stolen jewelry.

"We're not thinking that the jewelry is going to be found," Higgins said.

SOURCE:    AOL NEWS CANADA

_______________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources

Adult Carer and The New Health Bill (USA)

It Took a Woman

By Gail Sheehy

Mar 21, 2010

Obama has all the right instincts—but it took a fiercely focused female to really get it done. Gail Sheehy on a major victory for family caregivers.

Today is a victory for humanism. American style. Messy and mollycoddled as the process has been, the about-to-be health-care law finally accepts that basic affordable health care is a human right.

I can almost hear an oceanic sigh of relief from members of the Sandwich Generation. Even before the Great Recession, middle-class parents were falling into debt, squeezed between keeping their children on their payroll well beyond college and spending out-of-pocket to care for their long-living, chronically ill parents.

Nearly 50 million adults are now working as unpaid, unsubsidized family caregivers for aging parents or spouses or siblings. This is the silent reality inside one-third of American households.

Many of these primary caregivers lose or forfeit their jobs to perform this noble role and lose their own health insurance and financial security in the bargain. They tiptoe around a sinkhole, praying their kids don't get sick and they don't get a devastating diagnosis requiring treatment that will drive them into bankruptcy.

The new law does have a caregiver benefit. It's funded with peanuts—$102.5 million—to support adult children taking care of elderly relatives at home. But it's a start, and with Joe Biden behind it, you can bet there will be more noise in Congress.

Abridged

SOURCE:    Yahoo News

________________________________________

Click for Updates, More Cases and Resources
Search Right Col/Labels for More Posts/Resources