Identify a List of Services Available in Your Area for Seniors

Joe Lynyak (Host): Hello, and welcome to Truth4Seniors, a podcast dedicated to providing seniors with factual information about their needs and practical solutions. My name is Joe Lynyak, and I am your host today. Before we start, I want to explain why we created this podcast series. In so many instances, people tell a senior what their issue is and then try to sell them something. We are trying to cut through that problem and give you practical solutions.

Joe Lynyak (Host): We've divided issues into six categories that we call the six pillars: health and wellness, money and benefits, technology, housing and independence, legal rights and advocacy, and listener feedback and community. As you can imagine, there are innumerable topics to discuss. In our discussions with seniors — most of whom are going to be over the age of 60, which is our definitional area — we've collected literally dozens and dozens of topics that folks want us to discuss.

Joe Lynyak (Host): The first few episodes, which we are posting on our website, we call the Baseline Series. They are designed to provide starting points of information for you and your family to consider. As the episodes are rolled out, we will add content and ask for your suggestions. Importantly, Truth4Seniors is nonpartisan. The focus is on the status quo that seniors face — what are their real problems? We have no intention of ever becoming judgmental about how we got to where we are.

Joe Lynyak (Host): This kickoff episode is entitled “Creating a Personal Inventory of Local Benefits and Assistance.” What we are going to do today is assign you some homework: identify government and non-governmental programs that may be available to you in your local area. We believe you need to do a personal inventory before something goes wrong. When a health or other emergency occurs, identifying local public and private assistance can be extremely difficult and distracting from dealing with the emergency itself. Many governmental programs are funneled through your local municipality or community, and there is a wide range of both government employees devoted to seniors and programs actually designed to assist you.

Joe Lynyak (Host): So let's get started. Let's talk about senior living assistance — and many of these are questions you're going to be asking people in your town or municipality. Everyday support is the first and most important. Are there heating and utility discounts? Do they offer home-delivered meals? Tax benefits? Are there property tax rebates available? Property tax freezes? Are there rental subsidies available from your local town or municipality?

Joe Lynyak (Host): The SNAP program, formerly called food stamps: this benefit has changed significantly in the last 18 months and will continue to change. You need to determine whether you continue to qualify and what you need to do in order to qualify, if that is important to you. Also ask about nutritional counseling, legal services, and general assistance from government to help prevent elder abuse and fraud — and there's quite a bit of it.

Joe Lynyak (Host): A dedicated telephone line: is there a clearinghouse where you can contact someone to identify the people and offices who can deal directly with your issues, particularly when an emergency strikes? Long-term care facilities: this is a very sensitive subject, because it frequently arises when a senior is deteriorating. Notary services — something really practical, because you need them when you execute documents. Does your bank provide notary services for free? Frankly, it should. State and local coordination: is there a structure that organizes and coordinates many, if not all, of the services we are describing? You have to ask the questions.

Joe Lynyak (Host): Veterans benefits: I've been doing veterans appellate work on a pro bono basis for several decades, and I can tell you it is extraordinarily complicated. Many surveys have indicated that fewer than 50% of veterans really understand that they are entitled to benefits. How do you start the process? How do you appeal? I will say that the expertise of local veterans groups varies — some are well-meaning yet prone to errors, and others can be very, very helpful. Usually they are the starting point, so find out which veterans groups you need to approach.

Joe Lynyak (Host): Caregiver resources: family members in their 40s and 50s are the group that usually assumes responsibility for caring for a senior. As you know if you've experienced this, taking full-time responsibility for a senior who is deteriorating or in a bad situation can be extremely difficult — the decline of an elderly senior's cognitive abilities or medical condition, the reluctance of a senior to relinquish control, exhaustion on the part of the caregiver, finances, and the status of the senior's retirement benefits and assets. Caregiver eligibility, in-home services, and placement in care facilities all have to be inquired about in advance.

Joe Lynyak (Host): On the medical side: information cards and electronic records for a senior, with pertinent health information, current medications, emergency contacts for family and representatives, identification of doctors and other medical personnel, and Medicare and other insurance information. This has got to be readily available. In addition to putting it on your cell phone, placing information cards in your wallet, on your refrigerator, or in your car is a good starting point. Related to that are Medicare information, pharmaceutical discounts, hearing aid availability, emergency assistance, Lifeline call centers, EMT numbers, cell phone identification for 911 calls, emergency food and heating, and assisted care facilities.

Joe Lynyak (Host): I was actually quite sick in the last quarter of last year and was relatively immobile, and I realized the necessity of understanding what transportation is available to visit doctors, what the eligibility rules are for appointments and reservations, whether standby reservations are available, whether fees have to be paid, and how it is coordinated among governmental, non-governmental, and volunteer organizations.

Joe Lynyak (Host): In the next few months, we will be examining many of these items in much greater detail. The intention of today's podcast is to identify for you the services and benefits that are currently available and where you can locate them. As we improve the Truth4Seniors website, at Truth4Seniors.net, we will be publishing summaries of our podcasts, along with useful materials and where to find them. We will also make the podcasts available for viewing on your computer.

Joe Lynyak (Host): In the meantime, please email us at contact@truth4seniors.net. The website, which is in the process of being organized and enhanced, is Truth4Seniors.net, and we will send you a list of the items we discussed today. Finally, your comments are encouraged and welcome. We want to structure this podcast to be as useful as possible. Tell us what you like and what you don't like, and what you would like to hear, including issues of concern to seniors that we should address. This is a starting point, not the end point. We look forward to growing the community with you, and we will be posting additional episodes for you to watch, listen to, and hopefully enjoy. Thank you very, very much. Have a great day.