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Published quarterly by Michigan’s Area Agencies on Aging

MichiganGenerationsTMSpring 2009

Also in This Issue: n Ask the Expertn Caregiving News & Notes

Broken

DreamsNine steps to survivingtoday’s financial crisis

Seniors face an unexpected predicament

SPRING 2009 Published quarterly through a cooperative effort of Michigan’s Area Agencies on Aging.

For information contact:Jenny [email protected]

Editorial Project Development:JAM Communications, Atlanta, GA

Design and Production:Wells-Smith Partners, Lilburn, GA

On the Cover: The economic crisis has hit seniors especially hard, with savings accounts and retirement plans literally “smashed to pieces.” Here are nine steps to follow, as you try to weather the storm and adjust to a new financial reality. See story on page 4.

GenerationsMichigan

Spring 2009 Volume 6, #4 © 2009 by the Michigan Area Agencies on Aging. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, the Michigan Area Agencies on Aging and JAM Communications make no warranty to the accuracy or reliability of this information. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission. All rights reserved.

Whether you are an older adult your-self, a caregiver or a friend concerned about the well-being of an older adult, Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) are ready to help. AAAs in communities across the country serve as gateways to local resources, planning efforts, and services that help older adults remain independent.

AAAs were established under the Older Americans Act in 1973 to respond to the needs of Americans aged 60 and over in every com-munity. The services available through AAA agencies fall into five general categories: information and consultation, services available in the community, services in the home, housing, and elder rights. A wide range of programs is available within each category.

The services offered by

Michigan’s 16 AAAs cover a broad spectrum of needs, such

as information and referral, case management, in-home services,

home-delivered meals, senior centers, transportation, and special outreach.

To read more about each of Michigan’s AAAs and the services available, turn to page 8 of this issue. MI

Welcome toMichigan Generations

Michigan is

divided into

16 AAAs,

each serving

a different

part of the

state.

They are:1 1

10 9

7

5

1A

1C2

8

14

6

3B3A

3C4

1B

map

pho

tog

raph

y co

urte

sy t

rave

l m

ichi

gan

1ADetroitAreaAgencyonAging

1B AreaAgencyonAging1-B

1C TheSeniorAlliance

2Region2AreaAgencyonAging

3AKalamazooCo.Health&CommunityServicesDept.Region3A

3B RegionIIIBAreaAgencyonAging

3C Branch-St.JosephAreaAgencyonAgingIIIC

4RegionIVAreaAgencyonAging

5ValleyAreaAgencyonAging

6Tri-CountyOfficeonAging

7RegionVIIAreaAgencyonAging

8AreaAgencyonAgingofWesternMichigan

9NEMCSARegion9AreaAgencyonAging

10 AreaAgencyonAgingofNorthwestMichigan

11 UpperPeninsulaAreaAgencyonAging

14 SeniorResourcesofWestMichigan

VisittheAAA’sstatewebsiteatwww.mi-seniors.net

AAAs —‑Gateways to Community Resources

2008

CAREGIVINGNews&Notes

Spring 2009 �

Surfing the NetEach issue of Michigan Generations offers several

websites devoted to caregiving information and resources:

www.lotsahelpinghands.com helps family caregivers and volunteers by providing communication resources to help build supportive communities.www.care-givers.com offers expert

information and features an extensive list of caregiver support message boards where caregivers can share their experiences.

Falls are a leading cause of death from injury in adults

65 and older. So it’s probably not surprising that a Japanese manu-facturer has designed wearable air bags for the elderly.

The product looks something like a fishing vest with a fanny pack attached. When its built-in motion sensors detect a fall, it inflates two air bags — one around the hips and the other around the neck — in a 10th of a second. Retail price in Japan: $1,400.

The air bags are not the first attempt at designing a wearable product to reduce injuries from falls. Foam hip pads, a lower-tech approach, have also been used — though with mixed results. Fall experts also wonder whether the elderly would be able to handle the likely bouncing involved when the air bags cushion a fall.

Protecting the Elderly

New legislation is being considered that would give greater protection to nursing-home residents.

Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) recently introduced legislation that would require the creation of a national cross-referencing system. At present, most states require background checks for nursing-home employees, but there is no database that allows employers to checks for crimes committed in other states.

A trial program in seven states found that 7,000 applicants for eldercare positions had criminal records or a substantiated history of abuse. Extending this program nationwide would greatly increase the protection of all vulnerable seniors who live in nursing homes.

Good news: Recent studies on lifestyle changes have shown that seniors, as much or more than any other age group, can

take steps to improve their health. Controlling cholesterol is one of the most important steps to

take in living a healthier life. The American Heart Association recommends a total cholesterol count of less than 200 mg/dL. Your physician can break down your LDL (bad cholesterol) versus your HDL (good cholesterol). Keeping choles-terol low is a good idea for health in general. But for patients with known coronary artery disease or other vascular disease, studies have proven that keeping the cholesterol very low substantially reduces the risk of heart attack.

What to do? Reduce your intake of saturated fat and simple sugars — and control your weight. Increase your level of exer-cise. Also, ask your physician if you would benefit from taking a statin medication, which has been proven to keep some choles-terol levels in check.

If you or a loved one is experiencing unusual fatigue, discuss it with your physician.Fatigue in seniors is often a sign of serious health prob-

lems, which can go undiagnosed because both doctors and patients consider fatigue a normal sign of aging. According to a Columbia University Medical Center study, a lack of energy — or anergia — in seniors can be linked to several health

problems. In other words, fatigue and aging don’t necessarily go hand in hand.

Seniors participating in the study reported symptoms such as waking up feeling tired,

napping for more than two hours a day and feeling slowed down physically in recent weeks or months. Those labeled with anergia reported more arthritis, sleep disorders, cardiovascular symptoms and other health problems.

for

Feeling Old and Tired?Talk to the Doctor!

Cut the Cholesterol To Improve Your HealthAir Bags

SENIORS

Broken

DreamsOur piggy banks are hurting…and so are our retirement plans. Here are nine survival tips that should help your recovery.

� Michigan Generations

By Martha Nolan McKenzie

"Michigan tops

nation in

unemployment rates."

"Where's the bottom? Investors in a panic as stock prices keep falling."

"Economic crisis confounds experts."

Headlines such as these, which have become common in newspapers across the state and the nation, are robbing the golden years of their sheen for many of Michigan’s

seniors. While the economic downturn has affected every-one, seniors face a unique and discouraging dilemma: They have less time to recover their losses and often less ability to earn extra income. In addition, the depression in home prices has robbed seniors of some traditional options for helping to finance retirement.

“Many folks end up with a very large portion of their personal wealth tied up in their homes,” says Stan Dombrowski, a financial advisor with Maier & Associates Financial Group in Gaylord. “Many of them arrive at age 70 with the idea of selling that large home they’ve invested in all these years, downsizing and using the difference to sup-plement their retirement savings. The dropping of real estate values has made that option tremendously difficult.”

On the flip side, seniors may be better off than their younger counterparts in some respects, according to finan-cial experts. For one thing, many of them went through their formative years during the Great Depression. Frugality and thrift became lasting character traits of this group, so they likely have always lived well within their means. Many have paid off their houses and have very little, if any, debt.

Seniors are also more likely than younger workers to have defined-benefit pensions, which provide retirement payouts based on an employee’s salary and tenure. While

Spring 2009 �

such pensions generally are perceived as safer than 401(k) plans, in reality, a pension is only as good as the company that backs it. If the economic downturn pushes a company into bankruptcy, the pension can go down with the corporate ship. (See sidebar, page 7.)

Seniors do have one thing in common with younger generations: The current economic crisis has left them fright-ened and confused. “The media has really helped fuel fear and anxiety,” says Dombrowski. “Ten years ago, we didn’t have financial news broadcast 24 hours a day. Seniors today, like all the rest of us, are in a new era where financial infor-mation has become a form of entertainment. And bad news captures much more attention than good news, which makes it hard for people to do the right thing and stay the right course during hard times.”

Generations talked to five financial experts in Michigan, asking what financial advice they have for seniors in these tough economic times. Here is their advice:

First and foremost, don’t panic“I realize this is easier said than done,” says Jenna Everett, associate financial advisor with Everett & Associates in St. Joseph. “Fear can be gripping, even paralyzing, and unfortunately it causes people to make

rash, ill-fated decisions at exactly the wrong time. Try not to make long-term decisions based on a short-term crisis.”

It may help to take a look backwards. Granted, the cur-rent recession is unique, fueled by prior excessive spend-ing and use of credit. But the stock market has taken hits before, and it has always come back. According to Ned Davis Research, an investment research firm, since 1948 the typical recession has been 10 months long. About 5 months before the recession ended, a turnaround began. One year after the turnaround began, the average return from the recession low was 39% — meaning stock prices were up nearly 40% from their lowest point after 12 months.

Tighten your beltOnce you’ve taken a deep, calming breath, look around for ways to cut back. This may be more difficult for seniors who never loosened their belt to begin with, but if possible, find ways to cut

expenses. To effectively cut expenses, you first have to know what

you spend, and that means creating a budget. Look at all your spending over the past three months, assigning each expense to a category. Then you can see where your money is going and identify areas in which you can cut back.

“Evaluate both necessary expenses — food, shelter, clothing, transportation, utilities, etc. — and discretionary, or unnecessary expenses,” says Everett. “This is indeed a season of cutting back, but remember, you are not alone. Everyone is doing the same thing.”

Seniors in particular can take advantage of the many discount programs available to them by grocers, restau-rants, retailers and other businesses. Websites such as SeniorDiscounts.com and Bargains4Seniors.com list a wealth of discounts for seniors.

Stay on the jobThose who have not yet retired should consider delaying their retirement. People are living longer, so if you retire at 65, you may be looking at 30 to 40 years of retirement. “You have to make sure

that retirement income factored with inflation will be enough to feed you,” says Ellis Liddell, president of ELE Wealth Management in Southfield. “Those who are young and vibrant should consider postponing retirement until age 70.”

That is, in fact, what many workers are doing. The people age 55 and older who work full-time grew from about 22% in 1990 to nearly 30% in 2007, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2016, the Bureau predicts, the number of workers age 65 and over will soar by more than 80%, and they will make up 6.1% of the labor force. In 2006, they accounted for 3.6% of active workers.

Another option: Retire from your current job but begin a new one. “Manufacturers in this state offer pensions begin-ning at age 55,” says Liddell. “You could bank the pension from your first career and live off the income you generate from your second one.”

Build an emergency fundWhen you do make the decision to retire, try to make sure you keep at least two years of living expenses in liquid savings. “If you have this kind of emergency fund, you can weather a storm

like the one we are currently in without having to liquidate stocks at fire-sale prices,” says James Speir, owner of Speir Financial Services LLC in Southfield.

Ideally, seniors have this emergency fund that they can dip into now to meet their expenses. If not, and they need to get cash, experts advise them to tap non-stock investments first.

“What you really don’t want to do is liquidate depressed stock holdings,” says Dombrowski. “If you do that, you’ve locked in your loss. Many stocks are down, yes, but they are down as part of broad-based economic decline. Procter & Gamble is still Procter & Gamble. Hewlett-Packard is still Hewlett-Packard. If they are good, solid companies, they will appreciate again. You just have to have the ability to give them time.”

While it’s tempting to cash out of the stock market and invest those assets in safer vehicles, that could be a costly mistake. For one thing, you’d be selling your stocks at a sig-nificant loss. For another, even in the best of times, CDs and mutual funds rarely keep up with inflation. So while you can be confident your investment won’t lose value, it may well lose purchasing power.

1

2

3

4

6 Michigan Generations

“We all want to get the most for our money without taking any risk,” says Jerry Cole, president, Cole Finan-cial Group in Bay City. “Although the economic events of 2008 make you want to take your remaining funds and put them under the proverbial mattress, there is risk there, too. That risk is inflation. If history does repeat itself, there is a high probability that inflation will rear its ugly head in the months to come. In periods of high inflation, investments such as T-bills and CDs lose ground.”

Hang onto a balanced portfolioExperts advise maintaining the balance in your portfolio, even in these tough times. That bal-ance means spreading your investments between growth vehicles (growth stocks and growth mutual

funds), growth and income (blue chip stocks, utility stocks, bal-anced mutual funds), income-producing vehicles (CDs, bonds) and cash or cash equivalents (money market accounts, treasury bills). The amount you have in each section should be deter-mined by your age, your goals and your risk tolerance. General investment guidelines recommend that you should be top-heavy in growth or growth and income — vehicles that carry more risk but also have greater potential for higher returns — when you are younger. And you should gradually shift toward more conservative investments as you age.

Conventional wisdom has held that by age 70, you should have no more than 10% of your assets in the stock market, with the rest residing in income-producing investments and in cash or cash equivalents. Today, some advisors are telling older clients to keep 20% to 30% of their assets in stocks, based on longer life expectancies.

“As you move toward age 70 and beyond, your first and foremost concern needs to be protecting your assets,” says Cole. “That would be the rule no matter what condition the

economy was in. But having said that, you will always need some exposure to equities in order to keep up with inflation. What percentage that is depends on your life expectancy, your goals and your risk tolerance.”

The government is helping seniors avoid cashing out stock investments at a loss by suspending the mandatory IRA withdrawal requirement known as RMD, or Required Minimum Distribution, in 2009.

Normally, once you reach 70½, you are required to start tak-ing a minimum annual withdrawal from your IRA. The amount of your withdrawal is based on your age and on the value of your IRA at the end of the preceding year. For example, the amount that seniors were required to withdraw in 2008 was determined by their account balance on Dec. 31, 2007.

However, late this past year, Congress felt that the plummeting stock market would cause a hardship on retirees who would be forced to withdraw their RMD at depressed

prices. So in December 2008, Congress passed the Worker, Retiree and Employer Recovery Act of 2008, which allows seniors a choice in keeping their assets intact this year, versus withdrawing a portion at lower stock prices. In other words, the law allows their tax-deferred nest eggs to stay put in 2009 and avoid a tax hit while the market is down.

At least one financial advisor wishes the legislation had passed a year earlier. “This will be very helpful to many seniors, but Congress didn’t act quickly enough to get it in place for 2008,” says Dombrowski. “That is the year it would have helped the most, since the 2008 RMD calculation was based on much higher account values at the end of 2007, and most had not dropped in value all that far yet. Since account values dropped dramatically by the end of 2008 — which is what would be used to calculate the withdrawal for 2009 — the benefit won’t be as great as it could have been. But at least it’s something.”

Liquidate “cheap” stocks firstIf you’ve exhausted other options and you are in the position of having to sell some stocks, then sell the stocks that will be least expensive first. That means liquidating assets from a non-

qualified retirement account first, and trying to leave assets in the IRA intact.

“Let’s say you have McDonald’s stock in your IRA and you have McDonald’s stock in a savings plan outside the IRA,” says Cole. “The stock in your IRA was pur-chased with before-tax money, and taxes on its earnings all through the years have been deferred. If you sell that stock, you are going to owe those taxes based on your current tax bracket. However, if you sell the stock from a non-IRA account, you will only have to pay capital gains tax, which is 15%. And if you sell that non-IRA stock at a loss, you are allowed to carry forward up to $3,000 in capi-tal losses a year. If you sell at a loss from an IRA account, you get no such benefit.”

The flip side of the market downturn is that it’s a great time to buy, if you happen to have extra cash to invest — and a bit of chutzpah. “For those who have money on the sidelines, consider the fact that right now you can buy investments at 10-year lows. Many are 40%–50% off!” says Everett. “Money is made when we choose to be a bit of a contrarian. A contrarian buys shares of securities when most people are selling and sells when others are buying. This takes discipline, but investors will be rewarded for taking risks in the markets.”

Re-evaluate downsizing plansJust as you don’t want to sell your stocks at fire-sale prices, you don’t want to sell your home while its value is significantly depressed. “The two wealth-building tools — real estate and

stocks — are both at or near all-time lows,” says Liddell. “It’s definitely not a good time to sell either.”

5

6

7

You don’t want to sell your home while its value is depressed.

Spring 2009 �

So if you were planning on downsizing into a smaller home, it’s probably a good idea to put those plans on hold for a while. If you have already purchased a retirement home, perhaps consider moving into it and renting out your larger home. The uncertainty of the real estate market is creating added demand for rentals. Indeed, the American Association of Realtors notes that the influx of single-family homes being offered for rent is cutting into the demand for apartment rentals.

Low housing prices also mean reverse mortgages are less attractive. A reverse mortgage is a special type of home equity loan that allows people age 62 or older to convert some of the equity in their homes to cash. It can allow a senior to stay in his or her own home and provide needed cash for taxes, medications or anything else. You can either set it up to get cash each month or to establish a line of credit that you draw on only as you need it.

“I think there’s a place for reverse mortgages,” says Speir. “In my opinion, it’s for folks who don’t have much retirement savings at all. Equity in their home producing some type of income stream for them could really improve their standard of living. However, now their homes have much less value, so the advantages of a reverse mortgage are less.”

Beware of financial schemesNow more than ever, it’s important to hang on to whatever savings you have. And that means being on the lookout for people trying to part you and your money. “I’ve seen a marked increase in

schemes targeting seniors, trying to prey on their fear and anxiety,” says Dombrowski.

Salespeople often disguise their pitch as an educational or estate-planning seminar given by an organization that sounds benevolent and unbiased. Then the presenters use fear tactics to sell seniors investment vehicles that may not be best for them, ranging from numerous annuities to reverse mortgages where they may not make sense. The problem is that the investments often sold through these seminars don’t meet the seniors’ needs at all and in some cases can leave them much worse off financially.

“I’ve actually attended a few of these seminars,” says Dombrowski. “They urge seniors to pull their money out of the market, often to go into fixed annuities that promise initially high rates of returns and guarantees against market loss. It all sounds very good, but it isn’t necessarily the best thing for everyone’s situation. Still others push expensive estate planning services that may not be needed. You really need to make sure you understand who you are dealing with and be confident that they are appropriately licensed and are looking at your overall best interests. To be on the safe side, deal with local advisors and those who you are referred to by people you trust.”

Strangers aren’t the only ones trying to defraud seniors of their savings. “We’ve seen a rise in family fraud,” says Liddell. “Often it’s children or grandchildren listing the names of their grandparents as co-signers for a loan. It’s sad to say, but you should guard your Social Security number, even from many family members.”

Families don’t always resort to fraud to get seniors’ money. Many just ask. “I tell my clients in their 70s and over that they should be watching their spending as they always have and making sure that their children or children’s chil-dren are not causing them to spend down their retirement at a faster pace than planned,” says Liddell. “Most of these seniors don’t spend money on themselves, but they will pull out $20,000 to help a kid out. They will spend through their money to save a child from foreclosure.”

Liddell noted that his clients took out $5 million from their retirement savings last year, up from less than $500,000 four years ago. “By and large, they were not using this money for themselves,” he says. “They were giving it to either their children or their grandchildren. You would think the person on a fixed income would be the one who needs help, but he’s the one loaning money to the one who’s still working.”

Seek professional helpGiven the tumult and uncertainty in the econ-omy right now, financial advisors say that now is an excellent time to seek their help. “An advisor is more valuable in these tough economic times

than in the good times,” says Dombrowski. “In bear markets, getting an advisor’s professional help might be the most valu-able thing you can do.” MI

Pension Plans — Safe or Not?

With pension plan assets falling dramatically in

the past year, many companies have “taken the

hit.” Yes, plenty of retirees have continued to get their

pensions, but so many companies have been plunged into

dire economic straits, they are choosing to

go through restructuring or bankruptcy.

In these cases, the outcome for

underfunded defined-benefit

plans can be overall default.

A federal insurance agency

may take over pension

payments, but there are

limits on the maximum

amount insured. In

fact, only some 84% of

retirees get their full

pension, says author

Fran Hawthorne in

Pension Dumping.

8

9

REGIoNAlNews

In communities

across the U.S.,

Area Agencies on

Aging (AAAs) serve

as gateways to local

resources, planning

efforts and services

that help older adults

remain independent.

Here are the

programs and

services offered by

Michigan’s AAAs.

1 1

10 9

7

5

1A1C

2

8

14

6

3B3A

3C4

1B

6 Tri-CountyOfficeonAging

7 RegionVIIAreaAgencyonAging

8 AreaAgencyonAgingofWesternMichigan

9 NEMCSARegion9AreaAgencyonAging

10 AreaAgencyonAgingofNorthwestMichigan

1 1 UpperPeninsulaAreaAgencyonAging

14 SeniorResourcesofWestMichigan

1A DetroitAreaAgencyonAging

1B AreaAgencyonAging1-B

1C TheSeniorAlliance

2 Region2AreaAgencyonAging

3A KalamazooCo.Health&CommunityServicesDept.Region3A

3B RegionIIIBAreaAgencyonAging

3C Branch-St.JosephAreaAgencyonAgingIIIC

4 RegionIVAreaAgencyonAging

5 ValleyAreaAgencyonAging

� Michigan Generations

Spotlight on…

Since September 2005, 65 individu-als who were, or expected to be,

long-term residents of nursing homes have transitioned to the community with the support of the Tri-County Office on Aging’s Nursing Facility Transition (NFT) Program through the Project Choices/MI Choice Program.

One of these seniors, Bill, had lived with his parents since his birth in 1944, due to challenges associated with a childhood illness. When his parents passed away, he remained at home with the help of his siblings until his brain shunt malfunctioned. The doctors thought that Bill, with a shunt in his brain and dependent on a wheelchair, would never walk or talk again. He was admitted to Dimondale

Nursing Home after his hospital stay. Bill did regain his ability to walk and communicate again, and wanted to live independently. In October 2008, Dimondale made a referral to the Project Choices NFT Program.

Although Bill’s siblings were involved in his life, he did not want

to live with them. With the support of the Project Choices NFT Program, Bill was able to move to an apartment only a few blocks from one of his brothers. Bill’s family visits often and enjoys bringing him to their homes for family meals and gatherings.

The Project Choices NFT Program provides such services as personal care and homemaker assistance. Three times a week, Bill tries to attend a senior dining site for his noon meal. He desires even more involvement in his community, and his care managers through the Project Choices NFT Program are working with him to support those efforts.

For more information, please call 517-887-1440 or 1-800-405-9141.

Tri-County Office on AgingA consortium of Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties and the cities of lansing and East lansing

Reg 1-A / Detroit AAA Reg 1-B / AAA 1-B Reg 1-C / The Senior Alliance, Inc. Reg 2 / Reg 2 AAA

Reg 3-A / Kalamazoo Cty. HumanServices Dept. (Region 3)

Reg 3-B / Burnham-Brook Reg IIIB Reg 3-C / Branch-St. Joseph AAA (IIIC)

Reg 4 / Reg IV AAA

Reg 5 / Valley AAA Reg 6 / Tri-County Office on Aging Reg 7 / Reg VII AAA Reg 8 / AAA of Western Michigan

Reg 9 / NEMSCA Reg 9 AAA Reg 10 / AAA of Northwest MI Reg 11 / Upper Peninsula AAA Reg 14 / Senior Resources ofWest Michigan

Project Choices NFT Program

Care manager Jill Vatter visits with Bill.

Detroit Area Agency on AgingServing Detroit, Highland Park, Hamtramck, Harper Woods and the five Grosse Pointes in Wayne County

Spring 2009 9




Reg 4 / Reg IV AAA



“Grandfamilies” Find New Housing in Detroit

Southwest Detroit, with its large Latino population, is a melting pot of

cultures. It’s a distinct urban community with many issues, including homeless-ness, poor air quality, crime and blight. Yet it is politically active and growing, the only area of Detroit to grow in population between the 1990 and 2000 census. For planners and residents alike,

it’s been important to create a new Southwest Detroit that exists in solidar-ity with the old.

Now, Bridging Communities, a very enterprising nonprofit organization in Southwest Detroit, has completed the city’s first low-income housing for “grandfamilies” — grandparents age 55

and older who are thrust back into parenthood.

After two full decades of planning, families are now moving into Springwells Townhomes — recently completed two- and three-bedroom townhouses, some with handicap access. The total development includes 24 rental units that are already stabilizing the Spring-

wells Village district of Southwest Detroit.

Appropriate housing for grandfamilies requires certain amenities, and the Springwells development has them all — safety features for both older adults and children, accessible senior support services for the grand-parents, and swings and slides and nearby schools for the grandchildren. Most importantly, the single-family townhouses

are part of a neighborhood that avoids the distractions of urban apartment complexes.

Growing numbers of grandparents and other relatives are stepping forward to keep families together because of social and demographic changes, includ-ing parental substance abuse, incarcera-tion, death and military deployments. In Detroit, grandparents head some 30,000 households.

For the Detroit Area Agency on Aging (DAAA), the new townhouses give well-deserved and long-overdue attention to the housing needs of inter-generational families headed by grand-parents and other relatives. Completion of the townhouses supports the work of the Detroit Long Term Care System Change Task Force as it advocates for more affordable and accessible housing for all of Detroit’s seniors.

Springwells Townhomes, Southwest Detroit. A collaboration of Springwells Village partners will provide support services to grandfamilies, including case management, advocacy and referral, after-school programming, education and recreation.

Pictured at the Springwells Townhomes ribbon-cutting event last fall are (left to right) Elaine Williams, DAAA board member and chair, Senior Housing Committee; Paul Bridgewater, DAAA president and CEO; and Juanita Bridgewater, president, Bridging Generations, an advocacy and support group for grandparents raising grandchildren.

Photos, above, by Erik Howard.

Seniors and their advocates across Livingston, Macomb, Monroe,

Oakland, St. Clair and Washtenaw counties will have the opportunity to

rally together and speak out to the governor, state legisla-tors and local officials about changes that need to be made to improve the lives of older adults in Michigan.

Through a “Blueprint for Action,” participants will engage in dialogue on key areas, including development and expansion of evidence-based older

adult wellness, fitness and healthy aging programs; programs to help older adults and family caregivers make the best use of social and finan-

cial resources to age in place with dignity; and the desire to create and enhance our com-munities to make Michigan attractive to retirees.

During the months of May and June, each county will hold an Older Michiganians Rally where participants will learn more about the “Blueprint for Action” and speak to their

local officials about older adult issues. On June 24 a statewide Older Mich-iganians Day Rally of more than 500 senior advocates will take place on the steps of the State Capitol from

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Tickets are required for the rally at the Capitol.

This is your opportunity to par-ticipate and make the needs of older adults be heard by local and state representatives. For more information on the rallies, including tickets for the statewide rally on June 24, please contact Amy Smyth, Area Agency on Aging 1-B, at 1-800-852-7795 or [email protected].

Serving the counties of livingston, Macomb, Monroe, oakland, St. Clair and Washtenaw




Reg 4 / Reg IV AAA



Area Agency on Aging 1-B


Advocate for a Better Michigan

AAA offers out of Home Respite

Are you or someone you know caring for an older adult 24/7 and need to take a vacation or a break for another reason? Call the Area Agency

on Aging 1-B for more information on our Out of Home Respite Program. We have reserved beds in five adult foster care homes that are available, on a sliding cost, for families to place their older loved one for up to two weeks at a time, twice a year. The older adult requiring care must be over the age of 60, need help with at least two activities of daily living such as eating and bathing, or have dementia. For more information on the program, call the AAA 1-B at 1-800-852-7795.

Upcoming RalliesLivingston CountyFriday, May 8, 20099:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.St. Joseph Mercy Hospital620 Byron Rd., Howell

Oakland CountyMonday, May 18, 20099:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Oakland County Executive Office Building2100 Pontiac Rd., Waterford

Macomb CountyFriday, May 29, 200910 a.m. to 12 noonUkrainian Cultural Center26601 Ryan Rd., Warren

Washtenaw CountyMonday, June 1, 200910:00 a.m. to 12 noon St. Joe Senior Health BuildingLower Level 5361 McCauley Dr., Ypsilanti

St. Clair CountyFriday, June 5, 200910 a.m. to 12 noonCouncil on Aging, serving St. Clair County600 Grand River Ave., Port Huron

Monroe CountyFriday, June 12, 20091 p.m. to 3 p.m.Monroe Center15275 S. Dixie Hwy., Monroe

Note: Tickets are required for the June 24th Older Michiganians Day Rally at the Capitol.

Above: Advocates from Monroe County on the steps of the Capitol. Right: Older adults listen to Governor Granholm at the Lansing Older Michiganians Day Rally last June.

Amateur country musicians found a new home at the Jackson

County Department on Aging last fall when the music store where they’d been meeting closed.

Country, gospel and folk songs now abound from the dining room on Tuesday afternoons when the players of stringed instruments make impromptu music.

Organizer Chuck Bobbett, 79, has played guitar on and off since he was 12. He says the jam sessions “give people who play an outlet, a chance to get together and share the music they enjoy.”

A founding member of the local band Obsolete Country, Bobbett uses his familiarity with the local music

scene to draw in other country musi-cians. Participation has ranged from 3 to 22 musicians. Instruments include guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, bass, dobro, piano and harmonica.

Musicians sit in a circle and take turns calling tunes and key signatures. Players interact with members of a growing audience, who are invited to sing along.

Pianist Dick Stiles loves participat-ing. “This is the kind of music I cut my teeth on when I was nine years old,” he says. “As far as I know, there’s no other forum in Jackson County where novice musicians can have this kind of exchange.”

For more information, contact Barbara Stoy at the Region 2 AAA, 1-800-335-7881 or 517-467-1909.

Spring 2009 11

Serving Hillsdale, Jackson and lenawee counties




Reg 4 / Reg IV AAA



Country Jam Sessions Attract Seniors

Region 2 Area Agency on Aging

The Area Agency on Aging 1-B is the first resource for older adults, caregivers and per-sons with disabilities to call when looking to resolve problems or locate the resources they need to improve the quality of their life.

When individuals call the toll-free Information and Assistance (I&A) service at 1-800-852-7795, they speak with a certified Information and Referral Specialist to determine what their needs are and the services and assistance available to address those needs. Once the needs are deter-mined, the specialist accesses the I&A database of over 5,000 local services and mails the individual a complete listing of relevant services and providers in their local community.

Call us. We can help.

1‑�00‑��2‑��9�

Help Is a Phone Call AwayClickonAging.com is a comprehensive website full of

information on local resources and services in south-east Michigan for individuals caring for an older adult, or seniors wanting long-term care options. A partner-ship of 12 local organizations includes Adult Well-Being

Services, the Area Agency on Aging 1-B, Arthritis Foun-dation, Binsons Home Health

Care Centers, Glacier Hills, Hannan Foundation, MediLodge Group, Nexcare Health Systems, The Senior Alliance, Trinity Home Health Services, Trinity Senior Living Communities and Visiting Nurse Assn. of Southeast Michigan. This website addresses key issues for caregiv-ers and seniors, including paying for long-term care, housing options, legal and financial information, nutrition programs, support groups and more.

Visit www.clickonaging.com today!

Southeast Michigan Senior Website launched


Region 3B Area Agency on AgingServing Barry and Calhoun counties in Southwest Michigan




Reg 4 / Reg IV AAA



About 18 months ago, when Karla Fales (now executive director

of the Region 3B Area Agency on Aging) was developing program goals, she was struck by the region’s lack of coordinated elder abuse preven-tion strategies in Calhoun County. She made calls to representatives from various aging and human ser-vices agencies to explore possible approaches. To her surprise, 15 agen-cies responded.

“We felt that there was a particu-lar lack of public awareness of finan-cial abuse and scams and what actually constitutes abuse. So this became our initial focus,” states District Court Judge John Hallacy, one of the initial

tri-chairs of what became the Cal-houn County Elder Abuse Prevention Coalition.

The initial alliance involved only senior service providers and county agencies, but a unique feature of this coalition has been its growing involvement of community gatekeep-ers, people who have routine and frequent contact with seniors but may not work in traditional aging service arenas. The coalition cur-rently includes: a home heating contractor, a neighborhood planning council president, a funeral director, a durable medical equipment provider and the editor of a senior community newspaper.

“Every month we worried that this would be the meeting when no one would show up. We thought if we stopped serving refreshments, we’d really be in trouble!” Ms. Fales joked. That has not been the case. Group meetings have drawn as many as 42 participants.

Even in the short time the group has operated, there has been an increase in the number of reports of suspected elder abuse in the county. Elder law attorney Stacey Lott, one of the group’s tri-chairs, explains, “Knowledge is power, and this type of power will protect and hopefully prevent cases of elder abuse in Cal-houn County.”

For more information, contact Region 3B AAA at 269-966-2450 or go to www.region3b.org.

Abuse Prevention Coalition Works to Protect older Adults

Once again, it is time for our agency to research, develop

and, with public input, create our Multi-Year Area Plan (MYP). The MYP is a document written for submission to the Michigan Office of Services to the Aging under the authority of the Older Americans Act (OAA) and the Older Michiganians Act (OMA). This document spells out the overall func-tion and future goals of the Branch-St. Joseph Area Agency on Aging. This document also outlines how resources (state, federal and local), community priorities, advocacy strate-gies, program development objectives and service targeting will be carried out in our two-county planning and service area.

As we gather data and glean input to develop our MYP, we will be sending out surveys to key stakeholders in the com-munity, such as churches, human ser-vice agencies and volunteer clubs. We will also be doing presentations at our local senior centers. We’d like everyone in our community to have their voice be heard. If you would like to share your thoughts on what is needed for

seniors in our commu-nity, or perhaps share what your personal experience has revealed, you can:

♦ Attend a public forum at your local senior center (please call our office for dates and times).

♦ Contact Dawn, our Information & Assistance Specialist, by phone

or email, to share your thoughts or request a Community Needs Survey.

For information, call 517-278-2538 or toll-free 1-888-615-8009.




Reg 4 / Reg IV AAA



Branch–St. Joseph Area Agency on Aging IIICServing a two‑county area surrounding Sturgis, Three Rivers, Coldwater and Quincy

let Your Voice Be Heard!

Spring 2009 1�

The Area Agency on Aging works in tandem with dozens of fine

community organizations to help elders and persons with disabilities find services essential for maintain-ing independence. But what happens when there are no resources available and there are gaps to fill?

The AAA staff asked themselves that question, and determined that if there were just a few more flexible dollars available, it could make a huge impact for many people who don’t fit the criteria of available programs.

A committee put together a plan to raise money in-house by scheduling fun events for co-workers — the “Fun”d Drive. The group sponsored a bake sale, bingo and lunch featuring donated

prizes, a used book sale, and collecting pop cans to redeem for cash.

Employees could also contribute with one-time donations or payroll deductions. Incentive prizes included a half-day off with pay, bakery goods and a potted herb garden.

Shortly after the “Fun”d Drive, a young woman in a wheelchair who had just moved into her own handicapped-accessible apartment called the AAA. She said that her vacuum cleaner was too heavy for her to use from the wheel-chair. Though she couldn’t afford it, she needed something smaller to make cleaning tasks easier, and asked if we knew anyone who could help.

Through the funds raised by

employees, the AAA purchased a cordless, lightweight, rechargeable swivel vac-uum cleaner for her. Though the cost

was only $34.95, the benefit in maintaining her independence is immeasurable. She was extremely grate-ful for the generosity.

Additional funds have been dispersed for other needs, and AAA employees intend to continue the annual “Fun”d Drive to be of further service to those who

need just a little extra help.For more information, contact the

Region IV AAA at 269-983-0177 or 1-800-442-2803.

Region IV Area Agency on AgingCovering Michigan’s Great Southwest including Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties




Reg 4 / Reg IV AAA



How Can We Help?

The Region VII Area Agency on Aging allocates funding to service

providers that enable the elderly and disabled to remain in their homes for as long as possible — offering care and services needed to lead an independent lifestyle. For individuals residing in a long-term care facility, Citizens for Better Care performs Long-Term Care Ombudsman services and assists residents by providing advocacy.

Citizens for Better Care has launched a new program offering sup-port to families whose loved ones are in long-term care or considering long-term care options. The program, Long Term Care Family Support Group, grew out of a grant received

from The United Way of Saginaw County. The purpose of the support group is to provide education, advo-

cacy tools and continued support to individuals navigating the long-term care system. The goal is to create a safe and non-judgmental group in which individuals can share, learn and discuss feelings.

A family support specialist will offer comprehensive monthly educa-tional support groups. The meetings are held every third Wednesday of the month, 7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m., at the Butman Fish Library, 1716 Han-cock, Saginaw, MI 48602. For more information about the new program, please contact Allison Rossi Utter or Laurie Ehrhardt at 1-800-248-0046.

For more information about services offered by Region VII, please contact us at 1-800-858-1637 or www.region7aaa.org.

Citizens for Better Care offers New Support Group

Region VII Area Agency on AgingServing Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Huron, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw, Sanilac and Tuscola counties




Reg 4 / Reg IV AAA



April15 —FamilyCouncilsMay20 —CommonProblemsJune17 —DementiaJuly15 —EndofLifeAugust19 —CommunityOptionsSeptember16—HospiceCareOctober21 —CultureChangeNovember18—HolidayHintsDecember19 —TakingCareofYou

2009 Schedule

1� Michigan Generations

The Michigan Office of Services to the Aging and UPCAP Services,

Inc. were recently awarded fund-ing from the U.S. Administration on Aging to implement a Nursing Home Diversion Project that is specifically designed to reach people who are not eligible for Medicaid, but who are at high risk of nursing home placement.

This project aims to significantly change how resources are utilized in assisting consumers who need long-term care to remain in the community, rather than relying on traditional nursing home placement. The Nursing Home Diversion Project will use and expand on the concept of a “single point of entry” for long-

term care services and will promote greater consumer control over avail-able resources.

In addition to focusing attention on the use of non-Medicaid-funded resources, the project will address the long-term care needs of veterans through a formal agreement with the Veterans Administration and the local VAMC in Iron Mountain. Through this agreement, the VA will purchase products from the AAA such as options counseling, care management and specific in-home and community-based services on behalf of veterans, based on the needs of each veteran.

According to Mark Bomberg, director of UPCAP’s U.P. Long Term

Care Connection, the population of veterans over the age of 85 is expected to increase by 124% in the next 10 years. The goal of the program is to offer more services, choices and control over long-term care decisions to veterans. In turn, this will help save limited VA resources. Bomberg states, “The Vet-erans Administration recognizes the AAA network as the leaders in home and community-based care. Rather than re-creating another system, the VA will work with existing programs developed by the aging network to adequately meet the long-term care needs of all veterans.”

For more information on the Nursing Home Diversion Project or the Veterans Administration Home and Community-Based Services Demonstration Grant, call UPCAP at 1-800-338-7227, or dial 2-1-1.

Upper Peninsula Area Agency on AgingServing all 1� counties of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula




Reg 4 / Reg IV AAA



UPCAP Awarded Nursing Home Diversion Project

The Region 9 Area Agency on Aging is a recipient

of a grant through the U.S. Administration on Aging’s Alzheimer’s Disease Support-ive Services Program. Alpena, Cheboygan and Otsego counties have Master Train-ers charged with the task of training additional leaders as well as running classes for their area’s family caregivers.

The Savvy Caregiver program is for caregivers of people with dementia and/or memory loss. It is a caregiver education series with proven results in assisting caregivers develop better strategies to care for their loved ones.

The six-week class meets once a week for two hours, covering topics such as the importance of self-care, area resources, under-standing dementia, reducing the adverse impacts of care-giving, increasing the caregiver’s skills and knowledge and help-

ing caregivers adopt a more strategic outlook on their work — to name a few.

Initial participants in the classes have been encouraged by the mate-rial and expressed that the program

has helped them better understand their loved one’s situ-ation. Caregivers also said that they were experiencing a level of patience that they hadn’t felt before taking the class. The information they learned in the class helped them to better care for their family member and to appre-ciate the traits that their loved one still had, rather than mourn the many losses that were occurring due to the dementia.

The classes are not designed to be a support group, but it is a sup-portive environment. Sharing the dif-ficulties of caregiving is therapeutic — knowing you are not alone in your struggles.

For additional information or to schedule a Savvy Caregiver program in your area, contact the Region 9 AAA at 1-800-219-2273.

NEMCSA Region 9 Area Agency on AgingCovering 12 counties of Northeast Michigan




Reg 4 / Reg IV AAA



Savvy Caregivers in Region 9

Chances are, you or someone you know has arthritis or a related condition. A disease of the joints,

arthritis takes more than 100 different forms. It affects men, women and children alike, including 2.4 million residents of Michigan. It causes pain, expense, worry and suffering for 46 million Americans — sometimes unnecessarily.

Arthritis is many things to many peo-ple, but it’s not hopeless. With knowledge and action, arthritis can be controlled. You can take steps right now to prevent arthritis, or to reduce pain and keep moving. To learn more, read on.

What is arthritis?Arthritis is a disease that damages the joints, or the muscles, bones and con-nective tissues that surround and sup-port the joints. Most forms of the disease are chronic, meaning that they last for a long time. Some of the most well-known forms include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile arthritis, carpal tun-nel syndrome, lupus and gout.

What are the warning signs of arthritis?Symptoms of arthritis can develop sud-denly or slowly. If you have any of these warning signs for more than two weeks, see your doctor. Early diagnosis and treatment are keys to arthritis care.

Joint or muscle pain Swelling, stiffness, redness or heat in or around a jointDifficulty moving a jointFatigue, poor appetite or fever accom-

panied by joint symptomsDiff iculty performing everyday

activities like reaching, bending, walk-ing, lifting or turning

What causes arthritis?The cause of most types of arthritis is unknown. But researchers believe that

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certain factors increase our risk of some forms of the disease. Some of those fac-tors are out of our control, like genes we inherit from our parents, or advanc-ing age, or being female. Others are so-called “lifestyle factors” that we can control. For example, smoking increases the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Joint injury increases the risk of osteoarthri-tis. Being overweight and inactive leads to osteoarthritis, and increases pain in any form of the disease.

How is arthritis detected? Finding out whether you have arthritis, and in which form, is important. Early, accurate diagnosis can lead to effective treatment, different for each type of the disease. Prompt treatment is important to help slow or prevent damage that happens to joints early in the disease process.

Your doctor will take several steps to diagnose your arthritis, including a medical history, a hands-on physical examination and x-rays or other labora-tory tests. An accurate diagnosis may take several visits.

How is arthritis treated? A complete treatment plan for arthritis includes several elements. The first is medications to reduce pain and swelling. Some are available through prescription only, while others can be purchased over-the-counter. Prescription drugs are also available to slow down the disease process and limit joint damage in people with rheumatoid arthritis.

What other tools can I use to manage arthritis? In addition to medication, your arthritis management plan should include these to control pain and avoid disability:

Exercise can lessen pain, increase range of movement, reduce fatigue, and help you look and feel better.

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Energy conservation — switching between periods of rest and activity — can make it easier to do daily activities.

Assistive devices with their special features can help make everyday tasks easier.

Joint protection — using the body wisely, practicing good posture and con-trolling weight — can avoid extra stress on your joints.

Use of heat or cold over joints or muscles may give you short-term relief from pain and stiffness and can help to prepare you for exercise.

Complementary therapies — like dietary supplements, vitamins, massage, acupuncture and more — may pro-vide you with some relief of pain and stiffness.

Self-help skills can help you build the positive attitude and focus you need to manage your arthritis symptoms.

Surgery can help in some cases when other treatments have failed. But most people with arthritis will never need it.

How can I learn more about arthritis?For more information about arthritis, including books and free pamphlets, contact:

Arthritis FoundationMichigan Chapter1050 Wilshire Dr. #302Troy, MI 48084248-649-2891 or 1-800-968-3030 (in MI)www.arthritis.org

BarBara Spreitzer-Berent is Vice President, Health Promotion and Advocacy, for the Michigan Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation.

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ASKtheExpert Barbara Spreitzer‑Berent

Spring 2009 1�

Taking Control of Arthritis

Knowledge Is Power

PHOTO

BYGORBACK.

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For more information on becoming a sponsor of MichiganGenerations, please call Jenny Jarvis at 248-262-9202 .

On Monday June 24, 2009, the 2nd annual Older Michiganians Day (OMD) Rally will be held at the

Capitol Building in Lansing. The event is sponsored by DTE Energy, the DTE Foundation and Consumers Energy.

Join hundreds of other older adults and help advo-cate for key strategies to help Michigan and its seniors get through this tough eco-nomic time. The focus of the rally will be on three areas:

Helping improve the state of Michigan’s bottom line by promoting cost-saving measures;

Protecting vulnerable older adults by making strategic investments in the Older Michiganians Act and other supports to help them preserve and make the best use of personal and social resources;

Making Michigan a retirement destination of choice as part of an economic development strategy to attract and retain retirees.

The Area Agencies on Aging have developed a statewide “Legislative Blueprint for Action” that will help you understand these three key areas and be prepared to advocate at the rally

or to call or email your legislators on June 24, if you are unable to participate in the event. Many Area Agencies on Aging will also be holding local rallies that you can attend, learn about

the platform, ask questions and get involved. To obtain a copy of the “Legisla-tive Blueprint for Action,” find

out about local OMD rallies and learn more about the OMD rally in Lansing, call your local Area Agency on Aging or visit www.oldermichiganiansday.com.

Get Involved with Senior Issues

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Partners for older Michiganians DayAreaAgenciesonAgingAssociationofMichiganAARPofMichiganMichiganAssociationofSeniorCentersMichiganAssociationofSeniorVolunteerProgramsMichiganDirectorsofServicestotheAgingMichiganDisabilityRightsCoalitionMichiganOfficeofLongTermCareSupportsandServicesMichiganOfficeofServicestotheAging

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