Loyal readers know my own allegiance lies, in large part, to advocacy for seniors and our elderly. I'm always on the lookout for financial assistance programs to help struggling seniors or for their families who help provide support. Imagine my delight when I ran across BenefitsCheckUp.org, a wonderful resource and, even better, a freebie thanks to the National Council on Aging.
One of my favorite go-tos, Bottom Line Personal (and "Savvy Senior" syndicated columnist Jim Miller), offers a glimpse into just some of the comprehensive benefits offered on the BenefitsCheckUp site. For an eye-popping claim, the organization says it's helped 5.3 million people find more than $17.2 billion worth of bennies!
An astonishing and reprehensible number shows in excess of 25 million Americans age 55-60 and older live with limited assets, including incomes below $30,000 yearly. (Even elders with higher incomes than this often find it very hard to live from paycheck to paycheck, which usually is their earned Social Security.)
Because of this research and so many readers' own experiences with self or older family members, the more helpful information we learn, the better. Plus, although very wide-ranging at over 2,000 programs offered, the site is surprisingly simple to navigate. Once basic data is entered, such as name and birthdate and boxes checked for needed services, the website immediately generates a report that lists particular links to the services and programs for which you or your senior may qualify. Apply for some of these online, some need applications filled out and mailed, emailed or faxed, and others require the user to directly contact the administrator's office. One such resource is a Benefits Enrollment Center; search for a local center at NCOA.org/centerforbenefits/becs.
Just some of the types of expenses folks may get help with include medications, food, utilities, legal, health care, housing, in-home services, taxes, transportation and even employment training. (As to the latter, many older Americans desperately need to supplement their income with part-time work but often haven't a clue what to do.) And while in the past, I've often discussed prescription drug relief programs, health care extras and utility assistance, such as with the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, this phenomenal site even piggybacks my own advice concerning one of my most despised obsessions: scummy, despicable and hell's-too-good-for-'em scammers of all tricks and trades.
And one last word about a subject most of us tiptoe around - elder abuse. A silent problem that robs seniors of their dignity, security and, in some cases, costs them their lives, up to five million older Americans are abused every year. The annual loss by victims of financial abuse is estimated to be at least $2.6 billion. Abusers are both women and men and, in almost 90 percent of elder abuse and neglect incidents, the criminal is a family member. In fact, two-thirds of perpetrators are adult children or spouses.
The NCOA works hard to advance legislation that funds the Elder Justice Act and elder abuse protections of the Older Americans Act, which promotes senior financial empowerment and protections, expands elder abuse research and training for law enforcement, enhances elder justice capacity at the Department of Justice and creates Silver Alert plans nationwide.
(The Silver Alert, modeled after the Amber Alert System, helps locate wanderers. Relatives of people with dementia or Alzheimer's disease often have the nagging fear that their loved one might wander away and get lost. It's estimated that more than nine out of 10 people with dementia who leave the house alone are likely to be unable to find their way home without assistance, obviously causing caregivers and other relatives endless moments of anxiety until their loved one is found. The Silver Alert System is designed to provide some reassurance to anxious relatives that their missing seniors can be reunited with them.)
Ellen Phillips may be reached at consumerwatch@timesfreepress.com.