Plate color key to Rhodes: A tribute Managing parent weight loss to the ancients care from afar page 12 page 16 page 18 Find Index of Caregiving Services on page 3 Published Monthly / FREE / April 2012 / Vol. 38 / No. 4 / 32 pp. CENTRAL MA EDITION BBoomeroomer cconsumersonsumers rulerule Read Back Issues of the WORC ESTER, MASS. ESTER, WORC RENT RESIDENT OR RESIDENT RENT CUR PERMIT NO. 597 NO. PERMIT U.S. POST AGE PAID AGE POST U.S. ter, MA 01605 MA ter, Worces • Street Lincoln 131 • Advocate Plus Fifty PRE-SORT STANDARD PRE-SORT www.fiftyplusadvocate.com “A Lifetime of Friendships!” 55 years & older ALL UTILITIES INCLUDED! Wait Lists Open s#ONVERTEDFROMA HOLEGOLFCOURSE s0RIVATEENTRY WAYWITHONSCREEN for the following: ,INCOLN6ILLAGEOFFERSBEAUTIFULLY INTERCOMENTRANCE LANDSCAPEDCOUNTRYSETTINGWITHTHE sHOURON SITESECURITYOFlCER s/NE"EDROOMINTHE CONVENIENCEOFLIVINGINTHECITY ANDEMERGENCYMAINTENANCE HIGH RISEFOR s2ESIDENTSERVICECOORDINATORSWITH -INIMUMMONTHLYINCOME REGULARTRIPS SOCIALCLUBS ANDFREE REQUIREMENTOF SEASONALCONCERTS At Our Community Center: s#ONVENIENTTOBUSLINESMEDICAL )NDOORANDOUTDOORPOOLS s2ENTSSTARTINGAT TRANSPORTATIONISACCESSIBLE 7EIGHTROOMANDSAUNAS Call us today to tour the property. 37 Pleasant Valley Drive, Worcester LINCOLN VILLAGE (508) 852-2521; TTY: (508) 439-2370 OFFICE HOURS : Monday thru Friday 8:00a.m. - 5:00p.m. Managed by: CORNERSTONE Financed by MHFA Affordable Housing Corporation Fifty Plus Advocate ■ Central Massachusetts Edition ■ April 1, 2012 ■ Vol. 38 / No. 4 ■ 32 pp. ■ Published monthly FEATURED STORIES h Bay State single seniors losing ground 7 t AARP seeks public input on entitlements 7 Health overhaul opposition wanes 8 n Gay seniors find local support 9 o Frankly speaking about heart health 11 M College towns seek retirees 22 How medical bills wreck credit 23 Public airing 7 Plastic men 14 s Scams against elderly rise 27 i DEPARTMENTS h Caregiving Tips 21 T Feeling Healthy 12 Home Care Tips 21 e Home Improvement 28 Just My Opinion 5 d Legal Briefs 26 i Money Matters 24 Financially strapped Color creations Resource for Caregivers 18 singles 28 s 7 Travel 16 n Viewpoint 10 BOUT HE OVER Vision Quest A T C I Inside This Month 11 Baby boomer consumers buying habits change, but are still influential: Story page 6 ■ I NDEX OF SERVICES IN THIS ISSUE ■ 3-D MAMMOGRAPHY DENTAL SERVICES NURSING HOMES Mass General Imaging ..................... p. 15 Park Avenue Dental Center ............ p. 31 Golden LivingCenters, Fitchburg ... p. 4 ADULT DAY CARE EYE CARE SERVICES Golden LivingCenters, Worcester ... p. 4 The Adult Day Care at Dodge Park . p. 16 Keamy Eye & Laser Center ............. p. 13 Hillcrest Nursing & Rehab. Ctr. ...... p. 31 ADVOCACY Holy Trinity .................................... p. 11 FINANCIAL SERVICES AARP ............................................... p. 5 Knollwood Nursing ........................ p. 17 Central One Federal Credit Union .. p. 24 AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING River Terrace Healthcare ............... p. 31 FUNERAL SERVICES Lincoln Village ................................. p. 2 REST HOMES ALZHEIMER/DEMENTIA CARE Miles Funeral Home ........................ p. 11 Dodge Park ..................................... p. 14 Blaire House of Worcester ................p. 19 HEALTH CARE INFORMATION SENIOR HEALTH CARE OPTIONS ASSISTED/INDEPENDENT LIVING SHINE Program ............................... p. 25 United Healthcare ........................... p. 20 Briarwood ....................................... p. 17 HOME CARE SUBSIDIZED HOUSING ATTORNEYS, ELDER LAW BrightStar Lifecare .......................... p. 13 Bet Shalom Apartments .................. p. 23 Durbin & Veglia Attorneys at Law .. p. 25 Home Staff ....................................... p. 18 Colony Retirement Homes ............. p. 30 Estate Preservation Law Offices ...... p. 27 Emanuel Village ............................... p. 8 HOME MEDICAL EQUIPMENT Ingle Law Offices ............................ p. 31 Green Hill Towers ........................... p. 29 Apple Home Care and Rehab. ........ p. 13 CEMETERIES Hawthorne Hills ............................... p. 8 HOSPICE St. John’s Cemetery & Mausoleum ... p. 26 Illyrian Gardens .............................. p. 22 Worcester County Memorial .......... p. 7 Jewish Healthcare Hospice ............. p. 19 Village at Ascension Heights ........... p. 29 CREMATION SERVICES HOSPITALS VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home ......... p. 25 Saint Vincent Hospital ................... p. 32 Rachel’s Table .................................. p. 28 If you use any services listed above, please mention you saw their ad in the Fifty Plus Advocate. Enhancing Lives Through Innovative Healthcare That’s our mission at Golden LivingCenters. We strive to help you return to your active life after surgery or illness. Combining 24-hour nursing with our exclusive Golden Rehab therapy, clinical expertise and professionally-trained staff, we provide a well-rounded recovery plan to meet your VSHFL¿FQHHGV2XUJRDOLVWR help you regain mobility and independence so you can enjoy an enhanced quality of life. Golden LivingCenter – Fitchburg Golden LivingCenter – Hermitage -RKQ)LWFK+Z\)LWFKEXUJ0$ 0LOO6WUHHW:RUFHVWHU0$ www.GoldenLivingCenters.com/Fitchburg www.GoldenLivingCenters.com/Hermitage This facility welcomes all persons in need of its services and does not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, gender, sexual orientation or source of payment. GLS-06870-11-LO Gov. Patrick, do you care about your aging constituents? By Sondra L. Shapiro have hit hard at services for vulnerable elders,” according to the statement issued hat does it say about our state by the groups. They said: when its top elected official •The governor has proposed cut- Wignores the most vulnerable ting the elder nutrition budget that among us? would result in a loss of 250,000 meals. At its worst, Gov. Deval Patrick’s According to the AARP Foundation, actions show an unconscionable disregard more than 140,000 older adults in for his older constituents. Massachusetts risk going hungry every day. •There are 1,100 elders on a waiting Just My list for enhanced home care, and since March 1, the basic home care program Opinion also has a wait list for the rest of the year. •The MBTA is proposing fare increases At best, the governor’s and service cuts and changes to The Ride behavior proves a discon- that disproportionately impact elders, nect, resulting from the lack of leadership especially since many are not able to drive. at the state level tasked with serving the •Councils on Aging (COA) funding has elderly and their caregivers. The Executive been cut by 10 percent — a counter-intu- Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) once filled itive action because the services provided this void. by COAs can save money in the long run. Let’s give the benefit of a doubt and say According to David Stevens, executive it’s the latter. director of Mass. Councils on Aging, these Established in 1970 as one of the first agencies provide vital services, includ- secretariats in the country, the EOEA was ing congregate meals that keep seniors a highly visible and influential office, with independent, healthy and engaged in its head reporting directly to the governor. their communities. “Without them, many Because the secretary was usually plucked seniors would need more expensive sup- from the aging network, he or she brought ports and care,” said Stevens. expertise and clout that enabled initiatives The demotion of EOEA means HHS benefiting the state’s aging population. has taken over much of the decision- The turning point came in 2003, making regarding the $3 billion accounts when Gov. Mitt Romney put EOEA under making up long-term care. This despite the Health and Human Services (HHS) the statutory language directing EOEA umbrella, insisting it would still maintain to manage these services and accounts. its influence. The mere fact that it was It makes no sense for HHS to handle now functioning under the auspices of these programs and services since aging HHS greatly diminished its authority. concerns transcend heath care. “It’s about At the time, the aging network pro- transportation, housing, community phetically warned the demotion was con- service, employment opportunities and trary to the needs of seniors, one of the more,” said Chet Jakubiak, executive fastest-growing demographic in the state. director, MAOA. Today, there are some 653,000 households A national report issued last fall by with someone over the age of 60. Many AARP shows Massachusetts ranks in the are comprised of family caregivers and bottom half, at number 30, of all states frail elderly. when it comes to the overall affordability “Despite having worked hard their and quality of long term services and sup- entire lives, nearly half of all seniors in ports — including home care, adult day Massachusetts struggle to meet their basic health services, residential services such needs,” said Carolyn Villers, executive as assisted living and nursing homes, and director of Mass. Senior Action Council support for family caregivers. (MSAC). “With this population expected More recently, a report by Wider to double by the year 2025 we need to Opportunities for Women found that over ensure the Commonwealth is planning half of the state’s elders typically face a ahead to ensure the supports are in place.” budget shortfall of at least $10,248 annu- In January, MSAC joined other advo- ally, making it impossible for them to cacy groups who sent