Governor Proposes Cuts to IHSS Program

According to a recent San Jose Mercury News article, California Governor Jerry Brown announced Thursday his proposal to eliminate In-Home Supportive Services funds for benefit recipients who live with someone else.

If adopted by the state legislature, this proposal would save the state $164 million, but would come at the cost of a severe deterioration of the quality of life for seniors and disabled individuals currently receiving assistance from the program, according to critics of the plan.

Such a move would affect 60 percent of IHSS recipients, as most live with other family members who provide them care.

Study Shows That Seniors Can Make Decisions As Quickly As College Students

A new study described in a recent US News & World Report article indicates that older adults are able to make decisions as quickly and as well as college students in many cases.

The study was published in the current online issue of Child Development.

California Centenarian Reunites With Biological Daughter 77 Years After Giving Her Up for Adoption

A recent SFGate.com article describes an amazing story of a now 100-year old woman who was raped when she was 17 years old (1928) and gave up the resulting baby for adoption.

That baby went on to have six children, one of whom contacted her long-lost grandmother, leading to the reunion.

Even Seniors Who Once Had It Made, Now Struggling to Make Ends Meet in California

According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, many California seniors who were once financially sound and even had visions of being set for the rest of their lives, now struggle just to make ends meet, often trying to live on their fixed income from Social Security, and having to resort to food banks and other assistance.

The article profiles seniors in gold country in particular, who moved from busy cities like San Francisco and San Jose to these remote towns in which to retire for their “golden years.” Those golden years, according to the article, have “lost their luster,” as many who once contributed to food banks now stand in line to receive food.

New California Law Bans Smoking in Multi-Family Housing Units

According to an article in the Sacramento Bee, a new California law that went into effect Jan. 1 prohibits smoking in multi-family housing units across the state.

The law, proposed by state senator Alex Padilla of Los Angeles and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, provides legal backing for a step that many landlords in California had already taken through lease agreement language.

The law, however, provides legal support that will rule out any challenges to banning of smoking in apartment units and other forms of multi-family housing. The legislation was supported by groups such as Aging Services of California, the American Diabetes Association and the California Medical Association.

Going Back to School A Great Option for Seniors in Retirement

A recent piece in U.S. News and World Report encourages seniors to take up “lifelong learning” during retirement. The piece notes that education during retirement allows seniors more options for what to learn (as opposed to restrictions on curriculum that come with a degree program), and also keeps them mentally sharp and socially engaged.

Study Finds That Elderly Patients Want to Have Life Expectancy Talk With Doctors, But Most Aren’t Having That Discussion

A recent University of California San Francisco study shows that while 65% of seniors surveyed would want to have a life expectancy discussion with their doctor if they had fewer than five years to live, just one out of 60 patients surveyed actually had such a discussion.

The study is outlined in a recent U.S. News and World Report article, showing that there is a very large gap between what elderly patients want and what they are getting when it comes to preparation for the end of life.

How Seniors Are Providing Major Help to the CHP

The California Highway Patrol has sworn in 17 seniors from Contra Costa County and the surrounding area to be part of their Senior Volunteer Program, through which elderly citizens help with office tasks such as filing and greeting the public, in order to free up CHP officers to handle other important matters.

A recent article in the Danville Patch highlights the program, which allows seniors to play a role in protecting the public.

For more information about the CHP’s Senior Volunteer Program, call (925) 899-2779.

New Study Shows Numerous Senior Deaths Never Investigated

According to a report published by Pro Publica, numerous senior deaths around the country are never scrutinized, a result of the widespread assumption that elderly deaths are always related to natural causes, the prevalence of faulty death certificates, and coroners ignoring signs of elder abuse or neglect.

The Pro Publica article cites that only 2% of all senior deaths in 2008 were followed by a post-mortem examination. That is compared with post-mortem exams for nearly 60% of those in the age range of 15-34 that year.

New Health Care Model for Seniors Begins Trial Phase

According to a recent Washington Post article, 32 health care organizations across the country – six of whom are in California – have been approved to participate in a trial phase of a new health care model for seniors, naming these health care providers “accountable care organizations.”

The focus of the new program is to engage seniors in a new, proactive-style approach to health care, focusing on preventative medicine to keep seniors healthy and out of hospitals whenever possible.

These organizations are designed to save $1 billion over five years by cutting treatments costs through preventative care. The hope for program designers is that these organizations will pave the way for more that will apply for the upcoming Medicare Shared Savings Program to be launched in 2012.