June 2024

www.aoascc.org

Spotlight on VOLUNTEERING

In honor of Memorial Day our very own Cherie Larson-Strucaly was set to march in the Hamden Memorial Day parade. Unfortunately, Mother Nature did not cooperate, and the actual parade was cancelled. However, the Remembrance Ceramony was held inside, and the following was a short speech given about AOASCC's very own Cherie!

It is a pleasure to introduce Cherie Larson Strucaly as this year's Hamden's Memorial Day Parade Civilian Grand Marshal.

Cherie is a wife, a mom, a stepmom, and a grandmother who has an infectious laugh and makes the best ginger snaps from scratch!

Click to read, and learn more about Volunteering.

CHOICES Corner

Long Term Care is assistance you may need to manage your health care in the future. Many of the health challenges we face as we age do not have treatments that cure them, rather they need to be managed so that we can live our lives with as much control over the services we need and the settings in which services are provided, as possible. Many people assume that long-term care is fully paid for by Medicare and employer-provided benefits. This is an incorrect assumption that can lead to significant financial problems and an inability to receive the types and quantity of service needed to achieve the long-term care desired. 

Medicare has some time-limited long-term care benefits and employer-provided benefits run the gamut of benefits available, but none of them provide unlimited benefits for long-term care. An essential factor to remember is the emphasis on LONG. When benefits are provided through health insurance programs, they tend to be short-term benefits or only apply when post-hospital benefits are needed that require a skilled nursing level of care. Most long-term care needs are not skilled-level needs, but rather chronic care needs. Click to read more.

This newsletter is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of 2 financial assistance awards totaling $1,055,617, with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. Approximately 60% SHIP, 40% MIPPA. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

CAREGIVER Corner:

LGBTQ+ Caregivers

Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) have much in common with other caregivers but also have unique experiences and needs. The unique needs of LGBTQ+ older adults and the people who care for them must be considered and addressed when developing caregiver plans. As a group, LGBTQ+ older adults experience social, financial, physical, and mental health disparities. They are at higher risk for developing chronic diseases, being diagnosed with depression and anxiety, living in poverty, and experiencing social isolation. 

LGBTQ+ caregivers make up 9% of the 34.2 million Americans caring for adults over age 50.  LGBTQ+ people also become caregivers at a slightly higher rate than their non-LGBTQ+ peers. LGBTQ+ caregivers come from a variety of different backgrounds and provide care in a variety of different relationship structures. Still, there are some common themes in the unique needs and experiences of most LGBTQ+ caregivers, as well as those who are caring for LGBTQ+ older adults but may not be LGBTQ+-identified themselves.  Click to read more.