The best place for elders and their families to begin their search for assistance is at an Area Agency on Aging (AAA). There are eleven Area Agencies on Aging in Kansas that can provide information regarding in-home services, financial assistance and community resources that help Kansas elders remain at home longer. Often the first person you will talk to is an Information and Assistance staff person. This person will be able to discuss your situation and help identify any available resources, whether in their agency or in the community.

Area Agencies on Aging may contract with public agencies and/or private businesses to provide services to elderly residents in their communities. In some cases, the AAA acts as the service provider if no local contractor is available. AAAs each offer a different set of services, but common services include:

• Access – information and referral to health and social services providers, outreach, case management, and escort and transportation services.
• In-Home Services – chore, homemaker, personal care, home-delivered meals, home repair, and home modifications such as grab bars.
• Community Services– senior centers, congregate meals, adult day care, nursing home ombudsman, elder abuse prevention, legal assistance, employment counseling and referrals, and health and fitness programs.
• Caregiver Support – respite, counseling, and education programs.

ADRC Regional Map of Locations

Case managers generally have a nursing degree or a background in Gerontology, social work or counseling. They have extensive knowledge of the quality, availability and costs of services available in the community.

To find a case manager, call your Area Agency on Aging (for people age 60 and older), Centers for Independent Living (for people under age 60), or one of the private agencies listed in the county specific Directory of Services under Case Management. Private agencies may charge from $50 to $150 per hour. A listing of case management entities can be found on the web at www.kdads.ks.gov.

Most case managers charge between $50 and $150 per hour for their services. There is usually an initial assessment fee ranging from $100 - $250, depending on the time frame. Ongoing costs will be determined by the needs of the individual and the resources available for payment. Case management services are not covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or most private insurance.

An Elder Law Attorney specializes in issues affecting the elderly, or provides elder law services as one type of law he/she practices. The National Elder Law Foundation created a certification program to identify those lawyers who have the enhanced knowledge, skills, experience and proficiency to be certified Elder Law Attorneys.

Elder Law Attorneys counsel and represent older persons about the legal aspects of health and long term care planning, public benefits, surrogate decision making, legal capacity, conservation, estate planning and age discrimination.

The Center for Elder Rights Advocacy, supported by a grant from the Administration on Aging, offers a database of legal hotlines at www.legalhotlines.org. On their website, you can look up information on senior legal hotlines in your state.

Each Area Agency on Aging contracts with a legal service provider in their area to provide legal assistance to seniors age 60 or older. A Senior Citizen Law Project (SCLP) attorney will consult with you about your problem. If you cannot go to the attorney’s off ce or senior center, a visit to your home may be arranged. These legal service providers handle civil legal issues only.

Legal assistance may also be available through the Elder Law Hotline

The Elder Law Hotline provides access to legal services for Kansas seniors age 60 or older. Hotline attorneys are available to answer questions for civil cases only. You will not be charged for the call or attorney time. You may call the Elder Law Hotline toll free number 888-353-5337 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except legal holidays. When you call, an intake person will take general information about you and transfer your call to an attorney. Attorneys who work with the Hotline are SCLP attorneys or private attorneys who handle elder law issues. The hotline also provides referrals to private attorneys through the Elder Law Referral Panel. These attorneys will charge you for their services.

Elder Law Attorneys' rates vary widely. Fees can be on an hourly basis, or there can be a flat fee for a specific service. Before meeting with an attorney, ask to see a fee schedule. Low-income elderly or disabled persons may qualify for free legal assistance.

Elder abuse takes different forms. Physical abuse is defined as the use of physical force to willfully inflict pain or injury, or the inappropriate use of drugs and physical restraints. Sexual abuse is non-consensual sexual contact of any kind.

Psychological abuse may include humiliating, intimidating, or threatening.

Financial exploitation is the improper use of the person's resources without his or her consent, for someone else's benefit.

Neglect is the failure of a caretaker to provide necessary goods or services to avoid physical harm or mental anguish-- abandonment, denial of food or healthcare.

Self-neglect is characterized as the behavior of an elderly person that threatens his or her own health or safety.

Elder abuse prevention laws vary considerably from one state to another. Every state has developed reporting agencies called adult protective services (APS) to receive and investigate reports of suspected elder abuse.

APS agencies keep the information that they receive confidential. They screen calls for potential seriousness, and if the agency decides the situation may violate state elder abuse laws, a caseworker will conduct an investigation (in cases of an emergency, usually within 24 hours). Services are available if the victim needs crisis intervention. If elder abuse is not substantiated, most APS agencies will work with other community agencies to obtain the social and health services that the older person needs.

If you know of an abused, neglected, exploited or self-neglecting elder in your Kansas community who needs help, call 800-922-5330. Outside Kansas, visit the Senior Homes website, which maintains a list of reporting numbers for all states. If the individual resides in a licensed care home, call 800-842-0078 to report abuse.

Long-term-care insurance is an option for people who qualify medically and who can afford the premiums. Because premiums are based on your age at the time of purchase, the younger you are when you purchase a policy, the less expensive the annual premium. Some experts recommend buying the insurance at age 65 if you have significant assets you want to protect, and if you can afford an annual premium of around $1,500. Long-term care insurance isn't suitable for people with few assets who can expect Medicaid to cover a nursing-home stay, or for individuals who might have to sacrifice more immediate needs to pay the high premiums.

Before purchasing LTC Insurance consider these major factors:

• Qualifying Conditions – many policies require you to have an acute medical condition before you can qualify for benefits. The best policies are not contingent on an acute medical condition: they will pay for the long-term care of a person with a physical or cognitive impairment.
• Daily Benefit – the maximum fixed dollar amount that a policy will pay each day. You usually can select between $50 and $250 per day.
• Benefit Period – the length of time you will be eligible to receive payments. You can select a specific number of years or a lifetime plan, which will be more expensive.
• Waiting (Elimination) Period – the number of days before the insurance begins to pay for your care. Most plans have a variety of options. The elimination period may be once in a lifetime or it can repeat. The longer the waiting period, the lower the premium.

There are also optional features that may be included in your plan, all of which will increase your annual premium:

• Inflation Protection – increases the value of your daily benefit (usually by 5% per year), allowing it to grow on an annual basis to help keep up with inflation.
• Home Health Care Coverage – allows you greater choice by covering community care like Adult Day Care Centers and Assisted Living Facilities as well as Home Care Services.
• Nonforfeiture – this option provides some form of paid-up benefit if the policy should lapse.

Some experts recommend that you start by selecting an excellent company; look at their top plan, then eliminate those features you don't need. Call your state insurance department and ask about the company and its record. Check with insurance rating services to make sure the company you're considering is financially secure. You can find these rating services online, or you may call Moody's at 212-553-0300, or A.M. Best at 908-439-2200.

Before you purchase any policy, review the details and options. Don't rely on the marketing materials or outline of coverage. Make sure you understand all the provisions. Ask your insurance agent questions. Contact the Area Agency on Aging. Don't allow yourself to be pressured into making a quick decision. And remember: never pay cash.

After purchasing a policy, you usually have 30 days to review it. You may cancel the policy for a full refund during this time.