John Friel , Chairman
William Sullivan, MD, Vice Chairman
James Fitzpatrick, Secretary
Elizabeth Lethin
John Hagerty
Susan Dooley
Elaine Gilmore
THE ESCALATING
FORECLOSURE CRISIS
More than 30,000
Massachusetts homes will face foreclosure in 2007, and approximately
10% are owned by seniors. Unfortunately, many homeowners do not seek
advice or assistance until a foreclosure sale auction is imminent.
Solutions may be
available however to salvage your home or to preserve valuable
equity in your property. Seniors may be entitled to property tax
abatements, fuel assistance, cash benefits, or health coverage that
might then reduce your household expenses and free up income for
mortgage payments. Mortgage lenders may be willing to restructure a
loan or reduce an interest rate on an existing loan.
Bankruptcy
protection may also provide a senior with an opportunity to stop an
auction and in doing so gain time to possibly sell the property or
arrive at a plan to pay the mortgage arrearage. More options may be
available to the senior who seeks assistance early rather than
waiting until an auction is scheduled.
Seek legal
assistance if you are behind on your mortgage payments and if your
mortgage payments are more than you can afford. South Middlesex
Legal Assistance (1-800-696-1501) offers free legal assistance to
seniors who are behind on their mortgages and at risk of
foreclosure.
AN ACT REGARDING
CHOICE OF LONG TERM CARE SETTING
A landmark bill
was signed into law which will allow many more low-income seniors
and disabled adults to be able to receive the state-funded home care
services they need in their own homes or in the community rather
than in nursing homes. Entitled “An Act Regarding Choice of
Long Term Care Setting,” the bill provides for elders and disabled
to receive a pre-admission counseling prior to long-term care
placement about home care / community care options that are less
restrictive such as home care, adult foster care, or day care.
Should these
persons choose home care or community care options over nursing home
placement, the funding that would have gone to reimburse the nursing
home for the individual’s care can now instead be used to pay for
home care / community care services.
In other words,
the “dollars follow the person” as his / her setting of care
changes.
New state
legislation also creates a work force registry to match consumers
with caregivers, retains the right of persons with disabilities to
have control (hiring / firing) over their personal attendants,
creates a council to recruit and train caregivers, provides a
network of backup / substitute caregivers, and allows attendants to
join unions. This is key legislation as the turnover rates for
caregivers is between 40 and 60 percent annually
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