The Foreign Service Journal, May 2013

58 MAY 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS AFSA Memorial Plaque Ceremony May 3, Foreign Affairs Day On May 3, AFSA will hold its 80th annual Memorial Plaque Ceremony, honoring eight fallen Foreign Service personnel who gave their lives in service to the United States and the American people. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. in the C Street lobby of the Department of State. Due to space limitations, attendance at the ceremony is limited to the honorees’ family and friends. Please do not go to the lobby to view the ceremony. You may view the ceremony on the department’s BNet or in the Dean Acheson Auditorium from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. NEWS BRIEF Benefits Speaker Series: Focus on Geriatric Care On April 10, AFSA hosted the fifth session in its speaker series on federal benefits. Carol Kaplun, a nurse care manager at Iona Senior Services, spoke about geriatric assessment, services and care manage- ment, a topic important to everyone, especially those with aging parents or who have already retired. As the baby boomer generation hits retirement age, and people alive longer, demographic trends suggest that this issue will affect more and more individuals and families in the coming years and decades. As Ms. Kaplun noted, Iona is a nonprofit located in Washington, D.C., and has provided essential services to older adults, their family members and caregivers in the metropolitan area since 1975. It came about because three local churches—St. Columba’s Episcopal, St. Ann’s Roman Catholic and Eldbrooke United Method- ist—joined forces to create a center that would pro- vide information to people in need. As most of the requests for information were coming from people over the age of 60, Iona’s board voted to focus on serv- ing older adults, regardless of their ability to pay. Iona offers an array of services, including expanded adult day health wellness and arts care, workshops and BY MATTHEW SUMRAK, ASSOCIATE COORDINATOR FOR RETIREE COUNSELING AND LEGISLATION caregiver education classes, support groups, fitness classes, consultations, care management, counseling and much more. It also estab- lished an Artist in Residence program, which honors the creativity of a local artist aged 60 and over, through exhibitions of their work in Iona’s gallery. For those who live outside of the D.C. area, Iona offers a live question-and-answer helpline for support with an aging parent, and is staffed by nurses and social workers. The helpline can be reached at (202) 895-9448. Iona’s Web site, www.iona.org, offers even more information. After her presentation, Ms. Kaplun answered ques- tions from the audience on a variety of topics. She advised those considering geriatric care management, that it is important to have an in-home assessment—in collaboration with a social worker, nurse, family or friends—to main- tain the health and safety of the patient. Most individuals tend to refuse geriatric care services, which is why a col- laborative effort is important. This can help when there are differences of opinions between family members or friends on what is the best approach. The goal for most services is that patients can stay in their homes for as long as possible. Other questions focused on long-term health insur- ance and nursing homes. When considering insur- ance, Kaplun stressed the importance of speaking with a financial adviser to deter- mine if the cost is feasible. After doing a cost/benefit analysis, and looking into the insurance company’s financial stability, you will be better prepared. When deciding on a nurs- ing home or life-care com- munity, do your homework by consulting watch groups who monitor and provide accreditation for such facili- ties like the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilita- tion Facilities. You can find a list of questions to ask when visiting a nursing home, assisted living facility or life- care community on their Web site www.carf.org. Ms. Kaplun reminded the audience that an aging par- ent suffering from memory loss can be taken advantage of, even by friends. So make sure a family member or reli- able person is looking out for them and put other protec- tions in place to prevent this. In particular, establish a joint bank account with your parent and execute a power of attorney agreement should you need to sign legal documents or have access to the account without your parent’s signature. Finally, as you age, remember that one of the best gifts you can leave your loved ones is making sure everything is in order and ready for any scenario. A video of the event is available for viewing at www.afsa.org/ AFSAvideos.aspx. n