Keeping frail seniors independent through money management - a program by the Jewish Family and Children's Services - Financial Betrayal by Family and 'Friends'

Money management assistance is ofttimes one of the key services to enable frail seniors to continue living in their hold homes. Jewish Family and Children's Services (JFCS) proffers Personal Affairs Management (PAM) to frail seniors who live in San Francisco and San Mateo countries. This 4-year-old fee-for-service program includes:

* assisting clients with bill paying and check depositing;

* sorting from one side medical bills and making claims to insurance companies;

* budgeting;

* filing insurance forms for payroll taxes; and

* preparing for long-term emergencys such as setting up burial trusts and durable powers of attorney, or establishing options for post-retirement living.

Level of cash Management

JFCS' Personal Affairs Management program proffers the client a number of "level of authority" when opening a case. "No authority" cases involve assisting the client with bill paying, budgeting, or medical claims processing. A Durable Power of Attorney is execut when a senior becomes increasingly frail and may no longer be able to write his or her hold checks or sign documents. A Representative Payee mayy be helpful to clients who receive Social Security of Supplemental Security Income payments and are no longer able to manage their hold affairs. A friend or family member may also petition for conservatorship upon behalf of clients who are clearly unable to make their possess decisions.

Profiles of Clients

The typical client is female, in her late 80's has outlived family and friends, and has a number of health point in disputes that greatly hamper her ability to function independently. a certain quantity of of these individuals have forgotten to pay their bills above a number of months to be paid to memory impairment and may be threatened with eviction or power shut-off Others have a number of physical question at issues such as blindness or stroke-related disabilities that make them unable to write or sign checks.

In San Francisco shire almost 20% of the population is somewhat old and there is a growing ne for case management that dovetails with the ne for Personal Affairs Management. An important constituent of the case management assessment is to dettermine whether or not a client is physically or cognitively able to manage their possess financial affairs. Many of our clients are extremely frail, isolated, or mentally impaired; they are vulnerable to financial abuse, sometimes plane by alleged "friends" or households help who have established regular contact with these olders and wedged their way into their personal lives.

$60000 In Checks base on Floor

A referral made by means of a concerned friend is single of JFCS' success stories. Mr R who had been isolated in his apartment for quite more [i]or[/i] less time with emphysema, had "let go" of taking care of more [i]or[/i] less aspects of his financial affairs. When Personal Affairs Management staff met with him, $60000 worth of uncashed Social Security, pension, and dividend checks were rest on the floor in addition to a year's worth of unprocess medical claims. With the client's permission, PAM staff had the stale dated checks reissued; arranged for automatic deposit of Social Security, retirement and dividend payments; and contacted his providers to begin processing the medical claims. They also arranged to have meals delivered to Mr R.'s abode after discovering he had not been eating.

Another PAM client is an somewhat advanced in life widow, Mrs. B., who was referr by the agency of her physician and had been suffering from visual and memoryy impairment. PAM staff suitable with her once each month to make sure that her bills are paid upon time, medical claims are continued movemented and that she has sufficient capitals in her checking account to fitting monthly expenses. During an audit of the checkbook, it was discovered that a number of checks were written for large amounts by the agency of Mrs. B.'s homecare attendant and signed by dint of her. PAM staff contacted the abode health agency which was able to obtain reimbursement for the client to replace the checks that were written. After the attendant admitted she wrote the checks, she was terminated by the agency of the home health agency, which provided a of recent origin homecare placement.

Program Structure

The PAM program generally has 95 open cases with varying horizontals of need and is staffed by means of two full-time employees and a number of presents who perform errands for the clients, of that kind as cashing checks and getting documents notarized upon their behalf. Referrals to our program are typically initiated [i]or[/i] part of to the other Adult Protective Services, concerned neighbors or families, social workers in the community, and discharge planners in hospitals.

The program also benefits greatly from the involvement of an advisory committee of 12 proffer community representatives who offer advice in specialized areas of expertise, including law, accounting, rule and medicine. PAM program staff also work real closely with case managers, therapists, and other health care professionals to render certain that the client is getting the services he or she necessitys in order to maintain their independence and continue to live their lives with dignity.