Seniors
Palouse
fall
2012
A special publication of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News
Inside this issue: • Vera’s favorite recipes for garden veggies • How you can help seniors assert their rights • Do’s and don’ts for surviving group living • Learning to accept technology’s help
2A | Friday, August 24, 2012 |
Palouse Seniors
MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS
A voice for those without family or friends Ombudsmen help seniors speak up for their rights By Vera White Daily News staff writer
The Area Agency on Aging’s ombudsman program needs Latah County volunteers to help bring relationship and meaning to the lives of elders living in long-term care, says Ruth McQuinn. “We instill confidence through building relationships, educating seniors about their rights and encouraging them to exercise those rights, ” McQuinn said, adding that the need is greatest among those who have few family and friends remaining. McQuinn, a licensed social worker who works out of her office in Lewiston, has been ombudsman for the elderly in north central Idaho, since 1997. She says her personal philosophy is “first, do no harm.” The agency is part of the
Community Action Program (CAP). It serves Latah, Nez Perce, Idaho, Lewis, and Clearwater counties with a total of 30 volMcQuinn unteers. CAP also operates in Washington state. There are two volunteers in Latah County, both of whom have been with the program four years, but McQuinn said she wants to expand the Latah program this fall, . “This is a job that provides great satisfaction,” McQuinn said. There will be a four-day classroom training session beginning Aug. 27 in Lewiston. “On occasion we have had people from Latah and Idaho counties come to Lewiston for
training and we’re open to that idea,” McQuinn said. “I prefer to have at least five applicants to run a training session but we have done them with fewer. Moscow is the place we need volunteers the most.” “I would love to have five more in the Moscow area,” she said. She hopes to schedule another training in Moscow either at the end of October or in early November. There is an application and screening proves for potential volunteers. “It’s important that people do something they enjoy, that matches their talents,” McQuinn said. “We certainly do offer other options and ideas to those who may not be well suited to this program.” McQuinn describes ombudsman assistance as follows: n “Most seniors we deal with
Training set for Whitman ombudsmen Persons in Whitman County interested in becoming certified volunteers for the long term care ombudsman program can do so by calling Linda Petrie in Spokane at 1-800-660-7133 and requesting an application form. “Our September training is nearly full,” according to Ben Markle, administrative assistant for the program. “However, we will be conducting another program in the spring. We will keep all responses and applications on file with notation that the applicant should be called when we start our screening process in the spring.” Upon request, an application along with more specific information about what a volunteer does will be sent. “This application takes only a few minutes to complete, and we include a self-addressed stamped envelope for their use returning the application to our offices,” Markle said. Petrie supervises volunteers in five northeast Washington counties. “We conduct all certification training here at Fort Wright and also have our monthly trainings to keep our volunteers current on regulations and processes they may find helpful in their work,” Markle said.
See VOICE, Page 4
– Vera White
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Palouse Seniors
MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS
| Friday, August 24, 2012 | 3A
Assistive technology can help get the job done George Presnall broke his back in 1959 and has used a wheelchair for more than 53 years. During those years, he mostly designed and built his own assistive technology.
By Krista Kramer EDITOR’S NOTE: Each year, Palouse Seniors offers free column space to a nonprofit group on the Palouse to showcase its efforts. This year’s columnist is Krista Kramer, independent living coordinator for Disability Action Center – Northwest in Moscow, which provides information and referral on disability issues, advocacy, peer support, independent living skills training, assistive technology services and personal assistance services. Kramer is also a transition manager with Medicaid’s Idaho Home Choice Program helping people to transition from nursing homes and other institutions into community living situations.
T
he old term “wheelchair bound” is a negative way to talk about a set of wheels that can be an incredibly useful and freeing tool when legs or lungs won’t get someone where they want to go. Hearing aids and assistive listening systems can help seniors be included and participate in the world around them, but too often they resist, rather than embrace, the technology. Assistive technology is a tool, like a car, that will help cover the distance between what the body can do and what a person wants to accomplish. George Presnall broke his back in 1959 and has used a wheelchair for more than 53 years. During those years, he mostly designed and built his own assistive technology. Beyond welding and repairing the several wheelchairs he’s owned over the years, he built “the Beast” from junkyard parts to skid and load logs for firewood. His wife, Faye, ran the chainsaw. George used the blade on the front of the Beast to delimb the logs and the boom with hydraulic tongs on the back to move and load them. “It didn’t look like much, but it worked so well we started selling firewood, George says. “I’d deliver it with a ’46 two-ton Chevy dual transmission truck.” “I wasn’t supposed to be able to drive that truck,” he says, but he built hand controls to make it work. “I’d figure out in my head how the pieces go together and go get another piece of junk.” Today, ready-made assistive technology solutions are much more widely available. Phones that say the numbers as they are pressed so a person who is blind knows they are
Contributed photo Presnall logs his land using the ‘Beast,’ which he built himself using scavenged parts.
dialing correctly. Smartphone apps that remind you to take your medications. Tools to get the lids off jars. Alerting systems to allow caregivers to get a good night’s sleep or be sure a person who is deaf would wake to the smoke detector. Programs like the national AgrAbility Project help farmers, ranchers and agricultural workers who have disabilities build or find adaptations to do their work. State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies can help people get assistive technology needed for employ-
ment. The Idaho Assistive Technology Project operates a low-interest loan program to help people purchase the assistive technology they need and provides information and referral to help find a solution that fits each individual need. Computers for Kids gets accessible computers into the homes and schools of children with disabilities. The Idaho Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired has a Senior Blind Program to help people preserve their sight, and learn to
use technology to maintain independence. Disability Action Center operates a demonstration and loan program of equipment for people with hearing impairments, and an equipment recycling program where people can donate assistive devices they no longer need, which are then given out to people who can use them. While assistive technology can dramatically improve safety and quality of life, finding the financing to purchase items can be the biggest barrier for many people. Responses to fraud in the industry are making the process for getting insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid to cover assistive technology difficult and time consuming. George solved many of his needs with trips to the junkyard, creativity and the will to get the job done. Advocacy is needed to make sure policy makers address the needs a junkyard won’t meet. When asked if he had advice for someone with a new disability, George said, “Don’t ever say you can’t.” The right tools can make most things possible and much more readily achievable. And his response to the phrase “wheelchair-bound” is, “I’m not tied to any machine.”
4A | Friday, August 24, 2012 |
MOSCOWďšşPULLMAN DAILY NEWS
Voice from Page 2
are at a place in life where they don’t have many choices or an opportunity to voice their opinions. We encourage them to speak for themselves first, walking with them through that process. We step in and become their voice if they are unwilling and unable.� n “We advocate on behalf of seniors to help them get the care they need and deserve.� n “We remind seniors they don’t lose their rights because they must trade autonomy for the care they need, plus there are a few rights expressly written to protect them in longterm care situations. We make sure they know these rights.� Volunteers are paid “only in satisfaction and praise from those they serve,� McQuinn said. “There is no money but the satisfaction factor is huge.�
“Being ombudsman is more of a mission than a job for me,� she said. “The biggest satisfaction is knowing we not only bring relationship and meaning into people’s lives, we educate them to their rights and help them exercise those rights. Many clients become like extended family and look forward to our visits, and it is always good to spend time with them.� McQuinn currently has two volunteers assigned in Moscow at Good Samaritan — Jodi Hodge and Bonnie Thompson. Her volunteer manager is Elizabeth Allen. For further information about the Aug. 27 classes, contact McQuinn at 1-800326-4843. “My goal is to have 42 people trained and working in facilities near their homes in the five-county area by spring 2013,� she said. Vera White can be reached at (208) 746-0646, or by email to vnwhite@cableone.net
Palouse Seniors
Garden vegetable recipes Nothing beats the fresh taste By Vera White Daily News staff reporter
Many seniors I know spent a lifetime of summers raising a garden. Having fresh vegetables to eat throughout the summer helped cut grocery bills if you were had a lot of mouths to feed. Canning or preserving the excess really cut expenses in the winter. Raising a garden is so ingrained in older peoples’ minds that many seniors I know still manage to find a small plot where they can at least put out a few tomato plants. It’s not difficult to come by fresh vegetables if you have generous friends and family, or trek to Farmers Markets
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in the area and fill up your shopping bags. Trusting that readers will be able to load up on fresh vegetables one way or the other, I’m sharing some of my favorite vegetable recipes below.
SPINACH CASSEROLE n 3 packages frozen or fresh spinach, cooked and drained n 1 stick oleo or butter n 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese n 1 can water chestnuts, thinly sliced
n ž cup (or more) seasoned breadcrumbs
Combine spinach, butter, cream cheese and water chestnuts; mix well. Pour into greased 9 x 6-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle top with seasoned breadcrumbs. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until bubbly and top is slightly brown. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
CHEESE STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS n 6 green peppers n 6 bacon strips n ½ cup chopped onion
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Palouse Seniors n n n n
3 cups cooked rice 3 cups (¾ pound) Cheddar cheese ½ teaspoon salt bacon curls for garnish (optional)
Cut off tops of green peppers, remove seeds and membrane. Precook 5 minutes in boiling salted water; drain. Cut bacon into small pieces, sauté with onion until crisp and brown; drain on absorbent toweling. Combine bacon and onion, rice, cheese, and salt and toss to blend. Spoon into green pepper cups, packing down lightly. Place peppers upright in baking dish. Bake about 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with bacon curls if desired. Serves 6.
POTATO AND GREEN BEAN SALAD Salad: n 1 pound green beans, cut and steamed n 4 large potatoes, diced and boiled n 2 scallions Dressing: n 2 tablespoons oil n 2 tablespoons vinegar n 1 clove garlic, crushed n 1 small onion, sliced n ½ teaspoon oregano
MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS
| Friday, August 24, 2012 | 5A
n pepper to taste
Place the beans, potatoes and scallions in a medium bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake. Pour over salad. Toss gently to mix the ingredients well. Cover the salad and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Serves 6.
QUICK PICKLES n n n n n n n
7 1 1 2 1 1 1
cups cucumbers cup onion cup green pepper cups sugar cup vinegar tablespoon salt tablespoon celery seeds
Cut cucumber, onion and green pepper very thin. Combine sugar, vinegar, salt and celery seeds. Mix well. Pour mixture over vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for five days before serving. Stir twice each day. Vera White can be reached at (208) 746-0646, or by email to vnwhite@cableone.net
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6A | Friday, August 24, 2012 |
Palouse Seniors
MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS
At 91 and 92, just a pair of Boise newlyweds in love The bride says ‘marriage is a precious thing’ to the couple By Katy Moeller The Idaho Statesman staff writer
BOISE – Bob Blurton had not been at Salmon Creek retirement community in West Boise long before his reputation got around. “Oh, you’re the talker,” a woman said when he introduced himself before sitting down to eat. So he decided to sit at another table — and that’s when he met Eileen Johnson, who was more than happy to listen. The 6-foot-1 former Navy pilot, who has a thick head of white hair, had already caught her eye. “Who is that good-looking guy coming in here?” she recalled asking a staff member the first time she saw him. That was just a few months ago. On Sunday, about 20 fam-
L
ily members and friends gathered to watch Eileen and Bob exchange wedding vows in a third-floor chapel at Salmon Creek. So why tie the knot when most of those seeking marriage licenses in Ada County around are in their 20s, 30s and 40s? “It’s because we feel that marriage is a precious thing in the sight of the Lord — and we’re old-fashioned,” Eileen said.
So much in common Bob has more than a few fascinating stories to share — some of which are in the history books. The Payette, Idaho, native was aboard the USS Tangier when the Japanese attacked on Dec. 7, 1941. “He’s a pretty charismatic guy, and so is she,” said
Eileen’s son, Mike Johnson. She was named Miss Northwest Passage as part of a contest held around the time that 1940 movie was filmed in McCall. “There was a big ball and beauty contest. She was the Idaho debutante who most resembled (actress) Ruth Hussey,” Johnson said. In 2007, Bob lost his wife, Eleanor Richey. They had been married for 65 years and raised four children together, including three they adopted. Chris Butler/Idaho Statesman After moving several times Robert Blurton, 92, leans in to kiss Eileen Johnson, 91, during the since his wife’s death, he decid- couple’s small wedding ceremony at Salmon Creek in Boise. ed to go to Salmon Creek — “to settle down and die.” “I knew what he was talking for “the miracle of love that is “When I came here, I was a about when he talked about not marked with time.” total wreck. I was depressed. I all the wonderful things he Eileen and Bob, who took had a death wish,” he said. had done in the service,” said their vows while seated, later But that all changed when Eileen, whose two sons both joined family and friends at he met a kindred spirit. served in the Navy. “When a reception in the retirement we started talking, we found center’s activity room. Local businesses donatout we had so many things in ed items: a sheet cake from common.” Johnson’s late husband was Albertsons and a round cake Col. Martin Johnson, com- from Kneaders Bakery. The mander at Boise’s Gowen Field staff at Salmon Creek made from the early 1950s to early chocolate-dipped strawberries and — per the bride’s request 1960s, her sons said. Eileen and Bob talked over — put out champagne punch. lunch — Bob talked more than he ate — and made plans to Honeymoon, plans to travel meet the next day. It became a “We figure we ought to be daily date, and residents at the retirement community noticed able to make it to 100,” Eileen said, noting the couple’s comthe budding romance. The couple said they were mitment to staying healthy, “going together” for just two being there for each other and weeks when they began to talk enjoying whatever time they have left. of marriage. Bob also joked that his bags “Love just found me,” Eileen are packed in the event that he said. falls short. “We’re both ready for the ‘Miracle of love’ Lord,” he said. Though Eileen and Bob are On Sunday afternoon, Eileen’s sons, Mike, 66, and generally in good health, their Harvey, 62, walked her down knees make getting around a the aisle in the tiny Salmon little difficult. It’s been a while since Eileen Creek chapel. Cynthia Jenkinson, an did the jitterbug or Bob hit the assistant manager at the golf course. Their hobbies now are simretirement community, officiated at the wedding ceremony pler. “Holding hands,” Eileen said — which didn’t last 10 minas she squeezed Bob’s hand. utes. They enjoy watching movies In her blessing after the vows, Jenkinson offered thanks on Turner Classic and political
iving today to the fullest is a matter of fully preparing for tomorrow.
To learn more about our services, call (208) 882-6560. All faiths or beliefs are welcome. 12-G0188
Palouse Seniors
MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS
If price is your primary concern You perhaps can do a little bit better than us.
Chris Butler/Idaho Statesman
If care is your primary concern There is nobody better than us!
Cynthia Jenkinson helps Robert Blurton with his tuxedo. commentator Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. “We’re both Democrats,” said Eileen, noting that she remembers Gov. Butch Otter when he was just 10 years old — a friend of her son’s — which was before he had “gone Republican.” Eileen is interested in traveling, and it’s possible that a trip to Hawaii is in their future. “I’m trying to figure out
how we’re going to travel,” Bob said, noting that finances and their physical mobility create limits. He said they might make it to the islands by flying military “space available.” For their honeymoon, the couple considered hitting the road in a motorhome. They decided instead to drive to Portland, then take a cruise on the Columbia River to Lewiston.
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| Friday, August 24, 2012 | 7A
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8A | Friday, August 24, 2012 |
Palouse Seniors
MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS
All Adults
Living in community With benefits come responsibilities
well kept up. In subsidized housing there are social workers available to help residents plug into social services that s a retired geriatric help keep them independent mental health worker for as long as possible. It with Spokane’s Elder Services, I often am asked to may be that people who reside in such senior housing speak to residents of senior harbor some resentliving complexes and ment about having assisted living facilito leave their own ties on the subject of homes, but it might harmoniously living help to stop and think in community with what a blessing this other people. living resource is to For those of you you. readers who may live Seniors who move in such surroundinto assisted living Fr. Anthony ings, you know that facilities also may getting along with Creech harbor some of these neighbors who live same resentments. right in your face is for Palouse Giving up even small not always the joySeniors amounts of indepenous experience many dence is difficult for might think it to be. some of us. But if a person In such settings, most of is inclined to think what a the senior residents have disaster it is living in assistcome to these facilities after ed living, remember the even living in the independence worse disasters that most and privacy of their own likely would have resulted homes. In your own home from staying alone in your you didn¹t have to walk own homes. through hallways and share Whether a person is resida building with a lot of other ing in a subsidized senior people. housing complex or an But then you got to the assisted living facility, all are point where keeping up a faced with the challenge of house and yard was more suddenly being thrust into work than you could do. “community” living. Shopping and preparing nutritional meals was difIt takes work ficult. Your families worried about your living alone. That word “community” Finances became tight. comes from the Latin and Health problems increased. means “oneness with” other So a change had to be made. people. There is great blessSome of you may enjoy ing in being in unity with the benefits of living in subother people. But it also sidized senior housing comtakes work. plexes. Especially for those In a family unit, people with limited income and share common bonds, family resources, these buildings love, common interests, the are a great blessing because same basic values, probably they allow people to live in the same religion and the apartments that not only are affordable, but also clean and same political views. Now, here you are, thrown in with
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Palouse Seniors
MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS
a bunch of people who likely are very different from you, people who come from different backgrounds, who have different experiences in life, different values, different lifestyles. Faced with that, you can either lock yourself in your own apartment and think unkind thoughts about them, or you can use the opportunity to broaden your own horizons. Successfully and happily living in community carries with it certain responsibilities. That’s one of the prices that must be paid for living where the resources you need are provided for you. First, there is the responsibility to make an effort to be pleasant. Even with staff who aren¹t always able to anticipate nor meet your every wish, even with that woman who drives you nuts with her constant chatter, even with that old man who doesn’t bathe as often as you think he should, even with the neighbor who is hard of hearing and always has her TV turned up too loud. In other words, don’t give people reason to think about you “there¹s another mean,
selves superior to others and can be rudely exclusive. Those on the “outside” are made to feel scorned and unwelcome. This behavior is the root of much evil and is wholly detrimental to maintaining a healthy community. In every senior facility there is to be found a few people who are chronic complainers. Complain, complain, complain. Nothing is ever right or good or up to their standards. They just don’t get it how irksome they are. If you find yourself complaining a lot, stop it!
Complain, complain, complain. Nothing is ever right or good or up to their standards. They just don’t get it how irksome they are. If you find yourself complaining a lot, stop it! sour old person.” And then there’s the problem of gossip. It’s too often rampant in such facilities. Gossip is gossip, even if what you are talking about is absolutely true. Your nose has no business in other peoples’ affairs. It’s wise to remember that God didn’t take a vacation and appoint any of you to judge other people. If someone, even a friend, comes to you and starts gossiping, simply say, “I’m sorry, I don¹t listen to that kind of talk.” Be patient. When you live around other older people,
you are bound to find some whose memory is slipping. And be honest, that very well may include you. Memory loss to one degree or another is a fact of life in the aging process. Criticizing or belittling the person with dementia is not helpful to the person or an indication of great integrity in the person who so behaves. Staff in senior living facilities indicate that one of the major problems that endangers a healthy community is the formation of cliques. These are little groups of people who consider them-
So, here’s a list For all of you in senior subsidized housing complexes or who reside in assisted living facilities, here is a “to do” list. n Be nice to your neighbors, even the ones who are cranky and not always nice to you. n Offer to help someone who needs it. If you don’t do it, perhaps no one else will. n Don’t gossip and talk about each other. n Take a shower or a
| Friday, August 24, 2012 | 9A
bath regularly. Wear clean clothes. If you are afraid of falling when bathing or are having a hard time doing laundry or keeping your apartment clean, talk to your social worker or other staff about helping you get plugged into the services you need. n Be patient with people who have memory problems. n Don¹t be judgmental about others. You haven’t walked in their shoes. Cut people some slack and give them the benefit of the doubt. n Quite complaining about so many things. n Be thankful for what you have and not resentful about what you don’t have. We human beings were not created to live in isolation from others. There are innumerable benefits from living in harmonious community with others. And do keep in mind that having a harmonious community begins with nobody else but you! Fr. Anthony (Robert) Creech is semiretired and is associate pastor of St. Gregorios Orthodox Church in Spokane.
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10A | Friday, August 24, 2012 |
Palouse Seniors
MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS
Changes hard, but social security fixable Problems could be solved with modest but politically tough changes By Stephen Ohlemacher Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Despite Social Security’s long-term problems, the massive retirement and disability program could be preserved for generations to come with modest but politically difficult changes to benefits or taxes, or a combination of both. Some options could affect people quickly, such as increasing payroll taxes or reducing annual cost-of-living adjustments for those who already get benefits. Others options, such as gradually raising the retirement age, wouldn’t be felt for years but would affect millions of younger workers. All of the options carry political risks because they have the potential to affect nearly
every U.S. family while raising the ire of powerful interest groups. But the sooner changes are made, the more subtle they can be because they can be phased in slowly. Each year lawmakers wait, Social Security’s financial problems loom larger and the need for bigger changes becomes greater, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. “Certainly, in the current environment, it would be very difficult to get changes made,” Social Security’s commissioner, Michael J. Astrue, said in an interview. “It doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try. And sometimes when you try hard things, surprising things happen.” Social Security is ensnared in the same debate over taxes and spending that has gripped Washington for years. Liberal
advocates and some Democrats say benefit cuts should be off the table. Conservative activists and some Republicans say tax increases are out of the question. Others, including a deficit commission created by President Barack Obama in 2010, have called for a combination of tax increases and cuts to future benefits, including raising the retirement age again. Janice Durflinger of Lincoln, Neb., is still working at age 76, running computer software programs for a bank. Still, she worries that a higher retirement age would be tough on people with more physically demanding jobs. But at 20, Jared Macher of Manalapan, N.J., worries that Social Security won’t be
around for his generation without major changes. “My generation sees Social Security as a tax, not an investment,” Macher said. Social Security’s finances are being hit by a wave of demographics as millions of baby boomers reach retirement, leaving relatively fewer workers behind to pay into the system. About 56 million people get benefits today; that is projected to grow to 91 million in 2035. For nearly three decades Social Security produced big surpluses, collecting more in taxes from workers than it paid in benefits to retirees, disabled workers, spouses and children. But Social Security trustees project that the surplus, now valued at $2.7 trillion, will be gone in 2033. At that point, Social Security would only col-
lect enough tax revenue each year to pay about 75 percent of benefits, unless Congress acts. After the surplus is spent, the gap between scheduled benefits and projected tax revenue is big. Social Security uses a 75year window to forecast its finances, so the projections cover the life expectancy of every worker paying into the system. Once Social Security’s surplus is gone, the program is scheduled to pay out $134 trillion more in benefits than it will collect in taxes over the next 75 years, according to data from the agency. Adjusted for inflation, that’s $30.5 trillion in 2012 dollars. The options for closing the gap fall into two broad categories: cutting benefits or raising taxes. There are, however, many options within each category. The AP used data from the
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Palouse Seniors Social Security Administration to calculate how much of the shortfall would be eliminated by various options. To illustrate how Social Security’s long-term finances have become worse in the past two years, the AP also calculated the share of the shortfall that would have been eliminated, if the options had been adopted in 2010.
Taxes Social Security is financed by a 12.4 percent tax on wages. Workers pay half and their employers pay the other half. The tax is applied to the first $110,100 of a worker’s wages, a level that increases each year with inflation. For 2011 and 2012, the tax rate for employees was reduced to 4.2 percent, but is scheduled to return to 6.2 percent in January. Options: Apply the Social Security tax to all wages, including those above $110,100. Workers making $200,000 in wages would get a tax increase of $5,574, an amount their employers would have to match. Their future benefits would increase, too. This option would eliminate 72 percent of the shortfall. Two years ago, it would have wiped out 99 percent. Increase the payroll tax by 0.1 percentage point a year, until it reaches 14.4 percent in 20 years. At that point, workers making $50,000 a year would get a tax increase of $500 and employers would have to match it. This option would eliminate 53 percent of the shortfall. Two years ago, it would have wiped out 73 percent.
Retirement age Workers qualify for full retirement benefits at age 66, a threshold that gradually rises to 67 for people born in 1960 or later. Workers are eligible for early retirement at 62, though monthly benefits are reduced by about 25 percent. The reductions shrink the longer you wait to apply. Options: Gradually raise the full retirement age to 68 in 2033. This option would eliminate 15 percent of the shortfall. Two years ago, it would have elimi-
MOSCOWPULLMAN DAILY NEWS
nated a little more than 20 percent. Gradually raise the full retirement age to 69 in 2039 and 70 in 2063. This option would eliminate 37 percent of the shortfall. Two years ago, it would have eliminated about half.
AARP wants candidates talk issues Health, Medicare, Social Security top the list By Vera White Daily News staff writer
Cost-of-living adjustments Each year, if consumer prices increase, Social Security benefits go up as well. By law, the increases are pegged to an inflation index. This year, benefits went up by 3.6 percent, the first increase since 2009. Option: Adopt a new inflation index called the Chained CPI, which assumes that people change their buying habits when prices increase to reduce the impact on their pocketbooks. The new index would reduce the annual COLA by 0.3 percentage point, on average. This option would eliminate 19 percent of the shortfall. Two years ago, it would have eliminated 26 percent.
| Friday, August 24, 2012 | 11A
Health care is one of the biggest issues with seniors as they approach the voting booth in November, says Roger Falen of Genesee, former Latah County AARP chapter president. “We will be having a candidate’s forum Oct. 19,” said Dan Bosse of Moscow, who was elected in January and took over the leadership position this spring. Bosse adds Medicare and Social Security issues to the list of voter concerns on the national level. “There are at least some minor changes needed if we want to see these programs stay in place for our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” said the 70-yearold Bosse. Will it ever happen? “I doubt it,” he quickly replied.
Retired teacher Sue Hovey will be the moderator for the candidate forum to which all those running in both parties for offices in Latah County have been invited. “We’re trying to impress on all our members to get out and vote,” Bosse said. “Social Security is the best program that has ever been passed for seniors.” The Moscow chapter of AARP has about 100 members who meet at 11:30 p.m. the fourth Friday of each month at the Best Western University Inn. Those 50 or older may join. Bosse also serves as local chairman of the National Association of Active and Retired Federal Employees. AARP tries to stay on top of current topics of interest to seniors. In July, they had about 79 people attend a “Have Your Say on the Future of Entitlements” session. University of Idaho President Duane Nellis will be the guest speaker at the AARP meeting Sept. 21. Vera White can be reached at (208) 746-0646, or by email to vnwhite@cableone.net
Benefits Initial Social Security benefits are determined by lifetime wages, meaning the more you make, the higher your benefit, to a point. Initial benefits are typically calculated using up to 35 years of wages. Earnings from earlier years, when workers were young, are adjusted to reflect the change in general wage levels that occurred during their years of employment. Tinkering with the benefit formula can save big money, but cuts to initial benefits mean lower monthly payments for the rest of a retiree’s life. The average monthly benefit for a new retiree is $1,264. Option: Change the calculation for initial benefits, but only for people with lifetime wages above the national average, which is about $42,000 a year. Workers with higher incomes would still get a bigger monthly benefit than lower paid workers but not as big as under current law. It’s a cut they would feel throughout their entire retirement. This option would eliminate 34 percent of the shortfall. Two years ago, it would have eliminated almost half.
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