Section 202 Affordable Housing for Seniors

As Baby Boomers reach retirement age and face a tough economy and tight finances, many are faced with losing their homes or needing to move to less-expensive housing. The US Government is attempting to answer this need by providing more affordable housing to seniors 65 or older on a fixed or low income through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and their section 202 housing program.

Section 202 housing is run by non-profit organizations who receive government funding in addition to the residents’ fees which are calculated based on individual income. These facilities are designed for seniors who are still able to live independently, but cannot afford mortgage payments or regular rent payments.

Finding Section 202 Facilities

The best place to start your search is online at the Department of Housing and Urban Development website which lists all section 202 facilities across the United States. First, determine your preferred location, and then plug in the city and state into the search page. This search will pull up a comprehensive listing of all section 202 low-income senior housing in that area.

Contact facilities

Once you have your list in hand, you can begin calling facilities. First, verify if the facility is still a part of the section 202 program. Each facility must meet specified requirements to maintain their eligibility to receive government funds, so always double check their current status in the program.

Check for vacancies

Second, check and see if they have any vacancies. Be sure to note if you have special needs such as ground level or elevator access or other handicap-accessible requirements. If your desired location does not have vacancies, ask if they can place you on their waiting list. It’s advisable to continue calling facilities on your list until you find several locations, so you can visit before making your final decision.

Make an appointment

Third, find out if you need to make an appointment in order to visit the facility. It’s a good idea to visit facilities as soon as possible as vacancies are usually snapped up quickly.

Ask about required documentation

Fourth, ask what documentation you need to bring with you in order to complete an application.
You will probably be asked to provide proof of identity and citizenship such as a birth certificate, driver’s license, or social security card. You will also need to show proof of low income such as your pay stubs, pension check stubs, bank statements, or social security statements. You may be asked to provide proof of medical expenses that impact your income such as medical bills or pharmacy receipts as well as a statement from your doctor saying that you are able to live independently. The facility may also ask for references from your previous landlords. If you will be applying to multiple facilities, you will need to make copies of each of these documents to give to each facility.

Ask a loved one to help

Fifth, because this search can take time and persistence to find a location that is in the right area and has a vacancy, it’s a good idea to get a friend or family member involved in the process. Be prepared to make a quick decision as the vacancies in section 202 housing facilities usually do not last long. Having a someone you trust with you in this decision process will provide a second perspective to help you if you are forced to decide quickly.

With a little persistence, you can find affordable senior housing. But don’t put it off until the last minute. Because of the high demand, vacancies are snapped up quickly. If possible, start your search before your funds run out, or while you can still wait for a vacancy in your preferred location.

Osteoarthritis: Senior Aches and Pains

The aches and pains we jokingly attribute to “getting older” may not be such a laughing matter for some seniors. When the pain and stiffness interrupts daily routines and makes it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, it may be time to check with your doctor. Your body may be prematurely slowing you down, and there may be a preventable or manageable cause: osteoarthritis.

What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis that affects seniors. The pain, swelling, and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis is caused primarily when the cartilage in the joints that usually acts as a cushion between bones becomes worn down and eventually disappears altogether, allowing the bones to rub against each other. Sometimes boney spurs form and muscles or ligaments attached to the bone become weak further compounding the problem.

What is the cause of osteoarthritis?

Science has not procured a single known cause of osteoarthritis, but research points to several contributing factors which increase your risk of having osteoarthritis:
Family history of osteoarthritis
Carrying excess weight
Fractures or joint injuries
Long-term over-use, repetitive motion, or high-impact sports activities

Patients who have any of the following medical conditions also have a higher risk of developing osteoarthritis:
Bleeding disorders such as hemophilia
Disorders that inhibit blood circulation near a joint, such as avascular necrosis
Other types of arthritis such as chronic gout, pseudo gout, or rheumatoid arthritis

How do you know if you might be at risk for having osteoarthritis?

Symptoms of osteoarthritis::
Do you experience:

…deep aching joint pain in hands, knees, hips, or spine that worsens especially after exercising or gaining weight?

…a grating sensation in the joint when you move?

…pain even when you are at rest?

…an increase in pain during humid or rainy weather?

…visible joint swelling?

…any loss of mobility or range of motion?

…muscle weakness around painful joints?

If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, it doesn’t mean you have Osteoarthritis, but it does mean you should ask your doctor about it. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease, so depending on how long you have had it, you may experience the above symptoms more or less severely. You may not experience all of the symptoms,, or you may not experience any of the symptoms, but you may still be at risk for having osteoarthritis. Since many ailments share similar symptoms, the above symptoms could indicate something else all together, but if you do experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor and ask about osteoarthritis.

Treatments
There are many helpful treatments available to reduce and slow down the effects of osteoarthritis with timely and proper treatment. Depending on the severity of your symptoms and which joints are affected, your doctor may prescribe one or more of the following treatment options:

Medications
Over-the-counter pain relievers (Tylenol), nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen), or the prescription drug, Celebrex, are the most commonly prescribed treatments for osteoarthritis patients. Long term use of the above medications can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke, so use must be monitored by your doctor.

Corticosteroids are often injected right into painful, swollen joint to reduce pain and swelling, but are not usually prescribed as long-term solutions since they only relive pain for a limited time.

The dietary supplement, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, has reportedly provided some relief to some osteoarthritis patients. Often doctors recommend a 3 month trial period using this supplement to see if their patients improve.

A topically applied pain relief cream, Capsaicin (Zostrix) skin cream, may be prescribed. Patients often do not feel relief until after 1-2 weeks of consistent application to the painful joint.

Synvisc or Hyalgan, an artificial joint fluid is often injected directly into the joint. Pain relief from this treatment usually lasts 3-6 months.

Exercise
Based on the affected joints, a specialized exercise program may be recommended by your doctor. Appropriate exercise can help maintain or even increase your joint mobility, strength, and overall movement. Osteoarthritis patients are often encouraged to engage in water exercises such as swimming and water aerobics because they work the entire body, but are gentle on your joints.

Physical therapy
Your doctor may refer you to a specialist for physical therapy. A physical therapist knows specific exercises and stretches for strengthening the joints and connected muscles, increasing range of motion, and decreasing pain and inflammation. Your therapist may also recommend applying heat to relax your muscles or cold to reduce swelling, and a brace, splint, or wrap to help support or immobilize the joint properly. Improper support could lead to loss of mobility, increased stiffness, or injury, so you should always seek your doctor or physical therapist’s advice on appropriate supports.

Weight loss
Carrying extra pounds places more stress on the joints, so changes in diet and exercise may be recommended by your doctor to drop the extra pounds and relieve pressure on your joints. A healthy, well balanced diet and adequate rest will also promote healing in your muscles, ligaments and joints.

Workplace alterations
If your work causes excessive stress on certain joints, your doctor or physical therapist may recommend strategies to reduce trauma on your joints. Or you may need to request modifications be made to your work area to help you function without putting added strain on your joints.

Surgery
Severe cases of osteoarthritis may require surgery to replace or repair damaged joints. Surgery options are:

Hip or knee replacement
Arthroscopic surgery to trim torn and damaged cartilage (osteotomy)
Surgical fusion of bones, usually in the spine (arthrodesis)
Realignment of bones to relieve stress

Osteoarthritis doesn’t have to keep you down. The effects of “old age” might be reversible or at least improved. Ask your doctor about osteoarthritis.

Senior Insomnia

We have all experienced it. It’s been a long week, we have worked late, and the relational tension is high. And in the middle of the night, we are up thinking about all of it, unable to find the respite that only sleep can bring.

Insomnia affects countless millions of Americans each year. It is not a disease, per se, but it is a condition which prevents individuals of any and every demographic from living a full, rich life. And, as is the case with so many other conditions, senior citizens are affected worse than most.

Senior insomnia can be caused by a million different factors, and s often treated with just as many strategies. The emotional and physical challenges that seniors face are oftentimes more intense, and even with sleep aids, the problems can continue for a very long time.

So what can we do to help our seniors get some sleep? The best place to start might also be the simplest: exercise.

It might sound too silly or obvious to be true, but physical exercise can be the best friend of anyone who wants to sleep. Why? Well for starters, because it exhausts the body. Running, tennis, or even walking can dispel that pesky pent up energy that can keep a senior’s mind from racing when it ought to be resting.

But the benefit is not just physical. Emotionally, exercise can increase the feeling of wellness in any person, let alone a senior struggling with insomnia. It is undeniable: people who exercise on a regular basis on average feel better about themselves and better about life. This is not a coincidence. Exercise produces natural endorphins that make people feel better. They are more confident, and they are happier knowing they are helping their body instead of working against it.

All of those effects work positively for seniors battling insomnia. By getting regular workouts, seniors can increase the feeling of helplessness, sadness and depression. And at night time, this can translate to deeper, less interrupted sleep.

So before you encourage mom or dad to grab a prescription for sleeping pills, get them some walking shoes instead. It might help them sleep easier.

Attending a Support Group

Support Groups can be a touchy topic for many people, but they have been a lifeline for many more. When my father was diagnosed with a terminal illness, my mom dragged my dad to a support group specific to his illness. She needed to know all she could about what they were facing, she wanted to be as prepared and proactive as possible. At first my dad resisted strongly because he didn’t want to know what might happen to him, and he didn’t want to be depressed by what he thought would be a devestating look at his new reality.

They were both pleasantly surprised. My mom found support and encouragement from other care givers, and my dad was encouraged to find others facing the same challenges and pushing through them.

So why join a elder care support group?



For support group participants, these meeting prove to be more than just an empathetic experience, a sharing of woe, or “wow our lives are rough” sessions, but also creative problem solving sessions. Participants share what kind of home modifications, diet changes, exercises, and medical care had brought them relief and strength, as well as passing along current research, medical breakthroughs, and technological advances that might improve their quality of life.

Support groups are like a gold mine, giving you the chance to meet with other people who have done the legwork in your local area and found resources close to home such as doctors, caregiver support, social and community events, and educational or informational classes on your particular disease or related care topics. Patients and their family members can pass on names of highly recomended doctors as well as which medical providers to avoid.

In addition to being an excellent informational resource, support groups can provide emotional stability and encouragment, a safe and healthy arena to process through the difficulties of having a terminal illness or the challenges of providing care for someone who has a terminal illness. Knowing that you’re not alone, that there are others who understand what you’re going through can be so encouraging.

When Seniors Refuse Medical Care

No one likes going to the doctor, but some of us dread it. When your loved one’s health is in jeopardy, they may desperately need to see their physician. My own father strongly resisted going to the doctor’s office, fearing the worst: diagnosis of an incurable disease. No amount of begging and pleading would move him. When it became painfully clear to my brothers and I that Dad was not just “getting old” as he claimed, we decided it was time to have a family meeting to try to convince him to seek medical attention. Our approach was simple, yet effective.

Reinforce the main reason your having “the conversation”: Because of deep love and concern. Sometimes a parent will do things for his or her children that they wouldn’t do for themselves. Knowing the emotional and mental concern that is weighing on you may be enough to urge them to go get some answers.

Ask why your loved one resists going to the doctor. When we asked my father about this, we were shocked to learn for the first time that both of his parents had died ultimately because of a doctor’s mis-care (ignored x-rays showing deadly lung cancer, and overmedicating causing death). He had two substantial reasons to have a fear of doctors! Upon hearing this, we proceeded the rest of our family meeting with more understanding and gentleness.

Walk your loved one through the “what ifs.” Sometimes just speaking their real concerns out loud will be enough to remove fear of diagnosis and denial of health issues. What if it IS something curable? Getting quick relief and a doctor’s care makes sense. What if it is something incurable? There are many incurable conditions that will be slowed or respond favorably to medications, diet changes, or lifestyle changes especially when they are identified earlier rather than later. And what if it turns out to be nothing? Everyone will breathe easier just knowing.

Ask your loved one to mention your concerns at his next regular visit (unless more urgent care is necessary). Sometimes people are more willing to broach the topic casually at a regular checkup with a familiar physician they trust. After our family sit down, my mother was convinced and brought up our concerns at my dad’s next appointment. His Urologist was the one who finally convinced him to see a specialist about Parkinson’s Disease.

Offer to help make an appointment, provide support, and transportation to the doctor’s office. Sometimes just being there is enough to break through the fear or denial.

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