LEADING SENIOR CARE EXPERT TO HOST FREE
PUBLIC DISCUSSION IN SEATTLE ON MAY 6TH
–Recent Poll Shows Planning For Senior Care Out Of Sight And Mind For Most Adults–

Seattle, WA (MAY 2010) -- Paul Hogan, CEO of Home Instead Senior Care, the largest provider of non-medical in-home senior care services in the world, will offer a free public talk on planning for senior care on Thursday, May 6, 2010 from 4pm-6pm at The Hilton Bellevue, 300 112th Avenue SE, Bellevue, WA.

Hogan, a leading expert on senior care, will discuss the many care options available today, financial planning for senior care, being a caregiver to an elderly parent, insurance options, and the state of senior care in America. The talks are free and open to the public.

Says Hogan, “With more than 78 million Baby Boomers on the verge of retirement, America is facing monumental social and economic challenges in the ways in which we care for our seniors. With healthcare concerns at the forefront, and with time and money management a major factor for American families in the 21st century, how adult children and seniors can best prepare and plan for their futures have evolved into a complex process that often involves misinformation and injects unwanted stress into our most important relationships.”

A recent study conducted for Home Instead Senior Care found that planning for care is out of sight and out of mind for half of U.S. seniors ages 65 to 75 who have not thought about their own future care needs. Adult children were uninformed as well: nearly three-fourths (71 percent) of 35- to 64-year-olds, when unaided in the survey, could identify no more than two of eight options available to seniors who can no longer live independently. Even more concerning: both seniors and adult children have the notion that Social Security and Medicare will pay for senior care, and survey participants also underestimated the costs of nursing homes and overestimated the price of such popular options as Assisted Living Facilities.

"Senior care options have expanded almost beyond recognition in the last 20 years, yet most Americans are still only familiar with nursing homes or family care at home," adds Hogan. “With tens of millions of Boomers starting to retire, it’s critical that people start thinking about this.”

Hogan is providing the free lectures in conjunction with the release of a new book, “Stages of Senior Care: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Best Decisions” (November 2009/McGraw-Hill/$18.95). The book serves as a comprehensive guide for the ever-expanding world of senior care, breaking down the process by addressing the shared concerns of seniors and their family members. Featuring more than 30 sources from the most credible major healthcare organizations, universities and nonprofit organizations, the book thoroughly explains each and every aspect of senior care, including the array of available care choices, being a caregiver, planning for your own future, aging in place, family and professional care options, how to chose an option and what to look for, financing care, insurance, legal matters, dealing with stress, communication and family relations.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:
“Informative. Complete. And practical. This book will guide family caregivers through the surprisingly complex world of senior care.” MEHMET OZ, M.D.

For more information on the public talks, please contact Christi Mahon at 425-785-3154.

# # #
For Interviews Contact:
Stacey Kaspin
DRC Public Relations
(212) 966-4600
Stacey@drcpublicrelations.com

Home Instead Senior Care has always looked for ways to benefit others. They established the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation in 2003 to provide financial assistance to non-profit organizations specializing in projects and programming that improve the quality of life for seniors. As of 2009, The Home Instead Senior Care Foundation had awarded 81 grants totaling more than $800,000.

The Home Instead Senior Care Disaster Relief Foundation’s (DRF) was founded in 2005 and it’s primary purpose was to provide disaster relief payments to Home Instead Senior Care franchise owners that are victims of overwhelming disasters that devastate the community in which they are located. Through 2009, it has awarded eight grants totaling $78,000.

Recently, the DRF Board of Directors adopted a resolution to allow for distributions to tax-exempt organizations responding to devastating disasters such as the Haitian earthquake. The Haitian Earthquake Relief fund has been established by the DRF as a collaborative effort of Home Instead Senior Care franchise owners, staff members and Home Office personnel who wish to donate to this philanthropic opportunity. So far they have collected a total $9,135.00 to be distributed as follows:

Nazarene Compassionate Ministries $3,136.66

Partners in Health $3,061.66

US Fund for UNICEF $2,936.68

Home Instead Senior Care, not your ordinary home care agency

National Cancer Control Month

April is the American Cancer Society's National Cancer Control Month in the U.S. Although progress has been made in reducing incidence and mortality rates and improvign survivial, cancer is still the leading cause of death in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

A total of 1,479,350 new cancer cases and 562,340 deaths from cancer were projected to occur in the United States in 2009, according to the American Cancer Society. "Healthy personal habits can reduce the risk of cancer, " wrote President Barack Obama in last year's monthly proclamation. "Smoking accounts for thousands of cancer deaths every year, and quitting - even after many years - can greatly reduce the risk of cancer."

There is much that you can do to lead a healthy life including learning to eat healthy and stay active. For more information, log on to http://www.cancer.org/.

Get Mom Moving

Lack of activity can lead to a downward spiral of poor health resulting in frailty, a condition that threatens the mind, body and social life of older adults, according to senior care experts. That's why staying active is viewed by so many as vital to healthy aging.

This problem is what prompted Home Instead Senior Care to develop the Get Mom Moving Activity Cards and Web site at http://www.getmommoving.com/, both designed to help keep seniors engaged and fit. These resources provide the tools by which seniors can fight frailty.

Family and caregivers who can encourage and integrate physical, mental and social activities in seniors' lives are helping them ward off frailty and stay healthy. And that addresses seniors' biggest fear of losing their independence.