Cost of aging seminar draws a crowd

Written by Liz Skalka
Friday, 26 March 2010 12:00

The need to plan for old age was a central message at a recent seminar on the cost of aging at the Community Center last Thursday.

Nearly 100 people attended the March 18 event, “The Cost of Aging: Who Pays and How?” sponsored by the Ridgefield Visiting Nurse Association along with the Redding Commission on Aging.

The program was introduced by First Selectman Natalie Ketcham and moderated by Rosalind Kopfstein, the commission’s chair. It featured a roundtable discussion with Probate Judge Richard L. Emerson. Also present were professionals from Cohen & Wolf, P.C., Ridgefield Crossings, Meadow Ridge, Fairfield County Bank, William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty and the Ridgefield Visiting Nurse Association.

The program, televised on Cablevision Channel 79, received good feedback from those in attendance, who learned about asset preservation and wealth transfer; probate and conservatorships; the costs of at-home care; assisted living and long-term care; maximizing home value and VA benefits. Most areas of discussion focused on the need to plan early for old age and consulting with professionals before making important decisions.

“The comments from the evaluation were very positive and people appreciated the broad spectrum of expert panelists,” said Eloise Barron, coordinator of the Ridgefield VNA’s Quality Living at Home program.

The seminar was put on as part of the Quality Living at Home program already active in Ridgefield and coming officially to Redding later this year. The program is in a pilot phase in Redding, Ms. Barron said, and anyone in town may call the Ridgefield VNA with questions or suggestions, though she stressed that for emergencies, residents must dial 911. Several Redding residents have called inquiring about transportation issues.

The Quality Living at Home program advocates for senior issues like transportation, offers a non-medical call center, provides a community directory, organizes education and wellness programs, and creates new programs, as well as connects with pre-existing services.

“It’s a program to empower people to remain in their homes as long as they want to stay at home in a safe, healthy and socially connected environment,” Ms. Barron said.

Anyone in Redding is free to call the Quality Living at Home program at 203-438-5555, ex. 1005.

The Ridgefield VNA is a nonprofit organization providing home and community-based health services. It is affiliated with the Visiting Nurse Association of America.