6 Tips for Dealing With Age Discrimination

An increasing number of laid-off employees are claiming that they were unfairly dismissed because of age. In 2008, workers filed 24,582 complaints of age bias with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). That’s up from 19,103 in 2007 and the highest level of age discrimination charges documented in records dating back 12 years. “When economic times are bad and people are losing their jobs, there tends to be an increase in litigation activities because people are looking for a reason to explain why it is that they are affected rather than someone else,” says Rae Vann, a partner with Norris, Tysse, Lampley, & Lakis, which describes itself as a “management-side labor and employment law firm.” Under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, it’s illegal to discriminate against anyone age 40 or older in the workplace with regard to hiring, layoffs, promotions, pay, and benefits. Here’s what you should do if you think age is playing a role in your workplace woes:

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NC Senior Fraud Alert

Law enforcement officials in Cumberland County have charged two men with defrauding an 85-year-old woman by repeatedly claiming she had neglected to pay them for house maintenance work, medical care and other services they had never provided her. According to a report today in The Fayetteville Observer, they are alleged to have posed as her doctors at one point in the series of scams, which took place earlier this fall.

Reportedly charged with the crimes are Paul Farence III and John Calvin Butler of Fayetteville. The fourteen criminal counts against them allege financial exploitation of an elderly person, obtaining property by false pretenses and conspiracy.

******End of Alert******

Date: December 22, 2009

David N. Kirkman
Assistant Attorney General
Task Force Alerts Chair
Consumer Protection Division
Office of Attorney General Roy Cooper
9001 Mail Processing Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-9001
Tel. 919-716-6000

6 Tips for Acing a Job Interview After Age 50

Competition for new jobs is brutal, even among experienced candidates. Nearly 2 million Americans age 55 and older were looking for work in September, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s 24,000 more than in August. And landing a new job after age 50 can be especially difficult. In September, the typical duration of unemployment for people older than 55 was more than 33 weeks, far longer than the 26 weeks it takes younger workers to find a new position. U.S. News asked hiring managers of companies on AARP’s list of the best employers for workers over age 50 to explain what impresses them in interviews. Here is some advice these managers have for older workers.

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Help Stop Medical Discount Card Fraud

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) needs your help in halting a surge in the fraudulent marketing of medical discount cards. In these schemes, marketers typically represent that consumers will receive low-cost health insurance or medical benefits. In reality, consumers do not receive health insurance or any meaningful medical benefits. Instead, they receive a card that purports to provide discounted rates with medical providers. Consumers find that the promised discounted rates are illusory.

These bogus medical discount programs are marketed to consumers in a variety of ways, including illegal recorded telephone calls (robocalls), unsolicited faxes, radio and television ads, and web sites. Regardless of the medium, the ads often target seniors, claiming that the discount cards will supplement Medicare.

The FTC, which is the federal government’s consumer protection agency, brings federal court law enforcement actions to stop fraud and obtain refunds for consumers. If you have information about a medical discount card scheme, or learn of a victim of such a scheme, please contact the FTC by calling Artie DeCastro at 202-326-2747.

Dolls help seniors with dementia give, get love

There isn’t proof that giving dolls to dementia patients helps their treatment progress but local officials at health care facilities and some studies say it may suggest the approach can help those afflicted by dementia.

In Chevy Chase, Medina Lundy is the activities director at Manor Care and she said Nelson dropped off several dolls earlier this year. She said some patients see the dolls as infants and a doll has helped one patient cry less…..

Frederick Villas’ Activity Director Lori Manalansan said patients at the Catonsville facility are happier when they have dolls.

Full Article: WSBT TV

Florida clamps down on convict-to-caregiver clearance: Fewer felons will care for kids, elderly

In the three months since the Sun Sentinel series “Trust Betrayed” found that career criminals with rap sheets that included rape and murder were given clearance to work with children, the elderly and disabled, state leaders have clamped down.

Full Article: The Palm Beach Post News

Medicare: Extensive study finds cancer patients can fall in drug program’s ‘donut hole’ almost immediately

Battling cancer in the U.S. is a costly proposition, especially for the extremely expensive drugs required to fight the disease, which causes many – even those on Medicare – just to skip the treatment, according to an analysis of the cost of obtaining these drugs in the U.S. and the U.K.

Full Article: Senior Journal

The Fortitude Of The Rural Elderly: “They’ll Stay No Matter What.”

With cities and suburbs devouring rural populations, life is hard when people living rurally become seniors. Few services cater to senior citizens. Transportation options slim, older folks unable to drive and needing care face mounting challenges, more so if they have no relatives to help them. Emergency services may not be as rapid as in cities and suburbs. Medical care may not be as plentiful.

Life is easier for seniors in cities. Services and income-based housing choices abound. Yet, the cost of giving up the serenity of country living prevails for many seniors. They refuse to leave the wide open spaces to live in congested cities where you trade fresh country air for ozone warnings.

According to an article at The New York Times, many seniors stay rural in a struggle against near staggering odds:

Some people who study rural America say the tough economic times and new budget woes could make it too difficult for many rural stoics to hang on. But others suggest the fortitude of the rural elderly simply runs too deep for that.
“The people will remain, because they’re rooted and anchored to the land,” said Teresa S. Radebaugh, the director of the Regional Institute on Aging at Wichita State University. “They’ll stay no matter what.”

Source: For Elderly in Rural Areas, Times Are Distinctly Harder

Typical Caregiver Is a Woman in Her Late 40s Taking Care of an Elderly Parent, Study Finds

Old Age, Alzheimer’s Major Reason for Care

The survey found that:

* 70% of caregivers were taking care of loved ones who were 50 years old or older.
* Caregivers provided an average of 20 hours per week of care.
* Caregiving lasted an average of 4.6 years.
* Older care recipients generally needed help because of deteriorating physical health (76%). More than half (51%) still lived in their own homes and 29% lived in their caregiver’s home.
* Old age was cited as the main reason for needed care, by 12% of respondents, followed by Alzheimer’s disease (10%), mental or emotional illness (7%), cancer (7%), heart disease (5%), and stroke (5%).

Ginzler says nearly three out of four caregivers who responded to the survey had paid jobs outside the home, and two-thirds said they had missed work as a result of their caregiving responsibilities.

Source: WebMD

A program to reduce depression and isolation among the elderly during holiday season

MyWay Village, the first senior-focused technology company to help seniors get online in an easy and social way by combining access to simplified technology with personal training and support, today announced that their Connected Living program is reducing depression and feelings of isolation especially during the holiday season within senior communities where the company’s programs are being offered.

“Social isolation is a huge issue with the elderly population, particularly during the holidays, as they are often experiencing loss at many levels; of a spouse, friend or home,” offered Sarah Hoit, CEO and co-founder of MyWay Village. “Our Connected Living program directly addresses the challenges of social isolation and the lack of a venue to cultivate a sense of purpose which is a basic human emotional need.”

Source: The Medical News