Information
Long Distance Caregiving (continued from page 9)
Do you know about Arizona’s Property Tax Credit Refund? This credit, also known as the 140PTC, may be filed during tax season if you meet the following criteria: • Arizona resident for the entire year of 2022. • Age 65 or older by 12/31/2022 or a recipient of SSI. (PCOA serves those 60 and older.) • Limited household income. Call PCOA Central Intake at (520) 790- 7262 for income guidelines. • You paid property taxes and/or rent in 2022. You can claim this credit even if you don’t file income taxes any longer. PCOA is happy to help you. The 140PTC form for 2022 will become available in January so if you prefer to complete it yourself our PCOA Central Intake at (520) 790-7262 is happy to connect you with the necessary form. (Please do not contact the Pima County Assessor or Treasurer offices regarding this form.) PCOA will be offering appointments to help you complete the 140PTC beginning in February but please feel free to call PCOA Central Intake in January to schedule an appointment.
Long-distance caregivers may find they can be helpful by handling things online— for example, researching health problems or medicines, paying bills, or keeping family and friends updated. Some long- distance caregivers help a parent pay for care; others step in to manage finances. How to Help a Parent Who Is the Primary Caregiver A primary caregiver—especially a spouse— may be hesitant to ask for help or a break. Be sure to acknowledge how important the caregiver has been for the care recipient. Also, discuss the physical and emotional effects caregiving can have on people. Although caregiving can be satisfying, it also can be very hard work. Offer to arrange for respite care. Respite care will give your parent a break from caregiving responsibilities. It can be arranged for just an afternoon or for several days. Care can be provided in the family home, through an adult day services program, or at a skilled nursing facility. The ARCH National Respite Locator Service can help you find services in your parents’ community. You might suggest contacting the Well Spouse Association. It offers support to the wives, husbands, and partners of chronically ill or disabled people and has a nationwide listing of local support groups. Your parents may need more help from home-based care to continue to live in their own home. Some people find it hard to have paid caregivers in the house, but most also say that the assistance is invaluable. If the primary caregiver is reluctant, point out that with an in-home aide, she may have more energy to devote to caregiving and some time for
herself. Suggest she try it for a short time, and then decide. In time, the person receiving care may have to move to assisted living or a nursing home. If that happens, the primary caregiver will need your support. You can help select a facility. The primary caregiver may need help adjusting to the person’s absence or to living alone at home. Just listening may not sound like much help, but often it is. For More Information About Caregiving
PCOA Family Caregiver Services PCOA HelpLine 520. 790. 7262 National Respite Locator Service www.archrespite.org/respitelocator Well Spouse Association 800-838-0879
info@wellspouse.org www.wellspouse.org Caregiver Action Network 202-454-3970 info@caregiveraction.org www.caregiveraction.org Eldercare Locator 800-677-1116 eldercarelocator@n4a.org https://eldercare.acl.gov Family Caregiver Alliance 800-445-8106
info@caregiver.org www.caregiver.org
This content is provided by the NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA). NIA scientists and other experts review this content to ensure it is accurate and up to date. Content reviewed: May 09, 2017
December 2022, Never Too Late | Page 29
Pima Council on Aging
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