Source:  Mid-County newsletter, July 1, 2022

The Montgomery County Council this week approved an extension of the Senior Tax Credit. Its vote extends the length of time that seniors and retired military members are eligible to apply for a 20 percent tax break on their homes. The extension from five years to seven years was made possible by a change in Maryland law during the most recent legislative session.

The Senior Tax Credit is available to homeowners who are at least 65 years old if the property is in their name and it is their main residence. All applicants for any Homeowners Tax Credit must be approved by the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation. It applies to a homeowner's property tax bill if the property taxes exceed a fixed percentage of the person's gross income.

For more information on this tax credit and others, please click here.

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Finance/senior.html

Join your Kensington neighbors at this immutable community event!

Learn tech tools that can help make caregiving tasks easier.
We are excited to launch a new, virtual course on digital essentials designed specifically for older adult caregivers and recipients of care beginning on Monday, August 9.

About the course:
This free, six-week course was designed to empower attendees with the skills needed to navigate and understand the digital world.

How can it help?
Training sessions include staying connected with friends and family members, best practices for navigating the internet safely, ordering groceries directly to your home, understanding online health resources, and more.

Caregivers age 60+ and recipients of care are encouraged to register for the course at seniorplanet.org/caregiving. The deadline to register is Thursday, August 5!

Centenarian doctor still practicing in US
Florida pediatrician Andy Margileth recently turned 101 and is one of a dozen physicians over 100 still licensed to practice in the US. The World War II Navy veteran had a military pediatrics award named for him and was involved in efforts to develop vaccines and prevent childhood disease.
Full Story: CBS News (7/19) 
   
Economics-based financial planning can help boomers
An economics-based approach to financial planning can help baby boomers who may not be as prepared financially as they should be for retirement, according to economics professor Laurence Kotlikoff. The approach has four goals and can help a household maintain and even increase its standard of living throughout retirement, Kotlikoff writes.
Full Story: InvestmentNews (tiered subscription model) (7/15) 
   
How to get organized for retirement
In times of economic, political, and even climate uncertainty, planning for retirement may seem overwhelming. To gain control, focus on a comprehensive and holistic philosophy about money, a systematic process for implementing financial strategies, and planning customized to your situation.
Full Story: Kiplinger (7/17) 
   
Feds recovered $3.1B via health care fraud, abuse program
HHS and the Department of Justice's joint Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program recovered nearly $3.1 billion in fiscal 2020, including about $2.1 billion for the Medicare Trust Funds, according to a report.
Full Story: MedCity News (7/19) 
   
People with Parkinson's, dementia benefit from dance
Beth Elgort, a retired social worker, started dance classes and the nonprofit Mind, Music, Movement Foundation to help people with movement issues or neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's diseases, maintain their physical and mental abilities and socialize. Elgort has worked with a neurologist and ballet dancers for a class that helps people with such disorders maintain quality of life.
Full Story: WPTV-TV (West Palm Beach, Fla.) (7/17) 
   
Music improves quality of life for older adults
Alzheimer's disease and dementia expert Dan Cohen started the Music & Memory program in 2010 to help older-adult care organizations and communities use music to improve quality of life among patients and residents. Music helps them remember, relax, and maintain a sense of self even when they're experiencing mental confusion, Cohen says.
Full Story: McKnight's Senior Living online (7/19) 
   
Teledentistry has benefits for Mont. veterans
Dental care for veterans at the Montana Department of Veterans Affairs has become more convenient lately thanks to its implementation of teledentistry and specifically, the use of an intraoral camera that helps dental hygienists spot oral health issues. The hygienists then send information to the dentist or relevant specialist and begin the process of treatment without the patient having to undergo multiple visits.
Full Story: KHQ-TV (Spokane, Wash.) (7/14) 
  
Calif. budget removes asset test for dual eligibles
The newly approved California budget eliminates the financial asset test for people who have both Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program, and Medicare. Financial eligibility for this population will be based only on income.
Full Story: Kaiser Health News (7/20) 
   
Download: The Diverse Family Caregivers Toolkit
What should you know about diverse family caregivers? Download the Diverse Elder Coalition's "Resources for Providers: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Family Caregivers" Toolkit today. Learn more.
   
Aging 2022: Call for Proposals
On Aging 2022's Call for Proposals is open through August 15. Submit your proposal now to present and join us in New Orleans next spring for our annual conference. Learn more.