Kansas Senior Press Service Weekly Newsletters Kansas Senior Press Service Weekly Newsletters By Malissa Walden
Kansas Senior Press Service
Grandparents and other relatives are being called on increasingly to care for children when their biological parents are unable to provide appropriate care. According to the 2000 census report, about 18,000 grandparents are providing parental care to an estimated 30,000 grandchildren. In their effort to provide a safe and secure childhood, grandparents and other relatives face emotional, financial, legal, and day-to-day living challenges. The care and nurturing of children by grandparents and other relatives deserves recognition.
Just over a year ago, the Grandparents as Caregivers Act went into effect. Its purpose is to provide financial and other assistance to grandparents and certain other relatives who have legal custody of, and are acting as caregivers for, a grandchild or grandchildren.
Relatives who are eligible and approved for the program may be paid a monthly cash benefit of $200 for each grandchild in their care. However, the total monthly benefit cannot exceed $600, even if one is caring for more than three grandchildren.
Although the statute describes the payment as a “reimbursement,” there is no requirement to document expenses and the benefit does not depend on amounts actually expended.
The state sometimes provides additional benefits, including counseling for the child and grandparent, respite care, child care, clothing allowances, parenting skills training, immunizations and health screenings, and transportation. The state may also provide a medical card and other medical assistance to each child in the program.
To be eligible for the program in Kansas, a grandparent must:
Although the statute does not further define “other legal custody,” the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) has interpreted the provision to require placement by a court. Therefore, for example, a power of attorney from the parent to the grandparent would not be sufficient.
In addition, the grandchildren must not be in state custody. However, this requirement needs further interpretation because the statute specifically includes grandchildren placed in the custody of the grandparents by the state in addition to legal guardianship or other legal custody. (As a side note, grandchildren will not be considered within the legal custody of the grandparent if one of the parents of the child is also living in the household. However, if the grandchild also has children, a grandparent may be eligible to participate in the program through the great-grandchild.)
The statute further provides that if no grandparents are willing to participate in the program, SRS may include any other close relative who obtains custody of the child, either through legal guardianship or other legal custody by court order. SRS interprets “close relative” to be any relative within the fifth degree of kinship to the grandchild, if all other eligibility criteria are met. SRS does not require proof that no grandparent is willing to participate in the program.
In calculating household income, SRS counts only the income of the grandparent or other relative who has been awarded legal custody by the court, and the income of the children. As a result, if a grandmother obtains legal guardianship of her grandchildren, only her income and that of the grandchildren are counted. The income of her husband is not counted, no matter how substantial, unless he is a co-guardian.
Payments received through the Grandparents as Caregivers program are not counted as income for the purposes of determining eligibility for child care or medical assistance. However, a recipient of payments under the program may not at the same time receive payments under the Temporary Assistance for Families program.
Although there is no requirement that a grandparent cooperate with child support enforcement in order to participate in the program, the parent/s of the children are liable for their support. Presumably, SRS could seek reimbursement from the parents for assistance provided to the grandparent/s under this program.
Grandchildren are eligible for the program until they turn 18, or until age 21 if they are attending full-time secondary or post-secondary school. Grandchildren ages 18–21 meet the legal custody definition if they were in the legal custody of the grandparent on their 18th birthday. The procedures and criteria that SRS will follow in implementing the Grandparents as Caregivers program are found in the Kansas Economic and Employment Support Manual, the operating manual used by SRS for many public assistance programs.
Be aware that funding for the program may be limited and SRS will not accept applications if funding is depleted. It appears that funding will be expended on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are a caregiver, check with your local SRS regarding services, eligibility, and apply right away.
Malissa L. Walden, Esq., is an elder law project manager with Kansas Legal Services, Inc.
By Shirley Carson
Kansas Senior Press Service
It’s never too late for health and happiness
If January prompted a flurry of resolutions that have already been broken, read on for ways to make 2008 the year that’s different. The key: Take it slow. Start with two or three of these healthful new habits, make them routine, then add some more. Your effort will be minimal, and the potential payoff huge for you and your grandchildren.
Climb into bed earlier.
Why: Beyond the obvious — a nice energy boost — more sleep yields clearer thinking and quicker reflexes, and may help prevent spikes in blood pressure. It may also decrease your risk of illness, including heart disease, and help you weigh less! A Stanford University study in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin found that people who got fewer than eight hours of sleep per night had higher levels of body fat than those who slept more. Those who snoozed the fewest hours per night weighed the most. How: Get the grandkids into bed earlier. The sooner they’re down for the night, the sooner you can tackle your to-do list and hit the sack yourself. Tack on an extra 15 minutes of sleep each night until you wake up refreshed in the mornings.
Eat all meals and snacks sitting at a table.
Why: If you munch while you’re in the car or zoned-out watching TV, chances are you are not carefully tracking your consumption. Eating mindfully keeps us aware of what and how much we take in, and it’s essential that we look closely not just at what we eat, but how we eat. How: Start by choosing one or two meals a week to eat slowly and mindfully. Have everybody sit at the table with the TV off for at least 20 minutes. In between your conversations, savor each bite you take. Notice how it makes your body feel when you pay attention while you chew, taste and swallow. Choose healthful foods, including vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products, fish and poultry.
Play outside with the kids before dark.
Why: Children spend more time parked in front of televisions, computers and video games than ever. One-third of children are already overweight or at risk of becoming so, which brings the potential for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes, all of which used to be only adult conditions. Besides being teased, large children may experience bone and joint problems, trouble sleeping and depression. How: Have a healthy snack so that you’ll have enough energy to take the dog for a walk and romp with the kids before dinner. Engage young children in a game of tag or hide-and-seek. Older kids can be talked into tossing a Frisbee, playing catch or shooting hoops. Design your back yard for activity, with a swing set and outdoor games.
Get the whole family in on housework and chores.
Why: This approach will reap benefits such as a sense of belonging, fitness and the feeling of a job well done. How: In a central location, post a chore chart that includes all members of the family. Be sure that everyone is assigned a fair share of active duties, such as dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, window cleaning, mowing the lawn, washing the car and folding laundry. In addition, hold everyone responsible for his or her personal things. Even young children can put away their toys. This offers a measure of clutter control, too.
As you think about developing some healthful habits in 2008, gather the family together to lay aside the frustrations and failures of the past year. Celebrate all of the accomplishments of 2007, and share ideas and dreams for this year. May this be your best year ever, as you care for and nurture your precious grandchildren.
Shirley Carson, RN, is a retired nurse and grandmother who was a 25-year Olathe resident. Since raising her three oldest grandchildren, her desire is to encourage others who are parenting their grandchildren.
By Rebecca “Beck” Malcolm Schubert
Kansas Senior Press Service
“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”
—Abraham Lincoln
I’ve been getting lots of mail lately. To my great surprise, the world is aware of my coming birthday.
This is one birthday I would really like to forget! My employer started the whole thing by telling me I had health care decisions to make. What is the big deal? I’m doing fine. Why can’t we just continue the way we are, and if I need the government’s assistance, I’ll let it know? Well, I’ve found out that it just doesn’t work that way!
Why is this day in my life so important to so many people I’ve never met? To my surprise, I’ve been invited to at least 15 dinners so these people can tell me about the best “tie-in plan.” One mailing offered me dinner to hear about insurance that would not cost me any money. If you believe that one, I’ll bet the guy has a bridge in the desert ready for you to buy.
I get more mail than a high school senior with a great ACT score. All of the insurance companies are telling me they have the best tie-in plans, and my new best friend is AARP.
I mentioned to a friend, as we were in a checkout line, that I was getting lots of mail about this birthday. An older woman overheard our conversation and proceeded to take the next 10 minutes telling me the great points about her tie-in plan. Ugh!
Is it not bad enough that my backside has decided to visit my knees? And the young woman at the make-up counter offered to show me a new way to powder my face so my wrinkles wouldn’t show. And did I mention that I suspect my hair is thinning? To top it all off, my hairdresser shared with me that I would never have gray hair. He says I will just become kind of a “vanilla” color. Why me? Gray hair is finally in, and I can’t even get a break from nature!
My doctor suggested, at my last appointment, that I start Pilates. I knew my weight was creeping up, but exercise?
“Yes,” she said, “as you age you need to start stretching, because older muscles tighten up.”
My spirit is still that of a young girl, but my body is having a birthday and I newly realize that I’m fast becoming a member of the older generation in my family. My oldest grandchild is 17! This is really hard on a girl’s psyche.
When our first child was wed, everyone said they couldn’t believe I was old enough to have a daughter getting married. Of course I was secretly complimented. But when our son was married recently, not one person mentioned my age.
Recently, at a conference my husband and I were attending, a friend wanted to introduce me to her husband. She started to point me out and he quickly said he had already spotted me.
“She looks just like her mother from the back,” he said.
Now, that’s a wonderful compliment, because my mother is a lovely lady, but she is a little older!
Why am I sharing these challenges? Because this birthday is a very spiritual issue. There are lots of aging issues I need to deal with in my heart, mind and spirit. My spirit needs some support as I move into this new level of adulthood! A dear friend shared a new book that I think is going to be a big help. Its title is Messy Spirituality.
I love that. Right now I feel like a spiritual mess, so the book sounded like a good fit. Chapter two recounts a “Peanuts” cartoon in which Lucy asks Charlie Brown where his deck chair is on the ship of life. Charlie replies that he can’t seem to get his chair unfolded. Well, I’m working on unfolding my deck chair.
This next stage of life really needs to be met head-on, with enthusiasm, just like all other stages. My heart knows that life is an adventure, to be enjoyed. It’s just that this adventure slipped up on me! As I’ve moved from one life adventure to another, I’ve been able to see most of the stones under the water, even when the water was neck deep. So here I go, pulling myself up literally and figuratively, knowing that I surely will enjoy the next stage of life as much as I have the last.
Which tie-in plan do you have?
Beck Schubert, MA, BCC, is chaplain at Grace Hospice.
By Dan Robles
Kansas Senior Press Service
Winter auto-theft prevention
During the cold months, some people like to warm their vehicles in the driveway or on the street before they go to work or run errands.
Leaving a vehicle unattended with the engine running is an easy mark for a car thief. When the car is toasty warm inside, that is an added bonus for the bad guy. Every year, the police take reports from victims whose vehicles are stolen while warming up. The police strongly encourage you to lock your car if you are leaving it unattended while it warms up.
Some cities have an Open Ignition Ordinance that prohibits persons from leaving a vehicle unattended and unlocked, either on public or private property, with the vehicle running or where the keys are clearly visible inside. The ordinance allows vehicles to be left running if they are locked or the owner or person in charge of the vehicle is close enough to have direct control of any access to the vehicle.
Dan Robles is an officer in the Crime Prevention Unit of the Prairie Village Police Department.
By Barbara L. Brown
I said, “She’s here.”
Then I saw fear
In the young man’s eyes,
As I moved nursing home supplies
From the end of the bed.
Not a word was said.
He sat and she lay
Till it grew very late.
She couldn’t talk;
He wouldn’t.
So what was accomplished
When their dialogue ceased?
They both were pleased,
Their lack of talk complete
With what had not been said.
Then he went home to his own bed.
And still they were silent
For their talk had been quiet.
But each knew what was felt
And in prayer he finally knelt.
Barbara Brown, who lives with Parkinson’s disease, resides at Royal Terrace in Olathe. She wrote this poem about her roommate and her son.
No more dusty excuses,
no more guilty shouts,
no more crusty belligerence,
it’s time to clean house.
Clean, organize, rearrange, change:
it comes with the season.
It’s time to take down, put away,
and give things a reason
to still be here. Why do I need you?
What purpose do you serve?
What makes you worth keeping?
What space do you deserve?
If I justified my existence each year
as I demand that my clothes do,
would I survive any longer
than my impulse buys and old shoes?
These articles are also available electronically at the Center on Aging Website: http://www2.kumc.edu/coa/Senior_Press_Article/Topic_Index.htm