Senior Solutions

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The number of Americans over 65 is increasing, and is expected to increase rapidly over the next 30 years. Due to longer life expectancies and the aging of the Baby Boom generation, estimates suggest that a full 20% of the US population will be over 65 by 2030. An aging population brings many concerns: who will provide necessary care for seniors, and how? How can seniors finance the care they need, and still pass on assets to their heirs? What resources are currently available to assist seniors and their families? In conjunction with Older Americans Month 2000, the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York announces the launch of BBB Senior Solutions, a national program created by the New York BBB and sponsored by the AXA Foundation to provide resource information for seniors and their families to help answer these questions.

To launch this educational campaign, the BBB is distributing three informational pieces: two brochures, Exploring Your Options: Housing Solutions for Seniors and Saving Time and Money: Choosing Eldercare Professionals, and a tip sheet entitled How to Protect Yourself from Home Improvement and Home Equity Fraud.

As part of the BBB Senior Solutions program, the New York BBB created a 75-page resource kit to guide 135 Better Business Bureaus around the country in using the program. The full kit includes a set of nine brochures and tip sheets, which will be available throughout 2000.

"Seniors and their families need as much information as possible to plan for the future," said Ronna D. Brown, President of the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York. "The BBB Senior Solutions campaign is designed to put this information in the hands of those who need it."

"Making decisions about housing, medical care, and finances can be an overwhelming process," noted Francine Lynch, Director of Programs at the AXA Foundation. "The brochures and tip sheets of the BBB Senior Solutions campaign provide important information that can assist in making these decisions."

To receive a free copy of the brochures and tip sheet, consumers can contact the BBB at 212-533-7500, ext. 162, or check our website at www.newyork.bbb.org. The Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York is a private, not-for-profit organization, which receives no government funding and is supported by responsible businesses and consumers. It serves the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, and the Mid-Hudson region by providing Reliability Reports on local businesses and charities, offering mediation and arbitration services for consumer complaints, and investigating misleading advertising and selling practices.

The AXA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of AXA Financial, Inc. As a provider of a broad range of financial products and services, AXA Financial, through its primary businesses, helps people plan for the future.

Funerals are not a pleasant subject to contemplate, and they are often very stressful and expensive events. Planning a funeral in advance can alleviate some stress on remaining family and friends. To assist seniors and their families in making these plans, the Better Business Bureau announces the publication of Funerals. This tip sheet is part of BBB Senior Solutions, a national effort by Better Business Bureaus and sponsored by the AXA Foundation, to provide resource information for seniors and their caregivers. The tip sheet provides important information on the planning process, pre-payment options, and information on shopping around for the best deal on the services you may need.

"BBB Senior Solutions is about proper planning for the future," explained Ronna D. Brown, President of the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York. "Funerals is designed to inform seniors and their families in advance about funeral services and shopping for the right service provider."

"This tip sheet provides important information on funeral services," noted Francine Lynch, Director of Programs at the AXA Foundation. "Careful advance planning can be an important gift to your friends and family."

To receive a free copy of the tip sheet, consumers can contact the BBB at 212-533-7500, ext. 162, or check our website at www.newyork.bbb.org. For more information on specific companies, please call 212-533-6200, with a $3.80 credit card charge, or 1-900-555-4BBB, with a charge of $.95 cents per minute. The Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York is a private, not-for-profit organization, which receives no government funding and is supported by responsible businesses and consumers. It serves the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, and the Mid-Hudson region by providing Reliability Reports on local businesses and charities, offering mediation and arbitration services for consumer complaints, and investigating misleading advertising and selling practices.

The AXA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of AXA Financial, Inc. As a provider of a broad range of financial products and services, AXA Financial, through its primary businesses, helps people plan for the future.

An aging population requires creative solutions to one important concern: how to care for seniors with an increasing number of medical and care needs. Many families turn to paid professionals to help with this care. To assist seniors and their families in selecting the professional assistance that best suits their lives, the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York announces the publication of Home Care Options. This brochure is part of BBB Senior Solutions, a national effort by Better Business Bureaus and sponsored by the AXA Foundation, to provide resource information for seniors and their caregivers. The brochure describes a variety of home care services available, from home health agencies to hospice services, and information on financing these services.

"Home care assistance allows seniors to continue living at home," explained Ronna D. Brown, President of the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York."Home Care Options helps make that possible."

"Making decisions on how to pay for home care can be difficult," noted Francine Lynch, Director of Programs at the AXA Foundation. "This brochure provides important information on financing many care options."

To receive a free copy of the brochure, consumers can contact the BBB at 212-533-7500, ext. 162, or check our website at www.newyork.bbb.org. For more information on specific companies, please call 212-533-6200, with a $3.80 credit card charge, or 1-900-555-4BBB, with a charge of $.95 cents per minute. The Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York is a private, not-for-profit organization, which receives no government funding and is supported by responsible businesses and consumers. It serves the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, and the Mid-Hudson region by providing Reliability Reports on local businesses and charities, offering mediation and arbitration services for consumer complaints, and investigating misleading advertising and selling practices.

The AXA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of AXA Financial, Inc. As a provider of a broad range of financial products and services, AXA Financial, through its primary businesses, helps people plan for the future.

Home improvement and home equity fraud is a serious problem, often targeting seniors. Home improvement contractors may convince seniors to mortgage their homes to pay for repairs, risking the loss of their homes in foreclosure. To help combat this problem, the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York announces the publication of a tip sheet entitled How to Protect Yourself from Home Improvement and Home Equity Fraud. This tip sheet is part of BBB Senior Solutions, a national effort of the Better Business Bureau and sponsored by the AXA Foundation to provide resource information for seniors and their caregivers. This tip sheet provides information to warn seniors and their families of the signs of home improvement and home equity fraud.

"These schemes target seniors and their most valuable asset — their homes," explained Ronna D. Brown, President of the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York. "Our tip sheet helps seniors and their families be aware of these scams before unscrupulous dealers arrive."

"Seniors want to spend their golden years in their own homes," noted Francine Lynch, Director of Programs at the AXA Foundation. "This tip sheet provides important information to prevent fraud from compromising that wish."

To receive a free copy of the tip sheet, consumers can contact the BBB at 212-533-7500, ext. 162, or check our website at www.newyork.bbb.org. For more information on specific companies, please call 212-533-6200, with a $3.80 credit card charge, or 1-900-555-4BBB, with a charge of $.95 cents per minute. The Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York is a private, not-for-profit organization, which receives no government funding and is supported by responsible businesses and consumers. It serves the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, and the Mid-Hudson region by providing Reliability Reports on local businesses and charities, offering mediation and arbitration services for consumer complaints, and investigating misleading advertising and selling practices.

The AXA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of AXA Financial, Inc. As a provider of a broad range of financial products and services, AXA Financial, through its primary businesses, helps people plan for the future.

With the number of elderly Americans requiring long-term care projected to reach 14 million by the year 2020, more and more families are becoming concerned about their loved ones’ future care. To assist seniors and their families in selecting the housing arrangements that best suit their needs, the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York announces the publication of Exploring Your Options: Housing Solutions for Seniors. This brochure is part of BBB Senior Solutions, a national effort by Better Business Bureaus and sponsored by the AXA Foundation to provide resource information for seniors and their caregivers. The brochure informs seniors and their families of a wide range of housing and medical care options, including senior retirement communities, assisted living facilities and nursing homes.

"Seniors need to know all their options to make the most of their golden years," explained Ronna D. Brown, President of the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York. "This brochure informs seniors and their families of the variety of housing options available, based on their medical needs and financial situation."

"Making decisions about housing, medical care, and finances can be an overwhelming process," noted Francine Lynch, Director of Programs at the AXA Foundation. "This brochure provides important information on the housing options to assist in making those decisions."

To receive a free copy of the tip sheet, consumers can contact the BBB at 212-533-7500, ext. 162, or check our website at www.newyork.bbb.org. For more information on specific companies, please call 212-533-6200, with a $3.80 credit card charge, or 1-900-555-4BBB, with a charge of $.95 cents per minute. The Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York is a private, not-for-profit organization, which receives no government funding and is supported by responsible businesses and consumers. It serves the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, and the Mid-Hudson region by providing Reliability Reports on local businesses and charities, offering mediation and arbitration services for consumer complaints, and investigating misleading advertising and selling practices.

The AXA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of AXA Financial, Inc. As a provider of a broad range of financial products and services, AXA Financial, through its primary businesses, helps people plan for the future.

Many people are unsure exactly what legal tools are available to pass on assets to their heirs. Living trusts are an option being pitched in expensive seminars around the country. To assist seniors and their families in using the right tools for their planning, the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York announces the publication of What You Need to Know About Living Trusts. This tip sheet is part of BBB Senior Solutions, a national effort by Better Business Bureaus and sponsored by the AXA Foundation, to provide resource information for seniors and their caregivers. The tip sheet describes living trusts and the potential pitfalls of using them to avoid the expenses of using a will.

"Seniors need to know all their options to make the most of their golden years," explained Ronna D. Brown, President of the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York. "What You Need to Know About Living Trusts is designed to inform seniors and their families about the legal tools needed to transfer assets smoothly."

"Making decisions about the future can be a difficult process," noted Francine Lynch, Director of Programs at the AXA Foundation. "This tip sheet provides important information on the options available for transferring assets to your heirs."

To receive a free copy of the tip sheet, consumers can contact the BBB at 212-533-7500, ext. 162, or check our website at www.newyork.bbb.org. For more information on specific companies, please call 212-533-6200, with a $5.00 credit card charge. The Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York is a private, not-for-profit organization, which receives no government funding and is supported by responsible businesses and consumers. It serves the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, and the Mid-Hudson region by providing Reliability Reports on local businesses and charities, offering mediation and arbitration services for consumer complaints, and investigating misleading advertising and selling practices.

The AXA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of AXA Financial, Inc. As a provider of a broad range of financial products and services, AXA Financial, through its primary businesses, helps people plan for the future.

As Americans live longer, many people require very expensive long-term care. Planning ahead for this expense can save a lot of money and worry for seniors and their families. To assist seniors and their families in selecting appropriate planning tools, the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York announces the publication of Long-Term Care Insurance. This tip sheet is part of BBB Senior Solutions, a national effort by Better Business Bureaus and sponsored by the AXA Foundation, to provide resource information for seniors and their caregivers. The brochure describes the uses of long-term care insurance and how to evaluate policies before purchase.

"Financing long-term care is a difficult task for many families," explained Ronna D. Brown, President of the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York. "Long-Term Care Insurance is designed to inform seniors and their families about insurance options that can help with medical and care costs."

"Advance planning may make it easier for your family to finance expensive health care services," noted Francine Lynch, Director of Programs at the AXA Foundation. "This tip sheet provides important information on financing care options and tips on choosing the right long-term care insurance policy."

To receive a free copy of the tip sheet, consumers can contact the BBB at 212-533-7500, ext. 162, or check our website at www.newyork.bbb.org. For more information on specific companies, please call 212-533-6200, with a $3.80 credit card charge, or 1-900-555-4BBB, with a charge of $.95 cents per minute. The Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York is a private, not-for-profit organization, which receives no government funding and is supported by responsible businesses and consumers. It serves the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, and the Mid-Hudson region by providing Reliability Reports on local businesses and charities, offering mediation and arbitration services for consumer complaints, and investigating misleading advertising and selling practices.

The AXA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of AXA Financial, Inc. As a provider of a broad range of financial products and services, AXA Financial, through its primary businesses, helps people plan for the future.

As the American population grows older, increasing expenditures for medical care have made cost cutting options critical for seniors. Health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and other managed care plans are now available for Medicare recipients through the Medicare+Choice program. To inform seniors and their families about this change, the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York announces the publication of Medicare and Managed Care. This tip sheet is part of BBB Senior Solutions, a national effort by Better Business Bureaus and sponsored by the AXA Foundation, to provide resource information for seniors and their caregivers. The tip sheet describes the Medicare+Choice program and the options for health care available under its auspices.

"Seniors need to know that there are options available for their health care," explained Ronna D. Brown, President of the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York. "Medicare and Managed Care is designed to inform seniors and their families about financial options for their Medicare coverage."

"Medicare and health insurance questions can be confusing," noted Francine Lynch, Director of Programs at the AXA Foundation. "This tip sheet provides important information on health care options for seniors."

To receive a free copy of the tip sheet, consumers can contact the BBB at 212-533-7500, ext. 162, or check our website at www.newyork.bbb.org. For more information on specific companies, please call 212-533-6200, with a $5.00 credit card charge. The Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York is a private, not-for-profit organization, which receives no government funding and is supported by responsible businesses and consumers. It serves the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, and the Mid-Hudson region by providing Reliability Reports on local businesses and charities, offering mediation and arbitration services for consumer complaints, and investigating misleading advertising and selling practices.

The AXA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of AXA Financial, Inc. As a provider of a broad range of financial products and services, AXA Financial, through its primary businesses, helps people plan for the future.

As the American population grows older, a variety of services have become necessary to take care of current medical and care needs, as well as plan for the future. To assist seniors and their families in selecting the professional assistance that best suits their lives, the Better Business Bureau announces the publication of Saving Time and Money: Choosing Eldercare Professionals. This brochure is part of BBB Senior Solutions, a national effort by Better Business Bureaus and sponsored by the AXA Foundation to provide resource information for seniors and their caregivers. The brochure describes three types of eldercare professionals available to assist in making long-term care and financial decisions: elder law attorneys, financial planners, and geriatric care managers.

"Seniors need to know all their options to make the most of their golden years," the Better Business Bureau says. "Saving Time and Money is designed to inform seniors and their families of professionals who can assist in making long-term care decisions."

"Making decisions about housing, medical care, and finances can be an overwhelming process," noted Francine Lynch, Director of Programs at the AXA Foundation. "This brochure provides important information on care options and the eldercare professionals that can assist in making those decisions."

To receive a free copy of the tip sheet, consumers can contact the BBB at 212-533-7500, ext. 162, or check our website at www.newyork.bbb.org. For more information on specific companies, please call 212-533-6200, with a $5.00 credit card charge. The Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York is a private, not-for-profit organization, which receives no government funding and is supported by responsible businesses and consumers. It serves the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, and the Mid-Hudson region by providing Reliability Reports on local businesses and charities, offering mediation and arbitration services for consumer complaints, and investigating misleading advertising and selling practices.

The AXA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of AXA Financial, Inc. As a provider of a broad range of financial products and services, AXA Financial, through its primary businesses, helps people plan for the future.

Planning for the future has become even more crucial, as the American population grows older and lives longer. The planning process includes concerns for the distribution of assets after death. To assist seniors and their families in working through this planning process, the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York announces the publication of Planning Wisely: Wills and Estate Fundamentals. This brochure is part of BBB Senior Solutions, a national effort by Better Business Bureaus and sponsored by the AXA Foundation, to provide resource information for seniors and their caregivers. The brochure describes important elements of the process of estate planning and will preparation.

"Many people want to provide their heirs with the assets that they have worked years to accumulate," explained Ronna D. Brown, President of the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York. "Planning Wisely is designed to help make that process smoother."

"Making clear choices in advance can save your family from future hassles and expense," noted Francine Lynch, Director of Programs at the AXA Foundation. "This brochure provides important information on options for making these crucial plans."

To receive a free copy of the tip sheet, consumers can contact the BBB at 212-533-7500, ext. 162, or check our website at www.newyork.bbb.org. For more information on specific companies, please call 212-533-6200, with a $5.00 credit card charge. The Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York is a private, not-for-profit organization, which receives no government funding and is supported by responsible businesses and consumers. It serves the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, and the Mid-Hudson region by providing Reliability Reports on local businesses and charities, offering mediation and arbitration services for consumer complaints, and investigating misleading advertising and selling practices.

The AXA Foundation is the philanthropic arm of AXA Financial, Inc. As a provider of a broad range of financial products and services, AXA Financial, through its primary businesses, helps people plan for the future.