Canton - Massachusetts
...The 3rd installment of the Real Estate and Personal Property bills were due by Wednesday February 1, 2012...The Planning Board will have a hearing on Wednesday February 1, 2012 on Zoning By-Law changes for Town Meeting...

THE ESCALATING FORECLOSURE CRISIS

More than 30,000 Massachusetts homes will face foreclosure in 2007, and approximately 10% are owned by seniors. Unfortunately, many homeowners do not seek advice or assistance until a foreclosure sale auction is imminent.

Solutions may be available however to salvage your home or to preserve valuable equity in your property. Seniors may be entitled to property tax abatements, fuel assistance, cash benefits, or health coverage that might then reduce your household expenses and free up income for mortgage payments. Mortgage lenders may be willing to restructure a loan or reduce an interest rate on an existing loan.

Bankruptcy protection may also provide a senior with an opportunity to stop an auction and in doing so gain time to possibly sell the property or arrive at a plan to pay the mortgage arrearage. More options may be available to the senior who seeks assistance early rather than waiting until an auction is scheduled.

Seek legal assistance if you are behind on your mortgage payments and if your mortgage payments are more than you can afford. South Middlesex Legal Assistance (1-800-696-1501) offers free legal assistance to seniors who are behind on their mortgages and at risk of foreclosure.

AN ACT REGARDING CHOICE OF LONG TERM CARE SETTING

A landmark bill was signed into law which will allow many more low-income seniors and disabled adults to be able to receive the state-funded home care services they need in their own homes or in the community rather than in nursing homes.
Entitled “An Act Regarding Choice of Long Term Care Setting,” the bill provides for elders and disabled to receive a pre-admission counseling prior to long-term care placement about home care / community care options that are less restrictive such as home care, adult foster care, or day care.

Should these persons choose home care or community care options over nursing home placement, the funding that would have gone to reimburse the nursing home for the individual’s care can now instead be used to pay for home care / community care services.

In other words, the “dollars follow the person” as his / her setting of care changes.

New state legislation also creates a work force registry to match consumers with caregivers, retains the right of persons with disabilities to have control (hiring / firing) over their personal attendants, creates a council to recruit and train caregivers, provides a network of backup / substitute caregivers, and allows attendants to join unions.  This is key legislation as the turnover rates for caregivers is between 40 and 60 percent annually