Care for the Aging
Where can I get information about caring for my aging parent?

The Department of Health and Human Services' Administration on Aging's (AoA's) nationwide Eldercare Locator service helps families and friends find programs and supportive services to help them care for older people in their homes and communities. A national survey conducted for the AoA found that 69 percent of those who contacted Eldercare Locator called on behalf of a family member. Many callers are long-distance caregivers looking for services and agencies to assist relatives or friends who live in another town or state. The survey also showed that as more baby boomers find themselves caring for older family members, they often turn to the Internet for information and resources.

Postscript Please notify your health care providers that it is not necessary to send copies of HCFA-1500 forms to TROA. The TRICARE For Life (TFL) portion of Medicare charges will be processed automatically. TROA has received hundreds of these forms since the "TFL Provider Handbooks" were distributed, and we simply return them to your providers.

The Eldercare Locator service is available online or by telephone. The toll-free number, (800) 677-1116, is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Eastern time. Callers should provide Eldercare Locator staff with either the name of the county and city or the zip code of the person requiring assistance. It is also very helpful to share a description of the situation.

The Eldercare Locator Web site is accessible via TROA's links page, www.troa.org/magazine/links.asp.

Protect Your Identity
I've heard of recent problems with identity theft through the use of DD Form 214. Can you explain?

After years of being advised by various military and military-related agencies to record their dd Form 214 at their local courthouse for safekeeping, servicemembers who are retiring and separating now are getting information to the contrary. There is some evidence that recording the dd Form 214 may not be a wise decision, and it's definitely a decision that must be made on an individual basis.

Information has surfaced suggesting that a military member's identity was stolen by an unscrupulous lawyer who obtained several thousand dd Forms 214 through public courthouse records. Some officials now advise retiring servicemembers who have registered their dd Form 214 with a local agency to consider contacting that agency for assurance their dd Form 214 is safeguarded from viewing by unauthorized individuals. (This must be handled on an individual basis, because documents are not recorded and maintained the same way in all counties in all states.) Transition officials report they are now providing this information to active duty members as they retire or separate so they can make an informed decision about this important and sensitive document.

If public access to DD Form 214 is authorized, it's conceivable a dishonest person could obtain a copy and use it for unlawful purposes (e.g., to obtain a credit card in the retiree's name). In the event county records permit public access, retirees should attempt to have their document removed from county records. Retired members also should take steps to protect their dd Form 214 as they would other sensitive documents, like wills, marriage and birth certificates, insurance policies, etcetera.

Affected individuals may wish to store their dd Form 214 in a safe-deposit box or at some other secure location. Make sure the next of kin or another trusted person will have immediate access to the form at the death of the retired member.

Retired servicemembers who are not satisfied their DD Form 214 is protected and who can't get it deleted from county records may want to discuss with their elected officials the privacy act issue of safeguarding a document containing personal information, specifically a Social Security number.