Mary Koffend

Caring.com Expert

About

Mary Koffend is the president of Accountable Aging Care Management (AACM). AACM is an eldercare consulting and care management firm that works with elder clients and their families to find the best care providers and services to meet their needs. AACM provides an objective, third-party perspective on the best options for the elder and a single point of contact for the care providers, elder, and family.

Before starting AACM, Koffend served with the Social Security Administration (SSA) throughout Texas for more than 30 years and was ultimately responsible for Houston's largest and most complex SSA client service operation.

Koffend has also managed Medicaid provider services programs for the State of Texas. As a care manager for Accountable Aging, Koffend has become an invaluable resource for families who need a guidance counselor along the aging journey.

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Recently Published on Caring.com

  1. Tuesday October 27, 2009

    1. Does SSI help with funeral expenses?

      Answer - There is no funeral benefit for recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. The purpose of SSI benefits is to provide a floor against poverty by providing a set benefit amount for current needs, like food and housing. To qualify for the payment, the person must have low income and few assets...

    2. How can we coordinate a care plan for my parents who have vastly different caregiving needs?

      Answer - Dealing with the different caregiving needs of couples is often a very difficult situation. The needs of each spouse for medical and social services makes placement in a single type of facility often impossible. Couples who have been married a long time usually do not want to be separated under any circumstance...

  2. Saturday August 22, 2009

    1. How can I get my father to be more active?

      Answer - Getting a senior to be active can take a lot of creativity, planning, and support on your part. Often the senior has been moved from the community that he has known and the friends or acquaintances of many years. Sometimes they have medical, psychological or memory issues that also contribute to their reluctance to get out of their comfort zone...

  3. Monday August 03, 2009

    1. How do I move her to assisted living?

      Answer - Moving someone with dementia is difficult, but often necessary for their health and well-being. There are some excellent dementia specific assisted living facilities where the staff is trained to work with persons with dementia. The activities and generally the layout for the facilities are focused on the needs and behaviors of persons with dementia...

  4. Tuesday June 09, 2009

    1. Is there a facility for COPD hospice care?

      Answer - Services may be made available in your home to assist your wife in her advanced stages of COPD. Palliative care or hospice care may be the next step to consider in providing COPD caregiving. If you want to know more about these services especially for persons with advanced COPD, there are articles on the web, most of them very clinical...

  5. Wednesday June 03, 2009

    1. How can we reconnect our marriage now that MIL is in a nursing home

      Answer - Thanks for the service to your mother-in-law. I would highly encourage you and your husband to celebrate the efforts you made in the past with caring for her and the continuing efforts you are making to visit her and to have her receive care in a facility that can provide the services she needs...

  6. Wednesday May 13, 2009

    1. Are there tax deductions for assisted living care?

      Answer - Tax deductions for both caregivers and assisted living can be made under the right circumstances and with the proper documentation. It’s common knowledge that you can deduct the cost of medical expenses if they exceed 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income...

  7. Tuesday May 12, 2009

    1. How can we get our mother to open up about her hidden finances?

      Answer - Discussing finances with a senior is often difficult. Most people associate their independence with their ability to handle their own funds. It sounds like you have tried several approaches which were good ideas, but your mom has been resistant.