Private Home Care ........................................................................... 6 Medicare and the Affordable Care Act .......................................12 Screened Senior Service Companies You Can Trust...................14 Treating Arthritis Pain .......................................................................19
FEBRUARY 1ST, 2014
Free Guidance for Seniors and Families
Service Branch
Aging Tree.com
386-774-2446
Private Home Care
Aging in place offers the ability to stay in your own home. When to Consider Home Care
S
ome of us take for granted the simple, ordinary–seemingly meaningless–abilities we get to employ in our daily lives. Things like getting out of bed, brushing our teeth, washing our hair, and getting dressed to start the day are activities we never feel supremely lucky to do; yet once we lose our ability to accomplish those simple actions–– we suddenly realize how important those small tasks are to our health, well being and quality of life. When everyday tasks become a challenge due to a disability, illness, injury, or simply old age, home care provides the assistance needed to keep up a household and make life easier (and safer) for those living in it. It’s very likely that we’ll all have to consider home care at some point in our lifetime––whether it be for a loved one or ourselves. The decision to hire a home care company for you or a family member is an important one that can be very difficult to address. The very first step in the process involves evaluating your particular situation and deciding when it’s time to seek out assistance––but there’s a long way to go from there in the process of securing the right in-home care plan. Read on for some helpful tips: learn about your options and know what to watch out for when electing a home care provider for yourself or a loved one.
Kohl’s Plaza-Orange City
change with aging, making usually routine hygiene and daily living activities difficult. Even with the healthiest of seniors, the ability to drive a car, shop for groceries or do general housekeeping eventually needs to be relinquished to the responsibility of another person.
If an illness or recovery from surgery requires nursing care or physical therapy, a physician may order skilled home care services that provide both trained providers and personal aides. Your decision for care is then based on the obvious medical determinations made by a doctor––but what if you must determine the extent of care needed without the help of a physician?
The question of securing an inhome care provider is based on many factors, including the severity of the situation, the needs and size of the household, the finances at hand, and many other elements. It’s very important that before you address these topics you realize that there are in fact two main types of home care to consider.
If you’re noticing that you or a loved one struggle to get through daily routines that involve driving, cleaning, cooking, and personal maintenance in a safe manner, you may want to consider home care before things get worse. When left unassisted, one accidental slip and fall around the house (or worse: an accident outside of the home in-route to the doctor’s office or grocery store) can be detrimental, life changing and even fatal, let alone bring on an unwelcome minor injury that will only compound the struggle at home.
In-Home Care Options Explained: “Home Care” vs. “Home Health Care” Home Health Care is advanced care within the home provided by licensed medical professionals. It is conducted by home health aides and home healthcare nurses (HHNs), sometimes one of each, who have the medical abilities and equipment that an “home care” provider is not prepared to offer.
To put it simply: If you or a loved one is having trouble getting around the house safely, it’s time to consider inhome care.
Home health care is for seniors with advanced medical issues, trouble breathing, little to no mobility, or pre-diagnosed medical disorders that require the care of an experienced medical professional.
Each home care situation is unique: In the beginning, family or friends step in to help with simple tasks and support for aging seniors who want to stay in their homes. As long term care needs progress, more time is required to manage those needs. Physical and mental conditions
By Desiree Vitale, Elder Assistance of America
Oftentimes when discharged from the hospital or after a temporary stay in a rehabilitation facility or nursing home, you’re eligible for “Home Health Care” assistance paid for by Medicare. If you decide on home health care for a loved one, with or without a physician’s order, be sure to check into your options regarding insurance for both short and long term care. Home Care or In-Home Care refers to domiciliary care (sometimes called custodial or social care) and it is not medically based. Home care services are centered on routine assistance with daily tasks and the companionship of a professional, licensed and insured caregiver. Although there is no heavy medical expertise required in providing this sort of care––experienced caregivers are familiar with the many, varied needs of senior citizens, and provide thoughtful assistance with daily tasks that still greatly contribute to their health and wellbeing. The purchasing and preparation of healthy, well-balanced meals, assistance with personal hygiene, driving, cleaning, and medication scheduling are perhaps the most important responsibilities of an inhome care companion. (cont. page 8)
A Case for Non-Medical Home Care: Karen stops by her parents’ home on her way to work every morning and again on her way home from work in the evening. She checks in the morning to see that her parents are up and ready for the day and takes a shopping list for things they need. In the evening she delivers the items they need, which she purchased on her lunch break––she sometimes fixes a meal when her mother is not able to prepare one. This works well until Karen notices her father isn’t shaving or dressing for the day, and both parents are forgetting their medications. More time and supervision is needed, but with her own family and job, Karen just can’t handle it. Non-medical or personal home care services would be an ideal option for Karen and her parents to consider. 6
FEBRUARY 1ST, 2014
Free Guidance for Seniors and Families
Feature Article
Aging Tree.com
386-774-2446
Kohl’s Plaza-Orange City
Medicare and the Affordable Care Act
Will ObamaCare
By Carmen R. Duffy, CMD Insurance
Affect my
Medicare ?
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was introduced back on March 23, 2010; however, many Americans are still unsure about how the new law will affect their health and finances in the future. For seniors, the changes resulting from the ACA are of even greater significance due to the multiple health and budgeting concerns that develop with age. With the new bill in place, and a few years to settle in, many seniors have found that a number of its provisions offer greater benefits and higher quality care: improvements many doubted just a few years ago. As health care reform debates ignited before the law was passed, rumors swirled, and many seniors feared there would be drastic cuts for Medicare recipients. There was also a concern regarding false claims that the bill would create
an atmosphere of “death panels,” meaning the ACA would determine who was worthy of acquiring coverage for medical care based on evaluating health conditions, age, and other uncontrollable factors that might contribute to costly health plans.
Since the ACA has been set in motion, these rumors have indeed been debunked. In fact, a large majority of seniors are seeing positive changes in their health care plans. Although it may not be every Americans’ “cup of tea,” seniors should be relieved that the changes occurring with the ACA are not to their detriment. In fact, the ACA has actually made life a little easier for those over 65.
• Improved Preventative Care: With the ACA, seniors receive annual physicals and a number of specialized screenings without providing a co-pay or incurring a deductible fee. Screenings and physicals work to keep people well––often catching health problems before they get out of control and require costly treatment that goes beyond what Medicare and the individual patient are able to handle. So it only makes sense to provide these services in order to avoid extra spending in the future. Seniors no longer have to pay for preventative care outof-pocket and are eligible for screenings for things like colon and breast cancer at no cost.
The ACA was established in order to provide greater access to health care coverage, higher-quality medical services and decreased costs in health-related spending. Although opinions differ on how the very vast and complicated changes in health care reform will work to achieve these goals––seniors with Medicare are finding that there is a decrease in out-of-pocket spending, as well as a noticeable improvement in overall coverage and the quality of care provided. Despite earlier reports of Medicare being in danger of collapsing due to a fastdissolving budget, the ACA has significantly improved the future of Medicare. The Medicare Trust Fund, the main financial hold for the entire program, is going to be preserved at least 12 years past the projected “bankruptcy” stage many feared would occur as early as 2017. Other chief benefits for seniors under the ACA include:
• Same Medicare, Less Cost: Medicare benefits remain intact for all seniors under the ACA, and there’s no need to worry about changing doctors, getting stuck with a doctor just because of insurance requirements, or getting out of a familiar medical routine due to the new plan. Medicare Advantage Plan members are also getting 12
additional protection through limitations set forth on the amount that can be collected for administrative costs and insurance companies–– making specialized services like chemotherapy and skilled nursing home care more affordable. • Affordable Medication, Affordable Care: The ACA has lowered prescription drug costs: a saving grace for many seniors. As the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare reports, “Under the ACA, Medicare benefits will not be reduced or taken away, but rather are expanding. Medicare beneficiaries will save, on average, about $4,200 over the next 10 years due to lower drug costs, free preventive services and reductions in the growth of health spending. Since passage of the ACA in 2010, more than 7.3 million people with Medicare saved over $8.9 billion on prescription drugs.” .
Senior Guidance Throu Acupuncture Therapy: ARC Therapy Contact: Sandra Wood Phone: 386-774-6333 Pain Care and Wellness Contact: Eden Pollitz, RN BSN Phone: 386-259-9838
Aids for Daily Living: Captel Caption Telephone Contact: Sandra Robertson Phone: 407-443-9409 Medical Alert (“Help” Button) Contact: Priscilla Kincaid Phone: 386-774-2446 Ext. 303
Assisted Living Communities: Atria at Lake Forest Contact: Rita Benesch Phone: 407-624-4292 Americare Assisted Living, Inc. Waters Edge Contact: Eleanor Gustavsson Phone: 386-789-8848 Bishops Glen Retirement Community Contact: Linda Dixon Phone: 386-226-9112 Caring Hands Assisted Living Contact: Marie Timogene Phone: 386-259-4435 Claire Bridge Assisted Living Contact: Betty Worley Phone: 386-672-8800
Savannah Court Contact: Paulette Buono Phone: 386-775-3030
Accardi Pharmacy Contact: Dr. Roger Accardi Phone: 386-774-5800
Sterling House of DeLand Contact: Lebana Prahl Phone: 386-736-8100
Elder Law:
Woodland Towers Contact: Dorothy Myers Phone: 386-738-2700
Meeks Law Firm Contact: Coren Meeks Phone: 386-738-3900
Care Management:
Financial Services:
Guardian Care Contact: Theresa Barton Phone: 407-786-6033
Certified Senior Advisor Contact: Carol N. Brown Phone: 386-848-0543
Senior Management Care Programs Contact: Tammy Junior Phone: 386-734-9154
Dreggor Rigsby & Teal P.A. Contact: Wendell Jerrard Phone: 386-734-9441
Florida Health Care Plans Contact: Bissy Holden Phone: 386-676-7110 Humana Contact: Meg Hutson Phone: 386-663-1425
Hearing Screenings & Accessories: Hearing Health Services Contact: Lisa Jones Phone: 386-774-2446 Hearing Aids Direct Contact: Fred Gilliam Phone: 800-728-7592
Homemaker Companion Services:
Continuing Care Retirement Community:
Evershore Financial Group Contact: Timothy Haynes Phone: 321-287-9523
Elder Assistance of America, LLC Contact: Desiree Vitale Phone: 386-774-9090
Alliance Community Contact: Annette Lynch Phone: 386-747-7688
Joy Anna Insurance Contact: JoyAnna Rebekah Phone: 386-427-1955
Home Health Care:
Florida Lutheran Retirement Community Contact: Patrick Forestell Phone: 386-736-5872
Miller Senior Services Contact: Marge Miller Phone: 386-479-0724 Primerica Contact: Jeff Allebach Phone: 386-804-6171
Cleaning Services: Cinnamon Cleaning Service, LLC Contact: Lorraine Buday, Carol Fickes Phone: 407-474-3395 407-473-2850
Senior Management Care Programs Contact: Julie Gagnon Tammy Junior Phone: 386-734-9154
Chiropractic Services:
Cloisters of DeLand Contact: Amanda McHugh Phone: 386-822-6900 Ext. 203
Lechmaier Family Chiropractic Center Phone: 386-775-3600
Horizon Bay Contact: Terri Beere Phone: 386-775-3518
Watts Chiropractic Center Phone: 386-218-4924
Lanyard Manor Contact: Greg Hopcraft Phone: 386-668-3674
Clinical Pharmacies:
Health Insurance: Carol Brown CSA Contact: Carol Brown Phone: 386-848-0543 CMD Insurance Agency Contact: Carmen Duffy Phone: 386-626-9420
Meridian Point Chiropractic Phone: 386-917-0007
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Greystone Healthcare Management Contact: Neil Hammer Phone: 386-562-4807 Nirvana Home Health Contact: Michelle Marks Phone: 386-677-7006 Senior Home Care Contact: Rebecca Sandvall Phone: 386-871-1953
Home Medical Equipment: Vienna Medical Contact: Priscilla Kincaid Phone: 386-774-2440
Home Modifications: Install Don’t Fall Contact: Ron Wilkerson Glen Barlow Phone: 407-496-6066 386-956-1350
FEBRUARY 1ST, 2014
Free Guidance for Seniors and Families
Aging Tree.com
Ask The Expert
386-774-2446
Kohl’s Plaza-Orange City
Hearing Health
A Word From Our Hearing Healthcare Professionals...
By Lisa Jones of Hearing Healthcare Centers, LLC and Fred Gilliam of Hearing Aids Direct, LLC
The following excerpts include vital information for seniors regarding the importance of adopting a hearing healthcare plan and the dangers of leaving hearing loss untreated. Each segment has been provided by Aging Tree’s qualified, screened member businesses in the hearing healthcare field: experts on hearing loss and today’s latest treatments.
Hearing Healthcare and You: What You Need to Know About Hearing Loss
T
he Hearing Health Foundation estimates that over 35 million Americans suffer from hearing loss. Although hearing loss is one of the most common disabilities in our society, it often goes untreated. Results from surveys conducted over the last twenty years indicate that approximately 1 in 3 individuals over 60 and 1 in 2 individuals over 75 suffer from hearing loss that negatively affects their quality of life. According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, approximately 80% of the people who suffer from hearing loss do not receive treatment for their condition. It’s easy to understand because hearing loss for most people is a gradual process and in its early stages doesn’t significantly interfere with daily life. What makes things even harder to address is the fact that hearing loss has no visible symptoms and manifests itself primarily through behavior and communications. Typically, the first indication of loss of hearing is most likely to be identified by family and friends. Engaging in conversation becomes more difficult since some of the words being said are not understood, and miscommunications or misunderstandings become commonplace. As a result, the impaired person has to ask for words to be repeated, and as their impairment worsens and communication becomes more difficult, they eventually begin to withdraw from conversations all together. This withdrawal from social interactions can lead to depression and significantly impacts quality of life.
The more that hearing loss is studied, the more correlations with other health issues are being found. Seniors with hearing loss are significantly more likely to develop dementia over time, compared to those who retain their hearing. In some cases, individuals with severe or profound hearing loss withdraw enough from verbal interaction with family and friends that their lack of communication is mistakenly identified as dementia or the beginning of Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, a correlation between hearing loss and diabetes, as well as chemotherapy, has been identified. The ability to hear is one of our critical senses and hearing healthcare needs to be part of every senior’s overall wellness plan. Unfortunately, an untreated hearing loss eventually leads to nerve damage within the inner ear and once the damage occurs, it is not reversible. It is important that individuals over 50 get an annual hearing evaluation from an experienced hearing healthcare professional.
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A Note on the Importance of Addressing Your Hearing Loss… “I hear but I don’t understand” is the most common thing those experiencing hearing loss will say. We hear with our ears, but we understand with the auditory portion of our brain. Having a hearing aid does not hurt or help with the conditions the ears are experiencing due to aging or exposure to loud sounds, they are simply aids that deal with the symptoms of hearing loss due to such factors. The importance of addressing hearing loss as soon as it’s apparent and acquiring a hearing aid and treatment to monitor your condition cannot be overstated. Addressing your hearing loss now can prevent complications and heartbreaking side effects in the future. If left untreated, hearing loss can lead to social and emotional problems that only compound the physical factors that come into play. The brain is a crucial asset to consider if you are on the fence about seeking treatment for your hearing loss symptoms.
The brain does, without question, lose some ability to translate words correctly over time due to hearing loss. In a 2011 paper in the archives of neurology, an epidemiologist at John Hopkins School of Medicine describes this phenomenon as “Cognitive Load,” a state where the brain is trying to translate words and it simply gets behind. An 18-year study showed a connection between hearing loss and dementia, and many professionals suggest a link between hearing loss and depression. Although some people except they have a problem and seek treatment, most live in denial, and some even wait until hearing aids will not help anymore due to the brain losing its memory of what words really sound like. With today’s technology, the right hearing aid will work and can improve the quality of life of a patient and the loved ones around them. Waiting too long is could make hearing loss permanent and it’s so sad because many individuals do not have to encounter that loss is their symptoms are treated in time.
FEBRUARY 1ST, 2014
Free Guidance for Seniors and Families
Dear Savvy Sue
Aging Tree.com
386-774-2446
Kohl’s Plaza-Orange City
Meet Savvy Sue By Savvy Sue
Hi Y’all “Ok, listen up! Assisted living facilities ARE NOT the old folk’s homes you heard about from your grandparents.”
I
’d like to introduce myself. I’m Savvy Sue, a local Florida native. I was raised right here and went all the way through school here--I even taught school here for many years. While continuing to live locally; I’ve married, raised a family and cared for my parents and inlaws. Over the years, I became the primary caregiver for my loved ones. Some of the care giving was in their homes, some was in my home, and some was in assisted living facilities. Necessity drove me to learn all I could about what kind of services are available for caring for others and how to access these care services. I’ve sure learned a lot. Fortunately, I have a love of learning and a desire to share what I know. (I guess that’s why I love being a teacher)
This month I’d like to tell you (like I told her) about assisted living facilities. Ok, listen up! Assisted living facilities ARE NOT the old folk’s homes you heard about from your grandparents. Some of them are big, some are small, and some are just right for you and the people you love. There really are great places for all kinds of people from all walks of life. There are also price ranges to fit almost everyone’s budget.
I’m proud that the good folks at Aging Tree asked me to share some of my knowledge with you— through this monthly question and answer column. (Think, Dear Abby) Therefore; I’ll be sharing knowledge about a lot of different topics dealing with caring for others over the coming months. I’m hoping I can get questions from you and then by answering your questions, I can help you--like I am helping some of my other friends.
I’m taking my friend to visit one of my favorite assisted living facilities that is just a few minutes from my home. I love visiting there. It is a lovely home in a very nice neighborhood with a welllandscaped yard and even a pool. All of the people (who are lucky enough to live there) have a private room. Their home cooked meals are served in the family dining room with nice china and silverware. They can even choose to participate, or not--in games, arts, crafts, and outside activities. This home has
Recently a friend, who lives alone, told me that she had been to see a physician and was told that she should consider moving to an assisted living facility. In a panic, she called and asked me, “What do you know about these places for seniors to live? I don’t want to live in an old folk’s home! Can you help me?”
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six bedrooms and is an affordable option for my friend and almost everyone. Please email any questions you may have about senior living, senior products or senior services to customerservice@agingtree.com with Question for Savvy Sue in the subject line. Or you can contact me or one of the other compassionate senior living advisors at Aging Tree, 985 Harley Strickland Blvd., Unit 100, Orange City, Florida 32763. Either way this is free! Let Savvy Sue help you. I’m looking questions. Sincerely, Savvy Sue
forward
to
your
Don’t forget Your
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