FEBRUARY 2017
plus!
The magazine for active, mature lifestyles
9 PAGE
Sigourney Weaver
50 plus!
INSIDE
2 The Savvy Senior: How to spot and fix medical billing mistakes
3 Wisconsin nursing
homes phasing out use of alarms
3 Manitowoc Senior Center offers Beginners Tai Chi class
4 Tax season: Where to go for help
5
An Alzheimer’s drug fails, but many others still in testing
6 Communities work to become age-friendly for residents
7 Feds push to keep
seniors in home, community programs
8 Puzzles 9 ON THE COVER:
Q&A: Sigourney Weaver reflects on an unexpected life in sci-fi Sigourney Weaver stars in the new film, “A Monster Calls.” (Invision/AP)
10 Puzzle Answers STAFF
JIM MILLER
Syndicated columnist, NBC Today contributor & creator of SavvySenior.org
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
How to spot and fix medical billing mistakes Dear Savvy Senior, After a recent hospital stay, I have a stack of confusing medical bills at home I need to decipher. I’ve heard these bills frequently contain mistakes. How do I spot them to ensure I’m not paying more than I need to be? — Cautious Carol Dear Carol, Medical billing errors and overcharging is not uncommon. According to the American Medical Association, 7 percent of medical bills in 2013 had errors, and other groups estimate that figure to be much higher. Unfortunately, untangling those mistakes is almost always up to you. Here are some tips and tools that can help. CHECK FOR ERRORS To help you get a grip on your medical bills and check for errors, you need to familiarize yourself with what your insurance does and doesn’t cover. Then, you need to carefully review the explanation of benefits from your insurer, and the invoices you receive from your doctor, hospital and/or outpatient facility providers. These invoices need to be itemized bills detailing the charges for every procedure, test, service and supply you received. If you didn’t receive an itemized invoice, request it from your health care providers. And if the invoices contain any confusing billing codes or abbreviations that you don’t understand, ask them for an explanation. You can also look up most medical billing codes online by going to any online search engine and typing in “CPT” followed by the code number.
• Double billing: Being charged twice for the same services, drugs or supplies. • Canceled work: Charging for a test your doctor ordered, then canceled. • Phantom services: Being charged for services, tests or treatments that were never received. • Up-coding: Inflated charges for medications and supplies. • Incorrect length of stay: Most hospitals will charge for the admission day, but not for day of discharge. Be sure you’re not paying for both. • Incorrect room charges: Being charged for a private room, even if you stayed in a semiprivate room. • Inflated operating room fees: Being billed for more time than was actually used. Compare the charge with your anesthesiologist’s records.
To make sure the charges on your bill are reasonably priced, Once you receive and decode the invoices, keep your insurance provider may offer your eyes peeled for these mistakes: an online price transparency tool, 50 Plus! is published monthly by the Herald Times Reporter Media. It • Typos: Incorrect billing codes, a misspelled name or use the Healthcare Blue Book also is distributed to select businesses in Manitowoc County. or a wrong policy number. or Guroo. These are free resources Brandon Reid, editor Herald Times Reporter 920-686-2984 breid@manitowoc.gannett.com
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that let you look up the going rate of many procedures, tests or services in your area. MAKE CORRECTIONS If you find errors or have questions about charges, contact your insurer and your health care provider’s billing office. When you call, be sure you write down the date, time and name of the person you speak to and a summary of the conversation, in case you need to refer back to it at a later time. If there’s a billing code error or some other mistake that’s easily correctable, ask your health care provider to resubmit a corrected claim to your insurance company. If you aren’t able to resolve the dispute on your own, you may want to consider hiring a medical billing advocate to work on your behalf. To find someone, try sites like billadvocates.com or claims.org. Most advocates charge an hourly fee – somewhere between $50 and $200 per hour – for their services, or they may work on a contingency basis, earning a commission of 25 percent to 35 percent of the amount they save you. If you’re a Medicare beneficiary, another resource is your State Health Insurance Assistance Program. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
Wisconsin nursing Manitowoc Senior Center offers Beginners Tai Chi class homes phasing out use of alarms USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN
BRYNA GODAR
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MADISON - Alarms no longer go off when a resident shifts in bed or rises from a wheelchair at Oakwood Village Prairie Ridge in Madison. Nurses no longer place fall mats next to beds or lower beds to the floor when residents sleep. The changes, which took effect at the nursing facility in June, are part of a nationwide movement to phase out personal alarms and other long-used fall prevention measures in favor of more proactive, attentive care. Without alarms, nurses have to better learn residents’ routines and accommodate their needs before they try to stand up and do it themselves. “We’re putting alarms on residents so we can forget about them,” said Jenna Heim, director of nursing at Oakwood Village Prairie Ridge. The use of bed and chair alarms proliferated in the 1990s, when physical restraints were banned, and are intended to go off when a resident’s weight shifts, indicating they may be trying to stand without assistance. But a growing body of evidence indicates alarms and other measures, such as fall mats and lowered beds, do little to prevent falls and can instead contribute to falls by startling residents, creating an uneven floor surface and instilling complacency in staff. Nursing professionals, advocates and regulators say such alarms will likely be phased out almost entirely within a few years, though a spokesman for the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said there’s no timeline for any formal, widespread changes.
Tai Chi is a form of martial arts that Some staff and family members have involves, slow, controlled and lowbeen hesitant to let go of the alarms, impact movements, which can be easy worrying the change will lead to an for seniors, even those with limited increase in falls. movement. “What we really need to do is understand why that individual is Benefits of participation include: wanting to get up in the first place,” said relaxation and balance of mind and Joan Devine, director of education at body, improved balance, and reduction the Pioneer Network, which is pushing in falling down. It also helps participants have a sense of well-being, helps fight for national changes. the effects of arthritis, and helps to There isn’t clear data on how many Wisconsin facilities have gone alarm- improve circulation and posture. free, but a letter from Lasata Senior Beginner’s Tai Chi is held on Tuesdays Living Campus north of Milwaukee and Thursdays at 2:55 p.m. notifying families about its own Because Tai Chi is a progressive class, transition to being alarm-free says it’s one of only a few facilities left in the state that haven’t made any changes. About 1,800 older adults living in nursing homes die each year from fall-related injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research shows a reduction in falls at long-term care facilities that discontinued the use of the alarms and tailored fall prevention for individuals — things like altering bathroom schedules, room rearrangements or more mental stimulation. At the Jewish Rehabilitation Center for the North Shore in Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Peer Review Organization found a 32percent reduction in falls for the unit in the final quarter of 2005 as it went alarmfree, compared to the average number of falls for the first three quarters of 2005. At a long-term care facility in Ohio for those with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, researchers also found a decrease in the rate of falls and staff members reported a “calmer, more pleasant environment.”
Call the Senior Center at 920-686-3060 to be added to the list of participants. Note: Senior Center membership is required for this class. In addition to Tai Chi, the Senior Center offers several other fitness classes including Senior Shape-Up (low-impact aerobics), Functional Strength (stretching for arthritis), Yoga, Chair Yoga, Line Dancing/Line Dance Lessons, and Zumba Gold. All fitness classes are available to Senior Center members and have a nominal fee associated with them. Senior Center membership is open to all, ages 55 and older. Stop in for a tour or to learn more on how to join.
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MANITOWOC - The Manitowoc Senior Center has a new Beginners Tai Chi class, which will be starting Tuesday, March 7.
new participants must start within the first three weeks of class.
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Tax season: Where to go for help BY CATHY LEY
Aging and Disability Resource Center of the Lakeshore director
Tax season is here and The Aging & Disability Resource Center of the Lakeshore always receives questions about where to go for help. According to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, the Homestead Credit program is designed to soften the impact of property taxes and rent on people with lower incomes. Qualifications are as follow: • You occupied and owned or rented during the year a home, apartment or other dwelling that is subject to Wisconsin property taxes. • You are 18 years of age or older and you are a legal resident of Wisconsin all year. • You cannot be claimed as a dependent for the year on someone else’s federal income tax return. (This qualification does not apply if you are 62 years of age or older at the end of the year.) • You will not claim farmland preservation credit for the same year or the veterans and surviving spouses property tax credit based on the same property taxes. • Household income includes all taxable and certain non-taxable income, less a deduction of $500 for each qualifying dependent. If the household income is $24,680 or more, no credit is available. • Property taxes are those levied during the year, regardless of when they are paid. Rent includes only those amounts actually paid for
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the year.
ter will be setting up appointments at many of the low-income housing complexes in the county throughout the next two months. The following information is necessary to complete the tax credit: 2016 Social Security statement; information about SSI for both federal and state (bank statement will verify); 1099s for pension, annuities, interest and dividends; W-2s for wages (if younger than 65, it is necessary to file an income tax return; those older than 65, wages must be less than $500); property tax bill for 2016 (if you own the home); completed 2016 Rent Certificate filled out by landlord if renting; Homestead copy from previous year, if you have it; proof of any other income reportable for tax purposes; and any other tax statements you have received. You also need to bring along information about health insurance premiums – supplements, advantage plans, Part D premiums, and Long Term Care policy amount paid in 2016.
The Manitowoc and Two Rivers senior centers will have trained volunteers once again this year to assist seniors in filling out Homestead Credit forms. For Homestead Credit, assistance is available only for those who are able to file the H-EZ form. It is important to note that if an individual is currently receiving insurance through the Affordable Care Act/Marketplace/Obamacare, they will need to have regular income tax prepared (not just Homestead) to Please note that some individuals will ensure they receive all applicable credreceive a new Form 1095-A – Health its. The Manitowoc Senior Center is Insurance Marketplace Statement in scheduling appointments for individuals the mail. The Health Insurance Marwho need assistance with Homestead ketplace sends this form to individuals Credit. The number to schedule an ap- who enrolled in coverage there. If you pointment is 920-686-3060. A person received a Form-1095, the ADRC canmust be age 55 or older to take advan- not do a Homestead Claim form for tage of this service. They also have ap- you; you will need to file a regular tax pointments available for assistance with return. In addition, the ADRC will not regular income tax. You must call to assist any non-disabled person younger make an appointment. Assistance with than 60, anyone who has a dependent, taxes is available at the Two Rivers Se- anyone with wages that require a tax nior Center. The number to schedule an return, and anyone with rental income appointment in Two Rivers is 920-793- with expenses and claiming deprecia5596. A person must be age 50 or older tion. to take advantage of this service. Schedule for ADRC of the Lakeshore The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Homestead Tax Assistance (if interestprogram will assist low-income people ed, call appropriate telephone number with income tax preparation regardless to make an appointment) of age. This is provided through Lake• Thursday, Feb. 2 – Reedsville Manshore Technical College. Assistance or, 431 Madison St., Reedsville, will be available at various locations. To 1-4:30 p.m. Call 920-754-4101. schedule an appointment, call 920-693• Thursdays, Feb. 2, March 2 and 1398. April 6 – Two Rivers Senior CenThe Wisconsin Department of Revter, 9 a.m.-noon. Call 877-416enue, at 608-266-8641, also will assist 7083. individuals by telephone. • Wednesday, Feb. 8 – Garfield GarThe Aging & Disability Resource Cendens, 2000 Clark St., Manitowoc,
1-5 p.m. Call 920-682-2323. • Thursday, Feb. 9 – Manitou Manor, 1433 N. Sixth St., Manitowoc, noon-4:30 p.m. Call 920-684-5865. • Thursday, Feb. 9 – Village Green East, 2401 Polk St., Two Rivers 1-4:30 p.m. Call 920-794-7961. • Wednesday, Feb. 15 – River Hills Apartments, 1500 N. Third St., Manitowoc, 9 a.m.-noon. Call 920-682-4979. • Thursday, Feb. 16 – Kiel Community Center, 510 Third St., Kiel, 12:30-4 p.m. Call 877-416-7083. • Thursday, Feb. 21 – Village Green West, 2602 Forest Ave., Two Rivers, 1-4 p.m. Call 920-794-8713. • Thursday, Feb. 23 – Mishicot Vets Club, 314 W. Main St., Mishicot, 10 a.m.-noon. Call 920-755-2234.
Lakeshore Memory Café Have you heard about the Lakeshore Memory Café? Memory Cafés welcome those experiencing early stage dementia, mild memory loss or cognitive impairment, and family and friends of those affected. It’s an opportunity for lively discussions, information gathering, refreshments, camaraderie, and lots of creative fun. We have a dementia specialist professional on hand to answer questions and an enormous wealth of experience among participants to be shared. We’d be delighted if you would join us. An upcoming session will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 1, at Manitowoc Public Library. February’s theme is “Wheel of Fortune” with special guest star “Vanna White.” How good are you at solving the Wheel’s puzzles? Will you win a prize? Wheel of Fortune trivia will see how much YOU know. Lakeshore Memory Cafés are a program of the Dementia Friendly Community Committee – a partnership of many local organizations who have joined together to make Manitowoc County more dementia friendly. For more about the program, or if you would like to volunteer for the committee, call Kim Jacquart Franzen at 877-416-7083.
An Alzheimer’s drug fails, but many others still in testing
Researchers are looking at several ways to fight disease MARILYNN MARCHIONE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Another major Alzheimer’s drug study has failed, leaving patients and families wondering whether there will ever be a treatment to slow or reverse the most common form of dementia, which afflicts more than 5 million in the United States alone. Eli Lilly & Co. said in November that solanezumab failed to slow mental decline in people with mild Alzheimer’s. The drug is still being tried in two other studies, and at least 18 other drugs are in late-stage testing, including several similar to solanezumab. Dietary therapies, supplements and even a medical device also are being tried. “There are other approaches that we need to pursue. We need to redouble our efforts,” said Maria Carrillo, chief science officer of the Alzheimer’s Association. Some things being tried: STARTING EARLIER. Solanezumab was tested in people with mild dementia after two previous trials showed it did not help those further along, with moderate Alzheimer’s. Many doctors think even the mild stage
is too late to try to reverse neurological damage. Today’s news “strengthens my belief that we should be trying this before people have symptoms,” said Dr. Reisa Sperling, a neurologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. She is testing whether solanezumab can prevent development of dementia in people with no symptoms but sticky deposits of a substance called amyloid, which forms plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. More than 800 out of the intended 1,150 participants have been enrolled, and she’s rethinking whether that’s enough. The National Institutes of Health and Lilly are funding the research. OTHER DRUGS. Solanezumab binds to amyloid, helping the body to get rid of it. Three other experimental drugs aim to work earlier in the process. They target BACE, an enzyme involved in producing amyloid. Lilly and AstraZeneca have partnered on one BACE inhibitor; others are being developed by Merck & Co. and by Eisai Inc. with Biogen. Another late-stage study tests a drug aimed at tau, the other protein thought
Eli Lilly said in November that its potential Alzheimer’s treatment, solanezumab, failed in another large clinical study, ending hope that researchers had finally found a drug that can slow the fatal, mind-robbing disease. (Darron Cummings/AP)
to play a key role in Alzheimer’s besides amyloid. Results are expected at a medical conference next month. BEYOND TRADITIONAL ALZHEIMER’S DRUGS. A large study is testing the blood pressure drug nilvadipine. Yet another is trying a nose spray version of insulin, which some earlier work suggested
shows promise. Several studies test various diet and nutrition studies, including one experiment with vitamin E and selenium supplements. Finally, doctors are testing a device, sort of a pacemaker for the brain. It delivers transcranial magnetic stimulation to stimulate specific regions that appear affected by dementia.
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Communities work to become age-friendly for residents Efforts can range from sidewalks to socializing JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press
“I think we’re seeing that culture shift a little bit,” she said.
DALLAS - Hundreds of communities around the world — both big and small — are working to make sure people can live there from birth to old age.
The city’s programs include one that gives grants to make improvements that will allow people to stay in their homes as they grow older, said the city’s AARP age-friendly coordinator, Gail Kohn.
Take John Holliday, a 71-year-old rural Maine resident who walks for his health. He uses a paved pathway in Bethel, population 2,600, in the summer. But the winter’s cold and ice are a challenge for Holliday, who uses forearm crutches, so he does laps at a private school gym, recently made available for seniors.
In Macon-Bibb County, Georgia, a community of about 155,000, the revitalization of a park — including restoring a fountain, installing better lighting and benches, and putting in traffic roundabouts to slow down drivers — helped make it a place all ages would feel comfortable spending time, said Myrtle S. Habersham, AARP’s lead area volunteer.
Bethel is one of the more than 130 towns, cities and counties across the U.S. that have joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities since the program was launched almost five years ago. To join, communities must commit to planning ways to enrich life for their older residents, who are a growing population in the U.S.; the number of people 65 and older is expected to nearly double by 2050. “We think there are a lot of opportunities to focus on the needs of older adults and in the process make the community better for everyone,” said Jana Lynott of the AARP Public Policy Institute. Such changes often include better infrastructure, such as more accessible sidewalks or transportation options for seniors who don’t drive anymore, as well as things to keep seniors socially active, like technology classes. The Fort Worth City Council approved an agefriendly plan this month. Mayor Betsy Price, who has long focused on fitness, said it was important for her city of about 850,000 get the label. “I’m 67; I want to be active and be engaged,” she said. “Part of aging in place is that people don’t get isolated.” A walkability study led to additional sidewalks and ramps in a neighborhood near downtown Fort Worth, which in turn brought out all kinds of people milling about and going to parks — including mothers with strollers and people in motorized wheelchairs.
6 . FEBRUARY 2017 . 50 plus!
Joining AARP’s network means automatic membership in the World Health Organization’s Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities, which has about 350 cities and communities. WHO network leader Alana Officer said projects have included building community sheds where retired men can socialize and do activities like woodworking or repairing cars.
Eva Bonilla walks at Linwood Jesse D. Sandoval Park in Fort Worth, Texas. The sidewalk was built in part due to Bonilla’s effort to make her community more age-friendly. (Tony Gutierrez/AP)
“I talk to the neighbors more,” said Eva Bonilla, 67, who was inspired to become an AARP volunteer after helping with the study. In addition to being part of the AARP network, Washington, D.C., has dozens of neighborhoods that are part of the 360-village-plus Village to Village Network, which helps people form support systems to age in place. Those range from neighbors helping each other by running errands or pet-sitting to organizing activities like book clubs and museum visits. Even people who aren’t yet retirement age are thinking ahead and considering such concepts, said the network’s executive director, Natalie Galucia.
“It’s been an important mechanism for tackling social isolation and loneliness by creating activities of interest to, in this case, men,” Officer said. Bethel’s age-friendly movement was launched after several townspeople read the book “Being Mortal,” which discusses the role of medicine in relation to the quality of life for older people, said Al Cressy, a resident who’s heading up the town’s project. “That prompted us to think: ‘Gee, there’s a message here,’” he said. In addition to the indoor walking program, they created a volunteer-staffed driving service for older people because the area is too small for taxis or public transportation. Caroline Gould, 79, has been using the “wonderful” service to get to doctor’s appointments, and she recommends it to fellow residents. “There’s no worrying about anything, and my family can stay at their work,” she said.
Feds push to keep seniors in home, community programs
As Medicaid costs rise, states seek ways to maintain services ALEJANDRA CANCINO Associated Press CHICAGO - The federal government is pushing states to keep more low-income seniors out of nursing homes and, instead, enroll them in home and community-based programs. The shift comes as demand for longterm care is rising. By 2050, the number of people older than 85 is expected to triple to more than 18 million. These seniors tend to have the highest disability rate and the greatest need for long-term
For example, Illinois is considering changes to its home and communityThe tug-of-war between rising demand based program that would reduce fundand controlling costs has advocates for ing by about $200 million. seniors worrying about quality of care. “I think that oftentimes people are Medicaid is one of the largest expenses afraid of change, regardless of what that for states, and it’s a program they look to change is,” said Andrea Maresca, direcfor savings when budgets are tight. Med- tor of federal policy and strategy at the icaid spending on long-term care was National Association of Medicaid Di$146 billion in fiscal year 2013, includ- rectors. ing nearly $89 billion just for seniors. There’s room to improve the proAdvocates say programs for seniors of- grams, Maresca said, and states are also ten wind up on the chopping block. trying to make sure seniors don’t lose accare.
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cess to services. Loren Colman, of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, said it took that state roughly 25 years to shift from institutional care to home and community-based programs. The focus now is on helping older adults remain at home, delaying expensive nursing home care and supporting family caregivers. To rein in costs, some states are changing payment systems from fee-for-service to managed care, which generally pays a HOME CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
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Sigourney Weaver uses fantasy to plumb deeper emotional depths in “A Monster Calls.” (Focus Features)
Q&A
Sigourney Weaver reflects on an unexpected life in sci-fi JAKE COYLE Associated Press TORONTO - A movie has a way of sitting up straight whenever Sigourney Weaver is in it. Whether the part is small or large, she reliably jolts any film alive with her intelligence and commanding presence. She usually means business.
That, of course, has been apparent since her breakthrough role as Ellen Ripley in “Alien.” But it’s no less true of Weaver at 67. She has an almost queenlike status on today’s movie landscape, particularly in science-fiction. She has defined one mega franchise (“Alien,” with one more on the way) and been the MVP of another (“Ava-
tar,” with four sequels coming). Just her voice is enough to lend sci-fi credibility, whether as the ship’s voice in “WALL-E” or as the all-powerful Director in “The Cabin in the Woods.” Weaver has been particularly ubiquitous in 2016, gracing the year’s top box-office hit, “Finding Dory,” with its best gag (her aquatic center greeting),
and popping in to reprise her original role in the contentious “Ghostbusters” reboot. She was even glimpsed in Ron Howard’s “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years” as a young, rabid Beatlemaniac. But she ended 2016 with “A Monster Calls,” a smaller film that uses fantasy WEAVER CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
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WEAVER
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to plumb deeper emotional depths. Directed by J.A. Bayona (who’s helming the next “Jurassic Park” film), the adaptation of Patrick Ness’ novel is about a boy coping with his mother’s terminal illness. Aside from approaching grief with uncommon seriousness, the film flips some genre tropes, including Weaver’s grandmother character. The actress (who hasn’t lost a bit of her glamour) recently reflected on “A Monster Calls,” her re-entry to Pandora and her legacy of strong female protagonists. AP: Your father, Sylvester “Pat” Weaver was president of NBC and created the “Tonight Show.” Was it like you grew up in show business? Weaver: At the time, I thought everyone’s father ran a network. I thought everyone got to go on the set of “Peter Pan” and meet Mary Martin. I always
used to think I was going to go to school and then come home and be a different girl and go to a different house. It took me a while to realize I was stuck with me. Maybe that’s the early awareness of an actor that we’re all changeable. I remember thinking, “Gosh, I’m so amazed I’m in this body for so long.”
in a play. I played a multiple schizophrenic who kept a hedgehog in her vagina and I wasn’t going to give that part up.
joyed the movie. I love all those wom-
AP: “Alien” was quite a follow-up.
very charming. Does it also make you
Weaver: It didn’t feel like a big movie to me. It felt like a very small, dark, strange movie and I could relate to AP: You have such an impact on a film, that because I was used to doing very regardless of how large your part is. strange things off-Broadway. I thought: Weaver: I really love being part of a This is fine. This is like a workshop good story. I don’t need to be the center movie. of the story. That’s why I really loved AP: Ripley was one of the first strong “A Monster Calls” because the grandfemale protagonists in an action film. Is mother was unlike anyone I’ve played that a legacy you’re proud of ? before — not completely unlike my mother, who was British. It’s a movie I Weaver: I am. I’ve since read other hope families go to together. scripts and I go, “Well, that’s kind of an interesting part, but I’d rather play AP: Was your small role in Woody Althis guy.” Because I always feel still, len’s “Annie Hall,” your first film? like in our world, there’s a lot of testosWeaver: Woody offered me a bigger terone in some of these movies where part but I turned it down because I was really legitimately a woman would be involved. AP: Do you think that’s changing? Weaver: I think by the time your daughters are in the world, everything will be different. AP: What did you think of the backlash to Paul Feig’s “Ghostbusters”? Weaver: I was very surprised by it. I en-
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Hours: M-F 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sat 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
✆920.794.1225 Visit our Web site at
www.medicineshoppe.com/tworivers
©2009 Medicine Shoppe International, Inc., a Cardinal Health company. All rights reserved. 1564/0409
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en. I think Feig is brilliant. I do think it has something to do with the misogyny Trump has unearthed. I thought it was remember how much you loved the first one? I think so, but not to the extent that I’m going to boycott it. We’re sitting at the table. You’ve got to make room for us. We’re not going to go away. AP: Ang Lee’s “Ice Storm” must be a film you’re particularly proud of. Weaver: I was discussing a character I might play with someone and they said, “This woman’s cold.” I said, “I find that a nonsensical adjective for a woman.” I’m sure you could describe Janey in “Ice Storm” as cold, but she wasn’t cold. She was so disconnected from her life and bored by it. AP: You’re soon to head into one mammoth “Avatar” production. Weaver: The scripts for “Avatar” are absolutely incredible. I have committed to a very interesting movie about a woman (“Second Saturn”) that I hope to do in May. It’s like: This is my wonderful meal before I go into Pandora.
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per-person rate to providers who manage seniors’ health and social services. Gwen Orlowski, an attorney at Central Jersey Legal Services, said New Jersey’s managed care program is an improvement over its previous system, but not without issues. She’s had to help some seniors appeal service cuts. “I do worry that the delivery of services is beholden to the money that the managed-care companies are receiving (from the state) and the money they want to make,” said Orlowski, whose office provides free legal assistance to lowincome seniors. To address fears, new federal regulations have been proposed to strengthen protections for seniors in managed care, including help with appeals. A final rule is expected this spring. Already, states are working on implementing earlier rules from 2014 aimed at improving quality of care across pro-
grams. In exchange for federal dollars, states must ensure that seniors have a say in where they want to live and get treated with dignity and respect. Robyn Grant, director of public policy and advocacy for the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long Term Care, said regulations are a “step in the right direction,” but there needs to be proper enforcement. “Unfortunately, that’s very nebulous,” Grant said. The cornerstone of home and community-based programs is personal care services, such as providing an aide who helps with cooking or cleaning. Those services cost a fraction of nursing home care. The average per-person cost of Illinois’ Community Care Program is $860 per month, less than a third of the cost for a nursing home. In the past decade, however, enrollment has doubled to
Some Decisions are TOO IMPORTANT to be Rushed
more than 83,000 people, costing the state nearly $1 billion in fiscal 2015. Illinois is now proposing to move about half the seniors in its program to a new initiative it says will increase flexibility while lowering costs. For example, it may pay for Uber rides to doctors’ appointments instead of sending a driver to seniors’ homes.
Lori B. Hendren, associate state director of advocacy and outreach at AARP Illinois, said the new proposal raises questions about the state’s commitment to seniors aging independently and with dignity at home. “Where will the savings come from?” Hendren said. “The devil is in the details.”
Currently Accepting Individuals in need of Memory Care Our Memory Care Neighborhood offers a reassuring, flexible safe haven for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, Dementia or other memory loss. Private Resident Rooms with private bathroom • 24/7 Skilled Nursing Care • On-site therapy services
It just makes sense to prepare for the inevitable while emotions are at rest and heads are clear. Pre-planning Specialist Mike Jarzin is available to answer your questions and provide the guidance you need to make educated decisions. Call Mike today to set up an appointment.
Manitowoc Health and Rehabilitation Center Accepts: • Medicare • Medicaid • Family Care • Community Care • Veteran’s Benefits • Medicare Replacement Plans • Commercial Insurance • Long Term Care Plans • Private Funds Mike Jarzin
WI-5002084247
Pre-planning Specialist 818 State Street Manitowoc, WI 54220 920 682 0118
1122 South 8th Street Manitowoc, WI 54220 920 682 1568
1124 Main Street Kellnersville, WI 54215 920 732 3535
Caring Above and Beyond (920) 683-4115 • 2021 South Alverno Road – Manitowoc, WI www.manitowochrc.com 50 plus! . FEBRUARY 2017 .
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A NEW Era In Senior Living Dawns! Shady Lane, Inc. – is Changing!
Visit us on Facebook www.shadylaneinc.com
Our 3-Phase Plan will evolve our campus into a modern senior living community sensitive to Manitowoc’s needs. The first step of this change is a
NEW Assisted Living Building
that adds accommodations to Laurel Grove Assisted Living
Our dedicated rehabilitation center is goal-centered. We want to send you home -- but we want to send you home healthier and ready to resume your life. Smart Healing is a program centered on activities and diet that works to achieve that goal.
Privacy when you want it, help when you need it. Independence is important to healthy living. Healthy living sometimes calls for someone to help at times, to be there so you’re not alone. We provide nutritious and delicious meals, activities, cleaning and laundry service as well as companionship. Secure memory care is also available.
All rooms at Shady Lane are private and have private bathroom facilities. Suites, an exclusive feature at Shady Lane Skilled Care, offer more room for residents and their families. Our staff of professional nurses and caregivers reflect the values of Shady Lane giving compassionate care. Hospice care is available.
For information contact: Theresa Patrick, Community Relations Director, 920-682-8254 WI-5002084266
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Shady Lane, Inc. / 1235 South 24th Street / Manitowoc, WI