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Greetings,
Summer is quickly drawing to a close and the cool days
of autumn are beckoning. Before long, students will be
back in school and the leaves will begin to turn.
We hope you've had a wonderful summer. With the
cooler days approaching, perhaps you'll be spending
more time using the computer. If you find this
newsletter useful, please forward it to a friend by
clicking "Forward email" in the lower left corner.
Thanks for your continued support and interest.
| Prescription Advantage--Act Quickly! |
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Prescription Advantage, the state's prescription drug
insurance program, will only have open enrollment for
several more days--until August 30. Elders are
encouraged to immediately review their insurance
needs and, if appropriate, apply for the program.
Prescription Advantage members may pay a deductible
and then modest co-payments for prescriptions. Once
the deductible and co-payments reach a predefined
level, a member doesn't pay any additional co-
payments for the rest of year.
Read on... »
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| VISTA Volunteer to Lead Project SAFE in Everett |
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MVES was fortunate to welcome an Americorps VISTA
(Volunteers In Service To America) member earlier this
month. The VISTA program is federally funded and
volunteers devote a full year of service to one
initiative.
Cheryl Jakielo, a recent Holy Cross graduate, will
dedicate the upcoming year to continuing the
successful Project SAFE program. Project SAFE is a
MVES effort to reach out to elders 85 years and older.
Volunteers go door to door and meet with elders,
asking if they need any assistance and detailing
services that may be useful. Working in collaboration
with the city police and fire departments, the
volunteers identify any potential hazards in the elders'
homes and make suggestions on how to resolve any
dangerous situations.
MVES is currently finishing Project SAFE in Medford and
Cheryl will begin the project in Everett in the fall.
Read more... »
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| Nutritional Supplements Available Online at MVES |
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By eating balanced meals, many of us are able to
obtain the needed calories, minerals, protein, and
vitamins necessary for a healthy lifestyle. However,
some of us need the extra help of nutritional
supplements to round out our diet and help us maintain
a proper weight.
MVES has offered nutritional supplements to community
members for several years. Our prices are very low
because we deal directly with distributors. To make it
even easier to purchase these supplements, MVES now
offers the products for sale online. Ensure, Ensure Plus
and Glucerna can be securely purchased through
mves.org and MVES staff will deliver the supplements
to residents in our service area free of charge.
Read more... »
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| Take a Bite Out of High Phone Costs |
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Trying to reduce your monthly phone bill? Qualified
Massachusetts residents can get help from "Lifeline," a
program offered by Verizon and the Granby phone
company. Lifeline subscribers can save $15.50 per
month on their basic phone bill. If you are eligible for
any of the following programs, you should be able to
get Lifeline discounts: Food stamps; Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families; Fuel Assistance;
MassHealth (Medicaid); Supplemental Security Income
(SSI); Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and
Children (EAEDC).
Lifeline can only be used for the main telephone line in
a household, and the name on the phone bill must
match the name of the person who is eligible for the
program. To sign up for Lifeline you should contact your
local phone company. For Verizon customers, call 1-
800-870-9999, Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m.
to 7 p.m. For the Granby phone company, call 413-
467-9911 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
You will be asked to provide proof of your eligibility by
returning a signed, "self-certification" form. Once the
phone company receives your proof of eligibility, your
monthly Lifeline benefits will start. Your continued
eligibility will be reviewed from time to time, and you
will have to submit updated proof of eligibility forms--
on-going involvement with the program is not
automatic.
Read more... »
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| Consumer-Directed Care Comes to MVES |
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Mystic Valley Elder Services continually strives to offer
clients a wide range of services. To this end, we are
beginning implementation of a new program, Consumer-
Directed Care (CDC), which empowers a client to hire
and
manage their own caregiver. The advantage of this
service model is by managing his or her own Consumer-
Directed Care Worker, a client can best arrange
visits and services to fit individual schedules and unique
situations.
A CDC Worker can help a client dress, bathe, care for
skin, take medication, eat, walk, use the bathroom, and
exercise. They may be authorized to help with
housekeeping, laundry, shopping, and cooking meals.
An important feature about the program is that a CDC
Worker can be a relative, neighbor, or a person the
client knows to be supportive and responsible. A CDC
Worker cannot be a client's spouse. A CDC Worker does
not have to have any special license or certification,
but must be eligible for employment in Massachusetts.
As always, MVES is here to help clients with this new
program. We will help clients learn to hire and manage
the CDC worker to ensure a caring relationship. MVES
also pays the CDC worker and clients are not required
to generate bills or calculate payments. To enroll in the
CDC program, a client must be eligible for State Home
Care services; be able to hire, train, and supervise a
worker; and be able to work closely with a case
manager to develop a service plan. MVES is excited to
offer CDC in the coming weeks and I encourage you to
contact an Information Services Representative to
learn more. Please call 781-324-7705.
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