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Greetings,
Helping elders remain at home, safely and
independently, is what Mystic Valley Elder Services is
all
about. This month's Beacon offers some
important information--from legislation to flu facts to
scam warnings--that affects elders and caregivers. We
hope you enjoy the articles and we wish you a happy
Thanksgiving.
| Beware of Current Telephone Scam! |
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In the past few days, several area residents have
received phone calls from a male stating that he is from
their credit card company. He says that their credit
card has been deactivated due to the fact that they
are being shown as deceased on the account.
The male asks for the elder resident to confirm their
credit card number. If the resident refuses to give his
account number and information, he states that all the
elder's credit cards will be deactivated for up to three
weeks and that they will not be able to use them. After
the credit card number is given, the male then states
that they will activate the card for the senior.
This is a total scam and telephone fraud.
Read on... »
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| Caregiving can mean Careful Questions |
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Question: My parents live out of state and this
makes it difficult
for me to assist with some of their aging issues. My
mother was a very capable, efficient career woman.
Since retirement she has lost a lot of confidence and
assertiveness. She'll call to tell me about a new health
problem or medication but won't remember anything in
detail that her doctor said. She seems to accept
everything he tells her without questioning further. Any
suggestions?
Answer:
You're at a distinct disadvantage due to location since
you can't encourage your mother to allow you to
accompany her to medical appointments. If you were
to observe first hand your mother's demeanor while
visiting her doctor or receiving other medical treatment
it might give you a clearer picture of what is happening.
Your mother may be happy with her doctor and
receiving good medical care. The problem possibly could
be her view of medical professionals as authority
figures--thus her inability to advocate for herself. She
needs to be encouraged to speak up, ask questions,
and take an active role in staying healthy.
A good relationship between a doctor and patient is a
partnership, each assuming responsibility in the
approach to good medical care. Your mother has an
obligation to inform her doctor of concerns, new
symptoms, side effects of medications, and any
changes in health. She also needs to learn to ask
questions when she doesn't understand something;
otherwise the assumption will be there isn't a problem.
The doctor hopefully will take the time to listen, and
clearly explain the causes and treatment of physical
problems. It takes cooperation on both individuals' part
for this to be effective.
Read more... »
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| Flu Facts |
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It's the most wonderful time of the year. Or it is? With
cold weather and the flu preparing to settle in for a few
months, many people would hardly consider this the
best time of the year. And though there's little we can
do about the weather, we can take proactive steps
against the flu. Here are some facts about the flu as
presented by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
True: "People can die from the flu."
Influenza (flu) is a highly infectious disease of the
lungs, and it can lead to pneumonia. Each year about
114,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized and about
36,000 people die because of the flu. Most who die are
65 years and older. But children younger than 2 years
old are as likely as those over 65 to have to go to the
hospital because of the flu.
Read more... »
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| Giving in the Holiday Season |
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As the holiday season approaches, its that time of year
when many of us reflect on our lives and identify the
things we are thankful for. It is also a time of year to
recognize that there are many around us who are less
fortunate. We at MVES have found that often an
amazingly small amount of financial assistance in the
range of $50 to $1000 can have an incredible impact on
the quality of life for local elders in need. A new set of
dentures or eyeglasses, a lightweight portable
wheelchair, or assistance with moving expenses are all
examples of how MVES has provided a small amount of
cash assistance and greatly impacted the quality of life
of a local elder.
The MVES Elder Independence Fund has been
established to provide immediate cash assistance to
local elders to help them purchase essential home care
equipment or address urgent situations of need for
which there is no other government program or
charitable resource that can respond. The MVES Elder
Independence Fund is funded through the generosity of
people such as you. Each year, MVES makes a Fall
Appeal requesting donations to replenish this critical
source of support for older adults. If you would like to
consider supporting the Fall Appeal for the MVES Elder
Independence Fund, please read more.
Read more... »
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| Medicare Rx Bill--Is it good for you? Is it good for older Americans? |
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The answers to these two questions may be very
different depending on your income, current insurance
coverage, and health. Clearly, the Medicare
prescription drug bill currently being debated in
Congress would provide certain advantages and
benefits. If you have a very low income (up to $8,980
per year) and have few or no assets (less than $6,000)
and no coverage, the new bill could be a good deal for
you. If you have a variety of health conditions that
require high cost prescriptions (over $3,600 per year
out of pocket) and no insurance coverage, then again
you will be in favor of the bill. However, if you have
access to a prescription drug insurance plan, have a
moderate income (over $8,980) and have very modest
assets (more than $6,000), your likely benefits from the
bill will be negligible at best.
The numbers and variables are confusing. But, for the
moment, we should put aside self interest and ask if
this bill is good for most older Americans and for
those
of us who hope to be older Americans. In the short run
(until 2006), the plan offers very little to anyone in the
way of comprehensive prescription coverage. If the
plan is enacted in the coming weeks, older people
would be eligible for a moderate 15-25% discount on
drugs purchased in 2004 and 2005 with a Medicare
card. Although a discount, this percentage will still
leave elders with sizeable prescription costs. It is also
important to remember that, regardless of the pending
bill, most elders who are currently covered under the
Medicaid program (very low-income elders) have
prescription coverage already.
Read more...
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