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Greetings,
Fall has arrived and the cooler weather with it! We
hope you enjoy the season and we encourage you to
embrace a healthy lifestyle now and throughout the
year. In this issue of The Beacon, you'll find
articles about your health, aging, and even an
opportunity to show off your talents.
Enjoy!
| Behind the Scenes--Health Services Case Manager |
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The Health Services team plays an integral role at
MVES. Elisa Amara, a health services case manager,
works hard to coordinate services for clients in many
different programs. We talked with her in this edition of
Behind the Scenes.
Editor: What is your primary responsibility as a
Health
Services Case Manager?
E. Amara: I manage the services of 70 clients. I ensure
that clients receive all the needed services and
resources available to them. My clients typically require
intensive services and are enrolled in various programs.
These programs include Enhanced Community Options
Program (ECOP), Community Choices, Personal Care
Attendant (PCA), and Group Adult Foster Care (GAFC).
I manage a client's services from the office and
conduct home visits to make sure the services are
working for the client.
Read on... »
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| Senior fine art show looks for artists |
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Mystic Valley Elder Services has announced that it will
again hold its highly successful senior fine art show for
the fifth consecutive year, beginning November 6,
2003. The senior fine art show is designed to
showcase the talents of amateur and professional
senior artists, age 60 and older, who live in the MVES
service area towns of Everett, Malden, Medford,
Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, and
Wakefield.
Senior artists are invited to submit paintings of art in
oil, acrylic, pastel, or watercolor. Framed sketches are
also accepted. Artists may submit up to two works of
art, each with a framed size of 30" x 36" or less.
There is no entry fee and no specific theme for this
exhibit. Artists are encouraged to submit those works
of which they are most proud. The artwork will be
displayed throughout Mystic Valley Elder Services'
office hallways and conference rooms at 300
Commercial Street, Suite 19, in Malden.
Read more... »
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| Are you losing out on benefits? |
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Q: Are many seniors losing out on benefits they don't
know about?
A: Yes. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) has
published a "Benefits Check-Up" that lists 1,000
benefits programs that they say many seniors miss out
on. Here is the NCOA list of "missed benefits":
1. SSI-Supplemental Security Income. This is a
program that adds income to your Social Security
check. 1.2 million seniors are missing out on SSI checks
of $300 or more per month. Also, ask about the Special
Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries program (SLMB) and
the Qualified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries (QMB)
to augment Social Security checks.
Read more... »
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| Obesity among older Americans |
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Obesity--which is more than just being overweight--is
not only a health problem for young people. There are
15 million people over the age of 51 who are considered
obese, according to the Center on Aging Society. Over
the past 20 years, rates of obesity among older people
have grown dramatically. Of people over the age of 51,
75% of the obese are between the ages of 51 and 69--
in other words, the "younger old."
Obesity is measured by your Body Mass Index (BMI),
which is the relationship of weight-to-height. Of men
age 51 and older, 23% are obese and 46% overweight.
Of women over the age of 51, 24% are obese and 33%
overweight. Obesity is a risk factor for heart disease,
diabetes, stroke, and several forms of cancer. Someone
who is obese has a higher risk of having diabetes or
high blood pressure in their 50s than a non-obese
person in their 70s. The Center for An Aging Society
compares the effects of obesity as being similar to the
effects of twenty years of aging.
Read more... »
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| Driving Sense |
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As we live longer, we naturally want to partake in
normal activities later in our lives. We may have less
energy, a few more aches, and a little less range of
movement, but we still want to walk outside, read the
paper, and drive to see friends and families.
But, as we age, we need to recognize our limitations
while enjoying our freedom. One of the most difficult
realizations that we may face is cutting back on
driving. We may even need to stop driving altogether.
Certainly, this cuts back on our freedom, but we must
all accept, for our safety and the safety of others, that
there's a time when our reflexes aren't up to the task
of driving.
We aren't always the best judge of when we should
stop driving. We should try to have an open dialogue
with our children, caregivers, and friends that invites
them to make suggestions about our driving capability.
We should encourage such discussion when both
parties are calm and the conversation isn't
confrontational.
Driving is an important part of most of our lives. It's no
surprise that it's difficult to give up. However, we all
need to remember that just because we don't drive
anymore, we still can get around. Public transportation,
senior rides, and friends can all help us get to where
we want to go. We must remember to use common
sense when deciding if we are able to drive. There is
much at stake and safety must come first.
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