|
Greetings,
This holiday season brings some major changes to
Medicare. Please consider attending our Medicare Part
D Enrollment Day described below. Keely Benson,
profiled in this edition, and other SHINE counselors will
be on hand to help you.
Along with the holidays comes cold weather. Dan
O'Leary's article offers suggestions on how you can
lower your home heating costs. And, as Internet-savvy
readers, you might also take a look at our article on
Phishing, an increasing concern for all web users.
| Workshop To Enroll Seniors In Medicare Part D |
 |
Do you know someone who needs help with the new
Medicare Part D?
MVES will be sponsoring "The Medicare Part D
Enrollment Day" to assist seniors in signing up for
Medicare Part D. The enrollment day will be held at
MVES in Malden on December 15. SHINE (Serving
Health Information Needs of Elders) Counselors will be
available from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. to help seniors enroll
in this new program. Those wishing to attend the
workshop must pre-register by December 7 by calling
MVES at 781-324-7705 ext. 164.
Read more... »
|
| Behind The Scenes With MVES' SHINE Coordinator |
|
With the new Medicare Part D Prescription Drug
Program rolling out on January 1, 2006, SHINE
Coordinator
Keely Benson has had her hands full with training new
volunteers, organizing outreach events, coordinating
enrollment, and answering general health insurance
questions from the public. Keely recently took a few
minutes out of her busy schedule to speak with us
about her role as SHINE Coordinator.
Editor: For those who don't know much about
this program, what is SHINE?
K. Benson: SHINE stands for Serving Health Insurance
Needs of Elders. As part of the state's SHINE program,
we provide health insurance information to all Medicare
beneficiaries who live in the 21 cities that make up our
region. We are very fortunate to currently have 25
SHINE counselors, with seven new volunteers training
at this time. In fact, most SHINE counselors are
volunteers.
Read more... »
|
| Avoid Falling Victim To Online "Phishing" Scams |
|
As you open your e-mail inbox, your attention is drawn
to an e-mail that purports to be from your bank. Upon
opening the e-mail with curiosity, you read:
"Dear Valued Banking Customer:
It has come to our attention that your account
information needs to be confirmed due to inactive
customers, fraud, and spoof reports. If you could
please take 5-10 minutes out of your online experience
you will not run into any future problems with the online
service. However, failure to confirm your records may
result in your account suspension."
Inactive customers? Future problems? Account
suspension? Your initial concern is intensified after you
read these warnings from your bank. You may be
tempted to "click here to provide account information,"
as the e-mail eventually prompts, to ensure that your
account remains safe. But don't! Take the bait and you
could be hooked by a phishing scam like this one.
Read more... »
|
| Setting Limits In Caregiving |
|
Question: I am a married woman with two very
active teenage children. I work full time outside the
home. As if that isn't enough to keep me busy, I also
help out my aging parents. My mother's health has
recently declined and she is very dependent on my
father. He calls me for the most insignificant reasons
and expects me to rush right over. I feel like I'm being
pulled in a million different directions. How do I deal
with all of this?
Answer: The short answer is you can't deal with it for
very long. Every once in a while you might meet
someone who appears to be Superwoman or Superman,
but this person is the exception to the rule. Most
working people--and granted, most of the caregiving
remains the woman's responsibility--find it a challenge
to balance their job, household responsibilities, caring
for children, a relationship with a spouse, and helping
older family members. We may be able to keep
everything running smoothly for a while but something
has to give--unless we remember how to do one
important thing: set limits.
Read more... »
|
|
| Keeping Out the Cold |
 |
|
We don't have to search hard to see the effect that
high oil prices have had on consumers. In the wake of
Hurricane Katrina, oil prices jumped to unprecedented
levels. Automobile drivers, the airlines, and virtually any
business that relies on transportation saw this increase
cut into their respective wallets. Now, with winter
quickly approaching, residents face the challenge of
paying high heating costs without completely emptying
their pockets.
Elders living independently in the community are of
particular concern. Adhering to fixed incomes, seniors
must somehow meet the tremendous increase in fuel
costs out of necessity. After all, how can seniors live
safely in their homes if their homes aren't habitable in
the cold winter months?
Seniors and their caregivers should let their elected
officials know that the high home heating costs may
seriously affect their health and financial security.
Recently, Representative Edward J. Markey invited
Medford Resident Dorothy Elizabeth Tucker to testify
before the House Energy and Commerce Committee (see
related article) in
Washington D.C. Mrs. Tucker eloquently described the
impact of high heating costs on elders, like herself, in
the
community. Such advocacy needs to continue. Seniors
and their families should continue to press officials on
limiting oil prices. I strongly encourage you to call or
write your local representative or senator and explain
how the cost of heating your home will be increasingly
burdensome and potentially impossible to afford.
Read more...
|
|
