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Thoughts from
AAA8 Director:
Rick Hindman
Ohio's 2010 Area Agency on Aging Accomplishments
Ohio's Area Agencies on Aging staff members are experts at linking people to the supports that already exist in their communities, so older adults can remain at home. AAAs are Ohio's long-term care solution for smarter state spending.
- Staff members provided 43,122 frail Ohioans with care management in 2010. Yet, 58% of older adults who need long-term care and adults with physical disabilities receive their care in institutions, 42% in their homes and communities. The Unified Long Term Care Systems Work Group set a goal of bringing the balance to 50%-50% in three years. This rebalancing would save $250 million a year in Medicaid long-term care costs.
- By making 44,850 in-home assessments, staff members referred 35,134 consumers to public or private resources for the help they needed.
- By helping 9,716 people enter PASSPORT home care, staff members diverted these older adults from entering nursing homes.
Ohio's Area Agencies on Aging staff members are experts at linking people to the supports that already exist in their communities, so older adults can remain at home. AAAs are Ohio's long-term care solution for smarter state spending.
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Medicare "Extra Help" Saves Seniors an Average of $325 Monthly
In economic times like these, every dollar counts. Estimated to be worth an average of $325 a month, there may be "Extra Help" for prescription drug plan costs especially for senior citizens who have limited income and resources.
In the eight county Area Agency on Aging 8 region, it is estimated that there are an estimated thousands of seniors eligible for the program not taking advantage of the savings leaving nearly millions in benefits untapped.
Anyone who has Medicare can get Medicare prescription drug coverage. Some with limited incomes and resources are also eligible for "Extra Help" with the costs of monthly premiums, annual deductibles and prescription co-payments for a Medicare plan.
AAA8 has more details on this "Extra Help" available in Ohio as well as other programs that may assist those who are 60+ and on limited incomes.
"We know that many people in our rural region qualify for these big savings but they don't even know it," said AAA8 Director Rick Hindman. Trained professionals will help assess what programs seniors may be eligible for and assist with getting them enrolled."
Annual income (single) is $16,245; married is $21,855. Some resource limits also apply - (single) $12,510 and (married) $25,010.
Seniors can all 1-800-331-2644 for application assistance. |
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New Ohio Department of Aging Director Appointed
 In January Governor John Kasich announced that Bonnie Kantor-Burman will head the Ohio Department of Aging. Since 2007, she has been the Executive Director of Pioneer Network, a national center developing high quality, cost effective, consumer-directed, long-term care delivery systems. Previously, she was the Director of the Office of Geriatrics and Gerontology at the Ohio State University Health Sciences Center for over 15 years.
At the same time, the governor appointed Theodore Wymyslo, M.D., to lead the Ohio Department of Health. A practicing family physician, he has been a strong advocate for the patient-centered medical home model of care in Ohio and was Program Director of the Family Practice Residency Program at the Miami Valley Hospital for 18 years.
The governor also appointed John McCarthy to lead the Ohio Office of Health Plans, which oversees Medicaid. Currently the District of Columbia Medicaid director, McCarthy will work to build a strong relationship among the many state agencies providing Ohioans with Medicaid services. Previously, he worked with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities on Medicaid projects.
The governor has also signed an executive order creating the Office of Health Transformation, led by Greg Moody, who is to devise a plan to restructure health and human service agencies. With 20 years of experience working with Medicaid program design and cost containment, Moody has worked with both private and public sector health systems. He served in the administration of Governor Bob Taft, and in 1991, served as a budget associate on then-U.S. Representative John Kasich's House Budget Committee. |
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Buckeye Hills Housing Coordinator Earns LEEDs Green Associate Designation
Joe Gage, Buckeye Hills' Housing Coordinator, is officially a "LEEDs Green Associate" after passing the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Cerification Test in December.
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.
LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
LEED is flexible enough to apply to all building types - commercial as well as U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) residential. It works throughout the building lifecycle - design and construction, operations and maintenance, tenant fitout, and significant retrofit. And LEED for Neighborhood Development extends the benefits of LEED beyond the building footprint into the neighborhood it serves.
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 2010 Nursing Home Facility Satisfaction Survey Released
The Ohio Department of Aging released its 2010 Nursing Home Facility Satisfaction Survey which the department says shows families of people in nursing homes are "generally satisfied with the care provided." The average satisfaction score was 87.93 out of 100.
Across the state, there were 16 facilities that scored 100 on both key survey questions ("Overall, do you like this facility?" and "Would you recommend this facility to a family member or friend?"). In the AAA8 region, included on that list was Russell Nursing Home located in Albany (Athens County). |
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Smarter State Spending
Join the Advocacy Effort & Help Save Ohio's Budget
Use your voice to help reform long-term care in Ohio. Ohio's Area Agencies on Aging want to ensure the Dignity of Options for the elderly and Smarter State Spending with your hard-earned money!
Ohio has been a nursing home-biased state for too long. Let's even the playing field and give in-home care more of a chance.
We all want to stay in our homes as we age. You can help make that dream possible for thousands of vulnerable elderly by making
in-home care a more viable option.
Ohio is at a crossroads on this issue, but we have a very short time-frame to make our voices heard.
Ask that the 129th General Assembly be a good steward with your tax dollars.
A few clicks can change the course of history!
 Join the Effort at Fair Care Ohio.
 Find Fair Care Ohio on Facebook.
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 Help Seniors with Costs of Home Energy
Home energy costs particularly affect Ohioans on fixed or low incomes. The Department of Aging partners with the Ohio Department of Development, the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to provide programs and information to help eligible older Ohioans meet the rising cost of energy.
Energy Assistance Programs sponsored by the Ohio Department of Development help low-income Ohioans of all ages deal with the high costs of heating or cooling their homes.
- Home Energy Assistance Program - HEAP helps low-income Ohioans of all ages pay heating and cooling bills.
- Emergency HEAP - Emergency HEAP assists households that have had their utilities disconnected, face disconnection, or that have a 10-day supply (or less) of bulk fuel.
- Percentage of Income Payment Plan - PIPP is an extended payment plan for qualifying customers that requires regulated gas and electric companies to accept payments based on a percentage of household income.
- Home Weatherization Assistance Program - HWAP helps qualifying low-income homeowners and renters reduce energy consumption while increasing the comfort of their homes.
For more information on these programs, call toll-free 1-800-331-2644.
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Help Prevent Medicare Fraud
Medicare fraud costs American taxpayers an estimated $60 billion each year, money that could have been used to provide medical care, support home care services and help people avoid unnecessary nursing home placements.
The Senior Medicare Patrol Program educates and empowers people receiving Medicare to prevent, detect and report health care fraud. To find out more, call AAA8 at 1-800-331-2644.
For more information about Medicare fraud and what you can do to help stop it, visit www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.
National News
AoA Announces 2011 Older Americans Month Theme
The theme for Older Americans Month (OAM) 2011 is Older Americans: Connecting the Community. Details on Administration on Aging-sponsored OAM celebrations to take place in May will be announced by AoA.
New Legislation Establishes National Alzheimer's Project within HHS
Recent passage by Congress of the National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA) will lead to the creation of a national strategic plan to overcome the Alzheimer's disease epidemic, currently the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. It would also establish an inter-agency council to work with the Health and Human Services Secretary to give a full assessment of what needs to be done to address the threat of Alzheimer's on multiple fronts including care, research and support. NAPA would ensure strategic planning and coordination of the fight against Alzheimer's across the federal government as a whole.
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