Every month another 12,000 Ohioans turn age 60 yet less than 37 percent of these adults feel they know enough about long-term care to make informed decisions. Promoting personal choice and independence for older adults and people with disabilities, the annual Choices Expo will be hosted at the Marietta Comfort Inn on Weds., Nov. 9 from 8 a.m - 2 p.m.

Caregivers, senior citizens and people with disabilities from across the region can find details about long-term care options and much more. Information on healthy lifestyles, caregiver services, screenings to determine basic health needs, and details on retirement planning as well as free food and entertainment are part of the event. Contact the Area Agency on Aging 8 at 1-800-331-2644 or visit www.areaagency8.org for details.

This year, the Choices Expo event is organized by The SE Ohio Aging & Disability Resource Network (ADRN), and will be expanded to include resources for seniors, those under 60 with disabilities and caregivers. The event Title Sponsor again this year is Results Radio.

Teams are signed up for the new Chair Volleyball Tournament at this year's event - sponsored by Scenic Hills Senior Center. Even if you don't have a chair volleyball team you still have time to organize one and practice! 

Early bird sponsorship and exhibitor deadlines are Oct. 21!  Call Mindy Cayton at 1-800-331-2644 ext.266 or 740-376-7645 for a brochure. Details also available at www.areaagency8.org

Media Sponsor: The Marietta Times

Gold Sponsors: Fosterbridge Home Care, Ohio Valley Home Health

& Marietta Memorial Hospital

 Bronze Sponsor: Comfort Keepers

Medicare Open Enrollment Is October 15 - December 7

(Article from AoA)

Your health needs change from year to year. And, your health plan may change the benefits and costs each year too. Open Enrollment is the one time of year when all people with Medicare can see what new benefits Medicare has to offer and make changes to their coverage.

There's never been a better time to check out Medicare coverage. There are new benefits available for all people with Medicare - whether you choose Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan - including lower prescription costs, wellness visits and preventive care. Take advantage of Open Enrollment and you may be able to save money, get better coverage, or both.

What is the benefit of having an earlier enrollment period?

Starting this year, Open Enrollment starts earlier - on October 15th - and lasts longer (seven full weeks) to give you enough time to review and make changes to your coverage. But, also starting in 2011, you will need to make your final selection for next year's Medicare coverage by December 7th. This change ensures Medicare has enough time to process your choice, so your coverage can begin without interruption on January 1.

It's worth it to take the time to review and compare, but you don't have to do it alone. If you typically use the December holidays to discuss health care options with family or friends, plan now to move that conversation earlier. And remember that Medicare is available to help.

To compare your current coverage with all of the options available in your area, and to enroll in a new plan if you decide to make a change, please go to http://www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan

Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) 24-hours a day/7 days a week to find out more about your coverage options. Review the Medicare & You 2012 Handbook. It is typically mailed to people with Medicare in September.

Get one-on-one help from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Contact information for your SHIP office is available at http://www.medicare.gov/contacts

Network of Care Resources
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National, State & Local News
Assisted Living Medicaid Waiver Change Approval

CMS recently approved the Ohio Department of Aging's revised guidelines for the state's Assisted Living Waiver Program that remove a requirement that a person must have either been a resident of a nursing home for at least six months or receiving services in another Medicaid waiver program. A second change allows consumers to begin receiving assisted living services while their Medicaid eligibility is being determined. Ohio's Assisted Living Waiver program pays the costs of care in an assisted living facility for certain people with Medicaid, allowing the consumer to use his or her resources to cover "room and board" expenses. Nearly 3,200 Ohioans currently use the Assisted Living Waiver.

Ohio's Home Energy Assistance Programs 

Ohio's Home Energy Assistance Programs (HEAP) are an integral part of the social safety net for Ohio's older citizens. Many older adults with limited incomes rely on this assistance, and would not be able to get through the winter without it. This frail population is extremely vulnerable to temperature extremes; they are the first to succumb to respiratory illnesses and other ills due to freezing temperatures or deadly heat. For them, a lack of resources is a health issue as well as a financial one. Eligibility is shown at left for annual amounts; monthly income amounts for a household of one are $1,815 and for a household of two are $2,451.

Last winter, 457,367 households received HEAP benefits. Almost 30 percent of those households included someone age 60 or older. Although households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for HEAP, more than half (65 percent) of HEAP recipient households had incomes that were less than 100 percent and almost half (47 percent) had household incomes below 75 percent of FPL. The number of eligible households applying for home energy assistance in Ohio has grown dramatically in the last four years (from 387,000 in 2008 to more than 457,000 in 2011), and demand is expected to increase again this year.

To be eligible for HEAP, a household must have total household income for the last 12 months (or the last 90 days) that is no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Details about what sort of income is countable (e.g., social security disability) and what kinds are excluded (e.g. loan advances from a reverse mortgage) are available online, but advocates are cautioned not to try to pre-determine an individual's potential eligibility, which should always be left to the program administrators. They should also not assume individuals are ineligible.

Social Security Numbers will be required for all household members, regardless of age. The Energy Assistance Application requests documentation of citizenship or resident alien status for all household members, but it will only be required for the primary applicant. Consumers also need to include proof of income for the past 12 months and provide a copy of a recent fuel or utility bill.

The amount of a utility consumer's one-time HEAP benefit will depend on federal funding levels, how many people live in the household, total household income and the primary fuel used to heat the home. Last year, the average benefit was $125. In most cases, the utility company or fuel vendor will credit the one-time benefit to the consumer's energy bill.