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Thoughts from
AAA8 Director:
Rick Hindman
Own Your Future Guides Available: Consider Your Long-Term Care Plan
Ohio's Baby Boomers are turning 65 at the rate of nearly 15,000 a month. For many, it is time to consider a New Year's resolution to make a long-term care plan for the future.
Many people ask me why? And to that, I say because it's a fact that 70 percent of us will need some type of long-term care in our lifetime.
The Area Agency on Aging has free "Own Your Future" materials to help families have meaningful discussions and make decisions about their future long-term care plans, now.
With one call, folks can receive an Ohio-specific long-term care planning guide and the opportunity to talk with professionals about their long-term care needs before services are necessary.
A plan helps ensure individuals and their families have choices when the need comes.
According to the Ohio Dept. of Aging, paying for care can be expensive: currently about $60,000 a year for a nursing home and $38,000 for home care in Ohio. Average lifetime expenditures for a person who needs long-term care can reach $150,000. Medicare and Medicare supplements generally do not pay for long-term care, and many people qualify for Medicaid only after the costs of long-term care have virtually wiped out all of their financial resources. As a result, they find themselves in a time of crisis with limited choices. Planning, including looking at options for long-term care insurance, can make these decisions easier.
In an AARP survey, most Ohioans said they'd prefer to receive the care they need in their own homes. This is made possible, in large part, due to the contribution and sacrifice of family members and other loved ones who supplement paid professional care in the home. For these families, long-term care can cost the caregiver as well, both in terms of money they spend on care and in terms of lost wages and productivity if they work. Caregiving also takes a physical and emotional toll on a person. A long-term care plan should take family caregiving into account and provide the caregiver with the peace of mind that things will be taken care of should they no longer be able to provide care or the care recipient's condition worsens.
Call 1-800-331-2644 today for a free "Own Your Future" guide.
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AAA8 Staff Earns Professional I&R Designation
 | | Shown with their AIRS CIRS-A certificates are AAA8 I&A staff Gerri VanNoy (left) and Brandi Hesson. |
Brandi Hesson, CIRS-A, and Gerri VanNoy, SWA, CIRS-A, of the AAA8 Information and Assistance area were recently notified that they have obtained a new professional credential - they are certified as I&R Specialists in Aging (CIRS-A). Also certified at AAA8 is Kara Wright, LSW, CIRS-A.
The Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) is a credentialing authority operating an Accreditation Program that measures an organization's ability to meet the AIRS Standards, and a Certification Program that evaluates the competence of I&R practitioners. AIRS Certification is a professional credentialing program for individuals working within the I&R sector of human services.
Certification is a measurement of documented knowledge in the field of I&R reflecting specific competencies and related performance criteria, which describe the knowledge, skills, attitudes and work-related behaviors needed by I&R practitioners to successfully execute their duties.
The AIRS Certification Program, operating in accordance with national credentialing practices, measures and recognizes competence in the I&R profession, is improving the professionalism of the field and the quality of service provided to the public. |
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Project Lifesaver Partners Recognized
 | | Athens County Sheriff Patrick Kelly, Deputy Richard Keith, Cathy Ash, LSW of AAA8, Deputy Jay Barrett, and Captain Bryan Cooper of Athens County Sheriff's Office were recognized as Project Lifesaver partners. |
Project Lifesaver partners were recognized at the AAA8 Caregiver Advocacy Luncheon in December. The program is designed as a rapid response search and rescue service, using state of the art technologies and strategies to prevent or reduce the potential of harm to individuals suffering from Alzheimer's, Downs Syndrome, Autism, traumatic brain injuries, and cognitive impairments. These individuals may tend to wander away from their residences and become confused or lost.
The one-ounce transmitter emits a personalized silent constant pulsating radio signal 24-hrs a day. The transmitter is housed in a wristband unit that looks like a watch. It can be worn on the wrist or ankle. The radio signal can be located up to several miles away on land or in the air. Once notified the team responds on the ground to the wanderer's area and starts searching with the mobile locator tracking system.
 | | Morgan County Sheriff Tom Jenkins is honored for the Office's role in Project Lifesaver. |
"The Sheriff's Offices in each of our eight counties have been tremendous partners in the success of the program," said Caregiver Advocacy Manager Cathy Ash, LSW. "We appreciate the officers who are willing to be trained and support the program throughout the year."
Project Lifesaver is made available at no cost as funding is available in the AAA8 region through grants and private donations (fundraising).
 | | Washington County Sheriff's Office Representatives (from left) Sgt. Jeff Young and Lt. Brad Thorpe were honored for their support of Project Lifesaver. |
The average unit cost is $300.
If you would like to make a donation to the program, you can do so by calling 1-800-331-2644. You may designate the donation by county. If you know someone who might benefit from the Project Lifesaver service, contact AAA8 and program details can be shared with the caregiver or family members.
AAA8 thanks the Sheriff's Office partners in each of our eight counties for their onging support of Project Lifesaver. |
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 Person-Centered Care Resource Library Offered
The Area Agency on Aging 8 (AAA8) Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is supporting the region's person-centered care "Culture Change" efforts with a new resource program.
The Ombudsman Resource Lending Library now has items to support Ohio's Person-Centered Care Initiative. Books and DVDs are available for staff support and education initiatives. For a complete listing and overview of resources, visit the PCC section of the AAA8 website.
You may request items from the Ombudsman Resource Lending Library by phone 1-800-331-2644 ext. 282. A pre-addressed, postage paid envelope will be included with requested item(s) for return to the AAA8.
Person-centered care is not about more forms, more lists, more reporting, or more work. It is about finding a decent and kind way to serve older adults that makes their lives and the lives of their caregivers more meaningful, a common-sense approach to bringing care back into caregiving at the nursing home and enriching the lives of those that live and work there.
For more information, call 1-800-331-2644. To learn more about the Person Centered Care lending library and initiative, visit the AAA8 web site. A description of each of the items in the library is available on the web site. |
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 More Ohioans Can Access Assisted Living Waiver
Barriers to enrollment removed
Learn more about the Assisted Living Waiver program in AAA8 region with a new brochure. Elders and others statewide can access Ohio's Assisted Living waiver more quickly thanks to program changes. Anyone living in the community can now access the program. A second change means that eligible consumers can begin receiving assisted living services while their Medicaid eligibility is being determined.
The 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. Services include 24 hour on-site response, personal care, supportive services (housekeeping, laundry, and maintenance), nursing, and transportation, meals and recreational programming.
AAA8 uses an in-person assessment and completes a financial information worksheet to determine if an individual meets all the eligibility criteria. Using the financial information worksheet ensures that decisions about presumed Medicaid financial eligibility are made consistently across the state. Nearly 3,200 Ohioans currently use the Assisted Living waiver. For more information, call AAA8 at 1-800-331-2644.
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 Network of Care Service Directory Offers Links
The SE Ohio Network of Care web site has a local service directory of resources in southeastern Ohio. But, we need your help to ensure that critical available services are in the directory's database!
Please visit the site and ensure that your programs and services are present and recommend it to others! The Area Agency on Aging will be using this database for future referrals to caregivers and families in need of service.
Visit the Network of Care for Seniors & People with Disabilities, provided by
the SE Ohio Aging & Disabilities Resource Network. The Network of Care serves the counties of Athens, Hocking, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, Perry and Washington. The project is part of a broad effort by our community partners to improve and better coordinate long-term supports and services locally.
Click Here to access The Southeast Ohio ADRN Network of Care site.
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 Ohio Benefit Bank Locations Ready to Serve
To find an Ohio Benefit Bank location in SE Ohio, visit the OBB blog site and click on the interactive SE Ohio county map. Sites have trained representatives ready to assist consumers in determining eligibility for benefits and completing applications for services. The AAA8 serves as an Ohio Benefit Bank site.
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