Nov. 2013

Nov. Is Caregiver Month - "Family Caregivers: Now More Than Ever!"

Each year, more and more

Americans are caring for a loved one with a chronic condition, disability, or the frailties of old age. 
There are as many as 90 million family caregivers in
the U.S. today.  

• Two out of every 5 adults are family caregivers.  39% of all adult Americans are caring for a loved one who is sick or disabled - up from 30% in 2010.

• Alzheimer's is driving the numbers up.  More than 15 million family caregivers are providing care to more than 5 million loved ones with Alzheimer's disease.

• But it's not just the elderly who need caregiving.  The number of parents caring for children with special needs is increasing, too, due to the rise in cases of many childhood conditions.

• Wounded veterans require family caregivers, too.  As many as 1 million Americans are caring in their homes for service members from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who are suffering from traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other wounds and illnesses.

• And it's not just women doing the caregiving.  Men are now almost as likely to say they are family caregivers as women are (37% of men; 40% of women). And 36% of younger Americans between ages 18 and 29 are family caregivers as well, including 1 million young people who care for loved ones with Alzheimer's. 

• Family caregiving is serious work.  Almost half of family caregivers perform complex medical/nursing tasks for their loved ones - such as managing multiple medications, providing wound care, and operating specialized medical equipment.

• Family caregivers are the backbone of the Nation's long-term care system. Family caregivers provide $450 billion worth of unpaid care each year.That's more than total Medicaid funding, and twice as much as homecare and nursing home services combined.

With the ranks of family caregivers growing every year - tens of millions strong - we recognize the importance to the Nation of the role that family caregivers play - Now More Than Ever!    

Learn more about AAA8's Caregiver Advocacy program at www.areaagency8.org. 

AAA8 Project Lifesaver Partners Train 

  

Front row: Brent Tysinger, Crooksville PD and Perry County Sheriff's Office; Jeff Wilson, Perry County SO; Jon Arnold, Athens County SO; Sheriff William R. Barker, Perry County Sheriff's Office.

 

Back Row: Cathy Ash, Project Lifesaver Instructor/AAA; Greg Acord, Hocking County SO; Jason Miles, Hocking County SO; Derek Boch, Hocking County SO, Scott Trussell, Meigs County Sheriff's Office; Tim Caldwell, Project Lifesaver Instructor, Licking County Sheriff's Office.  

Project Lifesaver 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.

Project Lifesaver is made available at no cost as funding is available in the AAA8 region through grants and private donations (fundraising). 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.

 

Helping Ohioans Get  

the Prescription Help They Need

Ohio Medicare beneficiaries who have limited income and resources may qualify for the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS), also called "Extra Help," and the Medicare Savings Program (MSP). LIS helps beneficiaries pay for their Medicare Part D monthly premiums, annual deductible and coinsurance for prescription drugs, saving each person an average of $3,900

annually. Some beneficiaries also are eligible for the Medicare Savings Program which can help pay their Medicare Part A and B premiums, deductibles and coinsurance.

The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA), funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Administration on Aging, provided grants to states to help enroll individuals who are eligible but who have not applied. More than 67,000 Ohioans are estimated to be eligible for Extra Help, but have not enrolled. The Ohio Department of Aging is working with the area agencies on aging, the aging and disability networks and Ohio's Senior Health Insurance Information Program and its local volunteers, to locate, counsel and help potentially eligible individuals apply for programs.

There are many reasons that individuals who are eligible for the program do not apply. Some do not know about the program or how to apply, or may assume they are not financially eligible. Others were formerly ineligible and are unaware of program changes that make them eligible now. Some individuals who had automatically qualified for Extra Help but whose eligibility is no longer automatic must apply, but do not. Others are unwilling to share information about their income and assets, or they do not want to assemble the information they need to for an application.

Help AAA8 Spread the word about Medicare "Extra Help" to seniors - they can call 1-800-331-2644 for details!

Help Available to Seniors for Home Heating  

Learn More About Ohio's Home
Energy Assistance 

Experts estimate that Americans will pay more to heat their homes this winter. 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. 

The number of eligible households applying for home energy assistance in Ohio has grown dramatically in the last four years and demand is expected to increase again this year.

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 past12 months and provide a copy of a recent fuel or utility bill. Call AAA8 or click the link to Learn More.
Link to Application 

 

  

AAA8 is a Proud Partner of Steady U Ohio 

  

Learn more at: www.steadyu.ohio.gov   

Did you know...? 

- 30 percent of adults age 65 and older living in the community fall each year. 

- An older Ohioan falls every two minutes and sustains a fall-related injury every five minutes, resulting in two hospitalizations each hour, an emergency room visit every eight minutes and three deaths each day.
- Falls and fall-related injuries cost Ohio more than $4.2 billion each year.
- Falls are not a normal part of aging, and most falls can be prevented!
Take a falls risk self-assessment.

Assistance Available
for Medicare  

Open Enrollment  

Medicare's enrollment period is now open through Dec. 7. Be sure to review, compare and select your healthcare plan, including your Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, using the plan finder at www.medicare.gov or call AAA8 at 1-800-331-2644. 

Photo by Tori Lumbatis (used with permission)

Call for Nominations:
Joined Hearts in Giving

The Joined Hearts in Giving Reception was established in 1999 to honor long-married couples who share a commitment to not only each other, but also to their community through volunteerism. The event is held annually in observance of Valentine's Day.

 

Couples selected for Joined Hearts in Giving set an example for all Ohioans and demonstrate traits such as love, faith, respect, communication, tolerance and forgiveness. They know what it takes to work together, share responsibilities, listen and use humor to get through the tough times.

Criteria:   

1. Couple must be married 40 years or longer; at least one of the spouses must be age 60 or older.   
2. Each spouse must actively participate and volunteer in community service.   
3. Couple's primary residence must be in Ohio.   
4. Nominees must be aware of and consent to this nomination. 

Selection process - Selection for Joined Hearts in Giving is determined by the total number and geographical distribution of all nominations received. To achieve statewide representation, the Ohio Department of Aging will select honorees from each of twelve geographic regions of Ohio. No more than three couples will be chosen per region. Click here to nominate someone. Alternately, you can download a printable nomination form. Questions? Call ODA at (614) 728-0253 

Nominations must be received or postmarked by Dec 31, 2013.

  

Ohio's Home Choice 2nd 

in Nation in Transitions

  

A new report by Mathematica Policy Research, "Money Follows the Person Demonstration: Overview of State Grantee Progress, July - December 2012," reports that Ohio is a national leader in transitioning residents who want to move out of institutions and into home and community based settings.

 

Ohio's HOME Choice program ranks first among states in transitioning individuals with mental illness from long-term care facilities into alternative settings and second overall in the number of residents moved from institutions into home and community-based settings. Read the report. 

Nov. 14 is World Diabetes Day.  

Wear Blue.  

Click here to learn more about Diabetes Risk Factors
Nearly 26 million children and adults in the U.W. are living with diabetes and another 79 million are at high risk for developing Type II diabetes.

Save the Date: Nov. 22 AAA8 Regional Advisory Council & Caregiver Recognition Meeting

Nov. 22 - AAA8 Regional Advisory Council Meeting (10 a.m at Knights of Columbus) - Marietta. The keynote speaker will be Bonnie K. Burman, Sc.D., director of the Ohio Department of Aging. Director Burman is helping to lead the state's effort to transform health care and long-term care for its citizens, while promoting the concept of preventive gerontology.  For details, call 1-800-331-2644 ext. 234.