Age Spots by Jackie Dover: What a Meal, What a Deal
If you ask my kid’s what their Grandma does best, one of the first things they will, say is she is a great cook. She always makes them whatever they want and it is always amazing. Food for many people is about more than nourishment for the body. It can be a way to share love, to share culture to comfort and show appreciation.
According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), 5.2 million seniors face hunger in America. The cause of food instability can have many causes. Record inflation has caused the cost of food and other necessities to go up. Seniors living on a fixed income have difficulty keeping up with these increased costs and are making devastating choices between food, medicine or other bills. The physical health of a senior can contribute to hunger. Many illnesses and their treatments cause physical issues such as pain, fatigue and lack of appetite. Some seniors lack the ability to shop or order healthy, nutritious food. All of these issues can cause food insecurity that can lead to medical issues and depression.
Aging Matters strives to alleviate senior hunger. Aging Matters has 33 senior centers in our 18 county service area. These centers provide more than 1.4 million meals to Southeast Missouri. These meals are delicious and nutritious. The menus are designed by a registered dietician to be meet one third of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). During the COVID pandemic many of the centers had to close for congregate dining but all continued to deliver meals to those in need and the homebound.
With the dropping of COVID numbers, many centers are now open and resuming congregate dining and other activities. Research from NCOA shows that older adults who participate in senior center programs can learn to manage and delay the onset of chronic diseases and experience improvements in their physical, social, emotional and economic well-being. Centers today offer a wide variety of things to entertain seniors. With offerings such as educational presentations, exercise and dancing classes, quilting and crafts, puzzles, games and BINGO there is something for almost everyone. Now that most centers are open, seniors get the chance to meet with old friends and develop new friendships, while getting a good meal. I know from personal experience no food ever tasted as good as the meals my Grandma Grace made for us. When they say love was the secret ingredient, sometimes it was. However, I have had many meals at the different centers, they are really good, and the extras cannot be beat.
Contact your local center today, by phone or on the internet, to see what activities they offer that might interest you. Aging Matters has centers in the following communities:
Altenburg Bismarck Bonne Terre Campbell Cape Girardeau
Caruthersville Chaffee Charleston Dexter Doniphan
East Prairie Ellington Farmington Fredericktown Hayti
Jackson Kennett Malden Marble Hill Naylor
New Madrid Park Hills Perryville Poplar Bluff Portageville
Puxico Qulin Ste. Genevieve Scott City Signer Sikeston Van Buren Williamsville
If you are a senior or have questions about senio0r issues, please call Aging Matters 800-392-8771. Because….Aging Matters.
Age Spots by Jackie Dover - Helpful Programs
One of my twins recently got a concussion playing football. We had several days of dark rooms, sunglasses and quiet time. One of his restrictions was no screen time, that is torture to a 15 year old. We had to search to find other ways to entertain him. I busted out the colored pencils and let him be creative and we played board games and did puzzles. It was great to have those reliable, non-electronic ways to keep him busy. This made me think what reliable programs are available that seniors might be looking for.
CLAIM is Missouri’s official State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). CLAIM offers free, unbiased counseling and education to Medicare beneficiaries. Several Aging Matters staff are CLAIM volunteers and receive training and education on Medicare, Medicaid and health insurance. Claim is always looking for volunteers to help, so if you are interested in learning about Medicare and helping others, please call Claim at 800-390-3330.
Missouri Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) helps Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries prevent, detect and report health care fraud. The SMP conducts outreach such as meetings, presentations and community events to educate seniors on how to protect their personal information, how to identify errors on their Medicare Summary Notices and how to report issues found. The SMP works with Medicare beneficiaries to address the problems and if needed can report the issues for investigation. SMP can be reached at 888-515-6565.
If you have ever tried to find a pension from a company that changed names or ownership, you know what a difficult process that is. The South Central Pension Rights Project can assist anyone with a pension question or problem, regardless of age, income, or value of the claim. This is a free service. Pension counselors assist:
Answering questions about complicated pension laws and how they affect retirement
Obtaining and explaining hard to find retirement publications, forms and other documentation
Correcting pension miscalculations
Claiming retirement benefits that have been denied
Tracking down benefits from past employers
South Central Pension Rights Project serves Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. If you have questions, you can contact them at www.southcentralpension.org or 800-443-2528.
Wolfner Library is a free library service for qualifying Missourians who are unable to use standard print reading materials due to a physical or visual disability. Wolfner Library offers a wide variety of services including:
Braille
Large print
Fiction and non-fiction audio books for all ages
Over 70 magazine subscriptions
Loanable machines for those renting audio books
Materials are mailed to and from library patrons free of charge. If you would like more information, you can visit the Wolfner Library website: www.sos.mo.gov/wolfner or follow them on Facebook: facebook.com/wolfnerlibrary or call 800-392-2614.
The leaves are starting to change and there is a nip in the air, we all know what that means; Open Enrollment for Medicare Prescription and Advantage plans is upon us. October 15 through December 7 is the official dates and the new plans take effect on January 1, 2022.
Open Enrollment allows those on Medicare who have never enrolled in a Part D plan to enroll in one and get prescription coverage. It also allows Medicare beneficiaries to switch between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage Plans. Medicare Advantage plans are the ones you see on TV with Joe Namath and Jimmy “JJ” Walker as spokesmen. Advantage Plans also known as Part C plans are managed care plans that cover the Medicare Part A, Part B and Part D under one card. Managed care plans have a network of providers you would need to use to get the best price or in some case any coverage at all. These plans can also offer additional benefits such as vision, dental and hearing. Check with the plan to determine what kind of coverage and cost for these services and to check that the providers you want are in network. The commercials also talk about even more benefits such as in-home meals, transportation and a give back program that returns all or a portion of your Medicare Part B premium. These benefits apply only under special conditions and in certain areas. Please check each plan to make sure you are getting the benefits you want.
Those who choose to have a Medicare Part D plan should look at their options for 2022. Medicare drug plans change every year. The costs of the plan including the monthly premium and the deductible can go up or even down. The plans can change what medicines they cover, what tier the medicines are on and even the co-pays for each medication. It is always a good idea to look at what is available even if the plan you have has worked well for you. All beneficiaries will receive an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) before open enrollment begins. This information will show what the plan you are in will look like for next year.
The Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov is the tool used to look at Medicare Prescription Plans and Medicare Advantage Plans. Prescription medications are entered and the available plans are sorted so the cost for each medicine, the premium amount and the deductible are easy to see. You can also compare the Advantage Plans and see the different benefits they offer. This will allow you to make an educated choice about what coverage you want for next year.
When you are reviewing your coverage for 2022 it is also a great time to check to see if you are eligible for any of the Extra Help programs. For those who meet the income and asset guidelines there could be help to pay the Medicare Part D premiums and assist with co-pays for medicine, there are also programs that can help pay the Medicare Part B premium.
The process is the same for anyone who needs help this open enrollment. Call our office to schedule an appointment or we can send out an open enrollment worksheet that can be sent back to us. We will need your zip code, list of medications and the pharmacy you prefer to use. This information will allow us to determine which plans will cover your medicine at the best cost. Please call if you need help, 800-392-8771, because Aging Matters.
Dexter, MO - Services offered by a team from A.T. Still University-Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health Call to Make an Appointment
A.T. Still University-Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH), which partners with Affinia Healthcare to provide services at the St. Louis Dental Center, will be deploying a team to offer care to patients at Smiles of Hope at Lighthouse Church in Dexter, Missouri.
WHAT: ATSU-MOSDOH Fall Dexter Mission
Extractions, and pre-prosthetic surgeries
More than 200 patients to be served over five days
WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 29 – Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021
7:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
WHERE: Smiles of Hope at Lighthouse Church
18555 Lighthouse Dr. Dexter, MO 63841 info@lhcdexter.com
573-621-2793
“Too many veterans and civilians in Southeast Missouri have absolutely no resources or access to quality care,” said Kevin DeArman, dental minister, administrator, and coordinator of Smiles of Hope, and U.S. Marine Veteran. “We are grateful to be working with ATSU-MOSDOH to address the tremendous need for care, which may continue with follow-up at the St. Louis Dental Center.”
The St. Louis Dental Center team traveling to Dexter comprises:
Thirteen clinical faculty members, including Dwight E. McLeod, DDS, MS, dean and professor of periodontics; Poonam Jain, BDS, MS, MPH, vice dean for clinical affairs and advanced dental education
Thirty-eight ATSU-MOSDOH students and six ATSU-MOSDOH graduates, licensed dentists
“This is our 5th year of seeing patients in Dexter,” said Herbert Silva, DMD, assistant professor, comprehensive care director, and leader of the Dentures for Veterans Project at the St. Louis Dental Center. “We work closely with Kevin DeArman to identify patient needs and develop the appropriate treatment plans.”
Smiles of Hope
The clinic began in 2010 in a mobile facility, with limited resources, starting with founding dentist William T. Kane, DDS, MBA, PC, who had a vision to help people needing dental care but could not afford the costs. Through services contributed by licensed dentists and assistants, nurses, the hospitality crew, and members of Lighthouse Church, facilities expanded into a dedicated dentistry suite. All donations of equipment, professional services, and finances will help to grow the dental clinic ministry.
St. Louis Dental Center
The St. Louis Dental Center, located at 1500 Park Ave. in the Lafayette Square neighborhood, is a state-of-the-art 79,000-square-foot clinical education facility with 93 dental chairs. Dental care is provided for the St. Louis community by Affinia Healthcare dentists and staff and A.T. Still University-Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health faculty and dental students. To learn more about St. Louis Dental Center services and schedule an appointment, call 314.833.2700. Please visit stldentalcenter.org or Facebook.com/stldental.center.
About the Partnership – In 2015, A.T. Still University Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH) and Affinia Healthcare established a unique partnership to address the critical shortage of dentists, and paucity of oral health services for underserved, vulnerable populations in St. Louis, who lack access to high quality oral healthcare. Through this innovative partnership, ATSU-MOSDOH’s third- and fourth-year dental students complete their hands-on clinical education curriculum at the St. Louis Dental Center in a community health center learning environment, providing dental care to Affinia Healthcare’s patients.
Affinia Healthcare’s experienced clinical operations and skilled oral healthcare teams are essential to the partnership because of its comprehensive primary medical, dental, and behavioral health services provided to over 43,000 patients per year, of which 90% have incomes under 100% of the federal poverty line. Collaboratively, ATSU-MOSDOH and Affinia Healthcare help dental students develop a comprehensive understanding of the negative determinants of health on the dental and overall health of patients at the St. Louis Dental Center, while improving access to dental care for otherwise underserved individuals in our community.
ATSU-Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health
Established in 2013, ATSU’s Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-MOSDOH) offers an innovative curriculum with an emphasis on public health, leadership, and practice. ATSU-MOSDOH addresses the oral healthcare disparities in Missouri and across the nation. In addition to the issues of oral health and skills of dentistry, students learn from and are encouraged to become caring, community-minded healthcare providers.
Affinia Healthcare
Established in 1906, Affinia Healthcare is a dynamic and transformative health system, providing affordable primary and preventive healthcare, including medical, dental, and behavioral health services across 12 locations in St. Louis. Affinia Healthcare is a community health center, 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, and is accredited through the Joint Commission and National Committee for Quality Assurance organizations.
Medicare’s Other Vaccines
In a world dominated by COVID headlines it can be hard to remember that there are other illnesses that can make us sick. Everything we had before is still around; it just does not make the news. So how does Medicare cover vaccines and immunizations?
Both Medicare Part B and Part D cover vaccines and immunizations. Medicare Part B covers one Influenza (flu) shot per flu season. Typically, the flu season is considered to be November thru April. Original Medicare and most Medicare Advantage Plans cover the flu shot at 100% so Medicare beneficiaries have no out of pocket costs. The flu shot helps protect from the influenza virus and it is recommended seniors get one every year.
Medicare Part B covers two pneumonia shots, the pneumonia shot helps protect against pneumonia, which is an infection and inflammation of the lungs. I have had pneumonia and do not want that again. Medicare will cover the first shot given at any time and the second shot if it is given at least one year after the first shot. Medicare Part B pays 100% of the Medicare approved amount of this vaccine so there is no out of pocket costs for most Medicare beneficiaries.
Part B also covers vaccines you need if you are exposed to a virus or bacteria in an accident; such as a tetanus shot if you step on a rusty nail or rabies shots if you are bitten by a stray animal.
Hepatitis B vaccines are also covered by Medicare Part B for those considered at medium to high risk of infection. Hepatitis B causes inflammation and damage to the liver. Under Part B, there is no cost to the Medicare beneficiary. If a person is considered low risk for Hepatitis B then Medicare Part D covers the vaccine and the cost can vary depending on the prescription drug plan.
Medicare Part D, the prescription drug portion of Medicare covers most other vaccines including the shingles shot and the Tdap, it also covers other vaccines that are medically necessary. The cost of vaccines varies depending on which vaccine is required, which plan you have and where you have the vaccine. Check with your plan on where you can get the best coverage on needed vaccines but most offer the best coverage at an in-network pharmacy. Medicare Advantage Plans also cover the Part B vaccines and the Part D vaccines. You would need to check with your plan to determine the cost and location that works best for each plan.
As the world goes COVID crazy again, remember there are, still other illnesses out there that we need to protect against and Medicare covers a variety of vaccines. Take care of yourself and stay safe and healthy.
If you have Medicare questions, please call Aging Matters, 800-392-8771. Because Aging Matters.
