Welcome to Aging Matters
I often get questions about what Aging Matters is and what do we do, so I decided to answer some of those questions. Aging Matters is the Area Agency on Aging for Southeast Missouri. Our area covers 18 counties; Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Iron, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, St. Francis, Ste. Genevieve, Scott, Stoddard and Wayne. We are one of ten agencies in the state of Missouri. Area Agencies on Aging were established by the Older Americans Act of 1973 with the goal to provide services and programs for those 60 and older.
We are probably most known for our nutrition programs. We currently have 33 Senior Centers, also known as Nutrition Centers. These centers provide a nutritious noontime meal Monday through Friday; home delivered meals are also available for those 60 and older who are not physically able to go to a center. The senior centers also offer many support and recreational services such as bingo and other games, educational classes, dances, physical fitness programs and many opportunities to engage with others. For those who live outside the area the Senior Centers can deliver to, we offer a Distance Dining Program. This program sends frozen meals that can be heated in an oven or a microwave and gives the senior a warm, nutritious meal.
Aging Matters also has a Family Caregiver program that helps those who are caring for someone 60 and older. Caregiving is one of the hardest things you will ever do and our program attempts to help alleviate some of the stress and pressures that goes along with that. The Caregiver program can help by providing educational programs, support programs, some respite care and a limited supplies program.
For those who live in long-term care or those who have family in long-term care we have an Ombudsman Program that works directly with residents and families to ensure the residents have a voice and that voice is heard. They help ensure resident’s rights are up-held, they advocate for residents and offer education and information about long-term care facilities.
The In-Home Care program allows those who are 60 and over to get some help in their home. This program is limited on the hours available but can provide chore services to those physically unable to do those chores, things such as dishes, vacuuming and laundry. There is also personal care available that can help with bathing and other special needs.
Information and Assistance has trained specialists that are able to offer information on a variety of topics related to aging. If they don’t have an answer, they probably know who does. They are also trained to offer Medicare, Medicaid and extra help assistance and counseling and help with paperwork for those programs. They also offer programs to the public to inform them on services available, Medicare or Scams.
If you have questions about any of our programs or would like more information, please call Aging Matters 800-392-8771. Because Aging Matters.
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.
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.
