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Age Spots - Tis the Season to be Alert
November 07th 2016 by Dee Loflin
Age Spots - Tis the Season to be Alert

Tis the Season, to be Alert

The Holidays are coming and I for one am very excited about it. I love to cook and bake and watch football and just spend quality time with my family. Luckily for me this year I will have help in the kitchen; my twins are 10 and have already started asking to help bake different things. Other than the mess, we have had great success. Two batches of yeast rolls, some cinnamon rolls and several kinds of cookies, all from scratch. I know who is in charge of desserts at my house this year.

With so many people coming in and out of our homes over the Holidays there is a topic that needs discussion. That topic is drug diversion. Simply put, drug diversion is taking prescription drugs from pharmacies and other legal sources and moving them into the illegal market. Then, the drugs are illegally sold.

Drug diversion matters because it can cost all of us who pay into and use Medicare and Medicaid, and even private insurance. According to the Pharmacy Times, the estimated cost of controlled prescription drug diversion and abuse to both public and private medical insurers is approximately $72.5 billion a year. That is a lot of money. And the cost is not just in dollars, but also in productivity and lives.

Many people think prescription drugs are safer than illegal drugs – but they are safe ONLY when they are taken exactly as prescribed. Annually, more than a million people end up in the emergency room for taking prescription drugs incorrectly. More than 40 people die daily from the misuse of prescription painkillers. That’s more than the number of people dying from using heroin and cocaine combined.

It’s against the law to divert drugs—you can go to jail for it. But, it happens.

Drug diversion can happen when someone goes to more than one doctor to get the same prescription too often. It also can happen when someone steals, or when someone buys medications from other people. It can also happen when someone illegally signs or changes a prescription.

There are some ways that you can prevent drug diversion:

Use drugs as prescribed by your doctor.

Count your medicine before you leave the pharmacy.

Safeguard all your prescriptions and prescription medications, there are medicine lock boxes to secure your prescriptions.

When your doctor changes your prescriptions, make sure that you safely get rid of unused portions. Ask your pharmacist about how to do that. Some Police and Sheriff Offices have a drop box to put old prescriptions in.

Report suspected drug diversion and other Medicare fraud or abuse to the Missouri Senior Medicare Patrol at (888)515-6565. SMPs are funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, Administration on Aging.

Be on the alert and know where your medicine is and who has access to it. Sharing many things around the Holidays is a great idea, but sharing medicine is never a good thing. If you have recipes for a couple of 10 year olds, you can share those. Enjoy all the wonderful food, football and family and stay safe this Holiday Season!



Last Updated on November 07th 2016 by Dee Loflin




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43rd Annual Conference of the Silver Haired Legislature Held
October 30th 2016 by Dee Loflin
43rd Annual Conference of the Silver Haired Legislature Held

Delegates to the Silver Haired Legislature
Choose Their Priorities For 2017


The 43rd Annual Conference of the Silver Haired Legislature took place at the State Capitol in Jefferson City on October 18, 19, and 20.  The 118 delegates in attendance chose their Top Five Priorities and formulated plans to advocate for Senior issues during the coming legislative session.  

After spirited debates in the Legislative chambers, the delegates chose these issues as their Top Five Priorities for the 2017 legislative session:

Senior Services Growth and Development Fund

Increase funding for the Home Delivered and Congregate Meals provided by    
      Area Agencies on Aging

Expand Mo HealthNet (Medicaid)

Provide financial assistance to seniors for medically necessary hearing aid devices, vision services, and dental care through MO HealthNet (Medicaid)

Reauthorize funding for MoRx Program   

Anyone interested in learning further details about the priorities of the Silver Haired Legislature is encouraged to call or e-mail Jackie Dover, Aging Matters at 1-800-392-8771 or jdover@agingmatters2u.com.

Missouri’s Silver Haired Legislature was founded in 1973, the first in the nation after the Older Americans Act was amended to include advocacy groups.  The SHL is composed of fifteen volunteers from each of the ten statewide Area Agencies on Aging.  These 150 senior advocates, elected by their peers, identify and advocate for issues critical to older Missourians.



Last Updated on October 30th 2016 by Dee Loflin




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October 05th 2016 by Dee Loflin
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It’s That Time Again, Medicare Part D Open Enrollment

by Jackie Dover

Every year I look forward to the major events of the year; Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Medicare Part D Open Enrollment. I know that last one is not on everyone’s calendar, but it should be.

Medicare Part D Open Enrollment begins October 15 and ends on December 7 every year, with the new drug plans taking effect on January 1 of the following year. The importance of the open enrollment period is that it gives Medicare beneficiaries the opportunity to compare the coverage they have with other available plans to determine if the changes to their plan are ones they find acceptable.

Medicare drug plans change every year and sometimes the changes are shocking. 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 at least look at what is available even if the plan you have was great this year. 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. Open enrollment also gives those who opted out of drug coverage an opportunity to get into a drug plan. Open enrollment also allows beneficiaries to get in or out of Medicare Advantage plans.

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.

We also use this time to screen for any of the extra help programs that help pay for the different parts of Medicare. A single person who makes $21,660 or less per year and a couple who make $29,140 or less per year could qualify for some extra help.

Please call Aging Matters to schedule an appointment or for more information, 1-800-392-8771 or locally 335-3331.



Last Updated on October 05th 2016 by Dee Loflin




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September 15th 2016 by Dee Loflin
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The “Grand”est of Families


Recently my middle son started his freshman year of High School. This moment arrived much sooner than I was ready for. All freshmen are expected to attend an orientation, as are their guardians. As I was walking from class to class, learning the daily schedule of a 9th grader and talking with the other adults, I noticed something that surprised me. Many of those eating lunch and going through orientation were grandparents, not parents. I decided then to do a little research.

According to AARP almost 2.5 million children, in the United States, are living in homes where grandparents are the primary caregivers, we will call these grandfamilies. This arrangement allows the children to have a family connection that can enrich the life of the child and the grandparent. The children get to live with family that love and nurture them and provide guidance. The grandparent gets the opportunity to provide security to the grandchildren and keep the family together. They also get to develop a closer relationship with their grandchildren.

There are many struggles these grandfamilies face. A simple thing such as a doctor’s appointment could be challenging if the proper paperwork is not done. Financially there could be struggles as grandparents on a fixed income now have to raise another generation, many times unexpectedly. Even more concerning is the fact that the world has changed since the grandparent raised their own children. Electronic devices, internet, drugs and general safety has changed and is continuing to change. Grandparents need help in keeping up with all these changes.

Sometimes grandfamilies need to know they are not alone; others are in the same situation.  Zoia Martin a grandparent who has taken care of several of her grandchildren throughout the years stated, “Grandchildren have a hard time, they have periods where they miss their parents so much and that is the hardest part.” She advises to keep the parent connection if possible, remind them there is love.

To help address some of the grand parenting issues, Aging Matters invites all grandfamilies in the area to participate in some free upcoming conferences.

On Tuesday, October 4 there will be a Grandfamily Conference at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. And on Thursday, October 20 at St. James Outreach Center in Hayti is Caregiver/Grandfamily Care Day. These conferences will offer information on legal issues, support services and offer grandparents the chance to become familiar with those who can answer questions.

When asked the best part of raising her grandchildren Martin did not hesitate to say, “The kids say, and do things that let you know they appreciate you.” We all should appreciate these amazing caregivers who are making a difference in the lives of these children.  Please call the Family Caregiver Program at Aging Matters to register or if you have questions, 1-800-392-8771.


Last Updated on September 15th 2016 by Dee Loflin




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September 01st 2016 by Dee Loflin
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SHOWING COMPASSION

As many of you know, we started the I Believe bible study series at our church and it covers the basic beliefs that all Christians should follow. Last week the lesson was on compassion and I wanted to write about the lesson and share an inspiring story a friend of mine experienced on the subject just last week.

The verse for this week was: “Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.”- Palms 82:3-4.  The lesson first went over God’s compassion on the Jews throughout their history.  Using Nehemiah 9:1-38 it showed how they rebelled and sinned against God, but each time they repented and cried out for help, He forgave them of their sins over and over again.  

Then we looked at Deuteronomy 24:17-22 & 25:5-10 where Moses gave the law about leaving some of the grain, olives and grapes for the poor to harvest, as well as not taking the items poor people put up as collateral for a loan and paying workers what was due them each day.

All of these were the way those who had money helped the poor and needy. It also looked at James 1:19-2:13 where he taught against treating the rich different from the poor and how the church was giving the best seats to the rich.  
There were also a few questions to get us thinking about how to apply these lessons to our everyday lives and we had some good discussion on these points, but this question made us think the most: What hinders you from showing compassion to those in need? We listed the following:

We are too busy and don’t have enough time to stop and help others.

We are in debt too much and don’t have any extra money to help all the causes we would like to.

We don’t trust God to take care of our needs if we give help to someone else.

People make the same mistake over and over and we lose patience with them.

We think that some folks are just scamming the system and don’t really need help.

We think there are government programs that we already pay for that could help them.

These are the ones we identified that cause us to not help those in need as often as we should.  The lesson pointed out that we should trust God to provide for us. It also pointed out that changing our priorities and how we use our time is important. Most of us agreed that we watch too much TV (NFL Network for me). The other big point that really hit home was not spending all our money and being in debt.  Our debts and spending on our comforts can really limit our ability to help those who are hurting. We think we are poor, but 1/3 of the world’s population lives on less than $2 a day.  That’s only $730 a year, which makes even a low $20,000 a year job in America look like a millionaire to most of the world!      

My friend Scott called me Friday with a wonderful testimony of God working in his life, and when I shared it with my class they were inspired.  Scott went to the Ferguson Christian Church for a special prayer service and fellowship supper on the one year anniversary of last year’s riots. When he walked in, he noticed a man sitting by himself who looked very sad.  The guy was kind of dirty, disheveled and looked needy. Despite his appearance, Scott decided to go sit by him and start a conversation.

Scott said the man seemed a bit confused as he told him things were really bad for him.  He had come to the service for the free meal because he was out of money.  The day before he had been informed by the court that he would have to start paying 1.5 years of back child support for his grown children.  He has a very low paying job and the child support would take most of the money from his check leaving him no money for bus fare to get to work. He was afraid he might have to quit and this left him distraught.   

As Scott was praying for the community, he also prayed for this man’s problems and felt the Lord lay on his heart to help him.  He had a feeling that $300 is what he should give him. Now Scott is a kind-hearted person, but he is very tight with money and he doesn’t just give it away willy-nilly.  He went to Pastor Kingston Arthur and told him about the man and asked the preacher to check out his story and see if it was true. Scott said he felt led to help the man and asked the preacher to let him know once he checked things out, but never told the preacher an amount.

The preacher called this week and gave Scott a rundown of all the man’s bills.
- $78 for the bus pass
- $138.26 for the child support ($69.23 x 2weeks) 
- $80 for two weeks rent

That came to $296.46. When Scott informed him that the Lord had laid $300 on his heart, they both felt the Lord was ay work. The preacher said, “God is good! I definitely think the number $300 was divinely laid on your heart. Are you okay if I share this with others? I find it to be a powerful testimony.”

Scott told him that would be fine and he was sending the $300 right away.

There are several things worth noting in this testimony:

Scott saw someone who was hurting and despite his appearance took the time to talk with him.  He showed he cared and learned about a need.

Scott took time to pray about that need and when prompted by the Holy Spirit to give his money away, he obeyed.

He talked with the preacher and investigated to make sure the help would go where needed.

Scott is a saver with low debt and was able to answer the call to give $300 away.

He didn’t focus on how this man had caused some of his own problems.

He didn’t just let the government or church help the man.

Not that it matters, but in this time of difficult race relations, I think it is good to mention this gentleman was black. So there is still a lot of good going on between blacks and whites that never is reported in the news.

I thought his story perfectly reinforced Palms 82:3-4 and the points in our lesson.  Scott took the time away from his busy work schedule to attend a church event. Then he went out of his comfort zone to talk with a stranger he could tell was hurting. He prayed about a need for someone else and even though he is on a tight budget he did what the Lord led him to do.

Too often I don’t take the time to talk with those less fortunate than myself. I’m willing to pray for others, but when it comes to giving $300 out of my monthly budget that is hard.  $30 or even $50 I could easily swing, but $300 would be rough. How many of us would trust God enough to give away $300 to a stranger who was behind on child support?    

Our lesson defined compassion as “suffering with” someone, and I think that is exactly what Scott did. The lesson also made four statements about what we believe.

I believe God calls me to be involved in the lives of the poor and suffering.
I believe I am responsible before God to show compassion to the sick and imprisoned.
I believe I should stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
I believe that Christians should NOT purchase everything they can afford, so that their discretionary money might be available to help those in need.
I checked that I believed all of those. The lesson pointed out that saying you believe it, but not doing it, shows you really don’t believe it.  The true test is if you follow through with actions. So can you say your actions show you believe all four of those?  We decided the last one was the hardest.

  ***Bonus story about not letting mistrust keep you from helping others***

Dad’s Generosity

I learned a very important lesson from Dad when we lived in Charleston. A man stopped by the church and told Dad that his wife had cancer and that he had no money and needed help to pay her hospital bills. Dad couldn’t give him the church’s money without talking to the deacons but since this man was just passing through and couldn’t stay, Dad prayed with him and gave him some of his personal money.

A few days later, after talking with other community leaders, we found out that this man had stopped at all of the churches with the same story. Sadly, it was all a lie. He didn’t have a sick wife and was only scamming folks out of money. Dad was not the only one to give him money, but I will always remember everyone making fun of Dad for giving the guy money and not getting his contact information or even his license plate number in exchange.

Dad never cared about money, but he admitted he should have checked into the man more. I will never forget what Dad said: “We are not responsible for what people do with the money we give them. That’s between them and God. We are supposed to be generous and help others, and God will take care of the rest.” I have tried to remember that lesson when I see people who need help. Many times I think they are just lazy, or drunk, or scamming people, and I don’t want to help them. But then I think of Dad and how he helped that guy.  Who knows what his real problem was, and who knows if Dad’s kindness had an effect on him or brought him to the Lord.

Many times, we don’t help people because we judge that they don’t need the help. We should be wise in our giving, but we should also understand that while we may occasionally give help to undeserving people, we want to make sure we don’t withhold help from those who truly do need it. I hope I can be as generous and giving as Dad was. I know I try.


Last Updated on September 01st 2016 by Dee Loflin




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