FEATURE - Florida Department of Elder Affairs

Transcription

ELDER UPDATE
e l d e r a f fa i r s . s tat e . f l .u s
Anni v ersa ry
January/February 2012
Secretary's
Message
Secretary
Chuck Corley
Department of Elder Affairs
As we approach the Department of
Elder Affairs’ 12th Annual Ambassadors for Aging Day at the Capitol,
I want to make sure you have all of
the information you need about this
great event.
The mission of Ambassadors for
Aging Day is to honor the achievements of Florida’s more than 4.45
million seniors, while displaying their
vitality and zeal for life to both state
and local officials. At last year’s event,
Governor Rick Scott addressed the
more than 1,000 seniors and caregivers in attendance on the importance
of their contributions to communities
across Florida.
The Governor was also joined by several legislators who were instrumental in supporting senior services and
programs statewide. This year more
than 1,000 seniors and their caregiv-
News brought to you by the Florida department of elder affairs
ers are expected to attend the event on
Thursday, March 8, 2012.
Festivities at this free event include
exhibitors, performing groups, and
speakers. There will also be an awards
ceremony to honor the Florida Senior
Games Male and Female Athletes of
the Year. Participants are also invited
to receive various screenings, such as
vision, memory, and blood pressure
readings.
Ambassadors for Aging Day is a
great way for seniors to learn more
about available services and programs
while filling their event bags with lots
of give-a-ways. After the morning’s
activities, participants are treated to
a complimentary barbeque luncheon.
One organization that makes this
event possible is our sponsor and
co-host, Florida Sports, which hosts
many sporting events including the
State Senior Games. Since 2007,
Florida Sports has been instrumental
in securing funds so that seniors are
able to have a day of their own at the
Capitol.
I encourage you to attend this wonderful event. Get your local senior
center involved or come alone or in a
group of your own choosing. There is
no cost for attendees, so make sure to
join us for a wonderful day of celebration and recognition. Ambassadors for
Aging Day is a fun way to learn more
continued on page 2
Announcements
Upcoming Events, Special Thanks....................... 2
Budget
Special Message from Governor Rick Scott.......... 3
Veterans' Affairs
Agent Orange, Veterans' Benefits Guide..........4-5
Elder Update
Holiday Recycling, Safe Driving........................... 6
Health & Wellness
Diabetes, Mesothelioma, Hospice Care ............7-8
Consumer Awareness
Ask Deputy Joe, Do-Not-Call List,
Fraud & Elders ............................................... 9-10
Governor Rick Scott
Volume 23, Number 1
Message from Governor Rick Scott
Honest Floridians pay the price
for PIP fraud.
That’s the takeaway from meetings I attended around the state
recently where PIP auto insurance
fraud was the topic of discussion.
PIP, or personal injury protection, is insurance coverage added
to your overall auto policy that is
intended to pay for medical, and
other expenses associated with a
car crash, regardless of fault.
In Florida, a minimum of $10,000
PIP coverage is required with
each policy. We pay the highest
auto liability insurance premiums
in the nation – 56 percent more
than other states. Unfortunately,
Florida also leads the nation in
staged accidents and questionable
claims, which is why the number
of crashes is going down, while
the number of PIP claims and the
cost of those claims is going up.
After receiving a PIP fraud update
during the Cabinet meeting in Tallahassee, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and I
participated in listening meetings
with Floridians in Tallahassee,
Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa,
and Miami to hear their concerns
about PIP fraud and ideas for a
solution.
We learned that, if we do nothing, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation predicts a 29 percent PIP pure premium increase
each year. While the pure premium increase directly impacts
the insurer, the costs get passed
down to consumers through rate
hikes since insurers must raise
rates to close the gap created by
rapidly increasing fraud costs. In
a time when we’re working every
day to get Florida’s economy back
on its feet, the last thing we need
is fraudsters to cause auto insurance premiums to skyrocket and
raise the cost of living in this state,
something I have vowed to prevent as Governor.
After listening to constituents affected by PIP fraud and
their solutions to the problem, I
announced four pillars that must
be addressed to fix PIP: fraud
prevention, litigation reform, utilization and provider reform, and
continued on page 2
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Intergenerational Programs
Celebrating Florida's
Intergenerational Week.................................... 11
Meals on Wheels
Aging True – Community Senior Services.....12-13
SHINE
Ask Lynne, BenefitsCheckUp, Caring Voices
Coalition, Medicare Advantage.................... 14-17
Communities for a Lifetime
Aging in Place, Community Resources......... 18-19
Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Annual Report.................................................. 20
Elder Resources........................................... 21
Elder Update
55+ Communities, Statewide Public Guardianship,
Senior Center Recognition...........................22-23
Falls Prevention
Falls Prevention Program Wins Award.............. 24
Page 12
FEATURE
2
(USPS 403-710/ISSN 1060-4545)
Elder Update is a bimonthly publication
mailed in state to Florida residents at
no cost to recipients. Out of state, Elder
Update can be accessed at
http://elderaffairs.state.fl.us.
Rick Scott
Governor
Jennifer Carroll Lieutenant Governor
Charles T. Corley
Secretary
Ashley Marshall
Communications Director
Shannon Knowles
Editor-in-Chief
Liz Jameson
Editor
Haven Capone
Layout & Graphic Design
Elder Update welcomes submissions
from readers. However, due
to the volume of submissions,
acknowledgements cannot be mailed.
Articles selected for publication must
provide accurate information to
Florida’s elders about aging-related
programs and services and complement
the Department’s mission. The editor
reserves the right to edit submitted
material.
4040 Esplanade Way
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-7000
Phone: 850-414-2000
TDD: 850-414-2001
Postmaster:
Send address changes to:
Elder Update
4040 Esplanade Way
Periodicals postage paid at Tallahassee,
Florida, and additional offices.
Announcements
Elder Update
Subscription
Announcement
In order to comply with the United States Postal Service
regulations guiding periodicals, we must regularly update
our subscription list and provide proof of your request for
our newspaper. To prevent an interruption in your subscription, please send us a new subscription request with
your complete and current address. The form can be found
on page 17. Don’t forget to sign and date it! We look forward to continuing to serve you through Elder Update.
Senior Center
Recognition
Think your senior center is simply the best? Tell us
why. Elder Update is looking to recognize senior centers across the state in each issue. Does your senior
center have the coolest staff, the best programs, or the
highest participation in your region? Write us a short
article about why your senior center stands above
the rest. You may also email us at [email protected] with this information. For any photos
submitted, please express rights to print the photo,
as well as the names and places of the photographed.
See page 23 for this editions' featured senior center.
Special Thanks
Elder Update staff is deeply gratified by the many generous donations given recently by our readers. Your
generosity and kindness are truly appreciated and
will be used to ensure the continued production of
Elder Update.
Mr. Anthony Garcia
Mrs. Mildred M. Lanzendorf
Mr. Benjamin Cruz
Mr. W.E. Staral
Secretary's Message
(Continued from page 1)
about the programs and services available to Florida’s
seniors.
For more information on Ambassadors for Aging Day,
please visit www.elderaffairs.state.fl.us/english/
afad.php or call 850-414-2000. You may also email
us at [email protected].
We look forward to seeing you there!
january/February 2012
Elder Update
Ambassadors
for Aging Day
Join us March 8, 2012, at the 12th Annual Ambassadors for Aging Day at the Capitol. The event serves
as an opportunity for Florida’s leaders to celebrate the
many accomplishments of our seniors, while allowing
seniors to learn more about the programs and services
available to them. Visit www.elderaffairs.state.fl.us/
english/afad.php for more information.
Spring Fling
Plan on coming to this year’s Ambassadors for Aging Day
on March 8, 2012? We hope so! If you are, please join us at
a very special event the night before. The Florida Association of Senior Centers and the Tallahassee Senior Center
invite you to the Ambassadors for Aging Spring Fling.
Where:
Tallahassee Senior Center
When:
March 7, 2012, from 6:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.
What:
Dance the night away; enjoy food and fun!
How much:
Single Ticket: $10
Group Tickets (when you buy 8 or more): $8 each
For more information, contact Ashley Webb at 891-4008
or [email protected].
Governor's Message
accountability. My expectation is that we will provide
significant PIP reform this legislative session.
Florida consumers have already paid over $800 million for PIP fraud over the last several years and
enough is enough. Florida needs better protections
for consumers, and I am committed to holding the
line on runaway premiums in order to fulfill my
promise to keep the cost of living low and get our
state back to work.
I encourage all Floridians with ideas for fixing PIP to
email me at [email protected] or call
your House and Senate members and let them know
that you expect them to support PIP reform so we can
reduce the cost of auto insurance in Florida.
Elder Update
Special Message
3
Budget Message from Governor Rick Scott:
Education and Jobs Are Top Budget Priorities
Governor Rick Scott
State of Florida
After months of traveling the state and listening to teachers, parents,
students, small businesses owners, and families, in December, I unveiled
my budget recommendations which reflect the issues and solutions most
important to Floridians – funding education and helping Floridians create jobs.
The dollars in this budget belong to all Floridians, and I have listened
to the things they believe are important to spend these dollars on. I have
heard loud and clear that Floridians want their money spent on education
and jobs, without additional burdens on families and businesses, and this
budget accomplishes that.
Highlights of my $66.4 billion proposed budget for Fiscal Year (FY)
2012-2013 include:
• Over $1 billion in new state K-12 funding.
•New tax relief measures totaling nearly $35 million in taxpayer savings next year, and over $86 million in FY 2013-14.
• Injecting $300 million in the Florida Retirement System pension fund.
•Reducing state spending by 4.6 percent - close to FY 2005-06
levels.
•Adjusting Medicaid reimbursement methodologies to control
soaring costs.
•Efficiencies and savings for Florida taxpayers as a result of 40
year low crime rates.
This budget year, Florida faced significant education funding challenges.
Florida gained 30,000 more students that require almost $200 million
The dollars in this budget belong to all Floridians,
and I have listened to the things they believe are
important to spend these dollars on. I have heard
loud and clear that Floridians want their money
more in state funding. Florida also faces a $400 million reduction in ad
valorem taxes, due to declining property values, and one-time state education funding. Despite these challenges, the budget I submitted to the
Legislature includes:
• Over $1 billion in new state K-12 funding.
•Raises per student funding to $6,372, including 30,000+ addition children in the public school system and less local funding
due to declining property values.
•The 3rd largest amount of state K-12 funding in Florida history
at $9.5 billion.
I will not sign any budget into law that doesn’t contain more state dollars
for education than we have this year. I am absolutely committed to acting
on what I have heard and prioritizing education funding in this budget.
Because education and jobs are inextricably linked, a number of small
business tax reform measures are also included in my budget which gives
Florida businesses the competitive advantage needed to create the jobs.
These tax reform measures include increasing the business tax exemption again this year from $25,000 to $50,000 - eliminating tax liability for
more than 25 percent of those who pay it and reducing taxes by about $25
million for all taxpayers. I also propose increasing the tangible personal
property (TPP) tax exemption for those with less than $50,000 of TPP,
providing an overall tax relief of about $22 million, if approved by the
voters, and also broadening the sales tax exemption for manufacturing by
lowering the percentage expanding businesses must increase output from
10 to five percent in order to make sure manufacturing can grow.
This budget also places approximately $300 million into the Florida
Retirement System pension fund: $180 million of new state funds to fully
fund the normal cost, plus an additional $120 million toward the unfunded
actuarial liability. We must be serious about fixing Florida’s pension fund
in order to protect our ability to fund important priorities like education
and jobs. The pension as it is now is a major liability for the state that will
threaten other priorities if we do not talk honestly about its status with
state employees.
Florida is heading in the right direction. We have gained 106,900 net new
jobs since January with a total of 118,000 jobs in the private sector. In
addition, Florida’s unemployment rate is at its lowest point in 28 months
at 10.3 percent. Florida is doing the right things to keep the cost of living
low, get the state back to work, and create a world-class education system
that prepares students for a job.
burdens on families and businesses, and this
I would like to thank all of the Floridians – small business owners, job
creators, parents, teachers and students – that took the time to talk with
me over the past few months. It has been an important and meaningful
dialogue and I hope they will continue to let me know what they think.
budget accomplishes that.
Please visit www.letsgettowork.state.fl.us/ to view my full budget
proposal.
spent on education and jobs, without additional
4
Elder Update
Veterans' Affairs
Diseases Related to Agent Orange Exposure
Colonel Mike Prendergast, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Executive Director
Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
assumes that certain diseases are related to qualifying military service. These are called "presumptive
diseases." Specifically, VA has recognized certain
cancers and other health problems as presumptive
diseases related to exposure to Agent Orange or
other herbicides during military service.
Also, VA presumes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS) diagnosed in all veterans with 90 days or
more continuous active military service is related
to their service.
Veterans' Diseases Related to
Agent Orange Exposure
Veterans may be eligible for disability compensation and health care benefits for diseases that VA has
recognized as related to exposure to Agent Orange
or other herbicides.
Surviving spouses, dependent children, and dependent parents of veterans who were exposed to Agent
Orange and died as the result of diseases related to
Agent Orange exposure may be eligible for survivors' benefits.
Veterans’
Newsletter Available
Electronically
The Florida Department of
Veterans' Affairs publishes a
monthly electronic newsletter
called eFloridaVetsNews.
This informative newsletter is
distributed to more than 40,000
subscribers, who receive it via
email as a PDF file attachment.
If you would like to subscribe
to the eFloridaVetsNews or wish
to view archived issues, visit the
Department's website at
www.FloridaVets.org
and click on the “News” tab.
Acute and Subacute Peripheral Neuropathy A
nervous system condition that causes numbness,
tingling, and motor weakness. Under VA's rating
regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling
within one year of exposure to herbicides and
resolve within two years after the date it began.
Multiple Myeloma A cancer of plasma cells, a
type of white blood cell in bone marrow.
AL Amyloidosis A rare disease caused when
an abnormal protein, amyloid, enters tissues or
organs.
Parkinson’s Disease A progressive disorder of
the nervous system that affects muscle movement.
Chloracne (or Similar Acneform Disease) A
skin condition that occurs soon after exposure to
chemicals and looks like common forms of acne
seen in teenagers. Under VA's rating regulations,
chloracne (or other acneform disease similar to
chloracne) must be at least 10 percent disabling
within one year of exposure to herbicides.
Chronic B-cell Leukemias A type of cancer
which affects white blood cells.
Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2) A disease characterized by high blood sugar levels resulting from
the body’s inability to respond properly to the
hormone insulin.
Hodgkin’s Disease A malignant lymphoma
(cancer) characterized by progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen, and
by progressive anemia.
Ischemic Heart Disease A disease characterized
by chest pain caused by a reduced supply of blood
to the heart.
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma A group of cancers
that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic
tissue.
Porphyria Cutanea Tarda A disorder characterized by liver dysfunction and by thinning
and blistering of the skin in sun-exposed areas.
Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least
10 percent disabling within one year of exposure
to herbicides.
Prostate Cancer Cancer of the prostate; one of
the most common cancers among men.
Respiratory Cancers Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus.
Soft Tissue Sarcoma (other than Osteosarcoma,
Chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or Mesothelioma) A group of different types of cancers in
body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph
vessels, and connective tissues.
For additional information or assistance in submitting a claim to the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs, please contact the Benefits and Assistance
Division of the Florida Department of Veterans’
Affairs (FDVA) at 727-319-7440.
Support Elder Update
Help support this valuable and informative
publication for Florida’s seniors!
If you would like to make a donation, please mail a check made
payable to the Department of Elder Affairs to:
c/o Elder Update
Grants and Donations Trust Fund
4040 Esplanade Way
Tallahassee, FL 32399-7000
Donations go to the Department of Elder Affairs Grants and Donations Trust Fund and the donations are irrevocable. This donation may be tax-deductible; please
consult with a tax professional. The aforementioned donor has voluntarily made this donation and has not been solicited by any individual for the gain or profit
of that individual. Nor has the aforementioned donor made this donation in exchange for any promise, action or inaction by the Department regarding an issue
regulated or overseen by the Department.
Elder Update
Veterans' Affairs
5
2012 Veterans' Affairs Benefit Guide
The 2012 edition of the Florida Veterans’ Benefits
Guide is now available on the web at www.floridavets.org. Hard copies of the guide may be available
at your local county veteran service office.
vice Office closest to your home, which can provide
assistance in filing a claim for non-service connected pension: www.floridavets.org/organization/
where.asp#medical.
What is VA Pension for veterans?
Pension is a benefit paid to wartime veterans who
have limited or no income, and who are 65 or older,
or, if under 65, who are permanently and totally
disabled. Veterans who are more seriously disabled
may qualify for Aid and Attendance or Housebound
benefits. These are benefits that are paid in addition
to the basic pension rate.
• Aid and Attendance (A&A) is a benefit paid in
addition to monthly pension. This benefit may
not be paid without eligibility to pension. A veteran may be eligible for A&A when:
Who is eligible?
Generally, you may be eligible if:
• You were discharged from service under conditions other than dishonorable,
AND
• You served at least 90 days of active military
service, one day of which was during a war time
period. If you entered active duty after September 7, 1980, generally you must have served
at least 24 months or the full period for which
called or ordered to active duty (there are exceptions to this rule),
AND
• Your countable family income is below a yearly limit set by law (the yearly limit on income is
set by Congress),
AND
• You are age 65 or older, OR, you are permanently and totally disabled, not due to your own
willful misconduct.
As you can see, there are a number of criteria that
may affect your eligibility to pension benefits. If
you are unsure whether you meet all criteria, we
encourage you to go ahead and file an application,
particularly if your countable income appears to be
near the maximum. VA will determine whether you
are eligible and notify you. If you do not initially
qualify, you may reapply if you have un-reimbursed
medical expenses during the 12-month period after
VA receives your claim that bring your countable
income below the yearly income limit. (These are
expenses you have paid for medical services or
products for which you will not be reimbursed by
Medicare or private medical insurance.)
Note: You may contact a Florida Department of
Veterans' Affairs office or a County Veterans’ Ser-
1. The veteran requires the aid of another
person in order to perform personal functions
required in everyday living, such as bathing,
feeding, dressing, attending to the wants of
nature, adjusting prosthetic devices, or protecting himself/herself from the hazards of his/her
daily environment, OR,
2. The veteran is bedridden, in that his/
her disability or disabilities requires that he/
she remain in bed apart from any prescribed
course of convalescence or treatment, OR,
3. The veteran is a patient in a nursing home
due to mental or physical incapacity, OR,
4. The veteran is blind, or so nearly blind as
to have corrected visual acuity of 5/200 or less,
in both eyes, or concentric contraction of the
visual field to five degrees or less.
• Housebound is paid in addition to monthly
pension. Like A&A, Housebound benefits may
not be paid without eligibility to pension. A veteran may be eligible for Housebound benefits
when:
1. The veteran has a single permanent disability evaluated as 100-percent disabling AND,
due to such disability, he/she is permanently
and substantially confined to his/her immediate premises, OR,
2. The veteran has a single permanent disability evaluated as 100-percent disabling AND,
another disability, or disabilities, evaluated as
60 percent or more disabling.
A veteran cannot receive both Aid and Attendance
and Housebound benefits at the same time.
How to apply for Aid and Attendance and
Housebound:
• You may apply for Aid and Attendance or
Housebound benefits by writing to the VA
regional office having jurisdiction of the claim.
That would be the office where you filed a claim
for pension benefits. If the regional office of jurisdiction is not known, you may file the request
with any VA regional office. You should include
copies of any evidence, preferably a report from
an attending physician validating the need for
Aid and Attendance or Housebound type care.
• The report should be in sufficient detail to
determine whether there is disease or injury producing physical or mental impairment, loss of
coordination, or conditions affecting the ability
to dress and undress, to feed oneself, to attend
to sanitary needs, and to keep oneself ordinarily
clean and presentable.
• In addition, it is necessary to determine whether the claimant is confined to the home or immediate premises.
• Whether the claim is for Aid and Attendance
or Housebound, the report should indicate how
well the individual gets around, where the individual goes, and what he or she is able to do
during a typical day.
Note: You may contact a Florida Department of
Veterans' Affairs office or a County Veterans’ Service Office closest to your home, which can provide assistance in filing a claim for non-service
connected pension www.floridavets.org/organization/where.asp#medical. You may also refer to
page 16 of the guide for FDVA locations and points
of contact for assistance.
Para obtener informacion y ayuda sobre beneficios
de veteranos, favor de llamar el Sr. Edwin Ortiz, al
727-319-7427.
6
Elder Update
Elder Update
Recycling After the Holidays
Kathalyn Gaither
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
The New Year is upon us, and for many of us,
that means tackling a New Year’s resolution to get
more organized. Whether you’re looking to clear
out some clutter or make room for holiday gifts, it
is important to keep in mind that your unwanted
stuff has somewhere to go besides the trash.
Just like the phrase made popular by the iPhone,
“There’s an app for that,” nowadays “there is a
place for that” when it comes to recycling. From
electronics to clothing, appliances, aluminum,
paint, glass, or paper – there is little reason to send
much of anything to the landfill.
• Plastics: Recycling plastics and paper is so
easy now that in most places, you just need to
take them out to the curb, in the right container,
on trash day (if you have curbside recycling in
your community). And recently, plastic containers that have a #5 on the bottom were added to
the recyclable list, making it even easier to recycle curbside. Check your plastics such as yogurt,
butter, and dairy containers, along with medicine
bottles and caps, to see if you can recycle them.
• Clothing: Goodwill, yard sales, and consignment shops are just a few ways to pass on
your gently used clothing for someone else to
appreciate.
• Glass: It does not matter whether the glass is
brown, green, or clear; many local waste collection centers will take it all. Just rinse it out and
drop it off.
• Batteries: It can be confusing to figure out
which ones can or cannot be safely recycled.
Alkaline and lantern batteries can be tossed in
the trash along with lithium batteries after applying tape over the terminals; nickel-cadmium and
button cell batteries should be taken to a household hazardous waste center. If there’s any doubt,
just take them all to your local Household Hazardous Waste center.
• Paint: Have some paint or stain left over? Your
local hazardous waste collection center will take
the partially used cans of color off your hands.
Recycling is just one way to help conserve Florida’s resources and protect the environment. Learn
other easy ways to protect our air and water qual-
Check out the list below for some common items
that are often thrown away, but that can easily be
recycled instead.
H
ig
hwa
ySaf
etyRe
quires
GoodVis
ionforev
eryone
ity, conserve water and energy, and save money by
visiting DEP’s website, www.EasyAsOne.wordpress.com. Go to www.earth911.com to find local
drop sites for hundreds of unwanted items.
Highway Safety Requires Good Vision
Henry Cabbage
Florida Department of Highway Safety
and Motor Vehicles
Florida drivers, age 80 or older, need to furnish confirmation that they have adequate vision to operate
a motor vehicle safely when they apply for a driver
license or a license renewal.
They can renew their license and take the vision
exam in person at a driver license office or a
tax collector’s office that offers driver license
services. An alternative is to have their Florida
eye-care professional submit a completed Mature
Driver Vision Test Form electronically to the state
if they want to renew the license online at www.
GoRenew.com.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor
Vehicles does not require senior drivers to submit to
any testing other than the vision exam unless the examiner has cause for concern about the driver’s ability to
drive safely.
Drivers age 80 or older may renew their licenses for six
years. Persons under 80 may renew them for eight years.
The cost for a noncommercial driver license is now
$48. An additional $6.25 service fee applies for drivers who obtain or renew their licenses at tax collectors’
offices.
The DHSMV suggests making an appointment,
(although most offices don’t require them) to renew
licenses. To find the closest office location, visit www.
flhsmv.gov and choose “Office Locations” on the left
side of the page. To make an appointment, visit www.
flhsmv.gov/oasis and click on one of the two options
in the drop box. This will help you to avoid lengthy
waiting times.
All Floridians should be aware that Florida now requires
certain documents for a driver license or identification
card. www.GatherGoGet.com provides information
to prepare Floridians for their next trip to the driver
license office. Customers who do not use the internet
may call DHSMV at 850-617-3995 for assistance.
Elder Update
7
Health & Wellness
Guiding a Patient’s End-of-Life Journey With Hospice
Vicki Arant, RN, BSN
Hospice of the Comforter, Altamonte Springs, FL
When someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness, where do they and their loved ones turn for
support? A hospice cares for patients and families
on their end-of-life journey by providing medical,
emotional, spiritual, and physical support wherever
the patient calls home. Care is provided by a team
that includes a physician, nurse, social worker, nondenominational chaplain, certified nursing assistant,
and trained volunteers.
Hospice care focuses on improving quality of life
with pain control and symptom management so
that patients can maximize the quality of their time.
Each patient and his or her caregivers receive individualized care that meets their unique physical,
emotional, and spiritual needs.
Hospice is not a single place or organization. Some
hospices are independent and others are part of
a large company. Hospices are not all connected
together. Both for-profit and non-profit hospices provide care. Hospices care for patients with many different diseases such as Alzheimer’s/dementia, ALS
(Lou Gehrig’s Disease), cancer, congestive heart
failure, COPD, emphysema, liver disease, Multiple
Sclerosis, renal disease, stroke, or failure to thrive.
A patient is immediately entitled to hospice care
once he or she is diagnosed with an end-stage illness that has a prognosis of six months or less. It is
most ideal for patients in the last six months of life.
Seniors and
Mesothelioma
Ben Leer
Mesothelioma Center
Annually, around 2,000 to 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma. Of those diagnosed,
a large percentage of mesothelioma patients are
seniors. This is due to the relatively long latency
period of mesothelioma. It often takes 10-50 years
for symptoms to occur.
Mesothelioma is a unique cancer that affects
the lining of the organs. The main cause is from
exposure to asbestos. Since asbestos was heavily used in manufacturing, occupational exposure to asbestos was common. A large portion of
the manufacturing workforce was male, causing 75 percent of mesothelioma cases to occur in
men age 55 or older. Some of the most common
Selecting hospice care early lets patients achieve
control of their environment and symptoms. A 2004
Journal of Pain and Symptom Management article,
"Medicare Cost in Matched Hospice and NonHospice Cohorts," showed that patients enrolled
in hospice cost Medicare less. The research also
showed that hospice patients lived longer on the
average than similar patients who did not choose
hospice care.
Hospice care eases caregiver burdens and provides
cost savings for weeks, months, and sometimes even
years. Hospice care also decreases costly hospitalizations. According to the Journal of the American
Medical Association, patients not enrolled in hospice care spend 23 of their last days in the hospital,
while patients enrolled in hospice spend only eight
days in acute care settings.
Choosing hospice care shifts the focus of treatment from aggressive medical curative measures
to medical comfort measures. Hospice does nothing to speed up or slow down the dying process,
but accepts death as a natural and inevitable event.
Although some mistakenly see hospice care as giving up all hope, studies have demonstrated that
hospice patients improve physically and emotionally, because their home and family situations have
stabilized, their economic worries are reduced, and
lastly, and most significantly, their pain is better
controlled.
Hospice care is most beneficial for patients who
enroll early rather than in the last days and weeks
occupations that came in contact with asbestos
were auto plant workers, electricians, engineers,
firefighters, industrial workers, plumbers, shipyard workers, boiler workers, mill workers, and
veterans.
The dangers of asbestos have been noted
by the medical community since the early
1900s, correlating the presence of asbestos with respiratory issues. Asbestos has since
then been proven to be the main cause of
mesthelioma. In the late 1980s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began restricting the
use of asbestos. Since asbestos abatement is
so costly, it took a lengthy period of time
for many facilities to begin removing the
product. Currently, asbestos is not entirely
banned, and many older buildings may still
contain it.
Cases of secondary exposure to asbestos often
result in family members of workers developing
mesothelioma. This can be caused by airborne
asbestos to travel on a worker’s hair, skin, or
clothes.
of life. “With earlier referral to a hospice program,
patients may receive care that results in better management of symptoms, leading to stabilization of
their condition and prolonged survival," wrote the
authors of a 2010 New England Journal of Medicine
study. The study reported patients were happier,
more mobile, in less pain, and lived nearly three
months longer.
Due to the wide use of asbestos in the military,
veterans comprise 30 percent of mesothelioma
cases. Veterans who served from World War II to
Vietnam are most likely to have the highest risk of
developing an asbestos-related disease. Asbestos
was used in every branch of the military for a wide
range of purposes. Engine, boiler room, shipyard,
demolition, and construction workers had widespread application of asbestos.
Mesothelioma is listed as a compassionate allowance by the Social Security Administration. If
you have contributed to the Social Security program, you may be eligible to use Social Security’s
disability program. This allows mesothelioma
patients to be expedited in the claim process. The
application process may complicated and take several weeks to process.
If you have questions regarding mesothelioma or
asbestos-related diseases, please feel free to visit
www.asbestos.com or call us at 1-800-615-2270.
Our patient advocates have experience answering common questions regarding mesothelioma,
Social Security benefits, and veteran claims.
8
Health & Wellness
Elder Update
Diabetes Numbers Are Growing:
What You Need to Know to Address It
Christie Goss and Erica Chicola
Florida Department of Health
Diabetes is a growing national epidemic, but the
Florida Department of Health (DOH) has good
news – the commitment to address and stem the
tide of this disease is growing as well. Though
the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance
Survey (BRFSS) showed a 50.7 percent increase
in diabetes among adult Floridians over the past
decade, the global movement that honored World
Diabetes Day on November 14 is committed to
making sure these numbers don’t stay elevated
for long.
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when the body
doesn’t produce or properly use the hormone
insulin to convert sugar, starches, and other food
into energy. There are two major types of diabetes
– type 1, an autoimmune disease, in which the
body does not produce insulin, and type 2, a
metabolic disorder, in which the cells cannot use
the insulin produced by the body or the body no
longer produces insulin.
The causes of type 1 diabetes appear to be much
different than those for type 2 diabetes, though the
exact mechanisms for developing both diseases are
unknown. The appearance of type 1 diabetes is
suspected to follow exposure to an "environmental
trigger," such as an unidentified virus, stimulating
an immune attack against the beta cells.
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include older
age, obesity, family history of diabetes, prior
history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose
tolerance, physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity.
African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans,
American Indians, and some Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders are at particularly high risk
for type 2 diabetes. The BRFSS reports that the
prevalence of diabetes increases as age increases,
affecting 19.2 percent of adults aged 65 and older.
Because individuals with diabetes are at higher risk
for other health issues, those diagnosed must not
only be concerned with watching their blood sugar
levels, but also with the potential complications
that can arise from mismanaging this disease.
Diabetes-related complications can include stroke,
blindness, kidney failure, amputations, and other
serious ailments that underscore the need for
proper self-management. Those with diabetes are
two to four times more likely to develop heart
disease than people without diabetes.
Those diagnosed aren’t the only individuals who
should be mindful of the consequences of diabetes.
Recent BRFSS data shows that, in addition to the
1.5 million Floridians currently diagnosed with
diabetes, another 500,000 citizens likely have
diabetes and don’t know it.
Individuals experiencing frequent urination,
unusual thirst, extreme hunger, unusual weight
loss, fatigue, and irritability may be suffering side
effects of Type 1 diabetes. Warning signs for Type
2 include the above symptoms, as well as frequent
infections, blurred vision, cuts and bruises that
are slow to heal, tingling or numbness in the
hands or feet, and recurring skin, gum, or bladder
infections. Often, people with Type 2 diabetes
don’t experience symptoms at all, so individuals
must take an active interest in their health and stay
fit. Early identification is vital, so Floridians are
encouraged to visit a physician regularly. Those
who are overweight or age 45 years or older should
be especially vigilant in getting tested for diabetes.
Those who have pre-diabetes are encouraged to
start moving more and eating less. The Diabetes
Prevention Program (DPP), a large prevention
study of people at high risk for diabetes, showed
that a lifestyle intervention to lose weight and
increase physical activity reduced the development
of type 2 diabetes by 58 percent. The reduction
was even greater, 71 percent, among adults age
60 or older.
For those diagnosed with diabetes, proper
management can provide relief in everyday
life. State Surgeon General Dr. Frank Farmer
highlights the importance of lifestyle changes,
saying, “Despite the fact that diabetes is a prevalent
disease that can be difficult to live with, there
is good news for those who are diagnosed with
diabetes. Commitments such as losing weight,
exercising, and watching your diet can have a
tremendous impact upon the effects of the disease.
Complications of this disease can be controlled,
delayed or prevented by adhering to these factors.”
Diabetes self-management classes are instrumental
in bringing help to those living with this disease.
These courses teach skills crucial to staying healthy
and encourage preventative exams that can help
control the disease and avoid related complications.
Diabetes self-management education is covered by
insurance and Medicare. Co-pays and deductibles
may vary by plan.
Diabetes is challenging to manage, so World
Diabetes Day acknowledges the struggles of
individuals with diabetes. This year, Florida’s
Historic Capitol joined the Empire State Building,
Sydney’s Opera House, Niagara Falls, the
Pyramids, and thousands of other iconic landmarks
worldwide in honoring the battle against this
disease by lighting up in blue, the universal color
for diabetes.
State Surgeon General Dr. Frank Farmer of
DOH, Kathy Mulcahy of the Florida Alliance for
Diabetes Prevention and Care, Chet Evans of the
Diabetes Advisory Council, and local teen diabetes
advocate, Haley May, spoke at a press conference
prior to the lighting of the Capitol, touching on
their personal experiences and thoughts on the
worldwide importance of this disease and insight
moving forward on mitigating its effects.
The blue lights that illuminated Tallahassee and
the world on November 14 were a blue beacon of
hope, reminding Floridians and people everywhere
that through attentiveness, preventive measures,
commitment to lifestyle changes, and unwavering
unity among those who have diabetes or know
someone who does, the life-altering landscape
of diabetes can be modified for a healthier state,
country, and world.
For more information on diabetes and to find a
diabetes self-management education program,
visit DOH’s page at www.FloridaDiabetes.org.
Elder Update
9
Consumer awareness
Ask Deputy Joe: Crime Prevention for Seniors
Dear Deputy Joe:
Recently my husband and I just
came back from a trip up North to
visit the grandchildren. While we
were there the media was discussing the return of heroin. Is this drug
also making a comeback here in the
State of Florida?
Signed,
Curious
Dear Curious:
Heroin didn’t go away; it has been
around for a long time here in the
United States. In the 17th century,
the people of China began to smoke
opium (a product that produces
morphine & heroin) for pleasure.
This practice spread to Europe and
America, along with serious addiction. The Germans, in the early
1800s, discovered that opium converted to morphine could be used
as a pain reliever, and the medical
profession used morphine on a regular basis. In the United States during the Civil War, many soldiers on
both sides were given morphine for
pain, injuries, and surgeries. People
soon realized that morphine was
highly addictive, both physically
and mentally. In the 1870s, another
drug was introduced called heroin, also produced from the opium
plant, and it was marketed as a
safe substitute for morphine. Heroin was even more addicting than
morphine, and by the 1920s, heroin
addiction became a huge problem.
Laws were passed barring its manufacture, sale, and use. Heroin abuse
still continues to be widespread all
over the world. Here in Florida,
heroin poses a threat the same as
in any other state. The drug is readily available, frequently abused,
and distributed in all states. Miami
and, to a lesser extent, Orlando are
among the primary transportation
hubs and transshipment points for
South American heroin smuggled
into the United States (according to National Drug Intelligence
Center – South American heroin is
the most prevalent in this state). In
Florida, heroin is administered in a
variety of methods depending upon
the user’s preference. Heroin injections are mostly used by hardcore
addicts who often share their needles which also spreads AIDS. First
time abusers will snort or smoke
this dangerous drug. Tolerance to
heroin develops quickly, meaning
that more and more must be used
to achieve the same effect.
Withdrawal symptoms appear
when the addict goes without his
drug. The symptoms are acute and
painful – they include severe headaches, muscle pain, and vomiting.
I have seen addicts going through
withdrawal – one can only imagine
just how sick and tormented they
feel. I was told to multiply by 10 the
sickest you’ve ever been and that
would be what heroin withdrawal feels like. It’s no wonder that
addicts will do almost anything to
get more of the drug to avoid withdrawal. According to the Florida
Drug Treatment Assessment, the
percentage of Florida high school
students who report having abused
heroin at least once in their lifetime is statistically comparable to
the national percentage; data shows
3.7 percent compared to 3.1 percent
nationwide. If you know of someone who is abusing this drug or any
other type of drug, please encourage him/her to get help through
a physician or the county health
department.
If you have a question for Deputy
Joe Bowen, please send it by email
to [email protected]
or by regular mail to Elder Update:
Ask Deputy Joe, 4040 Esplanade
Way, Tallahassee, FL 32399-7000.
St. Johns County Sheriff’s Deputy Joe Bowen is a 44-year law
enforcement veteran with experience in patrol, detective work,
general investigations, juvenile
offenses, sexual battery cases,
undercover stings, bicycle patrol
and crime prevention. In 2002,
Deputy Bowen was certified by
the Florida Attorney General’s
Office as a Crime Prevention
Practitioner. As the St. John’s
County Sheriff’s Office Crime
Prevention Officer, Deputy
Bowen helps educate the community, especially seniors, about
crime prevention techniques.
Did you know that Elder Update is
available in braille or on cassette tape for
persons with reading disabilities?
Contact the Bureau of Braille and Talking
Book Library Services toll-free at
1-800-226-6075
for more information
10
Consumer awareness
Elder Update
Applying for the Do-Not-Call List
Liz Compton
Department of Agriculture and
Consumer Services
With the rise in gas prices and consumer goods,
complaints about sales calls consistently rank at
the top of the list of consumer grievances, based
on calls to the Florida Department of Agriculture
and Consumer Services’ consumer hotline: 1-800
HELP FLA.
“Boiler rooms” full of telemarketers often target
the elderly, using high-pressure tactics to get
them to buy unwanted products, services, travel,
and more. Fortunately, help is available. The
department oversees the Florida Do-Not-Call
list, which prohibits most telemarketers from
calling the residential and cell phone numbers of
Floridians who have registered their numbers with
the department.
During 2010, more than 16,200 complaints were
filed with the department against businesses that
violated the Do-Not-Call statute. The department
takes these violations seriously, issuing cease
and desist orders and fines of up to $10,000
per violation, a strong deterrent to companies
that would otherwise choose to ignore the law.
Legal action has also been taken against dozens
of telemarketers over the years, resulting in
injunctions against future calls to consumers on
the list and fines totaling more than $1.5 million
against violators.
Florida residents can apply for the Do-Not-Call
list by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA or by visiting
www.800helpfla.com. Joining the list costs $10
for the initial registration and requires a $5 annual
renewal fee. All fees collected are used to cover
expenses related to the cost of the program and
enforcement of the law.
If you receive a call that violates the Do-NotCall statute, call 1-800-HELP-FLA or visit
www.800helpfla.com to report the call to the
Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services. Try to obtain as much information as
possible from the caller, such as the name of the
company, the name of the person making the call,
the telephone number, the types of products or
services offered, and the date and time the call
was received.
Consumer Fraud and Elders
Carlos J. Morales
Orange County Consumer Fraud Unit
Consumer fraud issues are a growing concern
of our elders. Local communities, like Orange
County Government, have responded by
establishing “consumer fraud offices” to
help local residents – and visitors to their
communities – with these consumer concerns.
These offices investigate and mediate consumer
complaints, and some have the capacity to
file criminal cases with their local State
Attorney’s Office. Other offices, including
those that regulate vehicles for hire, towing,
construction, etc. go even further and help
enforce local ordinances designed to protect
consumers,. These consumer fraud offices
also work very closely with state agencies,
law enforcement, and volunteer groups so that
the needs of local elders can be addressed in a
comprehensive fashion. Our sole purpose is to
reduce the victimization of elders, residents,
and visitors. In today’s economic environment
and with limited resources, the local consumer
protection agencies are a great resource that
seniors can go to for assistance.
Florida County Consumer Protection Offices
Broward County Permitting, Licensing,
and Consumer Protection Division
1 N. University Drive, Box 302
Plantation, FL 33324
Phone: 954-765-4400
Email: [email protected]
www.broward.org/permittingandlicensing
Orange County Consumer Fraud Unit
P.O. Box 1673
415 N. Orange Ave.
Orlando, FL 32802
Phone: 407-836-2490
www.orangecountyfl.net
Hillsborough County Consumer
Protection Agency
1101 E. 139th Ave.
Tampa, FL 33613
Phone: 813-903-3430
www.hillsboroughcounty.org/
consumerprotection
Palm Beach County Consumer
Affairs Division
50 South Military Trail
West Palm Beach, FL 33415
(561) 712-6600
Toll-Free:1-888-852-7362
(Boca/Delray/Glades)
www.pbcgov.com/consumer
Miami-Dade County Consumer
Services Department
Services Department
140 W. Flagler St. Suites 901-904
Miami, FL 33130
Phone: 305-375-3677
www.miamidade.gov/csd
Pinellas County Office of
Consumer Protection
631 Chestnut St.
Clearwater, FL 33756
Phone: 727-464-6200
TTY: 727-464-6088
www.pinellascounty.org
Elder Update
INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAMS
11
Florida's Intergenerational Week
Page Merkison
Florida Department of Elder Affairs
The Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) recognized December 4-10, 2011, as Florida’s Intergenerational Week by encouraging all Floridians to
become more cognizant of volunteer opportunities
that unite youth and elders within their communities.
In 2003, the Florida Legislature designated the first
week of December as Florida’s Intergenerational
Week. This initiative raises awareness and creates
partnerships between elders and youth populations,
including seniors in long-term care facilities and
youth in foster care.
Activities held during intergenerational week
help bridge the experiences and wisdom of elders
with the unbridled curiosity of youth. This year
the Department honored three organizations that
are committed to participating in intergenerational
activities and volunteering within their communities throughout the year.
The first honor, the 2011 Legacy Award, is a new
award that was presented to Florida’s Intergenerational Orchestra of America from Boca Raton on
December 8, 2011, during an open rehearsal for an
upcoming concert. The audience was filled with
many local dignitaries, DOEA staff, and community supporters.
The orchestra is under the baton of its founder and
conductor, Lorraine Marks, and its purpose is to
“bridge the gap” between generations. The orchestra consists of players ranging in age from 9 to 92,
who mentor each other by providing encouragement
to the young and meaning to the lives of our senior
citizens who have so much to offer in the way of
knowledge and experience. The young musicians
provide enormous incentive to the older players to
teach and to remain active.
The 50-piece full orchestra and the 15-piece chamber orchestra never turn people away who want
to take part in the universal language of music.
Ms. Marks weaves the abilities of the players into
a delicate tapestry. Operating exclusively out of
Palm Beach County, the orchestra has averaged
eight concerts a season. Through this orchestra, Ms.
Marks continues the tradition she started when she
founded the New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra
of America. She conducted it at Lincoln Center and
in Madrid, Spain, on behalf of the United Nations
convention on Aging Gracefully Through Music.
The second honor, the 2011 Intergenerational Volunteer Award, was presented to the GrandKids and
Close2Heart programs from Safety Harbor, Florida,
on December 10, 2011, during a ceremony at Manor
Care Assisted Living Facility in Palm Harbor. The
children presented their adopted grandparents with
the memorable journals from their weekly visits.
The reactions of each recipient were indescribable.
A mayor’s reception followed the presentation ceremonies. It was such an honor to share this moment
with the residents, their family members, program
members, ALF staff, local dignitaries, DOEA staff,
and the many other attendees.
The Mandani Family formed the Grand-Kids and
Close2Heart programs. The Grand-Kids program
adopts individual seniors at Accordia Woods Assisted Living home in Palm Harbor and visits them
each week for 10 weeks. Having volunteered and
assisted hospice patients for years, the Mandanis
didn’t want to leave out residents who are terminally ill, but understood that many might not live
to complete the full 10-week program. Therefore,
Close2Heart was created to allow youth to volunteer
in a condensed version of the program with hospice
residents.
The children who participate in the Grand-Kids
and Close2Heart programs attend Elder Sensitivity
training workshops. The workshops have proven to
be effective in teaching participants to experience
the effect of sensory losses that are common to the
process of aging.
Nisha Mandani sought the aid and experience of the
local hospice and the Red Cross to design a training
manual to bring community awareness by instilling
competencies among youths to interact with diverse
groups of elders. Boy and Girl Scouts assisted in
Sudoku
There is only one valid solution to each Sudoku
puzzle. When you start a game of Sudoku, some
blocks will be pre-filled for you. You cannot
change these numbers in the course of the game.
Each column must contain all of the numbers
1 through 9 and no two numbers in the same
column of a Sudoku puzzle can be the same.
Each row must contain all of the numbers 1
through 9 and no two numbers in the same row
of a Sudoku puzzle can be the same. Each block
must contain all of the numbers 1 through 9 and
no two numbers in the same block of a Sudoku
puzzle can be the same. Good luck!
Solution found on page 22.
Sudoku © Kevin Stone [Protected Puzzle]
Sudoku Ref: 25944
designing 10 to 20 weeks of knowledge exchange
activities to integrate interests between generations.
Hospice residents may not be able to participate in
all of the activities, so they capture their memorable
moments of life and other life achievements in a
journal, which they give to the family.
At the end of both programs, the children make
journals for the seniors to document their lives and
their experiences in the program. The programs
were honored by the Dunedin City Commission
and have been approved by Pinellas County Schools
to use as volunteer hours toward Bright Futures
Scholarships.
continued on page 22
12
meals on wheels
Elder Update
Aging True: A Meals on Wheels Volunteer Story
Susan Evans
Aging True - Community Senior
Services
Meals on Wheels is one of those
iconic programs that immediately
evoke a feeling of familiarity and
goodness. Almost everyone has
heard of Meals on Wheels and
knows that it means an older, frail,
and housebound person is getting a
hot nutritious meal brought to them.
Those receiving it know it means a
certain measure of care, independence, and security is provided so
that they may continue to live safely
and with dignity in their own homes.
To those volunteers who serve the
meals, it means much more than
that.
Aging True, formerly Urban Jacksonville, Inc, has been providing
meals for over 35 years throughout
Duval County and into some of the
beaches. Once a small, single-truck
program that delivered meals from a
cooler strapped into a flatbed, Aging
True’s Meals on Wheels now serves
nearly 1,000 nutritious meals each
day.
A fleet of seven modified vehicles,
six active routes, 13 staff, and over
600 volunteers work seamlessly
together to make Meals on Wheels
happen every Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. It takes
a lot of coordination, talent, and
energy to make a program like this
grow and have it span the width and
breadth of one of our nation’s largest counties for over three decades.
Part of what makes the Aging True
Meals on Wheels so successful is
the overwhelming commitment of
its volunteers who work from drop
sites all over the county. Responsible
for 18 percent of the over 255,000
delivered meals in 2010, Meals on
Wheels volunteers utilize not only
their time but their own vehicles
and fuel to make certain the folks
on their route get the hot meal they
so desperately need. This defines
dedication and compassion, and All
Saints Episcopal Church knows all
about that.
“Meals on Wheels isn’t
an outside job. It puts you
inside people’s homes,
and you can see how
they are living. So you
might think all the big
fancy things are really
important, but they are
not. Life is, or a good life
is, about the little things
and making them happen.
That’s what Meals on
Wheels gave to me.”
All Saints Episcopal Church has
been an active partner in the Meals
on Wheels program for over 25
years. In its two-plus decade history of coordinating and delivering
hot and frozen meals, this small but
powerfully devoted team of volunteers has learned a lot about their
community, their neighbors, and
themselves.
Hal Wills is the coordinator of meal
delivery for All Saints Episcopal
Church and orchestrates more than
20 volunteers. He averages 12 hours
per week and serves as a backup
deliverer as needed. Hal has volunteered for Meals on Wheels for
nearly 19 years and says, "It's one of
the most worthwhile things I have
ever done. The people we serve really appreciate you, they appreciate
that meal, and they appreciate what
that meals means. It says they are
cared for and can stay in their home
as they want. I see their eyes light
up when they see me, and it does my
heart good."
Mr. Wills got his start in Meals on
Wheels through his friend, Mr. Dick
Suddath. "We both attend All Saints,
and I told him I was looking for a
good opportunity to serve, and he
told me exactly what I needed to do
– volunteer for Meals on Wheels. So
here I am."
Mr. Suddath is 92 years old and just
recently stopped delivering meals
six months ago, “I got sick and had
to stop. I want to start back but I am
still a little wobbly.” He has volunteered since the early eighties with
Mr. Wills joining him a few years
later. When I met with them, they
were meeting again for the first time
in a few months, and they greeted
each other with hugs, handshakes,
and laughter. Mr. Suddath claps
a hand on Mr. Wills’ back. “This
fellow was good to work with. He
wanted to know a good way to
make a difference around here, and
I dragged him along. I honestly got
started in this because I had retired
Elder Update
meals on wheels
and was bored. I wanted to do something worthwhile with all this extra
time. So I heard about Meals on
Wheels through my church, and it
just got the ball rolling from there.
We delivered way back when the
meals were brought to us in this little
truck. We’d get the meals and get the
list, and then off we’d go.”
Hal Wills coordinates all of the deliveries throughout the week and has
some very dedicated help to make
it happen. Dwayne and Carol Alsobrooke are known as the Meals on
Wheels power couple, as they have
handled most of the deliveries for
over a decade now. They work as
a team, a well-oiled meal-delivery
machine, and they know the importance of their work and how much it
matters to those who are often alone
and overlooked.
Mr. Suddath cannot tell you who first
told him about Meals on Wheels, but
he can tell you very clearly how it
makes him feel. “I have a great life;
I have everything I want or need.
Meals on Wheels makes you realize that life is not about the big stuff,
it’s all about the little things. Whenever we (he and Hal) would deliver
a meal, we got to know the person.
And sometimes they would tell you
things or you would just notice things
like the trash needing to be bagged
up and put out, or light bulbs needing to be replaced. It doesn’t sound
like much, but it really meant a lot to
them to have someone care enough to
do it for them.”
Hal also has help on Friday from the
wonderful, hard-working team at
Lakewood United Methodist Church.
Led by Ann Crenshaw who has 25
years of volunteering with Meals on
Wheels under her belt, the church has
five teams of two that know how to
take care of business. “People always
want to know how this program
works and how the people respond to
it,” Ann explains. “What they don’t
understand is how much it impacts
you – as the deliverer. You come into
their homes and get to really know
these people; they become friends
and you establish real relationships
with them. You see them struggle to
make ends meet, you see how alone
they are and how they want to just
matter to someone again. They simply want to have a happy life. You
know that this meal and your connection with them is a reason for their
happiness. They still feel like they
matter, like they are connected to
something that is important.
Hal Wills told me later that there
were many times when, after they
delivered a meal and noticed a need,
Dick Suddath would go back later
and quietly fix it or help out in some
way. “He didn’t toot his own horn;
he just did it because he cared about
them. Once long, long ago, we delivered meals to this elderly gentleman
who had no family so he just lived for
his TV shows. Each day he couldn’t
wait for us to get there to tell us all
about what he watched the night
before. One day we came in to deliver
his meal and noticed the sound was
on but the TV screen was black. The
gentlemen explained it had gone out
but that he was OK because he could
still hear it, but you could tell he was
devastated. That day Dick went out
and had a brand new TV delivered
and installed at that man’s house. I
didn’t know about it until we walked
in the next day to deliver his meal
and there he was waiting at the door,
thrilled to death about this new TV.
He was overwhelmed with joy. That
is how it is with Meals on Wheels.
You get a chance to really make a
difference to people; you get a chance
to see it and feel it.”
The gang at All Saints has delivered on average 25 meals a day for
over 25 years. At 252 serving days
a year, that’s approximately 157,500
(and counting) hot nutritious meals
delivered to our poorest and most
vulnerable neighbors. That’s a record
to be proud of and a reason to feel
good about delivering a meal with a
message.
Dick Suddath explains it this way,
“Meals on Wheels isn’t an outside job. It puts you inside people’s
homes, and you can see how they are
living. So you might think all the big
fancy things are really important, but
they are not. Life is, or a good life
is, about the little things and making
them happen. That’s what Meals on
Wheels gave to me.”
13
Meals on
Wheels:
One Man’s
Story
Susan Evans
Aging TrueCommunity Senior Services
Mr. Henry Fletcher is age 82 and
has received Meals on Wheels services for eight years due to a series
of strokes that left him paralyzed
on his left side from the shoulder
down. He is in a wheelchair and
requires assistance to eat.
“I have lived here for 45 years, and
I know it’s because of my friends
and Meals on Wheels that I am
still here. I sit here now and see a
lot of good around me. I lost my
daughter; she was a school teacher
in Texas, and she had a stroke like
me. And I lost Elian, my wife; we
were married 52 years, and I know
I am here because God wants me
here. He has a plan for me."
But Mr. Fletcher didn't know that
right away. "I wasn't that sure at
first. It's hard on a man, you know,
after working hard all his life to
keep his family safe and fed right
and educated. It was hard at first
to accept the fact that I needed
help. But I am glad I did, as I was
close to losing my house because
I wasn't taking the right care of
myself. I guess you can say, I was
stubborn,” Mr. Fletcher says with
a laugh. “Now I know how lucky
I am to still be here and have what
I do have. And what I have that
counts the most is my friends. ”
Mr. Fletcher points out the pictures of his family and friends
that adorn every wall in his house.
“This place is all I have left. I keep
their pictures up because it is their
home too. I like to look at them. I
know they are looking after me
just like my neighbor does and
just like Meals on Wheels does
(he points to Shalinda, his Meals
on Wheels deliverer). Every day I
wait to see Meals on Wheels come
driving up my driveway. These
good-hearted people check on me,
bring me some food, and help me
do the things I can’t do by myself
anymore. They are a big part of
my day, more than you know. I
mean, the meals are good and I
eat it all, but what I really look forward to is the paper. I love reading the Times Union. Back when
I was working, I started every day
that way. Me and my wife would
have breakfast together and share
the paper. Those memories seem
like just yesterday to me. Now the
Meals on Wheels ladies bring it
to me and help me open it up so I
can see what’s happening around
the world. I can’t get around like
I used to so having the paper here
makes me feel like I am still a part
of life outside.”
Mr. Fletcher has the kind of smile
that starts on his face and ends up
on yours. He is in a wheelchair,
completely paralyzed on his left
side, has outlived his children and
the love of his life, but he still
counts himself as one of the lucky
ones.
‘I know I am lucky,” he says with
a grin. “I have no complaints. I
know better than that. When
you’re all busy living your life, it
seems like it’s gonna last forever.
But it doesn’t. Everybody grows
old…if you’re lucky. And if you’re
lucky enough to have friends like
this, then growing old ain’t so
bad.”
14
shine
Elder Update
SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) is an award-winning volunteer-based program at the Department of Elder
Affairs that provides information and free, unbiased counseling for people on Medicare, their families, and their caregivers.
Trained counselors provide personal and confidential assistance over the phone or at local counseling sites. To speak with a
SHINE counselor, call our Elder Helpline toll-free at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337).
Ask Lynne:
Your Questions Answered by a SHINE Counselor
Dear Lynne:
I am 62 years old and have not
been able to find affordable health
insurance since I was laid off last
year. I am not very healthy so I
really need some health insurance
to tide me over until I am eligible for
Medicare. Is there any help for me?
Uninsured in Indian Creek
Dear Uninsured:
Yes, the Pre-Existing Condition
Insurance Plan (PCIP) was created
under the Affordable Care Act to
assist uninsured people with a preexisting condition to get healthcare
at lower rates.
In order to be eligible, you must
be a citizen or living in the United
States legally. Additionally, you must
have been uninsured for at least six
months and have had a problem
getting insurance due to a preexisting condition.
Based on your age, you could enroll
in the Standard Plan for $376 a
month. Benefits would include
preventative care paid at 100 percent
with no deductible when you use
an in-network doctor. This care
could include an annual physical,
f lu vaccination, routine adult
mammograms and cancer screenings.
Some lab tests are also included when
a preventative diagnosis is used.
For other care, you would pay a
$2,500 deductible in-network/$3,000
out-of-network deductible before
PCIP pays for your health care and
prescriptions. Once the deductible
is met, you will pay 20 percent of
in-network medical expenses. The
maximum you will pay out-of-pocket
for covered services in a calendar
year is $5,950 in-network.
Additional benefits you could receive
include hospital care, physician office
visits, outpatient surgery, emergency
room care, durable medical
equipment, etc. Prescriptions would
also be covered with a co-payment.
In Florida, there are presently
approximately 38,000 physicians,
4,800 pharmacies and 312 hospitals
in-network. And now, it is easier than
ever to apply. You will need to supply
a letter from your doctor, physician
assistant or nurse practioner that is
dated within the last 12 months and
states that you have had a medical
condition, disability or illness.
If you are ready to apply or want more
information on PCIP, you can call
directly to the PCIP Call Center toll
free at 1-866-717-5826 from 8 a.m. to
11 p.m. EST or locate more detailed
information on PCIP at www.pcip.
gov and click on “Find Your State.”
If you are not able to afford the
new PCIP, there may be some other
options through state health programs
for lower income individuals. The
SHINE program can help you
learn more about these options and
more, like how you could save on
prescriptions.
Dear Lynne:
I just received information about my
health benefits from the company
where I worked before retirement.
While the benefits are excellent, we
(my wife and I) just cannot afford the
monthly premium anymore. What
options do we have if we drop this
coverage?
Confused Couple in Cocoa
Dear Confused Couple:
First, please note that once you
decide to drop your retirement health
benefits, you will not be able to go
back to them again at any time. For
this reason, you and your wife need
to thoroughly research any decision
you might make to change from your
present coverage.
If you are not retired military and
eligible for Tricare for Life, your
options include either a Medicare
Advantage Plan (MA) or Original
Medicare. Let’s examine the
difference between the two.
With the MA plan, you would
probably be limited to using a
network of providers in addition to
co-pays whenever you see a doctor
or enter the hospital, etc. However,
there are some plans that allow you to
go out of network with higher co-pay.
It’s important to review what these
charges are so that there aren’t any
surprises should you need a test, or
be hospitalized, etc. The plans also
may include a Prescription Drug
Plan (PDP). Check to see if your
medications are included in the plan
formulary, what your co-payments
would be and if or when you would
enter the gap. When in the gap, you
are responsible for 50 percent of the
cost of your drugs in 2012. Another
important question is whether or not
you can continue using the same
doctors you have been using. Some
of these plans have no monthly
premium, and some also will pay all
or part of your Part B premium.
Original Medicare is sometimes
called “fee-for-service” Medicare. If
Lynne Meagher
Area SHINE Coordinator
Lynne Meagher is the Brevard County area coordinator and a volunteer trainer
for the Department of Elder
Affairs’ SHINE program.
In 2006, Lynne was honored with the Department’s
“Arnie Abrams Volunteer
of the Year Award” for her
work with Brevard County
seniors.
you use this option, you can go to
any doctor or hospital that accepts
Medicare patients. You usually pay
a deductible and part of the cost of
the services you receive. Medicare
determines how much health care
providers can charge for the services
covered by the plan. If you are in
Original Medicare, you would also
need to join a Prescription Drug
Plan (PDP) to get drug coverage
through Medicare. Additionally,
with Original Medicare you have
the option to enroll in a Medicare
Supplement (Medigap) plan.
Medigap insurance allows you the
freedom to use any provider in the
United States and their territories
that you want. Depending on which
Elder Update
shine
15
Check out BenefitsCheckUp®
Hilary Dalin
National Center for Benefits Outreach and
Enrollment
Many seniors struggle to pay for their prescription
drugs, food, health care, household utilities, and
other needs. Yet 81 percent of Floridians with
Medicare are missing out on key public benefits that
can help them meet these costs and remain healthy
and independent in their communities.
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) offers two
free online tools that can help connect Medicare
beneficiaries and their caregivers with public and
private benefits.
BenefitsCheckUp® (www.benefitscheckup.org)
is a free, confidential online benefits screening
and enrollment tool that contains information on
over 2,000 federal, state, local, and private benefits
programs. Anyone can use the site and conduct a
screening on behalf of themselves or a loved one—
and in some cases, even apply for programs online
where applications are available.
The National Council on Aging
(NCOA) offers two free online
tools that can help connect
Medicare beneficiaries and their
caregivers with public and private
benefits.
Here is just a sample of the types of assistance
included in BenefitsCheckUp:
• Prescription savings. Through BenefitsCheckUp, users can find out whether they potentially qualify for Extra Help, the government’s
Part D savings program, and apply directly
online. But the screening tool can also help users
see if they qualify for a wide range of other prescription benefits, such as rebates offered directly from drug manufacturers.
• Nutrition assistance tools. In Florida, half of
seniors eligible to receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP,
or Food Stamps) do not get that assistance. BenefitsCheckUp’s SNAP Map helps consumers
find state-specific SNAP program information,
websites, and application forms. Three addi-
tional nutrition benefits programs also are now
included in every BenefitsCheckUp screening:
the Commodity Supplemental Food Program,
the Emergency Food Assistance Program, and
the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program.
• Adult day care and respite programs. Caregivers face burnout if they aren’t able to get a
break from their responsibilities. Fortunately,
many areas offer adult day service programs and
respite care, particularly for those with Alzheimer’s. BenefitsCheckUp will help identify eligibility to receive waivers or financial assistance to
utilize these services.
• Property tax relief. Many states offer tax
rebates, deductions, or deferrals for low-income
elderly or disabled homeowners (and sometimes
renters). By answering a few brief questions
about home ownership/rental status and income,
BenefitsCheckUp can help determine whether a
senior or caregiver may qualify for property tax
assistance.
These are only a few of the types of assistance that
may be available. At the end of every screening,
users receive a printout listing all programs for
which they may qualify, and details on how to
apply. To date, more than 3 million people have
used BenefitsCheckUp® to find out whether they
are likely eligible for more than $10 billion in public
and private benefits.
Another useful online tool is My Medicare Matters
(www.MyMedicareMatters.org). Sponsored
by NCOA and supported by AstraZeneca
Pharmaceuticals LP, the site helps people with
Medicare and their families better understand
Medicare and related health assistance programs.
• Getting prescription drug coverage. Each
year during Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15-Dec.7), My Medicare Matters offers
beneficiaries objective assistance on selecting
the coverage that works best for them. The site
includes easy-to-follow instructions on how to
use Medicare’s online Plan Finder Tool, which
can help them sort through and review their prescription drug plan options and what best meets
their needs in the coming year.
• How to enroll. The site’s Just For You section
helps those new to Medicare understand the specifics of enrollment, including information for
those who continue to work past the age of 65,
early retirees or those who are unemployed, and
younger adults with disabilities who qualify for
Medicare.
Of course, these aren’t the only resources for people
with Medicare to receive unbiased assistance about
their coverage and available benefits. The SHINE
(Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) program,
operated by the Department of Elder Affairs and
your local Area Agency on Aging, provides free,
unbiased counseling about Medicare. To speak to a
SHINE volunteer counselor, call the Florida Elder
Helpline toll-free at 1-800-963-5337.
• Staying healthy. My Medicare Matters offers
information about Medicare’s array of preventive
services, as well as specific details of Medicare
coverage related to Alzheimer’s, cancer, and diabetes. Consumers can learn how Medicare can
help them stay healthy, but also how they can
play a role in improving their health by participating in community-based and online chronic
disease self-management programs.
NCOA also funds ElderSource, the Northeast
Florida Area Agency on Aging, as a Benefits
Enrollment Center, which offers a one-stop shop
for people in seven counties in northeast Florida to
receive help in applying for benefits. Together, these
resources can help Floridians with Medicare—and
those who care for them—obtain the guidance and
supports needed to keep older adults safe, healthy,
and independent.
The site features information about:
16
shine
Calling
All Problem
Solvers,
Achievers,
and
Leaders:
Join
the
SHINE Team!
Do you know of elders or disabled individuals
who have a hard time understanding their health
coverage and could benefit from having free,
unbiased counseling? You can help.
Join the more than 400 SHINE volunteers who:
• Explain options to help clients make
informed decisions;
• Provide enrollment and prescription
assistance counseling;
• Participate in community events;
• Speak to community groups about
Medicare, long-term care, and
prescription drugs; and
• Gain rewarding experiences by helping
clients save money on their insurance.
SHINE is a statewide volunteer program that
helps guide seniors and the disabled through
their health insurance options. All services are
free and unbiased.
F LO R IDA SH IP
To learn how you can join SHINE, contact
LaVonia Sampson-Jones, SHINE Recruitment
Specialist, by calling 850-414-2028, or write to
[email protected].
A Caring Counselor Finds Caring Voice Coalition
Zachary Scott
SHINE Program
Plenty O’Cents recently called the SHINE program last week with a simple question, “Can you
help me lower my drug cost?” This question is
asked hundreds of times each day throughout the
SHINE network, but Plenty’s request was a bit
different, and it would take more than Medicare’s
Plan Finder to meet his needs.
Plenty was already in a very inexpensive Medicare
Advantage plan that covered most of his needs. He
was very happy with the plan, and even boasted
that, “They cover my Gold’s Gym membership and
fix my glasses when I sit on them.” His only complaint was that his one and only prescription drug,
Xyrem, cost him almost $700.00 each month.
The Caring Voices Coalition is
a non-profit organization that
provides financial assistance
to those who suffer from rare
diseases and disorders.
When Plenty told me about this expensive drug, I
thought that this would be an easy case. I would
just go to the Plan Finder tool, run a comparison,
and find him a new Medicare Advantage plan that
covered his drug at a lower cost, and that would be
that. However, once I opened the Plan Finder tool,
I discovered that $700.00 a month was actually
the least expensive price for Xyrem. Plenty was
already in the “best” plan.
Disappointed by the lackluster Plan Finder results,
I then turned to www.NeedyMeds.org, an online
information resource devoted to helping people in
need find assistance programs to help with medication costs. Surely this drug would have coupons
and several Patient Assistance Programs (PAP)
that would help Plenty with this high drug cost, but
I was wrong. The only PAP listed was not available
to Plenty since he already had insurance.
Things were not looking good for Plenty. The two
biggest and best cost-saving tools available to the
SHINE network offered no help whatsoever.
Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders
Elder Update
Before calling Plenty back to give him the bad
news, I went to www.Google.com to look up the
drug that was causing all of this trouble. Xyrem is
a drug that is prescribed exclusively to treat narcolepsy, and it is very, very effective. It treats narcolepsy without giving its users the “jitters,” it is
non-habit forming, and it has very few side effects.
Because of its effectiveness, it is also very expensive. I learned that the average cost of a month
supply of Xyrem is about $2,875.00 – so $700.00
really was a good deal after all!
As I searched through the Google results page,
I grew more discouraged – there is no generic
alternative, there are no coupons, and the other
narcolepsy drugs available are just as expensive
and not nearly as effective.
Then, just when I thought all hope was lost, I saw
a link and a hotline number for a narcolepsy support group. I called the number that was listed in
a last-ditch effort to help Plenty lower his cost.
Even if the support group couldn’t help, I could at
least put Plenty in touch with a support group who
would share in his struggles.
After three rings a woman with a very thick southern accent answered the phone and asked me how
she could help. When I was finished with my story
about the SHINE program and Plenty’s expensive medication, she said “Caring Voices Coalition would be able to help.” I thanked her for her
help, hung up the phone, and immediately typed in
the web address for the Caring Voices Coalition,
www.caringvoice.org.
Once the page for the CVC loaded, I knew right
away it was the answer Plenty and I were looking for. The CVC is a non-profit organization that
provides financial assistance to what is known as
the “orphan disease population” – those who suffer
from rare diseases and disorders, including narcolepsy. It seemed like I finally had some good news!
I called the Caring Voices Coalition hotline to see
if they would be able to help Plenty, but I feared
that I had overlooked some detail that would
exempt Plenty from this program. The phone was
answered by a CVC representative. I told him
about SHINE and Plenty, and I asked for help.
The answer they gave made me dance for joy in
my cubicle. The representative said, “As long as
Plenty’s doctor fills out our form confirming that
he has narcolepsy, we will pay about $525.00 each
month toward his Xyrem.” That is a 75 percent
savings for Plenty!
After thanking the representative, I called Plenty
and told him the good news. He was ecstatic! After
I gave him the number to the CVC hotline, he said
that he would call back if there were any issues or
problem. I have not heard from Plenty since, so I
can only assume that his needs were met, and his
prescription drug cost was lowered.
Elder Update
17
SHINE
When Your Medicare Advantage Plan Doesn’t Fit…Switch!
Patty Shaffer
SHINE Program
Not seeing the desired “advantage”
in your Medicare Advantage plan?
Medicare beneficiaries who find that
the Medicare Advantage plan they
have kept or chose during the Annual Enrollment Period does not meet
their needs may leave that plan and
return to Original Medicare using the
Medicare Advantage Disenrollment
Period (MADP), which runs from
January 1 through February 14.
Keep in mind that you cannot switch
from one Medicare Advantage plan
to another, nor can those in Original
Medicare use this period to join a
Medicare Advantage plan. Beneficiaries also may not join, switch, or drop
a Medicare Medical Savings Account
Plan. You can only use the MADP to
switch from a Medicare Advantage
Plan to Original Medicare. This may
include joining but not switching a
Prescription Drug Plan to add drug
coverage.
There are a few situations to keep
in mind when disenrolling from a
Medicare Advantage Plan.
Regardless of whether the advantage
plan included Part D drug coverage
or not, enrollees are eligible for a
“Part D Special Enrollment Period”
to enroll in a prescription drug plan.
Individuals enrolled in a Medicare
Advantage-Only (MA-only) Private
Fee-For-Service (PFFS) plan, must
request disenrollment from the MAonly plan in order to be eligible for
the Part D Special Enrollment Period.
If you are thinking about using the
MADP to go back to Original Medicare, it is also important that you
consider the various ways you can
otherwise cover the costs associated with Original Medicare, such
as deductibles, co-insurance, or copayments. Some options include
applying for a Medicare Savings
Program or purchasing a Medicare
Supplement. However, disenrollment
from your Medicare Advantage plan
will not alone qualify you for Guaranteed Issue to purchase a Medicare
Supplement (“Medigap”) policy, and
there are specific income and asset
requirements for each Medicare Savings Program.
To disenroll from your Medicare
Advantage plan during the MADP,
Ask Lynne (Continued from page 14)
you must notify your plan in writing
that you wish to disenroll. You may
also enroll in a stand-alone prescription drug plan, which will automatically disenroll you from your Medicare Advantage plan and switch you
to Original Medicare with the selected stand-alone drug plan.
Once your choices have been made,
coverage will begin the first day of
the month after the plan gets your
enrollment form and the selected
health care and prescription drug
coverage will be with you until the
end of the year. You may change
coverage again, if needed, during the
Annual Election Period which runs
from October 15 – December 7 each
year.
January 1 – March 31 is the Medicare General Enrollment Period
available each year to individuals
who didn’t sign up for Part A or Part
B when they were first eligible for
Medicare. This is the annual opportunity to apply with coverage which
becomes effective July 1, 2012.
ELDER UPDATE SUBSCRIPTION FORM
Mail this to:
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4040 Esplanade Way
or visit us at
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to subscribe.
Elder Update is distributed at no cost to elder Floridians.
First Name
Last Name
Business/Organization
Year of Birth
Street Address or P.O. Box No.
of the 10 standardized plans you
might choose, you would have no
additional co-payments. In Florida,
these plans are age-rated. This
means that your premium would
be based on your age when you
first enroll in the plan. There also
would be a medical questionnaire,
as well as a waiting period for preexisting conditions, if there is a gap
in coverage. The Medigap plans do
not include prescription coverage so
you would need to pick a Prescription
Drug Plan too.
SHINE counselors, like Lynne, have
received in-depth training so they can
provide unbiased assistance as you
make important decisions; decisions
that will affect all your health care
expenses for 2012 and beyond. A
SHINE counselor will not determine
what you should do, but will guide
you through the comparison process
so you can make an educated choice.
To reach a SHINE counselor, call the
Elder Helpline toll-free at 1-800-96ELDER (1-800-963-5337).
If you have a question you would like
the Ask Lynne column to answer,
please write or email Lynne at Senior
Life and look for a response in one
of the next issues. Please send your
question via email to information@
elderaffairs.org or by regular mail
to Elder Update: Ask Lynne, at 4040
Esplanade Way, Tallahassee, FL
32399-7000.
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18
Elder Update
Developing Age-Friendly Communities to Support Aging in Place
Gail Matillo
• Encouraging collaboration between stakeholders from diverse fields;
Tremendous advances in health care, economic
security, and the delivery of supportive services
have significantly enhanced the lives of seniors in
the past 50 years. Seniors are enjoying longer and
healthier lives, while preferring to age in place in
their own homes and communities. AARP defines
aging in place as “simply a matter of preserving
the ability for people to remain in their home or
• Empowering staff to support and adopt strategies to promote aging in place communities;
Def i n i n g G e n erat i o n s
The Greatest Generation
The Silent Generation
Baby Boom Generation
Generation X
Generation Y
Generation Z
1901-1924
1925-1945
1946-1964
1965-1985
1978-1990
1995-2007
neighborhood for as long as possible.”
This year, Baby Boomers, those born between
1946 and 1964, begin turning 65 at the rate of
about 8,000 a day for the next 18 years. By the
year 2030, 9.74 million baby boomers will call
Florida home.
Housing officials, transportation planners, planning and zoning specialists, parks and recreation
officials, and economic development leaders are
making decisions each day that affect the ability
of older adults to successfully age in place. Early
recognition of the impact that an aging population
has on a community will enable them to hone their
planning efforts and implement solutions to adapt
to a maturing population.
Some cities and counties are creating “age-friendly” communities that provide a broad range of services determined by a well-planned public health
model. According to Josefina Carbonell, Assistant
Secretary for Aging, U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, three key components to
age-friendly communities are: (1) partnership and
collaborations; (2) aging services networks; and
(3) determining what resources can be brought
to the aging population. In addition, age-friendly
communities include appropriate housing choices
and an adequate transportation infrastructure to
provide independent mobility.
By using existing resources to meet the challenges
of a growing senior population, cities and counties
can implement age-friendly communities by:
• Identifying opportunities to integrate aging in
place issues with existing plans, programs, and
initiatives;
• Identifying sustainable funding streams from
private and public sources to support community-wide partnerships;
• Encourage public support for creative new
approaches that will enable communities to
remain livable for all residents; and
• Provide a forum for seniors to share their concerns, needs, and talents for social interaction
and volunteer efforts.
Baby boomers will play a major role in the development of age-friendly communities to support their
quality of life, ensure that their basic health care
needs are met, and to stay connected to friends and
social networks. Preventive health care, including
information about wellness, nutrition, and exercise
will be important, as well as community services
and lifelong learning, job, and volunteer opportunities; intergenerational programs; civic engagement; and new opportunities to enhance personal
fulfillment to optimize mental health, well-being,
and independence.
Another approach cities and counties can take to
develop age-friendly communities is to utilize
asset mapping or geographic information system (GIS) technology. These systems focus on
the physical characteristics of a community to
facilitate strategies and comprehensive planning
efforts and to identify a community’s strengths
and weaknesses. Asset mapping or GIS technology has become a popular way to leverage integrated supports to plan for smart growth and economic development initiatives. Once community
strengths are inventoried and depicted in a map,
cities and counties can more easily think about
how to build on these assets to address community needs and improve infrastructure. At its most
basic level, asset mapping promotes community
involvement, ownership, and empowerment. On a
more comprehensive level, asset mapping provides
a deeper understanding of the key networks that
shape the regional economy, housing, transporcontinued on page 23
Elder Update
19
Community Resources
Janine Harris
Establishing partnerships and accessing resources
is vital to the success of programs and services
for the Communities for a Lifetime participants
statewide. Below is an update of programs, services, etc., that communities can benefit from or
engage in.
Smart Growth America’s
Implementation Toolkit
Smart Growth America offers communities the
“Smart Growth Implementation Toolkit,” which
provides detailed guidelines for community leaders to examine zoning, policies, incentives, and
other regulations that influence development. The
toolkit is free and can be used to help communities develop their own assessments and strategic
plans related to growth. For additional information, access www.smartgrowthamerica.org/
leadership-institute/implementation-tools.
Establishing partnerships and
accessing resources is vital to
the success of programs and
services for the Communities for a
Lifetime participants statewide.
Experts Rank Non-Profits Working in Aging
In a recent survey Philanthropedia identified 13
agencies as “High-Impact Nonprofits Working in
Aging.” Philanthropedia was founded in 2006.
The survey evaluated national and local agencies
and focused on the following: Health Care, CareGiving, Long-Term Support Services, Housing,
Economic Security, and other services, including
transportation, civic engagement, socialization,
and prevention of elderly abuse. To learn more
about the survey, the evaluators, and the agencies
that participated in the survey, please go to www.
myphilanthropedia.org/top-nonprofits/national/
aging. Philanthropedia’s mission is to improve
non-profit effectiveness by directing money to and
facilitating discussion about expert-recommended
non-profits.
Health and Wellness
Go4Life is an exercise campaign that was instituted by the United States Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health. It is designed to
motivate older adults to become physically active
every day. According to the National Institute on
Aging, only 30 percent of older adults ages 45
to 64 report daily physical activity, and only 25
percent of those who are age 65 to 74. For additional information or to order the video and activity guide, access www.nia.nih.gov/Go4Life. The
website site features specific exercises, success
stories, and free materials. Spanish materials are
also available.
Transportation
The American Public Health Association recently
released a fact sheet on Complete Streets and Public Health that focuses on the health and safety
benefits of Complete Streets. The Complete Streets
Coalition encourages accessibility and safety for
all ages and abilities – bicyclists, public transportation vehicles and riders, and pedestrians. For
additional information, access www.apha.org.
Volunteerism
The Civic Life in America website offers tools,
statistics, demographics, trends, resources, and
a wealth of information on the civic engagement
of Americans across the nation. For the last two
years, 62.7 million Americans volunteered either
through or for an organization. In Florida, the
average volunteer rate is 21.3 percent with 3.1 million volunteers serving 460.8 million total hours
per year.
Intergenerational
Did you know that Marian McQuade was the
founder of National Grandparents Day? She served
on the West Virginia Commission on Aging and
the Nursing Home Licensing Board. It was her
desire to educate youth about the importance of
the contributions that seniors make to society.
She urged young people to adopt a grandparent
for a lifetime. In 1977, Congress passed legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day
as National Grandparents Day, and on August 3,
1978, former President Jimmy Carter signed the
proclamation.
Housing
A new study, “America’s Rental Housing: Meeting
Challenges, Building on Opportunities,” explores
the challenges and opportunities of rental housing
in America. Although rental housing is a choice
for a number of Americans, it is a necessity for
millions of low-income households. According
to the study, which was sponsored by Harvard
University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies and
the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, elderly households account for 13 percent of
renters. Forty-six percent of renters age 36 to 64
account for renter households. To read the study,
access www.macfound.org.
Preparing for Tomorrow - Today
C
an your community benefit from technical
assistance and resources in housing…
transportation…health and wellness…
employment…volunteerism…or
intergenerational programs?
Communities for a Lifetime helps Florida
communities plan and implement locally defined
initiatives that benefit all residents, from youthful
to elder.
Join more than 100 communities statewide that:
•Plan for seniors who want to be actively engaged
in their community
•Recognize that before long, one-third of Florida’s
population will be age 60 or older
•Seek strategies to engage youth and seniors
through multi-generational opportunities
•Understand the benefits seniors provide for
overall future growth and development •Seek strategies to develop additional local
partnerships
T
o learn how you can join other
Florida communities with a
(senior) plan for the future,
contact Janine Harris, Community
Relations Manager, Communities
for a Lifetime, 4040 Esplanade Way,
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-7000,
or call 850-414-2373 or email
[email protected].
CommunitiesforaLifetime.org
Elder Update
20
Ombudsman Program Releases Annual Report
Erica Wilson
Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
Because of the early convening of the
Legislative session, the Ombudsman
Program has released its 2010-2011
state-mandated annual report ahead
of schedule. Each year, the report
is distributed to providers, policy
makers, and concerned citizens. This
year’s report showcases the work of
its dedicated volunteer ombudsmen,
the program’s accomplishments, and
recommendations for changes in the
long-term care industry.
“No one knows the resident better
than the ombudsman,” said State
Ombudsman Jim Crochet. “Our
volunteers go into long-term
care facilities for each complaint
investigation and administrative
assessment, working to protect the
health, safety, welfare, and rights of the
state’s most vulnerable population.”
So just how much time was spent in
these facilities? Typically, volunteers
are asked to give 20 hours of
service to the program each month.
Many volunteers give much more,
selflessly donating their time and
energy to resolve complaints to the
resident’s satisfaction. Through case
investigations alone, volunteers gave
over 18,000 hours of unpaid service
this past fiscal year, investigating
“This is the
best job I never
got paid for.”
Volunteer
Ombudsman
VO LU N T E E R
Long-term care residents need your help! Become an advocate today.
ombudsman.myflorida.com | Toll-Free: 1-888-831-0404
over 7,500 complaints. This number
does not include hours spent on
other volunteer duties, such as
administrative assessments, legislative
visits, resident visits, attending local
council meetings, and speaking
at local libraries or at other special
events to recruit additional volunteers.
“Making a difference in someone’s
life – this is the reward that I seek
from any volunteer work that I do,”
said long-time volunteer ombudsman
and current program State Chair,
Carol Weideman. “Many times
ombudsmen work with residents who
truly have no one else to help them,
and it is extremely rewarding to know
that you have helped someone.”
One way volunteer ombudsmen help
residents is by responding to a variety of
complaints. This past year, complaints
describing lack of dignity, respect,
and poor staff attitudes totaled 225 as
the second top complaint received in
nursing homes, just behind complaints
regarding discharge and eviction at
318. Complaints may be made by
any person or group concerned for
the health, safety, welfare, or rights
of long-term care facility residents.
Relatives and residents were the top
complainants, representing over
70 percent of complaints reported
concerning nursing home residents.
The most frequent complaint found
in assisted living facilities and adult
family-care homes was medication
administration and organization,
totaling 289, followed by 281
complaints about the menus offered.
Although 27.95 percent of the concerns
were reported by residents, concerns
were also reported from relatives and
ombudsmen.
With the program’s focus on recruiting
and retaining volunteers to better
serve Florida’s elders, the program
revamped its training materials
with the goal to decrease classroom
training and increase time spent in the
field. New forms of training materials
include interactive presentations,
online and self administered training
videos, and comprehensive quizzes.
“We want to provide the most effective
and easiest form of training to better
equip and serve our volunteers so they
can better serve residents of long-term
care facilities,” said State Ombudsman
Training Administrator James
McFatter. “The new trainings will be
available on our website in a variety
of formats such as Prezi, PowerPoint,
Google quizzes, and comprehensive
PDF packets. We’re even hoping to
get a CD or MP3 format so volunteers
will have the option of listening to
lessons in their cars.”
The Ombudsman Program officially
rolled out its training during a
workshop at the end of October, where
staff members from the program’s 17
district offices met face to face for
the first time in over two years. The
intensive two-and-a-half day training
reviewed the new training material.
The training workshop also covered
another program milestone, a new
resident- centered administrative
assessment form. Ombudsmen staff
gathered in teams and blanketed the
town of Altamonte Springs, Florida,
visiting the area’s nursing homes,
assisted living facilities, and adult
family-care homes to pilot the new
form and meet with facility residents.
The new form is designed to give
ombudsmen the opportunity to record
their observations and work with
residents and staff to make sure the
needs of residents are being met.
“The new assessment form is a
guideline for a conversation with the
residents. The questions are there to
help you cover all the different areas
we want to check as ombudsmen,” said
District Manager, Kevin McKeown.
Besides descriptions of the program’s
new training and administrative
assessment form, this year’s annual
report also includes quotes from
residents served, statistics on the
top five complaints in assisted living
facilities, adult family-care homes,
and nursing homes for the past five
years, and the program’s legislative
recommendations. With the release
Elder Update
Access to information regarding elder services and activities
is available through the Elder
Helpline Information and Referral service within each Florida
county. For the hearing or speech
impaired, all Elder Helplines can
be accessed through the Florida
Relay by simply dialing 711 from
anywhere in the state.
Information and Referral
1-800-96-ELDER
(1-800-963-5337)
Florida Area Agencies on Aging (Counties Served)
Northwest Florida
Area Agency on Aging, Inc.
5090 Commerce Park Circle
Pensacola, FL 32505
850-494-7101 • 1-866-531-8011
(Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton
Counties)
Area Agency on Aging of Central Florida,
Inc., dba Senior Resource Alliance
988 Woodcock Road, Suite 200
Orlando, FL 32803
407-514-1800
(Brevard, Orange, Osceola and
Seminole Counties)
Area Agency on Aging
for North Florida, Inc.
2414 Mahan Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32308
850-488-0055 • 1-866-467-4624
(Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf,
Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty,
Madison, Taylor, Wakulla and Washington
Counties)
for Southwest Florida
15201 N. Cleveland Avenue, Suite 1100
North Fort Myers, FL 33903
239-652-6900
(Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry,
Lee and Sarasota Counties)
Mid-Florida Area Agency on Aging, Inc.,
dba Elder Options
5700 S.W. 34th Street, Suite 222
Gainesville, FL 32608
352-378-6649 • 1-800-262-2243
(Alachua, Bradford, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie,
Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Lafayette, Lake,
Levy, Marion, Putnam, Sumter, Suwannee and
Union Counties)
Northeast Florida Area Agency on Aging,
dba ElderSource
4160 Woodcock Drive, 2nd Floor
Jacksonville, FL 32207
904-391-6600 • 1-888-242-4464
(Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, St. Johns
and Volusia Counties)
of Pasco-Pinellas, Inc.
9887 4th Street North
Suite 100
St. Petersburg, FL 33702
727-570-9696
(Pasco and Pinellas Counties)
West Central Florida
Area Agency on Aging, Inc.
5905 Breckenridge Parkway, Suite F
Tampa, FL 33610-4239
813-740-3888 • 1-800-336-2226
(Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee
and Polk Counties)
21
elder resources
Area Agency on Aging of Palm Beach/
Treasure Coast, Inc.
4400 North Congress Avenue
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
561-684-5885 • 1-866-684-5885
(Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach
and St. Lucie Counties)
Areawide Council on Aging of Broward
County, Inc., Aging and Disability
Resource Center of Broward County
5300 Hiatus Road
Sunrise, FL 33351
954-745-9567
(Broward County)
Alliance for Aging, Inc.
760 NW 107th Avenue, Suite 201
Miami, FL 33172
305-670-6500
(Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties)
If you need information about, or referral
to, a service provider outside Florida, call
the national Eldercare Locator Service at
1-800-677-1116. An information specialist
will assist you Monday through Friday
from 9 a.m. – 11p.m. Eastern time. For
people with Telecommunication Devices
for the Deaf (TDDs), all Elder Helplines, as
well as the Eldercare Locator Service, can
be accessed through Florida Relay Service
at 1-800-955-8771.
FLORIDA ELDER HELPLINE DIRECTORY
Please call the telephone number below in your area for information and referrals.
Alachua. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-262-2243
Baker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-242-4464
Bay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-467-4624
Bradford. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-262-2243
Brevard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321-504-2038
Broward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 954-745-9779
Calhoun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-467-4624
Charlotte. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-413-5337
Citrus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-262-2243
Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-242-4464
Collier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-413-5337
Columbia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-262-2243
DeSoto. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-413-5337
Dixie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-262-2243
Duval. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-242-4464
Escambia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-531-8011
Flagler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-242-4464
Franklin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-467-4624
Gadsden. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-467-4624
Gilchrist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-262-2243
Glades. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-413-5337
Gulf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-467-4624
Hamilton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-262-2243
Hardee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-336-2226
Hendry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-413-5337
Hernando. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-262-2243
Highlands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-336-2226
Hillsborough. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-336-2226
Holmes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-467-4624
Indian River. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-684-5885
Jackson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-467-4624
Jefferson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-467-4624
Lafayette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-262-2243
Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-262-2243
Lee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-413-5337
Leon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-467-4624
Levy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-262-2243
Liberty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-467-4624
Madison. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-467-4624
Manatee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-336-2226
Marion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-262-2243
Martin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-684-5885
Miami-Dade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305-670-4357
Monroe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305-670-4357
Nassau. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-242-4464
Okaloosa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-531-8011
Okeechobee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-684-5885
Orange
in-county . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
out-of-county. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407-839-4357
Osceola
in-county . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
out-of-county. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407-839-4357
Palm Beach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-684-5885
Pasco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-963-5337
Pinellas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-963-5337
Polk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-336-2226
Putnam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-262-2243
Santa Rosa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-531-8011
Sarasota. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-413-5337
Seminole
in-county . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
out-of-county. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407-839-4357
St. Johns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-242-4464
St. Lucie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-684-5885
Sumter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-262-2243
Suwannee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-262-2243
Taylor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-467-4624
Union. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-262-2243
Volusia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888-242-4464
Wakulla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-467-4624
Walton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-531-8011
Washington. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 866-467-4624
Elder Helpline Can Assist Non-English Speakers
By calling the Elder Helpline,
Florida’s elders can access
information and referral services
through a translation service.
Telephone interpreters provide
live, on-the-line assistance by
translating from English into as
many as 148 different languages.
Are you worried that an elder relative or friend may be the victim of
abuse? You can report known or suspected cases of abuse by calling
Florida’s Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873).
22
Elder Update
55+ Communities: Can They
Really Keep Kids Out?
Jon Peck
Florida Commission on Human Relations
You’ve probably seen them – the flashy magazine
ads, TV commercials, or mailers touting the benefits of living in a community where everyone is at
least age 55. Whether you’re looking for the excitement of non-stop social activities or would rather
enjoy the peace and quiet of a kid-free environment,
these communities proclaim that they are just the
thing for you.
But some of these communities may be promising
more than they can legally deliver. If you are thinking about living in a 55+ community, it would be a
good idea to know exactly what you’re dealing with.
Under state and federal fair housing laws, the State
of Florida has a process to officially recognize 55+
communities. To obtain that designation, a community must meet certain standards and then register
with the Florida Commission on Human Relations,
the state agency that handles complaints of age discrimination and other forms of discrimination in
housing, employment, and public accommodations.
More than 3,500 communities are officially recognized by the state as 55+ communities. But thousands of other communities use the term to describe
themselves, even though they haven’t properly registered with the state.
What’s the difference? Only by registering can a 55+
community be sure it may legally exclude younger
residents. The unregistered communities may prohibit youngsters, but some of them run the risk of
being slapped with a complaint that cites them for
age discrimination in housing. Properly registered
55+ communities receive an exemption from certain
discrimination claims, so their residents don’t have
to worry about such claims.
A 55+ community can be established pretty much
anywhere, from a high-rise condominium building
to a mobile home park, or anywhere in between. Not
surprisingly, the heaviest concentration of registered 55+ communities in Florida is along the state’s
southeast coast – Palm Beach and Broward counties together have more than the next eight highest
counties combined. But 55+ communities can be
found in more than two-thirds of Florida’s counties,
with significant numbers in the Tampa Bay area and
down the state’s west coast.
What does it take for a community to be officially
recognized as 55+? Among other requirements, at
least 80 percent of the occupied units must house
at least one person age 55 or older. The facility or
community must regularly conduct a survey to
ensure that its residents meet the age requirements.
Individual communities can decide for themselves
whether they want to establish even stricter age
standards – for example, requiring that every home
have a resident at least age 55, or that no one below
a certain age be allowed to live there.
Florida’s 55+ communities can be a marketing
agent’s dream, and many facilities advertise themselves that way even though they don’t actually
meet all of the requirements and apply for the state’s
“seal of approval.” While they may meet most of the
legal requirements to be a 55+ community, some
communities fail to conduct an annual survey. And
without the survey, residents have no way of knowing whether their community is really making sure
the residents fall into the desired age group.
Elder Update
Intergenerational Week
Congratulations to these award recipients! May
you continue to bridge the gap, impact the lives
of others, and be shining examples of intergenerational participants to all Floridians.
The DOEA’s Office of Volunteer and Community Services is working with other agencies
and organizations throughout Florida to promote the importance and benefits of intergenerational activities. These programs improve
the quality of life for all ages by strengthening
families and communities. This can be accomplished by simple activities such as reading to
one another, tutoring a young person, teaching
elders to use computers or cell phones, or any
activities that engage individuals from different
generations.
DOEA encourages all Floridians to participate
in some form of intergenerational activity or
volunteering opportunity throughout the year.
Remember, it only takes one person or one
small act of kindness to make a lasting impression on the life of another human being…and
that person could be you.
Thank you to all individuals, groups, organizations, and business who aided in making 2011’s
Florida Intergenerational Week such a success!
For more information about Intergenerational
Week activities and programs, please contact
Zsa Zsa Ingram-Fitzpatrick at fitzpatrickzz@
elderaffairs.org, or visit DOEA’s website at
www.elderaffairs.state.fl.us.
SUDOKU SOLUTION
It’s important to remember that just because an
area is designated as a 55+ community, that doesn’t
mean no one younger than 55 is allowed to stay for a
visit or even live there. It really depends on whether
the community has chosen to be stricter than the
minimum requirements of state and federal law.
However, one thing that is certain is that without
officially registering with the state, a self-described
55+ community may not being able to legally keep
younger residents out.
Find county-by-county listings of 55+ communities
officially recognized by the State of at http://fchr.
state.fl.us/housing_directory/search.
Sudoku © Kevin Stone [Protected Puzzle] Sudoku Ref: 25944
Elder Update
Aging in Place
tation, and mobility issues, and how to develop
growth. It will also indicate areas that require
further investment and a baseline to judge future
progress toward economic prosperity.
On page 19 is an example of how asset mapping
can be used to identify a community’s assets and
how they can be put to work to improve the quality
of life for everyone. In 2007, Metlife Foundation
sponsored a regional workshop of the Aging in
Place Initiative in Tampa featuring the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging and
Partners for Livable Communities. The Tampa
Bay Region is home to some of the most comprehensive aging-in-place strategies in the country
– a large region with one of the nation’s highest
percentage of residents over the age of 65. Asset
mapping shows that once a community’s assets,
both traditional and nontraditional, are identified
and put to work, they can have great impact on the
ability of older adults to age in place.
John P. Kretzmann and John L. McNight, Building Communities from the Inside Out: A Path
Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community’s
Assets (Center for Urban Affairs and Policy
Research, Northwestern University, 1993), 64.
www.northwestern.edu/ipr/abcd.html
Long-term Care
of this report, the Ombudsman Program hopes to
continue its efforts to create dialogue between policy
makers, long-term care facility residents, family
members, caregivers, and concerned citizens about
recurring issues in the long-term care industry.
Working together with volunteers, agency partners
and stakeholders, the program hopes to promote
positive change to make sure residents’ rights are
being protected and respected.
To receive a free copy of this year’s annual report,
call toll-free at 1-888-831-0404 or write to:
Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
4040 Esplanade Way
Tallahassee, FL 32399-7000
Or, visit the Ombudsman Program online at www.
ombudsman.myflorida.com to view and print the
annual report from home.
Elder Update
23
Here to Serve
Yolanda Siples
Statewide Public Guardianship Office
There may come a time when an individual is
no longer capable of making his or her own
decisions. If this occurs and no other advanced
directive, such as a Durable Power of Attorney,
is in place, the courts may step in and appoint a
guardian. Guardianship is a process designed to
protect and exercise the legal rights of an individual whom the Court has deemed to be incapacitated, due to functional limitations. Guardians
serve as legal representatives for those who are
no longer able to make decisions for themselves.
Public guardians are appointed for those individuals who are indigent and have no family or
friends to assist in decision-making. Professional
guardians are appointed by the court to make
decisions on behalf of incapacitated individuals and are paid from the ward’s assets. There
are currently 13 public guardianship programs
throughout the state that serve 27 counties.
At the request of the guardianship community, the Statewide Public Guardianship Office
(SPGO) launched a new online system so that
families and/or the court system could verify
the registration status of guardians in real time,
in October 2010. With the previous system,
the registration status was updated only once a
week. This allowed a window of time in which a
guardian’s registration could have lapsed and the
courts and the public would be unaware.
Wynter Solomon-Cuthbert, who works in Court
Administration for the Ninth Judicial Circuit
Court, commented that the new system has been
very beneficial. She states that the new system
gives her the assurance that those guardians listed are indeed registered and the information is
up to date. She also uses the system as a way to
identify new guardians so that she may contact
them and advise them of the requirements to
practice in Orange County.
Professional guardians are often appointed when
out-of-state family members make the difficult
decision to hire someone to look after the affairs
of a loved one. The new system enables them to
verify that the person they are hiring to protect
their family member’s interests is fully qualified
to serve in the role. The database also gives the
court the assurance that the individual being
appointed has met the requirements of law.
To learn more about guardianship or to obtain a
list of currently registered guardians, please visit
www.elderaffairs.state.fl.us/english/spgo.php.
Why My Senior Center Is Best: the Center 4 Life
By Carol Strange
Island Seniors, Inc., also known as the Center 4 Life on Sanibel Island, is an amazing place. It is hard
to imagine that any facility in the state could surpass it. It is housed in an old library building which
is shared by other city agencies. The staff leader is a dynamic lady Sandi who brings a welcoming
atmosphere that can be felt by anyone who enters. The grounds are beautifully attended by Gordon,
who is very willing to share his gardening secrets and seeds. The enthusiasm, warmth, and variety
of programs are varied with something for everyone. The building boasts a cozy library, a functional
kitchen, a multipurpose room that is utilized for classes, aerobic activities, meetings, and gatherings,
as well as small rooms for computer classes. The programs range from bridge and other games, trips
which last from hours to days, kayaking, presentations, safe driving and CarFit classes, book discussions, art and craft classes, yoga, fitness and toning, and happy hour aerobics, led by Sandi that bring
not only muscle tone but thoughts to ponder and improve attitude and outlook. Mahnoz, Chris, and
other teachers keep us moving and inspired to do all that we can to make the aging process a positive
one. A large number of volunteers are happy to add their own warmth and enthusiasm encouraged
by the amazing leadership. I am appreciative daily for this super facility and staff.
24
Falls Prevention
Elder Update
Award-winning Tai Chi Program Helps Prevent Falls
Maria F. Avalos
West Central Florida Area Agency on Aging, Inc.
of injury-related hospitalization and death for older
Americans.
If you walk into Bayshore Presbyterian Senior
Apartments in Tampa, you will notice that
something is different. You are likely to see one
or two ladies enjoying the nice weather on the
front porch or a few gathering to exchange news
and stories, a common site at senior facilities.
However, you may also encounter four to six
gathered to practice Tai Chi and help each other
master the different forms – definitely something
different from the norm. In July, 40 residents
enrolled in the “Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance” program offered by the West Central Florida
Area Agency on Aging. Three months later, 24
of them are still attending the twice-per- week
classes and practice sessions. Several participants
have been acknowledged for having “perfect attendance;” many having chosen to attend the classes
over social outings, regular tea club, and other
appointments.
Tai Chi has been proven to reduce the risk of falling by improving balance, postural control, muscle strength, flexibility, and mobility among those
who regularly practice it. Tai Chi research has
also demonstrated an improvement in quality of
sleep, increased self-esteem, reduced depression,
increased cardiorespiratory endurance, and lowered blood pressure among participants. But it is
another benefit that the Bayshore Presbyterian service coordinator, Cathy, says is most remarkable:
“I’ve noticed a sense of belonging and support
among many of the residents who used to keep to
themselves.” As a matter of fact, the residents have
taken the initiative to organize practice sessions,
go to each other’s apartments to provide additional
help, share tips, and exchange copies of instrumental music CDs. It is this sense of belonging and
responsibility that led the residents to designate
two “teachers” to continue the program after it was
completed last September. “We didn’t want the
classes to end; we really enjoy getting together and
getting better. I can walk backwards now, something I wasn’t able to do at the beginning,” says
Henry, the only male participant in the program.
“Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance” is an evidence-based program that was introduced to
Florida in December 2010, thanks to the diligent
work of staff at the Florida Department of Elder
Affairs and Florida Falls Prevention Coalition.
The Department chose Tai Chi based on an Oregon Research Institute study that showed Tai Chi
improved balance in older adults and reduced falls
by 55 percent. Preventing seniors from falling is
a major health goal across the nation as well as
in Florida. Nationally, a third of all adults 65 and
older fall each year, and falls are the leading cause
"We get participants well into their 80s and 90s,"
adds Health and Wellness Manager Maria Avalos.
"There was one woman who, when she began the
program, always used a walker and after a couple
of months, she left it at the front door and did not
need it for the duration of the class. I've seen some
pretty incredible changes."
MARK YOUR CALENDAR MARCH 8, 2012
pLEASE jOIN uS FOR
THE tWELFTH ANNUAL
Sponsored by:
To learn more about this exciting event,
call: 850-414-2000 or TDD: 850-414-2001

FEATURE - Florida Department of Elder Affairs

Transcription

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