ProAging Information Network

Click her for link to this interesting slideshow!

THURSDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News)—In 2009, 97 percent of Medicare beneficiaries will have access to a drug plan with premiums that are the same as this year’s or even lower, Medicare officials announced Thursday.
 
The various Medicare prescription drug plans in the agency’s “Part D” program cover about 90 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries, Kerry Weems, the acting administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), said during a late morning press teleconference Thursday.
Overall, 25.4 million Americans are currently enrolled in some type of Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. Open enrollment in the 2009 Part D plans begins Nov. 15 and ends Dec. 31.
There was more good news, according to Weems. “Part D continues to come in under budget and has consistently high satisfaction rates, and with it, millions of Americans are living better lives,” he said, noting that, “Medicare’s Part D prescription drug plan will enter its fourth year when open enrollment begins in November.”
From year to year, Medicare prescription drug providers do change their plans, Weems said, so it’s important that enrollees check up on their plan to see if anything has been altered.
“Some beneficiaries will see significant changes in their plans. These could be changes in premiums or changes in coverage,” Weems said. “We are encouraging all beneficiaries to review how their plans are changing and what other options are available to determine which plan best meets their needs,” he said.
For instance, the monthly premium for the most popular Medicare Part D plan, the AARP Medicare Rx Preferred Plan, will rise 15 percent, from $32 to $37. The next most popular plans are offered by Humana Inc., and the premium for the standard Humana plan will go up 60 percent, from about $25 to $40. The premium for the enhanced Humana plan will go up from about $23 to $38, the Associated Press reported.
Medicare beneficiaries across the United States will be able to access at least one prescription drug plan with premiums of less than $20 a month, except for people living in Alaska, where the one prescription drug plan has a premium of $23 a month, Weems said.
People who qualify for the full Medicare subsidy will have no premiums or deductibles on these plans. The average monthly premium for the basic Medicare drug benefit in 2009 is expected to be about $28, Weems said.
Medicare beneficiaries will also continue to have access to drug plans with a wide range of options, including plans with no deductibles. In addition, plans that cover the gap for generic drugs are available in all states.
All Medicare beneficiaries will have access to Medicare Advantage plans, Weems noted. These plans cover all Medicare services, including prescription drugs. Many of these plans have prescription drug coverage that will enable more than 93 percent of those enrolled in the plan to get their drugs with no premiums and no deductibles, Weems said.
He added that the marketing of prescription drug plans in 2009 is covered by new regulations intended to protect Medicare beneficiaries from “deceptive or high-pressure marketing tactics by insurance companies and their agents.”
Paul Precht, director of Policy and Communications at the Medicare Rights Center, said people should shop around for the best prescription drug plan and not just continue on with the plan they have.
“The first thing consumers should look for is the premium,” Precht said. “But the more important and the more difficult challenge is to figure out if there are changes in the coverage,” he said.
Consumers should also look to see if there are drugs that were covered in 2008 that won’t be covered in 2009, Precht said. “You need to find out if there are drugs that are covered without restriction this year that will now be subject to prior authorization or step therapy [using the most cost-effective drug first],” he said.
People considering switching to Medicare Advantage should first find out if their current doctor and hospital are part of the plan and what the plan covers and doesn’t. In addition, they should also find out which drugs are covered and which are not, Precht said.

MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News)—Elderly Americans who live in low-income ZIP codes are more likely to die after surgery than those who live in higher-income ZIP codes, according to new research.
 
The study analyzed death rates among more than one million older adults who had one of six common high-risk heart or cancer surgeries between 1999 and 2003.
The risk of death was between 17 percent and 39 percent higher for patients in low-income ZIP codes, mainly because the quality of care is lower at hospitals in lower socioeconomic areas, the study authors said.
In fact, all patients (regardless of income) who had surgery at hospitals in the poorest areas were more likely to die, while all patients who had surgery at hospitals in the richest areas were less likely to die.
“It may be that hospitals that treat patients of lower socioeconomic status have lower quality of care due to fewer resources, such as technologically advanced equipment or specialists,” lead author Dr. Nancy Birkmeyer, an associate professor of surgery at the University of Michigan, said in a Center for the Advancement of Health news release.
The study was published in the September issue of the journal Medical Care.
“While some prior studies have demonstrated socioeconomic disparities in the outcomes of individual procedures, ours is the first to show that the relationship is consistent across a wide range of surgical procedures,” Birkmeyer said.
While the study can improve understanding of patterns of care, it doesn’t offer concrete answers for elderly patients who need surgery, said Dr. Harlan Krumholz, a professor of medicine, epidemiology and public health at Yale University.
“The study can only really raise questions about inequalities in outcomes, because the authors have limitations in their ability to know the socioeconomic status of any particular patient and the condition of the patient when they had the surgery,” Krumholz said in the news release. “Nevertheless, it is time for us to look closely at whether people are getting the same care and outcomes regardless of their financial circumstances.”

By STEPHANIE REITZ , Associated Press
ENFIELD, Conn. – Susan Lather envisions a day when paninis and mock cocktails will take their place next to fruit cups and club sandwiches on the lunch menu at the Enfield Senior Center.

Changing food preferences are among many adjustments that senior center directors nationwide, including Lather, expect to make in the next decade as they balance the wishes of their elderly stalwarts with those of baby boomer newcomers.

Some even have taken “senior” out of their names, christening the facilities “community centers.” It’s a nod to boomers who acknowledge they are aging but bristle at the term “senior” and the stereotypes of fragility or dependency.

The first of the 78 million boomers started receiving Social Security retirement benefits this year, and the Census Bureau estimates almost 8,000 of them are turning 60 every day.

“The boomers are going to have the same impact in senior centers that they had as babies when they were born, in schools, in the work force and in society in general,” said Jay Morgan, manager of the Office on Aging in St. Petersburg, Fla.

“You really can’t underestimate that impact,” he said.

Morgan moderates a National Council on Aging online discussion group for senior center directors and said they voice common concerns about serving boomers.

Some examples: offering programs to fit the schedules of boomers working well into their 60s and making them diverse and intellectually appealing, and ensuring that longtime older visitors aren’t alienated by the changes.

None expect it to be easy. Even those who’ve planned in advance say baby boomers will be unlike any generation that has ever passed through senior centers.

In Enfield, traditional activities — bingo and cribbage, blood pressure clinics, bereavement support — are now joined by high-energy Zumba exercise classes, Nintendo Wii video game tournaments and investment clubs.

Lather said she may even launch a motorcycle club for the many “young” seniors arriving at the northern Connecticut center on two wheels.

“I’d say we’re a pretty hip senior center,” she said. “We like it when people say ‘I feel young here.’”

Center directors say some adjustments have been easy, such as showing contemporary movies in place of black-and-white and mid-20th century classics.

Other changes take more planning, such as coordinating exotic vacation trips or scheduling appointments with Social Security representatives to help “young” seniors make the transition from working life to retirement.

More than two-thirds of directors polled in a 2005 survey by the National Institute for Senior Centers said they thought boomers and those just a few years older could not relate to being called “seniors.”

Muriel Roy, 64, counts herself among them. Roy, an Enfield center regular for about seven years, said she first thought the centers “were just for old people — and that’s not me.”

“They were more like a convalescent home, that was the image I had,” said Roy, who was drawn to Enfield’s center by her interest in one of its crafts programs.

Fellow crafts enthusiasts Cathy Gernand, 64, and Pat Beblo, 67, said they, too, thought senior centers offered nothing that would appeal to them until they were well into their 70s or 80s.

“The older you get, the further away ‘old age’ really gets,” Beblo said, laughing.

In West Virginia, where 15 percent of the state population is 65 and older, some centers are offering seminars to younger seniors on caring for their aging parents, with whom many of the boomers will be sharing the centers.

In West Virginia’s Monongalia County, the Senior Monongalians center also is expanding its gym, offers an Internet cafe and expanded its hours to attract younger seniors after work.

“This is something we’re definitely addressing, because it’s going to last for decades,” said Vicki Long, the Senior Monongalians center’s marketing coordinator.

Not everyone at the senior centers is excited about the changes.

Robert Roswall, executive director of the Cabell County, W.Va., Community Services Organization, said older seniors at its eight centers in and around Huntington tend to ignore the newer activities in favor of bingo, daily meals and other sedate offerings.

“They’re interested in their group,” he said. “It’s like a clique. You kind of have two groups in there right now.”

Morgan, the manager of the aging office in St. Petersburg, says there actually are three: the “G.I.” generation of the World War II era; the “silent generation” shaped largely by the 50s and early 60s, and the boomers.

“Each generation has its unique characteristics,” Morgan said. “We have to recognize the value of the G.I. generation and silent generation and not just kick them out the door. But at the same time, we have to recognize the impact of the baby boomer generation and make changes to accommodate them.”

He predicts that will mean more grab-and-go meals, sports leagues, day trips and the most up-to-date recreation and social offerings.

As for changing the names from “senior” to “community” centers, Morgan is dubious.

“I’m kind of from the old school of calling it what it is,” said Morgan.

He says his fellow baby boomers need to “get over themselves.”

“When they’re 70, the word ‘senior’ won’t seem so bad,” he said.

By Aliza Marcus

Sept. 29 (Bloomberg)—More than 90 percent of U.S. nursing homes in each of the past three years were cited for violating federal standards, according to a government report.

For-profit facilities had a higher percentage of violations than other nursing homes, the inspector general for the Health and Human Services Department said today in the report.

Medicare, the U.S. health insurance program for the elderly and disabled, is trying to increase the quality of care, posting on its Web site the names of facilities that fare poorly in state inspections. The government also plans to use star ratings, similar to rankings of hotels.

``In 2007, 94 percent of for-profit nursing homes surveyed were cited for deficiencies, compared to 88 percent of not-for- profit and 91 percent of government nursing homes,’’ said Daniel Levinson, the inspector general, in the report.

The most common violations, cited in the case of 28 percent to 36 percent of nursing homes, related to improper storage and distribution of food, accident hazards and care services necessary for residents’ mental and physical well-being, the report said.

The survey process is too subjective to determine how well nursing homes are performing, Susan Feeney, a spokeswoman for the American Health Care Association, a Washington advocacy group for 9,000 nursing homes, said today in a telephone interview. Violations cited may relate to the ``mail being delivered, things that have nothing to do with the quality of care,’’ she said.

Working With Congress

``We’re looking to work with Congress and the administration to implement a process that’s less subjective and has incentives for quality improvement,’’ she said.

The inspector general’s office said a new voluntary compliance program should help facilities reduce fraud and abuse related to quality of care and payments. The guidelines will be published in tomorrow’s Federal Register.

The rate of violations differed by state, with 100 percent of nursing facilities surveyed in Alaska, the District of Columbia, Wyoming and Idaho reporting citations compared with a low of 76 percent in Rhode Island.

“There is no place like your own  home and no better place to live than Montgomery County.  Wherever you decide to live, it’s important to learn about the practical things you can do to make your home safer and your life simpler”, says Charles Kauffman, the  community outreach strategist who with Elizabeth Boehner, Director of the Montgomery County Area Agency on Aging is co-chairing the Montgomery County Aging In Place Coalition. The coalition has produced annual Aging In Place events in  Montgomery County since 2005. This year’s free event, “AGING IN PLACE Your home, Your Community” will have speakers and exhibits with  lots of information to help older adults and their families make the simple changes to make their homes safer and more livable.

The panel, moderator,  Stuart Rosenthal,  is Chairman of the  Maryland Commission on Aging;  the speakers are  Marcy Lovett,  on  De-cluttering and Downsizing; Louis Tenenbaum,  Universal design expert,  on innovative and affordable alterations and  changes and Jennifer Long on the useful and accessible assistance  offered by the Montgomery County Resource Center for seniors.

Members of the coalition are the Montgomery County Department of Recreation; Montgomery County Department of Aging and Disability Services, The Beacon Newspapers,  University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service, The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington- Community Partners,  City of Rockville, Rockville Senior Citizens Committee, Bethesda Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, Wells Fargo Reverse Mortgage Division, United Seniors of Maryland, Vamoose Bus,  Alliance for Retired Americans.

This free event will be held  on Thursday November 13th 2008 from 1:00-3:30 p.m. at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theater, 603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville MD. There will be a panel discussion, then  question and answers from the audience. There will be many informative exhibits and free refreshments. Many public and non profit services will have displays and much valuable information will be available.  Exhibitors will include coalition members, Montgomery College, the National Institute on Aging and others.
A capacity audience of 450 seniors and professionals is expected. All guests must have a reservation. Seating is limited and Seat Reservations should be made now. Just write your name, address, email and phone number and the number of seats needed and   Send the information either by: (1) Mail information to:  MC- Event- P Spencer, 101 Monroe Street, Rockville, MD 20897 (2) or Fax to Montgomery County Event (240) 777 1436.  (3) Or Email information to event@montgomerycountymd.gov
For Directions to the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theater call (240) 314 5004.

Wood Awarded National Certification & Assists Seniors with Aging-In-Place Modifications

Baltimore, MD— Bob Wood, president of Wood Builders Collaborative in Howard County, has been named a “Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist (CAPS) by the Remodelers Council of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
There are only a few CAPS certified contractors in the Baltimore area.
This certification, earned after hours of continuing education, designates Mr. Wood as “one of the building industry’s top professionals with skills and knowledge specific to home modifications for aging-in-place.” 
The NAHB, in collaboration with AARP, designed the certification program (and continuing education programs to maintain the CAPS designation) to better prepare Remodelers to accommodate the 77 million baby boomers who may need to modify their homes to retain their independence even after a disability or age-related mobility issues set in.   Common barriers, codes and standards, product ideas and resources were included in the training.
Mr. Wood is a resident of Woodstock, MD.
In addition to providing aging-in-place services that allow seniors to stay in their homes, Wood Builders Collaborative builds custom home additions, and renovations for clients throughout the Baltimore metro area.  The company is a member of the Maryland Home Builders Association and Mr. Wood sits on the Remodelers Council Board of Directors.
 

Wall Street Journal

American workers with job-based health insurance can expect to spend 8.9% more for their health care in 2009, according to a study.

The cost to businesses of providing health-care benefits will rise by 6.4% on average in 2009, Hewitt Associates Inc. predicts, bringing the average annual premium cost per employee to $8,863, up from $8,331 now. While the growth rate in health-care costs is holding steady at about 6% to 7% a year, employers are passing on a larger slice of the increases to employees.

Hewitt predicts employees on average will contribute $1,946, or 22%, toward health-insurance premiums in 2009, compared with $1,806, or 21.6%, now. In addition, employees will likely face steeper out-of-pocket costs - through higher copays, annual deductibles and co-insurance - of $1,880 next year, compared with $1,707 now. Overall, employees can expect to pay $3,826, or 8.9% more, in 2009 for health care than in 2008, the study says.

Link at September 22, 2008
Falling housing prices can make it almost impossible to get out from under a mortgage you can no longer afford. A new AARP Public Policy Institute analysis says depressed home values are hitting baby boomers and seniors harder than other age groups. Americans over age 50 with homes worth less than their mortgage have a foreclosure rate approximately double the national average, AARP reports.

Foreclosure rates overall on first mortgages are higher for younger borrowers than for those over 50. But older households approaching retirement or already on a fixed income have less time to recover financial losses associated with foreclosure. Some 684,000 Americans ages 50 or older were either delinquent (30 to 180 days late), in foreclosure, or had lost their homes during the six months ending in December 2007, which represents 28 percent of all delinquencies and foreclosures.

Unsurprisingly, having a subprime loan is associated with a higher delinquency and foreclosure rate among all age groups. But AARP says the impact of subprime lending appears to fall disproportionately heavily on older Americans. Homeowners under age 50 with subprime loans are 13 times more likely to be in foreclosure than those with prime loans. At age 50 and above, the number jumps to 17 times more likely to be in foreclosure.

The states where older homeowners have the highest foreclosure rates shadow areas with overall elevated foreclosure rates: California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and Michigan.

The study was conducted with a 2.5 million-person random sample that AARP purchased from Experian, one of the three giant credit bureaus. AARP says foreclosure rates among seniors will very likely grow because homeowners are increasingly carrying mortgage debt into retirement.

Another recent paper from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College projects that as many as a third of older households will be less secure in retirement because of the housing bubble.

To register ,look for other events or to host an event go to

www.rightathomemd.net/events

Case Management 2008

Gain Expert Knowledge To Help Your Families

________

September 25th 2008 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Clinton Nursing & Rehabilitation Ctr.
9211 Stuart Ln. * Clinton, MD 20735

_________

________

____________________ Case Management 2008

Gain Expert Knowledge To Help Your Families

1 Contact CE Sponsored by

Potomac Valley Nursing and Wellness Center

October 8th 2008 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

________________

_________

Solutions for Communicating with Families with MS

Presented by:

Shannon Stapleton LICSW LCSW-C, LCSW

Director, Family Services

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

National Capital Chapter