Archive | August, 2012

Solving the transportation puzzle

By Renee on August 31, 2012 in Resources, Transportation

Finding non-emergency medical transportation for clients is like trying to solve a Rubik’s cube. Certain elements need to come together just right – or your client may be out of luck. Providing the right resources can be especially tough if you don’t know how to navigate the system. Elements to consider while researching options include: The exact location of the destination, date, time, and duration of the appointment, and whether the client will be under anesthesia during the visit. All of these factors will determine the resource given to a client. Other questions to consider may not be as obvious. In a recent e-mail correspondence, Sara Mary Wallace, mobility specialist at Area Agency on Aging 1-B provided the following tips:

I know how frustrating finding transportation can be. The goal of the program I work for, myride2, is to be a one-call, one-click mobility management service dedicated to helping seniors and adults with disabilities remain mobile for life. Our website and call center are designed for users to easily connect to transportation resources and information. Even though it is literally our job to find folks transportation, it can be challenging at times. Here are some tips that might help:

1.) If someone lives in Oakland or Macomb Counties, they can call us! myride2 Mobility Specialists are available from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, to help individuals find which types of transportation options would work best for them. People can call us toll-free at 1-855-myride2 (697-4332). They can also visit our website at www.myride2.com and search for providers who serve their zip code.

2.) If you are needing non-emergency, medical transportation keep in mind that these companies need to be licensed properly by the State of Michigan. They are required to have a Certificate as an Authorized Limousine Carrier. (Yes, a “limo license.”) If you follow this link: http://mdotwas1.mdot.state.mi.us/public/licensedcarriers/carriers.cfm?type=L, it will take you to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) website. It shows you all of the providers that currently have the certificate. You can choose a report by County (so it will pull up all current carriers in whatever county you want), or you can look at the entire list for the State of Michigan (which alphabetizes them by the city they are located in, so it’s fairly easy to see what’s available in a certain city).

a. Keep in mind that this list has actual limo companies on it as well, but you can often tell by the name which are limo companies and which are non-emergency medical transportation carriers.

3.) If a person has Medicaid, one of the benefits of full Medicaid is transportation to and from medical appointments. If a person lives in Oakland, Wayne or Macomb counties they can call the transportation provider LogistiCare at 1-866-569-1902. They will need to provide their active Medicaid ID number, but should then be able to get transportation to any medical appointments they have, anywhere in the State. If someone lives in another county, they would need to call their DHS office and as to speak to the Transportation Coordinator.

4.) Look for resources or non-profit groups that focus on a particular group of people. If your client is a Veteran, see if the local Veterans office has any volunteers. If someone is getting cancer treatments, contact the American Cancer Society. If you are trying to help a person with a visual impairment, see if the local LIONS club might help. Also many senior centers provide some type of transportation within the city they serve.

5.) Don’t rule out home help agencies. These agencies generally charge approximately $20/hour and require a minimum number of hours. However, if you client has an insured vehicle, the home help worker can often drive the client’s car, and there is no mileage fee. If a minimum is 3 hours, the trip would cost about $60.00 and you have a person staying with your client the whole time. Often transportation provider’s roundtrip fees are more expensive, and they client is picked-up and dropped off.

Sara Mary Wallace can be reached directly at 248-262-1289 or at swallace@aaa1b.com

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Translation assistance

By admin on August 31, 2012 in OTHER resources, Resources

Google translate and other online translation sites can assist in communicating with members who speak limited English. If a member has access to a computer, they can use the site to type in a question in their native language, translate it to English then copy and paste it into an e-mail. Your reply can then be translated back into another language. This seems to have great promise in places like Madison Heights Co-op, where there are a large number of highly educated members with limited English.

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10 Tips for Talking With Someone with Dementia

By Brenda on August 31, 2012 in Alzheimer's Disease, Health and Medical, Resources

This is a useful informational sheet taken from “A Place For Mom” blog. The family members and friends of our resident’s can struggle with trying to communicate with their loved one when they have dementia. This is a simple, straight forward explaination.

10 Simple Tips for Talking with a Loved One who has Demenita

By Jeffery Anderson on August 29, 2012

Jeffery Anderson | August 29, 2012 More

It’s indescribably painful to witness the deterioration of a parent, spouse or loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, or any other type of dementia. Our closest family members are often the very foundation of our lives, and when that foundation crumbles we feel critically undermined. As the disease progresses, we see minor forgetfulness gradually morph into severe impairment, and eventually our loved one’s individuality itself is compromised.

During my work with families I have heard many people use the phrase, “empty shell of a person” when describing a loved one ravaged by the later stages of the dementia. Sadly, dementia does indeed transform people into shadows of their former selves, but those living with dementia are far from “empty shells.” Yes, the shell may become more and more difficult to open. Some days it might not open at all. But never forget that there is a beautiful, unvarnished pearl within.

Understanding how to “open the shell” gives us opportunities to meaningfully connect with our dementia-afflicted loved one—even if only for a fleeting moment. Just as the right tools and a lot of technique is required to shuck an oyster, there is technique and artistry involved with communicating or connecting emotionally with a loved one who has dementia.

Here are 10 tips on how to effectively communicate with someone who has moderate to severe dementia.

Recognize what you’re up against. Dementia inevitably gets worse with time. People with dementia will gradually have a more difficult time understanding others, as well as communicating in general.
Avoid distractions. Try to find a place and time to talk when there aren’t a lot of distractions present. This allows your loved one to focus all their mental energy on the conversation.
Speak clearly and naturally in a warm and calm voice. Refrain from ‘babytalk’ or any other kind of condescension.
Refer to people by their names. Avoid pronouns like “he,” “she,” and “they” during conversation. Names are also important when greeting a loved one with dementia. For example: “Hi, Grandma. It’s me, Jeff,” is to be preferred over, “Hi. It’s me.”
Talk about one thing at a time. Someone with dementia may not be able to engage in the mental juggling involved in maintaining a conversation with multiple threads.
Use nonverbal cues. For example, maintain eye contact and smile. This helps put your loved one at ease and will facilitate understanding. And when dementia is very advanced, nonverbal communication may be the only option available.
Listen actively. If you don’t understand something your loved one is telling you, politely let them know.
Don’t quibble. Your conversations are not likely to go very far if you try to correct every inaccurate statement your loved one makes. It’s okay to let delusions and misstatements go.
Have patience. Give your loved one extra time to process what you say. If you ask a question, give a moment to respond. Don’t let frustration get the better of you.
Understand there will be good days and bad days. While the general trend of dementia sufferers is a downward decline, people with dementia will have ups and downs just like anyone else.

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Hannan Foundation Highlights 1993-1997

By admin on August 31, 2012 in Company News, Hannan News

Have you ever been curious about what happened at Hannan between being a Home for the Aged and the commencement of the Hannan Service Coordination Program? Here’s your answer in a nutshell: Luella Hannan Memorial Foundation Highlights 1993-2007

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Corinthian Baptist Extraveganza Luncheon for Seniors

By admin on August 31, 2012 in OTHER resources, Resources

Corinthian Baptist is inviting seniors to get dressy and have lunch on September 28th, 11:30-1:30. RSVP required. See attached flyer.

Patricia Simpson
Project Director
Caregivers Ministry Network
Corinthian Baptist Church
1725 Caniff
Hamtramck, MI 48212-2915
313-866-1443
313-866-3726 Fax

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Mail scam targeting elders

By admin on August 30, 2012 in General Aging Information, Reference Information

A member came into my office this morning with a piece of mail that we determined to be a scam or fraud. The AAA 1-C instructed us to call the Better Business Bureau or the Attorneys General office. The BBB told us that the business that sent the mailing to the member has a F rating, which is the lowest rating they give out. The BBB instructed us to call the USPS Postal Inspector and file a report through them. SC has requested forms in order to file a report and will also, per Rachel’s instructions, call Elder Law and file a report with them. Following are some important telephone numbers when dealing with a matter such as this:

Elder Law – 866-400-9164

Better Business Bureau – 877-283-9222

USPS postal inspector’s office – 877-876-2455

Michigan Attorney General office – 313-456-0240 (Detroit) or 517-373-1110 (Lansing)

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Medicare’s Annual Open Enrollment is from October 15th – December 7th

By admin on August 29, 2012 in Reference Information

Medicare’s Annual Open Enrollment is from Oct. 15 – Dec. 7

Every year, people with Medicare get to explore new choices and pick the health and drug plans that work best for them. This year, this Open Enrollment period is starting earlier – on October 15 – and ending sooner – December 7. This gives people with Medicare a full seven weeks to compare and make decisions, and ensures that they will have essential plan materials and membership cards in hand on January 1, 2012 when new coverage starts.

There’ll be a wide range of health and drug plan options available across the country, including Original Medicare. Most people with Medicare can choose a “Part D” plan to help them pay for prescription drugs. And people who have chosen to enroll in a “Part C” Medicare Advantage plan for their basic health care services have the option of staying in that plan, choosing a different plan, or going back to the Original Medicare program. Plans can change from year to year, so these are important choices that should be made with care. People can turn to www.medicare.gov, call 1-800-MEDICARE, or consult with a local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for help.

http://www.cms.gov/Center/Special-Topic/Open-Enrollment-Center.html?redirect=/center/openenrollment.asp

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Active Aging Workshop Ideas

By admin on August 29, 2012 in Educational Workshops, Health Screenings/Topics

From Tom Wyllie:

For those of you looking for some ideas for educational programs for the month of September, you might want to consider celebrating Active Aging Week, which is the week of September 23rd through the 29th. Active Aging Week is the International Council on Aging’s annual health promotion event. Here is a link to their web page about the event: http://www.icaa.cc/activeagingweek/resourcesaaw.htm#3 To the left of the page there is a side bar with a menu of links that will provide you with planning guides, planning worksheets, promotional ideas, promotional materials, resources & themes, and the opportunity to register the program you choose to do with the ICAA. When you click on the promotional materials link, at the bottom of your screen you should notice a section titled “Program Profiles”. The first link under that section titled “Fun ideas from Active Aging Week” will take you to a list of suggested programs/activities that other organizations have done that you might want to review.

Another option is to consider celebrating Falls Prevention Awareness Week, which is September 22nd through September 28th (same week as Active Aging Week). Below are some links that will provide you with some planning and promotional guides along with some program ideas:

http://www.stopfalls.org/FPweek/coalitions.shtml This link contains a lot of useful information, including instructions and materials for playing Fall Prevention Bingo.

http://www.ncoa.org/improve-health/center-for-healthy-aging/falls-prevention/falls-prevention-awareness.html This link contains information/materials about Fall Prevention Awareness Day, which is September 22.

http://www.ncoa.org/calendar-of-events/webinars/standing-together-to-prevent.html? This is a link to a free webinar on how you can participate in Fall Prevention Awareness Day scheduled for August 28th from 3:00 – 4:30 pm.

http://www.idph.state.ia.us/fallprevention/Toolkits.aspx This link contains instructions and materials for playing Fall Prevention Jeopardy.

I hope your find this information useful.

Sincerely,

Tom Wyllie
Wellness Director
Presbyterian Villages of Michigan
26200 Lahser Rd., Suite 300
Southfield, MI 48033
(248) 281-2047
(248) 281-2060

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Questions about the Home Heating Credit Claim?

By admin on August 29, 2012 in General information, Reference Information

The filing deadline for the 2011 Home Heating Credit Claim is due on September 30, 2012. As you are assisting members with completing their claims, questions about how to complete the claim form can be directed to a live representative at the Michigan Department of Treasury at the following number: 517-636-4486.

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