Regarding Your Parents

Download the Medicare & You 2011 Handbook

The official U.S. government Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicare and you 2011 handbook is available for online viewing and downloading.  The 2011 handbook contains important information about the following:

•     What's new for Medicare in 2011
•     Medicare costs
•     What Medicare covers
•     Health and prescription drug plans
•     Your Medicare rights

The Affordable Care Act made many improvements to Medicare. It guarantees that you will continue to have your basic Medicare benefits – whether you get them through Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan.

Some additional improvements include:

•     Medicare prescription drug coverage- the new law will reduce the gap over several years to     make prescription drugs even more affordable.

•     Medicare Advantage is prevented from charging you more than original Medicare for cancer treatment and other services that you might need.

•     You will now be able to get a yearly wellness exam and most preventive services for free.

•     Doctors, hospitals, and Medicare Advantage Plans have new incentives to improve the     quality of care you receive.

 

Click here to download the Medicare and You 2011 Handbook

For additional resources visit:  www.medicare.gov   or call 1-800-633-4227
                                                                www.aoa.gov    Administration on Aging

Taking "Care" in having conversations with your elderly parents

After reading  The Parent Care Conversation,  Six strategies for dealing with the Emotional and Financial challenges of Aging Parents by Dan Taylor I wanted to share his approach to having the conversation with your elderly parents. He takes a listening with “CARE” approach in dealing with  elderly parents. 

• Challenges - Re focus your parents thinking of their future in terms of what they want to   happen and anticipate inevitable changes as a series of challenges rather than obstacles.

• Alternatives- What are the options available to meet the challenges your parents face.    Focus on what they can do rather than on all the reasons why they can’t do something. 

•  Resources – Let your folks see that there are resources to address the challenges they face.

• Experience – Based on the challenges they anticipated, the alternatives they know they have, and  the resources that are available, the last step in the CARE process is to visualize the  experience they want to have as a result of meeting each challenge head-on.

Armed with this knowledge, you can plan together as a family to bring the experience to fruition.  Just take it one step at a time.  To learn more visit the website TheParent CareSolution.com

What has the library done for you lately?

Instead of using your credit card use your library card.

Oh, the places the library can take you!  I would say its a hidden jewel in every town.  Its such a wonderful place.  I find myself there when I'm searching for information or direction and sometimes even inspiration.  It brings up memories of my mom,  she always got involved at our library and took advantage of its offerings.

• Reading local newspapers and magazine subscriptions
• Borrow Movies
• Music CD's
• Books on audio, large print, paperbacks and hardcovers
• Take a trip/adventure to another place, via books, dvd's,  and the internet
• Play games on the computer
• Volunteer and help out, libraries offer many programs such as literacy programs
• Free classes from internet learning, arts & crafts, math homework, the list goes on .......

Visit the Old Colony Library Network website from your home to learn more about what's available to you. Don't miss out! 

If your unable to get out, the library will come to you through their outreach program.  Check with your local library for further details.

Precious Memories live on

My mother-in-law left us a wonderful legacy.  She had written many stories for some English Lit. Classes she had taken in college as a Senior Citizen.  These stories were all about family members and family events.  After she passed away we found these stories and had them bound in a book and given to each one of her children.  I keep mine on my coffee table and can’t tell you how many people comment on it after reading some of these remarkable stories.

So often we wait until someone has passed away to pull out the family photos and go through them only to find out we don’t know who all the people are in the photos and don’t really know the story behind the photo. Do yourself and family a favor, sit down with your parents and elderly loved ones and go through the family pictures and identify all the people in the pictures and have them tell you the stories behind the pictures.  Also, try to get them to talk about different family events that have happened over the years, you would be surprised at how much you don’t know and how willing they are too share.

These photos and stories are our parent’s legacy.  They should be passed on from generation to generation. The memories and stories  are too precious to be left behind, they should  live on.