Seniors Site

If you head on to Medicare’s website, you’ll notice how extensive their help articles are. That’s because Medicare can really be complicated especially to an aging brain like me. It is really easy to get lost there and just navigating my way through the website got me dizzy! Aside from that, you will have to read articles twice before you understand what the article is trying to say. I’m quite a reader, yes, but procedures bore me to death and sometimes, when it gets really boring, I tend to speed-read to a point of merely browsing thus missing important nuggets of knowledge hidden beneath the words. I’m bad. I know.

First off, it is only in very rare instances that you are required to file a claim. The supplier or physician should be the one to file a Medicare claim whether they accept an assignment or not. If and when you need to file a claim, do note that you have to file within a year from the day you acquired the service. That is the general rule.

However, if you are buying medications and would want to use Medicare to cover your expenses, you need to know first if the pharmacy is enrolled in the Medicare program. If so, then you don’t have to do anything as they will be the one to file the claim, not you. If not, then you have no choice but to pay the bill or look for a pharmacy that is enrolled in the program. Medicare will not pay those pharmacies that are not enrolled in their program. No ifs, no buts for pharmacies.

On the other hand, doctors and other health care providers such as nursing facilities and hospices may or may not accept assignment but still file for a Medicare claim. This means, you, as the patient, can still benefit from Medicare even if the doctor is not accepting assignment. Whether they accept an assignment or not, it is their offices that should file a Medicare claim, the only difference would be your out-of-pocket cost since you will be shouldering most of the bill. Aside from that, your health care provider may even charge you up to 15% of the Medicare-approved total. Also take note that you will pay the full amount during these instances and Medicare will only reimburse you their share by sending you a check after an approved claim. It is important that you keep an eye on that check as you may need to do a followup on your provider if they are not filing a claim. This is the only way Medicare will pay you—that is, if they approved a claim made on your name.

The only time you will need to personally file a claim is when your provider is not doing it despite repeated calls and follow-ups and you are already nearing your time limit. If this is the case, then you must call Medicare office for assistance. You will be asked to complete several forms and submit when done.

Having trouble staying awake? Well, you’re not alone. Seniors are notable for having sleeping problems—problems that range from insomnia, over sleeping, or even falling asleep during wrong times of the day. Of course, there are factors to these problems—factors that we need to know first before we actually address the problem.

However, if you belong to a group of people who just happen to have an inclination with sleeping—that is, no other factors affecting the way you sleep—and you would want to know the safest, most natural way to stay awake than depend on those energy boosting drinks, then read on:

•    Exercise, or at the very least, move. No use lying around for 5 more minutes after the alarm sets off in the morning. If you want to be awake, you need to stand up and work it out. Exercise boosts energy levels and prepares your body for the day ahead. If you are not up to it, a good walk will surely wear your sleepiness off!
•    Go for power naps. Let’s face it, some people are born to sleep. Power naps will give your body what it needs without your sleepiness affecting your everyday schedule too much. Just don’t give in to those extra minutes in bed.
•    Avoid eye fatigue. Tired eyes can make you sleepy when all your eyes need is some rest. If you need to wear eye glasses, then do so. When reading a book, give your eyes a little break in between chapters by closing it for few minutes. However, when working with computers, avoid eyestrain by looking away from the monitor for few minutes every now and then.
•    Avoid working under dim lights. There is always a mood for everything. Dim lights are for relaxing after a hard day’s work while bright lights are for energy to keep up with the day’s work.
•    Do breathing exercises. Exercises such as this can help clear your mind by raising oxygen levels in the body, slowing down your heart rate and lowering your blood pressure. With improved circulation, your mental performance will be at its peak.
•    Stimulate your mind. Monotonous work is boring. It makes your mind go numb and your body, auto-mode. During these times, since you are doing a mindless task, your mind is fully relaxed, hence sleepy.
•    Keep your body hydrated at all times. Dehydration can cause your body to naturally send distress signal which is basically to relax you and make you sleepy so that it can preserve its remaining energy.

It’s really easy to plan a money-saving scheme; the hard part though is actually doing it especially if it’s your spending habits you’re up against. If saving is never your personality, it’ll be hard to pinpoint where the money drains away since you are most likely to see your “excesses” as a necessity. So, if you are trying to avoid bankruptcy or merely attempting to make ends meet, here are some habits you might want to kick for good:

•    Acquiring several credit cards—and maxing them all out. Owning a credit card does something good for your credit standing but having several, maxed out ones can never be good not only for your credit standing but also to your financial health. Credit cards can give you an illusion of having a fund when in reality there’s none so to avoid this trap, it is best to just manage one to two credit cards and never make purchases you know you cannot pay.
•    Depending too much on your medical insurance. Even if you got yourself adequately covered, you must never assume that they will pay everything down to the last cent because that rarely happens. As you age, there will be more and more medical assistance your body will require, some of it won’t even be stipulated on your insurance. If you are to save for an emergency fund, try allotting 50% to medical emergencies.
•    Borrowing against your next paycheck. Okay, it may not be a paycheck but allowance—whatever it is that keeps you nourished month after month! Advances are good if done occasionally, however, if you find yourself always borrowing from your next paycheck, month after month after month, then you’re in trouble.
•    Keeping up with the green-eyed monster. So what if the elderly couple next door bought a brand-spanking-new car? Or your best pal is currently undergoing the knife to make her look younger? If knowing these things make your palms all sweaty and your skin all tingly with envy that there’s nothing you could do but reach out for your pocket and buy yourself something better than what they have, then expect to go bankrupt within 5 years!
•    Going for a second—and expensive—degree. I can understand seniors wanting a second degree for a career shift or just for “fulfilling the void” but going for an expensive degree in hopes of landing a high paying job is not good, not to mention unnecessary. If you have the money to spare then by all means go, but if your life depended on it, capitalize on your work experience instead.

If you are nearing retirement, your health insurance will fast become one of the most important things in your life. However, if you are an American citizen and are due for a retirement, you might want to examine and be familiar with Medicare. Just for general information, Medicare is a government administered health program which covers seniors 65 years and above. Both employed and self-employed American citizens prior to retirement qualify for this program.

As general requirements, a person must be legally living in America for 5 years before he or she qualifies for Medicare, and of course, should be 65 years and above.

HOW TO GET STARTED:

First things first, have you got social security benefits? If yes, then you don’t need to do anything as you will be automatically enrolled to Medicare the month you turn 65.  Your Medicare card will be mailed to your registered address months before your 65th birthday. However, if you are not getting social security benefits but would like to apply for one as well, you can enroll yourself for both at the same time. Do note that you have to do this three months prior to your 65th birthday. This will start your 7 month initial enrollment period.

MEDICARE PARTS:

Currently there are 4 parts:  Part A being hospital insurance, Part B is the medical insurance, Part C is Medicare Advantage Plans and Part D will be Prescription Drug plans. It is possible to have and use two Medicare Parts if a senior is eligible.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Depending on the Medicare Part you’re currently using or about to use:

•    Medicare covers outpatient services
•    Lowers out-of-pocket hospital cost
•    Covers preventive care such as vaccinations, bone mass measurement  and mammograms
•    Covers ambulance transportation for emergency situations
•    Pays for rehabilitation programs
•    ..and many more. (for complete list of what Medicare covers, download here.)

QUICK NOTE:

Medicare can be confusing. That is why it is best if you seek help from a professional to determine what’s best for you. To know more about Medicare, visit their website http://www.medicare.gov/default.aspx

A senior who just had a heart attack requires aftercare until the patient is fully recovered. But, what exactly is “fully recovered” and what kind of aftercare does your patient really need?

When you are looking after a senior who just had a heart attack, expect a long—if not tedious—way to recovery. And, indeed, it calls for a lot of patience on the caregiver’s part. While a patient may have spent a fairly short time in the hospital after the attack, that doesn’t mean that the senior is already well. One of the most notable changes in a senior’s life after an attack is the amount of maintenance drugs they are required to take everyday.

Thanks to the advent of technology, a person who suffered a heart attack can resume near-normal life with proper care and without any lasting effect. Do take note of the words “proper care” as this is where the hard work comes in! However, if done right, your senior can even enjoy a healthier body than that of what it was before the attack.

RIGHT AFTER DISCHARGE

As the caregiver, you must be informed of the patient’s followup checkups with the attending physician. If you missed this, you can ask nurses as doctors leave their instructions for them to follow. A therapy is also needed so you must arrange schedules with the rehabilitation clinic. Usually there are informative flyers that nurses give to caregivers so they will be better equipped in caring for the patient. Take some time reading this and ask questions when needed. There will also be medications which your patient should take religiously and as prescribed. If cholesterol levels are too high, dietary changes are necessary.

If your senior happen to have two doctors, make sure they know about each other’s prescribed medications as drug-to-drug reactions are usually fatal and irreversible. In addition to that, inform the doctors of what medications your senior is currently taking—or was taking prior to the attack.

AT HOME

Your road to recovery should be taken nice and slow. Slowly and gradually, increase physical activities but always be on the look out for signs of physical stress. When spotted, cease activity and rest. Exercise programs for the heart are usually available upon request in most therapy clinics—just make sure your doctor approves it first. Your senior may feel unstable emotionally. This is understandable and should be treated with care and respect as to avoid depression. Undergo counseling if needed. It is important that the senior becomes attuned with his or her body as they are the only ones who can tell you if there is something different in it. With proper education, your senior will be able to express themselves more clearly.

Debunking myths about senior workers is quite hard since it comes with a little bit of discrimination on the side. You can’t really blame a 30-year old hiring manager to be doubtful of their senior applicants as it is already forged in their minds since childhood that older people should be treated delicately and they really couldn’t do what younger people can do which leaves many seniors jobless and unfortunately penniless.

While there are ways to squirm your way out of this situation like building a network before hand and aiming for a consultant work even before you reach your retirement, sad thing is, many seniors were hit by the financial crisis unprepared. Add to that the persistent notion that seniors aren’t capable of handling hard labor anymore—a notion that even we, seniors, sometimes believe.

To give you a morale boost, here are some myths—busted—for senior workers or those looking for work:

MYTH 1:  Older people do not stay long with the company. Unless you look like as if you have gone to a chemo therapy session and back (sick and all), there’s no reason for companies to not hire you just because of this myth. In reality, older people tend to stay put since they usually have strong sense of loyalty for the company they work for.

MYTH 2:  Clients prefer to work with younger people. Contrary to this notion, clients do prefer to work with older people as much as possible since clients tend to trust older people than working with younger employees.

MYTH 3:  Senior workers take more days off than younger ones. Older workers seldom take days off unless it is a real illness. They never miss work for personal reasons.

MYTH 4:  Senior workers do not use technology to lighten up work load. Who says older people don’t know how to use the computer? Unless we’re really really old, say a hundred, then I’m proud to say that we seniors do know how to use techie stuff as efficiently as younger workers do.

MYTH 5:  Seniors are productivity-impaired. Yes, it may not be possible for us to be doing yoga while closing a deal but with years-experience, working already became a second nature to us, eliminating mistakes younger workers tend to commit.

MYTH 6:  Our brains are resistant to learning. With the right amount of training, senior workers are adaptable to changes and they do learn quickly. With the technology of today, when everything is done with a single click of a button, our ability to move faster becomes unimportant.

Your senior may not be aware yet of how a computer can change the way they live their lives or they are not ready for it just yet which will explain the resistance you are most likely to encounter when discussing a computer with a senior, especially those who never had any experience with it whatsoever. As a caregiver, you probably know how important a computer is to a household, let alone to a senior with physical and mental limitations. However, lack of education must be the root cause of this problem.

It is important for your senior to know the benefits of having a computer and learning how to use one. I personally encountered a senior who believes that a computer is only used for typing documents, like you would on a typewriter but in different fonts. Some who went a little farther than that will tell you that they are using the computer for the already-installed games in the system like Solitaire and Minesweeper. Surely you know a computer is much more than that!

To have your senior acquainted with a computer or allow you to have one near them, start by explaining that a computer is not only an entertainment device, it is more of a tool which can help them with their everyday lives and still keep a certain level of independence while doing so. With a computer, it is possible to play with it, work with it, even run a business with it without ever leaving their homes. Like any other tool, it needs someone to run it and to be able to run it, he or she will have to learn how.

At this point, your senior may be having some doubts since a computer can be so intimidating to a newbie. To alleviate their fears, it is important to point out that it’s okay to take it slow. Teach your senior how to surf the internet, and how to find educational videos if they need some help while you’re not around. Almost everything under the sun nowadays is documented on YouTube. Tell them that the more they get used to working with computers, the more they’ll discover its rewards.

One of the computer’s greatest gift is the ability to connect with people even to those who are far from where you are. To a senior, it means a lot as generally, they have a strong urge to stay connected with their family and loved ones. Let them discover the beauty of live video chats and social networking sites, but remind them about safety measures they have to practice in and around these sites.

The global financial crisis has indeed left many Americans struggling to regain financial footing—seniors included. And while most of us are still trying to find our way out, glad to say that with creativity and will power, some of us manage to have a little more than what is needed to make the ends meet. It may not be big enough to cover all of our retirement days but surely enough to tide us over for the mean time.

Nonetheless, it is important for seniors to be financially healthy. Why? One, being penniless is stressful. Two, you need money to make sure you’ll be taken care of as your health declines. Three, your physical health causes money too and four, having enough money allows you to live conveniently. Let face it, nothing is free nowadays.

Improving your financial health need not be a pain. Here are some helpful tips to achieve better financial health and do without financial stress today:

•    Always think of the brighter side. Granted, those bills won’t just magically disappear but dealing with them negatively will only worsen your situation. Instead of allowing yourself to get tired of paying bills, think of how “better” your situation is than half of your population who can’t even afford to pay their meals.
•    Never go for a quick-fix. A loan may answer your doubts and debts quickly but it can also hurt you in the long run. Just think about this, a loan still needs to be paid and the only thing a loan can do for you is buy you some more time. Instead, think of something you can do which can bring in some money without having to tie you up into something in the future, like a part time job or perhaps a small, homegrown business.
•    Tackle financial problems by priority. Like I said, your bills won’t just go away. They need to be paid. However, paying need not be all-at-once. If there’s a shortage, pay first those that may bring trouble, like credit card bills and loans. Then tackle those you need in order to live like a human such as electricity bills, etc..
•    Set reasonable goals. Goals can make you focus on those you need to deal with immediately but, having too many goals will only leave you distracted as ever. If you love your sanity and would like to keep it, set reasonable goals you can meet without exerting too much effort.
•    Keep an eye on those rates. In all honesty, it’s the rates that make it hard for a normal person like us to pay all our debts easily. If you are not careful and a number-dizzy like me, you’ll end up paying double or even triple the principal amount you borrowed.

Gone are the days when you go from one company to another just to apply for mobile and internet plans. Back then, these two come in separates. Two plans, two bills, two different services. For a person who works departmentalized, this is a good thing since you’ll be able to fix a thing without doing any changes on the other one. However, as technology advances, so does these plans and quite confusingly, the birth of techie lingo which complicates a senior’s mind.

Nonetheless, communication is important to seniors and although most of us hate changes, we’re forced to live with them. Knowing how to navigate your way through this will even save you pennies and at the same time, suit your needs perfectly. So, in an attempt to somehow lessen the burden, here is a handy guide for seniors who are looking for the right mobile and internet plans to use:

•    Bundles. Telecommunication companies are now offering services by the bundle. In a bundle, you are most likely to have a cable TV, internet connection and home phone line. With bundles, seniors will just have to pay one bill for all services, saving you time and energy when paying. You’ll notice too that you cut cost dramatically as compared to having 3 separate bills.
•    Don’t be fooled by “super fast, super big capacity” internet connection. Telecommunication companies are selling plans according to speed. While it is tempting to pay for the fastest one, notice the difference on how much you’ll be paying. In reality, you don’t have to pay for the fastest one, unless you plan to download movies and play hardcore online games all day long, since the cheapest one is reliable enough for your needs. You can upgrade any time anyway.
•    Go for VoIP and online calls. If you are to choose between a home phone and an internet connection, do get the latter as it can be used for calling home phones as well. VoIP or Voice Over Internet  Protocol is the newest technology created for making phone calls over the internet. For me it’s designed to replace your home phone whether they admit it or not! Not only VoIP calls are more convenient but also cheaper—you can even make calls for free!
•    Dialup, broadband or ADSL? If the internet connection will be used by multiple users within the area, you’re better off with an ADSL however, if there will be one computer terminal for an internet connection, your best bet would be a broadband. Throw dialup out the window, you won’t be needing this.
•    Mobile plan or just prepaid. Mobile phone companies are now offering phones that can be reloaded with credits when needed but can still be called when it doesn’t have one. These two have their own pros and cons. Choose the right one depending on your needs.

In just a few winks, temperature will drop and snowflakes will start to fall. Next thing you know, your home is six feet deep under that snow and your roof is practically falling down. Certainly your home will need extra care during the winter season and what better way to start the festivities than knowing you got everything covered even before the worst of the season strikes?

•    Check your winter tools. Seniors get by with the help of their trusty tools, however, it is easy to overlook these things on sunny days especially if they are hidden at the very back of the shed. Check and see if they are still in working order or if they are already due for a maintenance check.
•    Replenish your winter supplies. This includes ice melters, batteries and what-have-you’s. While you’re at it, check your flashlights if they are still working and your battery-operated radios.
•    Clear your lawn. Harsh weather can, without a doubt, harm your lawn. It is best that you prepare your lawn to what you anticipate will happen. Trim your trees so it won’t bring some more damage to your house or your neighbor’s.
•    Clean your gutters and downspouts. Or you can have someone do it for you, if this is a risky task for you to take. This will eliminate the problem of dirt and debris clogging your pipes causing the water to rise.
•    Check your home’s interior. Make sure your house is free from any cracks and leaks that can pose more danger come winter. Have a handyman check your home for you if your house have never had any for a long time. However, at this point, full renovation is not an option.
•    Get your emergency kits ready. Winter season is such an unpredictable season. You can be enjoying a quiet day sipping hot cocoa, only to be dashing out the door later tonight for an emergency evacuation. Make sure that you place your emergency kit where it is convenient for you in case of a “grab and go” situation.
•    Have your car winter ready. Get your tires changed and your batteries checked. Better yet, drive over to the nearest auto shop and have your car professionally checked. Your car may not be a part of your home but in case of an emergency and you need to run, your car is the most logical thing to bring with you.
•    Avoid pipe freezes. Drain hoses and AC pipes or just clear off any remaining water in it. Make sure you know where your shut off valves are located in case you need to turn them off.