Construction Trade Journal Examines New Trend in Senior Community Housing
'University-affiliated' retirement communities gaining in popularity

The June 27 edition of the leading construction industry journal the Engineering News-Record features a story on the growing trend of major universities getting involved in the construction of "senior living" communities aimed at aging boomers seeking a connection with the intellectual life of the schools.

According to the article, by Engineering News-Record reporter Judy Schriener, while the concept is not entirely new, the expectation is that - like so many things - the demographic tsunami of retireing baby boomers will soon turn this niche into a major trend.

From the article:

Instead of finding the coming generation of seniors on the golf course or in rocking chairs on their front porches, there may be more of them on college and university campuses, attending classes, mentoring students and cheering at sporting events alongside their young classmates.

Experts predict a surge of new and "repositioned" or revamped university-affiliated retirement communities worldwide. Some developers, consultants, architects and construction firms already are specializing in this niche, partnering with schools to create communities that meet the intellectual and health needs of older adults and the financial and community-service needs of the colleges and universities.

Read the entire article at ENR.com.

Of course, the question for Palmetto State boomers - famously loyal to their alma mater's and/or favorite college sports teams - is: Does this new trend mean we will soon be seeing plans for "Senior Living" Gamecock, Tiger, Bulldog, or Palladin-style in South Carolina?

Medicaid E-form Pilot Project Expanding Statewide

A successful pilot project that uses the Internet to streamline the Medicaid application process for applicants who need the program to help pay for long term services in the home or in an institutional seting such as a nursing home is set to go statewide July 1.

The e-forms project was an outgrowth of a Lt. Governor's Office on Aging initiative, the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs), one-stop centers where older adults and adults with disabilities can go to get information and help finding services that help them remain independent. The first South Carolina ADRC was started in 2004 in Aiken as a project of the Lower Savannah Council of Governments and the Lower Savannah Area Agency on Aging.

"We are continually trying to find new and innovative ways to use technology to fulfill our mission to provide broad access to the information and services available to keep our senior population healthy, and living in their own homes for as long as possible," said Lt. Governor André Bauer. "This project is a good illustration of that."

The Medicaid e-form application has been used by approximately 111 people in Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun and Orangeburg counties since it went live in October of 2005. Beginning next month, South Carolina residents in any county who who need help paying for health care services which will allow them stay in their home, who are living in a nursing home, or who are applying to live in a nursing home and need help to pay for the nursing home care can apply for Medicaid using the on-line form.

The e-form has several advantages to the traditional paper application, according to Denise Rivers, one of the Program Coordinators in the Lt. Governor's Office on Aging responsible for developing the project.

"People find it easier to use," said Rivers, "and because the information on the form can be saved it's helpful if someone needs to resubmit an application - they don't have to re-do the entire thing."

Another advantage of the e-form, is that if and when e-applications for other programs are developed using the same software, the information on file already for one form can be used to fill in the blanks on the new one instead an applicant having to write the same information over and over. Another benefit is that most applicants find answering the questions outlned on the step-by-step e-form easier and less intimidating than filling out the traditional form.

Help with the e-forms is also available for individuals who need these services but do not have access to a computer or someone to help them. The Information and Referral Specialists in the ADRCs and the regional Area Agencies in Aging that serve the state have all been trained to help applicants through the process. For the more computer savvy, the online appliation can be found on the SC Access website at the following URL: www.scaccesshelp.org .

Right now, two e-forms are available; the Medicaid application for long term care services, as well as one for the GAPS program. GAPS is designed to help state Medicare beneficiaries with limited incomes pay for prescription drugs costs incurred in the "coverage gap" under the new Medicare Part D benefit. Both Medicaid and GAPS are administered by the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Columbia Area Programs Seeking Donations to Help Seniors Beat the Heat

Summer heat and humidity have descended hard on the Capitol city, with temperatures in the 90's likely to be the norm for the foreseeable future.

With that in mind, the City of Columbia and West Columbia Police Departments are seeking donations that can help elderly individuals beat the heat this summer.

The State newspaper reported yesterday (June, 26) that both Departments are seeking donations of fans, air conditioners or cash for their "Beat the Heat" program.

The donations will go to elderly citizens in the community or to families with physically challenged children.

To make a donation to the Columbia Police Department, call (803) 545-3555. To make a donation to the West Columbia Department, contact Sgt. Phillips at (803) 939-8622.

Also, seniors in rural Richland County seeking help with the heat can contact the Richland County Sheriff Department's Project HOPE. Project HOPE uses officers and volunteers to check on elderly county residents and help them in a variety of ways.

For more information or to volunteer to help in Project HOPE, contact John Edwards at 576-3183 or 576-3109.

More on Summer Heat:

Extreme heat events can increase the number of deaths and nonfatal outcomes in vulnerable populations, including older adults, the very young, the homeless and persons with cognitive and physical impairments. Climate research suggests that future health risks of extreme heat events could increase with an increase in both the frequency and severity. At the same time, demographic patterns and increasing urbanization will increase the size and percentage of the vulnerable population. Studies estimate that the combined mortality for several metropolitan areas from extreme heat event is well above 1,000 per year. The good news is that most of these deaths are preventable.

EPA has worked with Federal, state, local, and academic partners to develop guidance to assist communities in preparing for and responding to excessive heat events. As a culmination of our work, we are pleased to present you with "The Excessive Heat Events Guidebook." The Guidebook was developed by EPA's Office of Atmospheric Programs (OAP) and EPA's Aging Initiative (Division of Children and Aging Health Protection) in collaboration with NOAA, CDC, the Department of Homeland Security (FEMA), with input from a wide range of local officials and national experts on heat events.

The guidebook provides information to local health and public safety officials with information they need to develop criteria to forecast extreme heat events and extreme heat event notification and response actions. A copy of the guidebook in the PDF format can be downloaded from the EPA's site.

The CDC also publishes a manual with tips for individuals to help beat the heat or recognize and respond to heat-related medical emergencies. It is available on the CDC website.

Also:

Hot weather safety tips from the American Red Cross on the Lt. Governor's Office on Aging main web site.

USA Today and ABC News Team Up on In-Depth Reporting on Caregiving in the United States

Beginning yesterday (June 25) the newspaper USA Today began a week-long series of articles focusing on the growing role of family caregivers who are caring for an aging loved one.

The series, Role Reversal: Your aging parents and you, coincides with a series of ABC News reports covering related topics. USA Today reporter Mindy Fetterman's first day reporting on the stories of individual families (including her own) as they confront the challenges of caregiving for an aging relative is as compelling as newspaper reporting gets. The individual stories together draw a picture of what's happening with caregiving in the United States. Monday's coverage also includes stellar reporting on nursing home care and related issues by Sandra Block.

Go to day one of the USA Today's Role Reveral Series at www.USAToday.com.

Day two (Tuesday, June 26).

ABC News coverage at abcnews.go.com.

The series also coincides with a report isssued by AARP that looks at the economic impact of caregiving in the U.S.

According to the AARP's Caring for Parents web page:

The AARP study, Valuing the Invaluable: A New Look at the Economic Value of Family Caregiving, found that the contributions of family caregivers often go unnoticed, but in fact, their contributions are the backbone of the nation's long-term care system with an estimated economic value of $350 billion in 2006.

By comparison, $350 billion dollars is:

• As much as the total spending for the Medicare program ($342 billion in 2005).
• More than the total spending for Medicaid, including both medical and long-term care services ($300 billion in 2005).
• More than the amount of the U.S. budget deficit ($248 billion in FY 2006).

In every state, the value of family caregiving exceeds Medicaid spending for long-term care by a large margin, ranging from 1½ to 10 times as large.

The AARP report estimates that our state's approximately 560,000 caregivers provided services worth at least $5.5 billion in 2006.

Get the full report from AARP.

State by state comparison table (Adobe PDF file).

• Caring for an adult age 60 or older
• Age 60 years or older and raising grandchildren or other young relatives who are age 18 or younger

• Information about local services and supports
• Assistance from a trained Family Caregiver Advocate to help caregivers assess needs and access support services
• Counseling, support groups, and training
• Respite care for caregivers
• Services are provided at no cost to qualifying participants and are federally funded under the Older Americans Act with state and local matching funds.

For information about the Family Caregiver Support Program and services in your area, call us at 1-800-868-9095 or contact the Family Caregiver Advocate at your Area Agency on Aging.

Download Family Caregiver Support Program brochure.

Alzheimer's Resource Coordination Center Seed Grant Funding for 2007 Announced

(Columbia, S.C.) Each year the South Carolina Alzheimer's Resource Coordination Center (ARCC) - part of the Lt. Governor's Office on Aging - awards seed grants to community-based organizations to help them start respite and education programs that serve families caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease. 

“The work that these organizations are doing is extremely important to the people in these communities who are caring for a loved one suffering from this terrible disease,” said Lt. Governor André Bauer. “It’s a good investment in South Carolina seniors and their families and we are proud to support them with this grant.”

For FY 2007/08 (beginning July 1), New grants anounced today (June 25) were awarded to the following organizations:

Edisto Island Outreach Center, Edisto Island, SC: $10,000 to support a new respite program – the EIMAS Respite Care Center - for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias on Edisto Island.

Low Country Management Services, Moncks Corner, SC: $5,000 to support training and educational programs for family caregivers and community service providers serving individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in rural Berkeley County.

South Carolina Respite Coaltion: $10,000 that will support a new program to engage volunteers from churches in providing respite care and assistance to families dealing with Alzheimer’s disease in Richland, Lexington, Newberry, Fairfield, Orangeburg, Calhoun, Sumter, Kershaw and Saluda counties.

Zion's Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Moncks Corner, SC: $10,000 grant that will support respite care services for families caring for Alzheimer’s patients in Berkeley County delivered through the church’s Strawberry Assistance Center.

In addition to the grants for new projects announced, the following organizations received second year grant funding for projects started last year or on-time technical assistance funding.

Alzheimer's Association, SC Chapter
Alzheimer's Family Services of Greater Beaufort
The ARK of Dorchester County
Genesis I Adult Day Care Services - Florence County
Hopewell Senior Day Care Center - Williamsburg County
Reliant Helathcare - York County
St. Paul Adult Day Care - Union County

The ARCC Advisory Council is composed of Governor appointed members and is comprised of persons from agencies and organizations that have a special interest in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The Advisory Council assists in reviewing grant applications and conducting site visits to the ARCC grantees.

To assist local communities in developing or strengthening programs or services to serve people with dementia and their caregivers, the ARCC awards seed grants to community organizations. In awarding grants, consideration is given to recommendations made by the advisory council to the center on priority needs and criteria for selecting grant recipients. As a condition to receiving a grant, the community or other entity must provide matching funds or in-kind contributions equal to the amount of funds awarded in the grant.

The center maintains resource materials, such as training videos and resource books on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, which are available for use by entities serving persons with Alzheimer's disease and/or their caregivers. Technical assistance and training is provided through the center. Grants awarded through the center assist local communities in developing programs to serve persons with dementia and their caregivers.

Read the January 2007 Issue of the ARCC newsletter "What's Happening Around the State."

Get more information about the ARCC and past grant recipients.

Center for Healthy Aging Web Site a Wealth of Information on Evidence-Based Health Programs

Using "evidence-based" programming that has been rigorously studied and shown to yield positive results is widely considered to be the best way to attack large-scale health problems such as preventing chronic diseases, and the Center for Healthy Aging is a terrific resource for information about these programs.

According to their newsletter, News from the Center, The National Council on Aging's Center for Healthy Aging works to disseminate information about evidence-based programs on health promotion, disease prevention, and chronic disease self-management to community-based organizations serving older adults.

The Center also serves as the National Resource Center for the Administration on Aging's Evidence-Based Disease Prevention Initiative and provides programs, tools, resources, and technical assistance to support the adoption and maintenance of evidence-based programs across the aging services network.

That translates into tons of useful links, news and information for people involved in providing health programming for seniors or for writers covering senior health.

Check them out at www.healthyagingprograms.org.

National In-home Care Franchise Looking to Add 300 New Stores Over Next Five Years

It's no secret that both population demographics and health care policies are converging in a way that is making the business of providing in-home care to older adult look very attractive to many entrepreneurs.

Franchising.com, a web site focused on information about franchise opportunities for people interested in starting their own businesses recently featured a press release from "Right at Home," describing that company's efforts to expand it's number of stores nationwide.

From the press release:

For that reason, Right at Home, a leading national franchise that offers in-home supportive care and personal care assistance, is actively pursuing the Orange County, San Diego, and Northern California markets, the Gulf Coast, South, Northeast, and Central Florida markets, and the Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston, Texas markets for expansion.

"We are looking to add 50 franchised offices during 2007 and 250-300 additional offices by 2012. Currently, Right at Home operates 105 offices nationwide, located in 46 states across the Continental U.S.," said Mark Kiekenapp, Franchise Development Director.

Right at Home offers a variety of highly personalized and flexible home care services at reasonable rates for as little as a few hours per week to as much as 24-hours a day. Services offered include light housework, meal preparation, medication reminders, shopping and errands, laundry, local transportation, companionship, bathing, and more. Most offices also offer personal care services, such as assistance with bathing, eating, oral hygiene, toileting, and walking.

"We have discovered that the aging baby boomers across the United States are now increasingly faced with the challenges of caring for their aging parents, while trying to balance the responsibilities of their own busy lives," said Allen Hager, President and founder of Right at Home. "Our services address that challenge by creating an option for families whose aging parent may need some extra help around the house, but is independent enough to live on his/her own."

Read the entire press release on the Franchising.com web site.

North Carolina Aging Agency Starts Web Site Aimed at Computer-Savvy Boomers

The Greensboro (N.C.) News-Record reported Monday (June 18) on a new web site started by Senior Resources of Guilford County that's designed to connect that county's fast-growing boomer population with activities and volunteer opportunities.

According to News-Record staff writer Tom Steadman's article, the agency has high hopes that the site will be a big help in recruiting the pool of volunteer talent that will be necessary to help that agency meet the needs of the county's senior population. Boomers as a group are comfortable with using the Internet to research and locate services.

From the article:

"There's this influx of boomers, and we want to be ready," said Ellen Whitlock , Senior Resources' executive director.

That's why the agency recently unveiled a new Web site, www.guilfordboomers.org, which specifically targets the graying post-World War II generation. The new site complements, but doesn't replace, the agency's home Web page, senior-resources-guilford.org, Whitlock said.

The new site includes a rotating column to be written by local baby boomers addressing various issues (the first is by Dave McLean, owner of King's English); as well as a roundup of activities, events and volunteer opportunities.

The latter is important, Whitlock said, because her agency and others are counting on a horde of baby boomer volunteers to help carry the load. Currently, Senior Resources of Guilford County operates on a budget of $2.7 million, a staff of 19 full-time workers and 2,000 volunteers to provide services such as Mobile Meals , the Senior Wheels medical transportation and its Foster Grandparents program. Each weekday, the agency's Senior Nutrition program feeds lunch to about 300 older adults at various sites throughout the county.

Read the entire story at the News-Record's web site, www.news-record.com.

Visit the site, www.guilfordboomers.org.

CMS Announces Suspension of Marketing for Medicare Advantage 'PFFS' Plans

Following a series of media reports, complaints from senior advocacy groups and Congressional hearings in both the House and Senate, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced late last Friday afternoon (June 15) that an agreement had been reached with the seven major companies who provide Medicare Advantage Private Fee for Services (PFFS) plans to suspend all marketing of those plans until some problems with them can be corrected.

According to the press release issued by CMS' Office of Public Affairs, the moratorium on marketing will begin June 20. Each plan provider will have to meet a strict set of standards set by CMS before they can begin marketing the PFFS type of plans again. While PFFS plans are one specific type of Medicare Advantage coverage that has received a great deal of scrutiny, Medicare Advantage plans as a group have also been the subject of criticism for both aggressive marketing techniques and for their cost to taxpayers. Medicare Advantage plans are also offered that are HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) and PPOs (Preferred Provider Organizations. A basic difference is that PFFS Advantage plans do not involve networks and instead allow the beneficiary to choose any doctor or medical facility that will accept the plan's coverage. Many Medicare beneficiaries have been signed up for PFF plans touted to provide coverage for any service provider without network restrictions, only to find out later that none of the providers in their area accept the plans for payment.

This is very different from traditional Medicare coverage, which was accepted by nearly all providers, and critics have charged that this key difference - and seniors' lack of understanding of it - has paved the way for some unscrupulous agents motivated by the high commissions paid to them for getting seniors to switch to an Advantage plan to avoid mentioning the plans' downsides when selling them.

From the CMS press release:

For Immediate release June 15, 2007
Contact: CMS Office of Media Affairs
(202) 690-6145

Plans Suspend PFFS Marketing;

Plans adopt strict guidelines in response to deceptive marketing practices

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that in response to concerns about marketing practices, seven health care sponsors have signed an agreement to suspend voluntarily the marketing of Private-Fee-For-Service (PFFS) plans. This suspension for a given plan will be lifted only when CMS certifies that the plan has the systems and management controls in place to meet all of the conditions specified in the 2008 Call Letter and the May 25, 2007 guidance issued by CMS. The signatories include: United Healthcare, Humana, Wellcare, Universal American Financial Corporation (Pyramid), Coventry, Sterling, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Tennessee.

“While we note that most health insurance agents are helpful and responsible in describing and explaining choices to beneficiaries, there are a few bad actors that need to be removed from the system for good,” said Leslie V. Norwalk, Esq., Acting Administrator of CMS. “This voluntary agreement demonstrates that CMS and the plans are stepping up to ensure that deceptive marketing practices end immediately, and that beneficiaries understand what they are purchasing.”

“Through a variety of methods, including our ‘secret shopper’ program that uses trained individuals to attend marketing events and report back on the insurance agents’ activities, and the eyes and ears of our thousands of partners throughout the nation, CMS is proactive in protecting beneficiaries from rogue agents. Although the 2700 agent complaints we logged from December 2006 to April 2007 represent less than one half of one percent of the 1.3 million members enrolled in individual PFFS plans, we can always do better,” added Norwalk.

The agreement is effective five business days from today and will continue to apply to individual plans until they have demonstrated to CMS that they have the systems and management controls in place to ensure that they can meet all the CMS requirements. CMS review will begin as soon as plans indicate they are ready. Plans signing the agreement will be actively monitored to ensure they do not engage in marketing while the voluntary suspension is in place. Violations will be subject to a full range of available penalties, which can include suspension of enrollment, suspension of payment for new enrollees, civil-monetary penalties, and termination of the plan’s involvement in the Medicare program. The full range of updated conditions will be in effect for all sponsors of PFFS plans beginning October 1, 2007, and violations of those conditions will be subject to the same types of penalties.

Primary provisions that the plans signing the agreement must meet to have the suspension lifted (and that all PFFS must meet beginning October 1, 2007) are summarized below:

All materials, including but not limited to advertisements, enrollment materials, and materials used at sales presentations by employees or contracted representatives of a health insurance company will include the model disclaimer language provided by CMS in its May 25, 2007 guidance.

All representatives selling the product to beneficiaries on behalf of the plan sponsor will pass a written test that demonstrates their thorough familiarity with both the Medicare program and the product they are selling.

A provider outreach and education program will be in place to ensure that providers have reasonable access to the plan terms and conditions of payment, and that provider relations staff are readily accessible to assist providers with questions concerning the plan.

Outbound education and verification calls will be made to all beneficiaries requesting enrollment to ensure that they understand the plan rules.

Lists of planned marketing and sales events provided to CMS will include events sponsored by delegated brokers and agents as well as those sponsored by the plan.

When asked by CMS, plan sponsors will provide a complete list of all representatives marketing a PFFS product and authorize CMS to make that list available to State Insurance Departments on request.

“We want to underscore that Corrective Action Plans already in place will remain in effect until full compliance is attained and investigations underway involving fraud or criminal activity will continue to their appropriate conclusion,” added Norwalk. “In addition, once marketing resumes, CMS will actively monitor performance. Any violations of the requirements set forth in CMS guidance will be subject to immediate remedial action in accordance with standard procedures.”

Read more coverage of this story at the online magazine SeniorJournal.com.

Download a bulletin regarding Medicare Advantage Plan marketing practices issued April 23 by the South Carolina Department of Insurance. (Adobe PDF file)

Senior Medicare Patrol Meeting Focuses on Fraud Prevention

Senior Medicare Patrol program volunteers from the Central Midlands region and regional I-CARE Medicare counseling program coordinators from around the state being honored at a lunch meeting Friday (June 15) at Columbia's Capital Senior Center also got a chance to hear from the agency charged by the federal government with investigating Medicare Drug program complaints.

The Senior Senior Medicare Patrol and I-CARE are federally funded programs that provide health insurance counseling for Medicare, Medicare Supplement, Medicare Savings program and Medicare Advantage Plans. Paid staff in the Lt. Governor's Office on Aging and the state's 10 regional Area Agencies on Aging are supplemented by volunteers who go through classes and training to be able to help seniors negotiate the often confusing world of the new Medicare plans and facilitate the resolution of problems or complaints when necessary.

Many of those complaints are referred to a "MEDIC" organization under contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for investigation. MEDIC stands for Medcare Drug Integrity Contractor, and the MEDIC for South Carolina is Delmarva Health Integrity.

Pam Foster, Quality Officer for Delmarva Health Integrity said she was excited for the opportunity to hear firsthand from the volunteers and professional staff about ongoing problems associated with the Medicare plans.

"The biggest complaint [taken by Delmarva Health Integrity] from South Carolina and the nation is marketing abuse," said Foster. "It's a huge problem."

MEDICs try to identify and investigate potential fraud and aduse in the Medicare Part D program, as well as identifying ways for the program to improve though audits or other means. Working closely with state agencies involved is a big part of that process, according to Foster, and she pledged that the organization would do whatever it could to help the agencies in the state involved in overseeing the marketing of Medicare drug plans protect South Carolina seniors.

That could involve referring cases to CMS for administrative action, asking state insurance regulators or law enforcement to get involved if a case warrants it, and working with programs such as Senior Medicare Patrol and I-CARE to help educate seniors about steps they should take to avoid becoming the victims of fraud or abuse.

Lt. Governor's Office on Aging Director Curtis Loftis also spoke to the group, praising the work of the volunteers and professionals involved in the Medicare counseling programs.

"The work that you do every day makes a huge difference in the life of South Carolina seniors," said Loftis.

National Non-profit Organization Focuses on Senior Transportation

Groups or organizations working on senior transportation projects should check out the new web site of the National Center for Senior Transportation.

The NCST is a joint project supported by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A), the Easter Seals organization's Project Action and the Federal Transit Administration (see links at left). The project's mission is to increase transportation options for older adults and enhance their ability to live more independently within their communities throughout the United States.

The projects new web site will be a clearinghouse for infromation related to senior transportation, according to a news release issued by the group.

From the news release:

A new Web site for the National Center on Senior Transportation (NCST) is scheduled for launch June 29 at www.seniortransportation.net.

Visitors to the Web site will discover information such as senior transportation tips and facts, resources for learning more or finding local services, and publications of the NCST as well as other organizations of the aging and transportation communities. The home page will offer dedicated “gateways” to three sections: one for human service providers, another for transit providers and the third for older adults and caregivers.

Some of the content is already available through temporary pages of the Easter Seals Project ACTION Web site. However, it will not be necessary to learn or bookmark a new Web address as www.seniortransportation.net has a built-in “redirect” to the temporary pages.

The new Web site is being developed by NCST staff with Mindshare Inc. of Washington, D.C., through Internet provider Convio, Austin, Texas.

New Census Data Added to South Carolina Mature Adults Count Web Site

Maintained by the State Office of Research and Statistics, the Mature Adults Count South Carolina web site is an invaluable source of demographic and other information for researchers and other people interested in our state's older population.

While an updated version of the comprehensive Mature Adults Count report is published every few years (click the icon at the left for a PDF copy of the 2006 edition), the web site has the advantage of being updated whenever new information about South Carolina's senior population is available from the U.S. Census bureau or other sources.

Some recent new additions to the site include the Census Bureau's American Community Survey for 2005, and new information about the inmigration of 50 and older adults to specific counties in South Carolina based on driver's license data. The data shows that in 2002, 16, 116 people over the age of 50 applied for a first-time South Carolina Driver's License. in 2006, the number was 33,429.

To see the updated data, visit the Mature Adults Count South Carolina web site at www.scmatureadults.org.

Downtown Columbia Transportation Project Looking for Support

The June 8 edition of the Columbia Star newspaper featured a front page story on the Capital Senior Center's " Five Points Wheels" transportation project.

Five Points Wheels hopes to begin providing transportation services to seniors and disabled adults in downtown Columbia in the very near future. The project was assisted in getting off the ground by a seed grant from the Lt. Governor's Office on Aging, and was recently awarded a grant from the South Carolina Department of Transportation for the bulk of funds necessary to purchase a small bus. According to the article by the Star's Jackie Perrone, the project still needs community support in the form of additional donations to support the day-to-day operations of the project and provide a match for the DOT funding, as well as volunteer drivers.

From the story:

This need for transportation exists in every community," says [Five Points Wheels Coordinator Roger] Cranford. "We have set out a 'box,' roughly from Rosewood to Belt Line to River Drive to Huger and back to Rosewood, as our target area for service. When we can get a van (or vans) and get the program running smoothly, perhaps there will be a chance to expand the service farther out."

Like everything else, Five Points Wheels has to start with funding.

Two grants are already in hand, one from the Lieutenant Governor's Office on Aging, and one from S.C. Dept. of Transportation. The movement is encouraging fundraisers of any size or type to build a kitty toward the $10,000 needed to start the Wheels rolling.

Transportation services that will meet the needs of a fast-growing senior population are a major component of planning for "senior friendly" communities (see June 11 post below), and one that city and county governments and local organizations that serve seniors are paying increasing attention to.

Read the complete article at the Columbia Star's online edition: www.columbiastar.net.

Report Seeks to Guide the Creation of 'Senior Friendly' Communities

A "Blueprint for Action" report released last month is designed to get local governments thinking about how decisions such as planning and zoning laws can be used to create communities that will meet the needs of 78 million aging baby boomer over the next two decades.

Syndicated columnist Neal Peirce wrote about the report in this piece featured in the Sunday (June 10) Seattle Times. The 80-page report was prepared by the organization Partners for Livable Communities by the Met Life Foundation and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging.

From the column:

What will the aging of the baby-boom generation mean for America's communities? Will the folks whose sheer numbers and market mastery brought us endless subdivisions, monster malls and life in the SUV lane want to keep sprawling out in the ample swath of golden years that modern medicine seems to promise them?

Or will many want a return to the more walkable, accessible town and neighborhood settings of yesteryear?

The questions pop out from a read of a new "Blueprint for Action" on how smart communities can adjust to and capitalize on the oncoming tidal wave of seniors, prepared by Partners for Livable Communities for the MetLife Foundation and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. The report was released in Washington last month (www.aginginplaceinitiative.org).

The overwhelming number of seniors, it notes, won't be moving off to the Sunbelt (if they're not already there) or be residents in nursing homes. Most will choose to "age in place," in the same homes or close to the same communities they've lived in for years.

Download a copy of "A Blueprint for Action: Developing a Livable Community for All Ages." (Adobe PDF file).

Senators Introduce Bill to Create Nationwide Background Checks for Long Term Care Workers

The U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging took action on Friday (June, 8) to beef up the system for vetting the backgrounds of potential employees of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Senators sponsoring the bill hope it will replace a patchwork of background check policies in individual states that don't always work together with a single, comprehensive system that will work across state lines to weed out individuals with criminal records or histories of abuse in any state.

From the Committee press release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, and Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) today were joined by original cosponsors Senators Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Carl Levin (D-MI), and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) in introducing the Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act of 2007. The bill would prevent those with criminal histories from working within long-term care settings by establishing a nationwide system of background checks. This new system would coordinate abuse and neglect registries with state law enforcement registries, and also add a federal component to the background check by cross-referencing potential employees with the FBI’s national database of criminal history records. Under the disorganized, patchwork system of background checks that exists today, employers trying to hire caregivers cannot always determine which applicants have records of abuse or a history of committing violent crimes. As a result, predators are sometimes hired to take care of our most vulnerable citizens, working in situations where they can cause enormous harm.

“If enacted, this legislation could help to prevent many of the tragic tales of physical and financial elder abuse that we hear about from our constituents and read about in our local newspapers,” said Chairman Kohl. “This bill would close gaping loopholes in our current system of background checks by expanding nationwide a pilot program that has already proven successful in many states.”

“We have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable from abuse by those hired to care for them. Those who have a propensity to prey on the elderly, the chronically ill and the disabled must be restricted from working with these people,” Senator Domenici said. “The pilot programs implemented in New Mexico and other states have shown that background checks can help ensure that those in long-term care are not exposed to people who would do them harm. I am pleased to co-sponsor this bill which will strengthen this program and help protect the most susceptible populations.”

“I am proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to introduce legislation that will establish stronger safety measures to protect our loved ones living under the care of others,” said Senator McCaskill. “While the vast majority of these employees do admirable and invaluable work, we must make sure that those who do not have the patient’s best interests in mind are being kept out of these facilities.”

“Protecting the health and safety of our most vulnerable citizens should be a top priority,” said Senator Stabenow. “I am proud that much of this legislation is modeled after a successful Michigan pilot program and working together we can expand on its progress.”

“Combating elder abuse should be a national priority, and background checks can be an important tool in preventing the neglect and exploitation of the most vulnerable among us,” Senator Lincoln said.

“We have a critical responsibility to ensure the safety of our most vulnerable citizens,” Senator Levin said. “By permitting employers to perform background checks on nursing home employees and applicants, we can help to cut down on abuse in facilities for disabled and elderly people. Michigan is fortunate to have been the site of a pilot program that has proven very successful, and we are hoping to be able to expand this program across the country.”

“As the baby boomers begin to reach retirement, it becomes increasingly important to have federal policies that promote positive aging and protect the well-being of our nations’ seniors. That’s why I am pleased to support the “Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act of 2007,” which will expand and strengthen states’ abilities to safeguard against abuse and neglect in long-term care facilities. While it’s important to find ways to help seniors remain in their homes, we must also ensure that all older Americans, wherever they may live, are able to enjoy their golden years in safe and nurturing environments,” said Senator Clinton.

Under the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has been conducting a pilot program in seven states to implement efficient, equitable systems that cost-effectively screen out certain applicants for employment in long-term care facilities. Applicants excluded are those whose backgrounds include findings of substantiated abuse and/or a serious criminal history. Forty-one states already require a criminal background check of some variety, mostly at the state level. The pilot states have integrated their systems to coordinate these checks in a single streamlined process and have added a federal background check through the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System.

The results from the pilot programs are thus far very impressive. Among the seven states, Michigan boasts the only statewide system and also the most thorough data in terms of the system’s results. In the first year of operation, Michigan excluded more than 3,000 people with records of abuse or a disqualifying criminal history. As of April 30, 2007, 625 of these were excluded through a fingerprint check. Twenty-five percent of these exclusions were identified through an FBI check only, a fact that state officials believe indicates that these individuals committed crimes in other states, or have been avoiding prosecution within the state. This statistic reinforces the need for the Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act of 2007, which includes the compulsory FBI check.

In a letter, the AARP conveyed its support for the bill, stating, “Individuals with criminal convictions or histories of abuse can pose a significant risk to persons receiving long-term care... This bill would make significant strides in protecting individuals across the country receiving long-term care services.” The letter also touched on the importance of eliminating the loopholes present in today’s haphazard system of background checks, which vary state to state: “A system of national criminal background checks is especially critical, given the mobility of today’s workers, the turnover in the long-term care workforce, and the fact that it is not unusual for individuals to work in multiple states.”

By expanding this model nationwide, the resulting system would greatly enhance the probability of identifying individuals with criminal backgrounds who can now easily escape detection. Currently, the MMA pilot program is scheduled to end this September.

This bill is supported by the Elder Justice Coalition, the National Citizen’s Coalition for Nursing Home Reform, the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, AARP and many other organizations dedicated to protecting our nation’s vulnerable citizens.

Read more coverage of this story at www.seniorjournal.com.

Canadian Journalist Looking for 'the best place in the world to grow old'

Not many working journalists have the luxury of extended time and resources to develop a story that interests them, but Toronto Star reporter Judy Steed is the exception. Steed plans to use the time and money afforded her by winning Canada's prestigious Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy to research and write about the places in the world that are doing the best job of preparing for the aging of the baby boomers, according to an article in the Star's June 7 online edition by staff reporter Linda Diebel.

Canada - as well as most other countries in the developed world -are facing the same issues as the United States when it comes to figuring out solutions to the healthcare and other needs of the boomer generation.

From the article:

Steed calls the aging of baby boomers a "demographic tsunami" due to hit North America over the next decade. This year alone, more than 400,000 Canadians will turn 60, increasing to more than half a million annually by 2025.

Unless Canada makes major changes to "business as usual," Steed argues the health-care system will be overwhelmed, unable to cope with numbers of senior citizens suffering from such chronic conditions as arthritis and diabetes.

John Honderich, a Torstar Corp. board member and former Star publisher, presented Steed with the award at last night's gala dinner of the Canadian Journalism Foundation.

"Judy knows how to tell a story and she's got hold of a powerful topic," said Honderich, who, as then editor-in-chief of the newspaper, hired Steed from The Globe and Mail in 1989.

"She's looking for the best new ideas in the world, while exposing the `invisible poverty' that afflicts seniors who fall through the cracks – and that's a lot of people."

Read the entire article at TheStar.com.

Dallas Morning News Looks at Growing 'Brain Exercise' Trend

'Memory Center' research and treatment facilities proposed in South Carolina

No question about it, 'brain exercise' using specially designed computer programs or other more low tech aids such as word puzzles is a hot topic these days. Wednesday's (June 6) edition of the Dallas Morning News added it's take on the growing chorus of news stories and other articles about this subject, with Morning News reporter Bob Moos focusing on a "'brain gym" set up at a senior living community in Keller, Texas.

From the article:

When Chester Cohen visited the Conservatory Senior Living community in Keller last year, he was impressed that it has not one, but two fitness centers.

The first comes equipped with exercise gear to keep the blood circulating and the muscles toned – stationary bikes, treadmills and weights.

But the second appealed to the 85-year-old even more. It houses a brain fitness program to keep the mind sharp.

Read the entire article at the Dallas Morning News web site.

Brain health for seniors is a hot topic in South Carolina as well.

On Wednesday (June 6) the 9 members of the General Assembly's Joint Legislative Committee on Aging (JLCA) heard a proposal from Dr. Victor Hirth, Medical Director of Geriatric Services at Palmetto Health Richland, that would create a series of "Memory Centers" in Charleston, Columbia, Grenville in Florence. The JLCA, chaired by State Rep. Denny Neilson of Darlington, meets anually to take testimony from experts in the field of aging, senior advocates, agencies and organizations involved in providing senior services and members and citizens about meeting the needs of the state's fast-growing senior population.

According to Dr. Hirth, the centers would provide expertise and resources for education, research and clinical care for older adults to help them maintain brain health. The centers would also provide treatment for specific early and advanced memory disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. A similar approach is being tried in Florida, according to Dr. Hirth.

"Memory centers could provide interdisciplinary training, community education and research laboratories to better understand the course and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other memory disorders in urban, rural and underserved populations [of South Carolina]," Dr. Hirth told the JLCA members and audience at the hearing.

Baby Boomer Retirement Could Leave Construction Industry Hurting for Skilled Workers

The online South Carolina business magazine, SCBIZ, reported today (June 5) that the major demographic shift underway that will double South Carolina's 65 and older population over the next two decades could have major implications for the construction industry.

According to the article, by SCBIZ senior staff writer Dennis Quick, the problem is that not enough young people are going into the skilled trades to replace the baby boomers who are fast approaching retirement age.

From the article:

Many veterans in the industry are in their 50s and approaching retirement. Meanwhile, the industry is struggling to recruit young people, even though nationally construction jobs pay an average of about $19 an hour and in South Carolina nearly $15, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The industry’s skilled labor shortage is nationwide, and it is a concern that has been festering for years. In the 1990s, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projected the industry would need to hire 200,000 employees per year to replace those who are retiring or facing retirement and to meet the growing demand.

Read the entire article at www.scbiznews.com.

Coastal Nursing Homes Better Prepared for 2007 Hurricane Season

Bluffton's Island Packet newspaper reported Monday (June 4) that substantial progress has been made on the planning and coordinating of evacuation plans for coastal nursing homes.

A review of nursing home evacuation plans for South Carolina after a high number of elderly nursing residents died when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Costs in 2005 revealed that many facilities' DHEC-mandated evacuation plans relied on the same transportation companies, raising the possibility that those services would be overtaxed in a widespread evacuation.

The article, by Island Packet reporter Peter Frost, says that after a year of planning and a relatively quiet 2006 hurricane season, most of those potential problems have been solved going into the 2007 season.

From the article:

But with an extra year to plan, review transportation contracts and secure back-up plans, officials say the state's coastal health care facilities are more prepared than they've ever been to handle a mass evacuation in case of a hurricane.

Many local nursing homes and assisted-living facilities have altered their transportation contracts this year. Instead of going through regional providers that cover large areas, they've switched to companies in cities to where the nursing homes will evacuate patients.

Anderson Independent-Mail Profiles New Silver Haired Speaker

Last Friday's (June, 1) edition of the Anderson-Independent Mail profiled the newly elected Speaker of the South Carolina Silver Haired Legislature.

The article, by Independent-Mail reporter David Williams, detailed Bailes' background and plans for his tenure as the leader of the the group created to advise the state legislature on issues that affect older South Carolinians. According to the article, Bailes sees facilitating communication between the senior community and lawmakers as one of the most important aspects of the Speakers job.

From the article:

Mr. Bailes said the key to his job is making sure communications is a two-way street.

“The Silver Haired Legislature represents the senior citizens to the state Legislature, but we also have to be able to get the legislators’ views back to the people,” Mr. Bailes said.

Read the entire article at the paper's online site, www.independentmail.com.

S.C. Joint Legislative Committee on Aging to Meet Tuesday

After a short postponement caused by negotiations over the state budget bill, the General Assembly's Joint Legislative Committee on Aging (JCLA) will meet Tuesday June 5) at 10:00 a.m. in room 101 of the Blatt Building in the Capitol Complex in Columbia (corner of Pendleton and Assembly Streets).

The Committee will hear testimony from various interest groups representing seniors around the state will testify, including the Lt. Governor’s Office on Aging.

Download a copy of the meeting agenda.

Individuals or groups who wish to testify before the Committee should contact Rep. Denny Neilson’s office at (803) 734-5805.  Individuals planning to testify should bring 15 hard copies of their planned written testimony for distribution to committee members. An electronic copy should also be provided to Judi Davis in the Lt. Governor’s Office on Aging at jdavis@aging.sc.gov.

JLCA Committee MEMBERS:

Representative Denny W. Neilson, Chair
Representative Walton J. McLeod
Representative Robert W. Leach, Sr.
Senator Ronnie W. Cromer
Senator J. Yancey McGill
Senator Glenn G. Reese
Ms. Linda Mitchell Johnson
Mr. Ollie Johnson
Mr. Bill Riser

Newspaper Series Examines Elderly Healthcare costs in Tennessee

The Nashville-based 'Tennessean' newspaper recently ran a weekend series that took an in-depth look at several aspects of how that state is coping (or not) with the rising cost of healthcare for its estimated 708,000 65-and-older citizens (South Carolina's fast-growing 65-and-older population currently stands at more than 650,000.)

Article summaries below (provided by kaisernetwork.org)

On Medicaid: Tennessee's Medicaid system makes it difficult for elderly and disabled beneficiaries to get long-term care outside nursing homes, the Tennessean reports. Of the state's Medicaid beneficiaries, 28,000 are in nursing homes, while 1,376 get nonmedical care at home or in alternative facilities. In 2005, the state spent 98.9% of its $1 billion budget for long-term care of the low-income elderly and disabled on nursing homes, the highest rate in the nation. By providing more care outside of nursing homes, the state could save money and help more people, advocates say. Donna DeStefano, assistant director of the Tennessee Disability Coalition, said, "People have been warehoused in nursing homes over the years. They don't want to be there" (Pinto, Tennessean, 5/20).

Options program: Tennessee's Options program is designed to offer nonmedical care to the state's elderly who do not qualify for Medicaid, but many advocates for the elderly say the state provides insufficient funding for the program, resulting in a long waiting list, the Tennessean reports. The program receives $5 million annually and currently has 1,230 participants, with 3,305 state residents on the waiting list. The program provides free services for individuals with annual incomes less than $14,592. Individuals with annual incomes between $14,952 and $44,856 receive services priced on a sliding scale. The program was established in 2001 to keep people out of nursing homes. Margaret Rose of the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability said, "There are lots of people who go into nursing homes, not because they have medical problems but because they have deficiencies of daily living." Family members caring for their elderly relatives say that getting help from the state is difficult unless they qualify for Medicaid. Brian McGuire, AARP Tennessee's legislative director, noted that the daily cost of nursing home care is $147 per patient in a semi-private room, compared with an hourly rate of $19 for a home health aide (Pinto, Tennessean, 5/21).

Read the entire series at the TENNESSEAN.com web site.

CMS 'Healthier US' Bus Tour rolls into Columbia, Charleston

The big blue Medicare bus that was a familiar sight in South Carolina during the Part D prescription drug benefit rollout paid another visit to the state last week, with stops in Columbia on Tuesday (May 29) and Charleston (May 30).

This time, the focus was on the need for new strategies that focus on prevention and wellness at the federal, state and local level. According to the event's U.S. Department of Health and Human Services organizers, the purpose of the bus tour is twofold. Number one, to raise public awareness about the extreme costs of treating preventable conditions such as diabetes through HHS' "A Healthier US Starts Here" campaign; and number two, to bring together a wide array of state and local partners to get them to focus on the issues involved and think about working collaboratively.

The event at Columbia's Capital Senior Center seems to have been a success on both fronts. Three of Columbia's television news stations turned out to cover the roundtable discussion and press conference in front of the very recognizable bus, and the lively roundtable meeting was packied with represenatives from state agencies, county and city government, non-profits and health organizations.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," said Richland County Councilman Joe McEachern, talking about the County's efforts to increase awareness of prevention among their employees.

SDHEC Chairman Earl Hunter told the assembled agencies that the state currently get poor marks overall in many areas of prevention. For example, South Carolina lags behind the rest of the nation in flu vaccination rates - "it should be 100%," said Hunter.

"We need to make sure we take advantage of all the opportunities our federal partners are bringing to the table today," said Hunter.

LGOA Director Curtis Loftis said, "We've gotten the message loud and clear that prevention is what we need to do," and the LGOA's Terri Whirret described some of the programs the agency is piloting around the state such as Living Well SC, an evidence-based chronic disease self-management program.

Santee-Lynches AAA Director Vicki Williams attended the meeting and brought along the S-L Aging & Disability Resource Center mobile unit to demonstrate for the federal officials how that region is bringing programs and services directly to a largely rural population.

Other participants in the round table discussion included Christopher Downing, Regional Director, Atlanta Regional Office, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS); Roger Perez, Regional Administrator, Atlanta Regional Office, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); Constantinos I. Miskis, Regional Administrator, Atlanta Region, Administration on Aging (AOA); Columbia City Councilman Sam Davis, and many others.