|
February 23, 2006
Click here for full release |
Lt. Governor André Bauer Recognizes Cherokee Volunteers
Columbia, S.C. – Senior volunteers bring a wealth of experience and wisdom to the job of serving others, and five such Cherokee County residents were recognized today for their volunteer efforts by Lt. Governor André Bauer and on the floor of the South Carolina General Assembly.
Retired magistrate and city judge Jack Allison, retired tool designer Clive Skevington, retired educator Margaret McCluney, retired accountant Don Groezinger and retired nurse Carol Groezinger may have diverse backgrounds and training, but they all share a common commitment to giving something back to their home communities.
“I’m proud to recognize these five individuals as Seniors of the Day here at the State House,” said Bauer. “They are all actively involved in helping to improve the lives of their fellow seniors in Cherokee County, and their neighbors are lucky to have their wisdom and experience working for them.” (more) |
|
February 22, 2006
Click to visit |
New Web Site for Locating Affordable Rental Housing Available
Developed by the South Carolina State Housing and Development Authority, the new "SCHousingSearch.Com" web site is designed to help individuals in need of rental housing find it fast. Detailed information about rental units in many SC cities is available now, and the Authority hopes that more property managers and landlords across the state will take advantage of the free listing as word about the site spreads.
Click the link at the left to visit the site. |
|
February 22, 2006
Click Here to download the complete report in Adobe PDF format |
New Kaiser Family Foundation poll on Medicare D
A February 2006 Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll found that 45% of seniors say they have enrolled or plan to enroll in a drug plan, 29% say they do not intend to enroll in a drug plan and another 23% say they are uncertain. The majority of those who do not plan to enroll say they have another program or plan that helps pay for their prescriptions.
For the complete report, visit the Kaiser Foundation web site by clicking on the link to the left. |
|
February 17, 2006
Click here to download the Special Report for Seniors in Adobe PDF format |
Special Report for Seniors on Medicare Part D Distributed in Newspapers Statewide
Beginning February 21, newspapers all across South Carolina will include a copy of "Special Report for Seniors on Medicare Part D and Other Services. Produced by the Lt. Governor's Office on Aging, the tabloid-style publication provides basic information on the new Medicare drug benefit, as well as updates on other programs and initiatives that affect the state's rapidly expanding senior population. |
|
February 17, 2006
Click here for full release |
Mountain View Nursing Home Leading the Way on Volunteer Ombudsman Program
Spartanburg, S.C. – February 17, 2006 – Lt. Governor André Bauer today recognized the staff and leadership of the Mountain View Nursing Home in Spartanburg for being at the forefront of a new program designed to improve the lives of residents of long term care facilities.
Mountain View is among the first such facilities to partner with the Lt. Governor’s Office on Aging on the new Volunteer Ombudsman program that will enhance South Carolina’s existing system of Regional Long Term Care Ombudsman Investigators. Regional Long Term Care Ombudsmen respond to complaints of substandard care, abuse or neglect in nursing homes and other residential care facilities. The new Volunteer Ombudsman program will enhance that effort by placing trained community volunteers in facilities to visit regularly with residents, participate in resident and family council meetings and help address minor concerns or problems before they become more serious. The South Carolina Silver Haired Legislature and the AARP were instrumental in working with long term care industry leaders and the Lt. Governor’s Office on Aging to get the volunteer ombudsman program off the ground. (more) |
|
February 16, 2006
Click here to read Press Release |
Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence Announces New Quality Initiative Involving 44 Nursing Homes In South Carolina
According to the CCME press release, the focus for the 44 facilities involved will be on will be on management of pressure ulcers, physical restraints, depression and pain.
“This group of nursing homes, which are truly committed to transforming care, can imagine an environment where residents live their lives in a private and dignified manner and feel a greater respect for the staff as a result,” said Lorri Gibbons, RN, BSN, senior interventions specialist for nursing home and home health.
The release from CCME also includes a link to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Nursing Home Compare web page, a searchable database that includes survey/inspection data for all Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes in the United States. Click here to go to the CMS Nursing Home Compare page. |
|
February 15, 2006
Click Here to download packet in Adobe PDF format |
Grant Funding Available for Community Alzheimer's Projects
The South Carolina Alzheimer’s Resource Coordination Center (ARCC) Announced today that grant application packets for Respite and Educational Programs for July 1, 2006 - June 30, 2007 are available now.
Click on the link at the left to download the packet, or call Eve Barth in the Lt. Governor's Office on Aging at (803) 734-9872 to request a packet by mail.
A pre-application workshop for this GAR will be held at 10:00 a.m. on March 17, 2006 at the Lieutenant Governor’s Office on Aging in Columbia. (1301 Gervais Steet, Suite 200, the Wilbur Smith Building on the corner of Gervais and Sumter) Applicants must register for the pre-application workshop by 5:00 p.m. on March 10, 2006 to assure that sufficient copies of materials are available. All potential applicants, especially those individuals who will be actually completing the application form, are strongly encouraged to attend the pre-application workshop. Applicants are encouraged to bring any and all questions pertaining to this GAR to the pre-application workshop. To register for the workshop, please contact Fran Brannon at the following address:
Ms. Fran Brannon
Lieutenant Governor’s Office on Aging
1301 Gervais Street, Suite 200
Columbia, South Carolina 29201
(803)734-9875 FAX: (803)734-9887
E-mail: brannon@aging.sc.gov |
|
February 15, 2006
Click here to read Press Release
|
PBS Documentary about Cutting Edge Nursing Home to Air on ETV Tuesday
"Warm and Inspiring, ALMOST HOME Chronicles a Year in the Life of a Milwaukee Nursing Home that is Implementing a Revolutionary New Approach to the Challenge of Making a Nursing Home Feel Like Home. This issues it raises will resonate with all older citizens as well as their families. www.almosthomedoc.org ."
The program will air on South Carolina's ETV affiliates on Tuesday, February 21st at 10 PM. Click on the link at the left to read the entire press release. |
|
February 14, 2006
Click here for link to full Release |
Media Advisory:
Lt. Governor André Bauer to Introduce Volunteer Ombudsman Program
Spartanburg S.C. – Lt. Governor André Bauer will join officials from the Appalachia Area Agency on Aging and representatives from the South Carolina Health Care Association, the AARP and the South Carolina Silver Haired Legislature at the Mountain View Nursing Home in Spartanburg Friday (February 17, 2006) at 10:00 AM to visit with residents and introduce the new Volunteer Long Term Care Ombudsman program initiated by the Lt. Governor’s Office on Aging.
“I am extremely excited about the potential this program has for enhancing our system of long term care,” said Bauer. “And we were able to accomplish this by working together with the long term care industry to create a voluntary system instead of adding a new layer of regulation and bureaucracy.”
(more) |
|
February 13, 2006
Click here for link to full Article |
California Newspaper Columnist Examines Aging in the Golden State
In a recent article outlining some of the changes facing California as their baby boomer population reaches retirement age, Sacramento Bee columnist Daniel Weintraub focusses on the stresses that boomer retirement and healthcare costs will put on an already overstretched state budget.
"Is there anything the government can do to prepare, other than getting its budget back on solid footing so that it can absorb the rising costs of caring for the elderly?
Encouraging more people to save more for their own retirement might be one option. Making long-term care insurance more attractive would be another. Measures that keep seniors in the work force longer would also help, since the longer people work, the more they contribute to the tax base and the less likely they are to need aid. Finally, policymakers need to be wary of expanding entitlements for the aging middle class, since the numbers make clear that simply caring for the elderly who are poor will be an increasing financial burden taxpayers will be hard-pressed to shoulder."
The entire article can be found on the Sacramento newspaper's online edition by clicking on the link at the left (free registration may be required).
|
|
February 10, 2006
Click here for link to full Article |
Study Suggests a Link Between Exercise and Lowered Risk of Dementia
A study that tracked 1,740 members of a Seattle, Washington health cooperative over a six-year period found lower rates of dementia in participants who exercised 3 or more times a week, according to the January Issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Follow the link at the left to download the complete article from the Annals web site. |
|
February 10, 2006
Click for full report |
South Carolina Alzheimer's Resource Coordination Center
- ARCC Grant Process Begins - Application Packets Available Feb. 15
"On January 20, 2006, the memo announcing the 2006 ARCC Grant Funding Availability will be sent to over 800 individuals and organizations in South Carolina. The ARCC will be requesting grant applications for respite care services and/or educational interventions for persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD) and their families and caregivers, and community service providers."
- Lancet Report on Dementia
"A new case of dementia arises every seven seconds with the number of people with dementia set to double every 20 years, says a report in The Lancet"
- News from the Field
|
|
February 09, 2006
Click for Full Report
|
Medicare D Enrollment Numbers Released
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Mike Leavitt, has issued a 1 month progress report on the implementation of the new Medicare Part D Prescription Drug benefit.
"We are one month into the most significant change in Medicare since the program began 40 years ago. We have seen progress in this first month, and we have seen some unexpected problems. The situation was best described to me by a pharmacist I met in Alabama who said, 'Still plenty of bumps, but it is much better.' I make no excuses. We own the problems. These are our problems to solve, and we are," said Leavitt. |
|
February 09, 2006 |
Tips on Reverse Mortgages
Many seniors are discovering the "reverse mortgage" as a way to use the equity in their home to provide additional income. The State Newspaper recently ran a story on the phenomonon, and the AARP offers a free online guide to Reverse Mortgage Finanancing that covers this financing method in detail. |
|
February 09, 2006
Click here for full text of release
|
Medicare D Enrollment Tips from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Millions of people with Medicare enrolled in prescription drug plans are leaving pharmacy counters with their prescription drugs, and at a significant savings since the drug coverage began on Jan. 1.
“Medicare’s new prescription drug coverage is working for millions of seniors and people with disabilities. At the same time, we are making progress in fixing problems that some may be experiencing at the pharmacy counter,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt. “One way to reduce problems is for beneficiaries to enroll earlier in the month to ensure they will be able to get their medicines the first of the next month.” |
|
February 09, 2006
Click to see insert
|
Magazine Insert Encourages Conversation
The U.S. Administration on Aging reports that this week's issue of People Magazine will include an insert encouraging family members to talk with their Medicare-eligible about Part D drug coverage. |