Forum on Aging, cyber security, training for providers, wage rules for home care workers, ESP's oldest client, MyCare Ohio fact sheet, and more in COA's October E-Newsletter.
October 2015
Don't Miss This!
Be a part of Forum on Aging's 30th Anniversary!
Mark your calendars for a very special 30th Anniversary Forum on Aging, March 8-9, 2016 at the Sharonville Convention Center.  We are excited to celebrate 30 years of networking, learning, and inspiration!  The 2016 Forum on Aging provides up to 12 CEUs for participants, and an exciting 30th Anniversary Sponsorship Package.

Registration opens in January.  But for now, click here for more information about our exciting lineup of keynote speakers, sponsorship opportunities, and annual awards program.
Oldest client helps advocacy efforts
At age 105, Pansy is COA’s oldest client on the  Elderly Services Program . She lives with her daughter, Yvonne, and the two received a visit in September from Hamilton County Commissioner Chris Monzel.  Click here to read more about Pansy.
Aging & Disability Resource Network Updates
Training opportunities for providers
Service providers in the Aging & Disability Resource Network may be interested in these upcoming training programs. 
DRIVE: Transporting Older and Disabled Passengers 
This training for transportation providers is offered by the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging. Participants will develop a sensitivity to the transportation needs of older passengers and passengers with disabilities as well as demonstrate correct passenger assistance techniques. The curriculum fulfills transportation quality assurance standards for Older Americans Act services in Ohio and Ohio’s PASSPORT Medicaid waiver program. NOTE: Training assumes that participants have no previous experience transporting older and/or disabled passengers.  The next DRIVE training is Dec. 8 in Columbus.   Click here for more information. 
HOME Choice Webinar
As we learned in last month's newsletter, Ohio is a leader in transitioning people from nursing homes to more independent - and less expensive - home and community-based settings.  On Oct. 28, the Ohio Department of Medicaid is hosting a webinar designed to guide Nursing and Care Facility staff through the Ohio HOME Choice program, defining roles and responsibilities which result in effective resident return to their families and communities. This webinar will also explain MDS Section Q and effective use of this data for transitions. This step by step guide would benefit administrators, nursing staff, social workers and discharge planners. Click here for more information and to register.
New minimum wage, overtime rules for home care workers

The U. S. Department of Labor rule requiring minimum wage and overtime pay for home care workers overcame a challenge in federal court and went into effect October 13.  Read more...

CILO’s Welcome Home temporary ramp program continues

CILO, the Center for Independent Living Options, is extending the Welcome Home Temporary Ramp Program to provide ramps to Medicaid recipients with disabilities.  The ramps are temporary modular ramps which can be moved and reused. Typically, these ramps are installed quickly so an individual can have the freedom to come and go from their home while they wait for a permanent ramp to be built.  

Assistance is also available to renters who live in qualified housing within Hamilton County and the City of Cincinnati.  

Contact CILO for assistance with these programs: (513) 241-2600 or klyons@cilo.net

News You Can Use
Guest Voice
Stay Safe & Sound this winter: Be fire smart
Fire fatalities disproportionately affect older Ohioans

For several years now, there has been a concerted effort in Ohio to protect our older residents from accidental falls because they disproportionately affect our elders and can lead to hospitalization or death. There's another serious risk for older Ohioans that affects them more that the rest of the population, and that's death in a fire. While older Ohioans make up about 14 percent of our population, they account for more than 39 percent of fire-related fatalities.  Read more...
Bonnie K. Burman, Director, Ohio Department of Aging
Bonnie K. Burman is the director of the Ohio Department of Aging.
Long-term Care Corner
COA releases new MyCare Ohio fact sheet
It has been nearly a year and a half since the Ohio Department of Medicaid began enrolling people in MyCare Ohio , a managed care program for Ohioans who receive BOTH Medicare and Medicaid benefits.  With the initial enrollment period behind us, Council on Aging has created a fact sheet to help people understand how to enroll in MyCare Ohio, as well as important things to consider during the enrollment process. Click here to get a copy of the fact sheet. 
For Your Health
Seniors vulnerable to flu complications, hospitalization, death
It has been recognized for many years that people 65 years and older are at greater risk of serious complications from the flu compared with young, healthy adults. This is because human immune defenses become weaker with age.   It's estimated that 90 percent of seasonal flu-related deaths and more than 60 percent of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations in the United States each year occur in people 65 years and older. But it's easy to protect yourself from the flu - get a flu shot!
New website helps those who are still working, or retired with employer insurance, with Medicare enrollment
People who are working but become eligible for Medicare have important decisions to make about when to enroll and whether to get Medicare Part B. Retirees with employer insurance or COBRA also must decide what to do when they first become eligible for Medicare. Medicare has a new web resource for employers to help Medicare-eligible employees and retirees understand Medicare and other retirement issues. Though geared to employers, the site is also a very useful resource for advocates and consumers. 

Answers to many questions, including the following, can be found on the website:
  • When is the best time to enroll to prevent coverage gaps and late enrollment penalties?
  • Who gets Medicare automatically, and who needs to sign up for it?
  • When can you enroll in Medicare Part B?
  • How do you qualify for Medicare if you’re not 65 or older?
  • What if you have retiree or COBRA coverage?
Medicare open enrollment starts today!
Do you need accurate, unbiased information about Medicare and the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit? Get the answers you need by attending one of the Medicare Check-up days presented by the  Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) .  Click here for more information about open enrollment and local Check Up days.
Council on Aging Updates
Butler County Senior Services levy helps older adults stay in their homes - Nuxhall family serving as honorary campaign leaders
For the second time, the Nuxhall family is serving as honorary leaders of the senior services levy (Issue 13) which will be on the Nov. 3 ballot for voters in Butler County. 

The senior services levy helps Butler County’s frail older adults to remain independent in their homes via services provided through the Elderly Services Program. The program served more than 3,800 seniors in 2014. The levy is a flat renewal and will not increase taxes.  Click here for more information about the campaign. 

Deadlines approaching for open RFPs
For service providers interested in becoming a provider through Council on Aging’s programs, we regularly post open Requests for Proposal (RFP) or Requests for Qualification (RFQ) to our website. The deadlines, as noted, are approaching for qualified bidders to submit applications for the following RFPs:
  • Minority Business Enterprise Participation in the Ohio Home Care Contract (November 11, 2015) Click here
  • Home Delivered Meals (October 28, 2015) Click here
  • Title III Services - Nutrition Services Incentive Program (“NSIP”), Senior Community Services State Subsidy, and Alzheimer’s Respite (October 28, 2015) Click here
  • Applications to become a provider of Community Based Long-term Care for PASSPORT and the Assisted Living Waiver program are accepted at any time. Click here
COA regularly advertises open application periods for RFPs and RFQs in local newspaper and on our website. Updates and a list of open applications can be found at any time by clicking here
Events & Learning Opportunities
Visit the Events page on our website for a complete, up-to-date list of events for adults, caregivers and professionals.  Unless otherwise noted, the following events are NOT in any way affiliated with Council on Aging.  Please use the links included with each event to get or request additional information. 
Featured Event
PWC Prepare Affair is November 14
Prepare Affair is a volunteer event that brings together more than 3,000 volunteers to help low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners prepare their homes for winter. One of the largest one-day events in the tri-state, volunteers at Prepare Affair will perform winter preparation activities that will make a huge difference for elderly homeowners with physical limitations.   Volunteers are needed!   Click here to learn how you can get involved.
Other Events

Community Shred Day : October 17 @ UC Blue Ash Campus (free)

AARP Life Reimagined : October 17 @ Sharonville Convention Center (fee)

Parkinson's Fall Symposium : November 14 @ Powell, Ohio (registration required)


Resource Directory Tip
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month
Big Box stores like Target and Home Depot aren't the only victims of cyber attacks. Most reports and complaints made to fraud/scam watchdog groups come from folks like you. How can you protect yourself online? 1) Use strong and unique passwords, 2) regularly update protection (antivirus) software, and 3) don’t click on links from unknown sources. Get more information about Internet security in our resource directory.
Council on Aging | (513) 721-1025 or (800) 252-0155 | www.help4seniors.org
About Council on Aging
Council on Aging is a state-designated Area Agency on Aging, serving a 21-county region.   Our mission: Enhance people's lives by assisting them to remain independent at home through a range of quality services. One call to COA links people to the wide variety of agencies, information and programs that serve older adults and people with disabilities.    Learn more about COA