AOASCC News & Notes
Opening Reception
Thursday, May 16th from 1:00-7:00 p.m.

Our walls are being filled with amazing work from senior artists. Join us for the opening of this exhibition - free admission and refreshments will be served. Artwork will remain on display through the closing reception on June 20th.
Dr. Beverly Kidder Promoted

We are elated to announce our promotion of Dr. Beverly Kidder to Vice President of Community Programs. While heading the Aging and Disability Center (ADRC), Dr. Kidder has grown the ADRC department beyond its origins as the home for information and referrals and health insurance counseling. The ADRC now houses programs for caregivers and veterans, administers the Title III grants, and organizes the two signature agency events, the Art of Aging and the TEARS elder abuse conference.

To bring all the community programs under one umbrella, the Volunteer and Training Department led by Director Ron Webb will join this division, which will also strengthen the programs currently shared by the two departments. In addition, Care Network Link, our on-line reference guide of credentialled service providers, will be brought into this division.

Bev has been with AOASCC since 2000, holds a Doctorate from Columbia University School of Social Work and brings decades of experience in social work and health care, concentrating on issues in aging, rehabilitation, depression, caregiving, Medicare and discharge planning. She has contributed to several publications and is the author of The Gift of Caregiving , in addition, she was elected as one of Twenty Noteworthy Women in CT, 2007 by CT Business Times and is an Inductee, Phi Alpha, national Social Work Honor Society.

Please join us in congratulating Bev on her new role and the new opportunities she will create to further enrich our continued support of caring for the aged and individuals with disabilities.
You Made a Difference!

Our heartfelt appreciation to all who gave to AOASCC through this year's Great Give sponsored by the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven. Your gifts will help us answer more calls, place more volunteers, and help more individuals remain independent in the community they love.
Caregiver Corner - Can you be paid as a family caregiver?

Most people who receive help to enable them to live at home, get that help from a family caregiver. More than 40 million people in the United Sates provide care for a family member. In almost all situations, they provide the care without receiving any financial compensation. 

Caregiving is a financial liability for the caregiver. Research studies show that most caregivers are employed and have reduced the number of hours they work to meet the care recipients needs. Therefore, the caregivers have less income to meet their own needs. Additionally, family caregivers with reduced hours in paid employment, accumulate fewer credits in their Social Security accounts, thereby causing them to receive lower Social Security benefits in retirement. For many caregivers, the needs of the care recipient require the caregiver to stop all employment. This creates a gap in their years of uninterrupted employment. If that caregiver should become disabled at a later point, the interruption in paid employment might disqualify them for Social Security disability benefits. For most caregivers, access to health insurance is through full-time employment. For many caregivers, health insurance benefits are eliminated when work hours are reduced. In instances where coverage is still available to a part-time employee, the premium the caregiver pays is increased.

Spotlight on Volunteering

How do RSVP volunteers make a difference?

After finding out what I do at work, a woman with a neurological disorder shared this. “The only way for all of us to stay independent is to learn to ask for help!”  

RSVP staff receive many calls from individuals looking for help. We receive calls like these:
  • “Please help me find someone for my parent because they are so lonely.”
  • A spouse will call, “I need a break.”
  • An older adult will call. “The bills are all mixed up.” or “I just need a ride to the grocery store”.
We are so thankful for the RSVP Volunteers who reach out and make a difference providing companionship, respite relief, budgeting support and transportation to the many individuals trying to remain independent.  
Miss the camaraderie of being around others?
Partnering with local non-profits and local senior centers, the RSVP program offers volunteers the opportunity to offer their time to help the local community at various locations. From serving meals and running the BINGO game to clerical support and patient advocacy, volunteers assist and reap the benefits of being involved, giving back and making friends. Feel you something to offer another individual?

Find out more about all of the ways you can contribute as an RSVP volunteer.
Volunteer to Fight Fraud

Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) volunteers play an important role in addressing health care fraud by educating Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers through presentations, outreach events, and one-on-one counseling. 

A volunteer training is scheduled for June 13th from 9:30-3:30 a.m. Find out more.  
CHOICES - Medicare Summary Notice

The Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) is used to notify beneficiaries of decisions on claims for Medicare benefits.  It’s a notice that people with Original Medicare get in the mail every 3 months for their Medicare Part A and Part B-covered services. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan you will not receive an MSN. The MSN shows:
  • All your services or supplies that providers and suppliers billed to Medicare during the 3-month period
  • What Medicare paid
  • The maximum amount you may owe the provider

You’ll get your MSN every 3 months if you get any services or medical supplies during that 3-month period. If you don’t get any services or medical supplies during that 3-month period, you won’t get an MSN for that particular 3-month period. When you receive your MSN, read it carefully.
  • If you have other insurance, check to see if it covers anything that Medicare didn’t.
  • Keep your receipts and bills, and compare them to your MSN to be sure you got all the services, supplies, or equipment listed.
  • If you paid a bill before you got your notice, compare your MSN with the bill to make sure you paid the right amount for your services.
  • If an item or service is denied, call your doctor’s or other health care provider's office to make sure they submitted the correct information. If not, the office may resubmit. If you disagree with any decision made, you can file an appeal. On the new MSN design, the last page of the MSN gives you step-by-step directions on when and how to file an appeal.
 
If you think Medicare was billed for products or services that you didn’t receive, call the SMP program for assistance in determining whether there is evidence of Medicare fraud. You can reach a SMP representative at (203) 785 – 8533 at the AOASCC, ADRC department. 
Help with Groceries

Eat right—even when money is tight Did you know that over 4 million older Americans use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to buy healthy food? If you apply for SNAP, you’ll get a special debit card that you can use to buy nutritious foods at over 250,000 grocery stores nationwide! See how to apply for SNAP Put healthy food on your table Eating healthy doesn’t have to cost more. You can save money on groceries by applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The average senior using SNAP receives $119 each month! That can go a long way when shopping for food. See if SNAP can help you. Find out more.
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