AOASCC News & Notes
TEARS Elder Abuse Conference
 
This premiere annual conference for professionals working with older adults and caregivers will focus on Financial Exploitation.


6 hours of Continued Education Credits offered at no charge .   This program has been approved for Continuing Education Credit Hours by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for CT Social Work Licensure renewal.
Tuesday October 2, 2018  
Toyota Oakdale Theater in Wallingford
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Seating is limited and spots are filling quickly!
Spotlight on Volunteering

The Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion volunteers were asked to participate in the City of New Haven’s “One City Initiative”. Activities were held throughout New Haven for 60 days during July and August, involving residents from all parts of the city with the goal of building a stronger community through shared ideas, activities and solutions. 

Kim Harris, the co-leader of the Newhallville Community Team, contacted the FGP/SCP staff and asked if program volunteers would like to participate in the Senior Day Celebration. This day involved taking children to programs where older adults participate in giving and receiving services.

Ms. Harris brought 20 children to be part of the In-Service Training Day for the SCP/FGP volunteers. The children entertained the volunteers with songs and shared their thoughts about older people. The volunteers joined the children in activities such as reading, puzzles, bingo and crafts. The volunteers stated that they had a wonderful time and enjoyed this intergenerational event. The volunteers especially enjoyed sharing their stories about their lives and what the world was like when they were young. Kim Harris expressed her appreciation that the volunteers had been a part of the One City Initiative and stated that the children thoroughly enjoyed their time with the older volunteers and requested that this become an annual event!
Find out more about our programs connecting older adults with children.
The Benefits of Intergenerational Relationships
When older adults contribute to the well-being of youth, it cultivates a sense of purpose and extends benefits both ways .
  • Unique abilities and motivations of a growing cohort of older people have the potential to fundamentally benefit youth.
  • Societal challenges and inadequate adult connections jeopardize young people’s ability to thrive even while non-parental, older adults are increasingly positioned to help them profoundly.
  • Meaningful relationships between old and young create a secret sauce that benefits both generations.
  • “Making the match” between old and young would allow both to thrive and grow

Hidden In Plain Sight: How Intergenerational Relationships Can Transform Our Future
Caregiver Corner  

Caring for a person with a progressive dementia diagnosis requires more planning than many other types of caregiving because the disease strips away the care recipient’s abilities gradually. It is difficult to gauge how well an individual can perform a specific function because the progression of the disease proceeds at a different pace with each person. However, it is indisputable that with each person there will be a steady decline in his/her ability to perform tasks and make decisions. The decline continues throughout the course of the disease. Therefore, it is essential that, while the care recipient is able, the caregiver and care recipient have conversations about the tasks and decisions currently made by the person with the disease. At this moment in time, they may be handling all their tasks without problem, but eventually the ability to continue completing tasks will diminish.

The caregiver must know what the person with dementia is responsible for, how they discharge those responsibilities and how they want them managed in the future when they can no longer perform those tasks independently. In three areas it is important to make future plans: family roles, finances and legal matters. 

  1. What are the tasks within the family the person with a dementia diagnosis performs? Is (s)he the family driver, shopper, lawn care worker, launderer? Someone else will have to provide these services eventually. Focusing now on what’s involved in each task can help the care recipient be involved in determining who and how these tasks will be performed in the future.
  2. Who manages health insurance premiums, selects Medicare plans, pays the monthly bills, makes sure the car insurance payments are made, renews driver’s licenses? Failure to complete these tasks can result in lasting problems for families when they discover that insurance was allowed to lapse or Medicare D enrollment wasn’t completed. If the care recipient is responsible for any of these or other financial responsibilities sit down together and create a financial plan that encompasses all these matters.
  3. Lastly, are legal issues. When a person faces diminishing capacity it is very important to know what their wishes are about health care decisions, assets, banking and other legal matters. Appointment of a power of attorney can only be made while the individual is mentally competent to grant authority to another. If you wait until it’s needed due to diminished capacity, it is too late to be appointed.
CHOICES - Supplemental Services

There were many changes made to Medicare Advantage plans with the most recent budget package. It’s important to be aware of the changes as it may affect your choice of plans this fall.

Beginning in 2019, Medicare Advantage plans may offer supplemental benefits covering a service or item that is “primarily health related.” In order to meet this new standard, the item or service must: 
  • diagnose, prevent, or treat an illness or injury, 
  • compensate for a physical impairment, or psychological impact of injuries 
  • reduce emergency and health care utilization

Supplemental benefits must be medically appropriate and recommended by a licensed provider as part of a larger care plan. 

Prior to 2019 benefits were limited to those that prevent, cure or diminish an illness or injury  
Examples of expanded supplemental service include:  
  • adult day care, 
  • home and bathroom safety devices,
  • transportation 
  • home based palliative care 

In 2019, Part C Plans may offer an unlimited variety of plans in the same service area  
Previously, Part C Plans were able to offer multiple benefit packages, in the same service area, only if the beneficiary packages were substantially different in benefits, premiums, or cost sharing.

In 2019, the meaningful difference requirement has been removed for Part D.  Part D Plans will be able to offer Enhanced Alternative (EA) with similar premium, cost sharing and benefits  
  • The meaningful difference requirement between PDP basic and enhanced plans remains in place
  • Part D plans are limited to 2 EA and one basic plan in a service area 
Are You Part of the Aging Network?


The Interagency Council on Aging of South Central Connecticut , convened by AOASCC, is a consortium of representatives from non-profit, for-profit and government agencies in the south central region that serve older adults and caregivers. The mission of the Council is to bring together these providers for educational and networking opportunities. 

This Year's Topics
Community Resources
Elder Bullying
Intergenerational Education in Aging

Don't forget M-Team!
A subgroup of the council, the Multi-Disciplinary Team is an opportunity for frontline staff to participate in case presentations about challenging cases, particularly cases with issues of elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, hoarding, abandonment....all the difficult cases with few options.
Save the Date!
AOASCC Annual Breakfast Meeting
Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Keynote
Against All Odds
Attorney Sheldon Toubman
New Haven Legal Assistance Association, Inc.
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