Senior Gazette

Winter 2005
Carol Schmitkons, Amherst Township Senior Service (ATTSO) Director

Medicare Changes for 2006

Correction from Fall issue:  When you do not join during the open enrollment period, your premium cost will go up at least 1% per month for every month that you wait to join, not 10% as stated in the last issue.  Like other insurance, you will have to pay this penalty as long as you have Medicare prescription drug coverage.

The open enrollment period begins November 15th and runs through May 15th.  If you join after May 15, 2006, the next open enrollment period is November 15, 2006 to December 31, 2006.  However, coverage for people who enroll during this period will not take effect until January 1, 2007.  You may be healthy now and not using any expensive medication, but if you need coverage later on when health problems come, you may be in for a major monthly out-of-pocket expense.

If you have any questions about prescription drug card providers, Medicare supplement policies, or enrollment procedures, call the Senior Service Office at 988-5822 or call the OSHIIP hotline at

1-800-686-1578 or you can contact them by e-mail them at:  www.ohioinsurance.gov.

Exercise Class

Judy Szefczk, a retired nursing home activity director, is willing to lead an exercise class for seniors in the community if there is enough interest.  Last quarter, only a couple of people expressed interest, so this will be your last chance to sign up.  If you are interested in attending, please call the office at 988-5822 and leave your name, phone number, and the best time of day for you to attend the class.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR:

  • TRANSPORTING SENIORS TO THE DOCTOR
  • SUBBING FOR MEAL PROGRAM DRIVERS

CAN YOU HELP US?  CALL 988-5822

OFFICE HOURS:

8:00 A.M. – NOON  (M-F)

Golden Acres Winter Meals

Perhaps you have trouble making ends meet, you don’t like to cook, or your doctor says you need a more nutritious diet.  We have the perfect solution for you.  Golden Acres prepares a hot lunch for any adult over 60 enrolled in our home-delivered meal program.  They will even take into consideration your personal likes and dislikes, and your special dietary needs.

The fall-winter menu cycle started in October.  Some of the meals they are currently serving each month are Swiss steak, cabbage rolls, homemade lasagna, and corned beef.   We guarantee that you will get these delicious meals delivered to your door for less than you could get the same meal in a local restaurant.  Why not call the office at 988-5822 to find out just how much our healthy meals would cost you?

Snowplowing

Each winter, we get calls from seniors who are looking for people who do residential snowplowing.  Here are the names of some commercial services near our community who do residential driveways.  Now is the time to call them and find out prices and get on their list.

Ally Builders Handyman Services at 986-2230 or 320-3510

  • Owens Tree Service at 988-9258
  • Perfect Image Landscape at 245-2185
  • Dave’s Snow Plowing at 988-3981 or Kathie(dispatcher) at 246-2034

Any other individuals in the community, who do driveways to earn a little extra money during the winter, can call the office & leave your name & phone number and we will be glad to give out your information when people call.

Timely Information for Seniors & Their Children

Periodically we receive a newsletter from “Cornerstone Consultants, Inc” of Wellington.  A recent issue had information that was worth passing along to our residents.  So with the permission of Tama McAleese, president of Cornerstone Consultants, we hope you will find these two articles helpful.

Tama hosts a call-in radio program (888-281-1110) on Saturday mornings from 10-11 AM on WHK, 1420 AM.  This is a good place to gather financial information or ask questions.

Free credit reports

Every year “financially-fit” consumers are turned down for credit or are otherwise damaged by incorrect, incomplete, misleading, or fraudulent credit data.

Since paying your bills on time does not protect you from reporting errors due to sloppiness, mistaken identity, or fraud, it is vital to investigate who has been inquiring about you, if credit cards were issued in your name without your permission or maybe even sent elsewhere, and for any entries that do NOT belong in your credit record.

Thanks to a federal law, you can receive a free credit report on www.annualcreditreport.com, which is a Web site set up by the major credit bureaus.  If you find inaccurate or fraudulent information, instructions are given for how to dispute the questionable entries.

If you pay bills on time, have no outstanding credit balances, and are not planning to borrow in the near future, why should you bother?  Because your credit history can be used by companies to determine your rates for other purchases such as auto and homeowner insurance.

How to Prepare For an Emergency or Unexpected Event

Here are some items to have available for immediate access and to make your family representative or children aware of:

  • A cash stash for emergency use for purchasing necessary items or to transact temporary business.
  • Two sources of emergency funds for 3 to 6 months of budgeted expenses with check-writing privileges (ex. banks, credit unions, or money market mutual funds).
  • A property and auto insurance plan with an extra personal liability umbrella policy if you have accumulated valuable assets.
  • Up-to-date estate planning documents and copies of all beneficiary designations for financial accounts and insurance policies.  Snowbirds should keep originals of wills and financial and health Power of Attorneys in a fire-retardant lock box that can go with you when you leave home for the winter.
  • A current list of all credit cards, bank accounts, investments, license plate numbers and car VINs so you can react quickly to protect your personal life, property and assets if a theft occurs?
  • Make sure that you post a list of address and phone numbers for important people like your doctors, lawyer, clergyman, insurance agent, and emergency contact and for the local fire and police departments near the phone.  Give your designated family representative a copy of this list plus the following: 1) a list of your personal financial accounts numbers and passwords, pertinent representative names and phone numbers, 2) a list of what bills need to be when and how they are paid (on-line banking, check (where you keep your checkbook) or electronic fund transfer (remember: they will need to be designated on the accounts to be able to access them), 3)  a record of your computer passwords, how to access important files and where to find your backup file disks, and 4) a list of important keys and where the items are they go to.
  • Labeled master key board that includes keys for all cars, house, out buildings and other important items such as a lockbox, safety deposit box, home safe or off-site storage facilities. 
  • Lockbox with key attached so you can access its information away from the home.  Store it near a fire exit along with several flashlights and lots of charged batteries.
  • If you have to suddenly flee home, do you keep your cars’ gas tanks nearly full and are there county maps in each which show all the area’s back roads?
  • List of each family member’s vital medications should be taped to the refrigerator door for easy access in case they need to be rushed to the hospital.
  • A communication system is a must during disasters or a family crisis.  Do all family members know where to go or whom to contact?