Three ways you can help the Elder Justice Initiative of South Central Oklahoma

Credit: Project Focus video "An Age for Justice"

Recently, an elderly family member was contacted by a scam artist.  The scammer was very aggressive and smooth in his language.  He convinced my relative to give out her bank account number and social security number.  He was very convincing. 

Even as she was giving out the information, she had strong doubts of the validity of the caller.  She thought the best thing to do was get him off the phone.  So, she answered all of his questions.

The next day her checking account showed a zero balance.

It took her several days to gather the courage to tell her family about it.  She felt abused.  She felt scared.  She felt ashamed. 

She's not alone.

We have been challenged with raising awareness of elder fraud, abuse and neglect in the South Central Oklahoma area.  Sadly, there has been only a limited increase in funding for law enforcement to address this issue.  In one Texas county alone, 342 cases of elder abuse were confirmed in 2014.  We will do our best in educating the public about elder abuse.  But with no additional funding for enforcement, we will have to be creative.

Here's how you can help:

First, learn more about elder fraud, abuse and neglect.

There are several online sites that have detailed information about elder abuse and prevention.  You can start by reading the Elder Justice Policy Brief published by the White House Conference on Aging. 

I also recommend the following sites for additional information on the subject:

• The United States Department of Justice Elder Justice Initiative
• The National Council on Aging's Elder Justice Public Policy and Action Page
• The Administration on Community Living's Elder Justice Roadmap

Second, advocate for additional funding for elder justice initiatives.

Without additional funding for enforcement of the Elder Justice Act, prevention will be impossible.  It is difficult to compete for the limited resources of the district attorney offices, local law enforcement precincts and other law enforcement agencies, especially when they receive funding specifically for other justice programs.

The National Council on Aging has excellent resources to help you develop better communications with policy makers in Washington, D.C.  These ideas work well with state legislators, too.


Third, help us educate others about preventing, detecting and reporting elder abuse, fraud or neglect.

ASCOG is always looking for volunteers to help us get the word out.  We can train you to be a presenter at nutrition sites, senior centers or other venues.  We are always looking for volunteers with our Senior Medicare Patrol program. 

You can also help us out by hosting a screening of An Age For Justice: Elder Abuse in America.


For further reading: 

• Jackson county octogenarian sexually assaulted in her own home.
• Surprised neighbors believed severely neglected, 90-year-old Dorothy Havens had passed away years ago.
• A Georgia woman was arrested for running an illegal home, keeping four elderly men in her basement.
• Ninety-year-old Dorothy Havens, left in her bed by her daughter and granddaughter over a six-month period, died.  Her daughter is facing a murder charge.
• Caregiver caught on camera assaulting 84-year-old nursing home resident.
• AARP summer scams tips.

ASCOG Home Delivered Meals

Photo from public domain.

Let’s get this out of the way first: Meals on Wheels is to home-delivered meals as Kleenex is to tissues. ‘Meals on Wheels’ is a specific brand, and ‘home-delivered meals’ is the generic term. That said, I know that people ask me about “meals on wheels” a lot, and this past week or so I’ve gotten more than the normal amount of requests about them.

The thing is that we – ASCOG – do not do home-delivered meals just because people ask for them. That would be much too easy! We partner with Delta Nutrition to provide a multitude of fine dining establishments, also known as senior nutrition sites, where people can gather, socialize, and have fun. (It is possible that one of these establishments has pool tables. I’ll let you figure out which.)

ASCOG prefers people to eat at senior sites because people who go to congregate meal sites have improved quality of life, better nutrition, and improved access to other useful services. Even loners like me have to acknowledge that some human contact is a good thing! Still, ASCOG understands that not everyone is able to travel to nutrition sites, and THAT is what our home-delivered meals are for.

 

If you need home-delivered meals, or if you’d like to join one of Delta’s senior nutrition sites, please call MaddieLuke at 855-962-3343. MaddieLuke handles all of Delta’s intake procedures, including determining who is eligible for home-delivered meals. It’s not a problem if you’re unable to leave your home – MaddieLuke will come to you!

Jordan Grooms

Information and Assistance Specialist

Toll-free: (800) 658-1466

Office: (580) 736-7036

Senior Info-Line: (800) 211-2116

Email: groo_jo@ascog.org

 

ASCOG to Hold Medicare Information Presentation at Local Senior Center

For Immediate Release                                             

The Association of South Central Oklahoma Governments (ASCOG) will have a representative at the Tuttle Senior Center, 5 JD Ryan Road, on Tuesday, May 26 at 10:30 a.m. to answer Medicare questions, get assistance applying for Extra Help with Part D Prescriptions, and providing information on senior fraud and scams.  

 
For more information or a private appointment, contact Vonn Saltzman, Medicare Assistance Specialist, (580)736-7973 or (800)658-1466, ext. 234 at Association of South Central Oklahoma Governments (ASCOG).

 

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National Physical Fitness Month, VA Waives Resident Rate Requirements, A Profile of the Older Americans Act and a New Law to Protect Storm Victims

ASCOG's AAA Planner, Kaylee Price, will be at Cement May 20 to conduct a site assessment.  Next week she will be at Hinton on May 28. 

 A new Oklahoma law is designed to protect storm victims.

The Administration for Community Living released A Profile of Older Americans: 2014.

VA Secretary Waives Resident-Rate Requirements of the Choice Act through December 2015.

Let’s Move! May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. #MoveInMay.

Medicare Monday: May 18, 2015

Make plans to attend Senior Expo 2016, June 26 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Great Plains Technology Center in Lawton.  RSVP to groo_jo@ascog.org by June 22.

Medicare Part B premiums are going up for higher income brackets.

A Texas doctor received an indictment alleging he defrauded Medicare out of $5.2 million.

Credit agencies agree to 180-day waiting period for medical debt reporting.

ASCOG ADvocate: May 16, 2016

On this date, in 1988, the U.S. Surgeon General equated the addictive properties of nicotine with cocaine and heroin.  What was the name of the Surgeon General?

Administration on Community Living head Kathy Greenlee shares her thoughts about the recent roundtable discussion on issues affecting older women.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reminds seniors their benefits are protected from garnishment.

Twenty-nine percent of American adults are caregivers.

The prevalence of elder abuse may be one in ten for Americans aged 60 and older.  When it comes to elder abuse, “The sins of omission are more common than the sins of commission.”

John Shipman celebrated his 100th birthday at the Duncan Senior Center.

The unemployment rate for Americans with disabilities declined significantly.

Advance directives and end-of-life conversations

The New York Times has an article regarding the disadvantages of advance directives. The main problem with them is that advance directives are seldom in places that first responders can find, and also that family members may not know about their existence or contents. While the same drawbacks apply to the Polst form, it is more specific in the event of terminal or life-threatening illness, where an advance directive may be vague or use outdated language. The very best way to ensure that your wishes are carried out is also the most difficult: speaking to your family members as well as filling out documentation.

Caregiver Tuesday and other news.

Vonn Saltzman, Medicare Assistance Counselor, and Jordan Grooms, Information and Assistance Specialist, will be at the Ringling Nutrition Site tomorrow, Tuesday May 12th. Bring your questions!

MarketWatch lists six resources for caregivers, one of which is your regional Area Agency on Aging. That would be ASCOG, for those in our service area.

AARP has an entire section of its website dedicated to caregivers and their needs, including legal and practical issues. AgingCare also has a section for caregiver support, including an article about the age-old question of 'How do I get paid for being a caregiver?' Unfortunately, the answer is 'generally speaking, you don't, though you can get compensated in various other ways.' If you're interested in accessing those compensations, please call the Senior Info-Line at 1 (800) 211-2116.

Medicare Monday May 11, 2015

Happy Monday!

President Obama wants Medicare to be able to negotiate drug prices. 

Nexium topped the drug cost list recently released by Medicare.

Jacksonville, Florida hospitals agree to $7.5 million Medicare fraud settlement.  Generic Vicodin also topped the list.  Health Management Associates, Inc. agree to $15 million settlement.

Money Magazine explains how to ensure your hospital stay is covered by Medicare.

Vonn Saltzman will be at the following sites to discuss Medicare enrollment and fraud prevention: 

• Ringling Nutrition Site, May 12 at 11:00 a.m.
• Ryan  Nutrition Site, May 13 at 10:30 a.m.
• Frederick Nutrition Site, May 14 at 10:30 a.m.

A much-too-exciting conference

The 40th Aging Conference was not cancelled, despite running on emergency backups, from the May 6th tornado in Norman.

Under the circumstances, it seems appropriate to make this blog post about emergency preparedness. Ready.gov notes that the first step to preparing for emergencies is learning about hazards in your area. Disaster Preparedness By Seniors For Seniors lists useful things to keep in an emergency kit; personally I cannot emphasize your medications strongly enough!!

The Red Cross emphasizes creating a support network; FEMA also has a pamphlet about taking care of your pets in an emergency. I would add: if you have a large dog or other pet, make sure that you're able to get them into your tornado shelter, or make them their own. Our dog can't manage the stairs in our cellar, so she has her own closet in the interior of the house; she'll go there of her own accord.

I hope everyone is having fun at the conference!

Mail carriers across the state are hosting a "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive this week on behalf of the Regional Food Bank. Most needed items include: canned meats, meat-bashyed soups, canned fruits, canned vegetables, peanut butter, and rice and beans. Nonperishable food donations can also be dropped off at participating post offices. Monetary donations can also be made online at regionalfooodbank.org (website currently down) or by calling 405-600-3136.

In the Duncan area, the Water Advisory Committee, formed in March, is debating the area's water situation and what can be done about it. (Note that the Duncan Banner website only allows limited viewing of its web pages.) The committee is made up of private citizens with experience in water, infrastructure, politics, fundraising and drilling, so that the best minds the community can offer are on the committee. Members of the group are Jacob Bachelor, Roger Calger, Todd Clark, Clay Cole, John Galloway, Mike Kiester, Kelly Kirkland, Phil Leonard and Lisa Thomas. Lisa Thomas is with ASCOG.

HAPPY OLDER AMERICANS MONTH!

Each May, we celebrate Older Americans Month to recognize older Americans for their contributions to the nation. This year, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Older Americans Act (OAA), we are focusing on how older adults are taking charge of their health, getting engaged in their communities, and making a positive impact in the lives of others. The theme for Older Americans Month 2015 is Get into the Act.


The Presidental Proclamation about Older Americans Month is President Obama's contribution to the annual opening of the month, and also is a reminder that it's the 80th anniversary of Social Security as well.

More importantly, tomorrow is the first day of the 40th Annual Oklahoma Conference on Aging! May 5th is free for seniors 60 and older, and everyone is encouraged to attend!