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Want to learn the basics about Medicare and get your questions answered? There are two upcoming Medicare Basics Programs in Pasco County:
Tuesday, September 30th, at 4:00pm
Groves Golf and Country Club
7924 Melogold Circle
Land O'Lakes, FL 34637
Wednesday, October 1st at 2:00pm
New River Library
34043 State Road 54
Zephyrhills, Fl 34043
If you would would like individual Medicare enrollment advice from an unbiased source, you can trust SHINE (Serving the Health Information Needs of Elders) volunteers. SHINE is a free program offered by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and is operated locally through the Area Agency on Aging Of Pasco-Pinellas, Inc. The SHINE volunteers are trained to help people with Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurance issues by providing one-on-one counseling and information. A SHINE volunteer will be at the New River Library on Sept 26th, Oct 3rd, and Oct. 10th from 11:00am - 1:00pm.
SHINE Volunteer Help
Fridays, Sept 26th, Oct 3rd, and Oct 10th at 11:00am
New River Library
34043 State Road 54
Zephyrhills, FL 34043
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs publishes a bimonthly newsletter, the "Elder Update", for Florida Seniors. The current issue includes articles about:
- The positives of aging
- What recipients need to know about choosing a Medicaid Long-term plan
- Employ Florida Marketplace - silver edition (this site assists older adult job seekers)
- Who can you call to get help with home repairs
- Purple Ribbon Task Force (investigating how to help people with Alzheimer's disease and dementia)
You can download the current issue here. Alternatively, you can sign up for a print subscription here.
There are a lot of misconceptions about long-term care. Long-term care includes both assistance with daily living (for example: bathing, dressing, eating, housework, shopping) and skilled medical care. According to the Administration for Community Living, 70% of people turning age 65 will need to use some form of long-term care during their lives. Poor diet and exercise habits can increase your chances of needing long-term care.
Medicare only pays for short term (less than 100 days) medically necessary care and rehabilitation. Medicare does not pay for personal care- such as assistance with daily living or for supervision (often called custodial care). Twenty percent of today's 65 year-olds will need long-term care for longer than 5 years.
Medicaid may pay for long term care, but it is only available for people with low income. Medicaid eligibility rules vary from state to state. For more information about Medicaid in Florida, click here. For more information on how to plan for long-term care, please visit the longtermcare.gov website.
The Elder Law Office of Emma Hemness is sponsoring six free seminars for Seniors and family caregivers in May. The first program is presented by a Florida ombudsman. For people not familiar with the Florida Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, an ombudsman "is an advocate for people who live in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and adult family care homes. All services are confidential and free of charge." There are also programs about caregiving, veteran's benefits, avoiding fraud, and Medicaid Managed Care. Registration is required (the registration webpage is here).
Here is a partial list of these programs:
Your Buddy the Ombudsman: What you didn't know or didn't know to ask
Don Hering, Director of Field Operations, State LTC Ombudsman
May 1st from 10:30am - noon
Jimmie B. Keel Library
2902 W. Bearss Ave, Tampa, FL
How to Expect the Unexpected:
Preparing caregivers for transitions in care, advocating for their loved one, and securing benefits in plain English
Ann Cholowski, M.D., J.D., Life-Path Hospice
May 5th 9:00am - noon
Embassy Suites USF
3705 Spectrum Blvd
Tampa, FL
So You're a Caregiver, but Who is Taking Care of You?
Allan W Redash, M.D.; Teri Redash, R.N.
May 19th 9:00am - noon
The Galleria at USF
3720 Spectrum Blvd
Tampa FL
What Medicaid Managed Care Means to Sick Seniors and Their Families
Rebecca Bell, Esquire, BCS, LLM in Elder Law
May 22 10:30am - noon
Jimmie B. Keel Library
2902 W. Bearss Ave, Tampa, FL
You can get more details by downloading the event flier here.
The State of Florida has a program called SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) that provides free counseling to Seniors about Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care planning, and prescription assistance. The program is administered at the county level through the local "Area Agency on Aging" (other states also have this program - either in their Department of Aging or in their Department of Insurance).
This program trains volunteers to help older adults to get the information that they need to make informed decisions on health insurance issues. They provide information to elders, their caregivers, and their families.
To receive Medicare counseling in Pasco County, you can call 1-800-963-5337 (if your phone's area code is from Pasco County). If you are calling from out of state or if your cell phone is from out of state, you can call 727-217-8111 for the Senior Helpline of the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco - Pinellas.
If you are interested in becoming a SHINE volunteer in Pasco County, please contact Sue Samson at 727-570-9696, ext 234.
The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco - Pinellas also provides many other services for seniors and caregivers. You can click on the picture below to access their website:
Are you interested in planning for your retirement? You may want to attend the Senior Retirement Workshop at the New River Branch on Wednesday, May 7th, from 12:30pm - 5:00 pm. Mr. Rocco Canora will be discussing new options for Medicaid, Social Security, wills, trusts, and how to protect your money. To register for this program, please call: 1-877-349-4207.
[New River Library address: 34043 State Road 54, Zephyrhills, Fl.]
