Fulton Community Matters January 2015

Commun ty Matters Fulton Presbyterian Manor

Fulton Presbyterian Manor’s Art is Ageless® call for entries underway

Fulton Presbyterian Manor has issued a call for entries in the Art is Ageless® annual competition and exhibit, Feb. 25 to 27, 2015. Entries of artistic works will be accepted from any area artist who is 65 years or older. The deadline for entries is Feb. 23, 2015. Entries must be delivered to Fulton Presbyterian Manor, 811 Center St. Art is Ageless, a program initiated in 1981 by Presbyterian Manors of MidAmerica, encourages manor residents and area seniors to express their creativity through its annual competition, as well as art classes,

January 2015

War Buddies celebrate Veterans Day

Resident veterans Chester Love, Woodrow Boulware and Christy Binggeli with nurse Jackie Spencer traveled to Columbia and celebrated Veterans Day at the Golden Corral.

Fulton Presbyterian Manor’s veterans group, the War Buddies, celebrated Veterans Day with its eighth annual trip to the Golden Corral in Columbia.

Golden Corral has offered free meals to veterans since 2001.

“We have had many grand adventures,” says Activity Director Jeff Young, “and many fond memories as the War Buddies. At one time, we represented every American conflict since WWII. It is great that we can all come together with a common bond. It is this common bond that transcends service branch, era, age or anything else really that we celebrate when we go somewhere like the Golden Corral.”

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Staff veterans, standing, Jeff Young, Daniel Perrigo and Lawrence Brookins, joined the resident veterans at the eighth annual trip to the Golden Corral.

HIPAA 101

A simple question doesn’t always have a simple answer. “Why did my friend go to the hospital?” seems to be a simple question, but the answer is blocked by a federal law.

While most think of the law as the protector of medical records, privacy isn’t even in its name.

We call it HIPAA (pronounced HIP-pah), but the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 also has been known as the Kassebaum-Kennedy Act or Kennedy-Kassebaum Act. Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum, RKan., was a leading sponsor of the

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Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Fulton Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org.

Dawn Smith, executive director Keri Alonzo, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact kalonzo@pmma.org.

Telephone: 573-642-6646 Fax: 573-642-2202 Address: 811 Center St., Fulton, MO 65251-1922

Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.

FultonPresbyterianManor.org

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bill, along with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.

The official explanation is: “An Act To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve portability and continuity of health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets, to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in health insurance and health care delivery, to promote the use of medical savings accounts, to improve access to long-term care services and coverage, to simplify the administration of health insurance, and for other purposes.”

The main intent was that the health industry would save money by computerizing paper records. That led to concerns over privacy, which led to new privacy regulations.

Protected Health Information Protected Health Information, called PHI, is any information about a person’s health status, any health services provided to the person and any payment specifics about those services. Details of your medical record may not be shared without your consent. That’s one reason there are so many forms to sign at the doctor’s office nowadays. They must have your consent to process your visit for billing, insurance purposes, etc.

That is also why it is so difficult to obtain information about friends in the hospital. Their condition, the reason they are in the hospital, even their names, are considered part of their medical record and subject to strict HIPAA regulations. Violations result in expensive fines, and health care workers are required to receive

training on how to keep all medical information safe.

Here are some key privacy points: • When your health information is shared, only the minimum necessary should be disclosed.

• Health information is to be used only for health purposes. Without your consent, it can’t be used to help banks decide whether to give you a loan or by potential employers to decide whether to give you a job.

• If someone wants to share your health information, you have to give your formal consent.

• You can ask for copies of all this information and make appropriate changes to it.You also can ask for a history of any unusual disclosures.

• Your health care provider and insurance company must explain how they’ll use and disclose health information. (Information from WebMD.)

Retirement community regulations Retirement communities that provide state-licensed services, such as assisted living and health care, must abide by the strict privacy regulations. Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America employees receive training and updates regularly. Vendors also are trained to ensure resident privacy is maintained.

PMMA employees know they are not to chat about residents in the hallways – or anywhere – because

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PMMA’s focus turns to the future in 1990s

This month, we continue to look back at our history as Presbyterian Manors of MidAmerica celebrates 65 years of the art of life.

to raise $500,000 in base contributions toward the construction of a 40That year, the “Tradition of Caring” capital campaign also unit residential kicked off with a goal of $6.4 million. The first leg of the campaign was conducted in Emporia, where $600,000 was complex in Fort Scott.

The land was donated raised. Each campus had its own campaign to raise funds toward the $6.4 million goal. The campaigns raised funds to by American States meet current Good Samaritan Program needs and provide a Insurance Company. Construction began in December 1992. Jane O’Bryan was named the first administrator. future endowment for Good Samaritan needs, assist in In 1990, Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America moved into a new corporate office building in northeast Wichita, and Manor of the Plains in Dodge City opened.

Also in 1992, four Presbyterian Manor campuses— Wichita, Newton, Salina and Lawrence—received Local volunteers recognitions from the Kansas Association of Homes for the Aging. Wichita Presbyterian Manor won the Excellence in in Fort Scott, Kan., led efforts Service and the Recognition awards. The service award to raise funds for recognized Wichita’s ethics committee, which led to the a new retirement campus working to become “restraint free” before the movement became popular around the country. Lawrence complex. The “Time to Secure and Salina also received recognition awards, which signify high marks in the Department of Health and the Future” campaign set out Environment’s annual survey of Kansas nursing facilities.

Newton received the Innovation of the Year Award for the Apple-A-Day preschool, which opened in January 1992.

covering debt service and provide capital improvements at PMMA campuses.

Architects drawings of the interior and exterior of the Fort Scott campus.

The 40-unit residential complex in Fort Scott started construction in 1992.

In July 1993, Dr. Mary Carman became chairperson of the PMMA board of trustees. Carman, who served on the advisory council at Newton in the 1980s, was a professional psychologist on staff at Prairie View. She was instrumental in the creation of one of the first special care units for residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia at the Newton Presbyterian Manor campus.

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to be judged at the systemwide level.

Winning entries at the systemwide level may be selected for publication in PMMA’s Art is Ageless calendar and note cards. musical and dramatic events, For the competition, works must have educational opportunities and been completed in the past five years current event discussions throughout (since January 2010).The competition the year. includes nine categories, as well as Winners at the Fulton Presbyterian designations of amateur or professional.

Manor competition will join winners Categories are Christmas (or winter from 17 other PMMA communities holiday), drawing, fiber arts, mixed

media and crafts, needlework, painting, photography, quilting, and sculpture/3-D. Artists who are not interested in competition, but would still like to display their artwork, may choose to enter the Art is Ageless exhibit only.

Entry forms and information are available at Fulton Presbyterian Manor, by calling 573-642-6646 or by going to ArtIsAgeless.org.

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HIPAA 101 continued

that violates their privacy protections.

The privacy laws are why health care staff can’t talk to other residents about the people in their care. It’s not that they are being unhelpful or that they don’t care about your feelings. They are required to keep the information confidential.

Another key component of the privacy rules that affect health care

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residents is that the “information” may not be linked to an individual. In the rules, “information” includes photos of faces. That’s why we ask residents to sign consent forms when we take pictures for our newsletters, web sites and other marketing purposes.

Family concerns

Information from AARP explains that health care staff can discuss

conditions and treatments with family members, but you must give written permission for your loved ones to see your official medical records. It’s a good idea for older adults to have their adult children sign a letter or form designating them as a personal representative in case the need arises. This will give the health care providers the coverage they require to avoid HIPAA violations, according to AARP.