Senior Living 10-02-14

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● Choosing

SENIOR LIVING GUIDE • Fall 2014

a Medicare Advantage Plan ● How to do Estate Planning ● When it’s time for Home Healthcare

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 2, 2014 Page 2

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PARTICIPATING ADVERTISERS

CONTENT Choosing a Medicare Advantage Plan

Aliah Home Care Agency Catholic Cemeteries Conza & McNamara Dry Harbor Nursing Home Elmhurst Care Center Fidelis Healthcare Flushing House Fritz Reuter Lifecare Hospice of New York Humana Margaret Tietz Nursing & Rehab Center P&P Medicaid Consulting Parker Jewish Institute St. Michaels Cemetery TK Witaker York Group Assisted Living

Page 4

How to do Estate Planning Page 8

When it’s time for Home Healthcare Page 12

Listing of Senior Centers in Queens Page 16

Publisher - Mark Weidler Section Editor - Peter C. Mastrosimone Marketing Coordinator - Debrah Gordon Cover Design - Ella Jipescu Layout - Theresa Nusspickel

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SENIOR LIVING GUIDE • Fall 2014

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Senior Living Guide

Medicare Advantage options

by Cristina Schreil Chronicle Contributor

F

or seniors who are anticipating the beginning of this year’s enrollment period for Medicare Advantage on Oct. 15, the quest for a plan before the window closes on Dec. 7 may feel overwhelming.

Medicare, a government-run social insurance program, is available to those aged 65 or older and to younger people with certain disabilities. Understanding exactly how it all works can be a bewildering task.

The program has four parts, with Medicare Advantage — which offers health plans through private companies approved by Medicare — being one of them: • Part A: hospital insurance; • Part B: medical insurance (for routine doctor’s visits, for example); • Part C: Medicare Advantage; and • Part D: prescription drug coverage.

Parts A and B are referred to as “Original Medicare.”

People can enroll three months before their 65th birthdays, or earlier if they meet certain criteria.

Unlike the other three branches of Medicare, MA incorporates services similar to Parts A and B; usually, prescription drug coverage is included, too.

MA may cover vision, dental or hearing services, or all three. Typically, you pay a monthly premium in addition to a Part B premium, plus a deductible or co-pay for services.

For example: $15 for an annual physical.

According to the Medicare website, plans may not charge more than Original Medicare for services such as chemotherapy, dialysis or long-term care in a nursing facility.

Often, the overall cost of the deductibles, premiums and subsequent co-payments paid under a MA plan is lower than those in Original Medicare, making the switch appealing for some.

“Medicare is not as simple as people think,” said Hicham Elanmati, chief sales and marketing officer at Liberty Health Advantage. “Every year there’s something new.”

Elanmati said finding an MA plan that includes your preferred providers and a cost structure they like calls for proactive investigation.

“All health plans can start marketing their 2015 benefits on October 1, giving people at least two weeks in advance to research and prepare themselves,” Elanmati said. “It doesn’t have to be last minute.”

For most Original Medicare beneficiaries, this is the only chance this year to sift through the seemingly endless amount of MA plans, which work similarly to HMO or PPO plans, for 2015.

A good resource is the database of plan quality and performance ratings of each available plan at medicare.gov/ find-a-plan. Start searching by entering your Medicare information.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rates plans on a one- to five-star system; one indicates poor quality, and five represents excellence. A red triangle with a black exclamation mark means Medicare has given the plan a low rating for at least three consecutive years.

“People join a plan for three things,” Elanmati explained.

“The value, the providers, and, of course, what we offer in terms of services.”

Elanmati also said people can call companies directly and ask for educational, no-obligation, in-person presentations of their plan. Field representatives can meet you at your home if you request it.

“There’s a lot of community presence,” Elanmati said.

“Literally, if you drive around Queens — Jackson Heights, Corona, Jamaica — you’ll see a lot of community vehicles from health plans. Folks can walk in any time to those locations and ask questions, get information, even enroll.”

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLAN DEPENDS ON ANSWERING KEY QUESTIONS • Which plans include my current doctor? It can be stressful to transition to a doctor unfamiliar with your health history.

• Which hospitals are in my provider network?

• What are regular fees associated with this plan, and can I accommodate those into my budget? Will I ultimately save money on doctors’ visits or hospital stays if I enroll in MA? • What are the co-pays? For someone who sees a doctor three or more times a month, higher co-pays will be less appealing.

• What is my location? Do I plan to move, or travel often?

Some plans have local, statewide or even national networks, but most have geographic boundaries. If you travel frequently, you may want to ensure you’ll still have coverage outside of your region. All MA plans are required to offer emergency coverage outside of the plan’s area. However, there are restrictions outside the country.

• Do I need certain medications (brand-name or generic) covered? If so, which pharmacies can I use? Some MA plans do not include prescription drug coverage, in which case, you’ll need to buy a separate Plan D. “When we meet with anyone who is Medicare-eligible, we actually go through a worksheet that can help them determine the product that makes sense,” Pamela Hassen, chief marketing officer at Fidelis Care, said. “It’s important for shoppers to make a list of their doctors (or doctors they expect to see in the coming year), hospital, and pharmacy.”

Seniors can also speak with their primary-care physician to narrow down options.

“Depending on an enrollee’s health and medical needs, one type of plan may make more financial sense than the other,” Hassen said.

Hassen said according to the federal government, approximately 40 percent of Queens residents who are Medicareeligible are enrolled in MA. “That’s slightly higher than the state average, but we believe if more seniors knew about the added benefits, a higher percentage would choose MA,” Hassen said.

SPEAK TO ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES As the Oct. 15 date nears, seniors should look for the annual onslaught of marketing materials including commercials, billboards, neighborhood vehicles and presentations by plan representatives at senior or community centers.

“The internet is helpful, but it can’t take the place of a conversation with an expert,” Hassen said.

Informational pamphlets, often mailed straight to seniors’ homes, are also common.

“The first thing [for seniors] to do is read their mail,” said Barry Klitsberg, aging services program specialist at the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. “People shouldn’t just toss it or put it aside.”

He said many seniors will start getting mail labeled “Medicare” or indicating it’s from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

He suggests people in the five boroughs call 311 and ask for the New York City Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program, or “HIICAP.” HIICAP offers free, unbiased assistance on Medicare and other related health plans.

“They will sit and explain to people what their options are,” Klitsberg said.

He also said the most common question he receives about MA is regarding what plan someone should sign up for.

“I always tell them, I don’t know you, I don’t know your health conditions or your financial situation,” Klitsberg said.

“If you like what you have and it’s not changing and the doctors or providers are still in the network, stay with it.”

Check community calendars or ask a senior home staffer

for a schedule of presentations from different companies.

Also, there are often social workers on the premises who can assist seniors with the hunt.

Seniors should also use CMS, where people are available by phone to help you identify a plan without interacting with private companies.

BE WARY OF SCAMMERS Unfortunately, seniors should also beware of scammers masking as Medicare representatives asking for financial or credit card information over the phone.

According to the program’s website, “Medicare plans aren’t allowed to call you to enroll you in a plan, unless you specifically ask to be called.” The site also urges you to treat your Medicare number, Social Security number and health information as sacred.

Even if the person on the other line does work for a plan company, representatives should not call without your permission, ask for personal information at a public presentation, nor come to your home uninvited.

“There are a lot of people out there who are not ethical,” Klitsberg said. “They don’t realize they’re talking to someone’s grandmother. They just want to make a quick buck.”

Klitsberg said to call the Medicare hotline and file a marketing allegation. Some problems are fixable afterward, but it can be stressful.

CMS urges people to call 1 (800)-MEDICARE (633-4227) to report this behavior.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER ENROLLING Each new member receives a Summary of Benefits with information about premiums, procedures, co-payments for services, etc. It includes a list of providers, pharmacies and covered medications.

There are certain circumstances under which you can change your plan outside of enrollment windows. If you move, become eligible for Medicaid or are now in a nursing home or long-term care hospital, you can qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

It’s also an exception if you want to switch to a plan with a five-star rating, which are the only plans with year-long enrollment periods. Yet, these are rare.

Of course, if you’re content with your current Medicare coverage and are happy with any changes underway for 2015, coverage will automatically carry over.

Still, make note to double-check your plan’s premiums, deductibles, services and limits on out-of-pocket costs.

If you decide MA isn’t for you, you can return to Original Q Medicare from Jan. 1 to Feb. 14.

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he Margaret Tietz Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, a premier facility located in Jamaica Hills, is a healthcare facility unlike any other and features 140 private and 30 semi-private rooms and an ideal environment for recovery following surgery or a debilitative illness, offering an individualized plan of care utilizing the most innovative techniques and advanced equipment developed in conjunction with each patient and his/her family.

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The center has an exemplary team of medical and professional staff to tend to the treatments and needs of each resident, affording an enhanced sense of well-being and a positive quality of life. Its programs and services provide all the options needed to meet each of our resident’s needs, including short-term care, long-term care, adult day healthcare, trusted and highly recommended hospice care and groundbreaking alternative holistic services and music therapy.

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The hospice team provides skilled nursing care, daily hospice physician visits, medical supplies and equipment, medication for pain and symptom control, social services, nutritional counseling, spiritual support and bereavement services.

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Senior Living Guide

Elderly should update important documents

by Victoria Zunitch Chronicle Contributor

M

any Queens seniors may think they protected themselves long ago by creating such important documents as a healthcare proxy, last will and testament, power of attorney and other important papers.

But often, these were done at a different stage of life to protect a spouse, children or personal health. Children grow up, marital circumstances change and even our own wishes concerning medical treatment are likely to change over time.

A few decades ago, you may have named a guardian for a child in your will. Is it time, perhaps, to name that 35-year-old son or daughter as your healthcare agent?

Where is your healthcare agent? Does the person you named have a copy of the healthcare proxy? For that matter, does your agent even know that you named him or her?

If you haven’t reviewed your important papers in the past few years or so, it’s time to locate, review and update everything.

SENIOR LIVING GUIDE • Fall 2014

WHAT DOCUMENTS ARE NEEDED AND WHY “When clients come to us the first time, we tell them that there are basic documents that everyone should have and they become more important as they get older,” said lawyer Nancy Brady, of the Howard Beach law firm Brady & Marshak, LLP. As people get older, circumstances change and there may be medical problems affecting one’s capacity, the death of a spouse or other new factors.

The three basic documents that everyone needs are a healthcare proxy, a living will and a power of attorney, Brady said.

The healthcare proxy gives someone legal power to make medical decisions for you when you are unable to do so, and it names an alternate person to make those decisions if the first person is unavailable to do so.

A living will, also known as an advanced directive, provides special instructions about your wishes for medical care, both while you are incapacitated and expected to recover and at the end of life. This document will give your agent the information he or she will need to make medical decisions for you in accordance with your wishes.

The power of attorney allows you to name a person or persons to make financial transactions for you.

“The power of attorney can be the most important document that a person can have in place to name representatives in advance of illness or incapacity, so that your representative can step in your shoes immediately, without any court proceedings, and manage your affairs,” Brady said.

“Without these basic documents in place, in the event you become incapacitated, your family and loved ones would have to go to court to petition to be appointed guardian, in order to have legal authority to make decisions for you and manage your affairs. Those court proceedings take time, and involve legal fees and other expenses,” she said.

As people get older, circumstances change and that is why if you haven’t done so recently, it is important that you locate, review and update key documents so you can protect your assets and have your final wishes carried out the way you want.

These documents are important for any adult at any life stage, starting at age 18, said attorney Michael J. Amoruso, of Amoruso & Amoruso, LLP in Rye Brook, NY. As seniors go through this process, they may be in a position to advise younger family members that they, too, need these documents.

Yet it is particularly important for seniors to have documents in place for several reasons. As people age, there is a greater risk of health issues and medical-expense planning.

And Amoruso points out that proper planning and documentation can also help with tax and medical expense planning, and prevention of elder financial abuse.

BEYOND THE BASICS “The last will and testament is important, also, to have in place,” Brady said. The will contains instructions as to how any assets in your name alone should pass upon death.

Jointly owned assets automatically pass to the surviving owner. To cover situations where joint owners die simultaneously or in quick succession, wills should contain language covering the distribution of “residual assets,” which are those owned by the individual but not specified in the will.

The will requires naming an executor to take over the care and distribution of the assets after death.

Some seniors may wish to create a trust for their assets. A living revocable trust allows one to continue to own all his or her assets under the trust while alive and name a person or persons who will own the trust after death, thus allowing the family to avoid the time and cost associated with the probate process of a will. Usually, a will is still recommended to cover any assets that may inadvertently be left out of the trust.

You may need to talk to your attorney

about other types of trusts, as well. If a senior wishes to leave money to a disabled person, a special needs trust is in order. Irrevocable trusts can help with both medical-expense and estate-tax planning, and in these cases, a senior may need to speak with an accountant in addition to an attorney.

One issue is the changing New York State estate-tax exemption. This year, the exemption rose to $2 million, and it is scheduled to rise to $3 million, $4 million and $5 million in successive years, Amoruso noted, bringing it in line with the federal exemption.

It isn’t just the rich who might need documents related to tax planning. Amoruso said seniors commonly find that they may have purchased a house long ago for, say, $50,000 and now find that the house is essentially their only asset other than a small amount of savings and a retirement income. The increase in the value of that house may be subject to capital gains, which needs to be a factor in the planning process. Exemptions are available, but professional advice is recommended.

“If the value of your home is more than what you bought it for, then you need to be concer ned about capital gains taxes,” Amoruso said. “And you should consider tax planning.”

USING AND CHOOSING AN ATTORNEY Now that legal documents are available for free online, do seniors really need to hire an attorney? The issue may be decided by what a person is able to afford, said Igal Jellinek, executive director of the Council of Senior Centers and Services.

Healthcare proxy and living will documents are available freely in hospitals and elsewhere, and don’t have to be executed by

an attorney, Brady said. However, elder-law specialist attorneys may be able to provide important advice to make sure those documents are valid and will effectively ensure that your wishes are carried out.

Power of attorney documents, however, can be complicated and should be done by an attorney, added Amoruso, who helped to make technical corrections in 2010 to the New York State power of attorney law.

“You don’t want to find out at the 11th hour that it isn’t right,” Brady said.

If you’re not sure if you need an attorney or don’t know one, the first step is to do some free research. Ask for a referral from someone who has already been through the process.

The Queens County Bar Association, (718) 291-4500, can recommend an elder law attorney. However, the association’s policy is to only provide one referral per specialty area, so you will need to look elsewhere for additional names.

The National Association of Elder Law Attorneys website, naela.org, has a “Find an Attorney” feature. Click the red “Find an Attorney” button on the top right-hand corner of the home page. You will need to enter your city, state, ZIP code and desired distance of the attorney’s office from your home. A search for the 11375 ZIP in Queens turned up more than 40 names.

To narrow your choice, NAELA recommends asking a lot of questions. First, it recommends you ask a secretary or office manager how long the attorney has been in practice, if the practice focuses on elder law and what percentage of the practice is devoted to that specialty, if a fee is charged for the initial consultation and what documents you should bring to a first meeting. Much of this information may be available from the firm’s website.

Next, meet for an initial consultation. Prepare ahead of time by organizing all the information pertinent to your situation and writing down all your questions. NAELA recommends asking how many attorneys would work on your case, if all the ones involved have handled similar matters in the past, whether or not they are members of the local bar association and/or NAELA and how fees will be assessed. You should also get both time and cost estimates for your case, the association says.

It shouldn’t be a “selling” thing for the attorney, said Amoruso, who is a member of the Board of Directors of NAELA. “It should be a matter of presenting the options and letting you consider affordability.”

Once you have chosen an attor ney, Amoruso thinks it’s important to go to him or her asking not just for the specific documents you have decided you need, but rather for the advice on the big picture. If you already have some documents in place, you can ask which ones the attorney thinks you should add or change.

“The most important thing to keep in mind is that the key to protecting your assets, and having your wishes carried out, is to plan ahead, especially as one gets Q older,” Brady said.

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Things to consider when looking for a home care agency

Fidelis Care Offers Tips for Choosing Medicare Coverage

F

idelis Care, a statewide health plan with more than 1.1 million members, reminds seniors to carefully consider their healthcare needs when choosing their Medicare coverage for 2015. Medicare 2015 open enrollment begins October 15 and ends December 7.

Seniors can choose traditional Medicare or a Medicare Advantage product.

Commonly known as Part C, Med ica re Adva nt age provides insurance for hospitalization and inpatient care (Part A) as well as doctors’ services, outpatient care, and some preventive services (Part B). It may also include prescription coverage (Part D).

“Medicare Advantage products can be attractive because they offer extra benefits, ranging from vision and dental care to flexible spending benefits and over-the-counter cards for health-related items,” said Fidelis Care Chief Marketing Officer Pamela Hassen. “In designing Fidelis Care’s Medicare Advantage

products for 2015, our goal was to continue to offer affordable coverage and the key benefits that mean the most to members.”

In comparing Medicare Advantage products, Hassen recommends seniors consider: • Pr ice : Is it a good value? Is it more economical to pay a monthly premium and $0 copay for primary care visits, or $0 monthly premium and a copay?

• Product: Which option has benefits that are most in line with your healthcare needs? Are your prescription drugs in the plan’s formulary? Can flex spending help offset costs?

• Providers: Are the participating doctors and hospitals convenient for you?

Hassen suggests researching the options early, so there is no pressure to make a decision just before the December 7 deadline. She recommends calling 1-800-860-8707 or visiting fideliscare.org for more information.

H3328_FC 14158 CMS Accepted

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hen recovering from an injury or illness, you may need a little help around the house. You want assistance without having to rely on your loved ones too much. You want quality and compassionate care from experienced professionals. Most of all, you want to remain in your home — in comfortable surroundings.

Home care allows you to stay in a comfortable, familiar place near family and friends, and is less stressful than a hospital or skilled nursing facility.

Home care visits follow the prescribed plan from your doctor. This includes routine visits that are convenient with your schedule. Sensitivity to cultural differences and religious beliefs is also very important. You need to trust that your caregiver will be understanding, respectful, and specially trained to adapt care to meet the needs of families from all ethnic groups.

Aliah Home Care Agency supplies this and much more, serving boroughs throughout the greater New York area, including Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island and Westchester. Services are covered by most health insurance plans including Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurance as well as by private payment.

Aliah Home Care is a full-service home care agency, and will take your loved one through the often-difficult and confusing process of securing home care with relative ease. Their representative will give you and your family the confidence of knowing that

the best interest of the patient is always our first concern.

• Your Aliah representative will work with you to secure quality home care quickly, no matter which insurance is available to the patient.

• Careful, personal and compassionate attention is given to patients and their families throughout the home care process. The Aliah representative will meet with the patients and/or their families to answer all questions and address all concerns in person.

• Patients and their families will be frequently updated throughout the home care process.

• All of your patient’s cultural and religious concerns are respected, and the Aliah Home Health Aides will be made aware of, and sensitive to, those concerns.

• The Aliah representative will be available to provide continuing consultation to patients and their families after the home care service has started.

• Aliah Home Care’s management staff have decades of hands-on experience in the healthcare profession, are directly involved in the day-to-day operation of the agency, and in the ongoing care of our patients.

• Aliah Home Care is accredited by the Joint Commission (JCAHO). They are located at 98-04 Astoria Boulevard, East Elmhurst, NY 11369. To learn more about how Aliah Home Care can help you or your family please contact Ari Krup at (718) 879-1414 or visit the web site at www.ALIAHOMECARE.COM.

✦ Arts & Crafts ✦ Billiards ✦ 2 Beauty Parlors ✦ Green House ✦ Toning Equipment Room ✦ Chapel ✦ Solarium ✦ Bank On-premises ✦ Guest Rooms ✦ Ballroom/Theater ✦ Free Parking ✦ Shopping Mall Next Door ✦ Nature Walk & Gazebo

QC

FRIR-065264

C M SLG page 11 Y K

by Alexander Clague Humana Northeast President for Senior Program

O

ne of the best things about health care in the U.S. is the availability of multiple options when seeking the coverage and quality care we need. The challenge many of us face is sifting through those options to determine which one best meets our own individual health needs. This is particularly true for people who are studying different Medicare plans and trying to determine which one provides the best balance of cost, access and care.

Medicare’s Annual Election Period (AEP) starts on October 15, and for those who have Medicare (or are caring for someone who does), now is the time to explore what’s available this year.

Millions of Americans who want more than Original Medicare offers select a Medicare Advantage plan. Both cover essentials like check-ups, hospitalizations and emergency care. Medicare Advantage plans are worth a close look because of the more comprehensive array of options they offer to help people maintain and improve their health.

Many Medicare Advantage plans, for instance, include coverage for prescription drugs. (However, for those who do go with Original Medicare, another option is to purchase a Medicare Supplement Plan – also called a Medigap plan – and/or a stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan to help cover costs that Original Medicare doesn’t cover.)

About 15 million Americans have Medicare Advantage plans and customer satisfaction is high.

A 2013 survey by North Star Opinion found that among Medicare Advantage beneficiaries, 90 percent or more: • Are satisfied with their plans; • Satisfied with the quality of care provided by physicians in the plan’s network; and • Satisfied with the benefits received in their Medicare Advantage plan In addition, Medicare Advantage is evolving with the health care system by adopting what’s known as Accountable Care. Under this model, all the stakeholders in a person’s health – the doctor, the pharmacy, the insurer, the caregiver (in some cases), and the patient him- or herself – team up to help ensure that the patient is receiving effective care. The goal is that more appointments are made and kept, regimens followed and that everyone is working together.

In the Accountable Care model, which is in wide and growing use among Medicare Advantage plans, your doctor’s pay is often tied to how his or her treatment positively impacts your health.

In the model still employed throughout Original Medicare (a system also known as Fee-For-Service), that isn’t the case. There, health care providers’ compensation rests on the volume of patients and procedures, not on the outcomes. Extensive health care research indicates this method doesn’t offer patients optimal care.

Which approach sounds better to you?

The truth is that with Medicare Advantage, you’re partnering with a private insurer whose resources are there to help you. A study published in the journal Health Affairs in 2013 found that

patients with Medicare Advantage plans did better than those with Original Medicare in terms of obtaining breast cancer screenings, diabetes care, and cholesterol testing and control.

Another study published in the American Journal of Managed Care in 2012 found that people who had Medicare Advantage plans had hospital readmission rates up to 20 percent lower those who had Original Medicare.

At Humana, for example, we provide our members with guidance and support through programs like Humana At Home care coordination. We also offer useful information, like the Humana SmartSummary, which serves as the health equivalent of a bank statement. SmartSummary details the member’s medical and prescription drug activity to help people keep track of the steps they’re taking and the costs they’re incurring to protect their health.

If you or someone you care for has Original Medicare today, you can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan during the upcoming Annual Election Period. Make no mistake – this is an important decision that’s worth studying. You might want to review your records to see how much you’ve spent on health care during the past year.

(Be sure to include hospital expenses, pharmacy costs and doctor bills.) Determine if the past year is typical and try to give your best estimate for the year ahead.

The Medicare website – medicare.gov – allows you to find and compare Medicare health and prescription drug plans in your area. Of course, cost is an issue, but so is access and convenience, particularly for anyone with chronic health conditions.

Remember that whatever plan you choose will, in most cases, be yours for all of 2015. So I encourage you to do your research and choose carefully. Find a company you can trust to be a reliable health partner. The Medicare AEP runs from October 15 through December 7.

For additional information, please visit Humana-Medicare.com.

SENIOR LIVING GUIDE • Fall 2014

What is making Medicare Advantage increasingly popular for people with Medicare? With these plans, you get all the benefits of Original Medicare … and more. For instance, some Medicare Advantage plans offer: • Choice of a primary care physician in the plan network; • Affordable monthly plan premium; • Prescription drug coverage equal to or better than the standard requirement for a Medicare Part D plan; • Affordable copayments for doctor visits and annual routine physicals;

• Emergency coverage anywhere in the world; • Coverage for most annual screenings at no charge; and • Extra benefits on some plans such as dental, vision, a nurse-advice line, and health and wellness programs – a gym membership, for instance.

Page 11 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 2, 2014

Medicare Advantage Plans Offer Options That Original Medicare Doesn’t

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 2, 2014 Page 12

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Senior Living Guide

How to choose a home healthcare agency F

by Christopher Barca Reporter

or many seniors, everyday tasks that were simple years earlier can prove difficult or even impossible as they get older, leaving children or other younger relatives to devote large chunks of time to caring for their elders.

Instead of contemplating a move to an assisted living facility to ease the burden of accomplishing increasingly difficult daily tasks or assisting one’s aging family member, there are a variety of home care agencies available to seniors, allowing them to age in place.

While services such as bathing, food preparation and medical care are all offered by home care agencies, Linda West, All Metro Heath Care’s director of new business development, said each organization’s goal is simple: safety.

“The basic objective of the home care agency is to keep somebody safe in their own home,” West said. “Having someone there, even a few times a week, can help.”

The New Jersey-based All Metro Health Care group provides home aides throughout Queens, New Jersey, Florida and Long Island and serves thousands of seniors.

No matter the location, West says many people are reluctant to enroll for home care because they see it as the inevitable step between living independently and residing in an assisted living facility.

There are many reasons someone may not want to go into assisted living, instead choosing to age in place, she said.

“The person might not want to leave their home they’ve been living in for 20 or 30 years.”

She added that home healthcare, for seniors who can still, for the most part, live independently, is the advised way to go instead of enrolling in an assisted living facility or moving in with relatives.

“Leaving is a big thing because if we’re talking about assisted living, that could be financially costly. It’s so expensive,” West said. “Moving in with their kids can be emotionally costly, as a lot of guilt comes with that too.”

SENIOR LIVING GUIDE • Fall 2014

SIGNS A SENIOR MAY BE IN NEED OF A HOME HEALTH AIDE Like a child with a case of the flu, some elderly individuals openly display symptoms of aging such as memory loss, fluctuations in weight or worsening medical conditions.

However, the actual age of the person should never be considered when it comes to finding a home health aide for a family member.

It’s the activity level, general mental and physical health of the individual and the condition of his or her home that should be evaluated when making a decision on home care.

“It’s never an age, it’s a condition,” West said. “There are 80- and 90-year-old people running marathons out there. It is isolated people that are most susceptible.”

Tony Walker, a home health aide with Partners in Care, an affiliate of the nonprofit health care agency Visiting Nurse Service of New York, said family members or elderly individuals themselves should be on the lookout for a bevy of symptoms when it comes to potentially needing in-home assistance.

“Are they admitted to the hospital often? Take notice of any bumps and bruises that they might have,” Walker said, “and if they require any extra supervision when walking.”

Seemingly minor but important daily activities such as taking medication is also something that family members should pay close attention to.

“Do they take multiple medications? Balancing multiple medications and remembering when to take them can be a challenge,” he continued, “especially when there can be strong side effects. A home health aide can be a great resource for keeping them on track.”

Merlyn Clarke, a care coordinator with V NSNY CHOICE, the affiliate of the Visiting Nurse Service that

A home health aide can provide a senior with services such as helping take medication, food preparation and other daily activities. coordinates and provides in-home care, noted that forgetting medications can lead to an elderly person’s medical conditions worsening and having a home health aide can help prevent such occurrences.

“The average elderly person in New York takes around 10 medications per day,” Clarke said. “Some people have problems forgetting to take one, never mind 10. Having a home health aide could help them with their medications.”

Taking care of an aging individual can also be an extreme burden to bear for younger relatives, especially ones with their own families to raise and provide for.

In cases where the elderly relative is diagnosed with a degenerative memory disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia, Walker insists that a home health aide with experience dealing with such conditions be called on instead of trying to take care of the individual themselves.

“Conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s can become overwhelming for caregivers,” Walker said. “Bringing in a licensed home health aide trained to deal with these illnesses can bring a welcome sense of relief and comfort in knowing your loved one is safe.”

SELECTING THE RIGHT HOME HEALTHCARE AGENCY Making the decision to hire a home health aide for an ailing relative can be tough, but finding the right agency can be just as difficult.

Like buying a new car, there can be dozens of health care agencies to choose from. And just like any other large purchase, shopping around to f ind the best product is recommended.

According to West, interested family members should do significant amounts of research on various different agencies, with their reputations and how their aides are trained being sticking points.

Much like taking note of every move made by an aging family member, relatives are also urged to pay very close

attention to what representatives from home care agencies say and do during the vetting process.

“How does the agency react when you call them? Do they sound confident and professional on the phone?” West said.

“Discuss with the coordinator what your family member likes and doesn’t like.”

Other aspects of agencies that people are encouraged to research include the amount of training aides receive and whether they are required to undergo background checks.

Families are also encouraged to meet prospective aides before they are assigned, in order to see if they would be the right fit for their relative.

“People think they have to go by what an agency says. It’s not like that,” she said. “People can request to interview the aide beforehand. Does that mean it’s going to work out 100 percent of the time? No.” While researching agencies and vetting aides will help inform families of which organization provides the best care, Queens Interagency Council on Aging board member Miriam Burns says the system is not foolproof.

Sometimes, finding the right aide for an elderly relative can even become a process of trial and error, where the first or second person might not work out.

“A lot of it is dependent on the actual home care worker,” Burns said. “You can go to an agency with a fine reputation and get a worker that your relative is not comfortable with or is not doing the job they’re supposed to do.”

According to Clarke, the precise duties of a health aide and the amount of time spent at the home depends fully on the services clients require, but their average day may include cooking for them, helping them take their medications, bringing them to and from doctor’s appointments and performing errands such as laundry, cleaning or grocery shopping.

“The hours vary according to their needs,” Clarke said.

“Some people just require five hours a day while some require live-in service.”

THE COST OF HOME HEALTHCARE And just like buying a new car, home health care can be as costly an endeavor as it is helpful.

According to West, the average hourly rate for a home health aide is between $20 and $24, which equates to around $29,000 per year, according to a 2013 cost of care survey by life insurance firm John Hancock.

The first of two common ways to pay for services rendered is through government benefit programs such as Medicaid and ones for military veterans.

According to the senior living website Caring.com, “Medicaid covers short-term in-home care for acute conditions, usually following a stay in a hospital or rehabilitation or skilled nursing facility.”

However, only the services provided by Medicaid-certified home care agencies are covered.

For those who have served in the armed forces, home healthcare is included in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ standard medical benefit package for those who meet the clinical need for the service.

Seniors who aren’t military veterans or enrolled in Medicaid can purchase long-term care insurance to pay for a home health aide.

If purchased at a young age, as West insists, the cost of insurance could be dramatically lower than if bought at a later date.

For example, the average cost of long term care insurance in 2011 for a 55-year-old single individual was $1,480 per year, while the cost for a couple the same age was $2,350 per year, according to the American Association for Long Term Care Insurance.

“At least think about it, in terms of planning ahead,” West said. “It can deplete someone’s life savings. When people Q don’t plan ahead, that’s what happens.”

C M SLG page 13 Y K

D

eath has visited all of us. When it knocks at our doors as professionals we react normally which means we respond like so many of the families we serve with a sense of loss and disruption. The pain of death is never less for us.

Fa m ilia r it y does not breed a callousness which dampens our pain.

The families we serve have the right to expect and demand our professionalism and truthfulness. A family that purchases pre-need will one day suffer a loss of a loved one and shall be shedding tears and relating stories they need to share of the person who shall never again enter their lives.

Cemeteries and funeral homes are not immune to the repercussions of the realities every American confronts in a world with seemingly never-ending conflicts.

Devastation and the horrors clearly evidenced during the nightly news makes us recoil in the same shock and disbelief felt across the nation.

These horrors make our professionals ever more attentive to the concerns and insecurities that result. Our profession responds through honesty, dedication and devotion to the families who depend upon us at the worst moments of their lives.

On Their Own Terms

L

ABILITY TO WALK. . .

ALONG WITH MY DIGNITY.

I don’t think there’s any place better than Margaret Tietz! I observed what the staff did for me and for everyone else and recommended them for an award. If I had an issue, it was addressed... The care was out of this world!

”

– Heide Klein

Margaret Tietz Rehab Graduate

the comfortable, familiar surroundings of their own home, yet nearly 75 percent of Americans actually die in the hospital or nursing home setting. It is a key concern of Hospice to ensure that patients’ wishes are respected. Indeed, for 2012, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization reported 66 percent of hospice patients died in their own place of residence. What is troubling to many who work in hospice is that far too many people think of a “hospice” as a place, not realizing that the comprehensive care and compassion that hospices bring is available to them in their own homes.

Another striking characteristic is that hospices offer care not only to the patient facing a life-limiting illness, but hospices provide support and comfort the patient’s family as well.

When many people learn about the care and comfort offered by hospices, they often ask how they can help. Every hospice program certified

by Medicare has a strong and vibrant volunteer program. Individuals in the community contribute their time and talent to patients and their loved ones at the most critical time. Volunteers perform a variety of services such as visiting with patients, reading to them or sharing stories from the patients’ past. Whatever the interaction, the nearly universal response from volunteers seems to be, “I feel like I received so much more by volunteering than I ever gave.”

Hospice of New York is one of the hospices serving the New York Metropolitan Area since 1997. Since that time they have cared for over 19,000 patients and their loved ones. Hospice of New York provides care throughout Nassau, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Manhattan. If you would like to learn more about the services of Hospice of New York, call (718) 472-1999 or go on line at www.hospiceny.com. To learn more about becoming a volunteer, contact: Angela Purpura at angela.purpura@hospiceny.com or Sandra Nielsen at sandra.nielsen@hospiceny.com.

At Margaret Tietz Nursing & Rehabilitation Center you’re surrounded by the reassuring faces of friends.

An integral part of the community for more than four decades, Margaret Tietz is proud to deliver unparalleled Subacute Rehabilitation, Hospice and Long-Term Care services in a newly renovated comfortable and completely Kosher setting.

164-11 Chapin Parkway, Jamaica Hills, NY 11432 www.margarettietz.org • 718-298-7829 Centrally located near the Queens communities of Kew Gardens Hills, Hillcrest & Jamaica Estates. Only 20 minutes from Brooklyn, Manhattan & the Five Towns.

MARG-064493

SENIOR LIVING GUIDE • Fall 2014

ife is a cycle: birth, growth, maturation and finally the part few look forward Zelda Foster to, death. But death is indeed a natural part of living.

No one gets out of here alive. Most Americans have strong preferences about how they would like to live out their fi nal days and the types of care and treatment that they want to have and the types they would prefer to avoid. Yet all too often, we prefer not to talk about these preferences even though they are very important to us.

The American Hospice movement began over 40 years ago with pioneers like Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, who published her groundbreaking work “On Death and Dying” on May 1, 1969.

Locally, Zelda Foster worked as a clinical social worker at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Brooklyn in the late ’60s. She was struck that patients were often treated like children, and not even told the truth about their prognosis or allowed to discuss their preferences for their care and treatment. Zelda called this “the conspiracy of silence.” Zelda worked with other hospice pioneers like London’s Cecily Saunders and Connecticut’s Florence Wald to get the American Hospice movement started.

Zelda found that most of her dying patients did understand what was happening to them, but were never able to discuss their preferences for care with loved ones or even their healthcare providers.

Recent studies show that over 75 percent of Americans polled say they would rather die in

“

I REGAINED MY

Page 13 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 2, 2014

St. Michael’s Cemetery

It would be disingenuous not to also accept that ours is a business that must be profitable to survive. In the absence of profit funeral homes would close and cemeteries would be abandoned to the community forcing expenses and costs that properly are the obligation of others.

Years ago well before I joined St. Michael’s Cemetery and when my parents were alive my father told me he had purchased 68 graves. For years my laughter echoed in his ears. It seemed a ridiculous purchase with a quantity that defied rationalization.

Ten years after the “grand land purchase” my mother suddenly died. The wealth of tears ran as a river that seemed unable to end.

When we interred her it was as if the land had torn open and ran through our hearts. For the first time standing in front of our mother’s grave we knew that dad had given us our final resting place. For where mom was we will surely follow. From that day onwards we held our father in respect and appreciation for providing for all of us. Dad was a man who insured foresight and planning for the needs of his family.

St. Michael’s Cemetery is located at 72-02 Astoria Blvd., East Elm hurst. It can be reached at (718) 278-3240.

— Ed Horn

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 2, 2014 Page 14

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Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation Offering Resources, Choice and Value to the Community

F

rom its beginnings in 1907, the mission of the Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation is to provide, with compassion and dedication, superiorquality health care and rehabilitation for adults.

Through continual improvement of Parkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programs and services, it is a leader in health care delivery and education. Parker has achieved the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Standard of Excellenceâ&#x20AC;? they have exemplified since the mid 1980s yet continue with new and state-of-the-art improvements each and every day, responding to the needs of the community and the ever-changing dynamics of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health care system.

Today Parker Jewish Institute is New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s single most active post-acute care/sub-acute Center for older adults. Parker Jewish Institute has evolved into an internationally recognized center of health care for adults, recognizing that the needs of the community and responding to that need by creating programs and services that will enable choice and value, while maintaining itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high standards. Parker remains in the forefront of health care delivery service because it is also a leading academic campus for the teaching of health care professionals as well as a research center for studies related to aging.

Parker provides superior post-acute care/ sub-acute care, short-term rehabilitation, longterm care, and a network of community health programs to more than 7,000 adults each year.

The Institute is also among the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leaders in the training of geriatric health care professionals as well as geriatric and gerontology research. Parker is a partner in AgeWell New

York, a New York State-authorized managed long-term care plan.

An independent 527-bed, not-for-profit institution, Parker offers the most compassionate long-term care, distinguished by the highest levels of skilled nursing, comprehensive on-site medical services, and excellence in social work services, therapeutic recreation, and an on-site pharmacy. Parker is at the vanguard of personcentered culture change in long-term care.

Parkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s division of medical transportation, Lakeville Ambulette Transportation, LLC., transports patients and residents, as well as adults from Queens, Long Island and surrounding communities, to medical appointments and related destinations. Located on Parkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lobby level is the Queens-Long Island Renal Institute, Inc., a state-of-the-art chronic hemodialysis center.

Parker is ranked among the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leaders in the health care and rehabilitation because our residents, patients and their families are our fi rst concern.

As a part of our commitment to excellence, Parkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highly regarded staff strives, not just to meet, but to exceed your expectations and provide reliable resource and education to the community.

We have developed unique services to enable the community to have choice and to provide support services where it makes the best medical sense to the person; whether it be in their home or in our beautiful state-of-the-art facility, or perhaps one of our adult day programs. For more information on our services and how we can help be a resource to you, please contact us at 1-877-727-5373 24/7.

We welcome the opportunity to help you!

DRY HARBOR NURSING AND REHABILITATION CENTER Offering a personalized short-term rehab program WILL I BE ABLE TO GO HOME?

That question is on the minds of all residents as they start their personalized short term rehabilitation program at Dry Harbor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Middle Village. The great news is that almost all of them do return to community living.

To attain a successful discharge, the planning starts on the day of admission.

The discharge team consists of physical, occupational, and speech therapists who provide one-on-one care and whose goal is to restore independence. They are joined by registered nurse case managers, social work discharge planners and a financial department that is experienced in maximizing health insurance coverage.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE?

Well, it takes hard work on the part of the resident along with Dry Harborâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team of professionals. Family members are also invited to attend therapy sessions to observe, interact and offer words of encouragement.

TIME LINE Within 14 days a comprehensive care plan meeting is held with the rehabilitation and discharge teams as well as the resident and the family. Progress is evaluated and a projection of discharge potential is discussed. Home care agencies are contacted with input from the resident and family. They will visit the resident and his/her home to access what equipment and services are needed.

The social workers will arrange for transportation on the day of discharge and coordinate with the home care agency to see that the home attendant is in place.

GOING HOME There is great excitement and anticipation on the day of discharge. Nothing is more rewarding to the staff at Dry Harbor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center than the shared feeling of hope and accomplishment and to see the happiness on residents faces as they look forward to going home.

Dry Harbor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is located at 61-35 Dry Harbor Road, Middle Village. Contact Louise May at (718) 565-4200.

E-mail: info@dryharbornursinghome.com

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C M SLG page 15 Y K Page 15 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 2, 2014

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Senior Living Guide

SENIOR CENTERS Senior Centers are the core network of senior services. They are located in every community throughout the borough. These Centers typically provide hot lunches, coordinate recreational and educational activities, case management, socialization, information and referral, support services and transportation programs. The following is a listing of Queens senior centers by community board: Seniors at the Catholic Charities Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Senior Center.

CB 1 ________________________________ Queensbridge/Riis Senior Center (718) 937-1093 10-25 41 Ave., Long Island City Woodside Senior Center (718) 932-6916 50-37 Newtown Road, Bldg. #19, Woodside CCNS Dellamonica Senior Center (718) 626-1500 23-56 Broadway, Astoria HANAC Ravenswood Senior Center (718) 786-1550 34-35A 12 St., Long Island City Raices Astoria Senior Center (718) 726-9642 21-12 30 Road, Long Island City HANAC Archbishop Iakovos Senior Center (718) 777-5505 32-06 21 St., Astoria HANAC Lindsay Senior Center (718) 626-3035 27-40 Hoyt Ave. South, Astoria

CB 4 _______________________________ Newtown Senior Center (718) 335-7272 83-20 Queens Blvd., Elmhurst IPHE Corona Senior Center (718) 639-2000 108-74 Roosevelt Ave., Corona Raices Corona Senior Center (718) 458-7259 107-24 Corona Ave., Corona Florence E. Smith Senior Services (718) 899-0553 102-19 34 Ave., Corona Korean American Senior Center (718) 651-9220 37-06 111 St., Corona Lefrak Senior Citizens Center (718) 457-9757 98-16 55 Ave., Corona IPRHE-Elmhurst Jackson Heights Senior Center (718) 478-7171 75-01 Broadway, 3rd floor, Elmhurst

CB 2 _______________________________ Sunnyside Community Senior Center (718) 392-6944 43-31 39 St., Long Island City

CB 5 _______________________________ Ridgewood Older Adult Center (718) 456-2000 59-14 70 Ave., Ridgewood Peter Cardella Senior Center (718) 497-2908 68-52 Fresh Pond Road, Ridgewood Selfhelp Maspeth Senior Center (718) 429-3636 69-61 Grand Ave., Maspeth Middle Village Older Adult Center (718) 894-3441 69-10 75 St., Middle Village

CB 3 _______________________________ Elmcor Senior Center (718) 457-9757 98-19 Astoria Blvd., East Elmhurst

SENIOR LIVING GUIDE â&#x20AC;˘ Fall 2014

CCNS Catherine Sheridan Senior Center (718) 458-4600 35-24 83 St., Jackson Heights

Peter Cardella Senior Center in Ridgewood.

CB 6 _______________________________ Queens Community House Senior Center (718) 699-1010 108-25 62 Drive, Forest Hills Selfhelp Austin Street Senior Center (718) 520-8197 106-06 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills Young Israel Forest Hills Senior League (718) 520-2305 68-07 Burns St., Forest Hills Rego Park Senior Center (718) 896-8711 93-29 Queens Blvd., Rego Park Central Queens Y - Adult Wellness Program (718) 268-5011 67-09 108 St., Forest Hills

CB 7________________________________ CPC Queens Nan Shan Senior Center (718) 358-3030 136-18 39 Ave., 6th floor, Flushing Selfhelp Latimer Gardens Senior Center (718) 961-3660 34-30 137 St., Flushing Selfhelp Innovative Benjamin Rosenthal Senior Center (718) 886-5777 45-25 Kissena Blvd., Flushing HANAC Angelo Petromelis College Point Senior Center (718) 961-0344 13-28 123 St., College Point North Flushing Senior Center (718) 358-9193 29-09 137 St., Flushing College Point Senior Center (718) 358-9193 22-38 College Point Blvd., College Point Korean American Senior Center of Flushing (718) 886-8203 42-15 166 St., Flushing CB 8 _______________________________ CCNS Hillcrest Senior Center (718) 297-7171 168-01B Hillside Ave., Jamaica Jewish Center of Kew Gardens Hills Senior Center (718) 263-6500 71-25 Main St., Flushing Pomonok Senior Center (718) 591-3377 67-09 Kissena Blvd., 2nd floor, Flushing Young Israel Queens Valley Senior Center (718) 263-6995 141-55 77 Ave., Flushing ,

CB 9 _______________________________ CCNS Ozone Park Senior Center (718) 847-2100 103-02 101 Ave., Ozone Park CCNS Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Senior Center (718) 847-9200 78-15 Jamaica Ave., Woodhaven Kew Gardens Community Center (718) 268-5960 80-02 Kew Gardens Road, Suite 202, Kew Gardens

CB 10 ______________________________ CCNS Howard Beach Senior (718) 738-8100 155-55 Cross Bay Blvd., Howard Beach United Hindu Cultural Council Senior Center (718) 323-8900 118-09 Sutter Ave., So. Ozone Park CB 11 _______________________________ Samuel Field Y Senior Citizens Program (718) 225-6750 58-20 Little Neck Parkway, Little Neck CCNS-Bayside Senior Center (718) 225-1144 211-15 Horace Harding Expressway, Bayside Selfhelp Clearview Senior Center (718) 224-7888 208-11 26th Ave., Bayside CB 12 ______________________________ International Towers Luncheon Club (718) 739-6988 90-20 170 St., Jamaica JSPOA Theodora Jackson Center (718) 657-6618 92-47 165 St., Jamaica Allen Community Senior Citizen Center (718) 658-0980 166-01 Linden Blvd., Jamaica JSPOA Friendship Nutrition Center (718) 657-6540 92-33 170 St., Jamaica Robert Couche Senior Citizen Center (718) 978-8352 137-57 Farmers Blvd., Springfield Gardens Rochdale Village Senior Center (718) 525-2800 169-65 137 Ave., Jamaica Brooks Senior Center (718) 291-3935 143-22 109 Ave., Jamaica JSPOA Rockaway Boulevard Senior Center (718) 657-6468 123-10 143 St., Jamaica CB 13__________________________________ SNAP Brookville Center (718) 525-8899 One Cross Island Plaza, Lower Level 5, Rosedale SNAP Innovative Center of Eastern Queens (718) 454-2100 80-45 Winchester Blvd., Building 4 CBU #29, Queens Village Alpha Phi Alpha Senior Center (718) 528-8238 220-01 Linden Blvd., Cambria Heights

C M SLG page 17 Y K

All life’s activities worry-free

STAIR LIFTS

★ ★ ★

W

TK WITAKER

★

Starting At

$

NEW and INSTALLED

The warm and cozy lobby at the Fritz Reuter Lifecare Retirement Community.

In the Residential facility, residents reside in a private room or 2-room suite with bath and receive three meals served in the dining room. All housekeeping and laundry is included. Also, all medical assistance is provided at NO EXTRA CHARGE. When residents move into the Residential unit, they drop their secondary health insurance since all medical bills will be paid for by the Fritz Reuter Community. Assistance with bathing, dressing, ambulation and medications is all provided at no extra cost. Most importantly, they do not “nickel & dime” residents if any additional care is ever needed. One may enter directly into the Residential community if assistance is needed.

One move to Fritz Reuter is all that it will ever take and you or loved ones will be taken care of for life. For further information call Noreen Wendt at (201) 867-3585.

2,695

FREE ESTIMATES

• Stair Lifts • Wheel Chair Lifts • Ramps • Straight, Curved, Narrow Staircases • Folds up against wall • Factory Direct Pricing • Installed within 48 Hours • New, Reconditioned and Rentals • Sales • 24-Hour Service • Over 20 Years Serving the New York Area • Licensed & Insured

©2014 M1P • TKWI-064807

ouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to live the rest of your life without having to worry about cooking, cleaning, laundry or paying medical bills?

Imagine never having to go into a nursing home.

Imagine no more … this is all available at the Fritz Reuter Lifecare Retirement Community located in North Bergen, New Jersey, minutes from Manhattan. With over 117 years of experience and being not-for-profit and tax-exempt allows them to offer the most affordable cost.

ONE FLEXIBLE ENTRANCE FEE AND SERVICE CHARGE AND YOU’RE TAKEN CARE OF FOR LIFE. They offer three levels of care: Independent Apartments, Residential 1 or 2 room suites, and a fully staffed Nursing Care unit, all under one roof.

Their modern apartments are comprised of studios, 1 and 2 bedrooms. Residents moving into the apartments may live independently for as long as they are able. The main meal is included in the entrance fee and is served in our beautiful dining room. Housekeeping and laundry services are available as well as an emergency call bell system in each bedroom and bathroom. Each apartment has its own private balcony.

Retirees live independently in their apartments for as long as they are able to. Should the time come when they can no longer live without assistance, they will then be able to move into the Residential facility, which is connected to the apartment building.

★ ★

Page 17 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 2, 2014

FRITZ REUTER LIFECARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

1-855-WITAKER 631-327-3339 (cell) w w w.tkwitaker.com Keynote Speaker: Michael D. Whalen, C.M., S.T.D., a Vincentian priest and professor of sacramental theology and spirituality at St. John’s University.

Michael D. Whalen, C.M., S. T.D. Workshop Presenters: Carmen I Vazquez,

Ph.D.; Bishop Guy Sansaricq; Jean Tropnas, M.D.; Rev. Patrick H. Longalong; Elissa Brown, Ph.D.; Brother Andre Mathieu, C.P.; Sr. Kathleen Masterson, R.5.M; and more...

Workshop themes: Grieving with Latinos; Asian Beliefs and Cultural Practices that Support Healing; Male and FemaleDifferent Journeys to Healing; Understanding Our Grief; The Haitian Grief Journey; Children, Trauma and Loss; How to Create a Parish Bereavement Support Group; and more…

For information please e-mail vccs@stjohns.edu or call 718-990-1612 CATC-065123

SENIOR LIVING GUIDE • Fall 2014

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Sponsors: Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, Catholic Cemeteries, Diocese of Brooklyn and the Vincentian Center for Church & Society at St. John’s University

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 2, 2014 Page 18

C M SLG page 18 Y K

Flushing House Independent Living - Who We Are Practically non existent a few decades ago, retirement residences similar to Flushing House now number in the thousands across the United States. However, most of these facilities are real-estate developments, owned by large, forprofit corporate chains, and they’re a lot more expensive than Flushing House! As a not-for-profit, we pioneered our unique living arrangement, which we called Congregate Living. But our residents don’t have to share rooms to keep costs down! They enjoy their own private, spacious apartments. They are free to come and go, to entertain family and friends, and to make their own financial decisions.

In addition, we provide a full range of communal services to assist residents with daily tasks, such as restaurantstyle dining with continental breakfast, lunch and dinner served in our beautiful dining room, housekeeping and linen services, a concierge, 24-hour security, a comprehensive activities program featuring state-of-the-art computer learning and fitness centers, arts and crafts room, concerts,

S

eniors know from experience that life is a challenge.

Many may face limited choices when deprived of complete independence by advancing age. Do you move in with your children? Do you agree to a nursing home? What options are available to you?

movies, game nights and weekly trips on our own bus!

Catholic, Jewish and Protestant religious services are held weekly in our interfaith chapel.

For the convenience of our residents, Flushing Hospital Medical Center operates a satellite Geriatric Clinic right on the premises with physicians and nurses who are experts in the care of older adults. Two New York State-licensed home healthcare agencies are available on-premises to provide personal services such as assistance with bathing, hygiene and dressing, as well as self-medication management. Residents may use these or any service providers of their choice.

Why is Flushing House so different from most of those other retirement communities? Because as New York State’s largest not-for-profit, Independent Living retirement community, the mission of Flushing House must always come first: To provide a safe, enjoyable and affordable retirement experience for our residents.

Please call our Marketing Department at

(718) 762-3198 or (888) 987-6205 for a brochure or to arrange a tour.

Retirement residences that combine Independent Living with supportive services on-premises have recently become a popular alternative in the U.S. In Queens, Flushing House is known as a pioneer in such communities. Built in 1974 as a not-for-profit Independent Living retirement community, Flushing House was one of the first ones to offer older adults an alternative and affordable retirement experience.

We also offer a limited number of inexpensive two-week or one-month trial stays.

PLEASE CALL FOR INFORMATION. - ADVERTORIAL -

P & P MEDICAID CONSULTING, INC.

SENIOR LIVING GUIDE • Fall 2014

Located in Massapequa Park: serving Queens, Nassau, Suffolk, & the entire state of New York.

P & P Medicaid Consulting, Inc. was established in response to a need by a person or family that required assistance in obtaining Medicaid eligibility for Home Care Services and/or Nursing Home Care & Placement; and at a lower, reasonable rate, which families could afford. P & P Medicaid has rapidly grown, and besides the Medicaid applications, we now also handle: Geriatric Care Management, “Social Security Disability” applications, and “P.R.I. screenings” for nursing home admissions. In addition, P & P Medicaid also completes the documentation process for “NYSARC Pooled Income Trusts,” which allow qualifying applicants to “keep” their “full income,” while becoming “eligible” for “home care” or “community” Medicaid. The staff at P & P has over “thirty” years of experience in the Medicaid/healthcare industry.

The office is located in Massapequa, but the staff will happily visit any client at home, or at a medical facility. Paul D. Mertz, who is the President of P & P Medicaid, is responsible for all aspects of the Medicaid application process. On staff, we have a geriatric care manager (Lois Koppleman-Lange), who handles all of our families’ care needs; a registered nurse, B.S.N. (Ann Marie Campbell, who is certified for P.R.I. screenings); Debbie Imperio, who is our friendly and always courteous office manager, and who handles all of our client’s questions and concerns on a daily basis. Ann Doyle is our fully-experienced

social worker/Medicaid liaison. Ann (along with the remainder of the P & P staff) dedicate their time to helping applicants obtain the necessary documentation for completion of their Medicaid process. P & P offers reasonable rates and personalized service for all of our clients. We are available 24/7 for free advice and will handle all of the necessary paperwork in the comfort of your home, or if the client prefers, at our office at: 5071 Merrick Road, Massapequa Park, New York, 11762.

Our 24/7 phone numbers are: (516) 541-4770 and (516) 641-7014. P & P Medicaid is dedicated to making the Medicaid process as painless as possible. Many times when a Medicaid application is necessary, prior to visiting us, our clients are under a great deal of stress, so our service is dedicated to easing the stress of the application process. P & P Medicaid Consulting’s fees are reasonable and very affordable. Our fees are normally priced at a fraction of what other establishments would charge for the same service. We have a great working relationship with the Department of Social Services (Medicaid), and most of the nursing home facilities and the home healthcare agencies throughout our service area.

Our mission at P & P is to provide quality service at an affordable price; and we pride ourselves on organization, perfection, satisfaction, dedication and professionalism from application through approval and through the process of helping with the services needed.

Assisted Living or Skilled Nursing, which is right for you?

I

f you or you r loved one is searching for an alter native to living alone, an assisted living facility program is what you are looking for.

At York Group Assisted Living, residents receive assistance with activities of daily living as well as skilled services as needed. This allows each of the residents of the York Group to age in place with dignity.

The York Group Assisted Living Program is a social living environment with services including care management, counseling, advocacy, social and residential activities as well as residential services.

Assisted living programs offer 24-hour home care services in a social, congregant care environment. The program is a low-cost alter native for those individuals who are medically eligible for placement in a nursing home but would benefit from a social environment which is less restrictive.

But what if your loved one is ill, has had surgery or is in need of acute rehabilitation?

Then, a skilled nursing facility, like Elmhurst Care Center, is what is needed.

Patients receive the extended care for both long- or short-term care that is needed when independent or assisted living is no longer an option. Often times, however, a person enters a nursing home through hospital discharge with only a few days notice to vet and choose the

best facility for them. So how do you choose?

What do you look for?

• Ask for a tour. Do not hesitate to ask questions. It is important to be an educated consumer and understand the different levels of care between assisted living and skilled nursing but you should still look for the same things in each.

• Ask yourself how you were greeted by the staff? Did the residents appear active and engaged? Notice the small details like whether shirts are buttoned correctly. First impressions will tell you a lot about how a facility is operated.

W hat is g reat about the York G roup Assisted Living and Elmhurst Care Center is that they are part of the same family of care, offering the same high level quality.

For more information, please contact either Barbara Castellano, Director of Community Relations for York Group at (718) 699-4100, or Elizabeth Salisbury, Director of Marketing for Elmhurst Care Center at (718) 205-8100.

C M SLG page 19 Y K

is offering a PRECONSTRUCTION DISCOUNT of

$500 per space

for our NEW St. Mary’s Mausoleum.

Interest-Free, Tax-Free with only 10% down.

Take advantage of our Pre-Need Discount

Page 19 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 2, 2014

St. Michaels Cemetery

One of the greatest gifts you can give to those you love is a sense of security — the knowledge that you have taken care of everything.

A religious Cemetery open to people of all faiths, St. Michael’s is proud to offer the beautifully designed St. Mary’s Mausoleum.

For more information including a free Resource Guide call (718) 278 3240 or visit us at www.stmichaelscemetery.com.

Cemetery

©2014 M1P • STMC-065292

Established 1852

72-02 Astoria Blvd.

East Elmhurst, NY 11370

1000

$

00

Savings Certificate ST. MARY’S MAUSOLEUM This certificate entitles bearer to a $1,000 pre-need discount on a companion crypt in our St. Mary’s Mausoleum ($500 when applied to a single crypt). The discount may be discontinued without prior notice.

SENIOR LIVING GUIDE • Fall 2014

St. Michael’s

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 2, 2014 Page 20

C M SLG page 20 Y K

Switch to a Humana Medicare Advantage plan with a $0 monthly premium.

A Humana Medicare Advantage plan is like Original Medicare, but has extra benefits, and no additional monthly plan premium. Additional benefits include: • $0 monthly plan premium • • • • •

24-hour nurse advice line Fitness program – gym membership at no additional cost Dental, Vision and Hearing coverage See Humana providers when traveling in Florida* $50 monthly over-the-counter medication benefit

Call to schedule a free consultation with your local Humana agent to learn more.

1-855-840-0993 (TTY: 711)

SENIOR LIVING GUIDE • Fall 2014

Call a licensed sales agent, 5 a.m. – 8 p.m., 7 days a week.

Español? 1-855-845-7678

*Baker, Clay, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam, Saint Johns, Santa Rosa, Volusia, Broward, Miami-Dade & Palm Beach Counties in Florida.

Humana is a Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in a Humana plan depends on contract renewal. The benefit information provided is a brief summary, not a complete description of benefits. For more information contact the plan. Limitations, copayments and restrictions may apply. Benefits, premium and member cost share may change on January 1 of each year. You must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium. For accommodation of persons with special needs at sales meetings call 1-855-840-0993 (TTY: 711), 5 a.m. – 8 p.m., 7 days a week. Applicable to Humana Gold Plus® (HMO): H3533-009.

Y0040_GHHHXCRENTE_9 Approved HUMA-065291