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Tag: appointment

Senior Driving Safety: CarFit at Beatitudes

Mon, October 17, 2016 Published by

With years of experience, older drivers are some of the safest drivers.  In fact, older drivers are more likely to wear seatbelts and less likely to speed or drink and drive.  However, older drivers, who do experience accidents, are at greater risk of serious injury, due to greater bone fragility.  Older drivers are also more likely to have physical, visual, hearing and memory impairments that can influence their ability to drive safely, and it can be difficult to know when to make the decision to stop driving.

Thankfully, there are a variety of programs and resources that can help keep senior drivers stay safe on the road despite many of these challenges.  From 9AM-1PM on October 29th, Beatitudes Campus will be cooperating with the NAU Occupational Therapy Program and AARP to host our second annual CarFit event.  CarFitcarfit-large is an educational program that offers older adults the opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles “fit” them.  The CarFit program also provides information and materials on community-specific resources that could enhance their safety as drivers, and/or increase their mobility in the community.

At the upcoming CarFit event, a team of trained occupational therapy CarFit technicians will work with each participant to ensure they “fit” their vehicle properly for maximum comfort and safety.  Each CarFit check takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.  During the check, the CarFit technicians will review 12 items, such as line-of sight, proper steering wheel tilt, positioning of airbag and head rest, mirror alignment and neck mobility for blind spot checks.  The CarFit technicians will also offer ideas for simple equipment and devices for those who have difficulty getting in and out of their vehicle or reaching the seatbelt.

Additionally, for those who are interested in learning more about whether and when it may be a good idea to stop or limit driving, there will be resources provided for senior driving evaluations, senior driver rehabilitation, top signs that it’s time to stop driving, and how to talk to loved ones about when to give up the keys.

Space is limited at the Saturday, October 29th CarFit event, and residents are required to make appointments.  Please contact Jessica Meyer at x16110 (@jmeyer) to learn more and book your CarFit appointment.

Medicare Benefits and YOU

Sat, September 24, 2016 Published by

1620218Late each year, beneficiaries are offered the opportunity to review their Medicare plans and make changes accordingly during the Medicare Open Enrollment Period. Understanding how your insurance selection impacts you is more important today than ever before. This is crucial since the Affordable Health Care Plans and Medicare are key Congressional discussion items.

To help educate and inform you on Medicare updates and available options, we have asked a third party insurance consultant, Ellen Dean from Dean and Associates, to come and discuss changes in Medicare on Monday, October 19th at 2:30pm in the Motion Studio at the Nelson Administration Center.  Mrs. Dean, an expert on senior health insurance since 1992, will inform you on the complexities of Medicare Insurance Coverage and Part D Prescription Drug Coverage.  Ellen’s partner, Katie Ponton, will also be available to specifically discuss changes directly related to the 2017 Part D Drug Plans.  Additionally, Ellen has agreed to meet individually with residents and their families to evaluate insurance coverage and re-enroll you into a different insurance plan if you so desire.  Medicare open enrollment is scheduled for October 15-December 7, 2016 with changes effective for a January 1, 2017 start date.  As a Certified© Financial Planner and Health Insurance Broker, Mrs. Dean and Katie work with many insurance companies and are not restricted to a limited few….their expertise is highly valued!

Like many health care providers, we are not contracted with many Medicare Advantage HMO Plans.  This is due, in large part, to the fact that many HMOs do not reimburse our Health Care Center at the rate that covers the cost of care provided.  Offering high-quality skilled nursing care services is important to us because we know these services are important to you and your family.  In addition, to add to our continuum of care, the services offered by Beatitudes Home Health are only reimbursed by Medicare at this time, as well as our outpatient therapy clinics which are contracted with Medicare and very few other insurance companies.

It is essential that you understand your current options and find a plan that works best for you in regards to costs and access to care.   Our experience has shown that residents who have Medicare with a traditional supplement have greater satisfaction with health care services.  These residents have more choices in providers and may see lower out-of-pocket costs in the event of a medical emergency, post-hospital skilled care event, or cancer treatments.

I hope you will join us on October 19th for this special informational session covering the 2017 Traditional Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage plan (HMO) Benefits. Additionally, you may set a private appointment with Mrs. Dean right here on Campus by calling 602-266-9200. *