Elder Caregivers at Risk

Being a social worker for a Connecticutt homecare company, I have spoken with people from all walks of life regarding their health concerns, both for themselves and a loved one. The stress of caring for someone can really take its toll. I wanted to share some of the risks with my readers, not with the intention of scaring them away from caring for their loved ones, but in the hopes that they will seek all the help available to care for themselves.

Anxiety and depression are the most widespread complaints that I hear about, although physical issues of a real or perceived nature can be equally debilitating. It is not unusual for caregivers to suffer sleeplessness, be predisposed to substance abuse, even aggressiveness toward the senior or other family members.

In other words, if a caregiver is depressed or stressed from caring for a loved one, she is less likely to take care of herself – she might skip doctor’s appointments, eat unhealthily, take up questionable habits, forgo her usual grooming and socializing, etc. As you can imagine, when a caregiver fails to care for herself, she will suffer both emotionally and physically, which can only negatively impact on her ability to function her capacity as a caregiver. In such circumstances, caregivers hesitantly admit to resenting the people that they care for.

So what can be done? Thankfully, plenty. Support groups are one of my most advocated options as they provide an environment where caregivers report feeling less isolated, validated through the bonds of mutual help. Ask your friends, neighbors, or family for help, and be specific about the requests; for example visiting at a certain hour and day, helping with bill-paying, taking Mom to a doctor’s appointment – all of which most certainly alleviates some of the burden. In short, I encourage all caregivers to take care of themselves, and to please reach out to professionals such as myself who can offer suggestions and emotional support.

The Benefits of Automated Attendant Recordings

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Our professional voices and easy-to-follow scripting will make a positive impression on your callers. We can even help you present a consistent sound by using the same voice for your Automated Attendant Recordings and On Hold Messaging.

In some cases, menus for IVR or auto attendant systems are poorly written, resulting in caller confusion, frustration, abandonment, and even lost revenue. American On Hold can review your current call flow and then design routing menus that allow callers to easily maneuver through your telecommunication system.

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Different Types of Health Insurance Policies

Our company provides the most competitive family insurance in Portland, Oregon. Please contact us for your family, or individual health insurance needs.

Health insurance coverage comes in several different types, depending on who governs the plan and how much money is put into the plan by the participant. First, there are private and government run plans. Private plans are the types of plans you get from health insurance companies like Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Government run health insurance plans include plans like Medicare, Medicaid and state run programs like Medi-Cal.

Within private health insurance companies, there are several different types of health insurance policies they usually offer. The usual and traditional plans include HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) plans, PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) plans and health savings accounts, or HSA’s. HMO plans are the least expensive of the plans, but also offer the least coverage. You pay less per month, but in turn pay more for doctor visits, hospital stays and so on. HMO plans also require the approval of your primary care physician, or PCP, before seeing a specialist.

PPO plans are usually more expensive per month, but have lower payments for doctor visits and hospital stays, and don’t have the restrictions on seeing specialists that HMO’s have. HSA’s are savings accounts in which you put a certain amount of money each paycheck, and is saved until you need it. These are usually coupled with high deductible plans, and are becoming more popular as they allow more control over one’s health care spending.

Government health insurance programs also come in different types as well. Medicare, for example, is a health insurance program meant for people 65 years of age or older that helps them pay for doctor visits, medical equipment. Since it’s a government-run program, it has more restrictions than other types of health plans, as well as gaps in coverage. These gaps are usually filled by private health insurance companies by using Medicare supplemental health insurance policies.

Medicaid is a health insurance program for low-income families, people with disabilities who are at or below the poverty line, senior citizens looking for nursing home coverage and so on. The use of Medicaid has been increasing over the years, especially by seniors and baby boomers looking to cover their nursing home expenses.

As you can see, there are many different types of health insurance plans available for individuals or families, and it’s up to you to figure out which one works best. Take the time to do the research on various types of health insurance plans and find out which one is the best fit for your needs before choosing a health care coverage plan for you or your family.

Medicare Advantage Broken Down & Explained

Our company is a Texas based company that provides services to our senior citizen population that includes: Medicare Advantage, Medicare Insurance, Medicare Part D & Medicare Supplement. So, although we may reference Texas Medicare Advantage information, this article can be used universally & is an excellent source of information for those seeking to be informed and educated.

Understanding Medicare Advantage

Some senior citizens and others enrolled in two of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s Medicare Advantage plans will have to make a switch before the end of the year.

“What’s happening is that those plans, nationally, are ending,” said Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan spokeswoman Helen Stojic. The plans are "sunsetting (being phased out) because they don’t have provider networks,” she said.

She said such plans will continue to be offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield, “but they will have provider networks as required beginning in 2011. The previous plans did not have provider networks.”

In their place, Blue Cross Blue Shield is offering an array of products that have service provider networks, she said.

Blue Cross Blue Shield members affected should have started receiving letters early this week from the nonprofit corporation, and they can expect to receive second letters later this week with information about the new plans to which they can switch.

The plans ending this year are called Medicare Advantage Option A and Medicare Advantage Option B. Those 2-year-old plans are, in general terms, combinations the Original Medicare Plan (the government-backed health insurance program that looks to provide affordable coverage to people over 65 and qualified individuals who have disabilities), along with other options.

Medicare has two main categories, as explained on the BC/BS website: the Original Medicare Plan and the Medicare Advantage Plan. Each has four sub-categories related to: hospital insurance coverage (Part A); coverage for medical services and supplies (Part B); and coverage for prescription drugs (Part D).

Medicare Advantage plans are considered Part C. In very simple terms, those private fee-for-service plans are combinations of Parts A and B, provided through private insurance companies.

The replacement plans are preferred provider organization plans being called Medicare Plus Blue PPO Vitality and Medicare Plus Blue PPO Assure. Blue Cross also will continue to offer its current PPO Plan, which is now being called Medicare Plus Blue PPO Signature. Members will have to consider them during the annual election period for Medicare beneficiaries, Stojic said. That enrollment period starts Nov. 15 and ends Dec. 31.

Medicare beneficiaries can also opt to choose from four products offered by Blue Care Network, the Blue Cross-affiliated health maintenance organization. Included is a new HMO Medicare Advantage product for 2011.

Stojic said she did not know how many of Blue Cross’ 4 million members statewide are affected, but she said, “We’re working with seniors. We’re working with insurance agents. We have information on our website. ... We’re trying to help seniors navigate the changes.”