The decision to place your loved one into a nursing home is an extremely difficult decision, often causing much guilt for the caregiver. It is a very emotional decision for most clients we see and most are under a certain amount of stress, often great, when facing what they consider to be a drastic course of action.

I counsel our caregiver clients to get beyond the guilt as quickly as they can, because the situation their loved one is in is not the caregiver’s fault. And besides, the longer you remain under this stress, the less healthy you eat, or you eat way too much, the less you sleep, and some start drinking (my own mother started this late at night after she got my dad settled in bed for the evening – not healthy to say the least).

The stress of caring for a loved one is constant and unrelenting. It is a physical, mental and emotional grind. On numerous occasions, we have actually had caregiver clients die before the spouse in the nursing home. Sometimes, the caregivers die shortly after the nursing home spouse dies. The stress of being a caregiver can be deadly serious, especially for older clients who are caregivers for their spouse.

You have to recognize it and develop a plan to deal with it.

Get your children involved in developing a plan to deal with your loved one’s incapacity. And remember, plan for the absolute worst case scenario. Get to an attorney who can help you develop a plan to help you with your particular situation. And this is especially important as soon as you detect any signs of dementia in your parent or spouse, or as soon as you begin to detect physical problems with your loved one. The sooner you begin the plan, the better off the family will be.

NOW, HOW DO WE PAY FOR MAMA’S NURSING HOME CARE? There are really only three ways to pay for a stay in a nursing home.

LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE (LTCI). If Mama was far-sighted enough, she may have purchased LTCI in the past before she needed it. This would be an excellent source of funds to help defray some or all of Mama’s long term care costs. Unfortunately, very few seniors, those over age 60, have LTCI coverage.

SELF PAY. This essentially means that Mama has enough income or financial assets to pay her own way in the nursing home. However, many families don’t have the income or the financial asset base to be able to pay $4,000 to $7,500 or more a month for a bed for very long in a nursing home.

MEDICAID. This is a state-administered medical benefit program which will pay for the cost of a nursing home stay if three tests are met, i.e., medical need, asset, and income. Medicaid is obviously a needs-based program, funded partially by state funds, but mostly by federal funds. Many people are under the mistaken impression that MEDICARE, which most seniors in this country over age sixty-five participate in to one degree or another, will cover the cost of their stay in a nursing home.

(c) Copyright 2005 P.L.Fields LLC

P.L. Fields is a Medicaid Expert and President of Senior Strategies, a service that helps seniors save time and money. To learn more about the secret strategies and solutions that Medicaid lawyers charge to get clients qualified for Medicaid, while protecting their assets, visit: http://www.medicaidsecrets.info

Most people take the ability to have a bath or shower for granted, but for the hundreds of thousands who suffer from mobility problems accessing a conventional bath or shower is a near impossible task daily task.

The perspective of life changes for an aged individual who is slowly losing their youthful strength or, a disabled person who is incapacitated due to an accident, a fall, etc. In certain other cases, parents of children, who are born with some congenital defects or, disability due to the development of a health problem, would tell you that almost every situation is distressing not only for that individual but also for his or her family.

The mundane task of taking a shower or bath would seem a humungous task requiring tremendous effort. The body’s flexibility undergoes a massive change and those disabled will tell you that everyday tasks of getting into the bathroom, getting out of the shower after taking one: all form the necessary but now, daunting tasks of everyday life.

Irrespective of whether the problem is temporary or permanent, it would be imperative to adapt the home environment to be more disabled-friendly. Simple amendments would include a walk-in bath, bath lifts if required, disabled showers, etc. making the routine activities less challenging and more importantly, safer. The people with a disability or, the aged and their family would tell you that accidents at home are quite frequent, often physically painful- complicating the existing problem and also very frustrating psychologically.

Thanks to an established range of products offered by Bath Time Mobility, specialist in the provision of safe bathing this no longer needs to be the case.

For over 7 years Bath Time Mobility has been providing services in the South England with many thousands of clients benefiting from our products and services. Following on from this success we are now pleased to announce that we are able to cover the North of England, offering the same excellent service and dedication to providing safe bathing.

The range of products includes walk-in baths, hot tub baths, power baths, walk-in showers, shower accessories and bath lifts. Request that home demonstration today or visit our web site which has just been updated with a much wider product range at www.bathtimemobility.co.uk

The range of products includes walk-in baths, hot tub baths, power baths, walk-in showers, shower accessories and bath lifts. Request that home demonstration today or visit our web site which has just been updated with a much wider product range at http://www.bathtimemobility.co.uk

When elderly members are ill, family members and friends can be key ingredients to their successful recuperation. Caregivers often seek opportunities to demonstrate love and caring, to eliminate stress, and provide a peaceful environment for their loved one. Focus becomes seeking ways to express love, listening for expressed needs, and intervening for patient comfort.

Controlling sound in a hospital or nursing home environment can be an important ingredient for peace, comfort, and harmony for both the recuperating elder and the caregiving family member. Sound therapy is a way of balancing sound waves and frequencies in the external environment with the internal waves and frequencies of the human body.

Intervention, Comfort, and Support–

Sounds can affect patients both emotionally and physically. Distractions because of extraneous noise can be a source of stress and diminish comfort, creating restlessness and discontent. Use of appropriate sound therapy tools and strategies can promote and rejuvenate brainwaves, thereby promoting relaxation and comfort.

Proper use of sound therapy such as soothing sound machines or soft music can help create positive mental balance and promote harmony to functions of internal body organs while assisting in encouraging better sleep. This creates a win-win situation for both the elderly and their caregivers.

Improving the home or hospital room environment through sound therapy—

Because our bodies are composed of a series of waves and frequencies, we respond to sound at different levels of comfort depending on the type of sounds. Sound therapy, therefore, can provide an enormous benefit to hospice patients and their families. In an environment in which a variety of physical and emotional situations can affect balance and harmony, introduction of sound therapy becomes a beneficial tool no matter the age of the patient or family member. In an atmosphere where lack of control of environmental interruptions is ever present, sound therapy allows both patient and family members to temporarily influence their responses and reduce stress.

Sound therapy can help eliminate mental causes of worry while easing physical tension, shock, and anger over situations that cannot be controlled. Specifically, sound therapy will:

• Reduces stress
• Relieves anxiety
• Encourages calm thinking
• Provides physical relaxation
• Encourages restful sleep

How Can You Provide Sound Therapy Balance?

It is important to monitor and adjust the room atmosphere. This can be accomplished using such instruments as soothing sound machines, relaxing music tapes, or reading favorite scripture verses or stories.

Avoid overuse of television. TV sounds can negatively affect the atmosphere in the room. Messages may also include loud noises and sounds from commercials or programs that can abruptly shock and traumatize body functions, creating mental discord.

Family members and friends, who are directly involved in elder care, can be a positive source of harmony and comfort by dealing with causes of physical and mental distress. These suggestions are also helpful to the caregiver who is an active participant in a "transitioning of life" process.

Theresa V. Wilson, M.Ed., CPBA (Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst) is a “Work-For-Hire” Freelance Writer, with over ninety bylines in several business, family and women online and print publications. Samples: http://www.writersinthemarketplace.org or Contact her at: ACWritersgroup@aol.com

BODY AND SOUL - KEEPING IT TOGETHER!

LET’S START WITH THE BODY . . .

It is said that the first thing a man does when he wakes in the morning is to look out of the window to see how the weather has changed overnight, and the first thing a women does on waking is to look in the mirror to see what the night has done to her face. Enough said

… but if your look in the mirror is followed by ‘Oh, my God … I could do with a face-lift, etc.etc.’ (don’t worry, we’ve all been there) before you start layering on more make-up and deciding to embark yet again on another diet/exercise regime (which will probably have been forgotten anyway by the weekend), let’s stop wishing, and start by trying to make the best of what we have got.

We may not be able to recapture the healthy glow of youth, but we may be able to inject a little sparkle by giving as much thought to the inside of our bodies as we do to the outside. Just think of what would happen to a house if it were not built on firm foundations. Also how would our cars run if we filled them up with the wrong fuel? Similarly, how can we expect our bodies to function smoothly if we just worry about the paintwork and not concentrate on the engine? So analyse what you are putting into your body. Is it mainly ‘comfort/grab-a-snack - I’m in a hurry’ food, eg buns, crisps, chocolates etc., or is it nourishing food with all the vitamins and minerals the body requires to operate efficiently?

Many moons ago, a colleague of mine, who had a connection with a pharmaceutical company, said the idea had been muted within the company that as the elderly often start the day with a cup of tea and digestive biscuit, then a good way of ensuring that they receive all the necessary vitamins and minerals was to add them to the digestive biscuit It seemed a great idea, but when you think of how we absentmindedly dip into a packet of biscuits, then we would probably overdose on vitamins. Although we need vitamins we can also have too much of a good thing. It is worth remembering that whereas the body will expel too much of say Vitamin C, the body will store Vitamins A & D and an overload of these vitamins can have a detrimental effect. So leave it to the experts to get the balance right. It is better to start the day (together with your nourishing breakfast) with a good multi-vitamin and mineral tablet. The tablet container will show the RDA (which stands for the ‘recommended daily allowance’), and it will also show how the tablet equates with this.

A good multi-vitamin and mineral supplement is the Holland & Barrett’s Formula for the 50 PLUS called ABC PLUS SENIOR (on half-price offer at the present time).

Another supplement I would recommend for those of us whose memory is not what it used to be is ‘Ginkgo Biloba’. (Also on half-price offer at the moment). This has been in use for years on the continent as an aid to improving the circulation. It is said that it not only improves the supply of blood to the head and subsequently improves the memory (so hopefully we’ll remember where we put the bottle of tablets) but it also improves the blood supply to the extremities, which is great if you suffer from cold hands and feet. Ginkgo, by the way, comes from the Ginkgo tree, which is one of the oldest trees known to man. You can therefore appreciate how vital it is that we do not allow plants to become extinct.

Remember the old wives’ tale that ‘fish is good for the brain’? (When I hear this saying, my mind always goes back to a lecturer jokingly saying that his mother was determined that he would do well and always made him eat fish before an examination, and, of course, to her delight he did do well). Well, now it has been proved that Omega 3 (pure fish oils) not only benefits the brain but the whole body. It is high in essential fatty acids, which help to maintain a healthy heart and circulation.

Another very good supplement is Selenium. This was naturally present in the earth and in our vegetables years ago, but sadly has become depleted over the years with intensive farming and chemicals. So we can put back this missing ingredient. I certainly felt a difference on taking this as a supplement.

Now, if you are prone to numerous infections, coughs, colds, etc., then your immune system needs a boost. In addition to the usual Vitamin C, a couple of good supplements for this are Zinc and Echinacea. It’s a good idea to take Echinacea well before the ‘flu time’ is upon us in order to get it into the system.

We have always known the importance of making sure that we have enough calcium in order to maintain bone strength, but it is only in the past few years that Glucosamine has come to the fore as an aid to the joints. Glucosamine is believed to stimulate cartilage growth and prevent it wearing down and hopefully reducing the subsequent pain. I have a friend who swears this has helped her painful joints. Chondroitin is often added to the Glucosamine as this helps to attract fluid into the cartilage. Healthy Direct (www.healthydirect.co.uk) has a special offer on this powerful combination of Glucosamine, Chondroitin and Vitamin C. They also operate a free postage and packing with prompt delivery service, which is great if you have difficulty in getting to the shops.

Notice that throughout I have been using the word ’supplement’ as no tablets are going to replace a healthy diet. I remember being told by a doctor when I was in my twenties that the way towards a healthy life was to eat a small amount of a wide variety of foods and that way the body would obtain the necessary vitamins and nourishment. Whilst I agree with the ‘variety’ advice, I am not sure with the present day treatment and overlong storage of foodstuffs (particularly fruit and vegetables) whether there are many vitamins left by the time they reach the table. It came as a shock to hear at one lecture that when they tested an orange for its Vitamin C content, the results came back as a surprising ‘nil’. Still to end on a happy note, the fibre content was there, and we must eat plenty of FRESH fruit and vegetables not only for the vitamins but also for the fibre and enzymes necessary for the digestive process to function properly. But more on that - together with a breakdown of all the essential vitamins and my favourite subject - FOOD - (I’ll try not to think about or mention chocolate cake) IT’S … ‘HOLD-BACK-THE-YEARS’ FOOD …… next time

Looking forward to chatting to you again and also looking forward to hearing from you…

Visit Mabels…Maintaining Bygone Times, containing numerous articles thoughtfully researched mainly for the older person. You may access these articles by visiting http://www.mabels.org.uk/ - You will learn about the best tips, latest news & advice to improve your health, fitness, finances & retirement as well as information on nostalgic topics, places to visit, leisure & lifestyle, mobility & helpful organisations to make the most out of life and much, much more to benefit "Your Quality of Life".

1. Don’t begrudge spending money on your own comfort, health and quality of life. You deserve it! AND FOR THE OVER-60’S - The government’s annual fuel allowance of £200 is meant to be used for our warmth and comfort, and to ease the worry of the increased heating bill. The Winter Fuel Payments Help line is 0845 9 151515 If you are receiving a disability or income-related benefit, you may be able to claim a grant of up to £2,500 for insulation and heating improvements. Call Home Energy Efficiency Scheme 0800 952 0600. If you receive disability and income-related benefits you can claim Cold Weather Payments if the temperature falls below 00 C for 7 consecutive days. There is also the Staywarm scheme. For a fixed charge you can use as much gas or electricity as you need. 0800 1 694 694 Finally, if you are unable to pay your winter fuel bill, in the first instance contact your supplier explaining your problem and informing them that you are a pensioner. Good news worth remembering, is that electricity companies and British Gas have a policy of not disconnecting pensioners between 1 October and 31 March – so keep warm and don’t panic.

- - - - - . . . . AND DO YOU NEED REMINDING - DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY AND HEALTH ON CIGARETTES. RESEARCHERS TELL US THAT THE AVERAGE BRITISH SMOKER WILL SPEND £91,832.43 ON CIGARETTES IN A LIFETIME. (Now, I’ve never smoked so I wonder what happened to my £91,OOO?)

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2. Keep your mind active, crosswords, sudoka, hobbies, etc. NEVER STOP LEARNING. If you have an interested mind, people are more likely to enjoy your company and be interested in you.

3. Keep your body active. As the saying goes, if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it Walk in the fresh air if possible. If you enjoy company while you are walking then join a rambling group. (Often ‘rambling clubs’ for the retired are more socially inclined ‘ambling clubs’). Gardening combines the benefits of fresh air, exercise and the results can give you immeasurable pleasure. Dancing; particularly formation or line dancing exercises the memory also. Swimming, is a particularly good exercise for all parts of the body with the added advantage that the water is supporting you and therefore there is no weight on the joints.

4. Feed your body with the correct foods. You wouldn’t expect your car to work efficiently if you fed it the incorrect fuel. So feed your body with nutritious foods that contain the necessary vitamins and minerals in order for it to return optimum performance. With winter approaching we need to build up our immune system, so in addition to a well balanced diet of fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and nourishing protein (laced with the benefits of virgin olive oil and garlic), we should add a few supplements to help us on our way. In addition to a good multi-vitamin tablet, you’ll probably benefit from extra Vitamin C, Echinacea, EPA fish oils, selenium, ginko biloba to aid circulation, particularly to the extremities, and glucosomine to help with those aching joints.

Don’t forget your flu jab and the jab against pneumonia for the over 70’s. There is also really excellent news on the common cold front. At long last there appears to be something that stops a cold developing. Vicks First Defence is a spray that you use at the first sign of a cold and it stops the cold virus in its tracks. This miracle goes on sale during October 05.

5 Socialise. Possibly I don’t have to remind you about this as the majority of retired folk I meet complain that they are busier now than ever they were, that there are not enough hours in the day, and they wonder how they ever found time to go to work. There are so many clubs and groups to join. To name a few popular ones, U3A (University of the Third Age) for both sexes and with interesting speakers, and offering numerous sub sections for specific group interests and hobbies, Women’s Institute, (has gained a new image after the film Calendar Girls), Townswomen’s Guild, Gardening Clubs, Art Clubs, etc., and many clubs aimed specifically at the retired.

If transport is a problem, remember most local authorities offer free or reduced bus fares for senior citizens and travel tokens for the disabled. There is a Senior Railcard for reduced train fares for the over 60’s. National Express have a Routesixty Scheme which enables over 60’s to travel nationwide very cheaply (Tel 08705 808080). Also, occasionally, National Express offer their ‘go anywhere for £5 scheme’.

If you have difficulty in getting around the town, then there is Shopmobility where you can hire mobility scooters (various models and sizes available) and electric and manual wheelchairs. Shopmobility is usually manned by helpers who will be only too pleased to instruct and allow you to practice before you are let loose on the town. Also there is the added advantage that there is usually a free car park attached to Shopmobility for clients’ convenience. If you have difficulty in using public transport, often local authorities provide a ‘dial-a-ride’ service from your home to the shopping centre.

Well, whatever you do – E N J O Y I T! We were always told that laughter is the best medicine and now we know it to be true – it raises the serotonin levels in the brain and gives you that ‘feel good’ factor.

Visit Mabels…Maintaining Bygone Times, containing numerous articles thoughtfully researched mainly for the older person. You may access these articles by visiting http://www.mabels.org.uk/ - You will learn about the best tips, latest news & advice to improve your health, fitness, finances & retirement as well as information on nostalgic topics, places to visit, leisure & lifestyle, mobility & helpful organisations to make the most out of life and much, much more to benefit "Your Quality of Life".

The new Medicare Plan D Prescription Drug Coverage Program has created a lot of confusion. But there are five basic questions where you need to know the answers. Here are those questions and answers.

Who can join this Medicare prescription Drug plan?

Medicare says that everyone over 65 who has the Original Medicare Plan, a Medicare Private Fee-for-Service Plan that doesn’t offer prescription drug coverage, or a Medicate Cost Plan, can join a Medicare Plan D in their area.

How much will my Plan D Prescription Drug Coverage cost?

Here’s where it gets complicated. While there are many plans that have been certified by Medicare, not all plans are available in all states. This means you must pick a plan that’s available in your state. Each of these plans determines how much to charge. However all drug plans must offer coverage at least as good as the Medicare minimum standard coverage. This minimum standard coverage requires you to pay a monthly premium, and the first $250 per year for your prescriptions. This $250 is called your deductible.

For example, here in Colorado, there are 20 different plans available. The monthly premium for these plans ranges from a low of $0 to a high of $65.88.

What do these drug plans cover?

Each plan provider also determines which drugs will be covered. The list of drugs covered by a plan is called a “formulary.” Each plan’s formulary typically lists each drug covered by the drug’s brand or generic name and whether or not a co-pay is required. For example, the AARP Medicare Plan lists 25 analgesics (pain relievers), ranging from ibuprofen which requires a $5 co-pay to Celebrex with a $55 co-pay.

What is the Plan D “donut hole I keep hearing about?

After you pay your $250 deductible, you pay 25% of your yearly drug costs from the $250 to $2,250, and your prescription drug plan pays the other 75%. You then pay 100% of the next $2850 in drug costs. This is the donut hole. Then, after you have spent $3,600 out of pocket, you pay only 5% of your drug costs (or a small co-payment) for the rest of the calendar year.

How do I pick a plan?

Unfortunately, the burden is on you to research and compare the plans available in your area. If you have access to the Internet, you can go to www.medicare.gov, click on Landscape of Local Plans. and on your state. You will then be shown all the plans available in your state with each plan’s monthly premium and information on its deductibles and benefits.

Here’s something that’s simpler and a lot more fun. Plan to vacation this year in Denver. A Denver vacation offers the best of both worlds– there are the fun things to see and do you find only in a big, bustling city and the spectacular scenary and vistas offered by our nearby Rocky Mountains. For more information on a great Denver vacation, ust go to http://www.best-denver-vacation.com.

Douglas Hanna has lived in the Denver metro area for more than 30 years and is an expert on both Denver and Colorado. He is also the author of more than 100 ezine articles on a variety of subjects.

It’s a difficult time in your life when you are tired, old and ready to retire but can’t due to your financial situation. Some professions and many employers do not provide a pension. Jobs that are open to the older person are boring, pay little, and are sometimes dangerous.

Bill, a friend of mine, worked as a photographer until he was sixty five, then got a part time job as a night time security guard. He would come to chorus rehearsal in his too large uniform looking completely worn out. He came to me once and told me that he still had his original cameras from the forties. He said he would like me to look at them to see if they were worth anything, admitting that as far as he knew, none of them worked. I told him that I would be glad to look at them and perhaps even fix them.

The following week he presented me with a large cardboard box containing a half dozen old cameras. Among them was a four by five Speed Graphic, a five by seven view camera, two early thirty five millimeter cameras and a Zeiss Ikon folding camera. Since I loved all cameras, I was thrilled to have a chance at cleaning up his collection.

It took three months of tearing apart, polishing, reassembling and testing these gems of early photography to look like new. Most of the repair involved fine adjustments of the mechanisms and occasionally a part had to be milled out of raw stock. Cushioning each specimen in foam, I filled a large suitcase with the restored cameras, anticipating Bill’s expression when he saw the result of my labors.

At our next meeting, I arrived early to present to him the cameras. He was flabbergasted, holding each camera like a rare gem, turning them this way and that, marveling at the shine of newness not seen for fifty years. Later, in the parking lot, he thanked me again for fixing his cameras and insisted that I keep the cameras for myself, after all the work I did on them. He added that they were worth nothing in their abused condition so he wouldn’t be losing anything. Not wanting to upset him by arguing, I thanked him and went home.

I racked my brain for a way to compensate Bill for his generosity and came up with a plan. I would take his cameras to a large camera exposition and show where there would be photography dealers and collectors. I was sure that they would be interested in these original cameras. I added a few cameras that I had been given through the years. One, a wrist camera that took ten circular pictures and looked like a diver’s watch was a collector’s item. Others included an old twin lens camera and several folding cameras.

Except for the wrist camera, my dealings at the Photographic Exhibit were one hundred per cent successful. I collected four hundred and forty dollars from ten different dealers. At the next chorus meeting, I handed Bill an envelope with two hundred twenty dollars, half the take from the cameras. Since this occurred in the sixties, this money represented a month’s rent for Bill. He is now living by himself in a little room, surrounded by the memorabilia of six decades as a photographer.

A retired portrait photographer, I prefer photography to cameras.

A complete understanding of Medicare Part D Out-of-pocket expenses is critical for all Medicare-eligible individuals in order for them to maximize their savings and get the most out of the program.

What are the Out-of-Pocket expenses associated with Medicare Part D? On the Medicare.gov website “Out of Pocket costs” are defined as “health care costs that you must pay on your own because they are not covered by Medicare or other insurance.”

The Out-of-Pocket (OOP) expenses associated with Medicare Part D are basically any costs for an enrollee’s medications that Medicare will not cover and that they must pay for on their own. These OOP expenses include the annual deductible, which ranges from $0 - $250 depending on the individuals chosen plan, and any other portion of their medication cost that they are required to pay such as the drug cost co-payments. It is important to note that an enrollee’s monthly premium is not counted as an Out-of-pocket expense. These premium payments are an additional expense on top of the out-of-pocket expenses.

The majority of Medicare drug plans have a $250 annual deductible and a 25% co-payment for all enrollee’s drug costs until they have reached $2250 in drug expenditures. Under this scenario, at the $2250 expenditure point, enrollee’s will have $750 in Out-of-Pocket expenditures. How do we come up with the figure of $750? This is calculated as such:

The $250 annual deductible + $500 (25% co-payment x $2000 of drug expenditures) = $750

Individuals who have close to or exactly $2250 in annual drug expenditures in 2006 will be the biggest winners of the Medicare Prescription Drug plan. Based on the individual paying only $750 in OOP expenses and assuming that the individual payed the national average monthly premium of $32.20, these individuals save approximately 49% on their drug purchases. However, not surprisingly, the majority of seniors do not fall in this category and the savings drop off sharply when you spend more than or less than the $2250.

For the millions of American seniors who will spend more than $2250 on their drugs in 2006, this is where the Out-of-Pocket expenses start to add up. Beyond the $2250 expenditure amount you are responsible for paying for 100% of your drug cost until you have spent $3600 out-of-pocket (called the Out of Pocket Threshold). This means that between the annual drug expenditure range of $2250 and $5100 you are 100% responsible for paying for the cost of your medications.

How do we come up with the drug expenditure range of $2250 and $5100? Here is the explanation:

When the Medicare Modernization Act was passed in 2003 it was decided at that time that once people had spent $2250 on drug expenditures they would then be 100% responsible for paying for their drugs until they his a threshold of $3600 in drug expenditures.

So between from $0 to $2250 there are $750 in out-of-pocket expenses as we calculated earlier in this article.

$3600 OOP Threshold - $750 in OOP expenses at $2250 = $2850 remaining to reach the OOP Threshold.

Since after $2250 in expenditures enrollees are 100% responsible for their drug costs we can simply add the $2850 remaining to reach the OOP Threshold to the $2250 in drug expenditures to get:

$2250 + $2850 = $5100

That is how we get the drug expenditure range of $2250 to $5100 in which enrollees are 100% responsible for their drug expenditures.

This expenditure range is often called the “doughnut hole”. It is very important that Medicare eligible individuals are aware of the doughnut hole because for the first few months of 2006 they may be budgeting based on only having to pay for 25% of their drug purchases and then all of a sudden when they reach $2250 in drug expenditures they are hit with responsibility of paying for 100% of the drug cost. That is a huge and sudden change in monthly expenditures.

It is also important that Medicare Part D enrollees are aware that not all purchases are necessarily counted towards their Out-of-Pocket expenditures. The following are examples of purchases that will not be counted towards OOP expenses:

1. If a drug that an enrollee requires is not on the formulary of covered drugs for their chosen drug plan (or if their plan removes that drug from its formulary of covered drugs) that drug purchase will not be counted towards their out of pocket expenses and you are 100% responsible to pay for it. Purchasing these non-formulary drugs, that the enrollee must pay full price for, from Canada is an excellent alternative to paying high prices at the local pharmacy. Individuals can save an average of 42% by purchasing these medications in Canada.

2. If an enrollee travels and buys their prescription drug at a pharmacy that is not included in their drug plan’s network of pharmacies they are 100% responsible for the cost of the medication and it will not be counted towards their OOP expenses.

3. If an enrollee currently has an insurance plan and they utilize their insurance coverage to pay for their drug purchase, the purchase will not be counted towards their OOP expenses.

4. If an enrollee purchases their medications from another country that has low-cost, high-quality medications, such as Canada, these purchases, unfortunately, will not be counted towards their OOP expenses. However, these individuals may want to explore this option when they reach the doughnut hole to help them save even more money. In fact, if an individual spends more than $2250 a year on medicines but less than $7050 a year, buying their medicines from Canada once they hit the doughnut hole is an excellent option for them.

Medicare eligible individuals’ knowledge of Out-of-Pocket expenses and what these expenses entail is crucial for them to save as much as they possibly can with the Medicare Prescription Drug plan.

Copyright 2005 Jeremy Cockerill

Jeremy Cockerill is a licensed pharmacist and the co-founder and pharmacy manager of Universal Drugstore. Mr. Cockerill graduated from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Manitoba with Honors in 1998. Mr. Cockerill is the recipient of the 2005 Manager of the Year award from the Manitoba Customer Contact Association. http://www.universaldrugstore.com

Certain companies provide Medical Alert Services not only to senior citizens, but also to persons of all ages who suffer from critical medical conditions which may deteriorate suddenly and necessitate an SOS for immediate help. It may also be noted that such medical emergencies not only occur in case of sick persons, but may also overtake the perfectly healthy. Suppose you are in peak health, driving on the road and then someone driving under the influence of liquor crashes into your car, leaving you in need of urgent medical help. Or you may be sitting alone in your home and you feel suffocated, seized with a panic and in need of immediate medical help.

This is where the Medical Alert Service agencies step in to help you. The services supply very easy-to-use buttons or electronic transmission devices that can be activated just by pressing a button fitted in a necklace or bracelet. It may be stitched on your pillow or on your bed close to your arm or waist.

The moment you press the transmission button or the command module, it sends a panic alarm through radio frequencies to the base station of the Medical Alert Service, which monitors your call. It has your personal and medical details in its database, and instantly alerts your family members or doctor, as the case may be. These devices are also fitted with consoles, which immediately contact your family members or doctors, who can respond to your call immediately. They also try to talk directly to you, if you can respond. This also helps monitor your condition.

Some of these Medical Alert Services perform all the monitoring tasks themselves, while others contract out the job to other agencies. Some of these services may be excellent, while other may be just lousy. The best course to decide about the quality of their services, their devices and their credentials is to contact the state certifying department. Any negligence in this area of enquiry may cost you dearly.

Medical Alerts provides detailed information about medical alerts, medical alert system, medical alert bracelets, medical alert necklaces and more. Medical Alerts is the sister site of Cardiac Rehab.

Senior persons admittedly are more prone to different physical and mental ailments, but youth does not necessarily ensure against disease, especially in case of those young persons who are weak or sickly, physically challenged, or susceptible to diseases like heart attacks, strokes, epileptic fits or fainting, allergies, memory impairment, pulmonary conditions, asthma, COPD, hearing or vision problems or similar medical emergencies.

Their family members or caretakers have to go out for work, leaving them alone at home. Also, these sick persons too may have to work due to financial constraints. In some cases, particularly with old people, the spouse may have died and the children are far away. Then there are millions of persons living alone who are prone to medical emergencies. Problem may occur at night, when nobody is around. Even healthy persons, with their hectic lifestyles in work-to-meet-the-deadline environments, are vulnerable to various types of heart and brain diseases, accidents and food poisoning.

Medical Alerts, in such situations, can be of great help in summoning timely medical aid, though carrying or wearing these alerts does publicly advertise the sickness of the person. They identify the medical problems of the wearers. Unfortunately, this medical identification, though of critical importance for the patients, creates complexes in the minds of image-conscious wearers and hurt their sensibilities.

To overcome this problem, the designers of medical jewelry have come up with solutions in form of acceptable fashionable accessories, like pendants and bracelets, which are easy to use. They try to arrive at a compromise between the necessity of communicating the disease to medical experts and the ostensible awkwardness of wearing the alerts.

These Medical Alerts are in fact electronic gadgets fitted with transmitter buttons, embedded in the pendants, that send SOS signals to the monitoring agencies who in turn alert the friends and family members of the patients and, more importantly, their doctors. The signals are sent either by telephone or radio frequencies. Depending upon the nature of disease, various Medical Alerts are available in the market and their use can avert tragedy.

Medical Alerts provides detailed information about medical alerts, medical alert system, medical alert bracelets, medical alert necklaces and more. Medical Alerts is the sister site of Cardiac Rehab.