Golden Maturity Inc. 347-291-7479

Medicare the new rules and time to enroll.

Medicare and our healthcare system are going through changes.

The baby boomers have arrived. Who ever thought when I'm 65 would come so soon.  Welcome to seniorville.  If they are already enrolled in Medicare, starting in 2011 they will be entitled to a free annual physical, as well as other preventive services.

Annual enrollment for Medicare for those already enrolled is from November 15^th through December 31.  Give yourself or your loved one plenty of time to review the new Medicare changes.  You can go to Medicare.gov to keep up with what is happening.  The new handbook is not listed on their site yet, however it will be sent out soon with a list of Evidence of Coverage listing their current plan coverage and what it costs and the Annual Notice of Change which lists changes to the plan for the coming year, beginning January 1, 2011. Seniors really need to pay attention to this as the ability to change plans when ever they please is not an option.

Hospital Infections, are they on the rise? My personal experience in Brooklyn NY

Hospital Infections may be declining with some infections while a large increase is occuring with others.  Just a few months back I was having a conversation with a couple of colleagues.  We were discussing a new infection that is rapidly spreading, called Clostridium difficile aka C-diff.  It is passed through wounds, intravenous lines, and other means.  If you are taking antibiots and you come in contact with it you may be more suseptable since the antibiots kill good and bad bacteria at the same time.  Thanks to colleages, Caryn Isaacs, Patient Advocate, and Ann Hanna, I was made aware of this.  After ending up in the hospital myself this weekend I was horrified to find out that the women sharing the room with me had C-diff.  I immediately asked for a discharge since I could continue the medications at home.  They were allowing this patient to walk the halls.  C-diff is spread by touching things, thus leaving bacteria that others can pick up.  When I quickly left my room to let them know I wanted to be discharged, I had turned to notice a sign outside my shared room that read, caution etc.  point being something in my room was contagious and I was told I was not.  Once you get what you need in the hospital get out as fast as you can.  I actually had nurses and assistants that were not changing their gloves between patients, and who were not sanitizing their hands between glove changes.  It was a breeding ground for germs.  OK some are saying maybe I'm getting paranoid, however if you don't control your own destiny to some degree you may loose control.  I also do not think patients should wait in a doctors office to be seen.  I bring my own pen for sign in and let them know my tel # so they can let me know when to come in from my car, parked in the area.  I also carry hand sanitizer with me.  Think about how many people go to the doctor because they are sick.  I certainly do not need anything I do not already have.  Touch nothing.  When using the rest room remember to turn the water on and off with paper towels.  Use a paper towel to open the door, if hand use is at all necessary.  This is seriously deadly stuff.  I hope this will keep you out of germs way.  I'm still trying to get the real low down on whether people with C-diff can be admitted to nursing homes and or assisted living vacilities.  It seems to me they would need a seperate building or everyone will end up infected.

In a time when its hard to make ends meet our seniors are short changed.

I find it really scary that people who live on a fixed income are going to have less to make ends meet next year.  According to the press release consumer prices are down, so Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for more than 57 million Americans will not automatically increase in 2010.  This according to the press release is the first time since 1975 that a Cost of Living Adjustment, will not be automatic.  The main expenses seniors have are housing, food and medical.  I know I am paying way more on utilities, never mind the cost of food.  O.K. gas prices are down from a year or so ago, however all those food prices that increased due to fuel costs have not come back down where I shop.  Please see the press release I have attached. Download Cost of living adjustment