Why do people contact Area Agency on Aging?  A son works for a state agency and deals with Medicaid benefits daily for children.  His father has been the primary caregiver for his spouse who is on hospice services.  The father now has health concerns of his own. They live on limited income but is over the Medicaid limited allow.  They have no savings.  The son had spoken with individuals before who had stated that there is no help for them because of income.  The state of Missouri has a program called Division of Assets and Home Community Base services and by completing the proper paperwork they are both able to qualify for assistance with the MO HealthNet so they can continue to stay in their home and receive the help they need.

- Submitted by Liz Yokley, BSW

Why do people contact Area Agency on Aging?  A gentleman got a letter in the mail stating that they are trying to get a new Medicare card to him and have been unsuccessful.  He had tried calling other agencies and he could not get through on the phone or he was told they could not help him.  Together we contact the Social Security office and got his address updated and a new Medicare card is now on its way.

-Submitted by Liz Yokley, BSW

Why do people contact Area Agency on Aging?  There are a variety of reasons but one reason I will talk about today is being new to Medicare.  It is estimated that 10,000 people a day are turning 65. It can be an overwhelming task to walk thru the process of Medicare. There are a number of people and agencies that talk to individuals about Medicare.  With an Area Agency on Aging there is nothing to sell.  We provide you with is information on how to work thru the system.  Our goal is when you are talking with an insurance company you have the knowledge of which questions to ask and things to think about when making decisions. A physician came into the office to learn about what steps he needed to take.  We discussed the process of when to sign up for Medicare, the cost involved, and what he will do next.  That same day I spoke with a lady who was starting on Medicare and was nervous because she had limited income and didn’t know how she would pay for Medicare.  We were able to help her with paperwork to sign up for a Medicare Savings Programs.  Income is not a criteria when working with an Area Agency on Aging. We listen, We help.

 - Submitted by Liz Yokley, BSW