The Doc Fix Home Care Path

Many seniors today rely on Medicare to see the physician. The Congressional Budget Office uses a portion of a budget tool called SGR (sustainable growth rate) in documentaing baseline projections for Federal expense reports. The Congressional Budget Office using SGR Sustainable Growth Rate values indicate a 21 percent reduction in fees paid to Medical Doctors by the Federal Health (Medicare) program. The fear felt by all is that physicians will walk away from Medicare. Medical Doctors would no longer accept the rate of reimbursement paid by Medicare for health visit services. This past June 2010 Senate approved a 6 month plan to prevent cuts to Doctors fees paid by Medicare. In June 2010 the Senate approved a 6.4 billion dollar measure that will reverse the 21 percent cut aimed at Doctor payments through Medicare. Legislator's argued the cost will be offset by a change in Medicare billing regulations, some anti-fraud provisions, and tightening the pension rules. Why just 6 months. A permanent Doc Fix would involve Congressional mandates to insure means of payment. A permanent Doc Fix requires legislators to define in detail the source of the money to assure fiscal feasability of the Federal mandates. The six month Doc Fix insures needed access to health care for many of the Nations seniors.

Half Price Drugs 2011 Home Care path

President Barack Obama signed into law The Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act includes a mandate for a 50 percent discount on brand name drugs in 2011. Seniors in the donut hole and not able to receive low income assistance, will be eligible for the 50 percent discount. In 2010 the doughnut hole begins after you reach 2830.00 in total prescription drug spending and extends until your total drug costs for the year reach 6440.00. Note Medicare requires the drug to be prescription, not available over the counter, to be included in the calculation. This is significant in that most seniors utilize over the counter medications, vitamins, etc. on a daily basis. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have released documents that facilitate the implementation of The Affordable Care Act's provisions through a third party administrative contractor. The released documents have clarified how the drug discount program will be implemented. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will coordinate the drug manufacturers reimbursement for discount payments that Part D sponsors provide on behalf to applicable beneficiaries under the program through a third party administrative contractor. The Third Party Administrator will be mandated to participate in the process to verify the accuracy of the manufacturer discounts reported by the Part D sponsors. So, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid have issued an agreement that drug manufacturers of applicable Part D drugs are required to sign in order to participate in the discount program.

PTSD Home Care Path

PTSD is post traumatic stress disorder. Family will describe an individual with symtpoms of post traumatic stress disorder as being stuck. Post traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder. The anxiety takes residence in the subconscious and flings its fearful images on the minds perceiving screen taking the individuals focus away from the physical environment. Like the sneaky pop ups on the computer screen, the anxiety slips its fearful images often fragments of the original trauma on to the individuals perceiving screen. PTSD occurs after the individual has experienced a traumatic event that involves the threat of injury or death. The person with PTSD will have repeated flashbacks as if reliving the traumatic expereince again. The flashback seems so real the body begins to react as if the expereince is occurring in the present. Individuals suffering from PTSD will often avoid persons or places. The is believed to be the mind trying to avoid any object in physical reality that may trigger a full blown flashback of the original event. A person with PTSD will often complain of not feeling anything- as if unsure of what is real and what is imagined, it all seems the same. Individuals with PTSD will display an exaggerated awareness of the area at all times. As if being on guard for another occurrance of an undesirable event. Their is an under lying sense of guilt, often called survivors guilt. The individual with PTSD questions their right to be here and consider the original traumatic experience to be their fault.

Honey Natural Sugar Home Care Path

Honey, just as it comes from the hive is ready to eat. The bee processes the honey and packs it into beautifully made hexagonal wax cells in the honeycomb. The taste of the honey depends on what flowers the bee has visited on its foraging trips. All honeys are a mixture of various flowers so that a pleasant overall taste results. Honey is made of simple sugars so easy for the seniors body to digest. Honey contains some B vitamins through the bee which aides in the digestion process. Some minerals found in honey include iron, copper, sodium, potassium, manganese, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. These are all minerals a senior needs everyday. Small traces of natural antibiotics have been found in honey. Note that honey has been used since ancient times, world wide as an ingredient in medicines. To store honey , keep liquid honey in a dry place. Freezing honey does not injure the color or flavor, but may hasten granulation. Avoid damp place for storage, for honey has the property of absorbing and retaining moisture. Do not put honey in the regrigerator. Honey serves best , nutritionally speaking, if you eat it uncooked, just as it comes.

What Does Parkinsons Look Like? Home Care Path

Parkinson disease is a progressive, degenerative neurologic disorder. More common in seniors. Symptoms begin with tremors at rest and with fatigue, disappearaing with intended movement and sleep. Progression of the syptoms is illustrated with tremor of the head, continued slowing of voluntary movements, and bilateral pill rolling of the fingers. Muscular rigidity and resistance to passive motion interfere with walking and swinging of arms. The gait consists of more rapid, sorts, shuffling steps. Facial expression may be blank with widely opened eyes and poor blink reflex. Speech becomes slowed, monotonous, slurred, and sometimes severely dysarthric. Difficutly swallowing and drooling with excessive saliva may occur. Similar symptoms can be seen in individuals with cerebral trauma, carbon monoxide or manganese poisoning, or drug certain overdose. So the characteristic features of Parkinson disease is excessive sweating, drooling with excessive saliva, gait with rapid short shuffling steps and reduced arm swinging. Home Care Path http://homecarepath.com staff can assist individuals who have lost ability to Parkinsons disease.

What Is The Senior Care Industry? Home Care Path

The senior care industry is the provision of services to meet the special needs and requirements that are unique to senior citizens. Senior citizens experience a gradual loss of physical functional capability, changes in senses (sight, hearing), and changes in cognition (memory). This is further complicated by greater life expectency, two income household, and the geographical dispersion of family. The senior care industry emphasizes the non medical, custodial care requirements of seniors who need a helping hand with daily chores, but who deserve to age with dignity.

Given the choice most seniors would prefer to continue to live in their own homes. Home Care Path http://homecarepath.com (point and click to access free site) offers long term in home care for seniors. Home Care Path helps by coordinating staff to assist with daily chores preventing the senior from getting so run down they end up in the emergency room or permanantly placed in an assisted living facility.

Senior non medical home care is much less likely to be covered by insurance or public funding (Medicare). Over 85 percent of families pay for senior care services out of their own funds.

The services Home Care Path provides are truly customer centered. Staff help seniors in home who have difficulty walking, dressing, talking, eating, cooking, climbing steps, remembering medications, setting up bath, oral care, hair care, reading mail, washing dishes, discarding expired foods, taking garbage out, memory loss and confusion. In home help to improve an individuals circumstance with a goal to maintain the seniors independence as long as possible.

Home Care Path supplements the familie efforts. So Home Care Path works with both the senior and family to enhance the stability of the household. This extends family participation and improves the seniors quality of life. Home Care Path serves South Central Wisconsin.

Invest Franchise Home Care Path

The franchise business systems for sale in the United States have greatly increased. Seniors can be approached by family to invest in a franchise system. Seniors should ask if the franchise is SBA (Small Business Administration) eligible. Franchise systems approved by the SBA should be listed on The Franchise Registry. The Franchise Registry should indicate the date the franchise you are considering was put on the registry. This should include any updates and the franchisor contact information. Note that a portion of the Franchise Registry is private and used only by SBA staff and SBA lenders. There is a three part test the SBA uses on a system to determine franchise eligibility.
1. Is the agreement a franchise agreement (it provides a product or service critical to the borrowers operation, so substantially affects the borrowers ability to repay the debt, and has a critical trademark. )
2. Does the franchisee have the right to profit from its efforts and bear risk of loss commensurate with ownership (excessive franchise fees are charges, transfer is limited or not allowed, franchisor can disallow sale in its sole discretion, franchisor controls sale price of business, franchisor charges excessive liquidating damages, under these circumstances the franchisee and franchisor may be affiliated)
3. Are there any factors such as excessive restraint on transfer or franchisee's operations that give control to the franchisor (Royalty fees in excess of 15 percent are considered excessive, co if you pay 12 percent royalty monthly and are mandated to invest 7 percent in advertising, you are at 19 percent which is excessive)
the SBA will require a franchise agreement to contain Consent by Franchisor for transfer will not be unreasonably withheld. Franchisors cannot control the price that the francise system can be resold for. The franchisor can never set the franchisee's net proft, or directly hire the franchisees employees. Although SBA Small Business Administration approval does provide some credibility to the franchise system, the Senior cand Family are responsible for conducting complete due diligence. Most franchise systems will offer a reduction in up front fees to start immediately. A typical franchise sytem asks for a 10 year committment. The senior and family should never rush in to a franchise agreement.

Headache Triggers Home Care Path

Headaches can interfere with the quality of a seniors life. Nutritionists have theorized certain foods can trigger head pain in individuals. This practise involves identifying the food that triggers the headache. The senior then excludes the food from the daily diet. This reduces the headaches. This is a list of foods most likely to trigger a headache.
caffeine from coffee, tea, iced tea, cola
chocolate
cheese except cream cheese, cottage cheese and american cheese
yogurt and sour cream
nuts including peanut butter
processed cured aged meats hot dogs, sausage, bacon, salami, bologna
alcholic drinks especially red wine, champagne, and dark heavy drinks
MSG monosodium glutmate
citrus fruits oranges grapefruits lemons limes, pineapple and other juices
other fruits bananas, raisins, red plums, canned figs, avacados
some vegetables broad lima fava navy beans, pea pods, saurkraut, onions
some bread home made yeast breads, sour dough, yeast risen bake goods
aspartame nutrsweet

source David Buchholz MD John Hopkins University

Disrupted Sleep Home Care Path

The likelihood of suffering from sleep distrubance increases with age. Many seniors experience disrupted sleep. Seniors experience nighttime or early morning awakening. The most common sleep disruption is insomnia. Insomnia is characterized by trouble falling asleep or repeated awakenings during the night. Hyperinsomnia the senior is groggy upon rising and feels weary and exhausted all day. Hyperinsomnia is seen as excessive sleepiness. Nocturnal myoclonus is involuntary leg movements that cause awakening at night. Narcolepsy causes overpowering attacks of sleepiness. During narcolepsy a senior may lose all control over there voluntary muscle, as if zoning out. Sleep apnea (stop breathing period when asleep) looks like loud night time snoring and daytime drowsiness. Tips for supporting a good nights sleep include:
Limit caffeine, alcohol and tobacco use
Get up the same early hour each day, avoid over sleeping
Cut out naps
Keep regular meal times
Have a regular, predictable evening routine
Reduce fluid intake prior to bedtime
Lose some weight
If sleep disruption continues to interfere with daytime routines contact your primary Doctor for a referral to a sleep specialist. The sleep specialist (a medical doctor) will conduct a comprehensive diagnositc evaluation. You may be asked to keep a sleep chart. You would document and record sleep distrubances, the time and food, fluid consumed, stressors etc.

Senior Scam Alert From Home Care Path

The newest senior scam uses facebook. The senior receives an email from a stranded family member needing money. The FBI has been flooded with reports of social networking accounts (facebook) being comprimised and used to swindle seniors out of money. Computer unlawfuls hack the seniors facebook information and contact the user. Scammers use emotionally charged (love of family) messages to trick seniors in to sending money. The FBI have released data indicating online fraud in 2009 was over 500 million dollars. This is a substantial increase from 2008. This sends the message that online criminals have become more aggressive, and manipulative. If you are an online user and get a message from a family member saying they are out of country and need quick cash, you are likely the target of an online scammer. Never ever rush to provide money for an online contact you receive.

Medicare Non Covered Equipment Home Care Path LLC

Medicare identifies this equipment as presumptively nonmedical. This is where case managers are challenged to explain to seniors that the equipment they want is not been deemed medically necessary by Medicare. The senior can have the equipment but must pay out of pocket for the object. Equipment which is primarily used for a non medical purpose may not be considered medical equipment for which payment can be made under the medicare insurance program. This is true even though the item has some remote medically related use. So a cardiac patient wants an air conditioner. Providers could argue an air conditioner could lower the room temperature, reduce fluid loss, and restore the environment to be conducive to proper fluid balance. But because the primary and customary use of an air conditioner is non medical , the air conditioner cannot be identified as medical equipment for which medicare will pay. similar items not covered by medicare include room heaters, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and electric cleaners. Convenience items such as in home elevators, posture chairs, cushion lift chairs, exercise bikes, tread mills are not covered by medicare. Case managers often work with families to add a savings plan for a specific item into the household budget.

Kelp For Dinner Home Care Path LLC

Kelp is a term that applies to many kinds of sea weed. Kelp comes from the sea, as a staple food, and is eaten in many parts of the world. Kelp is known by nutritionists for providing trace minerals. Recall that soil erodes washes to the sea filled with minerals. People can get calcium from milk, iron from meat and eggs, and phosphorus from seeds. Kelp (seaweed) was first dried and powdered for use as a trace mineral supplement added to meals. In parts of Japan kelp makes up a large part of the daily diet. Kelp is used for foods just like we prepare salad greens. The goiter is beleived to be unknown to communities that consume kelp with meals. Nutritionists seem certain the iodine content of the kelp is responsible for the absence of the goiter. One way to prepare kelp is to flatten it into a paper thin sheet. There is one dietary warning about kelp. If you are on a salt free diet, kelp contains a considerable amount of sodium (salt) the substance you are trying to avoid. Because kelp contains so many more minerals the sodium (salt) content is only about one tenth that of table salt.

Medicare Discharge Home Care Path LLC

The Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act H.R. 3590 was signed by President Barack Obama in March 2010. There are specific parts of the bill that address discharge planning. H.R. 3590 section 2717 describes a process for monitoring health outcomes directly related to the discharge process. Section 3025 describes financial incentives to encourage hospitals to reduce readmissions through appropriate discharge planning. House H.R. 3962 section 1151 describes fiscal mandates targetting the reduction of preventable hospital readmissions secondary to the discharge planning process. You will begin to see hospital staff participating in Medicare 30 Day Readmissions policy and procedures training. This will involve technology enabled strategies for improved outcomes with discharge practise. Medicare providers will be challenged to collect and distribute mandated reports on discharge outcomes. The legeslations intent is to improve quality, reduce lengths of stay and readmissions, achieve optimal health outcomes at a lower cost. Medicare is paying certified Medicare providers for their service with these expectations in the contract. Certainly hospital medicine has grown in recent years, and communication among providers during transitioning patients is a particularly vulnerable area for hospital case managers. The referral process requires providers hand off patients to varied hospital departments , where limited information is communicated , resulting in a potential risk to the patient. Home Care Path LLC http://homecarepath.com accompanies seniors to provider visits.

Hospital Discharge Home Care Path LLC

Discharge planning is defined by Medicare as a process used to decide what a patient needs for a smooth move from one level of care to another. Medicare requires that the discharge plan be safe and adequate. So, discharge from a hospital does not mean the senior has fully recovered. Discharge from a hospital means an MD has decided that the senior has reached a stable condition and does not need to be hsopitalized anymore. Families have been consistently reminded to be sure there are no inaccurate assumptions with the hospital discharge plan. Be clear on what family will be required to do for the senior when they arrive home. If an agency is coming in to help the senior make sure the workers are in place (this is more than just a phone call made by the discharge planner to start service). Families have been reminded that if discharge is to a nursing home make sure the physical location is close to accomidate family visits. Discharge planning has always been important based on the way health insurance works, hospitals make money by refilling beds, not by having existing patients linger in the hospital.

Managing Change Home Care Path LLC

Having Home Care Path LLC staff http://homecarepath.com come in to a home represents a change. Recognize that all change manifests predictable psychological processes that seniors go through as they come to terms with a new situation. Home Care Path LLC staff, the senior, family, other agencies providing service, can expereince guilt, self absorption, resentment, anxiety, and stress. It may be helpful to look at this change in three phases.
Phase one: release, or letting go
Phase two: crossing the neutral zone, or middle of the road
Phase three: launching new beginning,or involved seems like right thing to do

In phase one it is helpful to identify the change in relation to loss. Discuss who is losing what. With Home Care Path LLC staff the primary care giver may be surrendering some of the duties over to new staff members. The Senior may view the need for additional help as an increased loss of function, independence. The Home Care Path staff may have lost a senior and now must meet and work with a new individual. Openly and sympathetically acknowledge the importance of these losses. Try to discuss what is clearly over, what is not over, and treat the past with respect.

In phase two the household participants often feel like they are in the middle of the road. Past ways of doing things have gone away and the new way of doing things has not yet become the norm. This is the time lot of the emotions can play tricks on household participants. The old ways are gone but the new ways do not quite feel comfortable yet. The houshold participants should discuss recognizing this as occurring. Try to identify uncomfortable feelings. Keep communication open and above all see this as the flow of time on the process of change. Realize cares may take more time during this phase, and all will question more.

In phase three the new beginning is launched. Household participants notice some of the cares seem to flow smoother. The questioning is reduced. The buzzword transition experts use for phase three is "buy in". This means the household participants are begnning to be comfortable with the new way of doing things. Often the senior will accept additional help with tasks that had been labeled off bounds. The staff begin to see it will work for them, and they feel their help is valued. The family become comfortable with the new and facilitate the establishment of daily routines.

Readers are encouraged to understand that all change occurs in these three phases. Transition consultants specializing in change will be paid high sums of money to reveal to the clients what phase of the change process they are in. What thoughts, feelings and behaviors are normal parts of that phase of change. What interventions (open communication, defined loss) can help improve passage to the next phase. Just having all understand that change is a process that involves predictable phases that include varied thoughts, feelings and behaviors, can be helpful.

Functional Fitness Home Care Path LLC

Home Care Path LLC http://homecarepath.com facilitates consistency and stability designed to maintain a good quality of life. Staff develop healthy daily routines to support he seniors independence. One program is functional fitness. Functional fitness involves activity the senior can participate in to produce strength, flexibility, and endurance. Staff discuss proper body mechanics and good lifting techniques, to improve injury resistance.

Strength: Start with something light (magazine) and move up gradually to heavier objects (can soup). Try to hold the object and curl arm at elbow about 6-10 times. Keep the movements controlled and stop if there is any pain. As the strength increases gradually increase the weight, keep the repetitions about the same.

Flexibility: This is stretching and can be done anytime anywhere. No special equipment is needed. Warm up with easy movements at least 5 minutes before stretching to avoid injury. Stay well hydrated. Do not stretch to the point of pain or discomfort do not bounce.

Endurance: Start slow. Walk the length of the room 2 times day. Progressively walk more, take it slow. Remember to warm up bit (stretch) prior to starting walking. Eventually walk in halls, and out to postal box. Give yourself time to cool down after walking session.

Participating in healthy daily routines help maintain functional fitness. This enables the senior to better participate in the routines of daily living. This fosters independence.

Dysphagia Home Care Path LLC

Dysphagia is impaired ability to swallow. Providers look for a documented history (medical chart review) of aspiration (food in lungs), oral motor disorders (drooling, food retention), impaired salivary gland performance, incoordination (postural difficulties), loss of sensation, and significant weight loss . Information such as presence of feeding tube, paralysis, coughing, choking, altered oral motor structure, function, loss of oral sensitivity, chnages in muscle tone, cognitive deficit, unpurposeful positioning, changes in laryngeal function, altered oropharyngeal reflexes, loss of swallow, can indicate need for ongoing diagnostic testing. Providers may monitor by using videofluoroscopy, upper GI series, endoscopy, etc. The senior may have ongoing visits with physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Family of the senior with swallow difficulty will be taught feeding and swallowing techiniques, proper head and body positioning, amount of intake per swallow, appropriate diet, way to facilitate the swallow,and food consistency. Seniors with difficulty swallowing will take additional time to complete meals and maintain proper nutrition. Home Care Path LLC http://homecarepath.com staff assist seniors with meals.

Medicare Dental Home Care Path LLC

Medicare is not a valid pay source for dental services. Items and services in connection with the care, treatment, filling, removal, or replacement of teeth, or structures directly supporting teeth are not covered by Medicare. Structures directly supporting the teeth means periodontium, which includes the gingivae, dentogingival junction, periodontal membrane, cementum, and alveolar process.

Medicare payment may be made however for surgery related to the jaw, or any structure contigious to the jaw. The reduction of any fracture of the jaw or any facial bone, including dental splints, or other appliances used for this purpose. In general , the jaw or any structure contiguous to the jaw includes structures of the facial area below the eyes, so mandible, teeth, gums, tongue, palate, salivary glands, sinuses etc. The dentist office often refers to oral surgery when medicare can be used as a valid pay source.

Home Care Path LLC http://homecarepath.com accompanies seniors to appointments.

Brown Rice Home Care Path LLC

Brown rice is far superior to white rice nutritionally speaking. Brown rice is rice as it grows, before any food processor has an opportunity to get its hands on it and make it in to something else, like white rice. Milling (remove husk and polish) removes much of the protein, some fat, almost all of the B vitamins and minerals. Nutritionists long ago recogniized the loss of thiamine in white rice contributed to the disease beriberi. Nutritionsists began to enrich the white rice with thiamine. A serving (about 4 ounces) of brown rice contains about 2.5 grams of protein, a bit of fat, 25 grams of carbohydrate, considerable phosphorus, potassium and iron, along with B vitamins chiefly thiamin and niacin. Combining brown rice with fresh fruit and vegetables improves the nutritional density. Fresh fruit and vegetables supplement vitamin C and A. Brown rice can be prepared and used in the family kitchen the same way white rice has been enjoyed. Home Care Path LLC staff http://homecarepath.com assist seniors with grocery shopping, meal preparation, washing dishes, and garbage removal.

After Funeral Home Care Path LLC

After the funeral there may be a few loose ends to tie up.
Notify the post office of the death and provide forward mailing address
Cancel credit card, newspaper, and magazine subscriptions
Cancel club and union memberships
Cancel insurance when properties are sold or transferred
Cancel utility services, telephone, and cable television
If senior rented clean dwelling and request security deposit refund
File final tax return, and store past tax records
Transfer vehicle titles
Lock up second homes , vehicles, to prevent damage until sold
Sned thank you cards off

Remember now is when the fact of the seniors death will start to set in. Some feel intense feelings of helplessness, sadness, and your best defense is to postpone major decisions. Allow your self time to experience the greif process, expect it to lift from your being in time.

Yogurt Help? Home Care Path LLC

Persian history passed down verbally describes an angel revealing to the prophet Abraham the method of preparing yogurt. Yogurt has been around for a long time. Yogurt is prepared by inoculating warm milk with health giving bacteria and keeping it warm until the bacteria have increased the numbers to change the character of the milk. Changes in the milk make degestion in the intestine without the enzyme lactase possible. Antibiotics given by the mouth in pill form destroy helpful as well as harmful bacteria in the intestinal tract. Eating yogurt helps refortify the intestine with helpful bacteria. Nutritionists have theorized that a person taking a prescribed dose of antibiotics early in life may have experienced chronic indigestion ever since. This is supposed to be due to lack of the helpful bacteria in the intestine used to digest milk and sugar. Yogurt may add the helpful bacteria reducing the chronic indegestion. Yogurt is reported to help prevent constipation. Consuming yogurt with fresh fruit and vegetables is said to combat constipation. Yogurt establishes a well balanced content for the colon so neither diarrhea or constipation will prevail. Yogurt has become more accessable with convenience stores offering individual servings combined with fruit.

Fraud Alert Home Care Path LLC

TARGET: Seniors with mild cognitive impairment who can perform most daily functions but have trouble or become confused with other tasks , such as following a medicine regimen and managing their finances.

BAIT: Free lunch seminar provides both food and conversation to lonely.

RASCAL: Financial representative speaker

STRATEGY: Well rehearsed, carefully scripted sales presentation designed to prey upon seniors fears to pitch high commission, high surrender charge products, often unsuitable to them.

FOCUS: Get senior to schedule follow up appointment for completing paperwork.

OUTCOME: Seniors use big chunk if not most of their savings to buy something the senior does not understand and that will disappoint them, and tie up thier money for years, maybe until they die.

REMEDY: Community partners working with seniors can report fraud to Securities Regulators, and abuse to Adult Protective Services.

Home Care Path LLC http://homecarepath.com coordinates staff to assist seniors with daily chores preventing the senior from getting so run down they end up in the emergency room or permanantly placed in an assisted living facility. Home Care Path senior care staff have been trained to spot and report concerns of fraud and abuse.

Health Insurance Card Home Care Path LLC

The Social Security Administration maintains in Baltimore Maryland the records of all persons entitled to health insurance. After entitlement is established each beneficiary is issued a health insurance card by the Social Security Administration for use in obtaining hospital insurance benefits, medical insurance benefits, or both. The health insurance claim number on the card is essential for providers seeking reimbursement. The provider submits the claim for services delivered, the Social Security Administration uses the number to locate the persons record and document the claim. Most health insurance numbers are nine digit numbers with letter suffixes, like 000-00-000A. Now the Social Security Administration contracts with large health insurance administrators (Blue Cross Blue Shield) to maintain documentation of each transaction between the person and a Medicare certified provider of service. Seniors will be asked by social services to show there health insurance card with hospital admissions.

Sleep Disruption Home Care Path LLC

Seniors experiencing a sleepless night for first time can benefit from an MD visit. Changes in sleeping pattern can indicate a treatable cause. The medical staff at the clinic will assess : depression, medication usage and dosage, incontinence, changes in bladder function, urinary tract infection, hyperthyroidism, dementia. Home Care Path LLC http://homecarepath.com have been taught to facilitate the following strategies. Increase daily physcial exercise, increase day and early evening activities (play music, play cards, review family photo's), encourage the senior to participate (set table, fold towels), practise some relaxation techniques (warm bath, controlled breathing). Seniors can benefit from using a consistent bedtime ritual. Reduce water intake prior to bedtime. Keep night lights on.

Drug Gap Home Care Path LLC

Often referred to as part d, most medicare drug plans have a coverage gap. This means that after the senior and your part d drug plan have spent a certain amount of money for covered drugs, the senior has to pay all the drug costs out of pocket (up to a limit). The Affordable Care Act passed by Congress and signed by President Obama this year contains important benefits for seniors with Medicare part d plans. If you have Medicare perscription drug coverage, and are not already getting Medicare Extra Help, Medicare will automatically send you a one time 250.00 rebate check after you reach the coverage gap (also called the donut hole) in 2010. The senior does not have to do anything to get the check. There are no forms to fill out. Medicare will automatically send a check for 250 dollars made out to you. You do not need (fraud alert) to provide anyone information like social security number, bank account number to get this payment. Seniors please do not give your personal information to anyone who calls you about this rebate check. If you reach the coverage gap this year and enter the part d donut hole you will receive a one time 250 dollar rebate check if you are not already receiving Medicare Extra Help. Rebate checks will begin to be mailed to beneficiares starting mid June. Home Care Path LLC http://homecarepath.com coordinates staff to assist with daily chores preventing the senior from getting so run down they end up in the emergency room or permanently placed in an assisted living facility.