Brenda’s Articles

MENTAL HEALTH CARE MATTERS

Posted on | by Brenda Armstrong

Millions of people in the U.S. are affected by mental illness each year. It’s important to measure how common mental illness is so we can understand the physical, social and financial impact – and show that no one is alone. The numbers are also powerful tools for raising public awareness, stigma-busting and advocating for better health care.

In my business/profession, my team and I have seen more “mental” issues in the last year than ever before. Below are some fast facts:

  • 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
  • 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year
  • 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience as mental health disorder each year
  • 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24
  • Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-14
  • One in 5 adults experienced mental illness last year

More facts: Texas ranks 50 out of 50 states to access for care.
Texas operates 39 local mental health community health services. (In the San Antonio area, we recommend only 3 Behavior hospitals that do a good service helping those with behavioral issues). We have some excellent behavioral facilities outside of San Antonio.

One can be detained up to 48 hours after arriving unless a judge signs an order of “protective” custody. The most common mental illness in America is:
Anxiety disorder, major depression, & bi-polar

Question asked is: What can get you or a loved one sent to a mental hospital?
If high risk of serious harm to themselves or others and need to be in a place of safety.

One organization for those needing to reach out for help is NAMI – National Alliance on Mental Illness in San Antonio. NAMI provides free peer-led mental health education classes and support groups for individuals living with a mental health condition and their loved ones. NAMI provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals & families affected by mental illness can build better lives. NAMI offers FREE training of six core modules.

PTSD is also common among civilians not just our military men & women. For those who are veterans/spouses of a veteran, we have VA resources we can provide to those needing information and/or care.

This is a topic that needs to be addressed as it is a “crisis” in America.

Brenda Dever-Armstrong, CEO/Owner/CSA/Geriatric Advisor
The Next Horizon Seniors & Military (Veterans/Spouses) Advocate/Resources/Services/Locator (TX & nationwide)
Bus Ph: 210-275-3002
Email: deverb@att.net
www.nexthorizonlocators.com

KNOW THE SIGNS OF (DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER) AND HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH SOMEONE WITH ALZHEIMER DISEASE

Posted on | by Brenda Armstrong

This is an excellent article for those that may have a loved one with signs of Dementia/Alzheimer. Recently, my team and I are seeing more families with a loved one with these early signs.

Early Detection Matters:
(1) Memory changes that disrupt daily life (early signs forgetting recently learned information).
(2) Challenges in planning or solving problems (Difficulty concentrating or taking longer to complete a task).
(3) Difficulty completing familiar tasks (Complete daily tasks: driving familiar area, managing their budget)
(4) Confusion with time or place: (Cannot remember appointment(s) or location).
(5) New problems with words in speaking or writing (May have trouble following a conversation or joining in a conversation). They may repeat themselves. Trouble finding the right words.
(6) Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps (Placing things in unusual areas). Often accuse others of stealing and re-occurs more often.
(7) Decrease or poor judgement (Demonstrate unusual changes in judgement or decision-making).
(8) Withdraw from work or social activities (They remove themselves from family, hobbies or sports).

COMMUNICATING WITH AN ALZHEIMER/DEMENTIA PATIENT

HELPING THE PERSON COMMUNICATE: Helping someone communicate takes patience and understanding. Here are some Suggestions:
(1) Be calm and supportive. Maintain eye contact and use touch to reassure them. Show them you are listening.
(2) Show your interest in what he/she is saying or feeling.
(3) Pay attention to their voice/gestures for clues to what they are feeling. Sometimes, their emotions are more important than she they are trying to say.
(4) If you do not understand what they are trying to say, encourage them to point or gesture.
(5) If they cannot find a word, they may be less frustrated if you offer a guess.
(6) If they use the wrong word, and you know what they mean, supply the correct word. If this upsets them, do not correct future mistakes!
(7) Do not try to get them to explain as this may make them more upset. If possible just go along with what they are saying or agree with them – less agitated.
(8) Approach the person from the front but some may feel more comfortable if you talk from a handshake distance away.
(9) Keep confusion, distraction and noise to a minimum.
(10) Say your name first then address their name to get their attention.
(11) Speak slowly and distinctly. Use a lower voice pitch to convey sense of calm.
(12) Pay attention to your tone of voice. A person with Dementia/Alzheimer can sense your emotions. Limit the number of “don’t) and avoid harsh or direct orders.
(13) Confrontation may make the situation worse or get the person “worked up.”

Your observation and sensitivity will make a big difference. A hug or kiss can express affection. Remember: Treat the person with dignity and respect.

I suggest for any family or family member to go to www.alz.com. The Alzheimer Association provides so much information about the “Stages” of Alzheimer. They also list the Support Groups throughout Texas for family members to attend – FREE! The support from other families going through this disease with their loved ones can provide “insight” on how they have handled their “loved one” and also received support from outside Speakers.

We need to keep on Congress to provide more “funding” for research….there is NO CURE at this time. The information listed was provided by the Alzheimer Association whom I work very closely with for my updated training working with families who have a loved one with this terrible disease.

Brenda Dever-Armstrong, CEO/Owner/CSA/Geriatric Advisor
The Next Horizon Seniors & Military (Veterans/Spouses) Advocate/Resources/Services/Locator (TX & nationwide)
Bus Ph: 210-275-3002
Email: deverb@att.net
www.nexthorizonlocators.com

ADAPTING YOUR HOME TO FIT YOUR CHANGING LIFESTYLE

Posted on | by Brenda Armstrong

Many of us baby boomers are reaching the point in our lives where the children are grown up and moved out of the house. After a year or so or as we age we talk about downsizing into a smaller home or could be retirement continuous care community (CCRC) or a garden home. Many of us baby boomers would like to stay in our current home and do some remodeling. If you decide to stay in your home this may be the time to consider to do some modifications as you age. One can do little things at first, such as installing grab bars where needed. That is a start and at a minimal cost and will possibly save you from falling.

Here are a few suggestions when planning to “age in place.” PRIORITIZE YOUR WISH LIST: Take a look at the rooms in your home and determine which ones fit your new lifestyle and ones that may need some work. It may be “minor” changes or could be a “redo” altogether. Create a general plan and prioritize the items on your list.

FOCUS ON IMPROVING LIVABILITY: Many folks interview a few remodeling firms to help design your new living arrangement. Stairs can be a problem as we age or moving master bedroom downstairs or enlarging the bathroom or installing a “walk-in shower.” Re-do the laundry room to be more accessible. If you have steps from outside to inside of the home, consider a professional installing “ramps”…..may not need them now but sooner or later easier on the joints. You may have small or unused “spaces” that could be utilized or expanded.

CONTACT REPUTABLE REMODELING PROFESSIONALS: Remodeling professionals can help you to determine what your options are to remodel or build your home for your lifestyle. They can help find ways to create an open floor plan that is easier to navigate for those with mobility concerns. By incorporating these changes will help create a home that suits a changing lifestyle, may also “increase” the value of your home when you eventually decide to sell your home.

I do not promote just one business but finding a qualified remodeler who can share the most effective ways to remodel your home, go to (as a start) www.sabuilders.com

Hope this will help with making a decision – and this is a “big” decision, stay in your current home or downsize.

Brenda Dever-Armstrong, CEO/Owner/CSA/Geriatric Advisor
The Next Horizon Senior/Military Locator/Resources/Lifetime Advocate

HOW ARE MEDICARE BENEFITS CHANGING FOR 2023

Posted on | by Brenda Armstrong

Changes for 2023 include premium & deductible increases for Part A, lower rates for Part B, and better Part D coverage due to the Inflation Reduction Act.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • The Standard Part B premium is decreasing to $164.90 for 2023.
  • The Part B deductible is also decreasing to $226 in 2023.
  • Part A premiums, deductible and coinsurance are all increasing for 2023.
  • The income brackets for high-income premium adjustments for Medicare Part B and D will start at $97,000 in 2023 (up from $91,000 in 2022).
  • Medicare Advantage enrollment is expected to continue to increase in 2023 and average premiums are decreasing.
  • Kidney transplant recipients can keep limited Part B coverage for life, to cover immunosuppressive drugs (full Part B ends 36 months post-transplant).
  • The maximum allowable out of pocket cap for Medicare Advantage plans is increasing to $88,300 in 2023 (but most plans have lower out-of-pocket caps).
  • Part D donut hole no longer exists, but a standard plan’s maximum deductible will increase to $505 in 2023, and the threshold for entering the catastrophic coverage phase (where out of pocket spending decreases significantly) will increase to $7,400. But the Inflation Reduction Act will ensure that Part D enrollees no longer have to pay for covered vaccines, and will have access to insulin for no more than $35/month.

There are changes to Original Medicare cost-sharing and premiums, the high-income brackets and more.

The standard premium for Medicare Part B is $170.10/month in 2022, BUT it’s decreasing to $164.90/month in 2023. This is the first year-over-year decrease since 2012. Since Medicare Part B spending was lower than expected in 2022, it left a surplus that is being used to decrease premiums for 2023.

We always tell individuals to check with your current medical provider, review their increases/decreases and any additional medical care that may be added for 2023. How is your health? Better than 2022 or needing more health care? Many individuals are better to go straight Medicare and look at a Secondary Insurance policy – but again, the Advantage Plans are offering so much more and the enrollment in the Advantage Plans has been steadily growing for more than 15 years, outpacing overall Medicare enrollment growth.

For more information on Medicare Benefits for 2023, go to: www.medicare.gov.

Brenda Dever-Armstrong, CEO/Owner/CSA
The Next Horizon Seniors & Military
Advocate/Healthcare/Resources/Services/Placement

MEDICAID – MOVING FROM ONE STATE TO ANOTHER STATE
AND
MEDICARE – NEW OPEN ENROLLMENT ADDED FOR TAKING INSULIN

Posted on | by Brenda Armstrong

Each fifty states operates their Medicaid program differently. Individuals are required to reapply for Medicaid in the state in which they are relocating. This means one must close their Medicaid case, and hence their benefits, in their original state before applying for benefits in their new state. Fortunately, when it comes to applying for Medicaid, there are no residency requirements. After relocation, one can immediately apply for Medicaid benefits in the new state.

Common concern is the lapse of benefits between canceling one’s Medicaid plan in their original state and reapplying (and becoming eligible in the state in which you are relocating. Fortunately, most states allow Retroactive Medicaid coverage. This allows up to three months of Medicaid coverage immediately prior to the month of Medicaid application. Once retroactive Medicaid eligibility is established, Medicaid will pay unpaid, qualified medical expenses from this retroactive period.

Suggest you contact the Texas Medicaid office BEFORE moving. They may offer more information. I am sending you the “basic” steps to do first.

MEDICARE – NEW: TAKING INSULIN: STARTING NEW COVERAGE
JAN 2023

Starting 1 January 2023, people with Medicare taking insulin: Plans cannot charge you more than $35 for a one-month supply of each Medicare Part D-covered insulin you take, and cannot charge you a deductible for insulin! If you get a 60 or 90 day supply of insulin, your costs cannot be more than $35 for each months’ supply of each covered insulin. Go to Medicare.gov for more information.

*Information provided by:
Brenda Dever-Armstrong, CEO/Owner/CSA
The Next Horizon Seniors & Military Advocate/Resources/Services/Locator
Ph: 210-275-3002
deverb@att.net
www.nexthorizonlocators.com

SENIORS ARTICLE: Register to Vote in Texas – February 2022

Posted on | by Brenda Armstrong

ARE YOU ALREADY REGISTERED: To confirm your voter registration status, visit Am I Registered application. If you moved from one place to another in the same county, you can change your information online at the Secretary of State’s Voter Registration Name/Address Change website.

WAYS TO REGISTER: To register to vote in Texas, simply complete a voter registration application and return it to your county election office at least 30 days before the upcoming election date. To complete an application, you may: (1) Complete an application using the SOS ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION. Simply fill in the required information, print, sign and mail directly to your county election office. (2) Request a PRINTED APPLICATION. The office will mail a voter registration application to the address provided. (3) Contact or visit your local VOTER REGISTRAR to complete registration process.

YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE IF: (1) You are a United States citizen (2) You are a resident of the county where you submit the application (3) You are at least 17 years and 10 months old and you are 18 years of age on Election Day! (4) You are not a convicted felon (you may be eligible to vote if you have completed your sentence, probation and parole); and (5) You have not been declared by a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be either totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.

SHOW OF (7) ACCEPTABLE FORMS OF PHOTO ID: (1) Texas Driver License; (2) Show Texas Handgun License; (3) Texas Personal ID Card; (4) US Citizenship Certificate with Photo; (5) Texas Election ID Certificate; (6) US Military ID card with Photo; (7) US Passport – Card or Book

MILITARY & OVERSEAS VOTERS: “Overseas” is defined as anywhere outside the U.S. (Includes Mexico/Canada). You can use the regular registration and early voting by mail process (known as “absentee” voting)

VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES: (1) Citizen of US (2) 17 years & 10 months time of registration BUT to vote must be 128 years by Election Day (3) Have not been convicted or a felony or if they have been convicted, have completed all of their punishment, parole, supervision, probation or have received a pardon (4) Have not been determined by a final judgment of a court to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote (5) Individuals who have legal guardians may be eligible to register, depending on whether the court took away their right to vote. All guardianship orders issued after 1 September 2007 must state whether the individual can vote (6) People with disabilities can receive assistance registering to vote from any state agency that provides services to persons with disabilities or from any person they choose (7) On 1 September 1999, Texas became the first state to require all new voting systems be accessible to voters with disabilities and provide a practical and effective means for voters with disabilities to vast a secret ballot. ALL POLLING PLACES IN TEXAS MUST BE ACCESSIBLE!

VOTERS MAY VOTE EARLY, EITHER IN PERSON OR BY MAIL: Voters who vote during Early Voting Period may vote at any early voting site in the political subdivision that is holding the election. If a voter will be 65 years of age or older on Election Day, has a disability or will be outside the county during early voting hours and on Election Day, the voter can apply to vote by mail. Submit a completed and signed Application for a Ballot by Mail any time from the 60th to the 11th day before Election Day to the proper county early voting clerk. For more information read “Early Voting In Texas”

Secretary of State – Elections Division, PO Box 12060 Austin, TX 78711-2060

*Information provided by:
Brenda Dever-Armstrong, CEO/Owner/CSA Senior Advisor
The Next Horizon Seniors/Military Advocate/Resources/Services/Locator

SENIOR ARTICLE – Difference Between A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA & a Caregiver)

Posted on | by Brenda Armstrong

Working with so many seniors & military veterans one of many questions asked is: What is the Difference Between a CNA & a Caregiver. Below is a brief explanation:

Basic Duties: Certified nursing assistants, called CNAs and Caregivers are often employed in home health care. Both are eligible to work as aides in hospitals, clinics, and assisted living facilities and Personal Care Homes.

CNAs: A certified nursing assistant is formally trained within a State-Approved educational facility and trained with at least 75 hours. Candidates must take an examination of competency to earn the title of CNA. CAN candidates also commonly have a criminal background check before certification. Graduates of CNA programs can work in the facilities (mentioned above) and can help a patient with the following: Help with bathing, dressing, transferring from bed to walker or wheelchair and oversee the patient take their medication (CNAs cannot administer or fill the medication box but watch the patient take their required medication only). CNAs can also help with cooking, cleaning, laundry, running errands and drive the patient (in the patient’s vehicle) to doctor appointments.

CNAs are usually working with a Caregiver Agency that employees them to be assigned to a patient, either in facilities or in the clients’ personal home. CNAs, if working in a hospital, may have a different job title, such as technician. Duties can include taking vital signs, caring for catheters, transporting patients, or help with discharging patients.

Caregiver: Caregivers provide assistance to the disabled or an elderly with day-to-day functions as helping with laundry, driving, paying bills, help the patient to eat or prepare meals. Many Caregivers are asked by the family to be a “companion” only….meaning, be at their bedside and read to them, or write letters for the patient or just be there to chat. Some Caregivers are employed as live-in companion, with room & board provided by the patient or patient’s family. A Caregiver that is NOT providing medical services needs no formal state-license as they are being more of a companion.

*Information provided by:
Brenda Dever-Armstrong, CEO/Owner/CSA
The Next Horizon Seniors & Military Advocate/Resources/Locator