Veterans Day

Veterans Day is approaching and here at Senior Benefit Services, we’re very appreciative of those who have served this great country of ours. 

The SBS family would like to take this moment to thank the 20.4 million veterans and the 1.3 million active duty members this Veterans Day. 

We were curious about the origins of Veterans Day and thought you might be too...
Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, was originally set as a U.S. holiday to honor the end of World War I. In 1938 United Sates Legislation approved Armistice Day, a day “dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day." In 1954, after World War II and the Korean War, Congress amended the Act of 1938 by removing the word Armistice and inserting the word Veterans. Veterans Day honors military veterans with parades, speeches, and other celebratory events across the nation to honor and celebrate those who have served.

Senior Benefit Services would like to recognize and thank our team members, Tom and Brett, for their service to our country:

Tom Weislocher

Tom was drafted during the Vietnam War and served in the United Sates Army from 1970-1972. Tom was a Spec4, radio and radio-teletype operator, cryptographic communications specialist.  Tom was stationed in Vicenza, Italy, and had the opportunity to return on a bicycle tour in 2011 and reconnect with the country and old friends.




Brett Winter

Brett enlisted in the Navy in 2008 and is currently enlisted in the Navy Reserves. Brett is 2^nd Class Petty Officer. Brett worked as a Plane Captain and assisted pilots in takeoff and landing, and repaired planes. Brett has worked several air shows, and has performed maintenance on the Blue Angels Fleet. Through the Navy Brett has been stationed in New Orleans, Guam, and several other locations including Naval Air Station Fallon also known as “TOPGUN.”




Thank you for all you have done for your country, families and the SBS Family!

Senior Benefit Services
Written by Olivia Helmandollar
11/10/17

New Medicare Cards - Coming Soon

Your Medicare card

*Repost* https://www.medicare.gov/forms-help-and-resources/your-medicare-card.html

When you’re enrolled in Medicare, you’ll get your red, white, and blue Medicare card in the mail. If you're automatically enrolled, you'll get your red, white, and blue Medicare card in the mail 3 months before your 65th birthday or your 25th month of getting disability benefits. Your Medicare card shows that you have Medicare health insurance. It shows whether you have Part A (Hospital Insurance), Part B (Medical Insurance) or both, and it shows the date your coverage starts.

Be sure to carry your card with you when you’re away from home. Let your doctor, hospital, or other health care provider see your card when you need hospital, medical or other health services.

New Medicare Cards

Note

Medicare will mail new Medicare cards between April 2018 and April 2019. Your new card will have a new Medicare number that’s unique to you, instead of your Social Security number. This will help to protect your identity. The new card won’t change your coverage or benefits.

You don’t need to take any action to get your new Medicare card. Medicare will never contact you for your Medicare number or other personal information. Don’t share your Medicare number or other personal information with anyone who contacts you by phone, email, or by approaching you in person, unless you’ve given them permission in advance. Learn more about the limited situations in which Medicare can call you.

How can I replace my Medicare card?

If your Medicare card is lost, stolen or damaged, you can ask Social Security for a new one.

• Your Medicare card will arrive in the mail in about 30 days.
• Social Security will mail your card to the address they have on file for you.
• If you need proof that you have Medicare sooner than 30 days, you can request a letter from Social Security. The letter will arrive in the mail in about 10 days.
• If you need proof immediately for your doctor or for a prescription, visit your local Social Security office.

How do I change my name or address for my Medicare card?

Medicare uses the name and address you have on file with Social Security. To change your name and/or address, visit your online my Social Security account.

Note

Medicare is managed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Social Security works with CMS by enrolling people in Medicare.

Attention! MORx Members with Medicare Only:

Missouri Rx Plan

Attention MORx Members with Medicare Only: *repost* http://www.morx.mo.gov/ 

Due to a law passed in 2014, your Missouri Rx (MORx) program coverage expires in 2017. The last day you can receive help with prescription drug co-payment costs from the MORx Program will be June 30, 2017. Prescriptions filled after this date will not be covered by MORx.

MORx member receiving MO HealthNet benefits will not be impacted by this change.

Questions?

Call MORx at 1-800-375-1406 with questions.

Helpful Resources

• To see if you qualify for MO HealthNet (Medicaid), call the Family Support Division at 1-855-373-4636.
• Partnership for Prescription Assistance 1-888-477-2669 or online at www.pparx.org
• Rx Outreach 1-800-769-3880
• Community Leaders Assisting the Insured of Missouri (CLAIM) 1-800-390-3330
• Area Agencies on Aging (AAA)

Break Free From Osteoporosis!

Break FREE from OSTEOPOROSIS!

*Repost* National Osteoporosis Foundation

https://www.nof.org/about-us/building-awareness/national-osteoporosis-month/

May is National Osteoporosis Month!

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones. It happens when you lose too much bone and/or make too little bone. This means your bones become weak and may break from a minor fall or, in serious cases, even from simple actions, like sneezing or bumping into furniture.

Osteoporosis means "porous bone." Under a microscope healthy bones look like a honeycomb but in bones with osteoporosis the honeycomb holes and spaces are much bigger. This means your bones have lost density or mass and that the structure of your bone tissue has become abnormal making the bone weaker and more likely to break.

FACT: One in two women and up to one in four men will break a bone in their lifetime due to osteoporosis. For women, the incidence is greater than that of heart attack, stroke and breast cancer combined.*

May is National Osteoporosis Month! We hope you will help us celebrate by taking the #JumpingJackChallenge. We issued this challenge to raise awareness about building bone strength and density when you’re younger to achieve peak bone mass and to maintain bone health and strength as you age.

Accepting the Jumping Jack Challenge is easy – videotape yourself, your kids, family or friends doing 10 jumping jacks in less than 10 seconds. Share the video via your social media page with the hashtag #JumpingJackChallenge and challenge your friends to do it too – or they should make a donation to NOF at www.nof.org. You can learn more and see an example on this page of our website: https://www.nof.org/about-us/building-awareness/national-osteoporosis-month/. Please remember that if you have osteoporosis you shouldn’t do jumping jacks, but you can do “stepping jacks” (step side-to-side raising your arms above your heard as you would for jumping jacks). This is a safe way for everyone to take part in the Jumping Jack Challenge!

You might wonder why we chose jumping jacks for this challenge. As noted above, we hope to raise awareness about building peak bone mass in children and adolescents. Peak bone mass is the greatest amount of bone an individual can attain. We reach our peak bone mass between 25-30 years of age. Focusing on bone health in children and adolescents is not just about growing strong bones, it also may help strengthen the concept of disease prevention over treatment. Most children do not consume the necessary amounts of nutrients needed to sustain strong bones during the key bone-building years of 9-18. In fact, a quarter of childhood injuries include fractures that could have been prevented through better nutrition.

Prevention of osteoporosis later in life begins in childhood with a strong health curriculum that teaches children healthy lifestyle choices including about proper diet and exercise.

I recently surveyed the community including educators and health leaders to determine if they think a curriculum including bone health is important to implement in schools and more than 75% said yes! Check out the following infographic to learn how you can incorporate bone healthy behaviors with your children or grandchildren before, during or after school.

We hope to see your posts on social media for the #JumpingJackChallenge!

Andrea Portillo, MPH, CHES®
Marketing, Consumer & Professional Education Manager
National Osteoporosis Foundation

Holidays + Health

Holiday Health for Seniors
11 Tips for keeping healthy this holiday season. 

Repost - Brought to you by: Care.Com
https://www.care.com/c/stories/5708/holiday-health-for-seniors/

While the holidays are a time of gatherings with family and friends, they can also be a source of stress, as exercise schedules might be disrupted for shopping excursions and rich holiday meals make it difficult to adhere to a particular diet. Staying healthy can be a challenge during this time of year, especially for seniors. Get a senior's caregiver involved to help manage expectations at this time of year.

According to Amy Fuchs, a licensed clinical social worker and owner of The Elder Expert, LLC in Saddle River, New Jersey, one of the difficulties of the holiday season is not knowing an elderly relative's limits. "You can anticipate that they might need help, but they might not express to you that they've slowed down," Fuchs says.

Robyn Golden, a licensed clinical social worker and director of the health and aging department at Rush University in Chicago, agrees. "Offer older relatives options and ask them what they want to do, but don't assume their limitations," she advises.

To help seniors stay healthy during the holidays, reduce their stress and avoid the holiday blues, keep the following tips in mind:

1. Make Healthy Choices
   From rich meals to tempting and tasty homemade snacks, the holidays are a time for many to indulge in food -- or overindulge. Try to plan meals with other events in mind.
   For example, if a big dinner is planned for New Year's Eve, consider serving a lighter lunch of salad or soup. "You don't want to deny anyone of the food they like to eat at this time of year, but you don't want anyone to gorge themselves, either," Fuchs says.
2. Stay Hydrated
   Drinking water is one way you can stay healthy during the holidays. "Senior citizens, especially, need to drink plenty of fluids, as not drinking enough water could cause hospitalization," Fuchs says. To make it easier to stay hydrated, have water easily accessible at home and keep bottled water in a purse or bag when running errands.
3. Follow Dietary Restrictions
   Some seniors must follow special diets, such as one that is low in sodium. It can be difficult to adhere to a diet during busy, stressful times, especially if there aren't any healthy options available. "When people get stressed, they tend to overeat and don't stick to their diets," Golden says. To make it easier to follow dietary guidelines, keep healthy options like fresh-cut vegetables and fruit on hand.
4. Drink in Moderation
   "Drinking too much can impair functions, and for some senior citizens, drinking alcohol with certain medications can have adverse side effects," Golden says. Consider offering fun, alcohol-free drinks so everyone can celebrate the holidays.
5. Keep Exercising
   In many parts of the country, the holidays are synonymous with cold weather and snow. To stick to an exercise schedule, bundle up and invite your parents for a walk around the block if the sidewalks are dry. If it's snowing or icy outside, drive to an indoor shopping mall and walk a few laps while window-shopping.
   For more information, read our article on Exercise and Fitness for Seniors ?
6. Shake up Traditions
   Between cleaning the house and cooking for a crowd, hosting a big holiday meal can be a source of stress. If an older relative traditionally hosts a big holiday meal, consider passing the tradition on to the younger generation of family members. If the relative insists on hosting, Fuchs recommends younger family members volunteer to clean or prepare part of the meal.
7. Decrease Gifts
   For many senior citizens, especially those on a fixed income, the holidays can be a financial challenge due to purchasing gifts for many family members. To reduce stress from paying for gifts, consider having a family grab bag, where everyone contributes one gift.
8. Rest after Traveling
   For some senior citizens, the holidays are a time to travel long distances to visit family and friends. Whether they travel by car, rail or plane, keep in mind that an older relative might want to rest upon arrival. Golden suggested offering the options of watching television or taking a nap instead of planning a day of shopping and visiting.
9. Make Homes Accessible
   If older relatives are visiting your home for the holidays, ensure your home is safe and accessible. "Be mindful of hazards in your home. For instance, someone with a cane could trip over area rugs," Fuchs advises. Consider having your relative sleep on the first floor of your home. If that's not possible, let them stay in a room close to the bathroom. In addition, use nightlights in the hallway so they don't stumble in the dark.
10. Take Breaks
    Between parties and shopping, the holidays often involve busy days and late nights. If you are planning an all-day outing, carve some time for a nap or a way to relax for a bit, even if it is just to sip tea in a cafe. Little kids, seniors and everyone in between will appreciate it.
11. Stay Involved
    Recognize that senior citizens still want to feel they are part of the holidays. For many, that may include helping out with holiday preparations. "It's fine to reduce senior citizens' stress by offering to hold the holiday event at your home instead of theirs, but still keep them involved by having them cook a favorite dish or maybe help decorate the home," Golden says.

With a few preventative measures and a willingness to change some traditions, senior citizens can stay healthy and follow their diets, while also having fun with their family members this holiday season.

Megan Horst-Hatch is a Chicago-based mother, runner, baker, gardener, knitter and other words that end in "-er." Her work can be found here.

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