Aging
Matters
Winter/Spring 2015
Love Letters
A VERY SWEET PARTNERSHIP
Mrs. Davis' kindergarten
and Mrs. Govier's 4th grade class
at Bayless Elementary School with the help of other students
across the Bayless School District
- created hundreds of hand-made
valentines that were delivered
to seniors via the Mid-East Area
Agency on Aging's "Meals on
Wheels" program in Franklin, Jefferson, St. Charles and St. Louis
Counties. "
We were thrilled to have
been able to deliver more than
By Joan Lee Berkman
800 cards to our clients last year
and were delighted with over
3000+ cards we shared this year,"
said Mary E. Schaefer, executive
director, Mid-East Area Agency
on Aging (MEAAA). "As many
connected to MEAAA know,
we deliver so much more than a
meal. These adorable cards have
warmed the hearts of thousands
of homebound seniors, and we extend our gratitude to the Bayless
School District and DoSomething.
org's thoughtful volunteers.”
Maddy Fanning of Lake
St. Louis and some of her
hand-made Valentines.
A special shout out to Maddy Fanning of Lake St. Louis for
her hundreds of hand-made Valentines for the St. Peters MEAAA
Senior Center.The popular campaign, now in its second year, encourages young people to create
handmade Valentine's Day cards
to lift the spirits of older adults."
We received over 3,000 valentines of which 875 came from
Bayless School District.
NEWS and NOTES
G r a n t Aw a r d s
MEAAA has been awarded $120,000 from the Jefferson
Memorial Foundation for providing hot meals on wheels for
Jefferson County. The costs of
providing hot meals on wheels
have steadily increased over the
years. MEAAA’s funding for
meals has not kept pace with the
increased cost and three areas of
Jefferson County have been receiving frozen meals delivered
once per week instead of a daily
hot meal. Mary Schaefer estimates the grant will provide hot
meals for one year if all expenses
remained the same. MEAAA is
developing a plan to sustain the
hot meals beyond one year using
the grant funds.
Almost 200 persons gathered at
the four MEAAA public hearing
locations, one in each of Franklin, St. Louis, St. Charles and
Jefferson counties, to hear information about MEAAA services
and funding for fiscal year 2016.
Hearings were held at St. Peters
Senior Center, Quad-Cities Senior Center, Bridgeton Senior
Center, and Washington Senior
Center
MEAAA 2016 Public Hearings
Guarding Your Pension Nest Egg
Many persons have questions about their pension benefits or accuracy of their benefits
amounts. The South Central Pen-
South Central
Pension Rights
Project
Providing Individual
Pension Counseling
& Assistance
Page 2
Aging Matters
Aging Matters is a publication
of Mid-East Area Agency on
Aging, a non-profit organization providing services and
information to people 60 and
over and their caregivers.
Mary Schaefer
Executive Director
MEAAA
14535 Manchester Road
Manchester, MO 63011-3960
(636)207-0847
MEAAA Information
and Assistance
(636)207-1323
1(800)AGE-6060
www.agingmissouri.org
Email:
[email protected]
Our Mission
Assisting Adults Through the
Journey of Aging
MEAAA does not endorse any
company or guarantee any of the
businesses, products , or services
advertised herein.
National Healthcare
Decisions Day
sion Rights Project has answers.
This free program answers your
pension questions regardless of
age for residents who lived or
worked in Missouri as well as
Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma
or Texas or whose pension plan
is located in any of those states.
Call toll free: 1-800-443-2528 or
visit the website www.southcentralpension.org.
Across the nation, attorneys will be at multiple locations
on April 16 to encourage and assist
citizens over age 18 years to make
their healthcare wishes known to
their families.
National Health Care Decisions Day is a day to inspire,
educate & empower the public &
providers about the importance
of advance care planning.You can
visit caringinfo.org for a link to
Missouri’s “Advance Directive”
form.
Scamboree!
Join us on Wednesday, May
6 at 6:00 p.m. at St. Louis County
Library Headquarters (1640 S Lindbergh, 63131) for the 2nd Annual
Scamboree from 4:00-6:00 p.m. in
the auditorium.
Fraudsters are slick and persistent, but you can learn how to bet-
ter protect yourself and your loved
ones from Medicare fraud, identity
theft and other scams. Art Maines,
author of “Scammed: 3 Steps to Help
Your Elder Parents & Yourself ” and
Rona McNally of the Missouri Senior
Medicare Patrol (SMP) will provide
useful tips on how to protect per-
sonal information, detect fraudulent
activities, and report them. Trained
representatives from Mid-East Area
Agency on Aging and Senior Medicare Patrol will be available to provide
information on additional resources.
Free document shredding will be
available on-site prior to the event.
Renewed Hip Mobility
Restored Daily Activities
Featuring Robert H. Sigmund, M.D., Orthopedic Surgeon
Susie B. is constantly on
her feet. The severe hip pain she
began experiencing got in the
way of her daily activities.
“Getting out of bed was
a big issue,” recalled Susie.
“Walking was even a bigger issue. I could maybe take two or
three steps at a time and have to
stop. For two years, it was very
difficult. With all of our special
events, I was pretty much stuck
in a golf cart which is not the
way I usually perform my job.”
Susie sought help from
Robert Sigmund, M.D., orthopedic surgeon for Premier Care Orthopedics and Sports Medicine,
a division of Signature Medical
Group. Dr. Sigmund specializes
in joint replacement and minimally invasive hip and knee surgery.
“Susie was dealing with
arthritis,” said Dr. Sigmund.
“She’s a very active lady. We first
tried steroid injections and activity modification and she persisted with pain.”
Since
alternative
treatment options weren’t
working for Susie, Dr. Sigmund discussed a total hip
replacement with her. And,
together, they decided that
was the best solution. He
explained that while everyone is different, within
two to three weeks following most total hip replacements, patients are back on
their feet without any assistance.
Susie’s speedy recovery after surgery helped
to get her back to her daily
activities quickly. She sums
up her experience with gratitude. “Dr. Sigmund, along with To learn more about Dr. Sigmund of
his staff, have given me my life Premier Care Orthopedics and Sports
Medicine, or to schedule an
back,” Susie said. “I can walk appointment regarding an orthopedic
again. I play golf again. I swim concern, visit SignatureMedicalGroup.
again. The pain is basically zero.
com or call 314-849-0311.
The follow-up that he and I have
had has been extremely professional, but very personal. I wish This article is sponsored by Signature
Medical Group and the opinions and
now I wouldn’t have waited two information are not those of MEAAA.
years to have it done.”
Page 3
Donors from
9/19/14 through 2/24/15
Mr. Faiz Ali
Ms. Christine Alsop
Mr. and Mrs. Nash Anwar
Mr. Rodney Bahr
Ms. Linda Baker Oberst
Ms. Henriette A. Barken
Mr. David Becker
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Becker
Bellerive Gardens Cemetery
Ms. Joan Berkman
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Bieg
Mr. and Mrs. Irving Boime
Mr. and Mrs. Farrell Boudinier
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Bryner
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Burstein
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Burwell
Ms. Carolyn Cafazza
Dr. and Mrs. Harvey Cantor
Mr. and Mrs. David Carr
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Cawns
Central County Community
Outreach
City of St. Charles
City Of St. Peters
Ms. Mary Cook
Mr. Dennis Cooper
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Cronin
Mr. Nathaniel Crump
Ms. Marilyn Crumpton
Mrs. Elise Daniels
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Davis
Ms. Cinda Delaney
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Duenke
Mr. and Mrs. Norman Eaker
Ms. Julia Eckardt
Edward Jones
Mrs. Lora Lee Euler
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Fenner
Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Ferrari
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Fox
Page 4
Franklin County Area United
Way
Mr. Barry Friedman
Dr. and Mrs. Sidney Goldring
Gotsch Intermediate School
Dr. and Mrs. Ernest Graypel
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Greenstein
Ms. Sharon Greenstein
Ms. Emilie Greubel
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Guese
Mr. and Mrs. Howard
Handelman
Mary P. Hennecke Revocable
Living Trust
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Heisler
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Hershman
Ms. Rachel Hickman
Ms. Holly Hildebrand
Ms. Agnes Hoffman
Ms. Allene M. Jackson
JCA Charitable Foundation
Jefferson Memorial Community
Foundation
Ms. Jeanne Jennings
Ms. Alice L. Juenger
Mrs. Mary Kerr
Mr. and Mrs. Densil Kille
Mrs. Joyce R. Kleban
Mr. and Mrs. Edna Kleekamp
Mr. James Kluempers
Knights Of Columbus Council
1185
Mr. James S. Kramer
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Krasnicki
Mr. and Mrs. Seymour Krout
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lanza
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Lazare
Mrs. Sarah Levinson
Dr. Hedva Barenholtz Levy
Mr. and Mrs. Willie A. Little
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Loeser
Ms. Carol Lowe
Ms. Alyssa Martin
Mrs. Carina Maurer-Batjer
McAlister’s Deli
Ms. Eva McGee
Mr. and Mrs. John McHenry
Ms. Donna Miller
Mr. and Mrs. Yale Miller
Mr. Edwin Nelson II
NIDEC Motor Corp.
Mr. Doug O’Brien
Ms. Mary Lou O’Connell
Mr. Tim Parks
Parkside Meadows Foundation,
Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Rabushka
Mr. Carl Ripp
Ms. Grace Robertson
Mr. Guy Roos
Mr. and Mrs. Alan Rosenberg
Mr. Colin Schaedler
Mr. and Mrs. James E. Schaefer
Mr. and Mrs. Allen Serfas
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Sher
Mrs. Philomena Skrob
Mr. Smith
Rev. Donna Smith-Pupillo
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Snyder
Mr. and Mrs. Norman Solomon
Mr. William I. Solomon
Mr. Sanford Spitzer
Mr. Jerry Steiner and Ms. Denise
Bertrand
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Dickinson
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Swoboda
Ms. Barbara Tesno
The Mildred, Herbert and Julian
Simon Foundation
The Milford and Lee Bohm
Charitable Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Theby
Mr. John Thompson and Ms.
Alethea Boey
Mr. Benjamin Tutschulte
Twin Oaks At Heritage Pointe &
Twin Oaks Estate
Valentine Artist
Mr. Robert Vickers
Wal-Mart Foundation
Ms. Margaret Walters
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Weber
Dr. and Mrs. Alan Weiss
Ms. Gabrielle Williams
Ms. Ellen Green Wood
Thank you for making a
difference for older adults in
our community.
Memorials and Tributes
Mr. David Becker
In Memory of Maureen
Smallwood
Ms. Joan Berkman
In Memory of Eleanor
Berkman
Mr. and Mrs. Farrell Boudinier
In Memory of Elsie Daniel
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Burwell
In Memory of Marie Cargill
Ms. Carolyn Cafazza
In Honor of Rose Cafazza
Ms. Marilyn Crumpton
In Memory of Darryl
Crumpton
Mrs. Elise Daniels
In Memory of James W.
Hoover
In Honor of Joan Quicksilver
In Honor of Cynthia
Frohlichstein
In Honor of Ivan Shenberg
In Memory of Hortense
Molasky Morgan
In Memory of Sharon
Greenstein’s Father
In Honor of Jerry Raskas
In Memory of Joyce Weltman
In Memory of Lillian Arky
In Memory of Bernard
Weitzman
In Memory of Harold
Mosinger
Ms. Holly Hildebrand
In Memory of Florence
Elizabeth Hildebrand
In Honor of Florence and
Lee Hildebrand
In Memory of Albert A.
Winner
Ms. Mary Lou O’Connell
In Memory of John and Bud
O’Connell
Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Rabushka
In Honor of Marv
Finkelstein’ s Recovery
Mr. Carl Ripp
In Memory of Marie Ripp
Mr. and Mrs. James E. Schaefer
In Honor of Lisa Knoll
celebrating 10 years with
MEAAA
Mr. and Mrs. Allen Serfas
In Memory of Geraldean
Walker
Mrs. Mary Kerr
In Honor of Mary Schaefer in Mr. and Mrs. Harold Sher
celebration of MEAAA’s new In Honor of a healthy new
year for Susan and Tom
on-line system
Csengody
Mr. and Mrs. Seymour Krout
Ms. Sharon Greenstein
Mrs. Philomena Skrob
In Honor of Radine
In Memory of Mr. Burman
In Memory of Stephen Skrob
Borowsky’s birthday
In Memory of Russell Ohlson
Ms. Julia Eckardt
In Honor of James and
Jacqueline Krafft
Mr. and Mrs. Howard
Handelman
In Memory of Hal Melman
In Memory of Merle
Silverstein
In Memory of Ron Unell
In Honor of Helane and
Warner Isaacs
In Honor of Bob Saltzman
In Memory of Mr. and Mrs.
Max Blinder
In Honor of David & Barbara
Smith
Mr. Jerry Steiner and Ms. Denise
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lanza
Bertrand
In Memory of Gladys Dinello
In Memory of Elsie Daniel
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Lazare
In Honor of The Robert and Ms. Barbara Tesno
In Honor of Gertrude Weise
Frances Barrett Family
Mr. and Mrs. John McHenry
In Honor of Mary Schaefer
Mr. Benjamin Tutschulte
In Honor of Ella Tutschulte
Mr. Robert Vickers
Mr. Doug O’Brien
In Memory of Douglas James In Memory of Claire L.
Vickers
O’Brien
Page 5
?
MAKING Health Insurance MAKE SENSE
Answers to Some of the Most Commonly Asked Questions
Q
I’ve
heard
that
consumers
who
had
to
pay the Shared
Responsibility
Fee, for not having
health insurance in
2014, when they filed their taxes
this year, are getting a Special
Enrollment Period to enroll in
health insurance through the
Federally Facilitated Marketplaces
this year so they can reduce the fee
they pay next year; what does all
of this mean?
The Centers
for
Medicare
&
Medicaid
Services,
CMS, will provide
an
exceptional
circumstances special
enrollment period (SEP) from
March 15, 2015 through April 30,
2015 for consumers who were
subject to the fee or “Shared
Responsibility Payment” ($95
or 1% of income, whichever is
greater) for 2014, and did not
enroll in 2015 coverage through the
Federally-facilitated Marketplaces
(FFMs) before the end of the
open enrollment period this
year, because they were unaware
of the requirement to maintain
Minimum
Essential
health
Coverage (MEC). This SEP allows
the consumer to obtain health
coverage for 2015 and reduce
their fee (“Shared Responsibility
Payment”) for 2015.
recognizes
that
CMS
the 2014 tax year was the first
time Americans who did not
have Minimum Essential health
Coverage, (MEC), would be subject
to the fee (“Shared Responsibility
A
Page 6
Payment.”) Consequently, CMS
wishes to provide those who did
not enroll in a Qualified Health
Plan (QHP) during annual Open
Enrollment an opportunity to
obtain MEC during 2015.
This special enrollment
period (SEP) is only for consumers
who are not enrolled in 2015
coverage through the Federally
Facilitated Marketplaces,(FFMs),
(not including consumers who
have been terminated from
coverage purchased through
the FFMs during the 2015 Open
Enrollment period), who can
claim they first became aware of,
or understood the implications
of, the Shared Responsibility
Payment after the end of this
year’s open enrollment period
(February 15, 2015) in connection
with preparing their 2014 taxes,
and attest to being subject to
the fee (“Shared Responsibility
Payment”) for 2014.
Consumers need to verify,
either by phone or through
HealthCare.gov, that they were
subject to the fee (“Shared
Responsibility Payment”) for 2014
and that they were unaware of the
requirement to maintain Minimum
Essential health Coverage (MEC).
This special enrollment
period, (SEP) will
provide
normal, prospective effective
dates for coverage. If a consumer
enrolls in coverage on or before
the 15th of the month, coverage
will be effective on the first of the
following month. If it is after the
15th coverage will begin the first
day of the second month. For
example, if a consumer enrolls on
March 15, the first day of this SEP,
their coverage will begin April
1, but if they enroll on March 16,
through April 15, their coverage
will begin on May 1. If they enroll
between April 16, through the
last day of this SEP, April 30, their
coverage will begin June 1.
Also, consumers who
take advantage of this special
enrollment period, (SEP), to gain
health insurance coverage this year,
will still be subject to pay a portion
of the Shared Responsibility Fee
in 2015 for the months they were
without
Minimum
Essential
health Coverage, (MEC).
An estimated 2 to 4 percent
of Americans will pay a fee this
year when they file their income
taxes, because they made a choice
to not obtain health insurance
coverage for 2014 and are not
eligible for an exemption. So,
they may qualify for this special
enrollment period, (SEP).
We
are
encouraging
consumers who would like
health insurance coverage and
want to avoid paying the fee
for the remainder of 2015 to
visit HealthCare.gov or call the
Marketplace Call Center at 1-800318-2596, (TTY users should call
1-855-889-4325), and review the
Continued on Page 7
your taxes, need Form 8962, or
shopping for coverage through
Continued from Page 6
options available in their area, the Marketplaces.
want to learn more about the
from March 15, 2015 to April
fee for not having health cov30, 2015. Eligible consumers
erage, visit IRS.gov.
Help is available.
wishing to enroll during this
special enrollment period, (SEP) • Many people who signed up • For more information about
must complete the full enrollment
how your Marketplace coverfor Marketplace coverage can
process, including plan selection,
age will affect your taxes, visit
get free assistance with fillby 11:59 pm E.S.T. on April 30,
HealthCare.gov/taxes/ or call
ing out their taxes. This may
2015.
the Marketplace Call Center
include free access to tax soft
Many consumers will
at 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855ware programs, or free in-perqualify for financial assistance,
889-4325.
son assistance. For more inforincluding help paying their
mation, visit IRS.gov/freefile
monthly
premiums,
when
• For local assistance with enor IRS.gov/VITA.
rollment contact MEAAA at
1(800)AGE-6060.
• If you have questions about
Support MEAAA and
Area Older Adults
On Tuesday, May 5, be part
of Give STL Day
and make a difference for MEAAA!
Give STL
Day is a 24-hour
giving event with
local impact. More than 500 nonprofits have signed up to participate and
will be raising much needed dollars
with your help. We hope that you will
participate and choose Mid-East Area
Agency on Aging Foundation and
area older adults as the beneficiary of
your donation!
Through your gift you will
be supporting programs and services
such as Meals on Wheels, 22 Senior
Centers and their activities, caregiver
assistance, information, transportation and much more.
Throughout the day there will
be prizes that YOU can win and incentives awarded to help make your
donation dollars go even further.
Visit
www.agingmissouri.
org on May 5 (starting at midnight)
and be linked to the Greater St. Louis
Community Foundation’s website,
where you can choose Mid-East Area
Agency on Aging Foundation to receive your gift.
Let’s see what we
can do in a day!
Remember MEAAA
in Your Will
Leaving a gift to Mid-East Area Agency on Aging in your will is a way
of ensuring that we will be able to go on helping the increasing number
of older adults who need our services in years to come.
Though it may be challenging for some individuals or families to make
the outright gift they’d like to make today, some may be interested in
establishing a deferred gift that will provide future benefits to MEAAA
and those it serves.
If you have already made the decision to provide for MEAAA in your
will or trust, and you’d like to let us know, please complete the form
below and send it to us.
___________________________________
_____ I have remembered MEAAA in my will or trust.
Name ___________________________________________________
Street ___________________________________________________
City ________________________ State _______ Zip ___________
Please mail to:
Development Office
MEAAA
14535 Manchester Road
Manchester, MO 63011
Or Email:
[email protected]
Page 7
March for Meals
March is
the month to support the MEAAA
meals on wheels
program!
Area
businesses, city,
county, state and
federal
officials
were invited to
participate
in
the March for
Meals activities at
MEAAA’s senior
centers.
Many will
participate
by
State Rep. Sue Allen, Fern Sterner, and Janice Surti, volunteer
delivering meals
during the Champions for Meals tions are tax deductible and can
week of March 16-20. Others do- be accepted at any time during
nated funding or helpful items the year. For information, call
to the senior centers. Such dona- 636-207-0847.
MEAAA
14535 Manchester Road
Manchester, MO 63011-3960
Nonprofit Org.
US Postage
PAID
St. Louis, MO
Permit NO. 815