The USDA defines food insecurity as a state in which consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year.Other ways to think of this can include being hungry, faced by the threat of hunger or struggling to avoid hunger.In the span of 10 years (2001 to 2011), the percentage of older adults experiencing food insecurity increased by 88 percent according to a study by Bread for the World organization. Thats an alarming statistic for our country which will have approximately 79 million seniors by the year 2040.Many older adults experience a variety of situations that put them at risk of being hungry. They may become frail or weak and therefore do not travel out of the home as often to the grocery store or market. Extended family may have moved away and therefore the older adult has fewer people in his or her support network who could help with providing food. Incomes have been affected by the rising costs of medical treatments and they choose to buy prescriptions over food. If the older adult is home bound, meaning they no longer can drive, they must depend upon friends, neighbors, family or outside services to provide them with meals.Senior CommUnity Meals, a program of Volunteers of America, has been providing community meal dining and home bound meals to area older adults for the last seven years. The program serves nutritious meals to eligible older adults at seven community dining sites in Cedaredge, Hotchkiss, Paonia, Delta, Olathe, Norwood and Nucla. The program also delivers hot meals to eligible homebound individuals in the cities listed above, plus Montrose. Last year, Senior CommUnity Meals served 112,000 meals to more than 2,600 older adults, covering 4,600 square miles.The program could not operate without the help of volunteers. Delivering a hot lunch to a few homebound seniors takes less than an hour. The volunteer may be the only other person a participant sees during the week. Volunteers also help out at the community dining sites with meal preparation, meal service, record keeping, cleanup and socialization. For more information on how older adults in Montrose, Delta and San Miguel Counties can receive meals at home or attend a community dining site, please visit www.seniorcommunitymeals.org, call 970-835-2670 or email dsheffield@voa.org.Editors Note: This article was submitted by Erin Berge, Regional Marketing Director with Volunteers of America Western Colorado and may be reached at 970-275-1220 or by email at eberge@voa.org

The Program for All-inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE) is a Medicare/Medicaid managed care benefit for adults aged 55 or older who choose to live in their homes despite being certified by the state as nursing home eligible. The goal of the PACE program is to extend participant independence and enhance their quality of life. PACE became a Medicare benefit and a state Medicaid option under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.Senior CommUnity Care is the Western Slopes PACE provider and manages the program with a staff of paid professionals. Presently, there are two PACE locations Montrose and Eckert, plus a satellite site in Paonia. Enrollees must be able to live safely at home within a PACE sites geographic area.The core of the PACE program is the interdisciplinary team. The team works to provide comprehensive medical and social services to the PACE participants. This team includes a primary care physician, nurse, dietician, nursing aids, drivers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, recreational therapists and social workers. The interdisciplinary team meets daily and is responsible for determining care needs, allocating resources, coordination of all services, and evaluating the outcomes of a comprehensive care plan, which is developed for each individual participant.The care plan addresses a set of functional issues that are relevant to the overall health of the older adult participant. These include cognition, emotional status, social activity, mobility, diagnoses, medications, nutrition and other activities of daily living. Payment for services and monitoring of the quality of the services is authorized and directed by the interdisciplinary team.A PACE Day Center is a location where participants can receive primary care by meeting with a nurse or nurse aide in the clinic, receive therapy to improve strength and balance, enjoy recreational and social activities, participate in one-on-one or group discussions, receive spiritual support and eat a hot meal. The number of days a participant attends the day center will be discussed with the participant and determined through the assessment process.By caring for frail, older adults through this model, acute illness and conditions can often be prevented, thereby reducing the number of emergency room visits and hospital readmissions.Editors Note: This article was submitted by Erin Berge, Regional Marketing Coordinator with Volunteers of America and may be reached at 970-275-1220 or by email at eberge@voa.org

What is a PACE program?PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) delivers all needed medical and supportive services. The program provides the full spectrum of care and services to seniors with chronic care needs while maintaining their independence and allowing people to stay in their homes as long as possible.Where did PACE come from?The PACE model of care can be traced to the early 1970s. The Chinatown-North Beach community of San Francisco saw the pressing needs of families whose elders had immigrated to America. On Lok Senior Health Services, a non-profit corporation was the first to create a community based system of care in San Francisco.How do people qualify for PACE?PACE serves people who are age 55 or older. They must be certified by their state to need nursing home care. They must be able to live safely in the community at the time of enrollment and live in a PACE service area.What services are provided as part of a PACE program?PACE offers caregivers who respond to the needs of each individual, the ability to continue living in the community, health care services, prescription medications, home modifications and other services that may be needed to ensure safety and maintain independence.What happens if a person wants to leave the PACE program?PACE is a voluntary program, participants are free to dis-enroll and resume their benefits in the traditional Medicare and Medicaid programs at any time.For more information about PACE programs see:National PACE Association-www.npaonline.orgCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services-www.medicare.govEditor's Note: This article was submitted by Senior CommUnity Care, PACE

Many older adults would prefer to stay living in their own homes instead of being transferred to a long term care community.The Program for All-inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE) has been providing wrap-around care to participants in Montrose and Delta Counties for the past ten years. PACE is a Medicare/Medicaid managed care benefit for adults aged 55 or older who choose to live in their homes despite being certified by the state as nursing home eligible. The goal of the PACE program is to extend participant independence and enhance their quality of life.Senior CommUnity Care is the Western Slopes PACE provider and manages the program with a staff of paid professionals. Presently, there are two PACE day centers and office locations in Montrose and Eckert. Participants must be able to live safely at home within a PACE sites geographic area.The core of the PACE program is the interdisciplinary team. The team works to provide comprehensive medical and social services to the PACE participants. This team includes a primary care physician, nurses, dietician, nursing aides, drivers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, recreational therapists and social workers. The interdisciplinary team meets daily and is responsible for determining care needs, allocating resources, coordination of all services, and development of a comprehensive care plan, which is developed for each individual participant.The care plan addresses a set of functional issues that are relevant to the overall health of the older adult participant. These include cognition, emotional status, social activity, mobility, diagnoses, medications, nutrition and other activities of daily living. Payment for services and monitoring of the quality of the services is authorized and directed by the interdisciplinary team.A PACE Day Center is a location where participants can receive primary care by meeting with a doctor or nurse in the clinic, receive rehabilitation treatments to improve strength and balance, enjoy recreational and social activities, participate in one-on-one or group therapy, receive spiritual support and enjoy a meal. The number of days a participant attends the day center will be discussed with the participant and determined through the assessment process.By caring for frail, older adults through this model, prevention of acute illness and conditions can often be prevented, thereby reducing the number of emergency room visits and hospital re-admissions while allowing the individual to age in place in their own home.Editors Note: This article was submitted by Erin Berge, Regional Marketing Director with Volunteers of America and may be reached at 970-275-1220 or by email at eberge@voa.org

The silver tsunami is coming our way; the best way to avoid being swept away is to plan now for the life you want when the issues of aging require lifestyle changes. Does your family know what your healthcare wishes are, do you have a durable medical power of attorney in place? Have you appointed a trusted family member, friend or legal representative to manage things for you if you are not able to? If you have long term care insurance policies does that person know where to find the information? Regardless of age we should all have these tough conversations with the people we love. If you are over the age of 60 these discussions are of critical importance to ensure that the people who care about you know what arrangements you have already made and what your wishes are when other decisions need to be made. Here are some discussion points to consider.Talk About it-there are more options for care than there have ever been. Discuss the different types of care, services and facilities.Making life easier one step at a time-maybe it is time to hire a lawn service to help with yard work and snow removal, that will open the door to having someone come in a couple times a year for some deep cleaning of the home. Once you realize how much easier and safer this can make your life you may be ready to consider more regular assistance.Know the options before you need them-plan a visit to area senior daycare centers, assisted living and long term care facilities. They will usually invite you to stay for lunch; this is a great time to visit with the residents. Ask lots of questions and let them know that you are just looking and will not be making a decision right away. If you are really interested in a facility ask about a respite stay so you have an opportunity to see if it is a good fit for you before you make a longer term commitment. Seek answers and use every resource you can to learn more about the options.Editors Note: This article was submitted Eva Veitch, Regional Director of OutreachVolunteers of America. For more information she can be reached at eveitch@voa.org

What is a benefit checkup? Its a no cost way to find out what assistance programs you may be eligible for. At the AdvantAge Health Resource Centers, an experienced care navigator can perform a benefits checkup to match you with assistance programs. There, you may find out you are qualified for assistance through state or federal programs that can save you money on supportive in-home and community-based services.Assistance programs are often is accompanied by complicated forms and regulations. The AdvantAge Health Resource Center care navigator can help explain the form language, help you complete the forms and guide you to creating a plan for successful living.There can be numerous challenges to finding supportive services. Many older adults often do not know where to turn when they experience a change to their normal routine like food insecurity, loss of physical mobility or ability to perform daily tasks of living, or suddenly needing to budget on a tight social security benefit. You may be eligible for programs that save money on medications and other health care costs (such as copays and deductibles). People who have applied for these benefits can save, on average, $4,000 annually in assistance. You may be eligible for programs that save money on medications and other health care costs (such as copays and deductibles).Volunteers of America established a toll-free help line in an effort to provide quick answers and become a trusted source for a variety of needs for our areas older adults. Our toll free number, 1-844-VOA-4YOU (1-844-862-4968) is answered by the AdvantAge care navigators one in Montrose County and one in Delta County plus a Spanish speaking care navigator helping in both counties.Callers can ask questions about health care including: where to go for rehab, home health, adult day care, memory care, assisted living or long-term care. The caller can also inquire about sources for help with housekeeping, personal care, transportation, grocery and meals programs, durable medical equipment, caregiver respite or companion services. Care navigators also have connections to independent housing, family housing or veterans housing assistance.Information and referrals to various programs are available to any age group. The AdvantAge long term goal is to serve the need of any age group by providing a connection to a local service that can fill the need.Professionals in the Montrose and Delta County area can make referrals for their clients as well by visiting our web site at voa4you.org and clicking on the referral tab.Editors Note: This article was submitted by Erin Berge, Regional Marketing Coordinator with Volunteers of America and can be reached at eberge@voa.org