Utah

Hospice care affirms the belief that it is important to make every moment of life as meaningful as possible, from the first days of a life-limiting illness to the last. Hospice care seeks to validate the quality of life rather than the quantity. It also provides compassion and dignity for both the patient and family members. Hospice focuses on relieving the symptoms of the illness, as well as managing pain, and providing emotional and spiritual support. Many consider hospice to be comfort care because hospice is designed to keep the patient as pain free as possible while they enjoy their remaining time with family and loved ones.Hospice is often misunderstood. A common belief is patients are giving up or choosing to end their life. Quite the contrary, hospice patients are electing to live every minute to its fullest, maintaining as much independence and access to family and friends as possible. Helping people understand the philosophy of hospice is part of the changing culture in long-term care. These services are intended to promote a purposeful life and dignity in death.Hospice care is for people who have a life expectancy of six months or less and have chosen to focus on palliative care, comfort, and relief from pain symptoms. Diagnoses commonly associated with hospice care may include, but are not limited to: Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, Alzheimer's, Respiratory Disease, Liver/Renal Disease, and Neurological Disease. Also common are AIDS/HIV, Adult failure to thrive, Stroke and Coma.Services provided by Hospice vary depending on patient needs, but may include nursing care, medications, medical supplies and equipment related to the diagnosis, assistance with personal care, and 24 hour access to a Physician, Nurses and a Chaplain. In addition services include bereavement services and spiritual counseling. These services are fully covered by Medicare and Medicaid, and coverage is unlimited in length, and may be covered by many private insurances with no out-of-pocket expenses to the patient.Editors Note: Please call for additional information, volunteer opportunities, or to get involved with Culture Change in your community: Kimberly Ware, Administrator with Dignity Home Health & Hospice who may be reached at 801-934-6279 or by email at kware@dignityhlth.com

A major retirement wave began in 2011 when the rst of the Baby Boomers turned 65. The number of Americans aged 55 and older will almost double by 2030from 60 million in 2000 to 107 million. The number of Americans over 65 will more than double, from 34.8 million in 2000 to 70.3 million in 2030.With statistics like that, you would think only Baby Boomers would have hearing loss. Not true!While hearing loss is a normal part of aging, the largest age group with hearing loss is people between 18 and 64 about 19 million people compared to 14 million at retirement age!Regardless of your age, here are some things to think about when it comes to your hearing:Only about 15 percent of general practitioners routinely screen for hearing loss during a physical exam. If your practitioner does not test your hearing, there are hearing clinics that offer free screenings. You should consider getting an annual screening and evaluation. Hearing loss is an inevitable part of aging. Approximately 95% of people with hearing loss can be helped, usually with hearing aids. One of the main culprits causing hearing loss is damage from noise. In fact, more than 10 million Americans are experiencing hearing loss due to irreversible damage to their hearing from noise. Hearing aids can help even those people with mild hearing loss. If you are in a profession, such as a lawyer or teacher, where it is important to hear human conversation, be sure to get your hearing checked! Todays digital technology means hearing aids have gotten much smaller without sacrificing sound quality, and you can find hearing aids that fit within the ear canal or behind your ear making them virtually invisible. Bluetooth technology can turn your hearing aids into a wireless headset so you can hear TV, listen to music, and even take phone calls directly through your hearing devices!Whether you are part of the Baby Boomer generation now or will be in the not too distant future, plan on having a hearing screening as part of your overall health care. Taking control of your hearing means taking control of your life.Editors Note: This article was submitted by Shane Larkin, HEARING Life Regional Vice President. Shane is a board certified hearing instrument specialist. He may be reached at 801-525-5254 or by email at sbl@hearinglife.com.

What is a Medicaid Waiver?In 1981, Congress passed legislation allowing states greater flexibility in providing services to people living in community settings.This legislation, Section 1915 of the Social Security Act, authorized the waiver of certain Medicaid statutory requirementsThe Waiving of these mandatory statutory requirements allowed for the development of joint federal and state funded programs called Medicaid 1915 Home and Community Based Services WaiversThe New Choice Waiver programPurposeThis waiver helps eligible individuals to move out of nursing facility settings. Services are designed to help people transition out of a nursing facility and re-establish themselves back in the community.EligibilityMust be 21 years plus 1 month old;The primary condition must not be attributable to a mental illness;The individual does not meet Intensive Skilled level of care criteria; andThe individual does not meet level of care criteria for admission to an intermediate care facility for people with mental retardation (ICFMR)In addition, eligible individuals must be:Receiving Medicaid reimbursed nursing facility care on an extended stay basis of 90 days or more;Currently receiving Medicare reimbursed care in a licensed Utah medical institution (that is not an Institution for Mental Disease), on an extended stay of at least 30 days, and will discharge to a Medicaid certified nursing facility for an extend stay of at least 60 days; orReceiving Medicaid reimbursed services through another of Utahs 1915 waivers and have been identified as in need of immediate or impending nursing facility care.Waiver ServicesAdult Day Care Adult Residential ServicesAssistive TechnologyAttendant CareCaregiver TrainingCase ManagementChore ServicesConsumer Preparation ServicesEmergency Response SystemsEnvironmental Accessibility AdaptationsFinancial Management ServicesHabilitation ServicesHome Delivered MealsHomemaker ServicesInstitutional Transitional ServicesMedication Assistance ServicesNon-Medical TransportationPersonal Budget AssistanceRespite CareSpecialized Behavioral Health ServicesSpecialized Medical EquipmentSupportive MaintenanceEditors Note:This article was submitted by Blake Minardi. For more information contact: Vicki Ruesch (801) 538-6148 or Blake Minardi (801) 538-6497; UDOH Bureau of Authorization and Community Based Services 288 North 1460 West (PO Box 143112) Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-3112.

#1 Act as a Disability Plan. A revocable trust provides protection during three phases: what happens while the trust maker is alive and well, what happens if the trust maker is alive but not so well, and what happens after the trust maker dies. Its during the second phase that trust really outshines a will if the trust maker becomes incapacitated, the disability trustee can step in and take care of things immediately and without court intervention.  This keeps the trust property under the control of a trusted family member or friend instead of a guardianship judge. #2 Keep Assets Outside of Probate. Probate is a time-consuming and costly court-supervised public process. A will-focused estate plan lands heirs squarely in probate court. A trust-focused estate plan allows the settlement trustee to step in and carry out the trust makers final wishes without any court involvement or oversight. #3 Keep a Minors Inheritance Outside of Guardianship. A minor who is named as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, IRA, or payable-on-death account will require a court-appointed guardian to manage the property until 18. On the other hand, a trust for the minor can be created in a revocable trust and named as the beneficiary of the policy or account.  This allows the client to decide how long the trust will continue age 25 or 30, or even the beneficiarys lifetime not just until 18. #4 Keep Final Wishes Private. A will filed for probate becomes a public court record, which means anyone, including predators and your competitors, can go down to the local probate court and read wills and other probate documents. On the other hand, a revocable trust is a private document that remains confidential during life and after death.