Turning 65 – Let the Phone Calls Begin

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Linda Tobias, Senior LinkAge Line Client Service Center Supervisor

Turning 65 comes with many emotions for me. I am excited about the next phase of my life. Is retirement a reality for me, or am I going to continue to do the job I love with the Senior LinkAge Line and the Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging?

Recently I have been inundated with calls trying to sell me a Medicare insurance plan. Yesterday I decided to answer one of the calls. She said she was with Medicare, but after I questioned her further, and she said, “Medicare Benefits.” Then she said she wanted to tell me about my Medicare options. Since my job with the Senior LinkAge Line is to know Medicare thoroughly, I was skeptical.

I asked, “Are you selling insurance?” and she said, “No, we advocate for you, so you can get the coverage you need when you turn 65.” After transferring me to someone who could tell me about plans available in my area, the new person proceeded to tell me she was a licensed insurance agent—not selling anything, huh?

After the agent tried to make small talk (asking for my zip code and date of birth), she proceeded to try to sell me a specific type of plan without asking if I was planning to retire or keep working.

When I asked about other options, she ignored my question. She only told me about two companies and skipped all others. She told me she was unbiased and wanted what was best for me. She never asked me questions about my health, lifestyle, which medications I take, the pharmacy I use or what I could afford. These all should be considered when choosing Medicare coverage.

If you are turning 65 and getting the same type of phone calls and mailings that I am, remember “buyer beware.” Hang up; these callers are looking for your dollars, as opposed to trying to help you save money.

Before you make any decisions, please give the Senior LinkAge Line a call at 800-333-2433 to get true non-biased help. We are a free-of-charge service provided by the state of Minnesota. We don’t sell insurance and won’t steer you towards a particular company or type of policy. We believe in what we do, and we have experts across the state ready to help you.

Retirement should be an exciting time for us. Let the Senior LinkAge Line give you the information you need so you can make the best choice for your future healthcare needs.

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MNRAAA Awards Grants to 23 Organizations in Southwest Minnesota

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MNRAAA received $100,000 from the Minnesota Council on Foundations (MCF) to assist organizations serving older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those funds have been distributed to twenty-three organizations throughout Southwest Minnesota.

“In April, when we received the ability to do this work through the Minnesota Council of Foundations, we made it a point to focus on community-based organizations and to get this money turned around and into the communities as soon as possible,” stated Executive Director Jason W. Swanson.

The grant dollars were established to assist our communities as we continue to work through the COVID-19 pandemic. The recipient organizations focus on supporting older adults, caregivers and/or persons with disabilities. Organizations are using these dollars to assist in providing nutrition services to potentially isolated individuals and provide their services virtually.

Recipient Name County
Bethesda Day Break Kandiyohi
Brewster Senior Center/Senior Dining Nobles
Brookside Senior Living Chippewa
Cedar Crest of Silver Lake McLeod
Central Health Care of Le Center Le Sueur
Chippewa Enterprises, Inc. Chippewa
Fahan Transportation Blue Earth, Waseca, Nicollet
Greater Mankato Area United Way Blue Earth, Nicollet, Le Sueur
Greater Round Lake Community Nobles
Grove City CARE Meeker, Kandiyohi
Hearth Adult Life Programs Chippewa, Lac qui Parle
Heartland Industries Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Redwood, Yellow Medicine
Hendricks Community Hospital Lincoln
Lake Benton Diners Club Lincoln
Madison Avenue Apartments Lyon
MRCI Blue Earth, Nicollet, Le Sueur
Prairie Five Community Action Council Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift, Yellow Medicine
Rock County Opportunities Rock
Singing Hills Chorus Blue Earth, Nicollet, Le Sueur
VINE Faith in Action Blue Earth, Nicollet, Le Sueur
Vista Prairie at Copperleaf Kandiyohi
Vista Prairie at Garnet Gardens Redwood
Waseca Area Caregiver Services Redwood
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MNRAAA to Hold a Public Hearing/Meeting on July 15, 2020

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The Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging (MNRAAA) will host a public hearing/meeting to gather public input on its Area Plan for 2021. This is a planning document, pursuant to the Older Americans Act, that identifies priority needs, goals, objectives and activities.  MNRAAA will be developing and implementing programs for individuals age 60 years and older and their caregivers in the Southwest region of Minnesota. This public hearing/meeting is an opportunity for the community to provide input for the plan.

Public Hearing Topic: Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging is proposing to use $143,245 Title III-B direct service funds to pay for the Program Development and Coordination Activities during 2021 as a cost of Area Plan administration.

Each of the goals included below are developed by the Minnesota Board on Aging (MBA).

Goal 1:  Leverage the experience, expertise and energy of older Minnesotans
Goal 2:  Equip older Minnesotans with the tools to take charge of their health and make informed decisions about services when they need them
Goal 3:  Support families and friends in their caregiving roles
Goal 4:  Support aging in community with access to a range of services and housing options

Written Comments: The public is invited to make comment in written form and/or by attending the virtual public hearing/meeting:

Wednesday July 15, 2020 at 9:00 AM

Written comments are encouraged and will be accepted until Monday, July 13, 2020.  Please send written comments via email to jswanson@mnraaa.org.

If you are interested in attending, contact eschott@mnraaa.org by 4:00 PM on Monday, July 13, 2020 and log in information will be provided to you.

 

Jason W. Swanson
Executive Director

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Visiting Those in Nursing Homes During COVID-19

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As a child, I was fortunate enough to grow up with great-grandparents within my hometown. This allowed me to get to know them and stirred my mind into the fascinating world of genealogy. Getting to know them meant visiting, and many of those visits were in nursing home facilities. I found that visiting was a wonderful way to learn from people, to be able to interact and to see family and friends.

With the recent pandemic, nursing homes have restricted visiting rights except for compassionate visiting, which is the ability to visit a family member who is on hospice care. As time passes, we see more and more restlessness due to not being able to visit our friends, families and neighbors. While it may be difficult for us to try to visit them, it is even more difficult for the resident in the facility.

We don’t know how long the pandemic will last, how long the nursing home visiting restrictions will be in place and what it is going to look like when we can visit again. So, what can we do in the meantime? Many facilities are looking at technology to establish virtual visiting, visit via windows and other innovative ways.

Tips for those visiting their loved ones at nursing homes:

  • Contact the facility and see what their guidelines are;
  • Ask your loved one what they prefer (phone, virtual, other); and,
  • Respect the privacy of other residents when visiting.

Finally, we ask that you respect the facility’s policies surrounding visits; these restrictions are in place to protect our loved ones. Talk with staff to work through any questions you may have and make sure to give them a thank you; these times are affecting them as well.

Jason W. Swanson, HSE
Executive Director
MNRAAA

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