We Need Elder Affairs: by Governor Paul Cellucci
Older Americans Initiative
SERVE - The Community Food Service Program Returns
Make Cancer Prevention a Way of Life
From
the Director
We Need Elder Affairs
by Governor Paul Cellucci
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At the May 1998 Governor's Conference on Aging, I proudly announced that Lillian Glickman would be the next Secretary of the Executive office of Elder Affairs. Previously, in her tenure as Assistant Secretary and then Acting Secretary, Dr. Glickman earned the respect of elders, advocates and professionals across the Commonwealth. People from all backgrounds pointed to her outstanding work in implementing the Senior Pharmacy Program, which has enabled more than 25,000 elders to receive up to $750 to pay for prescription medication, in expanding elder care services to rural areas and in implementing Aging Services Access Points, which coordinates services for elders. |
When the Weld-Cellucci administration was in the process of downsizing and reinventing state government, we preserved Elder Affairs as a Cabinet Secretariat to ensure that the Commonwealth's 1.1 million elders had their foremost advocate in the position that Frank Manning, Elsie Frank and so many others worked hard to create.
Over the last year, we have launched several new initiatives, including plans to improve the quality of life in long term care facilities, provide enhanced support services to elder housing facilities and expand access to the SHINE Program, which provides free information and counseling to help elders meet their own health care needs.
My administration is committed to leading the statewide elder network into the next century. Secretary Glickman is playing a pivotal role in developing the Senior Care Plan for elders eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Community-based care for frail and needy elders is expanding tremendously - we are now serving 13 percent (or 4,400) more elders than we were in 1992.
We have increased funding for home care services by $24 million in the last six years and in that same period, we have more than doubled funding for councils on aging from $2 million to nearly $5 million.
I, with Secretary Glickman's help, will continue to be in front on efforts to make it easier for elders to remain at home - where they most want to be - for as long as it is safe and practical. To help reach this goal, I have proposed a budget that provides a $5,000 tax exemption for family members who are the primary caregivers for their elderly relatives.
In addition, we have made it a priority to strengthen the protective services program, which investigates and provides services to hundreds of elders suspected of being victimized by abuse, financial exploitation and/or neglect. My current budget submission includes a request for an additional $900,000 to bolster this vital program.
These are just some of the many issues facing older adults in Massachusetts. With Lillian Glickman at the helm of Elder Affairs we can rest assured that the Commonwealth will become an even better place for adults to age.
Starting July 1st, for the first time, Medicare will cover two critical preventive benefits - bone mass measurement tests to detect osteoporosis and diabetes education. The President signed into law these new benefits, as well as a series of preventive benefits to detect cancer, which were implemented earlier this year as part of the historic Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Those benefits underscore how Medicare is trying to encourage better health outcomes for families.
A new Internet Site for Medicare Beneficiaries was also launched at www.medicare.gov.
SERVE - Community Food Service Program Returns
PITTSFIELD - The Ralph Froio Senior Center would like to re-introduce the SHARE program now known as SERVE New England. This is a program where people can purchase a package of food for $15 plus two hours of community service of their choice. The package of food is worth approximately $30 in the grocery stores and includes: frozen meats, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, grocery items such as potatoes, cereal, rice, beans or pasta. The food is never donated, government surplus or salvage food.
The SERVE program also offers a Vegetarian package for $16 which can include Spinach pasta, hummus, jarred grapefruit, oat bran muffins and other items that would entice those who enjoy a vegetarian lifestyle.
The SERVE program is hosted by the Senior Center the last Saturday of the month between 10 and 11 a.m. Those interested need to sign up for their package in advance. This program is open to everyone in the community regardless of age, income or residence. For more information, call 499-9346 or stop by the Senior Center office.
Make Cancer Prevention a Way of Life
By Jesse I. Spector, M.D.
Seniors are by far at the highest risk of developing cancer. With cancer being the number two killer in the United States, people are asking what they can do to protect themselves. Prevention appears to be the key to controlling cancer, rather than waiting for some of the exciting experimental approaches to curing cancer, as these may still be years in the pipeline. This subject has been reviewed by Malorye Allison and Kenneth Chiacchia in recent Blue Cross/Blue Shield bulletins and I wish to share with you some of the excellent suggestions made.
The first thing to do is to check your life-style for risks. Number one on the list is avoiding cancer-causing substances. Cigarette smoking is linked to lung cancer and other cancers. Inhaled smoke exposes your lungs to 16 known human carcinogens, according to Craig Connolly, Director of the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program. Other cancers that appear to have at least some relation to smoke include those of the oral cavity, larynx, bladder, cervix, colon, and pancreas. Smoking results in one-third of all cancer deaths in the United States each year, mainly through lung cancer. It is also estimated that about 5,000 people in the United States die from inhaling second-hand smoke each year.
A second culprit to avoid is excessive sunlight. Serious sunburns in younger individuals result in a high risk of skin cancer and deadly malignant melanoma later in life. Adults can develop skin cancer from continued exposure while gardening, fishing, playing tennis, etc. The answer is not to hibernate indoors, but to wear light protective clothing, use a hat whenever possible, and use sunscreen.
Eating smart is another major step for cancer prevention. Breast, colon, prostate, and uterine cancers appear at least partially related to dietary factors, including heavy drinking. Being overweight and eating a diet high in animal fats have been linked to a variety of cancers, possibly because extra body fat and more fatty hormones encourage cancer growth. Dr. Veronica Ravnika at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center states that overweight women "overdose" on their own estrogen hormones, which can contribute to cancer of the uterus. Eating diets rich in vegetables containing antioxidants (vitamins E and C, beta carotene, and selenium) can decrease the incidence of cancer. Aspirin may decrease the incidence of colon cancer (as discussed in one of my previous columns), but to avoid other health problems, consult your doctor before dosing yourself. Finally, fiber-rich diets may lessen the incidence of cancer by binding up carcinogens in the intestine and eliminating them from the body.
Self-examination is the next step in a cancer-prevention program. Women should do breast examinations and men testicular examinations regularly. People occasionally tell me they don't know what to feel for, but once you get into a regular habit, you will have little difficulty knowing what your body "normally" feels like so you can detect changes more easily. Early detection offers the greatest opportunity for removing a cancerous growth at an early stage with the best chance for cure.
A visit to your doctor is another cancer-prevention technique. A complete medical history and careful physical examination may bring to light a cancer brewing at a very early stage when the subtlety of your complaint or of the physical abnormality may not even be evident to you. Your doctor can also perform simple blood studies that can detect cancer, including the PSA test for prostate cancer, the CA-125 test for ovarian cancer, and the CEA enzyme test for colon cancer. While there is a controversy concerning how best to utilize these blood tests, your doctor can explain their potential benefits. Other ways your doctor can assist you in a proactive approach to cancer include a timely colon examination and testing the stool for blood.
Finally, your heredity plays a role in your approach to cancer prevention. Breast, colon, ovarian, and prostate cancers may sometimes run in families. Any incidence in your family should alert you and your doctor to be more aggressive in following you with mammography, colonoscopy, ultrasound studies, and blood tests. In the very near future, genetic blood tests may be able to alert susceptible people to their increased cancer risk.
Make cancer prevention a way of life. Each of the above steps is easy. By following these recommendations, you can put yourself in the driver's seat and significantly increase your chances of avoiding the cancer menace.
Dr. Spector is a hematologist/oncologist practicing in the Berkshires with Berkshire Physicians & Surgeons. He trained in Boston and at the Scripps Research Clinic in California before moving to the Berkshires in 1975. He is the author of numerous publications on blood disorders and cancer.
From The Director: Medicare+Choice
There are more than 800,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Massachusetts who will soon be seeking information about the new options offered to them as part of the Balanced Budget Amendment of 1997.
The new options, which offer choices to Medicare consumers, are collectively called Medicare+Choice.
Among the options one can select are coordinated care plans such as those offered by health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations, private fee for service plans, and medical savings accounts. Medicare beneficiaries will also have the option of remaining in the well known traditional fee for service Medicare program.
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Unfortunately, the federal Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) which was to mail brochures by or in October to provide all Medicare beneficiaries with accurate, timely, relevant and easily accessible information to help them make informed decisions about their health care options, has just announced that the brochures will not be ready until January 1999, if then. January 1999, however, is when Medicare+Choice changes are to occur for consumers. HCFA will set up a Medicare+Choice web site and an 800 number to take calls, but the brochure will be late. Elder Services, as the Aging Services Access Point (ASAP) designated to assist all elders in Berkshire County to live in dignity and independence, will conduct an intensive educational effort in the fall to inform all Berkshire Medicare users of what the new options are, explain how they will work, and also give the very local information on just what actually is available in this county. |
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Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci