GHECS family to yours! May 2020 bring you health, joy and many blessings! ~ Lisa Gradzewicz ​

There are many holidays around the end of the year. Many involve candles and lights in some capacity. In honor of the light, and the theme of good triumphing, we encourage you to shine bright this holiday season. Be a beacon of hope and love. Happy Holidays!

What a fantastic Holiday Open House we had today at Golden Horizons! It was great seeing so many smiling faces and kindred spirits. We will be continuing Tuesday between 9am and 1pm. Come visit us! Meanwhile, here is a smattering of images to tell our holiday story. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa... whatever you celebrate, we wish you a bright, healthy, blessed holiday season, from our family to yours!

the backbone of Golden Horizons. Your compassion and dedication to our clients are the reason we exist. I am thankful for you all. May this season and coming year bring you abundance and joy. Happy Holidays! ~ Lisa Gradzewicz, President of Golden Horizons  ​

According to the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), there are over 40 million unpaid caregivers in the United States. Of that 40-plus million, nearly 80% care for a senior who likely has Medicare.
For all the caregivers do, it’s astonishing that most are unpaid. According to the AARP Public Policy Institute, unpaid caregivers had a value of $470 billion in 2013 alone.

The average caregiver cares for a loved one for 4 years, according to the NAC. However, nearly 40% of caregivers provide care for more than 5 years.

Although caring for a loved one can be very rewarding, it can also cause a lot of stress, especially for unpaid caregivers who rarely take time off. Thankfully, Medicare has slightly upped its game in the respite care field.

What is respite careMedicare defines respite care as “temporary care provided in a nursing home, hospice inpatient facility, or hospital so that a caregiver can rest or take some time off.” In short, respite care is a caregiver’s vacation.

When Original Medicare Covers Respite CareOriginal Medicare consists of two parts, Part A and Part B. Part A is your in-patient hospital stay benefits, while Part B is your outpatient benefits. Part A covers respite care for its beneficiaries’ caregivers if the beneficiary is officially on hospice care.

To be on hospice care, the beneficiary must be certified as terminally ill with less than 6 months to live, accept care solely for comfort, and sign an official document stating he or she is choosing hospice care over trying to cure illness.

Once hospice care has started, caregivers can request respite care whenever they need time away. Part A allows up to 5 consecutive days of respite care at a time, and only on an occasional basis. The beneficiary can get respite care in the hospital, in a hospice facility, or in a nursing home.

If the beneficiary doesn’t have a Medigap plan that covers the Part A coinsurance, then there may be a 5% coinsurance charge for each respite care stay. Many Medigap plans cover the Part A hospice coinsurance.

When Part C covers respite careMedicare Part C, also known as Medicare Advantage, is a part of Medicare that combines your Part A, Part B, and usually, Part D benefits into one plan. These plans are sold by private insurance carriers, such as United Healthcare, Cigna, and Aetna.

Part C plans are required to offer the same benefits as Original Medicare at a minimum. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t offer better coverage. Also, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) allow Part C plans to offer a few additional benefits that Original Medicare doesn’t offer.

For example, Original Medicare doesn’t cover respite care unless the beneficiary is on hospice care. As of 2019, Medicare Advantage plans are allowed to offer respite care under their own rules. Your loved one may be able to get respite care without being under hospice care.

Each Medicare Advantage plan has its own set of rules and pricing for services. Because of this, you need to read plan brochures carefully to see what’s covered. If your loved one wants a Medicare Advantage plan offering respite care coverage, compare plans in your area prior to the Annual Election Period that runs from October 15th until December 7th.
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Alternatively, you can look into short term respite care at facilities such as adult daycares, nursing homes, and in-home care. You may have to pay for these services yourself, but check with your local Area Agency on Aging to see if help is available. 

England for more religious freedom; and 61 "Strangers", those who were not going for any religious reason. They were aiming for Northern Virginia, but being blown off course, they landed, in mid-November, near Cape Cod, outside the jurisdiction of the Virginia Company and the charter. Being in a situation where they could descend into chaos, the men on the ship signed the Mayflower Compact, establishing a "civil body politic" to keep them together as they embarked into a brave new world. 

The Pilgrims lived on the Mayflower through much of the winter, ferrying back and forth to build their settlement and storage. The conditions were cold and deplorable, a bitter winter. Over half of the original settlers died that first winter. In the spring and summer of 1621, a Native American, Squanto - who had been captured by John Smith in 1614-15, taken to England bound for slavery, but escaped and returned to North America - encountered and proceeded to help the settlers learn to plant, hunt, harvest and live in this "New World". He acted as liaison and translator between the local tribes and the Pilgrims.

In the fall of 1621, in the midst of abundance, the Pilgrims and the Natives shared a feast in celebration of the magnificent harvest, and peace. This is now known as the First Thanksgiving.

Today is Thanksgiving. While we watch the Macy's Day Parade, football, spend time with friends and family, and eat until we are fit to bust, remember what the first members of Thanksgiving endured. That first Thanksgiving demonstrates to us a unity of peace and abundance. Think about sharing with those less fortunate and how we can pave a smoother road for generations to come. From our family to yours:

Next week is Thanksgiving. It marks the beginning of the Holidays and catapults us into a frenzy of shopping, football, presents, parties, family, friends, food and many missions of giving back. All good things!...

...But in this day and age, with the level of information and visual stimulation we are exposed to, it can be overwhelming and highly taxing. It can get to the point that someone wants to get past the season, to the new year, and away from the elevated hubbub. Nobody likes a scrooge.

We've all heard the saying about having an attitude of gratitude. Science is now backing that up. Studies show that saying thank you helps to motivate people - ie. a manager thanking an employee regularly may see an increase in productivity. Being thankful is great for our health too, especially emotional. It strengthens our bonds with people. 

How can we cultivate gratitude in this season? Make a list of positives in your life. Write thank you notes to people for gifts that you receive this holiday. Keep a journal of what you are thankful for. See what you can do to pay it forward.

For more on the science behind gratitude, check these out.
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier
- ​https://www.heysigmund.com/the-science-of-gratitude/

age of 65 will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. How do we keep them safe and with a better quality of life, even as their health will decline? People with Alzheimers and dementia may be prone to wander and lose their ability to make good decisions.  Here are some tips.

- Take inventory of their environment - look at cleaning chemicals, doors and windows, work rooms...places that require them to have supervision. Apply locks that can prevent them from getting out, and consider security cameras. 
- Make sure all safety alarms are working - carbon monoxide detectors, smoke detectors, Life Alerts, motion detectors to make sure they don't wander off etc.
- Make sure walkways and hallways are clear of all tripping hazards and well-lit. 
- The person in charge of medical decisions for the diagnosed person should make sure they receive their flu shot.
- Lock away all medications to keep out of reach. 

These are just a few. Visit www.alz.org for extensive information.

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Today, many Veterans from around the state will be welcomed into the elementary, middle and high schools for ceremonies and breakfasts / lunches in their honor. They will be thanked for their service. This Monday is Veterans Day.

Somehave asked, "isn't Veterans Day in May?"..."Isn't Memorial Day (in May) when we thank Veterans?"...Well, what's the difference between Memorial Day (last Monday in May) and Veterans' Day (every November 11)? 

Key Difference
Memorial Day is designated to honor and remember the fallen soldiers who have died in service to our country. Veterans Day is appointed to recognize and honor living Veterans for their service to our country. However, there is natural crossover.

What Can Do Both
While both days have a particular focus, we can acknowledge both on either of these days. It is important to remember the fallen and honor the living Veterans. Their stories are the foundations of this nation, and of our own paths.

This Monday, November 11, 2019, honor these living Veterans for the service and sacrifice. Remember those who fell so that we can live free.