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viralhottopics · 8 years ago

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Respect Seniors: Increase Funding For Meals On Wheels

We dont respect seniors in this country, let alone make certain that they survive that portion of life. I used to work for an Area Agency on Aging where we were charged with administering various programs for senior and disabled persons in our local area. Meals on Wheels was one such program. We received both federal and state funding along with donations from wonderful supporters of this incredibly necessary program. But now that program is in jeopardy along with low-income heating assistance and other programs from the budgetary cuts the so-called new guy is recommending. Our agency was also assisted a sister agency with processing heating assistance requests for low-income applicants during the winter months. These people were our neighbors and friends, not people that should ever be thrown away like this. It gets cold on the High Desert in the winter and folks receiving this assistance couldnt stay warm without it.

Listening to callous comments by someone named Mulvaney made me sick. My mother received daily meals when she returned home from a hospital stay one time until we could make them ourselves and bring them to her. We lived one 150 miles away and while I was at work at the Area Agency on Aging, my husband was home making individual meals for freezing along with cookies and other food for my mother until she could begin cooking for herself. But for the first few days that she was home, the local Meals on Wheels folks took care of her, taking that worry from us. We loved them for that.

These people fill a vital role and they are desperately needed. What we dont need is a president who understands nothing about the lives of the frail elderly.

She appreciated the meals she received when she arrived home from the hospital as well as the kind words and support from the Meals on Wheels volunteers who delivered them. These people fill a vital role and they are desperately needed. What we dont need is a president who understands nothing about the lives of the frail elderly in this country while he vacations at his Florida golf course and his wife and son live in a golden tower. Respect for seniors shouldnt be a bargaining chip in our budgetary process.

You see, we thought we would lose her on more than one occasion. She had COPD along with congestive heart failure and it was only a matter of time until she wouldnt be able to breathe anymore. She lived long enough, however, to move to Central Oregon from the Portland area so that we could be closer to her when the final day arrived.

I saw a picture of our first lady twirling a strand of diamonds as you would spaghetti. Its not just tone-deaf, but cruel given her husbands shameful attitude. And she did herself no favors by suggesting that children can heal through nature when her husband wants to take health insurance away from the very people who need it the most. Not that I dont support that line of thinking given that Im a herbalist, but it demonstrates a disconnect from the realities we all face. All of us except for guys like him.

As more and more reductions in spending are brought forth, the tax burden is merely shifted over to the wall and war sections of the government. As if we need a wall between the US and Mexico or more war. Theres little cohesion within this new regime. Its as if theyre grabbing this and that out of their collective a**es to scale back our government to the point of no longer functioning. While some might argue that our government hasnt been functioning well for some time, whats happening now is unprecedented and will accomplish nothing but harm.

While some might argue that our government hasnt been functioning well for some time, whats happening now is unprecedented and will accomplish nothing but harm.

My local congressman, Greg Walden, has an ad running on television extolling the virtues of his bosss new health insurance travesty. Its sickening to listen to him as he lies about the destructive effects of this abusive bill. The east side of the state is more rural and local hospitals and clinics are worried about how they will not only serve their patients but whether or not theyll be paid for doing so. If this bill passes, everyone is at risk, because it appears clear now that its only the beginning. If the so-called new guy has his way, America will look nothing like it does now as he puts everyone at risk with his white nationalist policies.

Because thats what all of this is about. Making our country white again. Not that it ever was, but thats beside the point. Now those in power are about racial purity. Its impossible to achieve, but theyve deluded themselves anyway. Whatever drives this delusion will be their undoing but until that happens our very way of life is threatened.

The question then becomes: Will we let them get away with it?

Blessed be.

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from Respect Seniors: Increase Funding For Meals On Wheels

#Respect Seniors: Increase Funding For Meals On Wheels

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ledenews · 5 years ago

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Pielech Back in the Fold

Dwayne Pielech had a lengthy and successful career with Belmont County when he resigned from his post as director of Job & Family Services in July of 2013. He started in May of 1999 and ran the county’s largest agency for more than a decade. During that time, Pielech helped oversee the transition of senior programs in the county into the DJFS family. Previously, a private company titled Belmont Senior Services, Inc. was contracted and funded primarily through levy dollars to run said programs. Now after some time away, Pielech has returned to life as a government employee as he recently took the executive director of senior services position with DJFS. When asked why he didn’t prefer to try for his old position, Pielech had a simple answer for the reasoning behind his choice. “Senior services’ budget helps pay for 65 employees and is about $5 million per year,” Pielech said. “Job and Family Services has more than 100 employees and a $200 million annual budget. (SSBC) serves a couple thousand people a day through medical transport, meals on wheels and at the senior centers. The population you deal with at Job & Family Services is at least triple that.” Pielech, who also served as a village councilman in Shadyside during that span, previously wanted to get out of the public light for a while, spend more time at home and not face the hectic schedule of trying to manage multiple departments and more than 100 employees. Whilst back in the private Sector, he obtained his CDL and joined a close friend in helping establish Ohio Valley Waste Systems. That business has established itself and Pielech found himself ready to get back to work in the public sector. “Senior services touches a lot of lives from a very important part of the population, and it’s never been as apparent as now how important that job is,” Pielech said, noting the disruption in the lives of the county’s seniors because of the pandemic. “Senior Services fills a vital role. This is a chance to get back in it. I know a lot of the faces from when I was here before.”

Pielech stands outside the multi-million dollar building built for Senior Services in the last few years. During his previous stint with the county, Pielech helped oversee the transition away from Belmont Senior Services into the county running Senior Services. Doing so allowed the county to bill for Medicaid for a good protion of its medial transport, saving levy dollars and helping put away seed money that helped enabled this new facility.

Temporary Changes by Necessity

The meal delivery services SSBC provides are one of its more vital missions. Daily the kitchen staff at the main office cooks up a number of meals that are distributed throughout the county. Traditionally, those meals were taken to residents’ homes, or to local senior centers in town and villages throughout the county. Those were the congregate meals senior could enjoy while visiting with friends at the area centers for socialization and entertainment. Everyone’ favorite coronavirus and subsequent social distancing and gathering rules put a stop to that option. Many of those seniors however have elected to also receive their meals at home. “We’re producing around 1,020 meals a day,” Pielech noted. “But because of the virus, all of the centers are closed. The staff and drivers assigned to some of those (centers) are doing other activities currently. Some are working here in the office and right now, we’re preparing to ramp back up our medical transportation side.” Pielech noted that with rules lightening somewhat as Governors Mike DeWine in Ohio and Jim Justice in West Virginia work to reopen their respective states, demand for transport will increase. “Wheeling (Hospital) is going to start allowing elective procedures again,” Pielech said. “And they are the primary provider of (medical) services to out Belmont County seniors. We’ve already started taking calls from people about transportation. We’ll use the same safety precautions that we have been using since this started.” Pielech noted that transportation for critical routine procedures like kidney dialysis never ceased during the pandemic, but that more elective procedures were curtailed. He also noted he doesn’t expect the senior centers themselves to open anytime soon as the easing of social distancing will likely be a slow rollback over a number of weeks.

In the Works

Pielech noted that some of the more popular programs put on by the senior centers, like the bus trips that leave from and are sponsored by the Bellaire Senior Center, are on hiatus for now. But once the centers are able to be reopened, the county’s seniors will be able to return to enjoying the variety of activities and programs they’d grown accustomed to. Pielech also touched on the farmer’s market voucher program for seniors that should be starting up within the next few weeks. Applications will be available electronically or via the telephone for a program that starts July 1. “Anyone who meets the within 185 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, which is approximately $22,000 a year for a single individual, will receive a $50 voucher toward the local farmer’s market,” Pielech said. “We’re targeting a tentative start for July 1.” Pielech has enjoyed his break but admits he’s ready to get to work helping the senior citizens of Belmont County Read the full article

#belmontcounty #coronavirus #COVID19 #jimjustice #mikedewine #seniorservices #Shadyside

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2whatcom-blog · 6 years ago

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Loneliness Is Dangerous to Our Nation's Well being

Because of outstanding new applied sciences and the widespread use of social media, we're extra "connected" than ever earlier than. But as a nation, we're additionally extra lonely. In truth, a latest research discovered that a staggering 47 p.c of Individuals typically really feel alone, disregarded and missing significant reference to others. That is true for all ages, from youngsters to older adults. The quantity of people that understand themselves to be alone, remoted or distant from others has reached epidemic ranges each in america and in different elements of the world. Certainly, nearly 20 years in the past, the ebook Bowling Alone pointed to the growing isolation of Individuals and our consequent lack of "social capital." In Japan, for instance, an estimated half million (often called hikikomori) shut themselves away for months on finish. In the UK, 4 in 10 residents report emotions of power, profound loneliness, prompting the creation of a brand new cabinet-level place (the Minister for Loneliness) to fight the issue. Whereas this "epidemic" of loneliness is more and more acknowledged as a social problem, what's much less nicely acknowledged is the function loneliness performs as a important determinant of well being. Loneliness could be lethal: this based on former Surgeon Common Vivek Murthy, amongst others, who has pressured the numerous well being menace. Loneliness has been estimated to shorten an individual's life by 15 years, equal in influence to being overweight or smoking 15 cigarettes per day. A latest research revealed a shocking affiliation between loneliness and most cancers mortality threat, pointing to the function loneliness performs in most cancers's course, together with responsiveness to therapies. Biologists have proven that emotions of loneliness set off the discharge of stress hormones that in flip are related to increased blood strain, decreased resistance to an infection and elevated threat of heart problems and most cancers. There's even proof that this perceived sense of social isolation accelerates cognitive and purposeful decline and may function a preclinical signal for Alzheimer's illness. It has lengthy been acknowledged that social support--through the supply of nutritious meals, protected housing and job opportunities--positively influences psychological and bodily well being. Research have repeatedly proven that these with fewer social connections have the best mortality charges, highlighting that social isolation can threaten well being via lack of entry to medical care, social providers or wanted help. Nonetheless, how the subjective sense of loneliness (skilled by many even whereas surrounded by others) is a menace to well being, could also be much less intuitive. It is very important acknowledge that emotions of social cohesion, mutual belief and respect, inside one's neighborhood and amongst completely different sections of society, are all essential to well-being. Maybe that is particularly so at a time of nice social polarization exacerbated by contentious politics and vitriolic TV information. These new statistics underscore the pressing want to handle this "epidemic" of alienation and despair and to extend social help. For the primary time within the U.S., life expectancy is declining, whereas the numbers of "deaths of despair" (from suicide, medicine and alcohol abuse), particularly amongst white males, is on the rise. The possibilities of dying from an opioid overdose or suicide at the moment are increased than the chances of dying in a motorcar accident. So what could be performed to fight widespread loneliness and anomie? The excellent news is there are fashions of success already in place within the U.S. and internationally. Applications akin to Meals on Wheels and help-lines that organize cellphone calls between volunteers and the lonely--whether they be older adults or teenagers in crisis--offer direct social help to these feeling profoundly remoted. Intergenerational initiatives, just like the dementia-friendly villages within the Netherlands, the Intergenerational Studying Heart in Seattle, and world home-sharing packages supply distinctive alternatives for the aged to make significant connections with youngsters and younger adults. Group engagement packages akin to improvisational workshops at Chicago's Second Metropolis goal to deal with social nervousness and emotions of isolation via laughter. And coverage initiatives such because the Aspen Institute's Weave: The Social Cloth challenge, New York's Age-Pleasant and England's Nationwide Well being Service present strategic assistance--encouraging sufferers to interact in social actions reasonably than resorting to pharmaceuticals. And positively data expertise could be a part of the answer as nicely: apps to "increase sociability" are being developed to fight loneliness. We now have good fashions. We should prioritize additional funding. However maybe, equally vital, every of us can attain out to somebody who could also be lonely - the senior subsequent door who by no means has guests, the homeless one that feels invisible, or the mom overwhelmed with the duty of a brand new child. By making a easy human connection, we will save a life. Well being and well-being are profoundly social. Sarcastically, in as we speak's hyperconnected world, we should deal with head-on the rising public well being disaster of loneliness if we're to grow to be a more healthy nation. Read the full article

#2what.com #health #isolation #loneliness #social

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stephenmccull · 5 years ago

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Congress Approves Boost In Food Aid For Seniors But Funding Falls Short Of Growing Need

Advocates for senior citizens hailed the bipartisan passage of a federal bill that calls for boosting money for nutrition programs so that fewer older adults go hungry. But the proposed funding still wouldn’t keep up with America’s fast-growing senior population.

The legislation reauthorizes the Older Americans Act, which provides for home-delivered and group meals for anyone 60 and older while supporting an array of other services, such as transportation and in-home care. The bill cleared the House on Wednesday after a Senate vote in early March — more than five months after the previous authorization expired Sept. 30.

“So many seniors are dependent on this piece of legislation,” said Ellie Hollander, president and CEO of Meals on Wheels America, the umbrella group for more than 5,000 community-based home-delivered meal programs. “Everyone wins. Taxpayers win. Seniors win. Communities win.”

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The bill recommends a 7% rise in funding for nutrition programs and other core services in the first year, followed by 6% increases in each of the next four years. That works out to a total increase of 35%.— significantly more than the total 6.8% increase over the previous three-year reauthorization.

The recommendations don’t automatically take effect, though. Congressional appropriations committees will make final decisions on funding levels, taking into account the authorization recommendations.

A Kaiser Health News analysis found that although the total for nutrition services in the authorization would reach $1.2 billion in 2024, the highest in nearly 20 years in inflation-adjusted dollars, it still amounts to less per-eligible person than in the early 2000s.

Kaiser Health News reported in September that funding for the Older Americans Act has long lagged behind senior population growth and inflation. Nearly 8% of Americans 60 and older quietly went hungry in 2017, according to a study released last year by the anti-hunger group Feeding America. That’s 5.5 million seniors who don’t have consistent access to enough food for a healthy life, a number that has more than doubled since 2001.

Without steady, nutritious food, seniors can weaken, sicken and even die. They can wind up in hospitals and nursing homes, driving up Medicare and Medicaid costs for taxpayers. A single day in the hospital costs an average of around $2,500, one estimate found, compared with $2,828 to serve a senior Meals on Wheels for a year.

“I owe my health to Meals on Wheels,” said Catherine Merkel, a blind 86-year-old from Wernersville, Pennsylvania, who has been receiving food for more than 25 years. “If I didn’t get it, I’m not sure I’d eat balanced meals.”

LuAnn Oatman, president of Berks Encore, which runs the meal program encompassing the Wernersville area, said demand has grown steadily in her region, with 40 to 50 new referrals a month. With more money, she said, “we’re going to be able to serve more people. That’s the bottom line.”

New funding should also help whittle down waiting lists for Meals on Wheels programs, which all told get about 39% of their funding from the Older Americans Act, Hollander said. Nationally, tens of thousands of seniors are on such waitlists, which can stretch 1,000 names long in some cities.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), one of the bill’s sponsors, said in a statement that the reauthorization will help seniors “age with dignity, respect, and community.” She described the act as a lifeline for millions of seniors since it was first passed more than a half-century ago as part of former President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society reforms.

Though it may be a long shot, some advocates said they plan to push for even larger increases during the appropriations process. Hollander, for example, said she’d like to see a 10% increase for nutrition programs instead of the 7% proposed in the first year.

“These services collectively help keep older adults in their homes and communities,” said Megan O’Reilly, AARP’s vice president of governmental affairs. “And we know that’s where they want to be.”

Congress Approves Boost In Food Aid For Seniors But Funding Falls Short Of Growing Need published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/

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gordonwilliamsweb · 5 years ago