Welcome to Generations

Our Focus Is Simple: YOUR HEALTH & HAPPINESS

We provide information and services to older adults, individuals with disabilities of any age and their caregivers in Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Knox, Martin and Pike counties.

From nutrition to arranging the right in-home services, our job is to connect individuals with the right programs and services to help improve their quality of life. Generations is a program of Vincennes University’s Community Service Division.

OUR MISSION

To offer older adults, individuals with disabilities and caregivers options for a better quality of life.

The Alzheimer’s Association provides caregivers and families with comprehensive online resources and information Their professionally staffed 24/7 Helpline (1.800.272.3900) offers information and advice to more than 250,000 callers each year. 
Visit their website at:  www.alz.org

The Support Group for Caregivers of Loved Ones with Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementia meets the second Tuesday of each month at 4 p.m. at Central Church of Christ (Fellowship Hall), 1600 Forbes Road, Vincennes.  The meetings provide the latest information on Alzheimer's research and medications, help and encouragement from other caregivers and open but confidential discussions and a chance to be heard.  For more information, contact Roger Wright, Support Group Facilitator, at (812) 882-7963 or centralccc@gmail.com.

 

Generations Beacon Article - July

Ask SHIP – Your Monthly Medicare Q & A

State Health Insurance Assistance Program

 

Q: I received a letter from my Medicare Advantage Plan provider that I owe premiums. My premiums are supposed to come out of my Social Security check. Is this a scam?

 

A: If you enrolled in a new Medicare Advantage Plan or a Part D Prescription Drug Plan during 2019, then this might not be a scam.

 

Some 2019 Medicare plan enrollees didn’t have their Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan premiums taken out from their Social Security benefit check. This was a mistake.

 

This has affected new enrollees for Medicare Advantage Plans and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans. These premiums did not get taken from their Social Security benefit check beginning in February 2019, even if that is what the beneficiary had chosen.

 

Your Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan may send you a bill for any premiums that weren’t taken out of your Social Security payments.

The first thing you should do is to follow any instructions from your Medicare plan regarding your premiums. If you aren’t sure which Medicare plan you’re enrolled in, check your plan card or materials.

 

Unless you told your plan you now want to pay your premiums a different way, your plan premiums will be taken out properly from your Social Security payments beginning in June or July 2019 through the rest of the year.

 

If you receive a bill from your plan provider, your plan must offer you a certain amount of time to repay your premium payments that were missed. This period must last at least as long as the delay in billing. Contact your Medicare plan directly with any questions or concerns.

If you were dis-enrolled from your Medicare Advantage Plan or Part D drug plan due to non-payment of these premiums and your plan provider has not re-enroll you in the plan you were in, contact 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. You can file a formal complaint and request to be re-enrolled.

 

You may also call SHIP for any questions related to Medicare. Contact SHIP at 1-800-452-4800, 1-866-846-0139 TDD or online at www.medicare.in.gov.

 *SHIP is a free, unbiased counseling program provided by the Indiana State Department of Insurance.

 

 

 

 

Your contribution can help your friends and neighbors continue to live independently in their own homes.

September Dine with a Doc

Matter of Balance

Upcoming Matter of Balance Classes

 

UPCOMING MATTER OF BALANCE CLASSES

If you are interested in attending a Matter of Balance class in the future and you live in, or near our six-county service area, please contact Alma Kramer at (812)888-4527.  If enough interest is generated in an area, we will do our best to set up a class in that area.

 

 

Sign Up For Our Free Magazine

Magazine Promotes Successful Aging

 

Generations Magazine is a free publication especially for active and informed adults that made its debut in the fall of 1998. Promoting successful aging for individuals in pre-retirement and retirement years, the magazine provides helpful information on a wide array of topics including health and fitness, caregiving and legal issues, investment and financial advice, and light reading to educational opportunities available through many outreach efforts and programs. Featured guest writers bring additional expertise and credability to the magazine’s professionalism and dedication to quality.

Generations Magazine is published 3 times a year and is sent to more than 5,000 subscribers. With advertiser support, we are able to provide the magazine free of charge to our readers.  To be added to our mailing list, email your name and address to Linda Yochum at lyochum@vinu.edu or call 1-800-742-9002.

Or, If you would like to download the digital version of the magazine, click on the button below.

  

Please send all communications regarding the magazine to:

Generations, c/o Brenda Hancock
P.O. Box 314
Vincennes IN 47591

For advertising information contact Brenda Hancock at (812) 888-5146 or bhancock@vinu.edu

Privacy Policy: Your personal information is for Generations' use only. We will not sell any of your data to a third party.

 

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Generations’ Column for September 7, 2019

 

MATTER OF BALANCE CLASS TO BE HELD AT GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL IN SEPTEMBER:  Good Samaritan Hospital will be hosting a weekly Matter of Balance class beginning on Monday, September 16th running through Monday, November 4th in the Cancer Pavilion at the hospital, 520 S. 7th St., Vincennes, IN.  The class consists of 8 weekly two-hour sessions.  This program emphasizes practical strategies to manage falls.  The classes will help you to view falls as controllable, set goals for increasing activity, make changes to reduce fall risks at home, and exercise to increase strength and balance.  Class is FREE!  Space is limited.   For more information, or to reserve your spot, please call Mary Pargin at 812-885-3793.

 

ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP MEETING: The Knox County Support Group for Caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease (or other dementia) meets the second Tuesday of each month at 4 p.m. at Central Church of Christ (Fellowship Hall), 1600 Forbes Road, Vincennes.  The next meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 10th, 2019 at 4:00 p.m.  The special topic will be: Home Safety Checklist.  The meetings provide the latest information on Alzheimer's research and medications, help and encouragement from other caregivers and open, but confidential discussions and a chance to be heard.  For more information, contact Roger Wright, Support Group Facilitator, at (812) 882-7963 or centralccc@gmail.com.

 

WHAT CAN OLDER ADULTS DO TO PREVENT FALLS?  September is National Fall Prevention Awareness Month.  According to the CDC, falls are not just a normal part of aging. Older Americans and their caregivers can take steps to prevent them. If you’re an older American, you can lower your chances of falling. You should:

  • Talk openly with your healthcare provider about falls.
    • Tell a provider right away if you fall, worry about falling, or feel unsteady. Some medicines can make you sleepy or dizzy, and can cause you to fall. Have your doctor or pharmacist review all the medicines you take—even over-the-counter medicines.
  • Exercise to improve your balance and strength.
    • Exercises that improve balance and make your legs stronger lower your chances of falling. It also helps you feel better and more confident. An example of this kind of exercise is Tai Chi. Lack of exercise leads to weakness, and increases your chances of falling.
  • Have your eyes and feet checked.
    • Once a year, check with your eye doctor, and update your eyeglasses, if needed. You may have a condition like glaucoma or cataracts that limits your vision. Poor vision can increase your chances of falling.
    • Also, have your healthcare provider check your feet once a year. Discuss proper footwear, and ask whether seeing a foot specialist is advised.
  • Make your home safer.
    • Remove things you can trip over (like papers, books, clothes, and shoes) from stairs and places where you walk.
    • Remove small throw rugs or use double-sided tape to keep the rugs from slipping.
    • Have grab bars put in next to and inside the tub, and next to the toilet.
    • Use non-slip mats in the bathtub and on shower floors.

The number of fall-related injuries and deaths are expected to surge unless preventive measures are taken. Encourage older Americans you know to take steps toward living longer and healthier lives. Don’t let them fall behind on fall prevention.

 

GENERATIONS MAGAZINE: Our magazine is geared toward adults in pre-retirement and retirement years and promotes active aging and preventive health. It is published three times a year and is free to subscribers. All we need is your name and address. If you would like to receive future copies of the magazine, contact Brenda Hancock at 812-888-5146 or bhancock@vinu.edu.

Generations, Area 13 Agency on Aging & Disability, is a program of Vincennes University’s Community Services Division. Our agency connects individuals and caregivers to community resources and options for long-term care and in-home services. For more information, call 1-800-742-9002 or 812-888-5880 or visit our website at www.generationsnetwork.org

Every Penny Counts

Every Penny Counts.

For as little as $25 a month, you can provide a family in need with the peace of mind that comes from owning their own Personal Emergency Response System. For $50, you can give a caregiver what he or she needs most: an afternoon out of the house with the help of our respite care program. And for less than that, you can provide our clients with Meals on Wheels gift certificates, transportation tokens, and even one-of-a-kind Teddy Bears. The point is, your contribution can help our friends and neighbors continue to live independently.

To help us meet our mission and financial challenges, we’ve established the "Looking to the Future" endowment through the Vincennes University Foundation. In addition, donations may also be made to Generations endowment through the Dubois County Community Foundation, Huntingburg Community Foundation and Greene County Community Foundation.

If you're interested in learning more about donating to Generations, you may click the donation button on home page of our website, or give us a call at 1-800-742-9002. You may also donate by mail.  Your tax-deductible gift to Generations may be mailed to:

GENERATIONS
1019 N. 4th Street P.O. Box 314 Vincennes, IN 47591

Generations is thankful for the financial support provided by United Way, Community Foundations and charitable businesses, organizations and individuals in our communities.