The latest news and information to be added to the Department of Aging Web site. http://www.aging.ohio.gov/ Nineteen exceptional seniors will be inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame and 14 outstanding elder caregivers will be honored with the state's Elder Caregiver Award during a combined ceremony on May 26 at the Capitol Theatre in Columbus. http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/pressreleases/2011/20110524.htm http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/pressreleases/2011/20110524.htm Mon, 23 May 2011 12:00:00 EDT The Ohio Department of Aging is working with the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging, Riverside and Dublin Methodist Hospitals, approximately 50 nursing homes in the Central Ohio area and state agencies to develop HENS a new, web-based application that will streamline the way hospitals, nursing facilities and PAAs communicate. The Hospital Exemption Notification System, or HENS, allows for the paperless transmittal of information required to adequately track individuals who are discharged from a hospital into a nursing home. http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/agingconnection/2011may/network.asp http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/agingconnection/2011may/network.asp Mon, 23 May 2011 12:00:00 EDT Ohioans age 50 and older represent the fastest growing segment of the state's population, as well as the largest group of active workers, learners and volunteers. With longer lives and healthier lifestyles, older adults will stay active, engaged and employed well beyond retirement age. This means that older Ohioans will affect the state in some very powerful ways and enjoy exciting opportunities to just keep getting better and better. http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/agingconnection/2011may/program.asp http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/agingconnection/2011may/program.asp Mon, 23 May 2011 12:00:00 EDT The Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) reaches out to seniors throughout the year, but makes a concerted effort during the month of May, observed nationally as Older Americans Month. This year's theme, "Connecting the Community," fits well with the ongoing efforts of the Department of Insurance's OSHIIP program, as department staff and OSHIIP volunteers work with communities to share information about Medicare. http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/agingconnection/2011may/policy.asp http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/agingconnection/2011may/policy.asp Mon, 23 May 2011 12:00:00 EDT Per-person spending on nursing home care is 52 percent higher in Ohio than the national average. The approximately 173,000 Ohioans who need long-term care account for seven percent of Medicaid enrollment but 41 percent of the program's spending, according to Ohio Medicaid director John McCarthy. Medicaid supports two-thirds of Ohio's nursing home residents. During the 2009 legislative session, the Ohio General Legislature asked the Ohio Department of Aging to develop a new nursing home diversion and transition program to help individuals live in home- and community-based settings. http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/agingconnection/2011may/resource.asp http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/agingconnection/2011may/resource.asp Mon, 23 May 2011 12:00:00 EDT Few people will dispute the health benefits of eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Much talk over the past few years has been around the economic, nutritional and physical benefits of growing your own produce at home. But what can you do if you live somewhere that simply doesn't have room for a garden or where gardening is impractical or not allowed, such as apartment complexes, condos or urban neighborhoods? Many plants and produce can thrive on decks, balconies and stairs, in sunrooms and even on rooftops. It just requires coming at it from a different direction. http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/boomerang/2011aprilmay/mylife.asp http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/boomerang/2011aprilmay/mylife.asp Mon, 02 May 2011 12:30:00 EDT In America, we've had a long-standing love affair with our automobiles because they fulfill our needs on many levels. At a very basic level, they provide us transportation to maintain our independence. At a higher level, our cars can be an extension of who we are: our lifestyles wrapped up in metal, fabric, plastic and rubber. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), by 2030, more than 70 million Americans will be age 65 or older, and at least 90 percent of them will be licensed to drive. In a recent study, they found that more than one-third (37 percent) of drivers age 65 and up had at least one critical safety issue with their vehicle. http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/boomerang/2011aprilmay/myfamily.asp http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/boomerang/2011aprilmay/myfamily.asp Mon, 02 May 2011 12:30:00 EDT Whether you are looking to return to work or jump-start your career, an online job search site - or a combination of several - may be essential to success in today's job market. They can be a resource for finding jobs and valuable leads, as well as tools that help you hone your messaging about you and your skills. The good news is that there are plenty of online job search resources available, but unfortunately, that's also the bad news. How do you know which one is right for you? http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/boomerang/2011aprilmay/mycommunity.asp http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/boomerang/2011aprilmay/mycommunity.asp Mon, 02 May 2011 12:30:00 EDT Great Aunt Sadie certainly doesn't look like a criminal, but she may be helping others carry out criminal acts. You see, Sadie never really looks at all her medical bills, explanations of benefits or all the other things that are mailed to her. She says it gets too confusing. She was happy to help those nice people from Medicare who called and asked her all those questions. She wasn't sure she needed a mobility scooter, but the salesman was so nice, helped her to see its benefits and insisted that Medicare would pay for it. She may not know it, but Great Aunt Sadie may be helping companies and health care suppliers defraud Medicare. http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/boomerang/2011aprilmay/myfuture.asp http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/boomerang/2011aprilmay/myfuture.asp Mon, 02 May 2011 12:30:00 EDT Have you ever wondered what it will be like when you are "old?" I read once that "old" is ten years older than you are right now. My mother is ninety-eight. In many ways, I don't think she will ever get "old." She takes very little medicine and, in general, has a low regard for medical practitioners. We still travel although she has a plate and nine screws holding her ankle together. She broke her ankle the day after I retired from teaching five years ago - the same day we had planned to leave on another of our well-known, exciting adventures. It took only a month before we were on our way with her ankle encased in a boot. Since that unfortunate event, we have continued to travel and I have taken care of her every need. http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/boomerang/2011aprilmay/myheritage.asp http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/boomerang/2011aprilmay/myheritage.asp Mon, 02 May 2011 12:30:00 EDT Governor John R. Kasich has proclaimed May 2011 as Older Americans Month in Ohio, and Tuesday, May 17, as Senior Citizens Day. The theme for 2011 is 'Older Ohioans - Connecting Communities.' The Ohio Department of Aging joins the governor in supporting and promoting local celebrations all over the state. http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/pressreleases/2011/20110428.htm http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/pressreleases/2011/20110428.htm Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EDT In the April episode of "Finer With Age," the Ohio Department of Aging's monthly television talk show for elders and their caregivers, Director Bonnie Kantor-Burman, sits down with Kira Baldonado, of Prevent Blindness Ohio and Ohio's Aging Eye Public Private Partnership, and Dr. Larry Leguire, the Director of Electrophysiological Testing and Eye Research at Nationwide Children's Hospital, to talk about how we can protect our eyesight and prevent blindness. http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/pressreleases/2011/20110415.htm http://www.aging.ohio.gov/news/pressreleases/2011/20110415.htm Fri, 15 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EDT