The Cities | Senior Medical Insurance & Christmas Safety | WQPT

production funding for the cities is provided by a grant from the doris victor day foundation
these days before the new year our decision times for seniors and how not to be a victim
of holiday crime
in the cities
tis the season to be jolly tis all those of the season to be ripped off
just as you're getting
ready just spruge yourself your friends and your family
there are people out there getting ready cash in on your generosity
but there are some simple things you can do to avoid being a victim a couple
you might not have even thought about
we'll have more from crime stoppers the quad cities in just a moment but first it is decision
time for thousands of area seniors
who have to decide on their medicare part d prescription drug plan
the open enrollment is that the close on december thirty first
does that mean you
or someone you love should start losing sleep over this
let's find out
joining me now is jan lorne she is a senior advocate as a matter of fact for case i think if so
much for joining us
as well
peggy's dikes from the quad cities area generations agency
on aging
this is a question that's vitally important seniors there right now they may just be ignoring
hoping that if the decision they don't have to make
tell me why that's not a good idea how it's really not a good idea i'm currently this
year there was eighty six different plans and now for twenty eleven has only
forty six
so it's gonna affect about sixteen hundred people just in scott county
and um... ad we can't stress enough that it's really a good time to take a look at those
plans and make sure that they are going to be
good
uh... for for the next year
on some plans have changed some plans are not covering the drugs that you might have
and covered uh... on this this year
and you know it's donting thing lots of paperwork in comparisons but
there's people out there that that will help and i know that you've been really trying
to have some outreach to get out to the seniors to let them know
this is an important decision that you cannot ignore and yet people are using the resources
that they have actually yes that is true we can't acouple different that's where we're
inviting senoirs to come in and get those comparisons done
assessable thing they bring in their list of medications are pharmacy
and then with and um... do a comparison and we can kick out maybe like two or three
different plans that might be possible
uh... and we haven't really had a lot of response to that um...
all they might say oh well i'm ok with my plan i really don't have time to look into
it or
you know i'm not going to go ahead leave it alone but that's really not a good idea
something that we kinda sometime i'll have to admit
i'm a procrastinator as well
this is not something procrastinate about because the deadline is december thirty first
exactly and a lot of people will panic will become calls
the last week in december saying
i need to get this done what i did who can help me
and so that's when we do have shipped counselors uh... the senior health information program
counselors come to case i
every wednesday so they will be there the next three wednesdays until the end of
december really important for people to make the most of the uh... the uh... the programs
that you do offering yes
janice huge expense for seniors right it is absolutely free have nothing with insurances
is free and with medications they are trained volunteers
and everything's confidential
and they are willing and want people to make an informed decision
and that there
they're okay with it
the their plane that's gonna last and for two thousand eleven figure misuse of the changes
as far as the prescription drug plan for a medicare
it gives you if you do this i don't want me to single change
what i like is what i got
their plan may not be available for you in the coming year right it might not be avaiable
happens is having a kickback to regular medicare
and so that might not cover all of your drugs and that type of thing so you know it's it's
really you really need to do it because it's like a catch twenty two if i ingore it
i might get a plan that maybe isn't going to work with me
and of echoing Jane too there's lots of help out there and it's free and the ship volunteers
were absolutely wonderful so knowledgeable they
go threw a four or five day training session so that they are really out there to help
and um... not just for seniors i'm kinda asking family caregivers as well that's exactly
where i was going to go with that mom and dad have to have you check your m medicare statement
said
and um... is your plan going to be okay for next year
this sounds ridiculous jam but that could be no had christmas present
for kids to give to their parents is just a little bit of advice hey your giving your parents
some advice exactly just sit down because
i know my own parents are in ohio and i talked to my mom last week she said
we're getting things in the mail everyday
you know from all different types of insurance companies what are we doing
you know check your own policy that you have now check to see if there's any updates with
that policy for next year and if you're happy with its you know stay with that but there
are gonna be any changes you know they may not be covering certain medications that you're
on now look around and see... doesn't it bother you that people are knocking down
your door asking for help or is that kind of what you were expecting all along
i think it's just overwhelming
a lot of times and people will wait till the last minute or
i hope that somebody would make that decision for them
or they will go to their doctor or corner pharmacy and then i find out
uh... might this drug is not going to be covered
and then they panic
but let's just talk about the timeframe that's involved in trying to settle this that the
other thing is i might be a she said overwhelming
we've got to make some kind of a decision or no decision then you revert back or you
get to keep the program if you have
if somebody were interest in getting help from u how long is the process
it will take probably a couple days just
the comparisons will wait till the thirty out no don't wait nowbut my guess is the
sooner the better plus you might be able to save some money
i mean you know that's what i think everybody is looking forward to seeing as maybe just
a little bit of a break i mean there's some really good policies out there
that will fit if your needs but yeah uh... time is up of assets now i mean now we're
getting down to that you know second week in december and there's only a couple weeks
left open season started november fifteen so
like everything else i think we just put it off and put it off but really you know it's
at something that needs to be done
one about the holidays is that is so joyful for so many people but they also
say for the biggest moments of depression people get very
nostalgic as it were were very a family-oriented in the family may not be there
with you
uh...
for the seniors who are watching there's help out there and you are not alone
there's a lot of help and
you know i just with checking today the big thing is to be a lot of people that are happy
you know a few a lot of people are by themselves in a deep maybe estranged from their family
family my live out of town and he's still got the phone calls but if is important around
happy people
busy people so keep watching this program yes keep watching this program and i don't think you
can detect tell me a little bit about that they're is help
there
some people are just loners
they are loners and i think maybe that's when people around then need to step forward
and be proactive inside maybe i should call my neighbor next door maybe a plate of cookies
or
or something i think it would not give back a little bit you know
or maybe at somebody that you know you had contact before and then just didn't but
interests are at the holiday season is really the best time to do that and doesn't seem
to be more so for seniors because i mean especially do they remember the
the the christmases of their use the remember that the families of of their adulthood i
think that was the best may be a part of the best times of their lives so that's why i
think they go back
you know to that and and and reminisce a little bit so anybody they can have a conversation
with them
or you know and there's different seniors a different place in and in their life too
you know maybe just a phone caller made these maybe just up the card just something you
know we have to be very helpful
CASI is so busy this time of year
uh... tell a little bit about programs you have going on
well right now we have um... we have a lot of exercise classes and that could also help
with the holiday blues a depression
you get out there getting some walking and
uh... we invite people to come and walk we have a wonderful building to walk around
people can enjoy
you have a cup of coffee do eleven laps you done a mile
and it's a lot of
great indoor village where exactly set it up and we've gotten to the gold classes we
have
type she's hilda
we have cards bingo just something for everybody
but the key is getting in the
door in the door that's so how do you help motivate
a family member or a friend or a neighbor it perhaps is motivated as you are
it nobody likes to step in new situation three don't know i mean i don't
care whether it's kindergarten or an older person you know it's it thats
that first step is start but we do have a lot of friendly people
and you know from you know something is coming and working in that standoff but somebody
that's
involved in some of the activities may be said have a cup of coffee with them
uh... we do have a lot of people that love to talk
so every day in the cafe
hey there's a group there that invite everybody to come and just sit and talk and visit
so that's a very good way to get to know people also
and that it is tough i mean if you're kind of an insulated person
i don't see a loner nests or the person who
who's going to be depended wants to stay that way it's it's tough to get them out of their
shell and perhaps this is one of most important times for them to be out of their shell
exactly
i think you know the people could they be do have family
they can go ahead
and um... the proactive and
and out
say all the different things are going on a case i
and the other defense era they're going on in the clouds cities but it's the people who
are actually really really alone that's really really tough
and all i can say to them as you know i just watched tv read the newspaper i mean there's
lots of different activities in the size of the programs out there too that people can
get involved with
and we'll talk a little bit more about the jane about
just the physical activity is what makes a big difference
i think out just just while the socialization year-round different people when you're despite
you know
enough fitness center
we've got a group of people that come in and their there
socializing with each other as well as exercising
and i think just that physical activity
if they are getting dressed to go out and that's a big step for a lot of people just
to get out
and uh... you're around other people you're exercising and what is it at the good endorphins
kick in when you're exercising too so that gives you a better feeling i'm open that happens
for me something someday i've heard of those endorphins
for seniors its becoming the end of the year is still start of another
year and working at the winter blahs and all that but
it's not that hard to get through these holidays
if you seek some help from people
more than
you know we've got uh... a very good community here people do uh...
reach out to people to so
there's church groups and there is some enough friends and family and neighbors to
so that's we asked everybody to know him do that up again we keep an eye on what's going
on as far as at the impact on seems to tell me a little bit about what you're seeing in
the year twenty eleven if that's possible and other things that are on the horizon
that's gonna they're gonna affect senior lives other than that
medicare plan i think health care reform i think that's a big buzz right
now to which is really don't know how that's going to affect seniors
they might go ahead and um...
attack ads and so this is a and change something still so that's another change that people
have to go through again
also then no increase on social security this year so that's going to be another another
one to accept i think actually the economy i think and um... income coming in might be
a little bit tough what kind of programs do you offer
as an ongoing event
and what we're different programs and generations we do have a senate staff and actually there's
inside
and seniors can come in and get a good the bad news meal for two dollars and seventy five
cents so it's it's really a great offer
what age
sixty
yeah excellent food
uh... and we also have senior assect programs that help them stay in their homes and some
different programs to
um... we
you more of those service-oriented programs
is our uh...
when we get a hold of the entertainment tonight at jack and i don't know if i thought i had
already exactly and jamming to twenty levels can be exciting you know it is we're where
planning new activities
actually where
having laughter yoga
ingest cert mid-january which is gonna be a lot of fun
also we have i'm starting a wood carving class
for older people which is going to be
i think that's gonna be real exciting to bring
princeton men and also which is really nice
uh... we're looking at uh...
some education classes we work with generations on some of the programs they offer they have
it over a case like
i think we're really fortunate in our community we have a lot of good senior agencies
uh... organizations that are all working to that alive seniors
you know we're looking for people that
uh... happening successfully
so that's a good way of saying a age successful because
and i just think back of my father who once he retired pretty much just kind of climbed
into a shell it was hard to get him out
waste of of some valuable years time and treasure
you know then and talents you know so many people have talents and
and we want to get them interest to share
well thank you guys both for joining us it's important once again just to underline jane
you can for me
getting the medicare
plan b
discuss that with a family member discuss it with a friend but to start discussing to
start start discussing it december thirty first found peggy is really around
the house were tentative plans thank you guys for joining us pinpointing thank you
jen and peggy of coming out next
keeping crime out of the christmas and lora adams has some great ideas of things you can
do and see enjoy she goes on the out and about quad cities but first
when i'll add another local music artist
telling you tony happener and a bunch of others are on this quad cities compilation c_d_ is
called needed to step toward
the steel of the cd raises money to benefit the carly
roles cal music scholarship fund at the river music experienced
uh... lets say look at that tony sits on the south the album on plug it's not the way i
planned it
and that there was a right now
i'm lora adams and this is out and about you'll find more holiday music on wqpt
with BE taylor's christmas concert Tonic Sol-Fa's greatest hits of the year
holiday happenings in the quad cities include
jack frost saves christmas circa the twenty one
young jack has some very special abilities and is not like the other children
to this wonderful children's musical you will learn about the joys of being uniquely yourself
lessons and carol's is a beautiful christmas service that chronicles christ spurt through
songs and readings taking place in ascension chapel on the campus of Augustana college
what kind of joy relaxing afternoon of seasonal choral music at the beautiful and historic sacred
heart pedro
musical be performed by the sacred heart player ensemble and soprano kim mcdonell
join the Quad cities River bandits with their special guests and to santa, mrs claus and mrs iowa
united states at the third annual Frost Fest
you will enjoy movies board games arts and crafts and much more
and the nova singers present a nova christmasn featuring a variety of christmas carols from
around the world
and it wouldn't be a nova christmas without an audience sing along
and everyone is welcome to celebrate at the quad cities botanitcal center at the
Posada Navidena spanish tradition where attendees celebrate the part the christmas story but
joseph and mary look for a room in a inn
with food and pinatas for the children
for information on these events and more log-on to wqpt
dot org
you may remember scrooge the
miser who didn't understand the true spirit of the christmas holiday the modern-day scrooge
is are often different
i do know the value of the holidays plus
the value of the gifts you're buying and the things inside your house
this crime really increase during the holidays
and could some simple things you do
say that you some holiday headache
well moline police detective scott williams as the head of crime stoppers quad cities joins
us right now how are you doing pretty good jim how about yourself
what we're actually talking about a very aafe
fourteen quad cities
kelly says a lot of small cities here and people get a little comfortable
uh... i think is a crime wave but do you ever see inspite in crime during the holidays
we do and it is a safe area and because of that people do feel comfortable leaving their
doors open maybe when they shouldn't specialist this time of year because there is a spike in retail
thefts
thefts in general and certainly burglaries the home
well let's start there is two areas i want to talk about what is the shopping experience
in the other one is at home let's start with the home
i mean a lot of people are proud of their christmas decorations inside they have their
big tree there they have a presets under the tree may have a big day window
that's kind of a no-no in some ways isn't well it advertises that obviously there are
a lot of presents in that home in my world shopping for presents the bad guys are out
shopping themselves and if they see uh... an easy target what they believed to be an
easy target
or certainly one that's going to have a big payoff
that would uh... we would ask them not to do that for that very reason now these are
often what we're talking about whether people
actually case the house or in the quad cities that it's almost a crime of convenience coming
just have to be walking by we'll be seeing mostly in the quad cities now when the burglaries
they know that people are good home and there's a lot of ways to try to call the house hit
someone answers the phone um... they'll be in the neighborhood maybe it's a fake delivery
man
so we would encourage people they don't look like ups the federal express of drivers but
the walk around the box
delivering to the wrong address if no one answers the doors and they know that will these
people probably gone during the day if they do intended target at home that's some of
the ways to do it then let's be honest
they're good at a very good at it and if no one in the neighborhood
call the police with the license plate that fact someone's in the neighborhood doing that
uh... they like those kinda neighborhoods so what you're talking about not really advertising
what you have for christmas how how would you suggest doing that
well uh... try not if you can walk onto sidewalk or someone could drive down the street if
they can look into your home and see a lot of presents there
uh... you know under the tree
that's probably not a good thing
that's the easiest thing
there's also i mean a lot of leave doors open or whatever and then sometimes were awake
is important to have the lighting systems or or sounds inside your house that means
what works sure year after year we go over the same things you know we asked people that
the uh... you know they try to have lights and timers expensive to buy time timers
to give tvs
radios nothing like that uh... i_b_m_ radio to a talk radio station there back door
if so was his lights coming on and off and if they get to the back door
to see if it's open which
most the time it is
if it's locked in the her voice is that just gonna move on uh... every time we
interview people to come back to commit a lot of burglaries they come back from prison
to tell us they don't like lights on and they don't like dogs barking so it doesn't
matter if it's a a pit bull or little ankle biter just the fact that someone drawing attention
to them they don't like just to make it a little inconvenient goes a long way i'm not
saying you should buy a puppy for christmas i can give you mine

so what about the after christmas is done
uh... one of the things that you got it for a lot a lot of things that's advertising to
yeah and we see a lot of people driving up the down an alley bad guys and that's
exactly what they're looking for the xbox three sixty ...
but our games everything that uh... everyone wants for christmas and if they see the boxes
piled up nicely by the trash
that's that's not good because it's often back to work january fourth
fifth sixth that that's when they really did hit is now they've got to take that everything
that was in the house anything that was given to the children enough the ruins of transfer
season like
that ripped off right after christmas well let's be honest i mean
he sat there go well that's common sense but
a lot of people don't think well they think it's not going to happen and
they live in a nice neighborhood
uh... you know that maybe think about security leading up the christmas n afterwards maybe
not so much
let's talk about the shopping experience right now
um... do you see a lot of problems out in the parking lot once people get out of
the stores has seems like anytime something its splashed all over the news
for the most part uh...

the police department and outstanding job and local security malls as far as being in
the parking lot but pretty safe pretty safe but if you see uh... a carload characters
a couple people that just
they were there when you pulled up in their still there when you return and if you've
said since observe the parking lot like we do from time to time you watch these guys
get down the walk around a lot peering into cars so if you make purchase put it in the
trunk make sure it's locked in if you have so many purchases throw them in the
back seat make sure you bring a blanket that'll cover all of your purchases
but if you see unlikely character trusted gut get a license plate give us a call if
we want that information why there was also interesting is that perhaps is larger cities
but i'm sure the quad cities as well as that
you get done you wanna go in there you were shop when i get all your shopping done
and you're gonna have a bunch of day
and maybe your purse is hanging there were some things very easy to do a bump and run
it really is and that's where we treat people the shopping pierce isn't there a safety in
numbers parking will lit area
and every head on a swell will be aware that if you load up with packages that makes you
mark
so we are talking about crime during the holidays as being a real problem even though that you're
in the quad cities relatively safe place
be aware of your surroundings you have to meet the please
police departments locally are asked to do more with more more with less and less resources
so they're out there they do a good job of prevention but we need you know your viewers
goes a long way if they just spent little time thinking about
not becoming a victim let's talk about coming here again twenty eleven's coming up move
tell me a little bit about crime stoppers and how how the program is progressing
drawings and leaps and bounds it seems that damn constantly amazed at the number people
that still call
and provide this information that we can get the law enforcement to make felony arrest
we had another record years fourth-year role
we're we've got a lot planned for twenty eleven so uh...
hopefully they're willing to work out with uh... some new programs is visits to good
you really think that i think if they have advocated that's what the border wrestles
with they love the idea that we get all these calls that means we have to raise rate more
and more money n the holidays to a lot of people you're not safe bad guy
because everybody's looking for money the you know for christmas so
uh... they go on our website or they watch on tv wanted as far as felons fugitives
or if they know about on solve crime and we've been around almost thirty years now uh...
our customer base knows that if they know about a crime were were bad guys that's money
and when you somebody one five eight hundred dollars that for christians because all they
did was make a phone call uh... became sells itself and real quickly for those people who
are really familiar with crime stoppers night i hate to admit there is so many people just
take it for granted sure
it's an anonymous program tell me how it works
you call and annoumous
we don't want to uh... know your telephone number you given up
a four five digit i_d_ number that's how we identify you we take your information for
take your law enforcement if they make a felony arrest
the board and shows a cash money
and they just pay you quietly
is very very successful and the law enforcement is uh... is very pleased with the success
the program so as the board thank you scott
we do hope you do take some extra precautions during the holidays either by protecting your
home
property while helping a senior get through the holidays and make sure you don't
spend the holidays alone there's plenty of resources at your disposal
or if they can do is contact generations area agency on aging or case i the center for active
seniors
or any organization near your home town just to get more information
and thank you for joining us and we hope you take time to enjoy not all of the holidays
but the days leading up to them
and the ones that follow and thank you for joining us and being apart
The cities
Production funding for the cities is provided by a grant from the doris day victory foundation