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Meeting Senior Health Needs
  
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By LUCRETIA CARDENAS
Health care needs to be aligned toward the patient, Congressman Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, said during a commendation in honor of National Home Health Care and Hospice Month.
Brady met with senior health care providers from Montgomery County Monday morning to recognize their services and listen to their concerns with providing senior care. He also presented a certificate of commendation to Amedisys Home Health Services, which provides care to residents of the senior housing unit The Lodge in Conroe.
“We’ve been talking about giving a hard look at health care a number of years now and we’ve got a lot more to do to cover the uninsured. … It’s not that we need more money in the system, it’s how we allocate it,” Brady said.
The Lodge’s owners, Michael and Claudia Lankford, expressed a need for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to consider senior residents’ medical expenses when issuing funding to assist senior residents with housing.
“Residents’ medical expenses and medicines often keep them from being able to pay their rent,” said Renee House, with The Lodge. “There really is no program for seniors.”
With the state of the current economy, living on a fixed income, as many seniors do, is becoming increasingly difficult. The increase of 5.8 percent in the Social Security checks seniors will receive in January isn’t expected to help seniors much, said Tina Daugherty, marketing and administration manager for The Friendship Center.
“When seniors are asking for vegetables for Bingo prizes, you know there is a problem,” Daugherty said.
The Friendship Center, a Montgomery County nonprofit, is trying to fill the gap through its food bank, transportation program and Meal on Wheels.
Brandi Niles, with American Hospice, expressed a need for health care funding for residents caught in “limbo,” between the hospital, rehab and hospice care.
She used a cancer patient as an example of a person who could be out of the hospital but still in need of care because the patient is undergoing chemotherapy. If the patient is not eligible for hospice care, they may be forced to pay for the treatments out of their own pockets.
Adding to the issues of financing health care, Amedisys nurse Kathy Barrow told Brady that she cared for a couple who lived in a shack even though their combined income was $60,000.
“Their medications were so expensive they didn’t have a choice,” Barrow said.
Brady said he remains optimistic about changing the health care system because when he traveled across Southeast Texas last year to collect ideas to change health care, he received numerous “common sense ideas” that could be put into action.
Brady met with senior health care providers from Montgomery County Monday morning to recognize their services and listen to their concerns with providing senior care. He also presented a certificate of commendation to Amedisys Home Health Services, which provides care to residents of the senior housing unit The Lodge in Conroe.
“We’ve been talking about giving a hard look at health care a number of years now and we’ve got a lot more to do to cover the uninsured. … It’s not that we need more money in the system, it’s how we allocate it,” Brady said.
The Lodge’s owners, Michael and Claudia Lankford, expressed a need for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to consider senior residents’ medical expenses when issuing funding to assist senior residents with housing.
“Residents’ medical expenses and medicines often keep them from being able to pay their rent,” said Renee House, with The Lodge. “There really is no program for seniors.”
With the state of the current economy, living on a fixed income, as many seniors do, is becoming increasingly difficult. The increase of 5.8 percent in the Social Security checks seniors will receive in January isn’t expected to help seniors much, said Tina Daugherty, marketing and administration manager for The Friendship Center.
“When seniors are asking for vegetables for Bingo prizes, you know there is a problem,” Daugherty said.
The Friendship Center, a Montgomery County nonprofit, is trying to fill the gap through its food bank, transportation program and Meal on Wheels.
Brandi Niles, with American Hospice, expressed a need for health care funding for residents caught in “limbo,” between the hospital, rehab and hospice care.
She used a cancer patient as an example of a person who could be out of the hospital but still in need of care because the patient is undergoing chemotherapy. If the patient is not eligible for hospice care, they may be forced to pay for the treatments out of their own pockets.
Adding to the issues of financing health care, Amedisys nurse Kathy Barrow told Brady that she cared for a couple who lived in a shack even though their combined income was $60,000.
“Their medications were so expensive they didn’t have a choice,” Barrow said.
Brady said he remains optimistic about changing the health care system because when he traveled across Southeast Texas last year to collect ideas to change health care, he received numerous “common sense ideas” that could be put into action.
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drivermom wrote on Nov 29, 2008 7:38 PM:
The government needs to help our elderly. It is sad that anyone person should have to spend over half of their monthly income.
Many have to make a choice - eat, pay bills or buy medicine! Sad.
Hospice is a wonderful program and I pray that I never have to use them for my mother. But if we had to they would be the first I would call. They are true angels! "