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The Senior Leader A quarterly newsletter from Alameda County's leading nonprofit provider of legal services for seniors, Medicare counseling and senior community education. Winter 2018

LAS’ 13th Annual Conference on Elder Abuse May 22 at UC Hastings College of Law

Research shows approximately 10% of adults age 60 and above have been abused.

Recognizing and reacting quickly to different types elder abuse can make all the difference!

On Tuesday, May 22, 2018, LAS will hold the 13th Annual Conference on Elder Abuse at UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. Leaders in the field will educate a multidisciplinary audience of attorneys, social workers, private fiduciaries, conservators, public guardians, medical professionals, law enforcement officials, and others, on the latest and most effective tools to address and prevent elder abuse.

Sponsorship packages are available now. Registration and other event information will be sent to our newsletter subscribers in the coming weeks.

For sponsorship opportunities that showcase your brand and your organization’s commitment to protecting seniors, go to the LAS homepage by

clicking Conference Sponsor Package or email conference@lashicap.org for further information.

LAS in East Bay Times: HICAP Program Gets Oakland Man Back His Health Insurance LAS’ Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP), which provides

comprehensive Medicare counseling, was featured in the East Bay Times for its ability to help elderly residents of Alameda County resolve access to health care issues. LAS

thanks the Contra Costa Crisis Center for making this happen through their Share the Spirit grant program in partnership with the Bay Area News Group. The Share the Spirit

program has the mission of enhancing the holiday season for the area’s most needy residents. Through a competitive process, Share the Spirit grants were awarded to local nonprofits to support holiday programs, critical services and outreach. Included with the grant was the opportunity to have an article featured in the East Bay Times highlighting each organization’s purpose and the clients they serve. LAS is thrilled to be a Share the

Spirit grant recipient! To read LAS’ Share the Spirit story featured in the East Bay Times, click

the article and photo below.

LAS is Expanding: Legal Team Hires New Attorneys! We are pleased to announce the addition of two new attorneys to our legal

team! Priscilla Njuguna (right) will be working with our elder abuse program to increase protection for victims of crime. Priscilla brings a large breadth of investigative

experience focusing on financial elder abuse. Lauren Lofton (left) will be developing a new housing program for LAS. Lauren comes from years of experience working in the

elder community and for housing justice. We are excited to have both attorneys join our team and

grow our ability to help seniors.

Elder Abuse Prevention Video By NCEA: A Presentation Tool for Professionals in the Field &

Public Service Announcement The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) has asked that we share with our

stakeholders two new public service announcements. Created in collaboration with the Frameworks Institute, these videos are part of a long-term project to disseminate a new evidence-based communication strategy on elder abuse. The long version, Community Centers, designed for presentations, goes more into depth on social

isolation as a cause of elder abuse. Thank you to our friends at NCEA!

NCEA PSA - Short Version

$90K Raised & Still Counting

Thank you to everyone who supported our holiday appeal and to the East Bay Foundation on Aging,

a Supported Organization of the San Francisco Foundation, for awarding LAS $30K in general operating funds.

Donations are still coming in from our 2017 holiday appeal and so far, we’ve processed over $60,000 from individual donors.

LAS Is Recruiting Medicare Counselors in Alameda County

LAS is Alameda County’s provider of the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP), which utilizes volunteer counselors to help people navigate

Medicare and related health insurance plans and programs. LAS’ next volunteer training course starts on February 28 and will take place over 10 days through March 21 in Pleasant Hill. There’s less than a month left so please consider applying soon.

LAS is particularly interested in applicants who are fluent in another language, especially Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, or American Sign Language. To submit your application, follow this link www.lashicap.org/donate/volunteer, and select “HICAP Volunteering.” After reviewing the description of the HICAP Volunteer Counselor role

and requirements, select “Fill out a HICAP volunteer application here.” For more information about HICAP Click the Photo Above of LAS’ HICAP Volunteer

Counselors Or call Caitlin Chan or Janet Van Deusen at 510-839-0393.

Link: www.lashicap.org/programs/hicap/ In Alameda County, HICAP is a program of Legal Assistance for Seniors funded by

the Alameda County Area Agency on Aging

Important Medicare Announcements! Medicare’s General Enrollment Period: January 1 – March 31 If you haven’t signed up for Medicare yet and aren’t covered by an employer plan through your work, the time to do it is now. Medicare’s General Enrollment Period to get Parts A and/or B runs from January 1 through March 31. Coverage takes effect July 1.

HICAP Provides Screening for the Medicare Savings

Programs If you can’t afford the Medicare premiums, you may be eligible for a Medicare Savings Program to help pay the costs. For example, QMB, the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program pays the Part A and B premiums and coinsurance for those with limited income and asset levels. Please contact LAS at HICAP line at 510-839-0393 to make an appointment with a HICAP Counselor for more information and help with applying.

New Medicare Cards New Medicare cards are scheduled to be delivered in California between April-June of 2018. It will go to the address on file with Social Security so make sure that address is correct before the cards start shipping.

Go Ask HICAP: A Medicare Minute with Janet Van Deusen

Q: I joined a Medicare HMO during the Open Enrollment Period but I don’t think I want to keep it because I’ve found out my cardiologist is not part of the network. What choices do I have now? A: From January 1 through February 14 of each year, you have an opportunity to dis-enroll from your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare. You would be able to enroll in a stand-alone prescription drug plan but unfortunately there is no corresponding guarantee that you could get a Medigap policy without a health screening. You can always try to apply by answering all the health questions and see if

you are accepted for a Medigap before dropping your HMO. You may have a few other options too, which a HICAP Counselor can discuss with you so please give us a call to make an appointment!

The Community Education Blackboard: Creating a Secure Future

LAS’ Community Education (CE) Department has started the new year strong with many presentations of our topic “Create a Secure Future” about Advance Health Care

Directives and ways to prepare for the unexpected around health care decisions. Stay tuned for some new topics in development that LAS will launch to the community later this

Spring. LAS is happy to schedule presentations on these and other popular topics including our regular Medicare education programs. As a reminder we also offer an

Overview of Long-Term Care Insurance for any group or organization that is interested. To schedule a presentation for your organization, contact LAS at 510-832-3040 and ask

to speak with the CE Department, or email kbrady@lashicap.org.

Community Education Calendar Does navigating Medicare, public benefits, and low-income assistance programs feel like a maze to nowhere? Is trustworthy community education on elder abuse, citizenship, guardianship and consumer fraud of interest to you and your family? Your calendar for

free education on these topics and more is always one click away when you subscribe to The Senior Leader. Click https://www.lashicap.org/calendar/ for LAS’ community education calendar.

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LAS Website

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Legal Assistance for Seniors

333 Hegenberger Rd. Suite 850

Oakland, CA 94621

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