Health and Fitness

Sherborn Health Day, May 8 from 1pm-7pm  The Sherborn Lions Club will hold its next "Health Day" at the Sherborn Community Center on 3 Sanger Street, sponsoring both a Red Cross Blood drive and  and the Lions' Eye Mobile.  The Red Cross will be collecting much-needed blood.  The  Eye Mobile will be located just   outside the Community Center.  It is equipped with modern testing instruments and staffed with trained volunteers.  You can have your eyes screened for visual acuity and eye pressure and have your hearing and blood pressure tested before or after giving blood. This health screening is provided free of charge. Do something for your eyes and ears while you are helping others!

  Exercise with Linda is a twice-a-week fitness program held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Saint Theresa Church from 9:15 a.m.-10:30 a.m.  Instructor Linda has been teaching seniors for more than seven years.  The focus is  on non-impact exercise which includes movement and dancing.  Participants are asked to make a  $2.00 donation per class.

   Polarity Yoga is a weekly fitness program held on Wednesday at Woodhaven Community Room from 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.  The program is designed to help seniors improve balance and reduce stress through  meditation exercises.  Donations are made by attendees in the amount of $2.00 per class.

  Line Dancing for Seniors -  LINE DANCING IS BACK!!!  Be sure to join other Sherborn seniors for line dancing taught by Sherborn resident Jean Drew.  Classes are held on Fridays from 11 a.m. to noon at Unity Hall in  the Unitarian Church in Sherborn.  A $2.00 donation is requested.  Contact the COA office at 508-651-7858 if you would like to attend.

The Explorer's Walking Group - Join us on Friday mornings at 9 a.m., for a lively walk in the woods!   We walk Town Forests and conservation land.  Come along to see spring in bloom,get some exercise, meet new people and enjoy the great outdoors.  A different location is chosen each week.  Suggested donation:  $3.00.    For more information call Pat Maloney at 508-341-8684 or psmaloney@verizon.net . 

Mass MedLine-Affordable Prescription Drugs  Mass MedLine, known as the Pharmacy Outreach Program, is a free programto assist Massachusetts residents in obtaining affordable prescription drugs and information about their medications.  The program is funded by the state and administered through the Executive Office of Elder Affairs.

This program provides the following free services:

• Assistance with finding programs for free or reduced cost medications.

• Direct assistance in enrolling callers into Medicare Drug Plans, State Prescription programs and related financial assistance applications.

• Patient education and medication review from licensed pharmacists.

• Hands-on case management from caring professionals who will assist callers from start to finish.

• Statewide outreach and education programs.

What you should know about Mass MedLine:

• This is a statewide, toll-free help line for prescription information and assistance offering over $10 million in savings for Massachusetts residents each year.

• Mass MedLine is staffed by pharmacists, case managers and client care representatives.

• Mass MedLine is located at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 25 Foster Street, Worcester, MA.

Questions?   Call toll-free (866)633-1617, Monday through Friday, 8am-6pm.

  Medicare D Prescription Drug Plans- You can still join a Medicare Part D plan by enrolling in Prescription Advantage, the pharmacy assistance program.  Medicare allows Prescription Advantage members to join a Medicare plan without having to wait until next November.  Depending on your income and the Medicare prescription drug plan you choose, Prescription Advantage may pay all or part of your Medicare prescription drug plan's monthly premium, deductible and drug co-pays.  For more information, please call 1-800-243-4636. 

If you are just becoming eligible for Medicare, or if you lose your current health insurance, special rules apply.  If you are on a MassHealth plan, you can change drug plans any month.

   If all of this is confusing, or If you need help on any aspect of your health insurance, S.H.I.N.E. offers free counseling.  Check the SHINE information below and give us a call.

Vaccines Administered Under Medicare Part D-  Some vaccines are covered under Medicare Part B and some, like the Shingles vaccine, are covered by Medicare Part D.  Medicare Part D usually covers those vaccines not covered under Part B.   If a vaccine is now covered under Part B, it will continue to be covered under Part B.  Medicare Part B currently covers Pneumonia vaccine, Influenza virus vaccine and Hepatitis B vaccine for individuals at high or immediate risk.  As of 2008, all Part D plans are required to cover commercially available vaccines that are not covered under Part B.  However not all vaccines covered by Part D plans will be listed in their formularies.  You should contact your Part D plan about coverage and payment procedure for the vaccine. 

A vaccine may be covered under Part B or Part D.  Hepatitis B vaccine is covered under Part B for immediate  or high risk patients.  A beneficiary meeting these criteria would have the vaccine covered under part B.  A beneficiary who did not meet these criteria could obtain the vaccine under Part D.

Payment for administration of vaccines works this way:  If an in-network pharmacy dispenses and administers the vaccine, the pharmacy will bill the Part D plan and collect a co-payment from you.  If the vaccine is administered in a physician's office, the physician will bill you for the entire amount and you will need to submit a paper claim for reimbursement from your plan.

If you need help with your insurance, SHINE offers free counseling.  Call the COA office at 508-651-7858 and ask for a SHINE appointment.  If you prefer, you can contact a SHINE counselor directly by calling (781) 453-8076.  If you get the SHINE answering machine, leave your name and number.  A counselor will return your call. 

SHINE (Serving the Health Information Needs of Elders) is coordinated by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs in partnership with the Massachusetts Councils on Aging and other local agencies.

 SHINE  The Serving Health Information Need of Elders, the SHINE  program, is administered by The Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs in partnership with the Councils on Aging and other local agencies.  SHINE  provides free, unbiased and up-to-date health insurance information, counseling and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries of all ages and their caregivers. The SHINE counselors help older persons (and younger disabled Medicare beneficiaries) understand their Medicare benefits and other health insurance options. If you need help with any aspect of your health insurance, including Medicare Part D, Prescription Advantage and the Medicare Advantage Plans, call 1-800-AGE-INFO for a confidential  SHINE appointment with a volunteer.  When you get the answering machine, leave your name and number and the volunteer will call you back as soon as possible. 

Consider becoming a Certified SHINE (Medicare) Counselor.  The next SHINE training will begin in February and take place two days per week over a five-week period in Natick, Massachusetts.  The need for trained individuals to educate and provide unbiased information has never been greater.  Seniors and disabled people on Medicare need assistance understanding the many and complex options they have available to them.  Through an intensive training program counselors become certified to explain health insurance options and protect consumers' rights.  Typically, SHINE counselors work an average of 4 hours per week.  They work one-on-one with seniors to educate, answer questions, solve problems, and screen for low-income health programs.  SHINE counselors also attend monthly meetings where they receive ongoing training, support and opportunities to share experiences and concerns with other counselors.  If you would like to make a difference or to learn more about SHINE, please call Dorene Nemeth, MetroWest Regional SHINE Director at (508) 532-5980, extension 4109.

Help for elder abuse, neglect  The abuse and neglect of seniors occurs in every community; unfortunately, no town is immune to this problem. From physical, emotional or sexual abuse to self-neglect or financial exploitation, elder abuse has many dimensions. Between 2005 and 2006, the number of elders reported to be abused or neglected across Massachusetts grew by nearly 17 percent. Despite this growth, though, the National Center on Elder Abuse estimates that only 1 in 5 cases are actually reported.

As the state-designated protective services agency for Dover and Sherborn, Springwell is dedicated to helping local elders remain safe in their community, educating the public about the importance of reporting suspected abuse or neglect, and alleviating this growing crisis. If you suspect that a senior is being abused or neglecting oneself, call Springwell at 617-926-4100 or the Massachusetts elder abuse hotline at 1-800-922-2275. By law, the reporter’s identity always remains confidential.

For more information about Springwell’s protective service program and the many other services available to help older adults live safely and independently in the community, please call Springwell’s Information & Referral Department or visit www.springwell.com .

  Medical Equipment  The Sherborn Council on Aging maintains a well-stocked closet of medical and ambulatory equipment.  These supplies are available for loan to seniors.  Before you buy, check with us.  Call 508-651-7858.