Savvy Senior — March Columns
Savvy Senior – March Columns
- How to Choose a Good Home Stair Lift
- Does Medicare Covers Vision Services?
- How Seniors Can Stop Frustrating Robocalls
- Underutilized Palliative Care Services Can Help Relieve Pain
How to Choose a Good Home Stair Lift
Dear Savvy Senior,
Can you recommend some good stair lift companies? I have a difficult time getting up and down the stairs anymore and am interested in purchasing a stair lift for my house but could use some help choosing one.
Arthritic Ann
Dear Ann,
A good home stair lift is an excellent solution for those with mobility challenges who have trouble with steps. A stair lift will carry you up and down the stairs in a safe seated position, providing easy access to the second story or basement level of your home.
To help you choose a quality stair lift that meets your needs and budget, here are a few shopping tips, along with some top-rated companies that make them.
Types of Lifts
There are two basic types of stair lifts that are sold today: straight and curved. The type you need will depend upon the design of your staircase.
A straight stair lift is one that travels in a straight line up a flight of stairs uninterrupted by landings, bends or curves, and costs between $2,500 and $5,000 installed. Curved lifts, however, are much more elaborate and will go around corners, bends and changes in direction. Curved lifts are also much more expensive, typically running between $8,500 and $15,000 or more depending on the complexity of the installation.
You also need to know that all stair lifts mount to the stair treads, not to the wall, so they are very sturdy and can be installed in almost any home.
If you are a large person, you may need to get a heavy-duty lift with a wider seat and bigger lifting capacity – all companies offer them. Or, if you’re tall, find out about raising the seat height during installation.
Most stair lifts available today also have seats, armrests and footplates that fold up out of the way, and swivel seats that make getting into and out of the chair easier. They also come with standard safety features like seatbelts, breaking systems and footrest sensors, push-button or rocker-switch controls located on the armrest for easy operation, and “call send” controls which allow you to call or send the unit to the other end of the stairs. Make sure the lift you choose has all these features.
Depending on the company, you may also have the option of choosing between an electric (AC) and a battery powered (DC) stair lift. Battery powered units charge at the base station (some recharge anywhere on the track) are quieter, smoother and better than electric lifts, and will work even if there’s a power failure in the home.
Where to Shop
While there are many companies that make and sell stair lifts, two of the best, based on reputation and customer satisfaction ratings, are Bruno (Bruno.com, 800-454-4355) and Stannah (Stannah-Stairlifts.com, 888-465-7652).
Unfortunately, original Medicare does not cover stair lifts nor do Medicare supplemental (Medigap) policies, but some Medicare Advantage plans may help pay. There are also many states that offer Medicaid waivers that will pay for lifts to those that qualify, and the VA offers cash grants to veterans with disabilities for home safety improvements.
To save some money, you may want to consider purchasing a used or refurbished model. Or, if you need a stair lift for only a short period of time, consider renting one. Most companies offer these options, and many offer financing programs too.
To get started, contact some stair lift companies who will put you in touch with a dealer in your area. All dealers provide free in-home assessments and estimates and can help you choose an appropriate lift.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Does Medicare Covers Vision Services?
Dear Savvy Senior,
I will be enrolling in Medicare in a few months, and would like to know how Medicare covers vision services? I currently have vision insurance through my employer but will lose it when I retire.
Looking Ahead
Dear Looking,
Many people approaching 65 are unclear on what Medicare does and doesn’t cover when it comes to vision services. The good news is that original Medicare covers most medical issues like cataract surgery, treatment of eye diseases and medical emergencies. But unfortunately, routine care like eye exams and eyeglasses are the beneficiary’s responsibility. Here’s a breakdown of what is and isn’t covered.
Eye exams and treatments: Medicare does not cover routine eye exams that test for eyeglasses or contact lenses. But they do cover yearly medical eye exams if you have diabetes or are at high risk for glaucoma. They will also pay for exams to test and treat medical eye diseases if you’re having vision problems that indicate a serious eye problem like macular degeneration, dry eye syndrome, glaucoma, eye infections or if you get something in your eye.
Eye surgeries: Medicare will cover most eye surgeries that help repair the eye function, including cataract surgery to remove cataracts and insert standard intraocular lenses to replace your own. Medicare will not, however, pick up the extra cost if you choose a specialized lens that restores full range of vision, thereby reducing your need for glasses after cataract surgery. The extra cost for a specialized lens can run up to $2,500 per eye.
Eye surgeries that are usually not covered by Medicare include refractive (LASIK) surgery and cosmetic eye surgery that are not considered medically necessary.
Eyeglasses and contact lenses: Medicare does not pay for eyeglasses or contact lenses, with one exception: If you have had a conventional intraocular lens inserted during cataract surgery, Medicare will pay for eyeglasses or contact lenses following the operation.
Ways to Save
Although original Medicare’s vision coverage is limited to medical issues, there are ways you can save on routine care. Here are several to check into.
Consider a Medicare Advantage plan: One way you can get extra vision coverage when you join Medicare is to choose a Medicare Advantage plan instead of original Medicare. Many of these plans, which are sold through private insurance companies, will cover routine eye care and eyeglasses along with all of your hospital and medical insurance, and prescription drugs. See Medicare.gov/find-a-plan to shop for plans.
Purchase vision insurance: If you get routine eye exams and purchase new eyeglasses annually, a vision insurance plan may be worth the costs. These policies typically run between $12 and $20 per month. See Ehealthinsurance.com to look for plans.
Check veterans benefits: If you’re a veteran and qualify for VA health care benefits, you may be able to get some or all of your routine vision care through VA. Go to Vets.gov, and search for “vision care” to learn more.
Shop around: Many retailers provide discounts – between 10 and 30 percent – on eye exams and eyeglasses if you belong to a membership group like AARP or AAA.
You can also save by shopping at discount retailers like Costco Optical, which is recommended by Consumer Reports as the best discount store for good eyewear and low prices – it requires a $60 membership fee. Walmart Vision Centers also offer low prices with no membership.
Or you can consider buying your glasses online. Online retailers like WarbyParker.com, ZenniOptical.com, and EyeBuyDirect.com all get top marks from the Better Business Bureau and offer huge savings. To purchase glasses online you’ll need a prescription.
Look for assistance: There are also health centers and local clinics that provide free or discounted vision exams and eyeglasses to those in need. To find them put a call into your local Lions Club (see Directory.LionsClubs.org) for referrals.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
How Seniors Can Stop Frustrating Robocalls
Dear Savvy Senior,
Is there anything seniors can do to stop perpetual robocalls? It seems like I get five to 10 a day on my home and cell phone, and I’m sick of it!
Frustrated Frank
Dear Frank,
Robocalls make up around 50 percent of all phone calls today, and it’s only getting worse. Americans were hit with 26.3 billion robocalls in 2018, a whopping 46 percent increase from the year before. Fortunately, there are a variety of tools available today that can help you greatly reduce them.
Register Your Numbers
If you haven’t already done so, your first step to limiting at least some unwanted calls is to make sure your home and cell phone numbers are registered with the National Do Not Call Registry. While this won’t stop illegal robocalls, it will stop unwanted calls from legitimate for-profit businesses who are trying to sell you something. But be aware that political organizations, charities and survey takers are still permitted to call you, as are businesses you’ve bought something from or made a payment to in the last 18 months. To sign up, visit DoNotCall.gov or call 888-382-1222.
Home Landline Tools
To stop calls on your home phone set up the “anonymous call rejection” option. This is a free landline-calling feature available from most telephone companies. It lets you screen out calls from callers who have blocked their caller ID information – a favorite tactic of telemarketers. To set it up, you usually have to dial *77 from your landline, though different phone services may have different procedures to set it up. Call your telephone service provider to find out if they offer this feature, and if so, what you need to do to enable it.
Another solution is to sign up for Nomorobo, which is a free service for landline phones but only if you have a VoIP landline carrier. Nomorobo uses a “simultaneous ring” service that detects and blocks robocalls on a black list of known offender numbers. It isn’t 100 percent foolproof, but it is an extra layer of protection. To sign up or see if Nomorobo works with your phone service provider, visit Nomorobo.com.
Cell Phones Tools
To stop unwanted robocalls and texts to your cell phone, ask your carrier about caller ID options that help identify, filter or prevent callers that aren’t legitimate.
For example, AT&T provides their subscribers a free app called “AT&T Call Protect” that has automatic fraud blocking and suspected spam warnings, and you can manually block unwanted calls. Starting this month, Verizon is offering free spam alerting and call blocking tools to their users. T-Mobile offers free “Scam ID” and “Scam Block” to combat robocalls and spam. And Sprint customers can sign up for its “Premium Caller ID” service for $2.99 per month to guard against robocalls and caller ID spoofers.
Call Blocking Apps
Another way to stop nuisance robocalls on your smartphone is with call blocking apps. These can identify who is calling you and block unwanted calls that show up on a crowd-sourced spam and robocaller lists.
Some top call blocking app for iPhones and Androids include Nomorobo (Nomorobo.com), Hiya Caller ID and Spam Blocker (Hiya.com) and Truecaller (Truecaller.com).
Nomorobo cost $2 per month, while Truecaller and Hiya apps are free to use, but offer upgraded services for $2 and $3 per month.
Spam-Proof Phones
There are also phones you can buy, like the Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Note, or Google Pixel phone that have built-in spam and robocall protection in place. Samsung’s Smart Call feature flags calls it suspects are spam, while Google Pixel phones have built-in spam call protection. With this feature, users with Caller ID enabled will get a warning if a suspected spam call or robocall is received.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Underutilized Palliative Care Services Can Help Relieve Pain
Dear Savvy Senior,
What can you tell me about palliative care? My husband suffers from lung disease and is receiving radiation for prostate cancer but is not terminally ill. I’ve heard that palliative care can help him with his pain and discomfort. What can you tell me?
Searching Spouse
Dear Searching,
Palliative care is a very effective service that can help patients relieve the symptoms and stress that often comes with serious illness. But unfortunately, most people don’t know about it, or don’t understand how it can help them. Here’s what you should know.
What is Palliative Care?
Most people hear the words “palliative care” and think “hospice,” but they are different types of care. Hospice is reserved for situations when curative treatments have been exhausted and patients have less than six months to live.
Palliative care, on the other hand, is a medical specialty that focuses on providing relief from the symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, trouble sleeping and even depression. It can also help patients deal with the side effects of medical treatment.
Anyone with a serious illness can benefit from palliative care, including those with cancer, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, HIV/AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and more.
Palliative care is provided by a team including palliative care doctors, nurses, social workers and other specialists that work with your doctor to provide an extra layer of support and care. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment.
Palliative care teams are trained to help patients understand all their treatment options as well as the quality of life ramifications, so they can make informed decisions about what’s best for them.
Often patients assume their doctors will take care of their pain and stress, but most doctors in our specialized medical system have not been well trained in pain and symptom management. That’s why palliative care is invaluable.
Palliative care was developed in the United States in the 1990s but only became a formal medical subspecialty in 2008. Today, three-quarters of U.S. hospitals with more than 50 beds have a palliative care program, and 90 percent of hospitals with 300 beds or more offer it.
How to Get Care
There are around 6 million people in the U.S. that have a need for palliative care, according to the Center to Advance Palliative Care, but most patients don’t know to ask for it. If you feel that a palliative care specialist could help your husband, start by talking to his doctor and ask for a referral.
If your doctor isn’t helpful, go to GetPalliativeCare.org, where you can search for a specialist in your area.
Palliative care can be provided in in a variety of places, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, doctor’s clinics and at your own home.
You’ll also be happy to know that most private insurance plans, as well as Medicare and Medicaid, cover palliative care services.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.