Health-care seminar to be held at Center at the Mall

Feb. 13--CENTER TWP. -- Independent living is a paramount priority for many seniors, and a health-care seminar at Center at the Mall on Monday will show how a new state program can play a role in that.

The seminar will focus specifically on Community Health Choices, a new program unveiled last month in 14 southwestern Pennsylvania counties for people dual enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid insurance coverage. The program will be implemented statewide by 2020.

The primary goal of the new program is to foster collaboration between programs by providing people with services that can improve health and quality of life, said Erin Ninehouser of the Pennsylvania Health Access Network, the nonprofit that is hosting the event.

"A lot of people don't know that (long-term services are) even available, that you can get help with things like getting up and getting dressed in the morning, that you can get things like a stair lift or grab bars, or transportation to go to the grocery store or to church," she said. "And you need to meet certain medical criteria to get these services, but the process of getting from needing the services to actually getting them can be very complicated, so part of the goal is that having a managed-care company can help you take those steps and get you services in the home faster."

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, 4,635 residents in Beaver County are dual enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid programs who are potentially eligible for long-term services. Of those residents, only 560 of them receive long-term services and support.

"The biggest goal of Community Health Choices is to allow people to live independently in their homes and in the community, rather than having to go into an institution like a nursing home," Ninehouser said.

Sometimes, that can even mean providing support for someone living in a care facility that could be capable living on his or her own with some assistance.

To attend or learn more about the health-care seminar at Center at the Mall at the Beaver Valley Mall, which is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, contact Ninehouser at 412-863-1047 or erin@pahealthaccess.org.

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