Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/754143
WhenItalktopeo- ple with Medicare about planning for the end of their lives, the statistic that always strikes me is this: If you ask peo- ple where they'd rather die — in a hos- pital or at home — 75 per- cent say at home and 25 percent say the hospi- tal. But when you look at what actually happens, only 25 percent of people get to die at home, while 75 percent pass away in hospitals. The only way you can ensure that your doctor understands your wishes is by talking about them. And now, Medicare will reimburse your doctor for that conversation. This is called ad- vance care planning. It's designed to help peo- ple with Medicare learn about various options for end-of-life care; deter- mine which types of care best fit their personal wishes; and share their wishes with their family, friends, and physicians. One option you can discuss with your doctor is hospice care. Hospice is intended to help ter- minally-ill people live out their lives as comfortably as possible, usually in their own homes. Hospice doesn't focus on curing disease and it's not only for people with cancer. Medicare's hospice benefit covers your care, and you shouldn't have to go outside of hospice to get care except in rare sit- uations. Once you choose it, your hospice benefit should cover everything you need. If you qualify for hos- pice care, you and your family will work with your hospice provider to set up a plan of care that meets your needs. You and your family members are the most important part of your medical team. Your team can also include doctors, nurses or nurse practi- tioners, social workers, physical and occupational therapists, speech-lan- guage pathologists, hos- pice aides, homemakers, and volunteers. A hospice nurse and doctor are on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to give you and your family support and care when you need it. You can also include your reg- ular doctor or a nurse practitioner on your med- ical team to supervise your care. Medicare's hos- pice benefit allows you and your family to stay together in the comfort of your home, unless you need care in an inpatient facility. If your hospice provider determines that you need inpatient care, the provider will make arrangements for your stay. To find a hospice pro- vider, talk to your doctor or call your state hospice organization. The Na- tional Hospice and Palli- ative Care Organization has a website that allows you to look up local pro- viders based on your zip code, at www.nhpco.org/ find-hospice. You can get hospice care if you have Medicare Part A (hospital insur- ance) and you meet these conditions: ■ Your hospice doctor and your regular doctor (if you have one) certify that you're terminally ill, with a life expectancy of 6 months or less; ■ You accept pallia- tive care (for comfort) in- stead of care to cure your illness; ■ You sign a statement choosing hospice care in- stead of other Medicare- covered treatments for your terminal illness and related conditions. You have the right to stop hospice at any time. If you do so, you'll go back to the type of Medi- care coverage you had be- fore you chose a hospice provider, like Original Medicare, a Medicare Ad- vantage plan, or another type of Medicare health plan. Depending on your ill- ness and related condi- tions, the plan of care your hospice team creates can include doctor and nursing services; medical equipment (like wheel- chairs and walkers); med- ical supplies (like ban- dages and catheters); pre- scription drugs; hospice aide and homemaker ser- vices; physical and occu- pational therapy; speech- language pathology ser- vices; social worker services; dietary counsel- ing; grief and loss coun- seling for you and your family; short-term inpa- tient care (for pain and symptom management); and any other Medicare- covered services needed to manage your terminal illness and related con- ditions, as recommended by your hospice team. For more information on Medicare's hospice benefit, including costs, please go to: https:// www.medicare.gov/Pubs/ pdf/02154.pdf. CateKortzebornis Medicare's acting regional administrator for Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the Pacific Territories. You can always get answers to your Medicare questions by calling 1-800-MEDICARE. SENIORS Medicare benefits for the terminally ill Cate Kortzeborn SHESNORESMORE THANIDO,BUTISTILL LOVEMYHUMAN. —BANDIT adopted11-26-09 By Joni Samay The North State Healthy Living Leadership Sum- mit, hosted by the Center for Healthy Communities, gathered healthy living ad- vocates and agencies from all over Northern California toNov.1attheEnloeConfer- ence Center in Chico. They came to not only cel- ebrate the 15th anniversary of the center, which func- tions in partnership with Chico State University, but to connect, brainstorm, cel- ebrate local food and talk about the future of healthy living in Northern Califor- nia. The center helps, pro- motes and sustains school gardens, which are vital in communities and especially for youth. In concert with Chico State students and other agencies, the center educates students and fam- ilies on healthy living. With other agencies, like CA4Health,ChicoStateCon- nections, Feather River Hos- pital and many others these advocates got together to brainstorm on ideas and share information. For in- stance, did you know your zip code can determine your health? This was just one topic illustrating the impor- tanceto continue togetlocal counties healthy. To check out how healthy your zip code is, visit http:phasocal. org/ca-hdi/ for the Califor- nia Health Disadvantage In- dex. These entities also ad- vocate policy, for example, the center sent advocates to the state capitol to get a beneficial bill passed called "Market Match," which helps low income families purchase fresh produce at a savings. They work on get- ting bike paths and walk- waysimproved.Theyareour champions for healthy living for all ages. The summit was like a Santa's Workshop for farmers and healthy living advocates — the behind the scene thinkers that bring healthy living solutions to schools, to the state capitol and to homes. CENTER FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES Healthylivingsummitdrawsareaprofessionals The Blue Room Theatre will perform "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, adapted by Roger Montal- bano, directed by Amber Miller at 7:30 p.m. Thurs- day through Saturday, Dec. 1-17 at 139 W. 1st St. in Chico. The classic tale of re- demption, told in a theat- rical fashion and interwo- ven with haunting choral numbers and some laughs. Adapted for the stage from the 1953 movie. Featuring Roger Montalbano, Kelly Houston, Dave Sorensen, Joe Hilsee, Shawn Gallo- way, Julia Rauter, Stepha- nie Ditty, Jennifer Caraway, Lea McCleary and Addison DeSantis. This show is fam- ily freindly. Tickets can be purchased by writing to amber@blu- eroomtheatre.com or call- ing the theater at 895-3749. CHICO Blue Room Theatre presents 'A Christmas Carol' A few days ago, I got a message that reminded me about the wonders of an ordinary product most people have somewhere in the house. It read: "I had a cut on my hand that opened up while I was putting my ex- pensive duvet cover (a re- cent wedding gift) over my comforter. Now there are bloodstains on the duvet cover. I tried using a car- pet cleaning solution and washing it, but the stains remain. I'm worried they will be there permanently. Is there any hope of get- ting the stains out com- pletely? Thanks so much for your help. — Georgia" In hopes that she'd not set those stains forever, I responded immediately, di- recting Georgia to soak the stains with full-strength hydrogen peroxide. I heard back quickly. The hydro- gen peroxide lightened the stains almost immediately, and within hours they dis- appeared completely. See what I mean? The stuff is downright wonderful. Hydrogen peroxide is as harmless as it is pow- erful both as a household cleaner and all-around remedy. It is nontoxic, safe, really cheap and avail- able in any grocery or drug store in a food-grade 3 per- cent dilution. It's a won- derful cleaning product and a reliable sanitizer. But there's one thing you need to keep it mind to avoid disappointment: Hydrogen peroxide has a limited shelf life: about one year unopened, and only six months once opened — provided it's stored in a dark place. Sunlight dissi- pates it quickly, turning it to plain water and oxygen. Just remember, it needs to be fresh to be effective. VEGETABLE WASH. You can stop paying $7 or more for veggie wash. Make your own by add- ing cup hydrogen per- oxide to a sink of cold wa- ter. Wash your fruit and vegetables in the solution, and then rinse them thor- oughly with cool water. DISHWASHER. To dis- infect your dishwasher, add cup 3 percent hy- drogen peroxide before you close the door to run a load. CUTTING BOARD SAN- ITIZER. Spray your cut- ting board with undiluted hydrogen peroxide. Let it sit for a minute or two, and then rinse clean. WHITE TEETH. Make a paste of table salt, baking soda and hydrogen perox- ide for the best whitening toothpaste. T-SHIRT ARMPIT STAINS. Those yellow stains on white T-shirts are quite annoying. To get them out, soak the stains in 3 percent hydrogen per- oxide, which acts as a nat- ural alternative to bleach, and allow the shirt to sit for a few hours. Then, launder as usual. SANITIZE TOYS AND LUNCHBOXES. Because hydrogen peroxide is a nontoxic sanitizer, it's per- fect for cleaning plastic toys and lunchboxes. HUMIDIFIER CLEANSE. Add 2 cups 3 percent hydrogen perox- ide to 1 gallon water. Run the solution through your humidifier or steamer to clean and sanitize. STINKY TOWELS. Can't get rid of that annoying odor? Try this: Put cup hydrogen peroxide and cup white vinegar together with those stinky towels in the washing machine. Fill the machine with hot wa- ter and your regular deter- gent, and allow the tow- els to soak for 15 minutes. Then, continue the cycle as normal. AQUARIUM MAINTE- NANCE. Use hydrogen per- oxide to control fungi and other pests in fish aquari- ums. It will not harm the fish if you use it sparingly. CUTS AND INFEC- TIONS. Soak any infection or cut in 3 percent hydro- gen peroxide for 10 min- utes several times a day. I could go on and on with more ways to use hy- drogen peroxide, and per- haps I will sometime in the future. In the meantime, make sure you keep a good supply of hydrogen perox- ide on hand. Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate. com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE The wonders of hydrogen peroxide PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER. Mary Hunt redbluff.mercy.org GriefSupport 3pm-5pm Thursdays Wright Kristin Hoskins 528-4207 HIRE (Head Injury Recreational Entity) 10am-2pm Mondays Wright Rusty Brown 529-2059 Living Well with Better Nutrition 1pm-3pm 11/30 Last Wed Odd Mos Columba 888-628-1948 Living well with Diabetes 3pm-5pm 11/30 Last Wed Odd Mos Columba 888-628-1948 Overeater's Anonymous 7pm-8pm 11/2 Wednesdays Russell 528-8937 Dec.8,9&10,2016 Thurs, Fri, & Sat. 9:30am-6:00pm For custom orders or pre orders 824-5014 or 385-1328 ALL FRESH WREATHS, ARRANGEMENTS, HOME MADE CANDY, CANDLES & COOKIES MANY GIFTS AND IDEAS FOR CHRISTMAS ProceedsForHighSchoolScholarships 238 Main Street, Red Bluff (across the street from Tractor Supply) Holiday Scholarship Boutique Red Bluff Garden Club's The Salvation Army Red Bluff Corps 2016 Christmas Red Kettles Volunteer Bell Ringers Needed! Please consider becoming a part of TheSalvationArmy historic Christmas Tradition by volunteering you time to help us in the collection of money which allows us to provide clothing, food, and other badly needed items for the poor within Tehama County. Kettles are operated Monday-Saturdays November 21st-December 24th To volunteer contact: Gregory - Kettle Coordinator Kettles - 530-567-1456 or Office 530-527-8530 940 Walnut Street, Red Bluff, CA 96080 All funds raised in Tehama County STAY in Tehama County and are used to meet needs in our community. wwwnortherncountiesroofingsystems.com FreeEstimates 530-356-0686 Owner on site Lic# 955662 • Residential • Commercial • New Construction (530) 529-1220 100 Jackson St. Red Bluff HolidaySpecial $ 25 00 a month No Enrollment Fee WHAT A GREAT GIFT TO YOURSELF, OR A LOVED ONE LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Tuesday, November 22, 2016 »MOREAT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A5