THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 8, 1996 TAG: 9603070236
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: PRIME TIME
SOURCE: Pam Starr
LENGTH: Medium: 97 lines
Some things in life people never like to think about.
Death. Taxes. And the chance of having a long-term illness.
I don't want to dampen your morning, but if you're older than 65 you are 43 percent more likely to be stricken with a long-term illness than someone younger. And you know what that could mean.
Expensive diagnostic tests. Long hospital stays. Home health care. Possibly a stint in a nursing home. And if you believe that Medicare covers these kinds of expenses, you're wrong. Medicare only provides short-term recovery benefits in a nursing home following a hospital stay, explained Cathy Bender, long-term care specialist at The Frieden Agency. Medicare also doesn't pay at all for eight-hour daily health care at home.
``There is so much unreliable information out there,'' said Bender, 36. ``I find more and more that people have been totally misinformed and don't understand what is available to them.''
That's why Bender has organized a public forum on long-term health care April 9 at the Pavilion. A panel of experts will hold court with former U.S. Rep. G. William Whitehurst serving as moderator.
Speakers include Steve Gold, president of Sentara Life Care; Kevin Rack, elder law attorney with Huff, Poole & Mahoney; and Donald DiPlacido, vice president of Crestar Bank's trust department. Bender has invited several City Council members and expects between 200 and 300 people to attend.
``This is a humongous undertaking but something I wanted to do for a long time,'' Bender said. ``I've just gone through the fourth round of long-term illness in my family. In none of the situations were we prepared.''
Bender cited a statistic from the Wall Street Journal: In 70 percent of couples age 65 and older, at least one of the spouses will incur a long-term illness. Also, the New England Journal of Medicine says that two out of every five people 65 and older will need nursing home care at some time in their lives.
If you think about the costs involved, added Bender, it could wipe out assets for the other person.
``My grandfather was told he had six months to live and he lived six years with cancer,'' she said. ``Now my grandmother has to live off Social Security.
``The last thing you want to do is become a burden to your family.''
The free public forum will address all aspects of what is involved with a long-term illness, including available services and costs. Although most people don't like to think about the possibility of becoming gravely ill, Bender said that it's ``really prudent to do.''
``You're responsible for your own fate in life,'' she said. ``When a long-term illness happens and you spend your life's savings, it's too late. If you can make some kind of planning ahead, you're better off.''
SENIOR OLYMPIANS: When the air becomes a little more humid and the sun starts to shine more brightly that can only mean one thing for active seniors.
It's time for the Virginia Beach Senior Olympics, or the ``Golden Games.''
The Great Neck Recreation Center will once again be the site of the Senior Olympics, April 23 and 24, and its staff would like to see lots more seniors participate this year. Recreation specialist Susan Topping said that 180 people competed last year, up from 55 in 1994.
``We want to emphasize that you don't have to be a world-class athlete to compete,'' Topping said. ``This is mainly for recreation and fun - don't be intimidated.''
Leonore McDaniels, who was named Woman Athlete of the Year in Virginia in 1994, is expected to compete again. The 68-year-old track and field star is one who can easily intimidate new folks.
``I hope more people get encouraged to compete,'' she said last year before the event. ``I always tell them if I can start this late, they can, too.''
Retiree Joe Capell, 65, has been staying in shape all year and is expected to compete.
``I never practice,'' Capell said last year. ``This is fun for everybody.''
To help those whose skills are rusty, the rec center is offering practice sessions every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m. starting March 18.
Sports at the Senior Olympics include tennis, swimming, bowling, track and field, badminton, billiards, jump rope, basketball, shuffleboard, indoor golf, table tennis, horseshoes, and softball hit and throw. This year, participants must pay $2 to compete, which helps pay for T-shirts and medals. Sponsors are the Virginia Beach Task Force on Aging, Virginia Beach General Hospital, Smith and Williams Funeral Home and Altmeyer Funeral Home.
To register, call Susan Topping at 496-6766. Applications can be picked up at any recreation center but must be returned by April 16 to guarantee a T-shirt and lunch. Also, vendors can participate if they have information materials and a carnival type game for people to play and win prizes. The entrance fee for vendors is $25. ILLUSTRATION: WHEN & WHERE
The Public Forum on Long- Term Health Care will be held from 10
a.m. to noon April 9 at the Pavilion. There is no cost, but
attendance is limited. Call Cathy Bender at 340-9777, Ext. 363, to
reserve a spot.
by CNB