TRIB TOTAL MEDIA SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 2018 · 15
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125 Kalassay Drive • Ligonier, PA • 724-238-2235 x31
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Discover
Transitions Healthcare
North Huntingdon.
• Skilled nursing care
• Short-term rehabilitation
• Respite care
• Physical, Occupational,
and Speech Therapies
• Wound Management
• Pain Management
• Restorative Nursing
• And so much more!
WHERE’S THE HELP FOR CAREGIVERS?
We see advertisements everywhere catering to the needs of older
adults. Just look at this section of the Trib for proof of that. But what
about help and support for those who are looking after them? It has
arrived with the opening of a new and unique company. Advocates
for the Aging, LLC.
According to theNational Alliance for Caregiving, caregivers spend
an average of 24 hours per week providing unpaid care to aging loved
ones. Nearly 1 in 4 caregivers spend over 40 hours per week. This
can have negative consequences on a caregiver’s career and family.
Advocates for the Aging, aka AFA, can save you valuable time and
money by doing a lot of the administrative tasks of caregiving for you.
AFA gives caregivers, older adults, and their families more time to do
the things that they love, with the people they love.
Are you a caregiver that is overwhelmed? Do you find yourself
wishing you had someone to make all those long phone calls and
do that complicated paperwork for your aging loved ones? Are
you calling off of work, missing family outings, or simply unable
to enjoy your own family? AFA provides services for caregivers and
seniors such as paperwork and application assistance, mail sorting
and prioritizing, billing negotiation and mediation, budgeting, fraud
protection, and more.
The motivation for opening AFA came from Aaron Zolbrod,
President and Founder of The Health Insurance Store, who has been
helping seniors choose Medicare plans for more than ten years. “I
can’t tell you how many times I visited with a client who had visual
and palpable stress froma 6-inch pile of paperwork that was the result
as a couple of erroneous or confusing medical bills. After spending 15
or 20minutes sorting through the stack and finding the few that were
important, reducing 6 inches to a handful, I could literally see the
stress disappear and a smile emerge.” Zolbrod had seen this enough
and AFA was born. “I thought to myself, if there is this much anxiety
created from a couple of medical bills, what else is our fast paced,
digital life throwing at seniors? We are here to help our clients when
they have issues with their insurance like billing errors, claim denials,
etc., but who is there to help with utility bills, auto or homeowner’s
insurance, or other items they are being billed for? How much are
seniors overpaying for these services like I have seen them do with
Medicare?Who is helping these folks with all of this?”
For some it’s no one and that is a recipe to be ripped off or taken
advantage of.Others are blessed to have familymembers or neighbors
helping. But with their own family and life stresses to deal with, it can
be easy to miss important details that could result in overpayment,
becoming victim of fraud, or unsafe living conditions. Zolbrod
sums up AFA’s goals this way. “We want to reduce stress, provide
protection from scams and abuse, ensure that your loved ones get
what they pay for, and help them stay independent and in their home
as long as possible,” says, Aaron Zolbrod. He stresses that AFA is not
another home health care service, not by any stretch, especially when
it comes to cost.
“I wanted to make these services affordable for everyone.We offer
a unique subscription service that can be paid $9/month or $108
annually for our C.A.R.E. package, which includes all of the above-mentioned
services.” Zolbrod goes on to explain that for a few dollars
more per month, AFA can provide in-home visits, care facility visits,
access to their network of businesses, or even a daily call service that
checks on seniors. In addition to providing all the services that AFA
does from their office, AFA staff will complete a Safety andWellness
check on your loved one and their environment so that any worries or
needs can be brought to the caregiver’s attention for resolution. For
example, are the porch railings loose; are the rugs a fall hazard; are
space heaters a fire hazard? Zolbrod comes just short of guaranteeing
the staff will find at least the cost of the subscription to AFA in savings
on services for which subscribers are currently overpaying.
The staff at AFA also understands how important it is to keep
caregivers informed at every turn when they find abnormalities in
billing, insurance costs or coverage, care they are receiving, etc. A
report of each interaction with a loved one is provided to the caregiver
so they can be involved in every step of the care and advocacy for
their family.
Advocates for the Aging, LLC provides their services to
the Southwestern Pennsylvania region, including Fayette and
Westmoreland Counties. Consultations are always free to caregivers
and their loved ones to match them with the plan that works best for
their specific needs.
For more information on all of AFA’s services, visit their website at
www.a4aging.com, or call their office at (724) 603-2522.
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
Bethlen Communities is a non-profit, faith-based
Continuing Care Retirement Community that offers:
• Bethlen Home Skilled Nursing & Rehab
• Ligonier Gardens Personal Care & Retirement Center
• Home Health and Hospice
• In-Home Companion
Caregiver Services
• Independent Living
Retirement Community
• Graceful Aging
Wellness Center
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Ask about our
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Have you heard?
Transitions Healthcare North
Huntingdon is in your neighborhood.
We’re your perfect choice for:
Transitions Healthcare is known for improving
outcomes with innovative programs and
above-average clinical standards.
To learn more or arrange a visit, call
724.864.7190.
www.transitionshealthcarellc.com
8850 Barnes Lake Road
North Huntingdon, PA 15642