Member NewsVNSNY CHOICE MLTC Member Newsletter Spring 2019

Meet the Members of Your Care Team Care Manager – A Registered Nurse or Licensed Social Worker, the “captain” of your Care Team, who coordinates your Care Plan. Assessment Nurse – Helps you enroll in the plan and will come to your home every 6 months to make sure that your health care needs are still being met. She/he will share that information with your Care Manager. Member Services – An important part of the CHOICE team, always ready to help. Friendly, knowledgeable, they can often answer your questions on the spot and help you get the services and equipment you need. Home Health Aide – The person you’ll see most and key to helping you with daily activities. Doctors – Your doctors’ and specialists’ decisions guide your Care Plan, so your Care Manager consults with them to make sure they’re aware of your care. Caregiver – A friend or family member who is there to help you and is a key member of your Care Team. 24/7 Nurse Support Line – Available to you for non-emergency, health-related questions.Social Worker – A licensed Social Worker who can connect you with public benefits, community based resources and support services. If you have questions about your MLTC Care team, please call us. We’re here to help!

IN THIS ISSUE

2 Connect With Your

Primary Care Physician (PCP) For Better Health

Strategies for Managing Urinary Incontinence

3Using Consumer Directed

Personal Assistance Services (CDPAS)

How Are We Doing?

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Connect With Your Primary Care Physician (PCP) For Better Health It’s important for you to feel comfortable with your PCP. She/he coordinates all your care and recommends the home care services and equipment you need. Having an appointment on your calendar at least once a year for a checkup is one of the most important things you can do for your health.

Your PCP is important because she/he:

• Keeps track of your health and is the pointperson for all your medical care.

• Provides routine check-ups, treats commonillnesses and helps you manage conditionslike diabetes and high blood pressure.

• Prescribes medicines that work well together.

• Regularly reviews your current Care Plan andgives you ways to improve your health.

• Tells you about the screenings and immunizationsyou need.

• Monitors any changes in your health, spottingsigns of disease at the earliest, most treatablestages.

Did you have your 2019 annual check-up yet? If you did, that’s great! If you haven’t, schedule your appointment today!

Strategies for Managing Urinary Incontinence Urinary incontinence (bladder leakage) happens to most people at one time or another. The causes can be a physical problem like an enlarged prostate in men,

medications like water pills or just putting off a trip to the bathroom for too long. It’s very common but the good news is there are ways to control it.

Urinary Incontinence and Falling

Sometimes urinary incontinence can cause an accidental fall. If you lose control of your bladderand wet the floor, it can lead to a slip. Also, if you rush on your way to the bathroom, especially in a cluttered or dark area, you may fall. But by takingsome precautions, you can manage the condition and stay on steady ground.

Managing it

• Cut down on caffeine (coffee, tea, sodas) andlimit or avoid alcohol. But don’t limit water.

• Take frequent bathroom breaks, especially beforebed – empty your bladder fully.

• Wear underwear that’s easy to get on and off oradult diapers/pads if you need them.

• Practice Kegel exercises to make your pelvicmuscles strong (talk to your doctor or CareManager).

• Stop drinking liquids 2 to 3 hours before you goto bed for help with night-time incontinence.

Sources: https://www.seniorliving.org

https://health.usnews.com

Using Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Services (CDPAS) CDPAS is an option offered through a New York State Medicaid program. It allows you to get home care services from someone you know (Personal Assistant) and can replace or be used with Home Health Aide services you get through an agency. Though we can help direct you through the process, much of the responsibility falls on you, the member.

Key things to consider:

1. A representative from your Care Team will discuss the CDPAS option with you and provide you with the necessary forms.

2. You choose your CDPAS Personal Assistant – it can be a neighbor, friend or relative (not your spouse).

3. You are in charge of finding, hiring and training the CDPAS Personal Assistant.

4. You and your Care Manager will develop a CDPAS Plan of Care. It specifies the roles and responsibilities of VNSNY CHOICE MLTC, you and your Personal Assistant.

5. It is your responsibility to review the CDPAS Plan of Care with your Personal Assistant and make sure that she/he is clear on what’s expected.

6. Personal Assistants can help with feeding, dressing, housecleaning, personal hygiene, transportation to and from medical appointments, wound care, daily insulin injections and giving you your medication.

7. A Fiscal Intermediary* will process the payroll for the Personal Assistant.

8. Your Personal Assistant must be cleared through the Fiscal Intermediary.

*A Fiscal Intermediary is an outside company that will be responsible for processing payments to the Personal Assistant.

If you have questions about the CDPAS program, please call us at 1-888-867-6555.

How Are We Doing? Over the next few weeks, you may receive a satisfaction survey from the Island Peer Review Organization on behalf of the Department of Health. It asks about your experience and satisfaction with the services you receive from us, your MLTC health plan. This is your chance to let us know how we are doing. Your responses are always confidential and filling it out will not impact your benefits in any way.

Over the next few weeks, you may receive a satisfaction survey from the Island Peer Review Organization on behalf of the Department of Health. It asks about your experience and satisfaction with the services you receive from us, your MLTC health plan. This is your chance to let us know how we are doing. Your responses are always confi dential and fi lling it out will not are doing. Your responses are always confi dential and fi lling it out will not

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MLTC WordsearchBATHROOMCAREGIVERCHECKUPCHOICEDOCTOR

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VNSNY CHOICE220 East 42nd Street, 3rd FloorNew York, NY 10017

www.vnsnychoice.org

Member Services:1-888-867-6555 (TTY: 711)9 am – 5 pm, Monday – Friday

Suspect Something, Say SomethingVNSNY CHOICE is committed to preventing and detecting any fraud, waste or abuse in the organization related to Federal and State health care programs.

Anonymous Reporting VNSNY CHOICE Compliance Hotline: 1-888-634-1558.

File an online report at: vnsny.ethicspoint.com. Learn more at: vnsnychoice.org/for-our-members/member-rights/compliance-program.

Transportation ReminderTo schedule your transportation, please call Member Services at 1-888-867-6555 at least 48 hours in advance, Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm (TTY users call 711).