THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, March 22, 2019 Page 17 Melrose 200 Club News by Underutilized Palliative Care Services Can Help Relieve Pain nyone interested in a trip to Foxwoods Casino? Next trip planned by the 200 Club is Tuesday, March 19th. Brush Hill Tours’ luxury motor coach will leave the Levi Gould, 200 West Foster Street, at 9:00 am; and the Cochrane House, 80 Grove Street, at 9:15 am. Cost of the trip is $35.00, and each person will receive a Food Credit of $10.00, and $15.00 free Slots play. A For reservations, please contact Irene Thibeau at 781-6655058. Full payment is due upon reservation and checks should be made payable to “200 Club”. All reservations and payments are due by March 10, 2019. As it seems our area is in a snow pattern this week, by the time the date rolls around, we should all be looking for a breather so if you think you’re interested in going, please call Irene and make arrangements. This trip requires a minimum of 30 guests to receive the bonus package so why not get a friend or two, or your next door neighbor or whomever, and plan on a change-of-pace day to Foxwoods. We must make the required number of reservations so we hope to hear from some travelers soon! DEA warns of alarming increase of scam calls WASHINGTON – The Drug Enforcement Administration urges its DEA-registered practitioners and members of the public to be cautious of telephone calls from criminals posing as DEA or other law enforcement personnel threatening arrest and prosecution for supposed violations of federal drug laws or involvement in drug-traffi cking activities. DEA continues to receive reports from practitioners and the general public, alike, indicating that they have received calls threatening legal action if an exorbitant fi ne is not paid immediately over the phone. The callers typically identify themselves as DEA personnel and instruct their victims to pay the “fi ne” via wire transEDUCATION | FROM PAGE 8 out creating expansive new powers that would be overly burdensome to colleges,” said Massachusetts Secretary of Education James Peyser. The legislation will enable the Board of Higher Education to develop regulations specifying the process by which it will exercise its oversight authority. “These statutory and regulatory proposals have one goal, which is to be accountable to those students and families who have made signifi cant investments in post-secondary fer to avoid arrest, prosecution and imprisonment. The reported scam tactics are continually changing, but often share many of the following characteristics: • Callers use fake names and badge numbers or, alternatively, names of well-known DEA senior offi cials. • The tone of calls is urgent and aggressive; callers refuse to speak or leave a message with anyone other than the person for whom they are calling. • Callers threaten arrest, prosecution and imprisonment, and in the case of medical practitioners, revocation of their DEA numbers. • Callers demand thousands of dollars via wire transfer or, education,” said Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education Carlos Santiago. “At the same time, we are working closely with institutions to make sure that they are part of the decision-making process as we move forward.” “Our aim should be to maintain confidence among students, families and communities in the many fi ne and important private colleges in Massachusetts while ensuring that any imminent risk is managed thoughtfully and appropriately,” said Massachusetts Dear Savvy Senior, What can you tell me about palliative care? My husband suff ers from lung disease and is receiving radiation for prostate cancer but is not terminally ill. I’ve heard that palliative care can help him with his pain and discomfort. What can you tell me? Searching Spouse Dear Searching, Palliative care is a very eff ective service that can help patients relieve the symptoms and stress that often comes with serious illness. But unfortunately, most people don’t know about it, or don’t understand how it can help them. Here’s what you should know. What is Palliative Care? Most people hear the in some instances, in the form of untraceable gift cards taken over the phone. • Callers falsify the number on caller ID to appear as a legitimate DEA phone number. • Callers will often ask for personal information, such as social security number or date of birth. • When calling a medical practitioner, callers often reference National Provider Identifi er numbers and/or state license numbers. They also might claim that patients are making accusations against the practitioner. It’s important to underscore that DEA personnel will never contact practitioners or memSCAM | SEE PAGE 19 Department of Higher Education Board Chairman Chris Gabrieli. “As part of that, the Department of Higher Education needs to be able to work confi dentially with colleges to understand their fi nancial status and plans as well as to have the tools to address the hopefully rare situations where the focus needs to shift to informing students and ensuring solid transition plans.” On March 7 the Senate and House referred the bill to the Joint Committee on Higher Education. words “palliative care” and think “hospice,” but they are diff erent types of care. Hospice is reserved for when curative treatments have been exhausted and patients have less than six months to live. Palliative care, on the other hand, is a medical specialty that focuses on providing relief from the symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, trouble sleeping and even depression. It can also help patients deal with the side eff ects of medical treatment. Anyone with a serious illness can benefit from palliative care, including those with cancer, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, HIV/AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and more. Palliative care is provided by a team including palliative care doctors, nurses, social workers and other specialists that work with your doctor to provide an extra layer of support and care. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment. Palliative care teams are trained to help patients understand all their treatment options as well as the quality of life ramifi cations, so they can make informed decisions about what’s best for them. Often patients assume their doctors will take care of their pain and stress, but most doctors in our specialized medical system have not been well trained in pain and symptom management. That’s why palliative care is invaluable. Palliative care was developed in the United States in the 1990s but only became a formal medical subspecialty in 2008. Today, three-quarters of U.S. hospitals with more than 50 beds have a palliative care program, and 90 percent of hospitals with 300 beds or more off er it. How to Get Care There are around 6 million people in the U.S. that have a need for palliative care, according to the Center to Advance Palliative Care, but most patients don’t know to ask for it. If you feel that a palliative care specialist could help your husband, start by talking to his doctor and ask for a referral. If your doctor isn’t helpful, go to GetPalliativeCare. org, where you can search for a specialist in your area. Palliative care can be provided in in a variety of places, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, doctor’s clinics and at your own home. You’ll also be happy to know that most private insurance plans, as well as Medicare and Medicaid, cover palliative care services. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
18 Publizr Home