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March 2008
Archived show not yet available online Airs: Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 3pm and 9pm
FY 2009 Budget Hard on Seniors
Suzanne Higgins
President Bush has sent the first ever 3-trillion dollar budget proposal
to Congress – a proposal that cuts deeply into programs important to
seniors. Over the next 5 years Medicare would be cut by 183 billion and
Medicaid by 18 billion. The administration's budget would also cut
transportation and meal programs under the Older Americans Act,
healthcare for veterans, and again calls for private accounts in Social
Security.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, seniors and senior
advocates react to the President's plan.
WW II Veteran's Body Found, Returning Home
Keri Brown
A 66- year-old bittersweet prayer has been answered for a group of 80
year-old sisters in Belmont County, Ohio, just across the Ohio River from
Wheeling. In 1942 an Army Air Corps plane crashed during a training
exercise over California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. Their brother,
23-year-old Cadet Earnest Glenn Munn, was one of four crew members lost.
Five years later, a hiker discovered the wreckage, some scattered remains
and clothing -but nothing more for decades. Then, dashed hope in 2005, and
finally news of the recovery of their brother's body just before
Valentine's Day. The three sisters are now planning a private family
funeral.
Motivation in Numbers
Cecelia Mason
Seniors in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties are being encouraged to grab a
friend or spouse and join an exercise program called OWLS, an acronym for
"Older, Wiser, Living Stronger." It's being run by the West Virginia
University Hospitals East, with a grant by the West Virginia Bureau of
Senior Services. Included is free testing of cholesterol, blood pressure
and memory.
February 2008
Archived show not yet available online Airs: Wednesday, February 6, 2008 at 3pm and 9pm
"Aging With Grace & Dignity" Marks its 50th one-hour broadcast...
Love - Later in Life
by Jean Snedegar
With Valentine's Day approaching, couples are taking the opportunity to
express their love for each other, while many singles are hoping to find
that romance. And love is not limited to the young; it can strike at any
age. And if you think it's just companionship older people are finding,
think again. Last year an unprecedented study of sex and seniors found
that many couples are sexually active in their 70's, 80's and beyond. Two
couples in Elkins who found love again rather late in life share their
stories, and according to them, it's as sweet as ever.
Legislative Update
by Beth Vorhees
The newly created Select Committee on Senior Citizens is studying a myriad
of issues. Speaker of the House Rick Thompson discusses his hopes for the committee.
Long Term Care
by Kate Long
There is nothing like the prospect of hundreds of thousands of aging baby
boomers who might need nursing home care to frighten state government into
planning for the future. Legislators know they're taking long overdue
steps.
WVRX
by Suzanne Higgins
West Virginia RX is scheduled to debut this month. This is a paperless,
electronic system of dispensing donated pharmaceuticals from drug
manufactures to WV’s uninsured, working poor. That's about 300,000 of our
citizens. WVRX will also be an on-line clearinghouse of information for
both providers and patients. Partners say it will mean better health in
West Virginia, and a savings of hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
January 2008
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, January 1, 2008 at 3pm and 9pm
New Hope for Alzheimer's Medication
Beth Vorhees
Researchers at the Blanchette Rockefeller Nuerosciences Institute in Morgantown hope to begin clinical trials for a drug they are confident can help patients losing their memories to Alzheimer’s disease and other brain conditions. The drug is called Bryostatin – and it’s been shown to enhance the formation of new connections in the brains of laboratory rats. Scientists believe it could potentially increase normal memory capacity - and repair and even restore lost memory. Dr. Daniel Alkon, Scientific Director of BRNI, says if the Federal Drug Administration approves, clinical trials will begin this year – and those trials will be conducted on West Virginians.
The Blind Boys of Alabama
Mona Seghatoleslami
The Blind Boys of Alabama recently visited for a holiday concert at the Clay Center in Charleston. The group of elders has been together since childhood, mixing traditional and modern gospel, and share their inspirational story.
Gambling Addiction
Suzanne Higgins
Last summer, as counties were about to vote on the expansion of table games at state dog and racetracks, gambling addiction specialists warned that older adults, often retired or living alone, are particularly vulnerable. Gambling addiction is a psychiatric disorder that afflicts millions of Americans, an estimated 35,000 in WV. Anne Klinestiver of Milton, is 67-years-old, petite, with a sweet smile and hands that tremor. She's battled Parkinsons for 15 years but says that pales in comparison to her battle with gambling addiction.
Subprime Mortgage Boom and Bust
Kate Long
2008 begins with the Federal Reserve, the Bush Administration, Congress and even lenders developing proposals to address certain lending practices and ensure stricter regulation of subprime mortage specialists. The mortgages and foreclosures of many West Virginia's elderly helped fuel Wall Street's subprime mortgage boom and meltdown last year. In Sept. we illustrated how WV seniors have been victimized.
Jazz Man
Jean Snedegar
More than 40 years ago Joe Goldberg of Elkins, WV wrote a book about the jazz masters of the 1950s – some of the greatest jazz artists of all time – Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Ray Charles and many others. Goldberg is one of the few people left who knew all these legends personally, and today he continues to write about music for The Wall Street Journal. From his childhood at The Greenbrier, to a writing career in New York and Hollywood, to returning to his roots in Elkins, Joe Goldberg shared his life story.
December 2007
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, December 4, 2007 at 3pm and 9pm
Aging With Grace & Dignity presents a special one-hour program featuring
conversations with the five living inaugurial inductees of the West
Virginia Music Hall of Fame. The recipients were honored in a WV PBS
televised ceremony last month at the West Virginia Cultural Center.
Suzanne Higgins and Anna Sale visited with the honorees before the awards
program.
George Crumb: Pulitzer Prize winning composer of often haunting, jarring
compositions. Crumb was born in Charleston in 1929. His father was a
clarinetist and his mother a cellist with the Charleston Symphony. Crumb
has had a long career composing, recording and teaching - and will be
honored by Carnegie Hall next year. Some of his best known works include
"Night of the Four Moons," "Black Angels," "Echoes of TIme and the River,"
and "Star-Child."
Little Jimmy Dickens: Best known as the "King of the Novelty Song,"
87-year-old Little Jimmy Dickens says the ballads he sang and recorded
were always his favorite. Dickens was the first of 13 children born in
Bolt, WV, in Raleigh County. He was raised by his grandparents - his
grandfather a coal miner. After asserting himself onto local country radio
stations in live performances, Dickens traveled the country in the late
1930's and 1940's doing much of the same. He landed a gig on the Grand Ole
Opry, became a member in 1949, and is now the longest tenured performer on
the longest running radio show in broadcast history. Some of his best
known songs include "Take An Old Cold Tater and Wait," " Sleeping At the
Foot of the Bed," and "Raggedy Ann."
Hazel Dickens: Dickens calls her style of music traditional country and
her songs have told the story of her life. She was one of eleven children,
born in Montcalm, a coal mining community in Mercer County. Hazel says
she was deeply affected by what she saw of the lives of working men and
women in a coal town. When the mines started closing in the 1950's, she
moved at age 19 to Baltimore. She says from her homesickness came many of
her songs. In the 1970's she moved to Washington D.C., and became
increasingly involved in workers' rights, women's rights and mining
issues. This is reflected in her songs "Working Girls Blues," "Black
Lung," "They'll Never Keep Us Down," and "Mama's Hand."
Billy Edd Wheeler: The art of folkstory-telling captured the imagination of
Billy Edd Wheeler by the age of 14. Wheeler says putting those stories to
music just came naturally yet admits he never learned to read music. He
was born and raised in Boone County, his father a coal miner. And although
he was sent to North carolina for school at age 16, Wheeler says his
childhood in West Virginia profoundly affected his songwriting career.
He's the winner of 13 ASCAP awards, a member of the Hall of Fame of the
Nashville Association of Songwriters International, and has had his songs
recorded by Kenny Rogers, Johnny and June Carter Cash, Pat Boone, Elvis,
The Kingston Trio, Judy Collins, Neil Young and dozens others. His songs
include "The Reverend Mr. Black," "Jackson," "Blistered," and "Coward of
the County."
Bill Withers: A singer, songwriter and guitarist, Bill Withers' R&B and
soul music spans four decades and still influences music and performers
today. Withers was born in Slab Fork, WV in 1938, the youngest of six
children. His father was a coal miner and died when Withers was 12. He was
raised by his mother and Grandmother, and entered the Navy after high
school. This is when he developed an interest in music and singing. Some
of his best know songs include "Ain't No Sunshine," "Grandma's Hands,"
"Just the Two of Us," and "Lean On Me."
November 2007
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, November 6, 2007 at 3pm and 9pm
Medicaid changes generate confusion
Anna Sale
A revamped Medicaid program made its debut in West Virginia about 8 months
ago and has expanded to 40 counties. The plan is designed to encourage
low-income medicaid recipients to make good health care decisions in
exchange for broader health insurance coverage. Medicaid has launched a
big public relations campaign to alert 150,000 recipients that change is
coming. But some worry recipients aren't getting the message, and may be
surprised to find themselves with less coverage than before.
Assisted Living not an option for growing number
Suzanne Higgins
Assisted living homes have become a popular housing choice for elders who
need help, but are not ready for the nursing home. There are 112 licensed
assisted living facilities in WV – that’s about 3500 beds. Their quality,
cost, size and range of services and activities run the gamut. Residents
are charged between $1800 - $6000 a month. But West Virginia is one of
only 7 states that do not allow a Medicaid waiver for assisted living, so
for a growing number of elderly it's not an option.
The music of Jim McCoy
Cecelia Mason
Take a scenic drive a few miles outside of Berkeley Springs and you'll
find a club named the Troubadour Lounge. It's owned by longtime radio
disc jockey and country music singer Jim McCoy. The Troubadour is more
than just a place to have a cold beer and a thick steak - it stands as a
tribute to McCoy's long career in country music.
October 2007
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, October 2, 2007 at 3pm and 9pm
Predatory Lending Practices threaten -and have taken-thousands of homes in
WV
Kate Long
In 2006, out-of-state lending institutions foreclosed on 1,170 West
Virginia homes. Those homes had subprime adjustable-rate mortgages, the
kind of mortgages that have caused so much havoc on Wall Street. The
consumer law firm, Mountain State Justice, counted those mortgages in all
55 courthouses.
Who were these foreclosers? Fly-by-night outfits? In fact, they were
America’s biggest banks: Wells Fargo, Citibank, Bank of America, and many
other recognizable names.
In the first of a series of reports, a West Virginia senior couple tell
their story, illustrating how predatory mortgage lenders typically operate
in West Virginia…how unsuspecting West Virginians sign fraudulent
mortgages with small local companies without realizing that those
mortgages will make their way into the possession of America’s biggest
banks.
Beckley VA Medical Center Director Reassigned
Suzanne Higgins
Last spring Sen. Jay Rockefeller accused the director of the Beckley VA of
knowingly supplying false information to VA Secretary Jim Nicholson
regarding chronic staff shortages, low staff morale, and delayed health
care for veterans at the Beckley VA Med Center. Beckley VA director,
Jerry Husson, denied such activity and denied these problems at the
facility. The U.S. Veterans Administration undertook an independent
review of the Beckley hospital this summer. Although the report is not
open to the public, Sen. Rockefeller's office says it sites positives and
negatives at the center and confirms the director has been reassigned.
Repeated requests for interviews with the Beckley Center's administration
have gone unanswered.
Jack Tincher, the Chairman of the West Virginia Veterans Coalition, reacts
to the reassignment and describes the current delivery system and work
environment at the Beckley VA.
AARP Hosts Justice Clarence Thomas
Anna Sale
While Marshall University was named for Supreme Court Justice John
Marshall, Clarence Thomas was the first U.S. Supreme Court Justice to
visit the campus. He was a guest of AARP's Huntington chapter last month
(Septemeber). Thomas talked to a packed crowd about judicial temperment
and how the Supreme Court really works.
Medicare Advantage Plans
Suzanne Higgins
No other state has a higher percentage of people on Medicare – 365,000 in
West Virginia. Now beneficiaries have more options in coverage and many
would say more confusion to wade through. This year marked the first time
Medicare Advantage Plans were available statewide. 35,000 PEIA retirees
were moved to a plan July 1 – another 12% of state beneficiaries signed
up for an advantage plan on their own. Like the roll-out of Medicare Part
D a few years ago, the prescription drug benefit plan, the decision to go
with an Advatage Plan (known now as Part C) can be confusing – and many
seniors nationwide have reported not getting the benefit they thought they
were signing up for. The enrollment period for an advantage plan begins
next month – November 15- and runs through the end of the year. The annual
WV Governor's Summit on Aging was held a few weeks ago and the Advantage
Plans was just one topic. Jim Smallridge is the Director of the WV State
Health Insurance Assistance Program and runs a toll free help line for
Medicare beneficiaries. At the Governor’s conference Smallridge offered
some background on the plans and advice for all Medicare beneficiaries.
September 2007
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, September 4, 2007 at 3pm and 9pm
Waiting and Wondering
Kate Long
On August 6, an explosion in a Utah mine trapped 6 underground miners.
A week later Logan County’s Elaine Purkey, 58, sang at a Library of
Congress event in Washington. She forgot the words to the song. “I
couldn’t concentrate,” she said. “I was thinking about those Utah miners
and their families.”
At the time, there was still a chance those miners could be saved. Purkey
had never met their families, but says “we all go through the same thing.
We’re all brothers and sisters.”
Purkey has been a coal miner’s wife for 30 years. She grew up singing a
capella in the Church of Christ and has performed at the Smithsonian
Folklife Festival, the Chicago Folk Festival, and the Vancouver Folk
Festival, among others. In song, conversation and poetry, Purkey delivers
a powerful glimpse of the families who wait and wonder every day as the
men go deep underground to mine coal.
The War
Suzanne Higgins
This month WV PBS presents the Ken Burns' World War II documentary
entitled “The War”. Over the last months we’ve profiled several West Virginia World War II
veterans. In this hour the memories of 84-year-old Everett Griffin. As a
native of Pocahontas County, Griffin says his rural upbringing better
prepared him for military life. At age 19 Griffin fought in the battle of
Anzio, Italy, one of the bloodiest conflicts of World War II. 28,000
Allied forces were killed, but strategically, the fight was crucial. The
Allies knew German troops originally destined for Normandy would have to
be reassigned and sent to the fight in Anzio. As a result, fewer troops
met the Allies when they landed in Normandy the following month – on June
6, 1944. Griffin poignantly describes combat, his fears, and what he calls duty to
country.
The Gardeners
Jean Snedegar
This summer, all over West Virginia, people have been out in their
gardens, large and small, tending beautiful flowers and harvesting tasty
produce. Many of these enthusiastic gardeners who love getting their
hands in the soil are in their 60s, 70s, 80s and even 90s. Some have been
gardening for a lifetime, while others decided to plant those first seeds
after their children had grown and moved on. Jean Snedegar visits four
gardeners in Randolph County – to find out what keeps them at it.
July 2007
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, July 3, 2007 at 3pm and 9pm
Lighthouse Program begins July 1
by Suzanne Higgins
A new program created during winter's legislative session begins providing
in-home care services for hundreds more of West Virginia's fragile elderly
who need help to live at home. In addition, with the passage of table
games in the Northern Panhandle, and the potential of casino games in
other WV racetracks ( Hancock County votes June 30, Kanawha County votes
Aug. 11) the budget for this program could potentially triple by the end
of the summer. The Legislature earmarked the state's take of licensing
fees for the Lighthouse program. The new program is designed for citizens
60 and older who do not qualify for other in-home services, like Medicaid.
The West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services and local senior centers are
thrilled.
The War
by Russ Barbour and Pat Sergent
Charles Brown is an 82-year-old Kingwood native and retired attorney.
Brown joined the Navy at age 20 shortly after the United States entered WW
II, and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Asiatic-Pacific
Campaign Medal with star, and the Prisoner of War medal. The former US
Navy aviator was shot down north of Tokyo and 60 years later offers
compelling stories of his six months as a prisoner of the Japanese.
Brown's interview is part of a local component of the national broadcast
"The War" produced by Ken Burns and scheduled to air in September. The
stories of West Virginia veterans will be seen throughout the summer and
fall on WVPBS.
The RV and Me
by Cecelia Mason
Two years ago 71-year-old Dick Strader decided to downsize in a big way.
This divorced father of three grown daughters sold his four-bedroom home
on ten acres near Charles Town. He says he always had wonder lust, so
Strader bought a 36-foot recreational vehicle and he took off traveling
with his dog Cody. He now lives in three small rooms on wheels, traveling
north in the summer and south in the winter. "Perfect for me," says
Strader.
A final "Music from the Mountains"
by Scott Finn
Seventy two year old Joe Dobbs is retiring after 25 years of producing and
hosting the radio program "Music from the Mountains" which airs Friday
nights on West Virginia Public Radio. Dobbs’ show featured "old-time"
mountain music and countless local talent from all walks of life. His show
outperformed national programming in ratings with a loyal, faithful
audience. Dobbs is the owner of the Fret 'N Fiddle music shop in St.
Albans and says he has plans and other priorities now. Scott Finn talks to
Dobbs as he prepares for his final broadcast.
June 2007
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, June 5, 2007 at 3pm and 9pm
Senior Advocates Oppose Casino Gambling
The media campaign for casino games in West Virginia is in full swing in
the four counties with racetracks as the local option referendum votes
quickly approach. But not everyone is betting games like black jack and
roulette will move the state's economy forward. And although the state's
take in casino gambling money would mean millions more for the Bureau of
Senior Services, some senior advocates say the losses would outweigh the
gains. Keri Brown reports.
Seniors in the Workforce
It’s estimated by 2015, 25% of the American workforce will be older than
55. People are living longer, healthier, and life is getting increasingly
more expensive. More and more seniors who had retired need to find work to
help make ends meet. Today we look at a training and job placement program
specifically for low in-come seniors. ExperienceWorks is an effort under
the Senior Community Services Employment Program, funded by the U.S.
Department of Labor. It places seniors in non-profit organizations, for
training and skills development, and then assists in the finding of
permanent employment. Suzanne Higgins reports.
--- In-studio follow-up
Cathy McConnell of West Virginia Senior Legal Aid discusses age
discrimination in the workplace, its prevalence, and what an older worker
can do if discriminated against.
Families Coping With Serious Mental Illness
Having a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia or severe bipolar
disorder can be devastating - for patients and patients' families. As
patients and family caregivers age, it can become even more troubling.
What will ultimately happen to the patient once the aging parent caregiver
has passed away? Our mental health series continues with producer Jean
Snedegar speaking to family members of mentally ill adults about how
difficult it has been to get help in West Virginia.
May 2007
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, May 1, 2007 at 3pm and 9pm
Seniors and Gambling
As several West Virginia counties are about to vote on the expansion of
table games in state dog and racetracks, gambling addiction specialists
warn that older adults, often retired and/or alone, are particularly
vulnerable to getting hooked. Anne Klinestiver of Milton, WV shares with
Suzanne Higgins how she lost it all - $300,000, her health, and her
45-year marriage. It all started so innocently...
An in-studio discussion with Mia Moran Cooper, Executive Director of the
Problem Gamblers Help Network of West Virginia.
http://www.problemgamblers.net/
1-800-GAMBLER
Stories of Alzheimer’s
Morgantown fiction writer Sara Pritchard grew up in a household that
sometimes included two people with Alzheimer’s: her grandmother and
great-aunt. Pritchard was in charge of making sure her great-aunt didn't
wander away. Today 46,000 West Virginians have Alzheimer’s, and that
number is expected to double by 2030. In this segment, producer Kate Long
weaves excerpts from Pritchard's stories with advice from the West
Virginia Alzheimer’s Association
(http://www.wvalz.org)
for those caring for an Alzheimer’s patient at home.
A Prescription Drug Legislation Roundup
Perry Bryant, the Executive Director of West Virginians for Affordable
Healthcare, talks with reporter Scott Finn about the recent legislative
session, the successes and failures of health care bills, and how this
will impact seniors. Topics include the development of a Medicare
Advantage Prescription Drug Program under PEIA, and the loss of
legislation which would have strengthened the Pharmaceutical Cost
Management Council.
The Pharmaceutical Cost Management Council has met for the first time
since Gov. Manchin pulled the council’s first attempt at a rule on
disclosing drug advertising costs. Anna Sale reports the council is back
where it started – trying to draft a controversial disclosure rule, and no
one seems excited about it.
Every Day a Blessing
106 year-old Frank Buckles is one of only a handful of surviving American
World War I veterans. Buckles moved to West Virginia 50 years ago and
continues to help run a beautiful family farm in Jefferson County. Cecelia
Mason visits with the centenarian, discussing his memories of war, his
various careers, and the gratitude he has for his caregiver daughter.
April 2007
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, April 4, 2007 at 3pm and 9pm
Veterans Healthcare - Indepth
Suzanne Higgins
The nation was shocked in February with the revelations of squalid
conditions and hostile treatment of soldiers at Walter Reed Military
Hospital in Washington. President Bush has named a bipartisan panel to
investigate health care for active military under the Department of
Defense, and for veterans, under the Depart of Veterans Affairs.
While in recent years VA health care has been rated higher than health
care in private hospitals, it’s also a system beset with bureaucratic
delays and restrictive budgets.
In West Virginia there are four VA medical centers, located in
Martinsburg, Clarksburg, Huntington and Beckley. There are also 7
out-patient clinics, 8 Vet Centers where counseling is offered, and one
Veterans nursing home in Barboursville.
Today veterans will talk about care at their VA Med Center, but first some
background.
The 155 VA hospitals across the country are divided into 23 regional
groups, networks of hospitals that would work together to provide care for
the veterans of that region. These are called Veterans Integrated Service
Networks, which are referred to as VISNs. Each of WV’s four VA hospitals
is in a different VISN with VA hospitals in different states. Martinsburg
is grouped with Maryland, and D.C., Clarksburg with PA, Huntington with
KY, and the Beckley Med Center is grouped with North Carolina and
Virginia. So if a veteran needs a procedure not available at the local VA,
then that veteran is sent to another hospital almost always within the
VISN. For veterans in the Martinsburg area that’s about an hour drive for
specialty care. Clarksburg veterans are most often sent to Pittsburgh,
about a 2 ½ hour drive. For Veterans in the Huntington VISN, it also takes
2 ½ hours to get to get to their tertiary care hospital in Lexington. And
for veterans in 11 counties in southern WV, it’s at least a 5-hour drive
to the VA hospital in Richmond for care not available locally.
In this hour we’ll hear from Southern West Virginia veterans, and what
they say have been ongoing problems at the Beckley VA Medical Center.
Beckley is part of VISN 6, and patients are sent to Richmond, Salem,
Raleigh, Asheville and Durham. Durham is the headquarters. Under-funding,
staff shortages, an adversarial relationship with the administration, and
that long 10 hour round trip to Richmond…Their stories are disturbing and
Sen. Jay Rockefeller and Sen. Robert Byrd are calling for a change in
administration, from the top down.
Pre-paid Clinic Health Care
By Kate Long
More than a year ago, Gov. Manchin announced that he was going to create a
plan to help uninsured West Virginians who cannot afford to go to a
doctor. People would pay a modest monthly fee to a health clinic that
would entitle them to all the clinic's services. This pre-paid clinic
health care was the centerpiece of his 2006 legislative agenda. While some
say it's moving too slowly, the WV Health Care Authority says it's moving
ahead responsibly.
March 2007
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, March 6, 2007 at 3pm and 9pm
President Bush's proposed budget for FY 2008.
In early February President Bush released a $2.9 trillion budget plan for
the fiscal year beginning in October, promising to balance the nation's
annual books by 2012. It includes a quarter trillion for the wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan over the next 18 months, but seeks cuts or eliminations in
141 domestic programs. Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security would see a
$96 billion cut over the next few years.
Suzanne Higgins talks with senior advocate Robert Blancato about the
potential impact of the President's budget plan and the upcoming budget
debate on Capitol Hill. Blancato is a member of the board of directors of
the American Society on Aging and a member of the leadership council of
the National Council on the Aging. He is also the executive director of
the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs, and
past president of the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder
Abuse.
The Legislative Session nears end.
Scott Finn follows the progress of the table games legislation, a
potential significant revenue stream for the Bureau of Senior Services'
in-home care programs.
Keri Brown reports on Gov. Manchin's proposal to establish a network of
regional Aging and Disabled Resource Centers.
Two of these "one-stop shops" for seniors and family members currently
operate in Ohio and Marion counties. They were established with federal
grants and offer comprehensive information on the local long-term care
options, senior transportation programs, and other services, programs,
discounts, etc. available to seniors and the disabled. The two offices
have worked so well Gov. Manchin wants to use state money to expand.
The Cost of Obesity
West Virginia ranks among the most obese states and Medicaid is seeing its
obesity-related costs soar. So the state Medicaid program is seeking a new
approach with a familiar name: Weight Watchers. It's a deal that makes
business sense for both Medicaid and Weight Watchers, and could result
with participants losing weight, getting healthier and preventing future
costly weight-related problems. Anna Sale reports.
Guy Reynolds - Still reaching for the sky
94-year-old Guy Reynolds of Martinsburg has been flying airplanes for 60
years. His prized possession is a red, white and blue SportStar airplane
which he purchased last year and flies every chance he gets. He logged 100
hours last year and says every time he heads to the skies, he sees
something he hasn't noticed before. Cecelia Mason visited with Reynolds at
Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport.
February 2007
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, February 6, 2007 at 3pm and 9pm
A Legislative Update
Governor Joe Manchin has proposed the biggest increase to senior services
in years -a proposed 15 million over the current year's budget. The bulk
of the appropriation, about $12 million, would go toward a federal match
for the Medicaid Aged and Disabled Waiver program. As a result of the
federal match, the state's waiver program could see an additional 28
million in funding. Kate Long reports.
The Governor has also pledged additional money that would go directly into
the programs run through local senior centers. In-home services for
seniors who do not qualify for medicaid, home delivery nutrition programs,
and Alzheimer's Respite Care programs would receive additional funding.
Senior center directors say they are very grateful but say even with the
additional appropriation, thousands of West Virginia seniors are falling
through the cracks. They're lobbying for a comprehensive long term plan to
provide for the state's aging population. Suzanne Higgins reports.
Flu season
Although it's been called a "mild" season so far, that could change.
Public health officials are preparing for peak flu season (Feb. - March) -
and they say so should we. The Northern Panhandle was reminded recently
just how quickly and severely a virus can spread among an elderly
population, and health officials there are sharing some advice. Keri Brown
reports.
All that Jazz
More than 40 years ago Elkins resident Joe Goldberg wrote a book about the
jazz masters of the 1950s – Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Ray
Charles and many others. Today the book is still in print, and Goldberg
is one of the few people left who knew all these jazz legends personally.
He continues to write about music for The Wall Street Journal. From his
young childhood at The Greenbrier, to a writing career in New York and
Hollywood, to returning to his roots in Elkins, Jean Snedegar visits with
a fascinating Elkins resident, and we all get to enjoy the music.
January 2007
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, January 2, 2007 at 3pm and 9pm
A final look back at some of the
significant stories of 2006........
A story of a friendship and Alzheimers Disease.
Alzheimers is a neurological disease. It attacks the brain, impairing
memory, thinking and behavior.
Last summer we met 12-year old Maya Madhaven of Beckley. Maya is a witness
to the disease’ devastation. In 2006, Alzheimers Disease took a very
special friend of hers……Suzanne Higgins with Maya's story.
Dispelling the myths of Depression
Throughout this series we’ve examined various health concerns…..
including this focus on mental health. Depression is not a normal part of
aging. But it is a psychiatric disorder often seen in seniors. And even
though depression can be successfully treated, it continues to be
undiagnosed or misdiagnosed in older people. This means thousands of West
Virginians may be suffering in silence. Last Fall Jean Sneadegar reported
from the Governor’s Summit on Aging, in Cannan Valley.
An agent for change
Over the course of this series we’ve profiled many of our oldest citizens
- all remaining active and passionate about their work and vision.
According to the last census, there are more than 30,000 West Virginians
over the age of 85. These residents came of age during the Great
Depression, and they’ve been dubbed the Greatest Generation. Last Spring
we met 90 year old Lucille Pianfetti. Like others of her generation,
Lucille has seen great transformations in American society and she has
always been an agent of change. Anna Sale visited Lucille in her Kanawha
County home.
Affording Health
2006 was also the year we produced the Healing in the Hills series, a
focus on rural culture and the impact it has on the health and health care
decisions of rural seniors.
The biggest barrier to accessing health care is the cost.
Kate Long reports on how the rising cost of health care affects us all –
whether or not we have insurance.
December 2006
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, December 5, 2006 at 3pm and 9pm
Segments will include:
West Virginia University President David Hardesty has announced he’ll
retire in the upcoming year. Hardesty will have served 11 years – that’s
the longest of any president in WVU history.
His tenure has been marked by record enrollment, research, and private
giving. Reporter Emily Corio has more.
This summer a report from the Trust for America’s Health ranked West
Virginia third in the nation for the highest obesity rates. Mick Souter is
a West Virginia songwriter and performer – and is trying to combat the
growing obesity epidemic. Souter hopes by teaching grade school students
to make healthy eating choices at an early age, their generation will
indeed age with grace, dignity and better overall health. Kristin Murdock
reports.
Frank Stowers is a very popular host of classical music programming here.
And there’s an interesting story behind the voice.
Frank’s career started in radio – took a 40-year detour - and is back
again at West Virginia Public Radio….Reporter Anna Sale has Frank’s story.
Two years ago, 85-year-old Lester McCumbers bested 98 other fiddlers from
all over the country to win the fiddle contest at the Appalachian String
Band Festival. Last year he won the state's highest folk art award, The
Vandalia Award. McCumbers' thoughts and conversation are as endearing and
deep as his fiddle playing. He was raised on a hard-working farm in
Calhoun County at a time when anybody who wanted to go beyond grade school
had to walk 10 miles to catch a schoolbus. Now people all over the world
can watch him on the Internet (http://youtube.com/watch?v=CVis22wKWWM). Reporter Kate Long caught up
with him at this year's Fiddler's Reunion at the Augusta Heritage Center
(http://www.augustaheritage.com/).
Lester and Linda McCumbers, both 85, on their porch
at home in Nicut, Calhoun County.
Photographer: Kim Johnson
November 2006
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 3pm, repeated Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 9pm
The First Year of Medicare's Prescription Drug Benefit Program.
Approximately 125,000 of West Virginia’s 360,000 Medicare beneficiaries
signed up for one of 50-some plans offered by private insurance companies.
It was -and continues to be for many seniors - an overwhelmingly confusing
on-line process, riddled with misinformation- and threats of penalties for
late enrollment. One year into the benefit program – seniors and senior
advocates are angry with its expense - and the lack of medications it
covers. It's estimated 52,000 West Virginians are in line to fall into an
intentionally designed gap in coverage by the end of the year. It's often
referred to as the donut hole, leaving beneficiaries to pay for 100% of
their prescriptions. Thousands have already hit this level and are
struggling with those costs, many going without their medications. In
addition, 30,000 low-income WV seniors who qualify for a subsidy to avoid
a gap in coverage are not currently signed up to receive it.
Suzanne Higgins reports.
A follow-up, in-studio conversation with Jim Smallridge,
Director of the West Virginia State Health Insurance Assistance Program.
The new enrollment period for Medicare's drug benefit program, also known
as Medicare Part D, begins Nov 15 and runs through the end of the year.
The WV SHIP is run by the Bureau of Senior Services and is charged by the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to assist in the enrollment of
a Medicare Part D plan.
In honor of this month’s Veteran’s Day -
Cecelia Mason talks to West Virginia WW II veterans taking part in a
national oral history project…
Also a conversation with Brig. Gen Chuck Yeager, visiting West Virginia
recently for the dedication of Yeager Highway in his native Lincoln
County. Yeager is now 83 years old. He flew 191 combat missions in World
War II and Vietnam, and in 1947 became the first pilot to fly faster than
the speed of sound. His daring tests paved the way for space travel.
Yeager tells Mike Youngren he looks at his achievements and his career as
simply fulfilling his duty as a member of the United States Air Force.
October 2006
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, October 3, 2006 at 3pm and 9pm
Depression and the Elderly
Jean Snedegar
Major depression and anxiety disorders affect millions of elders in the
United States. James D. Helsley, MD, Associate Professor of Family
Medicine at WVU, and John R. Vanin, MD, Professor of Behavioral Medicine
and Psychiatric and Family Medicine at WVU, will discuss recognition,
diagnosis and treatment. Plus we'll hear how a 91-year-old says she has
battled depression on and off throughout her adult life.
Waiver Lawsuit Settled
Kate Long
The contentious rules that drove hundreds of seniors and disabled people
out of the state's in-home care program have been scrapped by the Manchin
administration - as part of a settlement of a lawsuit. Up to 800 people
will have services reinstated. We'll get the details and meet the
plaintiff, Jackie Fleshman, a reclusive Summers County man who summoned
the courage to put his name on a suit challenging the state.
A visit with no doubt one of the oldest citizens of West Virginia……Peter
Hartley is 103 years old, still living in his Morgantown home of 50 years.
Hartley keeps his vast personal library close at hand, but must now listen
to taped books because of failing sight. However he continues to enjoy
writing poetry. The retired railroad man recently welcomed reporter Bobby
Rizutto into his kitchen, for a very honest conversation.
September 2006
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, September 5, 2006 at 3pm and 9pm
The Fight To Stay Home
The Manchin administration has cut the number of elderly people in the
state's in-home care
program ( Medicaid's Aged and Disabled Waiver) by more than a third. The
opposition to these cuts is organizing and the debate is heating up.
Senior advocates say what’s eventually going to happen is these frail
elders will end up in a nursing home, paid for by the state of West
Virginia with Medicaid dollars at four times the cost of what it would
have cost for them to remain in their home. Kate Long reports on the
latest developments.
Dollars for Alzheimer's
The annual Fall Memory Walks are set for this month and next. A
conversation with Jane Marks, Executive Director of the the West Virginia
Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association about the organization's biggest
fundraising campaign, and its growing significance as Alzheimer's research
and support is cut this year by both state and federal government.
The Cloud Over Senior Centers
A judge continues to deliberate the verdict in the federal trial of
Wyoming County Council on Aging Director Bob Graham. Graham is accused of
embezzling more than $356, 000 to fund a lavish lifestyle for himself and
his family from the nonprofit agency that serves Wyoming County’s seniors.
He also faces charges of mail fraud, filing false tax returns and engaging
in illegal banking transactions.
Dinah Mills is the director of the Lewis County Senior Center and
president of the West Virginia Directors of Senior and Community Services
Association. Mills says what happened in Wyoming County has unfairly
damaged the reputations of all centers and the people who work there.
Funding to all centers has been cut by the Legislature, and in the end,
thats hurting seniors.
Memories of Storer College
Harpers Ferry certainly has a place in Civil War history, but it was also
the home of Storer College, West Virginia's first college for African
Americans. It was established by the New England Baptist Church just 2
years after the Civil War, and named for John Storer, a businessman and
philanthropist from Maine. Storer wanted to establish a college in the
south that was open to all - regardless of race, sex and religion, and he
donated a significant amount of the seed money.
Although the college closed in 1955 following desegregation, the Storer
College Alumni Association remains active. An alumni reunion in Harpers
Ferry was held last month ( August) during the 100th Anniversary of the
Niagra Movement - which eventually evolved into the NAACP.
Reporter Cecelia Mason covered the events sponsored by the National
Historical Park Service, and talked to many of Storer College alumni.
August 2006
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, August 1, 2006 at 3pm and 9pm
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
The numbers in West Virginia may surprise you. According to the last
census, 16,000 grandparents in the state report raising 25,000
grandchildren. The reasons are many, including death of the natural
parents. But more often it's a case of unwed mothers incapable of raising
children, broken families, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, incarceration of
the natural parent, a financial crisis within the home, and even child
abuse resulting in the removal of the child from its parents' home.
Grandparents raising grandchildren endure a long list of challenges. But
there is help -educational materials, financial assistance, resource and
legal guides, and emotional support.
Suzanne Higgins visits a group of grandmothers in McDowell County, all
low-income, all dealing with health conditions, and all currently raising
teenage grandchildren.The group particiaptes in a Kinship Care Support
Program, sponsored by the non-profit Mission West Virginia. The
grandmothers share their pain, and their love for, and commitment to these
children.
The Thrill of the Competition
The West Virginia Senior Games were held in July in Charleston…..these are
the qualifying games for the national Senior Olympics. Those will be held
in Kentucky next year. Hundreds of older athletes – some very well trained
- competed in everything from golf and horseshoes to swimming and
basketball. Cecelia Mason covers the events.
Healing in the Hills - a focus on rural seniors, rural culture, and health
care....an encore broadcast
We revisit one of the biggest challenges facing our rural seniors
......transportation.
The curvy 2-lane roads that wrap around and over West Virginia’s hills are
no doubt scenic, but they are also a daily challenge for rural residents,
especially elders, many of whom no longer drive. To address this, over the
last few decades the state has built a rural healthcare network of
facilities. But despite the effort, thousands of seniors still struggle to
find a way to get to their health care provider. Emily Corio reports.
The readings of Irene McKinney
A new selection of poems and readings by West Virginia's poet laureate,
Irene McKinney, from her home near Belington, in Tucker County.
July 2006
Archived show not yet available online
Airs: Tuesday, July 4, 2006 at 3pm and 9pm
Coverage of the 28th Annual Summer Institute on Aging held in Morgantown.
In 2005 West Virginia adopted a comprehensive Medicaid Redesign proposal.
Sally Richardson, Executive Director for the WVU Institute for Health
Policy Research and Chair of the subcommittee that designed the long-term
framework, detailed the components of this new system. Richardson
described other aging-related initiatives that her agency is researching
and implications for practitioners in the aging field. Emily Corio
reports.
Medicaid's In-home Waiver - The series continues....
At the beginning of the year we aired a series of reports on Medicaid's
In-Home Care Waiver.
New screening rules have been cutting off seniors who have been receiving
services, leaving them in dire straits.
Clients have lined-up for appeals, a lawsuit has been filed, and in-home
care workers in a multi-county area are
organizing to take action as well. Kate Long continues her in-depth
reporting.
What is Parish Nursing?
We’ll travel to Preston County to meet Missy Hartsell, a parish nurse who
is trying to minister to both young and old in her church community.
The nursing profession actually has its origins in faith communities. The
first nurses were sisters or deaconesses, and until about 1970, the links
between religion and nursing were common. As healthcare today in the
United States is becoming more and more community-based, some nurses are
returning to their spiritual roots in both the Judeo and Christian
traditions by becoming parish nurses. These health professionals try to
address both the health needs and spiritual needs of their congregation.
In West Virginia a growing number of nurses are in training to become
parish nurses. Producer Jean Snededgar talks to those who believe the need
for such nurses is on the rise.
Richwood's Annual "Past-80" Party
More than 100 native West Virginians, aged 80 and beyond, gathered in June
at the Richwood High School gymnasium for music, games, and a turkey
dinner with all the trimmings. All wore their nametags, proudly displaying
their age. It’s an annual party in this Nicholas County community - a
tradition begun 50 years ago by Jim Comstock, the renowned editor of The
West Virginia Hillbilly newspaper. Comstock had a favorite saying,
“flowers for the living.” Meaning let’s celebrate our elders while they’re
still here. And so they come, from all over, with so many
stories...Suzanne Higgins had the pleasure of attending the
Christmas-In-June theme party.
June 2006
Archived show not yet available online
Aired: Tuesday, June 6, 2006 at 3pm and 9pm
Segments will include....
The friendship between a 12-year-old Beckley student and a 77-year-old
retired coal miner living with Alzheimer's Disease.
Maya Madhaven was inspired by her neighbor Dowl Gibson to investigate the
possibility of a link between coal mining and Alzheimer's Disease. Her
research project won a first place award at the 2006 West Virginia High
School Science and Engineering Fair held at Marshall University in March.
Suzanne Higgins reports.
Healing in the Hills....A focus on rural culture, rural seniors, and
health care.....
The challenges of recruiting and retaining medical practitioners in rural
West Virginia.....
Producer John Nakashima follows Dr. Steve Love, M.D. as he finishes his
residency in Family Medicine at West Virginia University. Love discusses
the decisions he must weigh as he decides whether to stay here in his home
state, or to leave and practice elsewhere.
What medical providers need to remember about the impact of rural culture
on the health care decisions seniors make .... Producer Kate Long talks
with Pat White of West Virginia Healthright, Hilda Heady, Executive
Director of the West Virginia Rural Health Education Partnerships, and
Gail Bellamy, of the West Virginia University Institute for Health Policy
Research.
May 2006
Archived show not yet available online
Aired: Tuesday, May 2, 2006 at 3pm and 9pm
Healing In The Hills.....An ongoing series on rural culture and its impact
and influence on rural health care.....
The rich history of folk medicine in the Mountain State is
examined.....and how and why the use of folk medicine continues today.
Lori Savitch reports.
The strongest predictor of our health status - more than age, income,
education or race - is our ability to understand the information given to
us by medical providers. Jean Snedegar reports on what's known
as "health literacy."
Plus profiles of three seniors, all active and passionate about their work
and beliefs.......
90 year old Lucille Pianfetti lives in Kanawha County and came of age in
the midst of the Great Depression. She's witnessed great transformations
in American society - and has always been an agent of change. Anna Sale
has this story.
For the past 3 decades, 70 year-old John Mattox of Belmont County, Ohio
has been collecting artifacts and memorabilia about American History. As
an African American, he's been especially interested in black history.
Mattox's massive collection is now displayed in his own Underground
Railroad Museum. Keri Brown reports.
A West Virginia University dance professor is retiring after a 51-year
career. Mary Kathryne Wiedebusch has taught modern dance at WVU since
1955. Wiedebusch took the dance program from a few classes to a
full-scale dance curriculum. She directed her last dance concert at the
University in March and received a special dedication in her honor. Emily
Corio spoke to Wiedebusch before the dance concert about what inspired her
long career.
April 2006
Archived show not yet available online
Aired: Tuesday, April 4, 2006 at 3pm and 9pm
"Healing in the Hills" continues, a focus on rural seniors, rural
culture and health care......
The rural doctor / patient relationship
Suzanne Higgins - producer
Differences between local culture and the medical culture are just one of
the challenges in communication when rural physicians work with their
patients. The rural doctor - patient relationship is explored as Dr. Dan
Doyle is followed during clinic rounds, house calls and student teaching
seminars.
Doyle is a family practice physician and geriatrician at New River Health
Clinic in Scarbro, WV. His work illustrates the positive impact of respect
for rural culture, values and belief systems. He has spent the last 20
years in West Virginia and has made a personal mission out of helping
medical practitioners understand and communicate with their rural, and
often elderly, patients. “The doctor-patient relationship is a
partnership. We have to reach agreement on what our goals are and how they
(the patient) want me to help them reach those goals,” Doyle said. “It’s
as important as me prescribing the right medicines or the right tests or
the right surgery. It’s a joint venture.”
Underlying beliefs are also a challenge, Doyle says, as in this example: A
patient might say if they have a lump or a mass that they do not want a
biopsy because they believe that cutting into the mass will spread the
cancer. A doctor or nurse believes – because of their training – that the
mass should have a biopsy automatically. This clashing of beliefs can
cause misunderstanding between a doctor and the patient. “A patient will
not do what’s good for them if they do not understand something or are
afraid or unconvinced,” Doyle said. “Cultural competence means we, as
providers, need to be aware that we have values and expectations and we
cannot take for granted that patients have the same ones. We have a job to
first understand that their ideas are different and then to explain to
them and reassure them and try to reach agreement with them about what
they’ll do.”
The Cost of Care
Kate Long - producer
Experts estimate that almost one in four West Virginians are uninsured and
look for that number to increase as heath care costs continue rising. This
segment of Healing In The Hills helps listeners understand how this
situation sets up a vicious cycle where medical professionals shift the
costs of caring for those who cannot pay onto those who do have insurance.
As prices rise, businesses cut out employee health insurance and the
number of uninsured rises. Eventually all West Virginians are affected.
Various healthcare professionals say that this cycle -- plus cutbacks in
federal funding -- threatens the well-being of the state's
nationally-recognized safety net of rural community health centers and
small rural hospitals. As David Sotak, CEO of Fayette County's New River
Health Center says, "It is the consensus among those in health care, at
small hospitals and clinics, that the system is so fragile that it is
about ready to crack."
March 2006
Archived show not yet available online
Aired: Tuesday, March 7, 2006 at 3pm and 9pm
The Medicaid Waiver Program
For more than 20 years, the state's Medicaid in-home care program has
helped thousands of elderly West Virginians stay out of nursing homes, but
a few years ago the state began restricting participation. Now advocates
for the elderly say people are being kicked off the program because of
new, tougher eligibility rules the state has adopted.
As part of the proposed WV DHHR rule changes, people would be allowed to
appeal decisions that knock them off the in-home care program, but they
may have to reimburse the state if they lose that appeal.
For three years, the West Virginia Medical Institute, a Charleston
non-profit company has been under contract by the state to screen people
for the in-home care program, and there has been a constant stream of
legal action and complaints ever since.
Reporter Kate Long with an in-depth investigative report.
Healing in the Hills continues – a focus on rural seniors, rural culture,
and health care.
The curvy 2-lane roads that wrap around and over West Virginia’s hills are
no doubt scenic, but they are also a daily challenge for rural residents,
especially elders, many of whom no longer drive. To address this, over the
last few decades the state has built a rural healthcare network of
facilities. But despite the effort, thousands of seniors still struggle to
find a way to get to their health care provider. Emily Corio reports.
Many rural elders consider themselves as religious or spiritual, and this
spiritual nature often affects every area of life. Many people rely on
their faith to bring them through trials of life and particularly the
challenges of aging. Jean Snedegar reports on how faith and spirituality
impact health and health care decisions.
February 2006
Aired: Tuesday, February 7, 2006 at 3pm and 9pm
The start of “Healing In the Hills”…a multi part series on rural health
care - examining the culture of rural WW – the values, the faith, the life
styles, the isolation, and how that impacts the decisions rural seniors
make about their health care.
Reporter Kate Long with part one – the history of health care
in rural West Virginia, from folk medicine remedies learned from Native
Americans, to unlicensed doctors, to the establishment of the American
Medical Association, miners hospitals, and today’s network of rural
primary care clinics.
To strengthen rural health care, attracting and retaining good
providers is considered job one. Greg Collard with a conversation with a
nationally recognized rural doctor and educator, the Chairman of the Dept
of Family and Community Medicine at Marshall University Medical School,
Dr. Robert Walker.
A look at a program developed by the West Virginia University
medical school. It’s called the recruitable Community Program. And the
idea is get entire communities involved in attracting medical providers.
Again, Greg Collard reports.
For some retirement means pursuing hobbies or activities that
were difficult to fit in while part of the workforce. But for many others,
retirement means a continuation of work for pay, or work as a volunteer.
Cecelia Mason reports.
Listen to the February Show (Get RealPlayer):
January 2006
Aired: Tuesday, January 3, 2006 at 3pm and 9pm
Coverage of December's White House Conference on Aging.
West Virginia sent a delegation of nine seniors to Washington for the
fifth WHCOA. These conferences are held about once every 10 years.
Previous conferences produced resolutions that helped lead to the creation
of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, the Older Americans Act and its
popular Meals on Wheels program, and the creation of Area Agencies on
Aging in nearly every county in the country.
The culmination of the conference is the adoption of up to 50 policy
resolutions and implementation strategies that will be culled from 73
proposals drafted after several dozen field hearings which took place
throughout the country over the last year. It's estimated roughly 200,000
people participated in these hearings, including one in Morgantown this
summer.
The policy resolutions are divided into six broad categories:
- Planning for an elderly life span, including financial security.
Changing the workplace of the future, including ways to help older
workers remain productive.
- Focusing on community development, including housing and transportation
issues faced by the elderly.
- Promoting health and long-term care, including wellness programs and
enhanced geriatric education.
- Encouraging civic and social engagement, including volunteer activities
and education opportunities.
- Adapting technology and innovation in the marketplace, including meeting
the changing tastes and preferences of Boomers.
The resolutions are generally accepted policy goals.
Max Cacas reports from the conference.
Feature: 93-year-old Mary Snow
As we commemorate Martin Luther King Day in January, we'll hear the story
of a local civil rights trailblazer.
In 1989, after more than 50 years as a principal and teacher in WV public
schools, Mary Snow decided it was time to retire. However today at age 93
she still occasionally fills-in as a substitute teacher in Charleston
grade schools.
Snow has had a remarkable career – including in 1958, becoming the first
black administrator at an integrated school in Kanawha County. She has
seen and participated in truly historic transformations and shares those
experiences with reporter Dan Heyman.
An encore of some important stories of 2005....
More than 300 people from New Orleans found themselves in the West
Virginia countryside following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. They
were assisted by more than 900 volunteers from West Virginia and
Pennsylvania at Camp Dawson. Reporter Kate Long visited the national
guard training camp 3 times to capture the experience through the eyes of
older Louisianans – and West Virginians. We'll update this encore
presentation.
Another important story ......Hospice. ...a 30-year-old program designed
to serve the needs of the terminally ill and their families in their
homes. One of the oldest hospice programs in the state is the Hospice of
Southern WV – a non-profit serving Raleigh, Fayette, Summers and Wyoming
Counties. Suzanne Higgins spent time with this very dedicated group.
Listen to the January Show (Get RealPlayer):
December 2005
Aired: Tuesday, December 6, 2005 at 3pm and 9pm
Rising Costs of Home Heating
As the end of the year approaches Congress rushes to pass a budget. Capitol Hill reporter Laura Strickler has been covering the votes and examines their impact on Medicaid, Medicare, The Older Americans’ Act and other vital programs for seniors.
The United States Senate has decided there is not enough money for a substantial boost for the federal home heating program ( Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program).
With the cost of heating homes skyrocketing this year the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources and the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services are scrambling to find funds to help keep the elderly warm in the cold months ahead. Cecelia Mason reports.
A preview to West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s 2006 rural health care series…..
The current proposed cuts in Medicaid greatly threaten West Virginia’s health care network of federally funded rural clinics, established over the last 30 years. These facilities are vital in delivering quality primary care services to thousands of rural seniors.
The Manchin administration has released its latest ideas for redesigning how Medicaid should work in West Virginia. The Department of Health and Human Resources says a redesign is necessary to modernize Medicaid and make it more cost effective. But some critics worry it could result in a loss of services for some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens. Anna Sale with and a report and follow-up interview with U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller on the state’s Medicaid redesign, as well as other recent actions in Washington.
Hear, one man’s perspective on the challenges seniors face in accessing rural health care.
Dr. Dan Doyle is medical director of the New River Health Association in Scarbro, WV. He is a Harvard-educated family practice physician and geriatrician who came to Fayette County in 1977 to help establish this community-owned clinic. Doyle discusses the barriers to rural care, and the unique and special nature of the rural doctor / patient relationship. Suzanne Higgins reports.
In celebration of the holidays….
Multi-Grammy award-winning folk singer Odetta graced Mountain Stage last month and shared with a national audience her favorite Christmas spirituals. In a backstage interview 75-year-old Odetta talks about her limited options as a young black singer, her personal search to learn of the achievements of people of her race, and what these Christmas spirituals mean to her. Suzanne Higgins reports.
Listen to the December Show (Get RealPlayer):
November 2005
Archived show not yet available online
Aired: Tuesday, November 1, 2005 at 3pm and 9pm
Medicare Prescription Drug Enrollment
November 15 marks the opening of the enrollment period for a Medicare Prescription Drug plan. 50-60 plans are being marketed in West Virginia - a massive amount of information to be sifted through and evaluated. Director of the State Health Insurance Assistance Program, Linda Calvert, will join host Suzanne Higgins in studio for an update on the enrollment help now in place for seniors and their families.
NOTE: For information on the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan enrollment call State Health Insurance Assistance Program: 1-877-987-4463
Memories of Vietnam
We celebrate Veterans’ Day this month with memories of Vietnam. Fifty-nine-year-old Jim Jordan, originally of Connersville, PA, was 18 when he was called up for a two-year tour which landed him north of Saigon. He had finished high school and had been driving trucks and operating a bulldozer on a strip mine. Jordan recalled his time in the army in a recorded conversation with his daughter Jacqueline Core, of Independence, WV. Core had asked her father to participate in the national oral history project Storycorps. Core says it was an opportunity to ask her father questions she always wanted to – and both say the talk unexpectedly turned emotional.
Irene McKinney
West Virginia's poet laureate, Irene McKinney, is in her 60’s and at the top of her game. We visited with McKinney recently in her home in Barbour County. Her conversation will stir you intellectually and spiritually. It may also lead you to a better understanding of what it means to be a West Virginian. McKinney was one of the writers featured in WV Public Radio's recent series, In Their Own Country.
October 2005
Aired: Tuesday, October 4, 2005 at 3pm and 9pm
Conversations from Camp Dawson
More than 270 evacuees from New Orleans found refuge at West Virginia's
Camp Dawson. The children have found seats in Preston County classrooms,
previously working adults have been counseled and assisted by various
agencies, but what about the oldest evacuees? 64-year-old Joann Fields and
83-year-old Patrick Burke are among the survivors who talk about losing
everything, their welcome here - and starting over at this point in their
lives. Reporter: Kate Long.
Prosecuting Senior Financial Exploitation
Forty billion dollars per year is lost to fraud schemes nationwide, and
60% of all fraud victims are senior citizens.
Keri Brown reports from the Governor's 2005 Summit on Aging, which focused
on various schemes that target senior citizens, advising on how to
identify and act against fraud.
Remembering West Virginia's New Deal Communities
When the bottom fell out of the coal and timber industries in the early
1930’s it left thousands of West Virginians jobless, homeless and hungry.
Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal established the Federal Subsistence
Homestead Division. This developed self-sustaining communities for
unemployed industrial workers nationwide - providing jobs, farmland and
housing for 25,000 families. Three Homestead communities were built in
West Virginia- Arthurdale in Preston County, Eleanor in Putnam and the
Tygart Valley Homestead in Randolph County.
Anna Sale brings us memories of Homestead life, in a story produced by Bob
Wilkinson, in conjunction with Goldenseal Magazine.
Once a Teacher, Always a Teacher
She just celebrated her 93rd birthday and Mary Snow of Charleston still
occasionally fills in as a substitute teacher in Kanawha County schools.
Snow has seen and participated in truly historic transformations,
including in 1958 becoming the first black administrator at an integrated
school in Kanawha County. Reporter Dan Heyman sat down for a long talk
with Snow about her 50-plus year career as a principal and teacher.
September 2005
Aired: Tuesday, September 6, 2005 at 3pm and 9pm
New leadership at the Bureau of Senior Services
Sandra K. Vanin, Ph.D. is the newly appointed Commissioner of the Bureau of Senior Services.
Vanin is the former director of The Friday Clinic, which encourages and nurtures health and
wellness activities for children with disabilities at West Virginia University's Center for
Excellence in Disabilities. Since 1991, Dr. Vanin has served as a full-time member of the
WVU faculty in the School of Physical Education and the Center for Excellence in
Disabilities, a part of the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center.
Aging with Friends
By Emily Hughes
Do friends help us age successfully? Dr. JoNell Strough and her staff at West Virginia
University are conducting a research study to answer this question. Strough is an Associate
Professor in the Life-Span Developmental Program in the Department of Psychology. The study
is being funded by The National Institute on Aging. We hear first-hand from several seniors
as to the meaning of friendship in their lives.
Memory and Alzheimer's
Construction is in full swing in Morgantown for a state-of-the-art research facility for
The Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, the only non-profit institute with a
dedicated study of human memory. The Institute's mission is to accelerate discoveries from
the lab, including diagnostic tools and treatments, directly to patients suffering with
neurological diseases, such as Alzhiemer's. Dr. Bernard Schreurs is a lead scientist at
BRNI and gave a fascinating presentation at the Snowshoe Institute this summer, an annual
three-day event in Pocahontas County. Dr. Schreurs talked about what memories are, how they
occur, BRNI's research successes, and basic lifestyle advice.
Feature: Gone fishing ... with 81-year-old Bruiser Cole
By Anna Sale
Just past the Kanawha-Fayette line is the town of Gauley Bridge, where the New and Gauley
Rivers converge to form the Kanawha River. Upstream from that confluence is another
landmark – Bruiser Cole's fishing camp, or as many locals know it "that bus on the rock
in the middle of the river!"
Listen to the September Show (Get RealPlayer):
August 2005
Archived show not yet available online
Aired: Tuesday, August 2, 2005 at 3pm and 9pm
Medicaid Redesign
Last month we examined the $156 million short-fall in the state’s Medicaid budget and the proposed cuts to the Aged and Disabled Waiver. This program funds in-home care services for qualified seniors.
But the WV Dept of Health and Human Resources is in talks with Washington for another waiver; this one would redesign the state’s entire Medicaid system. A draft plan has been sent to Washington for review, but so far, many stakeholders are concerned they haven’t been part of the process. Anna Sale has this report.
Interfaith Caregivers
Many religious groups for years have attempted to help bridge the gaps in services available to the elderly, low income and disabled. The national Interfaith Volunteer Caregiver Movement began in 1983 – and today West Virginia has 7 such programs. They call themselves Faith-In-Action Caregivers….Keri Brown reports from Wheeling.
Nutrition and Disease Prevention
Susan Poindexter is a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant to the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services. Poindexter talks about how to take advantage of summer’s bountiful harvest and the connection between nutrition and disease prevention.
The legacy of the CCC
In addition to enjoying the plentiful produce of summer, many of us are outdoors enjoying time in our state parks. Many of the structures in these parks were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. 55,000 young men in WV were corps members. Producer Pat Sergent brings us their story - and their legacy.
Storycorps
From the Civilian Conservation Corp – to Storycorps – a national oral history project. It began two years ago and it’s sponsored by National Public Radio, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Saturn Automobile. The goal is to collect an archive of life stories of ordinary people in the 21 century. It's a ten-year project and sponsors hope to record a quarter million interviews which will be housed permanently at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
Storycorps’ mobile studio visited Morgantown and Charleston this summer. 82- year-old Bessie Goeff of Tera Alta in Preston County was just one interview recorded. From quilting, knitting, ceramics and cake decorating – Bessie is well known in her community for her crafts... An exerpt from her conversation with Storycorps staff member Brett Myers.
July 2005
Archived show not yet available online
Aired: Tuesday, July 5, 2005 at 3pm and 9pm
Medicaid Waiver
The Manchin Administration and the WV Legislature continue to struggle with the state’s exploding Medicaid program. Medicaid is the state-federal healthcare program providing services to the needy, aged, blind, disabled and low-income families with children. West Virginia has about 373,000 recipients, and the need and costs are growing.
The federal government has implemented a $ 150 million rollback for West Virginia’s Medicaid program. The state Bureau of Medical Services along with the Department of Health and Human Resources and the Bureau of Senior Services is considering several proposals to cut $115 million out of Medicaid, which currently faces a $156 million deficit.
One of the many programs facing cuts is known as the Medicaid Title 19 Waiver program. Under Title 19, the Aged and Disabled Waiver allows seniors who medically and financially qualify for nursing home coverage, to remain in their homes and receive services. The Medicaid waiver will pay for services comparable to those services provided in a nursing facility. That includes assistance with personal hygiene, meal prep and feeding, arrangements for medical and nursing care, the administering and supervision of medication, light housekeeping, transportation and some errands.
Every 5 years the state needs to renew its waiver application. It’s time to reapply and the state is proposing changes including significant budget cuts that have seniors and senior advocates deeply frightened. Suzanne Higgins with a closer look at the waiver program, its recipients, and the proposed changes.
Aging Safely
The AARP suggests summertime is the perfect time for a refresher course on driving. The organization started its driver safety program 25 years ago and it’s designed especially for the older driver – acknowledging the physical and mental changes that occur as we age. The 2-day course includes videos, skits, questionnaires, and quizzes. And there’s homework, but no actual driving test. Organizers say they concentrate on problem areas where accidents are mostly likely, such as school zones, intersections, parking lots, and interstate highways. West Virginia is one of 36 states where insurance companies must consider discounts for senior drivers who complete a driver’s safety course like this one. Suzanne Higgins attended a packed class in Beckley.
Soul of the Senate
Many believe it's only a matter to time before West Virginia's senior senator declares his bid for reelection. Robert C. Byrd has never lost an election, has cast more votes than anyone else in the history of the U.S. Senate and has just published his autobiography entitled "Child of the Appalachian Coalfields." 87-year-old Byrd is well known as a master parliamentarian and one of the country's staunchest defenders of the United States Constitution. Following Independence Day, we profile Byrd in an excerpt from "Soul of the Senate" a documentary produced by Motion Masters of Charleston and aired on WV PBS.
Bluegrass Disciples
On the front porches, in church halls and in radio studios throughout Appalachia in the 1930’s and 40’s traditional mountain music evolved into a new genre – bluegrass. Three boys from West Virginia, brothers Bea and Everett Lilly and Don Stover, are the ones credited with taking this music beyond these mountain borders, to New England and even Japan. Smithsonian Folkways has just recognized their contributions by reissuing a 1961 recording of the Lilly Brothers and Don Stover. Everett is now 80 years old, still performs and recently visited with reporter Anna Sale.
June 2005
Archived show not yet available online
Aired: Tuesday, June 7, 2005 at 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on West Virginia Public Radio.
Prescription Drugs & Medicare Modernization Act
By Suzanne Higgins
Every Medicare recipient in the country will soon have to make critical decisions regarding prescription drug coverage - that's 360,000 West Virginians and 40 million people nationwide. A frightening majority know nothing about it, and the related enrollment processes are confusing and cumbersome. The implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act with its prescription drug coverage will be unrolled this Fall. There will be 30-40 plans marketed in WV. Even if you have other coverage, you'll have to compare plans.
State public health officials and Social Security Administration officials are scrambling to enroll the lowest income seniors into an assistance program. It's estimated 160,000 West Virginians will qualify. The challenge is to get them signed up by December 31 so that they'll have drug coverage on Jan. 1 2006, when Medicaid will no longer be allowed to pay for those drugs.
The White House Conference on Aging
By Emily Hughes
This conference is held every 10 years to make aging policy recommendations and to assist in promoting dignity, health, independence and economic security of current and future generations of seniors. In the months leading up to the conference, solutions forums are being conducted throughout the country. The West Virginia University Center on Aging is sponsoring such a forum on rural aging. Experts and citizens will testify before members of the WHCoA policy committee. Such testimony will result in at least one resolution to be voted on at the December conference.
Pension Bond Vote
By Dan Heyman
The campaign over the statewide June 25 pension bond vote is in full swing. Governor Manchin has formed a committee which is working hard to convince voters that the state should have the authority to issue up to $5.5B in bonds to stabilize state pension programs. We'll get updates on the issues surrounding the special election, and examine the technical and financial structure of the bond proposal.
Living Wills
By Kate Long
The Terri Schiavo case has sparked a huge interest on a matter most people never knew or thought much about - living wills. Each year more than 80% of Americans who die in hospitals, hospices or nursing homes are confronted with decisions about whether to continue or stop life-sustaining treatment, but only about 25% actually have a living will. We explore the issue with the West Virginia Center For End Of Life Care.
Quartets on Parade
By Cecelia Mason
For more than 50 years Wardensville in Hardy County has brought together some of the best barbershop quartets as a fundraiser for community programs and projects. Share the music and fun.
May 2005
Archived show not yet available online
Aired: Tuesday, May 3, 2005 at 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on WV Public Radio
YWCA Elder Abuse Initiative
By Suzanne Higgins
Four years ago the YWCA of Charleston launched its Elder Abuse Initiative. It has raised more than $1M to build safe, senior-friendly apartments for disabled, elderly women who have suffered abuse. To off-set the operational costs of the project, the YWCA created a revenue stream by starting a new business. It's all located on Elizabeth Street and is contributing to the rebirth of the East End. The first residents of what's called the Shanklin Center for Senior Enrichment were welcomed in January. Examine the crime, the housing program, and meet the inspiring women who are reclaiming their lives.
Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Hospital Geriatric Residency Fellowship
By Cecelia Mason
Medical treatment for seniors can be complicated because the elderly are often dealing with multiple physical problems. The West Virginia University Medical School Eastern Division is offering post medical school fellowships to doctors wanting to specialize in geriatric medicine. WVU’s Rural Family Medicine Residency Program is teaming up with the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Hospital.
Wendy Lustbader
Nationally known elder care author and trainer Wendy Lustbader spoke in Charleston recently at the state chapter meeting of the National Association of Social Workers. Lustbader’s books include Counting on Kindness, Taking Care of Your Aging Family Member, and her latest entitled What’s Worth Knowing, a collection of wisdom she gathered from years of conversations with seniors.
Meet Jim Haught
By Mike Youngren
You've read the long-time newspaper man and editorial writer for years; now hear how his passion for the biz keeps him going. Haught says without his work, he would have no voice - and then he says (with a smile) he'd "be unable to continue to rescue humanity."
April 2005
Archived show not yet available online
Aired: Tuesday, April 5 at 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on WV Public Radio
Federal and state budgets, and the impact on senior programs
By Anna Sale
While lawmakers in Washington are debating the various proposals of the Bush administration, legislators in Charleston are coming into the home stretch with just two weeks to go in their regular session. We attend the session’s largest senior-sponsored event, and examine how the fate of proposals in Washington would significantly impact important senior services here.
Prescription Affordability
By Suzanne Higgins
The state’s new pharmaceutical advocate has taken office and says he's ready to take on the drug lobby. 34-year-old Scott Brown is the former head pharmacist at the New River Health Association in Scarbro, a small rural community in Fayette County. He now has the authority to negotiate with drug manufacturers for discount rates for state health plans. This is a new cabinet level position, created by the legislature in November’s special session. Brown explains his new responsibilities, and how his background in a rural health center has shaped his views.
West Virginia Walks
By Emily Hughes
The WVU Department of Community Medicine has begun its WV Walks campaign to bring attention to the critical health issue of obesity in this state. The campaign encourages 30 minutes of walking everyday. In doing so the walker burns the equivalent of 10 pounds a year. The upcoming "Be Alive As Long As You Live" Lawrence Frankel Intergenerational Walk in Morgantown is one of many WV Walks activities scheduled in the next few months. Frankel was a nationally recognized pioneer in senior exercise and fitness and died last year after a long career in Charleston.
Meet Jim Haught
By Mike Youngren
You've read the long-time newspaper man and editorial writer for years; now hear how his passion for the biz keeps him going. Haught says without his work, he would have no voice - and then he says (with a smile) he'd "be unable to continue to rescue humanity."
March 2005
Archived show not yet available online
Hospice Care and the patients and families it comforts
Hospice Care is palliative care, not curative care. Participants are diagnosed as terminal with 6 months or less to live. The Hospice of Southern West Virginia is a non-profit serving Raleigh,Fayette, Summers and Wyoming counties and is one of the oldest hospice programs in the state.
The hospice philosophy and treatment are examined as we follow a nurse on a home visit and meet 86-year-old Celest Withrow of Beckley, a terminal cardiac patient.
A conversation with Congressman Alan B. Mollohan
The President has submitted his detailed budget proposal and many programs important to seniors are adversely affected. Reporter Chad Pergram talks with Congressman Mollohan of West Virginia's First Congressional District about his opposition to the President's plan for Social Security.
A new plan for state pensions
January's special session resulted with the passage of Governor Manchin's $5.5 billion pension bond proposal. Manchin wants to sell the bonds, invest the cash and then apply the return toward funding shortfalls in retirement programs for teachers, state troopers and the judiciary. But not everyone is happy with the resulting legislation. Dan Heyman explains the legislation, provides the background, explains who is affected by these changes.
Help for the family caregiver
A look at what a small but growing number of senior centers are attempting to do….and that is provide some relief to the family caregiver. Adult day care programs will take seniors for up to 8 hours a day….enabling the family member to hold down a job or take time to just run necessary errands. Seniors who need assistance with every day tasks like going to the restroom, dressing and taking medications are cared for at the senior center –or in some cases, in their own homes. Reporter Cecelia Mason recently visited the Adult Day Services/ Respite Care Program at the Berkeley County Senior Center.
The last witness to massacre
Goldenseal Magazine editor John Lilly captures an oral history of life in a Mingo County coal town. 94-year-old Marie Robinette is the last surviving witness of the Matewan Massacre and shares with Lilly her memories of life and times in the first half of the 20th century.
February 2005
Archived show not yet available online
Discussions of agendas and political priorities as lawmakers gather in Charleston and Washington for the beginning of their respective sessions, Plus, the culture of West Virginia's rural elderly....
The 2005 WV Legislative Session
An in depth interview with Del. Don Perdue, ranking member of the WV House Select Committee On Pharmaceutical Availability and Affordability and Chair of the House Health and Human Resource Committee. Perdue discusses the increasing pressure from the drug lobby as his committees begin work this session. Perdue's priority includes an omnibus drug bill which will give further power to the state's Pharmaceutical Drug Advocate, a position created in ground breaking legislation in November's special session. Other areas of work will include expanding access to 340b clinics, addressing a troubled Medicaid Waiver program, defining acceptable practices for drug detail representatives, and working with the new Manchin administration to address what Perdue calls West Virginia's "behavioral and mental health crisis."
Rural Culture: West Virginia's Legacy
The Mountain State Geriatric Education Center in Morgantown is conducting what it calls a "Rural Cultural Competence Project." Program Director Sara Jane Gainer says, "If we want to be more effective in impacting the health of rural elderly West Virginians, then we really need to be more attuned to what fits with their belief systems and their culture." Emily Hughes reports on the center's six research projects now underway in Union, Point Pleasant, Spencer, Petersburg, Martinsburg and Cabin Creek.
Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid
A conversation with seniors advocate, Bob Blancato from his Washington, D.C. office about the fight on Capitol Hill over Social Security and the Bush administration's proposed slashing of Medicare and Medicaid budgets. In addition, Blancato discusses his work in shaping the upcoming White House Conference on Aging, a once-in-a-decade event. Blancato is President of Matz, Blancato & Associates, Inc., a firm specializing in government affairs, association and coalition management and advocacy services. He currently serves as President of the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, Chairman of the National Silver Haired Congress Advisory Council, Special Advisor to the Board of Generations United and is on the Board of Directors for the Greater Washington Urban League. Recently, Blancato was named to serve on the Policy Committee of the 2005 White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA). Blancato was a member of the United States delegation to the United Nations World Assembly on Aging in 1982 in Vienna and was selected as a delegate to the 1998 White House Conference on Social Security. Blancato serves as National Coordinator for the Elder Justice Coalition, a national advocacy voice supporting elder justice in America. In 1998, Blancato founded the Boomer Agenda, the first bi-partisan political action committee for baby boomers.
January 2005
Archived show not yet available online
A look back at some of the most important stories of 2004......
Aired: Tuesday, January 4, 2005 at 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on West Virginia Public Radio.
Alzheimer's Disease
59-year-old Sandy Ruggles has lived with Alzheimer's for 6 years.. Sandy discusses the frightening experience of diagnosis and her decision to face her fears. (Update: Sandy and her husband Rick were the recipients this fall of the Rockefeller Award, given by the WV Alzheimer's Association for their public awareness and fundraising efforts.)
A conversation with David Shenk, author of "The Forgetting: Alzheimer's - Portrait of an Epidemic"
The High Cost of Prescription Drugs
Kate Long reports on the frustrating and complicated enrollment process for free drug programs sponsored by pharmaceutical companies.
(Update: The Pharmaceutical Cost Management Council, which was successful in getting its recommendation to create a State Pharmaceutical Advocate passed in a November special session, will present recommendations to the Legislature in February to ease and quicken this confusing and cumbersome enrollment process.)
End-of-life Care
The decisions we need to make and the conversations we need to have. A discussion about the need for advanced directives with Dr. Bruce Foster, M.D. Foster is a family medicine physician, Chair of the Ethics and Investigational Studies Committee, and Director of the End-of-Life and Palliative Care Services Programs at Thomas Memorial Hospital in South Charleston. He is also the author of the book "Death and Dying, or Can You Love Me Enough to Let Me Go?"
Plus....one in an ongoing series of profiles of active seniors
Reporter Keri Brown introduces us to Mark Davis of Wheeling. Davis has been a news broadcaster for 50 years. He's tried to retire 3 times, but his love of telling a story just won't let him.
Computer Literacy
Seniors, computers, and a new online resource for seniors, their families and their caregivers (wvseniors.org). Suzanne Higgins reports from a beginners' computer class at the Kanawha County Senior Services Center.
December 2004
Archived show not yet available online
Aired: Tuesday, December 7, 2004 at 3:00 p.m. on West Virginia Public Radio.
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
With 1000 WW II veterans dying every day, it's surprising to some that an estimated 80 West Virginia Pearl Harbor survivors are still with us. Every year on this date, the American Legion honors these veterans in a noon ceremony on the corner of Capital and Lee Streets in Charleston. Donald Hunt of Winfield, WV, will be there. He's the chairman of the West Virginia Pearl Harbor Survivors' Group. He was 19 at the time, and had arrived at Pearl Harbor less than 48 hours before the attack. (S. Higgins)
Short update on drugs special session. (Greg Collard or S. Higgins)
Interview with Governor-elect Joe Manchin about the results of the special session, the direction of his administration, and his thoughts on several senior-related issues. (Beth Vorhees)
Senior Employment and Retirement
Many West Virginia seniors are delaying retirement or returning to work after retiring. Their reasons for returning and the job opportunities available to seniors. (Emily Hughes)
Boomers
Currently there are 276,000 seniors living in West Virginia. But that's going to double - soon.
With 270,000 baby boomers about to reach senior status over the next decade, an appointed Baby Boomer Committee within the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services is gathering data on what this will mean for state government. With the help of a Marshall University researcher, a statewide survey is supplying information on the fiscal stability of this generation, and the services its members will want and need. (S. Higgins)
The broadcast wrapped up with a preview of the upcoming Bob Thompson Christmas special at the Cultural Center - featuring the open to his show, "Joy To The World." (taken from last year's concert)
November 2004
Archived show not yet available online
Aired: Tuesday, November 2, 2004 at 3:00 p.m. on West Virginia Public Radio.
Part-two of an in-depth report on what seniors identify as their number one concern, the high cost of prescription drugs. As the WV Legislature considers a special session to vote on the recent recommendations of the Pharmaceutical Cost Management Council, reporter Kate Long takes a look at price breaks for seniors who don't qualify for the drug companies' free medication programs. It’s known as the 340b program, it’s federally funded and available through community health care centers.
Most health care providers agree we’re entering the most dangerous season of the year for seniors. Although state numbers are not available, the Centers For Disease Control estimates influenza is the cause of 36,ooo deaths a year in this country… and the elderly are among the most vunerable. A vaccine shortage announced three weeks ago that effectively cut the nation’s supply in half, has caused anxiety, frustration, finger-pointing and panic in some circles. This afternoon, a closer look. (Suzanne Higgins reports)
Ground is broken on a multi-million dollar research facility for the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute in Morgantown. Dr. Bob D’Alessandri is executive director of the institute and comments on the design and function of the 100,000 square foot facility.
About 4 hours remain to get to the polls in West Virginia to vote in what many are calling one of the most important elections in our history. We of course observe Veterans Day next week and for many veterans who saw active duty, Election Day can bring on a myriad of emotions - pride, gratitude and for some, haunting memories about the cost of freedom. Today we hear from 82-year-old veteran Ray Gaufenbaugh of Moundsville, who first voted for Franklin Roosevelt in 1944 - and he hasn’t missed a vote since. Keri Brown reports.
National Caregivers month is recognized in November– and we’ve often heard the caregiver termed as the “silent victim”, especially in the cases of Alzheimers and other forms of dementia. An interview with Dr. Turner Goins, Associate Professor with the Department of Community Medicine at WVU and associate Director For Research at the WV Center on Aging. Goins has just completed a statewide survey of caregivers – the first of its kind.
We wrap-up today’s program with the music of Sam Sammoms. A senior citizen himself, Sam enjoys entertaining the regulars at the Jefferson County Senior Center. Cecelia Mason recently talked with Sammons about his hobby and his outlook on life.
October 2004
Archived show not yet available online
Election 2004 and the Senior Vote
Aired: Tuesday, October 5, 2004 at 3:00 p.m. on West Virginia Public Radio.
As Election Day approaches, several senior advocacy groups say the number one issue among senior voters is the cost of health care and prescription drugs.
Award-winning journalist Kate Long presents part-one of a two-part series on the high cost of drugs, the limited options for West Virginia's seniors, and the difficult choices they face. Long describes the confusing and frustrating process seniors must go through to receive free medications from drug companies. Long also visits small community clinics that are trying desperately to "work" the system to benefit the elderly they serve.
The West Virginia Silver Haired Legislature meets at the Capitol in late October. Over its 23-year history, 70% of the issues identified by the Silver Haired Legislature have been addressed in legislation by the West Virginia Legislature and have become law. Mary Fran Burnett, a member of the Silver Haired Senate, and Tony Cillaberti, a member of the Silver Haired House of Delegates, discuss the upcoming state and national elections, the priority issues of the upcoming Silver Haired legislative session, senior services lacking in West Virginia, and their hopes in a new administration in Charleston.
*Profile: James Benner, world-class piano accompanist and his wife Frances Yeend, an internationally renowned soprano, live in a lovely Morgantown home surrounded by mementoes of their shared, amazing careers. They were persuaded to settle here in 1966 to help develop the WVU School of music. By then they had toured the world. The couple met in the early 1950's when Francis needed an accomplished pianist to accompany her. They married the following year.
Francis was principal prima donna at the New York City Opera for 14 years, before joining the Metropolitan Opera where is stayed until retiring to West Virginia. She was a member of the Bel Canto Trio with Mario Lanza and George London, and toured extensively. She appeared more than 300 times as a soloist with the world's most famous symphonies, and recorded for RCA, Columbia, Mercury, MGM, Allegro, King and DaVinci records. She played Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata, Micaela in Bizet's Carmen, Mimi in Puccini's La Boheme, Ellen in the American premiere of Benjamin Britten's opera Peter Grimes, and countless other roles, with James as her pianist and voice coach. During these years James was also principal pianist for the Obernkirchen Children's Choir of Germany, touring 5 continents for 15 years. He's coached many talented singers; Rene Flemming is a former student and remains a close friend.
Today Frances is 91 years old and living with Alzheimer's. James is her caregiver and surrounds her with the music they shared for so many years. He says the music and the pictures help significantly in keeping Frances as this dreadful disease progresses.
James is inspirational in his commitment to his wife, his continuing commitment to West Virginia University and his passion for classical music. He continues to teach classes, is extremely active with the Appalachian Life-Long Learners, and says with conviction, ' We've been so blessed.'
September 2004
Archived show not yet available online
Aired: Tuesday, September 7, 2004 at 3:00 p.m. on West Virginia Public Radio.
Extensive Coverage of the WV Governor’s 12 Annual Summit on Aging beginning with excerpts from the opening presentation by Dr. Bruce Vladeck- Professor of Health Policy and Geriatrics at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Vladeck discussed the lessons learned about long term care and long term care policy over the last 25 years. He sited many improvements in quality, but also several areas where the lessons learned have yet to be folded into policy.
Medical Liability Insurance for nursing home facilities...The cost has doubled, even tripled…ultimately impacting the quality of care and in some cases, leading to the closing of facilities. In Washington, the Senate Special Committee on Aging examines the scope of the problem. Max Cacas reports.
End-of-Life Care and the need for Advanced Directives…A conversation with Dr. Bruce Foster, Chair of the Ethics and Investigational Studies Committee at Thomas Memorial Hospital in South Charleston. Foster is also Director of the End Of Life and Palliative Care Services Program at Thomas Memorial, and an advisor to the WV Center on End Of Life Care in Morgantown.
Additional coverage of the 2004 WV Summit on Aging…
Topic: Elder Abuse...Kimberly Eagle, a domestic violence coordinator with the Charleston Police Dept calls it shameful…says elderly are dying in WV because of our poor response…Eagle educates participants on the warning signs…and calls for better coordination among police, Adult Protective Services, the prosecuting attorney’s office, senior agencies and the community at large…
Plus a conversation with Mia Moran Cooper…Executive Dir of the Problem Gamblers Help Network of WV...Cooper discusses the scope of the addiction among WV seniors, warns how to “play” responsibly, describes the rehab available in the state and encourages those who need help to call.
Essayist Dolly Withrow discusses the end-of-life care of her mother – and the gratitude to the professionals at Elder (hospice) Care in Ripley, WV, who helped her family through it.
August 2004
Archived show not yet available online
Aired: Tuesday, August 3, 2004 at 3:00 p.m. on West Virginia Public Radio.
Seniors, computer literacy, and a new online resource for seniors, their families and their caregivers (WVSENIORS.org). Suzanne Higgins reports from a beginners’ computer class at the Kanawha County Senior Services Center.
Family caregivers can face medical situations for which they are often completely unprepared. Emily Hughes reports on a series of free workshops in Morgantown addressing common but serious challenges: recognizing and preventing stroke (WV has a higher stroke death rate than the national average, and preventing falls ( the leading cause of injury in people over age 55.
The good news is people are living longer and more healthy and productive lives. The bad news is we are often out living our income! Suzanne Higgins talks to Bill Kinder, Certified Financial Consultant and Certified Senior Advisor about saving and investing in a retirement income plan.
Mark Davis of Wheeling has been reporting the news for half a century. He’s tried to retire 3 times in the past decade, but his passion for telling a story just won’t let him. Keri Brown profiles this local broadcast legend.
Hand written letters and journals take on a profound meaning once a loved one is gone. Essayist Dolly Withrow shares what her mother’s writings mean to her in an essay entitled “Words on a Page.”
July 2004
Aired: Tuesday, July 6, 2004 at 3:00 p.m. on West Virginia Public Radio.
Medicare Fraud story about the launch of a Senior Medicare Patrol Project by the WV AARP and the state’s attorney general’s office. Keri Brown reports.
A conversation with Karen Wheeler, Registered Dietician with the Division of Health Promotion under the West Virginia Bureau of Public Health. The nutrition – disease prevention connection, advice on selecting nutrient-dense foods, making every calorie count.
The Medicaid Aged & Disabled Waiver Program, offering non-nursing services to 5000 WV seniors, enabling them to stay in their homes and avoid nursing home care. The evaluation for eligibility has changed, and hundreds are no longer “qualified.”
A report by Cecelia Mason
A follow-up discussion with Bobby Reynolds, Director of Medicaid Operations in WV.
A feature by Emily Hughes. A group of kids in Morgantown are planting gardens at nursing homes, bringing back a much- treasured hobby to many elderly residents.
“50 Things You Should Do To Age With Grace & Dignity- When to Know It’s Time To Give Up Driving”
A conversation with Dr. Richard Ham, Director of the WVU Center on Aging.
Listen to the July Show (Get RealPlayer):
June 2004
Aired: Tuesday, June 1, 2004 at 3:00 p.m. on West Virginia Public Radio.
Congressional hearings on the Medicare Discount Drug Program. Max Cacas reports from Capitol Hill.
An in-studio discussion / call-in segment on what the discount drug program will mean to West Virginians, what are the considerations, how does one apply, the network of trained counselors, where to get help, etc.
Guests: Linda Calvert, state director of WV Senior Health Insurance Network (SHINE) under the WV Bureau of Senior Services and Frank Bellinetti, state director AARP
Feature story: The Appalachian Life-Long Learners wrap up their semester. Emily Hughes reports
A conversation with Dr. Richard Ham on clinical depression, its warning signs and what to do about it.
Feature on Earl Hagar, the oldest former WV state legislator, 95. Beth Vorhees reports.
A preview of the upcoming Charleston fundraiser for the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute (June 4)...an interview with Dr. Bob D'Alessandri...
A humorous essay by Dolly Withrow about "retirement".....
Listen to the June Show (Get RealPlayer):
May 2004
Archived show not yet available online
Quality and Affordability of Nursing Home Care in WV
Aired: Tuesday, May 4, 2004 at 3:00 p.m. on West Virginia Public Radio.
Conversation: Dr. Richard L. Morgan, author: “With Faces to the Evening Sun: Faith Stories from the Nursing Home.”
Interview: Cathy McConnell, Executive Director, WV Senior Legal Aid
Paying for nursing home care
Discussion: The quality of nursing home care in WV
Guests: Larry Medley, WV Long Term Care Ombudsman Program and Jesse Samples, WV Health Care Association
Package: Careers in Aging Symposium at WVU - Emily Hughes reports
April 2004
Archived show not yet available online
Physical Fitness
Aired: Tuesday, January 12, 2004 at 3:00 p.m. on West Virginia Public Radio.
Package: Funding for Alzheimer’s research considered on Capitol Hill – Max Cacas reports.
Package: Weirton Steel retirees lose their health insurance and retirement benefits – Keri Brown reports
Feature: Lawrence Frankel – Exercise Pioneer – Suzanne Higgins reports.
Call-in discussion: Chrissy Dunbar, exercise physiologist, Dir., Osteoporosis Prevention and Education Program, Bureau of Public Health.
Feature: Wetzel County Senior's Director (lowest paid in state) report by Greg Collard.
Package: WV communities promoting themselves as retirement destinations. Emily Huges reports.
Dolly Withrow... essayist... in search of the fountain of youth.
March 2004
Legislative Updates from Washington and Charleston
Aired: Tuesday, March 2, 2004 at 3:00 p.m. on West Virginia Public Radio.
Package: Medicare prescription drug plan: supporters and opponents on Capitol Hill. (Reporter:Max Cacas)
Call-in discussion: Bob Blancato, Seniors Advocate (in D.C./ NPR) and Ann Stottlemeyer – Commissioner, WV Bureau of Senior Services
Package: Veterans Oral History Project – package Emily Hughes
Conversation with Richard J. Ham, MD: The importance of knowing your prescription drugs
Listen to the March Show (Get RealPlayer):
February 2004
Alzheimer’s Disease, Part II
Aired: Tuesday, February 10, 2004 at 3:00 p.m. on West Virginia Public Radio.
Feature: Phil Frasher, 87-year-old, caregiver of wife who died of Alzheimer’s.
Live call-in: Dr. Daniel Alkon, Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, WVU (ISDN from D.C./ NPR), Nancy Cipoletti, Program Dir., WV Alzheimer’s Association
Conversation with Sen. Jay Rockefeller whose mother died of Alzheimers after a ten-year struggle in 1993.
Conversation with Dr. Richard Ham: the importance of vitamins and mineral supplements.
Listen to the February Show (Get RealPlayer):
January 2004
Alzheimer's Disease, Part I
Aired: Tuesday, January 12, 2004 at 3:00 p.m. on West Virginia Public Radio.
Feature: Sandra Ruggles, 58-year-old woman living with Alzheimer’s
2-part conversation with David Shenk, author of “The Forgetting”
Live call-in discussion: Richard J. Ham, MD, director of WVU Center On Aging and Jane Marks, WV Alz. Association.
Listen to the January Show (Get RealPlayer):
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