The board of directors of Senior Citizens of Marion County met Aug. 17 in Marion.

Marion County Sheriff Robert Craft spoke to the board about seniors being the target of scams.

Marion County Department On Aging coordinator Gayla Ratzlaff spoke about the Senior Fair and asked if the board wanted to pay the $17 registration for members attending. The board approved the expenditure. Ratzlaff reported 14 veterans had been nominated to be honored at the annual meeting. Ratzlaff spoke about U.S. Representative Paul Ryan’s proposal for Medicare if the Republican Party wins the presidential election in November. She said the $500 billion proposed cut to Medicare would not affect seniors’ present benefits but are health care provider payment cuts.

Central Home Care Administrator Robert Carlton said that $50 billion was spent in the past two months. He reported the cut to health care providers from the Affordable Care Act is making it harder to provide services to clients. He said the new law would cause hospitals to lose money if someone is readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of dismissal. The average re-admission rate is 12 to 25 percent and the new law requires hospitals to reduce that figure to 7 percent re-admissions, Carlton said.

Senior Center Committee Chairman Joyce Kyle gave individual reports from each senior center.

• Durham canceled its regularly scheduled meeting due to Marion County Fair opening that night. Florence was still on summer vacation.
• Goessel’s Meals on Wheels program has enough volunteers and the woman’s tea group meets once a week.
• Hillsboro had an ice cream social Aug. 25 with entertainment form Bob Delk and The Boys. Senior center cook Janis Wright taught a needle weave class. Greenhaw wellness personnel came and checked blood pressure.
• Lincolnville hosted an accordion recital by Maxine Barton. Seven of the members went out to eat and played dominoes afterward.
• Marion had author Christy Lackey share her book “Stress Less and Soar More.” Dr. K. Anne Phyfer, new physician at St. Luke Clinic spoke. The center has been working on table decorations to go to the Senior Fair. Information and picture of Wilma Gilmer was sent to NC-FH, AAA this week.
• Peabody had Barb from Schowalter Villa come demonstrate the strength program they do at the nursing home and Hesston Recreation. The Peabody Center sold chances to win a Kindle Reader. Peabody received new kitchen counters, and there is a plan to paint the kitchen.
• Tampa had Richard Dirks come and play his harmonica and share some humor at their meeting.
• Burns had Ratzlaff speak on long term care.

AOK Volunteer Virginia Downing led exercise and she talked about the new KanCare Program (formerly Medicaid) which begins in January. There will be three managed care plans running the program. They are: Amerigroup, United Health, and Sunflower. They will be offering preventative dental care for adults. Individuals will be assigned to a program and receive a card from one of these plans.

Nominating bylaws committee chairman Shirley Bowers reported that Lila Unruh, District 1, Marlene Anduss, District 2, and Joyce Kyle, District 3 have agreed to serve a second term on the board. She needs nominee suggestion to fill Evelyn Sidener’s position in District 3 starting in January.

AAA board member Jerry Kline reported he did a senior center assessment in Allen County.

AAA board member Barbara Smith reported she will be assessing Olpe and Neosha Rapids senior centers. She will be attending the SHICK update in Wichita Aug. 23. She reported that 66 percent of admission to hospitals are due to not taking medications as prescribed. The move is toward more preventative and wellness classes.

AAA Field Representative Coral Wright distributed the agency’s information sheet for August 2012. A meeting for cooks was held Aug. 30 to teach them how to order online since the agency switched to U.S. Foods.

SHL representative Tom Duggan reported he will be attending the SHL meeting in Topeka the first of October. This meeting will decide what issue to present to state legislature.