Nebraska Department of Insurance
THE NEBRASKA HEALTH INSURANCE INFORMATION, COUNSELING, AND ASSISTANCE (NICA) PROGRAM
DECEMBER 2000 NICA NEWS
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Update Attendees
Nearly 100 NICA Volunteers and their guests attended the Fall Update Training held in Hastings on October 25. The NICA 2000 Update Evaluations were full of positive comments and compliments. "This has been one of the very best meetings of this type I have ever attended," was a familiar sentiment on the evaluations.The following NICA Volunteers attended the Fall Update:
Carol Barr, Jim & Wilma Barry, Ginny Bode, Bob Bolles, Rita Brehmer, Adalia Brophy, Jill Catlin, Elizabeth Cervantez, Arlene Dillion, Dixie Dreher, Rhonda Godbey, Barbara Graham, Kathy Gruba, Gloria Gummere, Karen Hakenkamp, Norma Havranek, Ruby Hayes, Nyla Heese, Raymond Herbert, Robert Hoeft, Richard Jacoby, Lucy Johnson, Edie Johnson, Marilyn Kaliff, Ruth Kamino, Wayne Kempf, Nancy Kohler, Sunny Kontor, Shirley Lake, Dorothy Lee, Laura Lefler-Kruse, Barbara Mery, Jean Meyer, Katy Miyamoto, Deborah Mohlman, Diane Nieveen, Elena Pedroza, Maidie Peters, Norma Phillips, Melvin Richardson, Judy Robertson, Addie Schroeder, Alice Sheffield, Rozella Sidders, Betty Stiles, Mary Stockwell, Alice Theis, Jean Van Mark, Ray Wall, Bonnie Youngquist.
Farewell to Marge Smith from NICA Volunteers in West Central Region
I have always said, "If I were a senior, I would want Marge on my side. She goes to battle for what she feels is right." Thanks Marge for all your devoted hours to the field of Aging. Ann H. LutherMARGE - IT'S BEEN GREAT KNOWING YOU AND WORKING WITH YOU. HOPE THAT YOUR RETIREMENT IS A GOOD ONE. JOHN D. COX
Marge has been wonderful to work with! She was always available to help clients when it was more than I could handle. She is very compassionate with the people and her Christianity shines through. Carolyn Cerny
In my years as a volunteer in the NICA program here at West Central, I have been fortunate to have had Marge as the "Regional Rep" for our area. Her profound dedication to seniors and their needs, whether it was advice and help or information and consolation, she has always been out "on the tip of the spear" for them. A real advocate! Norma J. Phillips, Doretta Burrows, Rhonda Godbey
Marge, I have enjoyed working with you this past year. You were always there when I needed help. I will miss you and wish you the best in your retirement. Jean Van Mark
Marge Smith - She was the one I could turn to for answers to those difficult questions that no one else seemed to understand or know. Her ready smile and caring personality motivated and encouraged me when I became discouraged about a particular situation that seemed to have no immediate answer. Marge, you will be truly missed in this area. Bob Bolles
Marge - when I first met you, I remember I felt you were as hard as nails. As I got to know you, I found out you were compassionate and would help anyone. You were the driving force for the elderly and their needs, as well as a spokesperson for Western Nebraska. You will be greatly missed. May God go with you for an enjoyable retirement. Elaine Hink
You have been an inspiration to me, Marge, and I wish you all the best in your retirement years. I know you'll soon be active in some of the other things that are near and dear to you. Thanks again for all your years of dedication to us and above all - thanks for your friendship. Katy Miyamoto
I am happy to write regarding my working relationship with Marge Smith. Before I even knew about an Area Agency on Aging, I had heard rumors about this terrific woman who could straighten out the paper work for people with health insurance problems. It has been my pleasure to meet and work with her. Marge is the perfect example of what NICA is all about. Ruth Kamino
Marge, you are "top of the line - #1." You have been a great inspiration to me, always giving more than required. Thanks and may the future hold only the best for you. Lucy Johnson
Marge's patience in helping me sort through a client's bills, helping me get assistance to pay their bills, will be remembered by lots in the county. Her system of itemizing their bills was a system I have used in many of my cases. Judy Lutz
We will all miss you, Marge. Your help to us with our insurance- related questions has been great. If you didn't have a ready answer, you always knew where to find the answers. Don't be a stranger, but enjoy your retirement! Ruth Nelson
Marge lives next door to me and is a great neighbor and friend. She is the one who influenced me to be a NICA Volunteer. Marge is a great person who goes way out in helping others. She has touched many lives and no job is too great for her to tackle. Marge, wishing you happiness in your retirement. Take time to enjoy yourself and do those things you've not had time to do. You've been a dedicated representative for our area and will be greatly missed. Alice Sheffield
A Letter from a NICA Volunteer
I don't think that anyone is ever really prepared for an illness or death in their family, but when my Mother became ill this year, I encountered obstacles that I wasn't even aware existed. As Mother's hospital stay went on, practices such as age discrimination and comfort care began to surface. Living wills, powers of attorney, and financial status were brought up often. Suddenly, my family and I were barraged with matters of which we were totally ignorant.When my Mother became ill, she was immediately taken to a hospital near her home. She was there in ICU for four days before being diagnosed. A very critical diagnostic CT scan was deferred for sixteen hours because she was, in the words of hospital administration, "overlooked." She received substandard care in an ICU unit, where the nursing administrator remarked that even if she made it, she wouldn't have that long to live anyway. We were met by a physician who only wanted to give her morphine and keep her comfortable, instead of trying to find out what was wrong. We were constantly being asked if we wanted to take her off life support (including food, ventilator, and medicines). That was when I realized how important living wills and powers of attorney are.
Oh sure, the doctors and nurses knew what Mother's x-rays looked like and they knew what her blood count was, but what they didn't know was how special she was. They didn't know that she still worked outside the home from 9 to 5, five days a week. They didn't know that she still enjoyed cooking big Sunday dinners every week. They didn't know that she still took several vacations a year. And most importantly, they didn't know how much laughter and love she shared on a daily basis with her husband, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, co-workers, neighbors, and friends. Mother was so spirited that she was able to hang on for about five more months in spite of all the adversity. And she was able to come off of the ventilator for a few weeks and we were able to rekindle that very special mother-daughter relationship. And in that time, she had become much more than some 80-year old lady with a diagnosis code. In fact, the night she died, she had at least five members of the hospital staff weeping and telling her how much they loved her.
Of course, I will never know if my Mother would have lived longer if our medical society had a different philosophy regarding care for the elderly, or if they will ever stop determining our worth as human beings from a few statistics on a piece of paper. But I do know that having a living will can establish what treatments we wish to receive should we become ill. And, of course, I believe that the Lord truly controls our destinies, but by having a living will, we can spare our loved ones from having to make some of those really painful decisions. Having said that, I would urge everyone, young or old, to make out a living will as soon as possible. Let your desires be known legally, spare your loved ones those painful decisions, and prevent your fate from being decided by a stranger. I think that whatever we decide we want from our medical community is what we should receive since we are the ones who are paying for it. And I also think that everyone should have an advocate by their side when they enter a medical facility, just to make certain that our wishes are carried out.
Ginger Thorell,
NICA Volunteer
Just for Laughs
A small-town prosecutor called his first witness to the stand, an elderly woman who could have been someone's grandmother."Mrs. Jones, do you know me?" he asked.
"Why, yes," she said. "I've known you since you were young. Frankly, you've been a big disappointment. You lie, you cheat on your wife, you manipulate people and talk behind their backs. You think you're a rising big shot when you don't have the brains to realize you'll never amount to anything other than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you."
The prosecutor was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the courtroom and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?"
"Oh, yes, I've known Mr. Bradley since he was just a boy," she began. "He too is a big disappointment. He's lazy, bigoted, has a drinking problem, and his law practice is one of the worst in the state. Yes, I know him."
It was at this point that the judge called both lawyers to the bench and spoke to them in a very low voice. "If either of you asks her if she knows me, I'll have you jailed for contempt!"