The Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging

The annual window to change your prescription plan for Medicare is from October 15 – December 7. The staff at the NEK Council on Aging offers personal assistance to evaluate plans and support to guide you through the process. Call their helpline at (800) 642-5119 to set up an appointment. The following are some helpful links to get started:

1.     Check your mail. You may get important notices from Medicare or Social Security. If you’re in a Medicare plan, you’ll get an Annual Notice of Changes (ANOC). Note any 2021 changes to your health coverage or any extra help you may get to pay for prescription drugs. You may also get health plan marketing materials, like brochures, from insurance companies that offer Medicare health and prescription drug plans. Remember— representatives from plans are not allowed to call or come to your home without an invitation from you.

2.   Review your 2021 “Medicare & You” handbook . It has information about Medicare coverage, as well as Medicare plans in your area. 

3.   Think about your Medicare coverage needs for 2021.  Carefully review your Medicare coverage materials during Medicare Open Enrollment. Note any changes in 2021 costs or benefits. Decide if your current Medicare coverage will meet your needs for the year ahead. If you like your current coverage and it’s still available for 2021, you don’t need to take any action.

4.   Preview 2021 health and prescription drug plans.   Medicare Plan Finder  makes it easy to compare coverage options and shop for health plans. For a personalized search, log in or create an account  (if you have a Medicare Number) to create or access a list of your drugs, compare your current Medicare plan to others, and see prices based on any help you get with drug costs.

5.   Get personalized help from the NEK Council on Aging. Call today to set up an appointment for personalized support (800) 642-5119.  For more information, visit www.medicare.gov. 

The annual window to change your prescription plan for Medicare is from October 15 – December 7. The staff at the NEK Council on Aging offers personal assistance to evaluate plans and support to guide clients through the process. Call their helpline at (800) 642-5119 to set up an appointment. The following are some helpful links to get started:

1.     Check your mail. You may get important notices from Medicare or Social Security. If you’re in a Medicare plan, you’ll get an Annual Notice of Changes (ANOC). Note any 2021 changes to your health coverage or any extra help you may get to pay for prescription drugs. You may also get health plan marketing materials, like brochures, from insurance companies that offer Medicare health and prescription drug plans. Remember— representatives from plans are not allowed to call or come to your home without an invitation from you.

2.   Review your 2021 “Medicare & You” handbook . It has information about Medicare coverage, as well as Medicare plans in your area.

3.   Think about your Medicare coverage needs for 2021.  Carefully review your Medicare coverage materials during Medicare Open Enrollment. Note any changes in 2021 costs or benefits. Decide if your current Medicare coverage will meet your needs for the year ahead. If you like your current coverage and it’s still available for 2021, you don’t need to take any action.

4.   Preview 2021 health and prescription drug plans.   Medicare Plan Finder  makes it easy to compare coverage options and shop for health plans. For a personalized search, log in or create an account  (if you have a Medicare Number) to create or access a list of your drugs, compare your current Medicare plan to others, and see prices based on any help you get with drug costs.

5.   Get personalized help from the NEK Council on Aging. Call today to set up an appointment for personalized support (800) 642-5119.  For more information, visit www.medicare.gov.

The Walk was a little different this year.  Due to the pandemic, each team was allowed to set up their own walk. So we utilized the track at Lyndon Institute and had a great Sunday morning filled with friendship and memories of our loved ones who we have lost to this terrible disease. We also walk in memory of our former Walk Team Captain, Suzy Broome, who we tragically lost far too soon.  Thank you to everyone who offered their financial and emotional support. We welcome anyone who wants to join our team, click here  for info.   

Let's find a cure! #Walk2EndAlz. 

The NEK Council on Aging is pleased to announce that Karen Desrochers has been named the new Director of Client & Caregiver Team Support replacing Pam Smith who recently retired after serving the Council for eight years.

Desrochers joined the Council in 2018 as an Options Counselor, a position that supports clients, after calling the helpline, who need personal assistance with service support. Services range from personal care to fuel, transportation, housing, and/or utility bill assistance.

Her career in support services started as a student aid and classroom counselor for the Cornerstone School and the Caledonia School.

“Working with children helped me to grow as a person,” said Desrochers. “I learned to love and laugh even when times were hard.”

She moved on to NKHS as a Community Integration Specialist, supporting adults with developmental delays. Her passion for human services was solidified while working for Tri-County Community Action in Littleton, NH as a Housing Outreach Specialist.

“I worked with people who were homeless or on the verge of homelessness. In this work I realized that I wanted to provide support to my neighbors and my community. I received the opportunity to work at the Council as an Options Counselor and found my forever home. It is a privilege to work with and advocate for elders who live and work in the Northeast Kingdom.”

Her experience as a caregiver helped to prepare her for her new role. At 15, her mother was diagnosed with cancer and with her older sister, served as her caregiver for a year before she died. Several years later, her father was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, a disease that erodes the nervous system, and she was his caregiver and advocate.

“He was dying and needed someone to advocate for him, so that is what I did. I had to learn hospital and insurance systems on my own and the interstate laws and rules. Taking care of a loved one is not easy, but it is the most rewarding thing I have ever done. To know my dad died peacefully made his death a little easier to take. I am extremely excited to work with and support family caregivers at the Council.”

“Karen’s work exemplifies an approach that is person-directed and offers support to those in need where they are at. Karen’s enthusiasm and creativity along with her personal journey will lend themselves to her work in caregiving for those we serve,” said Meg Burmeister, Executive Director.

For information on family caregiver support services provided by the Council, visit our Caregivingsection. 

The NEK Council on Aging is pleased to announce that Kendra Noyes has been hired as Fiscal/Benefits Coordinator. This position maintains the Council’s electronic and paper financial records, processes payroll, and manages employee benefit programs.

“We are very pleased to welcome Kendra to the Council,” said Meg Burmeister, Executive Director. “With over 20 years of office management and administrative experience, she will be a valuable member of our team.”

In 2000, Noyes started at Northern Gas Transport in Lyndonville as Office Assistant and migrated to Office Manager in 2002. She was responsible for all aspects of accounting and financial reporting for an office staff of 10 and a fleet of over 50 drivers. Additional experience included work with McClure’s Honey & Maple Products and Green Mountain Insurance Adjustments.

She attended Champlain College and has an Associate degree in Office Management from Community College of Vermont. She completed a Crystal Reports X1 Designer program with the Panurgy Corporate Education Center, a comprehensive computing tool to create complex and specialized reports from financial data.

She lives in Lyndonville and enjoys gardening, painting, handcrafting jewelry, and spending time with her two adult children, friends, and extended family.

According to the National Council on Aging, falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults. One out of four Americans aged 65 and over falls every year.

To continually draw awareness to fall prevention and highlight that September is National Falls Prevention Awareness Month, the Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging (NEKCOA) offers several free programs for falls prevention throughout the Northeast Kingdom all year long. They include Tai Chi, line dancing, RVSVP Bone Builders, the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program (AFEP), and the award-winning falls prevention program A Matter of Balance. Due to COVID-19, please call the helpline to confirm the logistics for each class, as they all have separate requirements in response to the State of VT health guidelines. Some have moved to online classes. The helpline is (800) 642-5119.

Karen Budde, the RSVP Volunteer Coordinator, has a keen focus on fall prevention.

“There are good falls – like falling in love. Fall follows summer. Leaves fall from trees. Clocks fall an hour. And, then there are bad falls – falling out of bed or falling to the floor. You can prevent falls by taking personal responsibility. After falling write down all the details you can remember like where you fell and at what time of the day. It is important to uncover patterns – was it darker in that part of the house? Were you hungry? Had you had enough water during the day? Did a carpet catch? Was a pet underfoot? Were you reaching high up or down low for your favorite food items? You can begin to fall proof your home by adding additional light, eating more small meals during the day, setting a timer to remember to drink some water, turning your favorite throw rug into a piece of art to hang on the wall, putting a bell on Figaro or Fido, and rearranging the cupboards. You can make your home safer.”

 To strengthen your lower limbs, add flexibility to your joints, and gain balance strength consider wellness activities like water exercise, Tai Chi, strength training, walking, and Kegel exercises. The NEK Council on Aging’ wellness volunteers offer a variety of classes in many locations around the Kingdom. Call Karen Budde at (802) 751-0431 to learn more about classes that may be resuming in your area or about online classes.

After serving for over eight years at the NEK Council on Aging and 1.5 years as the Director of Client and Caregiver Support, Pam Smith will retire effective September 18th. During her career at the Council, Smith has provided support to hundreds of NEK families by providing informational classes, support groups, respite grants, and a shoulder to lean on.

Her personal journey in caregiving started when her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

“We did everything wrong--I can still remember the confusion on my grandmothers face when I would try to bring her back to my reality. We thought we were doing the right thing but now I realize that we were not using the correct tools to help us communicate with her,” said Smith.

That realization started her long-term career for caring and supporting families with a dementing illness such as Alzheimer’s. She was the first person hired by the Alzheimer’s Association of VT in the early 90’s after the first executive director. She started writing thank you notes and sending out caregiver packets, and each year as the chapter grew, she assumed more responsibility in different capacities.

Emily Vivyan, the Director of Programs at the Alzheimer’s Association of VT is grateful for Smith’s dedication.

"We are so fortunate at the Alzheimer's Association to have been able to team up with Pam over her many years of working with us. Not only has she provided an incredible service to caregivers of those with Alzheimer's or another dementia through her monthly support group, but she is also a gifted and skilled community educator on several topics relating to Alzheimer's and dementia. She has really helped us create a strong programming presence in the Northeast Kingdom and we are so proud she has shared her talents with us. We wish her a fulfilling and relaxing retirement!"

Smith eventually acted as an interim Executive Director for the Alzheimer’s Association during a transition time of the Chapter. In 2012 a position for family caregiver support staff opened at the Council, which was a perfect fit. “I loved leading workshops that provided education and support for family caregivers, I don’t want families to make the same mistakes we made 30 years ago.”  

“Pam’s dedication to supporting family caregivers is remarkable and we have appreciated the scope of her experience, her gentle and supportive demeanor, and her steadfast commitment to supporting family caregivers and the struggles they face,” said Meg Burmeister, NEKCOA Executive Director. “She has the respect of caregiving organizations across the state and we are grateful for the personal commitment she shared with clients at the Council. We all wish Pam our absolute best. We will surely miss her.”  

Smith is a licensed local pastor for the United Methodist Church and plans to spend quality time with her husband, children, and grandchildren at her home in Groton.

The NEK Council on Aging is pleased to announce that Randi Morse has been hired as Case Manager for the Newport area. This position supports clients by evaluating long-term needs and providing person-centered and lifestyle options that inform, encourage, inspire, and support older and disabled adults to live independently and age well.  

“Randi came to apply for a case manager position last year but unfortunately she did not have her college degree. Otherwise we would have hired her!” said Meg Burmeister, Executive Director of the NEKCOA. “Well that did not stop her, she went back to school and completed over 36 credits in one year and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Professional Studies from NVU-Lyndon. We are thrilled to welcome her, and her perseverance, to our team.”

Morse previously served as a lead transport driver for Easter Seals, transporting foster children and families to and from visitations. For nine years she managed her own business for portrait and wedding photography. She has also been a free-lance writer for over 14 years for blogs, articles, press releases, and books.

Living in Orleans County for most of her life, she enjoys life with her husband, two children, and dogs Takaani and Phineas.