Founded in 1975, JABA is Central Virginia’s leading provider of information and services for seniors

Our mission is to promote, establish and preserve sustainable communities for healthy aging that benefit individuals and families of all ages.

My Home For Life™

Helping Your Loved Ones Age in Place

Thursday December 4th, 2008

Welcome to Our website

Welcome to JABA's website. Our intent is to make it easy for you to find the information you need, and to enable us to update content regularly. This is a new type of website for us, and it is a dynamic and continuing project. We welcome your suggestions and feedback. Just click the "contact" page and drop us a note.

Checking in on Aging Parents

Adult children returning to their parent’s home may discover early warning signs of potentially serious conditions. Suzanne Brower, Community Relations Specialist with JABA recently gave WCAV-TV viewers some tips on what to watch for when visiting for the holidays. Read the list of signs and what do about them here.

Two Important Letters on Medicare Extra Help

Government agencies are sending two letters to certain people who receive Medicare Extra Help to pay for prescriptions.

The first letter is from Social Security; the “SSA Review of Your Eligibility for Extra Help.” The second letter is from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It is called “Loss of Deemed Status Letter”, and it will be printed on grey paper.

A Voice for those in Long-Term Care

For someone confined to a nursing home bed a visit from a JABA Volunteer, Long-term Care Ombudsman can mean the difference between distress for hours on end, and hope.

Volunteer Ombudsmen work to improve the quality of life for those in long-term care facilities and to provide support to their families. It’s a job that demands understanding, good listening and mediating skills, and the ability to be assertive, but patient.

Being a Volunteer Ombudsman requires participation in a 20-hour training program and a minimum commitment of four hours of per week. The next training program takes place Wednesday, October 1, 8, 15 & 22, 2008 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, at JABA, 674 Hillsdale Drive, Charlottesville.

Want to know more? Read the Volunteer Ombudsman Q&A, or contact Beth Hochstetler, Volunteer Ombudsman Specialist, by phone at (434) 817-5271 or by email at bhochstetler@jabacares.org.

Star Ratings for Nursing Homes

For most of us, choosing a nursing home is a scary thought. Now a federal agency is working to make finding the right home a little less overwhelming. Beginning in December, consumers will be able to view a star rating system for nursing homes that are Medicare and Medicaid certified. Ratings will range from a low of one star to a high of five stars.

You can read the complete Star Rating story here

Jaba Honors Local Volunteers

During May JABA recognized its volunteers with celebrations at its Charlottesville, Greene, Louisa and Nelson centers. The highlight of each event was the presentation of a “big check” representing the value of the volunteers’ contribution to their community. For more on the good times, see our News page.

State Award For JABA Volunteer

Sally Mank is a familiar face to viewers of WCAV-TV’S Senior Moment, but it was her off-screen efforts that won her the Governor’s 2008 Volunteer Award for national service by an individual. Read the full story here.

New Caregivers Support Group

Each Wednesday afternoon between 1:00 and 2:15 pm a small group meets at the Hillsdale Drive offices of JABA. Each group member is caring for a seriously ill adult loved one. And each of the sessions is designed to help these caregivers effectively deal with the stressful demands of being on call 24/7.

Leading the group is Lori Richardson, a JABA volunteer and caregiver, with Jean Bourbeau, Manager of JABA’s Adult Activity and Health Center in Charlottesville. “We begin each meeting by talking about care giving,” explains Bourbeau. “Then the group shares the problems they’ve been having. Finally, depending on the group’s needs, our staff provides information to help members address those problems.”

The meetings are free and open to any caregiver. As a bonus, JABA provides free adult care at its center during the meeting. Attendees do not have to be enrolled in the center’s regular program. An information form needs to be completed the first time. For more information call JABA at (434) 817-5222.