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Page 12 Senior Times - March 2026200 West Michigan Avenue Suite 102Battle Creek, MI 49017 carewellservices.orgAging and Disability Resource Line: (269) 966-2450General Agency Telephone: 1-800-626-6719PROMOTING HEALTH INDEPENDENCE CHOICEaids (one company eliminated those benefits this year). Maybe you chose a plan that a friend or loved one suggested, only to realize what works beautifully for them doesn%u2019t work for your health conditions at all. Or maybe, you%u2019re just curious to see if there%u2019s a better plan out there but didn%u2019t have time to visit during the Annual Open Enrollment period right before the holidays. Every September, your insurance provider sends you an Annual Notice of Change. It tells you, line by line, of all upcoming changes. These notices can be hard to understand. That%u2019s why we%u2019re here. Counselors from the State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) provide unbiased counseling, unaffiliated with any of the insurance companies. Their objective is to find the policy that best suits your health care needs and budget, to provide the most comprehensive care at the lowest cost, so you can select what%u2019s best for you. Most Medicare Advantage Plans have zero-dollar monthly premiums, but their copays, deductibles, prescription, and max out-of-pocket costs can vary widely. So, if you need help to figure it all out, call CareWell Services to speak with a SHIP counselor. We%u2019re happy to help! SHIP, formerly known as MMAP, has offices in every Michigan county. Call today! Statewide number: 800-803-7174. SHIP is a free, unbiased Medicare counseling service provided to you via local, state, and federal grants.Has this happened to you? You%u2019re happy with your Medicare Advantage plan, but upon your first visit this year to your doctor, it%u2019s revealed that they decided not to continue participating with your plan. Don%u2019t panic. CareWell Services has you covered. Every year from January 1 through March 31, you are allowed to change your Medicare Advantage plan, if you are already on one. It%u2019s a special enrollment period just for you. Why? Because sometimes the scenario above happens, or other benefits have changed which make it no longer the optimum plan for you. Perhaps you were faced with increased pricing when picking up your prescriptions in January. Perhaps you found out that the plan no longer covers vision or hearing My doctor stopped accepting my Medicare Advantage Plan!By: Kim Smallcombe, Community Programs Manager & SHIP Program Manager, CareWell Services SouthwestChurning is a common mistake that occurs when you spend time touching and moving your belongings without actually getting rid of anything. It is essentially the act of shifting clutter from one spot to another. The danger of churning is that it feels like work. You may spend a day %u201corganizing,%u201d but by the end of the day you are exhausted and the same amount of %u201cstuff%u201d is still in your home. To stop this cycle, you must move past simply \and start actively deciding what stays and what goes. The solution: The OHIO Method The best way to defeat churning is to adopt the OHIO method, which stands for %u201cOnly Handle It Once.%u201d The goal of this technique is to force a final decision the very first time you pick an item up during your decluttering session. When you pick up an item, you must immediately commit to one of the the following categories:Trash/Recycle: If it is broken, expired, or useless.Donate: If it is in good shape but you no longer use it or it doesn%u2019t fit your current life.Keep: If it is something you need and use, take it to its permanent %u201chome%u201d right away.By following the OHIO method, you can save time and effectively declutter. By refusing to churn and committing to handling items only once, you take back control of your environment and finally see the progress you deserve.Karen's Decluttering Corner Defeating the Cycle of ChurningBy: Karen CourtneyDirector of ProgramsCareWell Services SouthwestImprove Your Relationships with Better CommunicationBy: Colleen Acker, Community Living Programs Manager, CareWell Services Southwestlittle thought, but reframing what you want can make a big difference in the outcome. Aikido style communication models itself after the martial art form. Though this might bring to mind fighting techniques, the philosophy of this discipline is unification and peace. With Aikido, the goal is to find common ground that aligns with the person whom they are disagreeing with. This might be a very small thing or even just acknowledging how the other person feels before stating your side of the story. When a situation can be de-escalated with a declaration of agreement, the discussion takes on a tone of resolution rather than blame and defensiveness. Summarizing what another person says or what is understood can be a valuable communication tool as well. Too often a conflict arises because words are misinterpreted. Our own opinion, culture, education, or current state of health can affect how we receive communication. Restating what is heard gives the other party an opportunity to affirm or clarify what they have said so that there is solid understanding. This skill can be used by stating %u201cWhat I hear you saying is%u2026%u201d or %u201cMy understanding is%u2026%u201d Taking time to listen and comprehend what is being said is crucial to successful communication.Everyone wants to be heard and understood. Keeping this thought in mind can be motivation to expand our communication capabilities. Better communication improves all aspects of our lives; family relationships, romantic relationships, business relationships, medical relationships, and caregiving relationships. Making an effort to improve communication is essential to quality of life. There are three evidence-based programs that contain a piece on communication at CareWell Services Southwest: A Matter of Balance, Diabetes PATH, and Powerful Tools for Caregivers. Knowing how to ask for help, stating needs clearly, talking to medical professionals, and navigating difficult conversations with family members are relevant skills in many different scenarios. The Trualta site, available through CareWell Services, also has many resources that address communication. If you would like to learn more about these workshops and resources, please contact CareWell Services at (269) 966-2450 or email cacker@carewellservices.org.Did you ever have a conversation turn completely sideways when all you meant to do was address a mundane issue? It happens! Surprisingly, there are some simple techniques we can learn to express ourselves clearly and calmly. Tactics like, I Messages, Aikido style, and paraphrasing are a few ways to improve communication and understanding. It is very common to use a You Message when expressing a want or need. Take this statement for example, %u201cYou let the grass grow too long.%u201d While this may be true, it is a confrontational and accusatory statement. Stating the need to have the grass cut earlier can be done in a more productive way, using I Messages. The previous statement can be reframed as, %u201cI don%u2019t like it when the grass is long.%u201d This I Message takes ownership. Following it up with a solution such as, %u201cLet%u2019s work on agreement to cut it regularly,%u201d can create a positive environment to resolve the issue. Another example of this statement could be, %u201cI feel that you let the grass grow too long.%u201d This is tricky because it is a hidden You Message. Putting %u201cI feel%u201d in front of the statement does not automatically make an I Message. This takes practice and a