Customer Service?

How are we doing? Have you been helped by one of Eastern Agency on Aging’s staff? Was it helpful and you would like others to know? EAA’s comment site is a great way to comment on EAA staff. There is nothing better than for an employee to read a comment that they have been especially helpful to someone. I’d like to comment on a few key employees you may have encountered when contacting us.

When calling the agency you probably have talked to Jen or Jackie. Jen has been the EAA receptionist for 14 years! Are you as impressed with her friendliness or front desk skills as I am? Let us know. Jackie has been with us for three years and it's easy to tell she loves her role.  Have you encountered our fantastic reception staff yet, because if not, you just don't know what you are missing!

Marilyn has worked in our Information and Referral Office of Community Services for 18 years. She always goes the extra mile to find help for clients. There is nothing more difficult than not being able to truly help someone in need. Have you been helped by Marilyn? She would love to know that what she does really makes a difference.

Many of you have come to our agency to meet with Eleanor or Julie of Legal Services for the Elderly. They aren’t our employees, but they are truly part of our team. They still make home visits, court appearances and rarely receive any accolades. This is the venue to let them know they are making a difference.

Gerry has been a Community Service Consultant for almost 17 years. Her territory is central and south Penobscot County. She has a wonderful French accent and knows the ins and outs of benefits and services for the elderly. She makes many home visits, receives clients in the office and answers calls in the course of her day. We are proud of her hard work; has she helped you recently? Let her know that her efforts helped you.

How many of you know Ellen of our Machias meal site?  She is an incredible dynamo and has worked for Meals for ME for 21 years! Behind the scenes in the Meals for ME Nutrition Program is Vicky, our Food Services Manager. She orchestrates food purchases, menu management and development and many other aspects of this very complex program.  Gail Ward, the Nutrition Program Director, with over 30 years of experience managing the often 40+ meal sites, hundreds of home delivery systems, and 500 plus or minus volunteers in any given year certainly deserves a note of praise!

Lastly, how many of you have family members living in one of our three assisted living programs? These employees are true caregivers taking care of your cherished loved ones, working to make your family member’s life comfortable, safe and healthy. They do this work with low pay and minimal benefits. They stay not because of the pay but because they care about seniors. Has one of our staff really stood out in your experience there? Let us know!

I could write endlessly about all our staff, they all go the extra mile in their many roles at Eastern Agency on Aging. We’d like to hear from you. Feel free to post your thoughts, how we might do better or how are we doing now. Thank you!

Noelle Merrill, Executive Director

Comments

February 7, 2007

Noelle Merrill, Executive Director
Eastern Agency on Aging
450 Essex Street
Bangor, Maine 04401

Dear Ms. Merrill,

Last week I had the extreme good fortune to receive assistance from Stacie Sparkman regarding Medicare Part D (and Parts A & B as well), MaineCare, and how they will interface to provide benefits for my young adult daughter with disabilities who has recently been enrolled in Medicare.

My daughter has several disabilities that qualify her for various wonderful state and Federal services and benefits. I am her legal guardian as well as her only relative living in Maine. Though I am a competent and educated person, at times I have found the various bureaucratic mazes that are part of my daughter’s wonderful life to be confusing, hard to understand, cumbersome, and anxiety-provoking. She has two case workers from two different state agencies. We work with two human service agency providers – one for her personal support assistance, and another for her vocational support and assistance. I manage her finances and bank account, am representative payee for her SSDI and SSI, and interface with the management company of her (subsidized) apartment complex. My daughter and I are so lucky to live in the U.S.A., and in Maine. And I am grateful that her adult life is unfolding with so much support and so many opportunities to live, work, and grow. She is blossoming and working hard at being as independent as she can be, while various terrific programs and personnel help her build this increasingly independent life.

But when I received notification that she was now enrolled in Medicare effective March 1, 2007, first I thought (hoped!) it was a mistake. She’s only in her twenties, after all! But I found out that she is covered automatically due to her work history and her disabilities. I then worried about how her present (great) MaineCare coverage for medical care, hospitalization, and prescriptions would be impacted. When I tried through the Medicare Help phone line to get answers to my questions, I hung up more confused than when I’d started. The Medicare customer service representative couldn’t answer questions about how the MaineCare program would interface with Medicare, and whether we’d now have to pay premiums and deductibles, and whether my daughter has a choice about prescription coverage through the State or the Federal system. I dreaded making the wrong move, and felt daunted about having to learn yet another system’s rules and procedures.

Fortunately, a pharmacist at our local Hannaford gave me Stacie’s name, and told me she is “the guru of Part D” and could answer any questions I had. So I called and set up an appointment with Stacie, who even offered to come to my house – but I was happy to come to the office just to get answers from someone who knew them.

Stacie took sufficient time with me to get the details of our situation – and to put me at ease, then she clearly explained how my daughter’s already fine medical coverage was now even better, thanks to her inclusion in Medicare. She told me the aspects of Medicare that are mandatory for my daughter now, and explained the choices I could make based on her particular situation. Then she helped me select a Part D provider based on my daughter’s prescriptions. I felt like crying when we were done, my relief and gratitude were so huge. And I wondered about the many people who don’t have someone seeking answers for them, and who don’t have the great fortune of connecting with Stacie – and who have to navigate the Medicare system and choices alone.

I am so grateful for this service that your agency provided to me, free of charge. And Stacie is an amazing asset to your organization. Her interpersonal skills, her compassion, and her professionalism coupled with her competence and good humor made the entire experience of getting help very enjoyable.

Thank you for the valuable assistance. Peace of mind is a treasure!

A grateful mother