Dementia

...ba href=/dementia/a/b, in her neighborhood and then continued those efforts in the wooded areas of Slater Park until 3 a.m., he said.

"We didn't find anything and resumed our search at daylight," he said.

With the woman still missing, Whiting said the decision, under the scenario, was made to call in CERT teams from around the state.

The teams, like Pawtucket's group have been training for just such a call for the past two years.

Yesterday, Whiting said, was the first time the Pawtucket group was called to full stage search exercise.

The goal of the operation, was the see if the teams actually carried out the procedures they have been trained to follow.

In the case of a search, that means finding evidence but not disturbing it until a police officer can come to properly collect it.

The search patterns themselves must also be strictly adhered to so that no clue or opportunity to locate the victim is missed.

The Pawtucket team members worked with the RIEMA, the State Police and the Department of Environmental Management to learn the CERT search procedures, Lou Fernandes, a member of the team said as the group started its final search of the day.

The first thing the team learns, he said, is patience.

"We were already in the woods this morning and it's not an easy task at all," he said.

The 11 members of the team spread out in a long line and they took careful steps while looking closely at area around them.

The team kept up that slow but meticulous pace as the search moved up along...

...ba href=/dementia/a/b and terminal illnesses, don't have the energy, the interest or the mental capacity to work through the system."Counselors are reaching a small fraction of all beneficiaries.

Carol H.

Carter, a spokeswoman for LIFE Senior Services, said: "Many beneficiaries are terrified of making the wrong decision and overwhelmed by having so many choices.

The only reliable way to compare plans is on the Medicare Web site, and that in itself is scary to some seniors."Beneficiaries could face new problems in coming months.

Insurers can impose stricter limits on access to certain drugs after March 31, when a 90-day transition period ends.

In addition, some beneficiaries will have to pay more at the pharmacy counter, because most drug plans have a gap in coverage after a person's total drug costs reach $2,250.

The gap lasts until the beneficiary incurs total drug costs of $5,100.

Beyond that point, Medicare pays about 95 percent of the cost of each prescription.

Still, counselors say, many beneficiaries will come out ahead if they enroll.Those who have signed up say the total cost of all their drugs under Medicare is often less than the amount they were paying for just one prescription in the past.Mary N.

Hooser, 89, of Sapulpa, Okla., takes eight medications for heart disease, ulcers, depression and early signs of Alzheimer's disease.

Her children had been chipping in to cover the cost, $476 a month, including $155 for the Alzheimer's drug.

Under Medicare, the cost for all her drugs i...

...ba href=/dementia/a/b and terminal illnesses, don't have the energy, the interest or the mental capacity to work through the system."Counselors are reaching a small fraction of all beneficiaries.

Carol H.

Carter, a spokeswoman for LIFE Senior Services, said: "Many beneficiaries are terrified of making the wrong decision and overwhelmed by having so many choices.

The only reliable way to compare plans is on the Medicare Web site, and that in itself is scary to some seniors."Beneficiaries could face new problems in coming months.

Insurers can impose stricter limits on access to certain drugs after March 31, when a 90-day transition period ends.

In addition, some beneficiaries will have to pay more at the pharmacy counter, because most drug plans have a gap in coverage after a person's total drug costs reach $2,250.

The gap lasts until the beneficiary incurs total drug costs of $5,100.

Beyond that point, Medicare pays about 95 percent of the cost of each prescription.Still, counselors say, many beneficiaries will come out ahead if they enroll.Those who have signed up say the total cost of all their drugs under Medicare is often less than the amount they were paying for just one prescription in the past.Mary N.

Hooser, 89, of Sapulpa, Okla., takes eight medications for heart disease, ulcers, depression and early signs of Alzheimer's disease.

Her children had been chipping in to cover the cost, $476 a month, including $155 for the Alzheimer's drug.

Under Medicare, the cost for all her drugs is...