Better ways than call()

The POE::Kernel documentation indicates this for call():

call() returns the value returned by the EVENT_NAME handler. It can do 
this because the handler is invoked before call() returns. call() can 
therefore be used as an accessor, although there are better ways to 
accomplish simple accessor behavior.

What are some of those ways?  I tried a simple subroutine but don't seem 
to have access to things like the heap.  I guess I could pass those in 
but than things don't seem as simple anymore.

John