The other day an old fire extinguisher fell and partially discharged its contents in my living room, which got me to thinking about a couple fires I’ve been in. Once an electrical fire started by an old freezer’s wiring giving out damaged my grandparent’s kitchen while my family was visiting. A few years later, I…
In a very small study of ten individuals with memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease, amnestic mild cognitive impairment or subjective cognitive impairment, nine of the ten individuals experienced subjective or objective improvement in their memories within three to six months of beginning a program. The remaining individual had late stage Alzheimer’s and did not…
A federal court shut down a Medicare scheme that stole millions of dollars from seniors at the request of the Federal Trade Commission. The scammers called Medicare beneficiaries and told them they were part of Medicare and that they were providing them with new Medicare cards or information about Medicare benefits. Many of their victims…
I write annually about getting a flu shot. From the standpoint of being someone who goes out into the community a lot AND spends time with seniors and children, it makes sense for me to do all I can to keep those two populations as safe as possible. Some people cannot get flu shots. Those…
Retirement is one of the most important things you’ll ever do. Because many of the decisions you make for retirement will affect you for decades, it’s a good idea to approach it with checklist in hand. Here is a list of things you should do before retiring. Check to make sure retiring is really what…
What do oil tycoon, J. Howard Marshall II, real estate developer and hotel magnate Leona Helmsley, socialite and philanthropist Brooke Astor, the “Godfather of Soul,” James Brown and baseball great, Ted Williams have in common? Battles over their estates cost their heirs a fortune and in most cases, permanently ripped apart families. It didn’t have…
The average silver level health care plan costs between $200 and $300. At $2,400 to $3,600 for annual premiums, those numbers far exceed the penalty portion of the Affordable Care Act. So, many Americans chose not to purchase health insurance this year. Under the Act, people who do not purchase insurance will be on the…
By Jay Hancock KHN Staff Writer Sep 12, 2014 A flaw in the federal calculator for certifying that insurance meets the health law’s toughest standard is leading dozens of large employers to offer plans that lack basic benefits such as hospitalization coverage, according to brokers and consultants. The calculator appears to allow companies enrolling workers…
Happy Mother’s Day. No I’m not especially early or even really late. For a special group of mothers, Sunday marks a Mother’s Day of a different stripe. The last Sunday in September is observed for those mothers who have lost sons or daughters in a war. The American Gold Star Mothers was formed after World…
The end of September marks the end of summer. In addition to turning our thoughts towards the holidays, it’s really only weeks away from the Annual Coordinated Election Period (ACEP) for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. Between Oct 15 and Dec 7, Medicare beneficiaries have the opportunity to analyze their options…
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