Life In Sherman Oaks

Rep. Paul Ryan and the GOP began attacking AARP this week as a “left wing” group. CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE. And I took particular personal issue with this, because I was able to become a gerontologist because of AARP back in 1975. So — what is AARP and what does it do? The American Association of Retired Persons, has 40 million members and acts as an advocate for seniors citizens [...]

Are you 55 or older? You have a 50% chance of needing Long Term Care/Nursing Home Care one Day. The cost today averages $250 a day and contrary to popular misconception, MEDICARE DOES NOT PAY FOR LONG TERM CARE. And if you need Long Term Care, your average stay will be 2.4 years. Do the math. This book “Long Term Care: How to Plan and Pay For It” is a [...]

In June, 2010, the Federal government extended the Family and Medical Leave Act to cover gay and lesbian employees who need to take time off to care for a sick partner or for their partner’s child. The Department of Labor is responsible for enforcing this act.

The Patient Affordability Act Provided For a $250 Doughnut Hole Rebate this year. Seniors with Medicare Part D who reach the gap in their prescription drug coverage in 2010 will automatically receive a $250 rebate check. This one-time payment in 2010 will help three million people to pay for the prescription drugs they need. The first group of rebate checks were mailed starting June 10, 2010. Checks will continue to [...]

The Deficit Commission has proposed cuts in Medicare and Social Security. However, some feel that rather than cutting Social Security, we need to eliminate the cap on payroll taxes so that wealthy Americans pay their fair share and stabilize the system. Instead of cutting Medicare, we need a public option and, ultimately, single-payer health care to dramatically reduce deficits. And instead of austerity, we need to levy much greater taxes [...]

What Is a POD (payable on death) account? A POD is an inexpensive way to avoid probate. POD stands for Payable On Death and many banks, brokerages will offer a POD service free of charge. A POD account ensures that your family has cash for immediate expenses without having to go through Probate. You need to have a beneficiary in order to setup a POD account. To setup your account [...]

What are the 20 Preventive Services Medicare pays for? • Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening • Bone Mass Measurement • Cardiovascular Screenings • Colorectal Cancer Screenings • Fecal Occult Blood Test • Flexible Sigmoidoscopy • Colonoscopy • Barium Enema • Diabetes Screenings • Diabetes Self-management Training • EKG Screening • Flu Shots • Glaucoma Tests • Hepatitis B Shots • Mammogram (screening) • Medical Nutrition Therapy Services • Pap Test and [...]

In Washington, Koch is best known as part of a family that has repeatedly funded ruthless attacks on the federal government, and on the Obama Administration in particular. With his brother Charles, who is seventy-four, David Koch owns virtually all of Koch Industries, a conglomerate, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, whose annual revenues are estimated to be a hundred billion dollars. The Koch Brothers operate oil refineries in Alaska, Texas, and [...]

State 2010 Exemption Amount Connecticut $3,500,000 Delaware $3,500,000 District of Columbia $1,000,000 Hawaii $3,600,000 beginning May 1, 2010 Illinois State estate tax repealed due to repeal of federal estate tax Kansas State estate tax abolished Maine $1,000,000 Maryland $1,000,000 Massachusetts $1,000,000 Minnesota $1,000,000 New Jersey $675,000 New York $1,000,000 North Carolina State estate tax repealed due to repeal of federal estate tax Ohio $338,333 Oklahoma State estate tax abolished Oregon [...]

What is Hospice? What is hospice care? The goal of hospice is to enable terminal patients to continue an alert, pain-free life and to manage other symptoms so that their last days may be spent with dignity and quality, surrounded by their loved ones. Hospice affirms life and does not hasten or postpone death. Hospice care treats the person rather than the disease; it focuses on quality rather than length [...]

What is a MEDIGAP Policy and why do you need one? A Medigap policy is health insurance sold by private insurance companies to fill the “gaps” in Original Medicare Plan coverage. There are 10 levels of coverage labeled A-N, each with a different price. The rule of thumb for purchasing one of these policies would be, “better safe than sorry.” These Medigap policies must follow Federal and State laws which [...]

What is the Difference Between An Estate Tax and An Inheritance Tax? 1. Inheritance Tax is the amount of taxes that the person who inherited must a pay. 2. Estate taxes are based on the value of the deceased person’s estate. In 2009, an individual did not pay any federal estate taxes, unless their estate was worth $3.5 million or more. A couple could pass on $7 million without paying [...]

If you have a senior who needs help, a Geriatric Care Manager can help. Generally speaking, a Geriatric Care Manager who is certified by the Geriatric Care Association, will come to your home and make an assessment of the needs of the senior. After that, they can: * Make a professional assessment * Arrange care services * Find community resources * Assist with a residential placement when the time comes [...]

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, BARACK OBAMA, A PROCLAMATION – NATIONAL CAREGIVERS MONTH Every day, family members, friends, neighbors, and concerned individuals across America provide essential attention and assistance to their loved ones. Many individuals in need of care — including children, elders, and persons with disabilities — would have difficulty remaining safely in their homes and community without the support of their relatives and caregivers. [...]

1. Places caps on the price of health insurance premiums 2. Provides for a Patient’s Bill of Rights. 3. Provides tax incentives to businesses for providing health insurance. 4. Provides new support for medical and long term care research. 5. Extends the life of Medicare 6. Provides support for the education of new doctors. 7. Subsidizes premiums for persons who have lost their employment 8. Phases out the coverage gap [...]

I’m heading to Aberdeen, North Carolina at the end of the month, to visit my dad. He’s 97 and just recently moved from his assisted living facility, into a nursing home. He loved his assisted living facility; but was tired of going to rehab and decided for himself it was time to go to a nursing home. He likes the fact that he shares his room with another guy. My [...]

On December 10, 2010, Mr. WYDEN (Democrat of Oregon (for himself and Ms. SNOWE, Republican of Maine) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance BILL SUMMARY : S. 4024 To reduce the costs of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries and to guarantee access to comprehensive prescription drug coverage under part D of the Medicare program, and for other purposes. This bill allows [...]

I just spent a week in North Carolina visiting my 96 year old father. Dad is in rehab because in the two weeks that he had pneumonia, he forgot how to walk and eat by himself. And in order to go to back to his retirement home, he has to be able to do those things. So I spent a week with him — helping him learn to eat and [...]

The Sherman Oaks Library is holding, in collaboration with the Van Nuys Adult School, Creative-Life Writing Workshops. Join and write about your life! Or someones life! It’s a great opportunity to learn to write and share your experiences with others! Mondays, 10AM to 12:30PM — beginning Sept. 14 and running thru November 16, 2009. Sherman Oak Library is located at 14245 Moorpark, Sherman Oaks CA 91423. Phone 818.205.9716

Gerontologist have long known that the old addage “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it” is correct. But exercising your brain is in the right way is the key for those of us growing older. According to gerontologist, not only can we keep our brain working the way it always has — we can actually reverse memory loss, etc — by exercising our brain. A great website for brain [...]