Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver

A close up of the word coronavirus with an image of a virus


There were 60 new cases of coronavirus reported in Monterey County today, bringing the total to 42,794 cases, with one new death reported.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 13.5% of the U.S population is vaccinated, although health experts do fear that rapidly spreading variants could fuel another surge in cases.  “We must act now, and I am worried that if we don’t take the right actions now, we will have another avoidable surge—just as we are seeing in Europe right now and just as we are so aggressively scaling up vaccination,†CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on Monday.  Nationwide, there were 55,641 new cases (up significantly from 34,236 new cases the day before) for a cume total of 29.865 million, while deaths rose by 814 to 543,016.  In California, there were 2,929 new cases, bringing the cume total up to 3.646 million.  Deaths rose by 100 to 57,779  Please stay home and stay safe as much as possible.

Monterey, CA Join The Alliance On Aging For A Zoom Meeting On Medicare Friday at 4:00


Join the Alliance on Aging this Friday for a zoom meeting on understanding the basics of Medicare.  Experts will discuss Part A, Part B, Part C Advantage Plans, Part D, Supplemental Plans, Penalties, Low Income Assistance Programs and more.  The meeting ID is 824 2926 4235 and the passcode is 739283, please see the link below.  If you don’t have access to a computer you can call in at 1-866-900-6833.  For more information, contact Moncerat Politron at 646-5049.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82429264235?pwd=UTJFdmJDQVBSQWUxWjNNSHpnQmJIdz09#success

Carmel, CA Senior Diabetics Take Note : Sleep Habits Can Alter Your Circadian Rhythms

A blood glucose level chart showing the optimal levels.


Getting a good night’s rest is important to seniors, however, sleeping a consistent number of hours is important as well.  A review of studies which was published in Endocrine Review found that a sleep shift of even an hour was enough to decrease insulin sensitivity.  To get more helpful tips on diabetes, visit Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, CHOMP’s, Diabetes and Nutrition website.  You will find useful information about support groups, classes and more.

https://www.chomp.org/locations/location-profile/diabetes-and-nutrition-therapy/#.X9F3p9hKjcs

Another useful resource is Community Health Innovations.  A full 45% of Monterey County residents have Diabetes or pre-Diabetes!

https://communityhealthinnovations.org/what-we-do/diabetes-prevention-management/

Carmel-by-the-sea, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) CNA Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available

A nurse is smiling next to an older woman.


Carmel-by-the-sea, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) CNA Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available (Also Aromas, Big Sur, Carmel, Carmel-by-the-sea, Carmel Valley, Castroville, Corral-de-Tierra, Del Rey Oaks, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Prunedale, Salinas, Seaside and Soledad

We have developed a reputation for having the best caregivers (Home Care Aides or Senior Companions) in Monterey County.   We are currently looking for qualified caregivers.

Family inHome Caregiving of Monterey is seeking compassionate, mature and dependable caregivers who want to improve the lives of our elderly Clients by providing in-home, non-medical care.  Our services include:

Caring companionship

Meal preparation

Incidental transportation

Running errands

Light housekeeping

Medication reminders

Monitoring of safety while bathing

Information and referral services

Other services that improve the safety, security and quality of life of seniors.

If you believe you would make an exceptional Home Care Aide, we would love to hear from you!  We prefer those with experience helping the elderly, disabled and others with mobility problems.  Having cared for those with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s is a plus.  To work for us, you must have excellent references, a clear criminal record, a good driving record, and an insured reliable vehicle.  To apply, please visit our website www.fhcofm.com, click on home care aides, then careers where you can fill out an application online.  We have immediate openings all over Monterey County.

Monterey, CA New IRA Retirement Tool With No Early Withdrawal Penalties

A jar of coins with the word retirement written on it.


With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing a number of Americans to be laid off, many people are taking a close look at 72(t) plans, which allows you to withdraw money without the usual 10% penalty, even if you are below the age of 59.5 years old.  Dubbed 72(t) plans, they give you a series of equal payments taken at least annually.  The duration of the plan must be at least five years or until the person reaches 59.5 years, whichever is longer.  Talk to your tax planner, Monterey County Bank or one of our other local banks about this option.  Another possibility which was made as part of the Cares Act is an exemption to coronavirus-related distributions as another exception.  If you are interested in this option, act quickly as it’s only available until year end.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/early-ira-withdrawals-can-be-penalty-free-11607004008

Carmel, CA In Home Dialysis Expands Under Medicare

A doctor and patient looking at a book


Senior citizens with kidney problems will have an option of in-home dialysis care covered by Medicare.  About 1 in 3 Medicare patients that are struggling with end-stage renal disease will be enrolled in the new program.  In addition to being more convenient, it will reduce the risk of being exposed to people with COVID-19.  Medicare also announced that it will increase the amount it pays provider of home kidney treatments to help gain traction with the program.  About 92,000 Americans are currently on the kidney transplant list.  For more information, talk to one of our local dialysis centers in Monterey County which are listed here:

https://www.dialysisfinder.com/dialysis-centers/monterey/ca/100#.X9Kn79hKjcs

Alzheimer’s Association Partners With AARP on Understanding Alzheimer’s & Dementia Webinar

A purple background with the alzheimer 's association logo.


Join Alzheimer’s Association and AARP on March 30 at 3:00 p.m. for a webinar on Understanding Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.  They will give you a great framework to guide both you and a loved one through this difficult process.  To register, click on this link:

https://action.alz.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Events/ALZ/MeetingRegistration.aspx?productId=73583196

Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are great people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  They also have a 24-hour hotline if you need support at 800-272-3900.

https://action.alz.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Default.aspx?TabID=1356&productId=73583196

California Sues Brookdale Nursing Home Chain

A woman looking out of the window at her home.


Salinas), claiming that they have manipulated the Medicare ratings system to make their nursing homes look more attractive than they actually are.  The lawsuit is among the first of its kind to accuse nursing homes of submitting false information to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, which uses data on the amount of time spent with residents and pairs it with in-person examinations by state health inspectors.  The facility is then ranked based on stars, allowing consumers to choose which facility they want to put a loved one in.  The lawsuit accuses Brookdale of falsifying its payroll-based journal entries, effectively stating that they have more staff than they do.   Prosecutors also are accusing Brookdale of illegally evicting or transferring residents so the chain could replace them with clients that generate more revenue.  A former Brookdale nursing assistant said in a deposition that her supervisors told her to falsify medical records to make it look like patients received more care than they did.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/15/business/california-lawsuit-brookdale-senior-living-nursing-homes.html?campaign_id=49&emc=edit_ca_20210316&instance_id=28107&nl=california-today&regi_id=52105769&segment_id=53505&te=1&user_id=7052b81671c57203c64c377c7522baa7

https://www.brookdale.com/en/communities/brookdale-salinas.html?cid=yext

Carmel Highlands, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) CNA Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs

A red heart with the words i love caregivers written underneath it.


Carmel Highlands,  CA Home Care Aide (HCA) CNA Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available (Also Aromas, Big Sur, Carmel, Carmel-by-the-sea, Carmel Valley, Castroville, Corral-de-Tierra, Del Rey Oaks, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Prunedale, Salinas, Seaside and Soledad

We have developed a reputation for having the best caregivers (Home Care Aides or Senior Companions) in Monterey County.   We are currently looking for qualified caregivers.

Family inHome Caregiving of Monterey is seeking compassionate, mature and dependable caregivers who want to improve the lives of our elderly Clients by providing in-home, non-medical care.  Our services include:

Caring companionship

Meal preparation

Incidental transportation

Running errands

Light housekeeping

Medication reminders

Monitoring of safety while bathing

Information and referral services

Other services that improve the safety, security and quality of life of seniors.

If you believe you would make an exceptional Home Care Aide, we would love to hear from you!  We prefer those with experience helping the elderly, disabled and others with mobility problems.  Having cared for those with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s is a plus.  To work for us, you must have excellent references, a clear criminal record, a good driving record, and an insured reliable vehicle.  To apply, please visit our website www.fhcofm.com, click on home care aides, then careers where you can fill out an application online.  We have immediate openings all over Monterey County.

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver

A close up of many viruses on a red background


There were 22 new cases of coronavirus reported in Monterey County today, bringing the total to 42,734 cases, with no new deaths reported.  Nationwide, there were 60,459 new cases for a cume total of 29.721 million, while deaths rose by 1,083 to 541,037.  In California, there were 2,797 new cases, bringing the cume total up to 3.639 million.  Deaths rose by 113 to 57,391  Please stay home and stay safe as much as possible.