Monterey, CA Don’t Let COVID-19 Prevent You From Regular Skin Cancer Checkups : By Derek Baine

A man with his back turned on the beach.


Monterey, CA  Don’t Let COVID-19 Prevent You From Regular Skin Cancer Checkups

Coronavirus may be keeping you from going to the doctor as much as you need to.  However, telemedicine makes it easy to see a doctor.  Even dermatologists are now available via videoconference.  A company called DermTech is transforming telemedicine to detect skin cancer.  According to the American Cancer Society, melanoma has a 99% five-year survival rate if caught early.  However, this survival rate drops to 65% if it has spread locally and 25% if spread distantly.  If you are looking for a great local dermatologist, I recommend Joe Rheim.  Give him a call at 931-373-4404.  For more information, go to https://dermtech.com/

https://www.futureofpersonalhealth.com/skin-health/understanding-preventing-and-identifying-skin-cancer-this-winter/

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver : By Derek Baine

A close up of a cell with viruses inside


There were only four new cases over the last four days reported in Monterey County and two more deaths.  People who have been vaccinated are free to wear masks in public, which makes a huge difference in attitude and spending practices.  In fact, today the Federal Reserve Bank announced that they plan on initiating two interest rate hikes next year to stave off inflation.  The economy appears to be rebounding but many businesses are still having a difficult time finding workers due to the $300/week unemployment kicker the Federal Government has authorized.  Nationwide, we are up to 33.457 million cases and sadly we passed the threshold of over 600K deaths, while in California cases are up to 3.804 million and deaths have surpassed 63,000.

Monterey, CA Don’t Let COVID-19 Prevent You From Regular Skin Cancer Checkups : By Derek Baine

A man with his back turned on the beach.


Coronavirus may be keeping you from going to the doctor as much as you need to.  However, telemedicine makes it easy to see a doctor.  Even dermatologists are now available via videoconference.  A company called DermTech is transforming telemedicine to detect skin cancer.  According to the American Cancer Society, melanoma has a 99% five-year survival rate if caught early.  However, this survival rate drops to 65% if it has spread locally and 25% if spread distantly.  If you are looking for a great local dermatologist, I recommend Joe Rheim.  Give him a call at 931-373-4404.  For more information, go to https://dermtech.com/

https://www.futureofpersonalhealth.com/skin-health/understanding-preventing-and-identifying-skin-cancer-this-winter/

COVID Impact On The Brain May Last Forever : By Derek Baine

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


We have written repeatedly on our blog about the importance of proper nutrition, social interaction and exercise is key to keeping the mind and body healthy for seniors.  A new study from Arizona State University Edison College of Nursing and Health Innovation had participants either ride a stationary bike or do stretching exercise for six months.  Those who took part in the regular exercise program had significantly less memory loss than those who don’t follow a particular exercise regimen.  The results were published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s disease.

Monterey

Carmel, CA Estate Planning In A Coronavirus World : By Derek Baine

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


AARP Bulletin in their November 2020 issue (page 22) had an interesting article about more and more couples looking at estate planning now that the coronavirus is making the future outlook uncertain.  Keep in mind that you can write a will at any time, even if you are sick in the hospital.  Most estate planners recommend setting up a living trust, which gives you a lot of flexibility on how your assets are distributed following your death.  Experts warn that doing a joint will for a couple is a terrible idea—they aren’t even legal in some states.  Leaving more to one child than another almost guarantees that the will could be challenged.  Stepchildren aren’t automatically treated as children for legal purposes.  There are a lot of moving pieces in an estate plan so consult with your attorney.

Monterey, CA Seniors Turning To Telehealth Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic : By Derek Baine


More and more seniors are turning to Telehealth programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  “When you’re not feeling well, having to get up, get dressed and drive all the way to the hospital and then get in line and then possibly get sick from someone else is not all that appealing,†Marla Jo Fisher, a writer, told AARP Bulletin.  Medicare is expanding coverage of telehealth visits during the pandemic, changes which hopefully will remain in place.  The Department of Health and Human Services recently reported that less than 1% of primary care visits in February were via Telehealth, a number which jumped to 43.5% in April.  California has a bill going into effect on January 1 requiring all insurers to pay for Telehealth visits.  If your doctor isn’t using Telehealth, talk to Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, CHOMP, on suggestions.

https://www.chomp.org/find-a-doctor/doctor-search-results/?termId=a826e4db-730c-e611-9cf8-005056a462a1#.X9fgodhKjcs

Pebble Beach, CA Estate Planning In A Coronavirus World : By Derek Baine


AARP Bulletin in their November 2020 issue (page 22) had an interesting article about more and more couples looking at estate planning now that the coronavirus is making the future outlook bleak.  Keep in mind that you can write a will at any time, even if you are sick in the hospital.  Most estate planners recommend setting up a living trust, which gives you a lot of flexibility on how your assets are distributed following your death.  Experts warn that doing a joint will for a couple is a terrible idea—they aren’t even legal in some states.  Leaving more to one child than another almost guarantees that the will could be challenged.  Stepchildren aren’t automatically treated as children for legal purposes.  There are a lot of moving pieces in an estate plan so consult with your attorney.

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver

A close up of many viruses on a red background


There were only 23 new COVID-19 cases reported in Monterey County during the last five days, with just one new death.  Business owners are relieved that we were moved into the Yellow Tier yesterday, which means an increase in capacity for restaurants, gyms, movie theaters, the aquarium, etc.   Bars that do not serve food can reopen outdoors.  Nationwide, the numbers have also moderated significantly.  There were only 17,119 new cases reported today.  Over the past week, there have been only 96,911 new cases.  By comparison, just a couple of weeks ago we were reporting over 75K new cases per day.  Deaths over the past week have been fairly modest at 3,168.  The CDC released data on “breakthrough infections†which are people that get COVID-19 after being vaccinated.  There were only 9,245 breakthrough cases out of more than 95 million fully vaccinated Americans as of April 26.  Studies suggest immunocompromised people or those on medications that interrupt their immune system (such as those on chemo or who have had an organ transplant or are on dialysis) are less likely to be protected by the COVID-19 vaccine. In California, there were 10,114 new cases in the last week, versus 3,348 in just one day on May 14. Deaths over the last week were 356, which is still considered modest.  It sure looks like we are quickly coming out of the woods. Please, if you have not been vaccinated, do so right away!

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver

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


There were 49 new cases reported in Monterey County over the last two days for a total of 43,662 with no new fatalities.  Nationwide, the number of new cases rose by 74,072 during the same time frame to 32.9 million, while deaths rose by 1,628 to 583,990.  In California, there were 3,348 new cases for a total of 3.8 million, while deaths rose by 210 to 62,572.

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver

A close up of the virus on a red background


There were 61 new cases reported in Monterey County for a total of 43,613, with two new fatalities.  Nationwide, the number of new cases rose by 33,778 to 32.8 million, while deaths rose by 686 to 582,362.  In California, there were 1,592 new cases for a total of 3.8 million, while deaths rose by 31 to 62,362.  Although almost half of the country has been vaccinated, the number of new cases is still disturbing.  Please stay home as much as possible and stay safe.