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There were 411 new COVID-19 cases announced for Monterey County, bringing the total up to 30,521 with four new deaths for a total of 220. Nationwide, there were 255,728 new cases for a total of 21.384 million, while deaths rose by 3,586 to 363,193. In our state, there were 41,558 cases (+2%) for a cume total of 2.556 million, while deaths rose by 575 (+2%) to 28,077. These numbers are not looking good, please stay home and stay safe.
Many people take Social Security at the earliest possible time rather than waiting until their official retirement age, which can cost them over $100K over the remainder of their lifetime. Recessions and a jump in early Social Security claims go hand-in-hand, according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. According to Chicago’s Becker Friedman Institute, there’s been a 7% increase in the number of Americans who retired after the pandemic. Edgar Freeberg, 66, said he had planned on waiting until he was 70 to claim Social Security. “I was going for the 70 thing,†he told USA Today. But after his job was outsourced, he felt he had no other choice. Statistics show that filing at age 62 the average household loses out on about $111,000 in lifetime benefits. Here in Monterey, Social Security payments top the national average by a high margin in the wealthier pockets like Carmel and Pebble Beach. But if you are not on the high end of the wage earning spectrum, it may pay to wait to file.
The elections were so contentious this year that I was glad to see that quite a few seniors voted for the first time. USA Today profiled Barbara Duvall who, at age 99, survived COVID-19, pneumonia and five days in the hospital and then voted for the first time in her life. “I guess I didn’t have time before because of my kids, my husband and our family. I stayed with them,” she said. More than 2.1 million people over the age of 40 voted for the first time in the November elections, and it may have been enough to push Joe Biden over the top.
There were 411 new COVID-19 cases announced for Monterey County, bringing the total up to 30,521 with four new deaths for a total of 220. Nationwide, there were 238,999 new cases for a total of 21.128 million, while deaths rose by 4,083 to 359,607. A record 131,100 people are in the hospital with coronavirus. Unfortunately, experts say that it’s likely to get worst with all of the holiday travel Americans did. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that COVID-19 is now the third leading cause of death. In California, ICU units in at least two regions are filled to capacity and some EMTs have had to wait with patients outside of hospitals for hours because there is no room. In our state, there were 39,216 cases (+2%) for a cume total of 2.514 million, while deaths rose by 482 (+2%) to 27,502. These numbers are staggering, please stay home and stay safe.
With coronavirus running rampant, keeping your immune system healthy is critical. There are a number of things you can do such as getting enough exercise, not smoking, staying hydrated, having quality sleep time and eating a healthy diet. Sticking to a Mediterranean diet is a good way of keeping your good health, and it’s delicious. A study published in the journal Frontiers of Physiology found that healthy people aged 65-79 who ate a Mediterranean diet and took 10 micrograms of Vitamin D daily for a year were able to help offset age-related declines in immunity. The Mediterranean diet involves eating a lot of vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole grains and one ounce of food daily. Stay away from red meats and instead eat salmon and other fish, with modest portions of egg. Olive oil is the fat of choice, and a glass or two of red wine each night tops of the meal.
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/boosting-your-immune-system.html
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. For more information, go to https://dermtech.com/
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After being completely silent since January 1, Monterey County reported today that there have been 1,759 new cases bringing the total over 30,000 with 20 new fatalities for a total of 216. Natividad has seven COVID-19 patients, CHOMP 10, and Salinas Valley Memorial has 14. The hospitals have 2, 3 and 8 open ICU beds respectively.  Nationwide, there were 198K new cases for a total of 20.889 million to date, while deaths rose by 3,127 to 355,524. In California, there were 30,375 new cases for a cume total of 2.475 million while deaths rose by 382 to 27,020. Please stay home and stay safe!
https://www.latimes.com/projects/california-coronavirus-cases-tracking-outbreak/monterey-county/
Please visit us at www.familyinhomecaregiving.com
Thanks to Monterey Bay Aquarium for allowing the use of their extra cold freezers to store incoming COVID-19 vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored in industrial freezers, and now the Monterey Bay area has access to one of these freezers. “We have started to see the vaccines arrive and we really see that as really our only pathway out of the pandemic,†said Andrea Rosenberg, Natividad Hospital Operations & Support Services and Assistant Administrator. “So, there’s a lot of hope and excitement at the hospital with the arrival of these vaccines,†she continued.
Monterey, CAÂ Genworth Long Term Care LTC Premiums To Go Up
One of the few remaining companies in the long-term care industry, Genworth, sent out a brochure to policy holders signaling rate hikes are coming. Said the company:
Our policies are generally held for 30-40 years, which means when they were initially priced, a lot of assumptions were made future costs for claims that would be made decades later. Many of those assumptions were incorrect because the cost of and demand for care have both skyrocketed since. Insurance companies, including us, have had significant losses as a result. Many have left the business. Despite losing $3.6 billion on our older legacy policies, we’ve decided to stay in the business and file for rate increases on these older policies and select newer ones to cover the cost of future claims. To learn more, call 1-888-479-6889 or go to Genworth.com/LTCpremiums
Hollister,  CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available (Also Aromas, Big Sur, Carmel, Carmel-by-the-sea, Carmel Highlands, Carmel Valley, Castroville, Corral-de-Tierra, Del Rey Oaks, Gilroy, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Morgan Hill, Pacific Grove, Pacific Grove, Paicines, Pebble Beach, Prunedale, Salinas, San Juan Bautista, Seaside, Soledad and Tres Pinos
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.