Pacific Grove, CA How Seniors Can Avoid Elder Abuse Scams

A man and woman sitting back to back.


Carmel, Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach are habitual hotspots for financial elder abuse because residents tend to be high-income.  AARP The Magazine recently had a great article which talked about how to avoid these scams.  Studies have shown that each of us lies several times a day.  They are mostly innocuous—“I’m on my way†is the most common lie that people tell when they are actually watching TV or cleaning the house.  Every scam requires us to believe in a lie—whatever that may be.  The reporter interviews a retired investment advisor who had lost $900,000 to investment scams over five years.  How can this be?  He said that he had spent his entire professional life working with honest folks who routinely told the truth, as he did.  He just assumed everyone was like him and his colleagues and couldn’t imagine there were people who could look you straight in the eye and lie.  How sad, but there are many people out there like that.

COVID-19 Pandemic Has Marketers Chasing Seniors Staying At Home : By Derek Baine

A close up of many viruses on a red background


Retired baby boomers are at a high risk of COVID-19, and marketers are using this as an opportunity to market more to older people who want to stay at home.  Companies like Nestle SA, Colgate-Palmolive Co. and Danone SA are launching new products aimed at consumers who are increasingly saying they are interested in aging well, but staying at home.  “We clearly see healthy aging, even more now with the COVID world, as a huge trend,†Danone CEO Emmanuel Faber said.  The Activia yogurt maker recently launched a whey-protein product that they say aids muscles, joints and bones.  Nestle launched a powdered milk aimed at older adults that it claims enhances mobility.  Increasingly, the company has shifted its focus from making food and drink to aid the recovery of people in hospitals to helping people from being admitted in the first place.  What a great mission.

Carmel, CA Join CHOMP’s Exercise Smart For Diabetes Management Class

A large fountain in the middle of an indoor area.


Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, CHOMP, has a number of helpful classes, with one focusing on how to exercise to keep your Diabetes under control.  Learn how exercise can aid in diabetes management and get tips for safe, effective exercise.  The information you receive will include an overview of diabetes and special considerations for exercise for those with diabetes.  To register, go to www.chomp.org/classes.

 

Monterey, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available

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Monterey, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) 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, 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.

Pebble Beach, CA Check Out CHOMP’s Diabetes Self-Management Series

A blood glucose level chart showing the optimal levels.


Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, CHOMP, has a great Diabetes Self-Management Series and the cost of the sessions may be covered by Medicare if you have a referral from a physician.  Learn more about your diabetes and the day-to-day skills needed to live a healthy life and prevent complications.  Registered dieticians and nurses will hold one-on-one sessions with you and talk about monitoring your blood sugar levels, the best diet, medication and non-medication options to keep you healthy.  Call 649-7220 for more information.

Aegism And Hostility Towards Seniors Most Prevalent In Southeast, But California Also Is High On The List

A man and woman standing next to each other.


A recent study from all 50 states found that implicit bias—a subconscious negative attitude—against older people was most prevalent in the country’s southeastern states, including New Jersey, the Carolinas and Florida.  The findings were based on responses of 803K people ages 15-94 who completed a test involving photos of young and old people and words associated with those images.  Unfortunately, California didn’t score well, scoring two out of five on a 1-5 scale where 1 is the most biased. Authors of another study which was published in November found that survey respondents who were more hostile toward older people and considered them to be a drain on the economy and health-care system washed their hands less and didn’t believe in social distancing.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/worried-about-ageism-where-you-live-matters-11612198542

Life Expectancy Expectations Take Another Dive : By Derek Baine

An older woman holding a pink string in her hand.


Recent data from the National Center for Health Statistics showed that the average life expectancy dropped a full year in the first half of 2020, from 78.8 years in the first half of 2019 to 77.8 years in the first half of 2020.  The average life expectancy for a Black person dropped by 2.7 years from 74.7 years in the first half of 2019 to just 72.0 years in the first six months of 2020.  Some of the reduction is due to COVID-19 but researchers say drug overdoses have taken their toll on the average life expectancy (AARP Bulletin April 2021, page 4).

Searching For The Fountain Of Youth : What Does It Take To Become A Centenarian : By Derek Baine

An older woman with a gray hair sitting in front of trees.


For decades, people have been searching for the fountain of youth, not just to look good but to try and avoid the inevitable—death.  There is a field of scientists called biogerontologists that are working in a fast-developing field to not only maximize the average lifespan, but also to increase the “healthspan,†which is the number of years we spend free from disease, disability and impairment.  Humans go through the aging process in a different manner than some animals, which may provide clues to growing older gracefully.  Every year a human is alive, their risk of dying increased by 10%.  In your 30’s, for instance, your odds of dying in any given year are less than one in 1,000.  However, this 10% compounding effect adds up quickly.  Tortoises, some kind of salamander and fish and burrow-dwelling rodents called naked molerats all have a risk of death unrelated to how long they have been alive.  This phenomenon is called “negligible senescence†and is being studied avidly by scientists.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-best-remedy-for-our-diseases-aging-less-11618003335

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

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/

Pebble Beach, CA 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