How Does Your Garden Grow?

There are many people who find gardening to be tedious, dirty, and work. Not in a good way. Then there are those of us who find gardening to be tedious, dirty, and work. But in a very good way. It has given me great joy to see the seeds I planted sprouting ...more

I Need to Get Away! Where Do I Go?

2020 was like the lost year. We missed music festivals. We missed football games. We missed gatherings with friends. We didn't go on vacation. We all missed things that we'd come to look at as normal parts of life. But - do you know what my family did? We took day ...more

Imposter Scams

We are warned by FEMA not to fall for imposter scams. Imposter scams come in many forms. The scammer may be impersonating a government worker, the police, the person of your dreams from social media, or any number of people that you may perceive as a trustworthy person. The Social Security representative ...more

Have you been vaccinated? Don't get scammed!

One of the scams making the rounds is the Covid vaccination scam. You may be contacted by email or by text. The logos look like Moderna or Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson. They want you to complete a survey to get a prize or reward. DON'T CLICK ON THE LINK. DON'T CALL THE ...more

Do you know about Medicare Savings Programs?

Medicare offers 4 programs to assist beneficiaries with out-of-pocket costs that Medicare does not pay. There are income and asset guidelines for each program. Program 1 or Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) pays Part A deductible, Part A coinsurance, Part B deductible, Part B coinsurance, and Part B monthly premiums. Program 2 or ...more

How Can I Get Scammed Today?

Oh, there are so many flavors to choose from! Here are a few scams highlighted in AARP's Bulletin April 2021 issue: Fake shopping sites have been around for awhile but like all other scams, they're getting more sophisticated. The site may use pics from real businesses which makes it look legit. However, ...more

What's the Popular Scam?

The WV Attorney General's Office warns us that the Social Security Scam is making its way around West Virginia. These scammers may give a warning that your Social Security Number has been compromised in illegal activity in (some state). They may have the last 4 digits of your Social but do NOT ...more

HOW ARE YOU SLEEPING?

So - how ARE you sleeping? Quality sleep - note that QUALITY sleep - is such an important part of our overall health. Remember that quantity does not mean quality! This past year has played havoc with sleep patterns. There have been so many reasons that we've stared at the ceiling ...more

How Can I Develop an Attitude of Gratitude Part 2

This is a two-part post of having an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE. It has been a difficult year. Everyone has endured some type of loss. Being able to see the good and express thanks can strengthen us mentally, spiritually, and physically! * Appreciate people who annoy you. This is challenging! But - ...more

How Can I Develop An Attitude of Gratitude? Part 1

An attitude of gratitude means that you operate from a place of abundance instead of a place of scarcity and fear. Researchers Stephen M. Yshimura and Kassandra Berzins explored the connection between expressing gratitude and psychological and physical well-being. They concluded that "Gratitude consistently associates with many positive social, psychological, and ...more

How is Your Pandemic Health?

It's been a tough year. Plus a few months. The pandemic, the losses, the worry, the economic concerns, the snow, the ice, the shoveling, more snow, more ice, more shoveling, working from home (trying to adjust to working from home), rethinking how to do our jobs when so much was ...more

We're in for nasty weather

We have had a LOT of snow this year. I was getting a little spoiled with the milder winters. This year, however, we've shoveled a lot of snow and used a lot of ice melt. Tonight - February 15 - the weather gurus are predicting up to 1/2" of ice. ...more

HOSPICE BENEFITS for END OF LIFE CARE

The hospice benefit was created for people with limited life expectancy (6 months or less). Hospice care is a benefit of Medicare, Medicaid, and many insurances, and most cover the benefits at 100%. Hospice services are geared toward care receivers as well as caregivers and their families. Hospice care includes ...more

DON'T CLICK ON THAT LINK!

Once again the topic is scams. The information bears repeating. Scammers have gotten more savvy, more sophisticated, and have had more fodder. This past year has offered ample opportunity for people who may be lacking in character, honesty and integrity to take advantage of us. There are increases in the incidence ...more

Aging

I have spent most of my social work career working with people who are over 55, offering tools to help them through the aging journey. Case management, resource information, workshops, community programs, and support groups - all provided to give older adults and caregivers information to help them with issues ...more

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We at Altenheim Retirment Community would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. May the light of the season be a source of strength, a source of peace, and a source of hope. 2020 was a challenging year. We are continuing to face a pandemic like nothing most of us have ...more

Alzheimer's Blood Test Released

NBC News recently reported that C2N Diagnostics of St Louis, Missouri, has released a blood test for Alzheimer's Disease. The product which is not FDA approved, is sold in all but a few states and was just cleared for sale in Europe. The test measures two types of amyloid particles plus ...more

Watch Out for Scams!

I post a lot about scams. That's because they are everywhere. That's also because people continue to fall prey to scams. It's also because so many of the people in our area are vulnerable. We have a lot of older folks. There are a lot of people who have some memory ...more

Isolation Continues

As we see our COVID numbers rising exponentially across the country, strong recommendations are made for us to remain vigilant, remain isolated as much as possible (or remain socially distant), and continue to wear a mask. Experts in the fields of immunology and infectious diseases support wearing masks and work ...more

Thank You to Our Veterans - Our Heroes!

Today is Veteran's Day. This is the day we set aside to honor those who have served in the military and those who are serving. They have served to protect our country. They have served all over the world. These men and women have served unselfishly so that we may live ...more