Mountain Views News          Saturday, May 23, 2015

13

THE GOOD LIFE

Mountain Views-News Saturday, May 23, 2015

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

HOW TO FIND AND CHOOSE A NEW DOCTOR


Dear Savvy Senior,

What resources can you recommend to help me 
find and research some doctors in my area? I’m 
looking for a good primary care doctor or internist 
for my elderly parents, and need to locate a good 
orthopedic doctor for me. 

Shopping for Doctors

Dear Shopping,

Thanks to the Internet, finding and researching 
doctors is a lot easier than it use to be. Today, 
there’s a wide variety of websites you can turn 
to that provide databases of U.S. doctors, their 
professional medical histories, and ratings and 
reviews from past patients on a number of criteria. 
Here are some of the best sites available, along 
with a few additional tips that can help you find 
the right doctors.

Locating Tips

To help you locate some doctors in your area, a good 
first step, and one that doesn’t require a computer, 
is to ask for a referral. Contact some other doctors, 
nurses, or health care professionals that you know, 
for some names of doctors or practices that they 
like and trust. 

 You should also call your insurance provider, or 
visit their website directory to get a list of potential 
candidates. If you or your parents are Medicare 
beneficiaries, you can use the Physician Compare 
tool at medicare.gov/physiciancompare. This will 
let you find doctors by name, medical specialty 
or by geographic location that accept original 
Medicare. You can also get this information by 
calling Medicare at 800-633-4227. 

 Once you find a few doctors, you need to call 
their office to verify that they still accept your 
insurance, and if they are accepting new patients. 

Research Tools

After you find a few doctors you’re interested in, 
there are lots of online resources you can turn to, 
to help you check up on them.

 For example, you can find out if a doctor is 
board certified at the American Board of Medical 
Specialties at certificationmatters.org or call 866-
275-2267. And to learn about malpractice claims 
and disciplinary actions taken against doctors, 
you can use your state medical board – see fsmb.
org/state-medical-boards/contacts to search your 
state. 

 Here are some other good websites that can help 
you find and/or research doctors in your area for 
free.

 Healthgrades.com: This comprehensive easy-
to-use site provides doctor’s information on 
education and training, hospital affiliations, 
board certification, awards and recognitions, 
professional misconduct, disciplinary action and 
malpractice records, office locations and insurance 
plans. It also offers a 5-star ratings scale from past 
patients on a number of issues like communication 
and listening skills, wait time, time spent with the 
patient, office friendliness and more. 

 Vitals.com: Provides background information 
on doctor’s awards, expertise, hospital affiliations, 
and insurance as well as patient ratings on 
measures such as bedside manner, follow-up, 
promptness, accuracy of diagnosis, and average 
wait time. There’s also a patient comment section.

 RateMDs.com: Provides information on 
training as well as patient ratings on staff, 
punctuality, helpfulness and knowledge. Patients 
can also post questions and answers about doctors, 
and get doctor’s ratings based on patient reviews.

 Look Up Tool: If you want to find out how many 
times a doctor did a particular service and what 
they charge for it, go to data.cms.gov and click on 
“Medicare Physician and Other Supplier Look-up 
Tool” at the top of the page. 

 AngiesList.com: If you don’t mind spending 
a little money ($20/per year), Angie’s List is a 
membership service that provides doctor reviews 
using an A through F scale. 

 When reaching a doctor, it’s wise to check 
out several of these sites so you can get a bigger 
sampling and a better feel of how previous patients 
are rating a particular doctor. 

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. 
Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.
org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today 
show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

HELPFUL HINT: Got Ants? To banish ants from the kitchen, find out where they are 
coming in and cover the hole with petroleum jelly. Ants won’t trek through the jelly. If they are 
coming under a door, draw a line on the floor with chalk. The little bugs also won’t cross a line of 
chalk.

........................................................................................

FOR YOUR FUNNY BONE 

An elderly woman died last month. Having never married, she requested no male 
pallbearers. In her handwritten instructions for her memorial service, she wrote, 
“They wouldn’t take me out while I was alive, I don’t want them to take me out when 
I’m dead! 

 ~ ~ ~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! … May Birthdays*

Joann Serrato-Chi, Harriett Lyle, Jean Coleman, Birgitta Gerlinger, Donna Mathieson, 
Dorothy Murphy, Linda Wochnik, Marian Woodford, Debbie Sheridan, Joanne Anthony, 
Carole Axline, Kika Downey, Shirley Hall, Annie Scalzo, Janet Ten Eyck, Jane Thomas, Ray 
Burley. . *To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR 
of birth not required.

..................................................................

Quote of the Week: “Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.” 

 Henry David Thoreau

...................................................

ACTIVITIES: Unless listed differently, all activities are at the Hart Park 
House (Senior Center) 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre

 

 YMCA San Gabriel Valley Intervale Senior Café: Monday-Friday at 12:00 Noon 

(Participants are urged to arrive no later than 11:45 A.M.) 

All seniors 60 and up can take part in the lunch program. There is a suggested donation of $2.00 
for those 60 and over and $3.75 for non-senior guests. Daily reservations are necessary as space is 
limited. Please call 24 hours in advance...626.355.0256

HAWAIIAN AND POLYNESIAN DANCE CLASS: Every Tuesday morning from 10am to 11am. 
Join instructor Barbara Dempsey as she instructs you in the art of hula.

BINGO: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00pm. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is welcome to 
join. May be canceled if less than 5 people.

FREE BLOOD PRESSURE TESTING: 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11am to 12pm. No appt. 
is necessary.

CASE MANAGEMENT: Meets the 2nd Thursday of the month. Case Management services are 
provided by the YWCA and provide assistance in a variety of areas. Appointments are required and 
can be scheduled by calling the HPH Office at 626-355-7394.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS: Every second Thursday of the month the Hart Park House Senior 
Center celebrates birthdays of our patrons. The free birthday cake is provided by the Sierra Madre 
Civic Club.

GAME DAY: Every Thursday starting at 12:45pm. A regular group of seniors play poker. Other 
games available for use.

TAX ASSISTANCE: Every Thursday February 5th through April 9th from 1:00pm-2:00pm. Don 
Brunner is available for income tax consultation. Appointments are required, call 626-355-7394.

FREE STRENGTH TRAINING CLASS: Every Friday from 12:45pm to 1:30pm with Lisa 
Brandley. The class utilizes light weights for low impact resistance training. All materials for the 
class are provided.

SENIOR CLUB: Every Saturday at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Brown bag lunch at 11:30am. 
Club meeting at noon. Bingo 12:30-3:30pm. Annual Membership is only $10.00.

METRO ART TOURS


Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2015 Time: 9:00am to 3:30pm


Meeting Location: Bus stop at Sierra Madre Blvd. /Hermosa Ave, NW Corner
Cost:$5 (Does not include Metro bus fare and Lunch) We will ride the Metro bus to Sierra Madre 
Villa Gold Line Station (please bring exact change, $0.35 senior 62+ or $1.75 regular fare), where 
our Metro Art Docent will meet us and give each attendee a TAP Card and take us on a guided 
tours of the artwork in the Metro Rail system. The Metro Art Docent Council is committed to 
provide insights into the artworks, the artists who created them, the processes it took to make 
them, and the communities they enhance. The tour will be approximately two and a half hours 
and will end at Union Station. Lunch will be on your own at Philippe’s or at Olvera Street. Please 
note that there are no public restrooms in the Metro Rail Stations. Participants should bring 
money for bus, lunch and souvenirs. Level of Walking: High. For more information, please call 
the Hart Park House 626-355-7394.

THE ALPACA HACIENDA (TEMECULA)


Date: June 30, 2015
Time: 9:00am to 4:30pm

Meeting Location: Hart Park House Senior Center Cost: $12.00 (Does not include lunch)

Description: Learn about the history of the alpaca, why we raise them and how we care for 
them. You’ll learn some of their quirky traits and other interesting facts. You may hand feed 
the alpacas if you like; this is a great opportunity for photographs! This tour includes a mini-
seminar on how we work with the fiber, from washing and carding, to spinning and felting, and 
will give you a brief history of spinning fibers into yarn. Spend some time in our boutique where 
you can find beautiful, handmade items by local fiber artists made from alpaca fiber, as well 
as luxurious scarves, hats, sweater and gloves. Lunch will be on your own at Old Town Temecula. 
Participants should bring money for lunch and souvenirs. Last day to register is Wednesday, June 
24th. Level of Walking: Medium

Excursion Refund Policy

Notification of the cancellation must be made at least 3 business days before the excursion. A refund 
will only be issued 1) for a medical excuse or 2) if the Department is able to fill the patrons spot 
from a waiting list. This refund will be issued in the form of a credit which will be applied to the 
patron’s account with the City, less a $10 cancellation fee. The credit will remain on your account for 
one year from the date issued and the credit may be used for any program or service offered by the 
Community Services Dept.


KATIE Tse..........This and That

AWKWARD...

Awkward moments. We’ve all 
had them, and can usually look 
back at them and laugh at our 
mishaps. But it’s always funnier 
if it happens to someone else. 
In this case, my mom was the 
victim of embarrassment. But 
you have to understand the back 
story first.

 Some people are dog people, other people are cat 
people. And then there are bird people. Bird people 
can always tell other bird people because they’re 
the crazy-looking ones. Over the years my family 
has had many birds and developed a reputation as 
the go-to people when others found a baby that 
needed caretakers 
until being released 
back into the wild. 
One of their recent 
“visitor” birds was a 
mocking bird that my 
mom’s friend, Florence, 
found. (You may 
remember Florence 
from her many stories 
I’ve written when I’ve 
lacked other material. 
She’s a riot.)

 During the two or 
three weeks the mocking bird, whom my mom 
named “Baby,” stayed with my parents, my dad 
often put its cage next to their two parakeets’ 
cage out on the deck. After Baby was released he 
continued to come back and sit in a certain spot at 
the top of the orange tree and call to the parakeets. 
Baby probably figured his parakeet friends were 
going to be released soon like he had been.

 Looking for Baby’s arrival became a daily 
routine for my parents. If they didn’t see him they 
worried that something might have happened. 
It was after a couple days of absence that Baby 
returned and my mom happily went outside and 
said, “Hi Baby!”

 Imagine her surprise and embarrassment when 
their neighbor (we’ll call him Jack) answered, 
“Hi.” Flustered, my mom tried to explain herself, 
“I’m sorry, I meant the mocking bird.” “What 
mocking bird?” From Jack’s angle he couldn’t see 
Baby perched in the orange tree. My mom pointed 
toward him “He’s over 
there. We raised him 
for a couple weeks and 
he keeps coming back 
to that same spot.” Jack 
smiled and nodded 
good-naturedly, he’s 
used to my parents’ 
occasional quirkiness. 
“He likes to talk to 
the parakeets...” my 
mom trailed off her 
explanation, realizing 
the more she talked the 
weirder she appeared.

 Needless to say we all had a good laugh over 
it later. Now every time my mom gets up to go 
outside we tell her, “Remember to say hi to Baby!”


UPCOMING EXCURSIONS:


TRANSPORTATION CHANGES BEGINNING JUNE 1,2015

Beginning June 1, 2015 Dial-A-Ride services in Sierra Madre will operate Monday through Friday 
from 8:00am – 10:30am and 2:00pm – 5:00pm. Dial-A-Ride services are available to Sierra Madre 
residents that are 62 years of age or older, or have a signed form by a physician attesting to a 
disability that hinders mobility. The cost of a one-way fare is $2.00. Dial-A-Ride users must submit 
an application prior to using the service for the first time.

 Beginning June 1, 2015 the Gateway Coach fixed-route services operates Monday through Friday 
from 11:00am – 2:00pm. The Gateway Coach is free for anyone to use. The Gateway Coach stops at 
various points throughout the City including City parks, the library, City Hall, Senior Center, and 
schools. In addition the Gateway Coach stops in Hastings Ranch.

To download a copy of the new Sierra Madre Public Transportation Brochure, please visit the City’s 
website at www.cityofsierramadre.com/transportation. For additional information contact the 
Community Services Department at 626-355-7135.


626-355-5700245 West Sierra Madre BlvdSierra Madre, CA 91024www.TheKensingtonSierraMadre.comRCFE License198601953Expert Panel DiscussionManaging Challenging BehaviorsAssociated with Alzheimer’s Disease& Memory ImpairmentThursday, May 21, 2015 from 5:30pm-7:00pmat The Kensington, 245 West Sierra Madre Blvd, Sierra Madre, CAHors d’oeuvres and refreshments servedRSVP to SSciurba@KensingtonSL.com or 626-355-5700YOUR INVITATION TO AN EVENT AT THE KENSINGTONPleaseRSVP