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Mountain View News Saturday, August 8, 2020
HOW MEDICARE AND OTHER TOOLS CAN HELP OLDER
SMOKERS KICK THE HABIT
Dear Savvy Senior:
I understand that COVID-19 hits smokers a lot harder
than nonsmokers but quitting at my age is very
difficult. Does Medicare offer any coverage that helps
beneficiaries quit smoking? Must Quit
Dear Must,:
It’s true. Smokers and vapers have a higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection as the coronavirus attacks
the lungs. That’s why quitting now is more important than ever before.
If you are a Medicare beneficiary, you’ll be happy to know that Medicare Part B covers up to eight
face-to-face counseling sessions a year to help you quit smoking. And, if you have a Medicare Part D
prescription drug plan, certain smoking-cessation medications are covered too. Here are some other
tips that can help you kick the habit.
It’s Never Too Late
According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 12.5 percent of Medicare beneficiaries
smoke. Many older smokers, like yourself, indicate that they would like to quit, but because of
the nicotine, which is extremely addictive, it’s very difficult to do.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable illness, responsible for an estimated one-fifth of
deaths in the United States each year.
But research shows that quitting, even after age 65, greatly reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke,
cancer, osteoporosis and many other diseases including COVID-19. It also helps you breathe easier,
smell and taste food better, not to mention saves you quite a bit of money. A $6 pack-a-day smoker,
for example, saves about $180 after one month without cigarettes, and nearly $2,200 after one year.
How to Quit
The first step you need to take is to set a “quit date,” but give yourself a few weeks to get ready. During
that time, you may want to start by reducing the number or the strength of cigarettes you smoke to
begin weaning yourself.
Also check out over-the-counter nicotine replacement products – patches, gum and lozenges – to
help curb your cravings (these are not covered by Medicare). And just prior to your quit day get rid
of all cigarettes and ashtrays in your home, car, and place of work, and try to clean up and even spray
air freshener. The smell of smoke can be a powerful trigger.
Get Help
Studies have shown that you have a much better chance of quitting if you have help. So, tell your
friends, family, and coworkers of your plan to quit. Others knowing can be a helpful reminder and
motivator.
Then get some counseling. Don’t go it alone. Start by contacting your doctor about smoking cessation
counseling covered by Medicare and find out about the prescription antismoking drugs that can help
reduce your nicotine craving.
You can also get free one-on-one telephone counseling and referrals to local smoking cessation programs
through your state quit line at 800-QUIT-NOW or call the National Cancer Institute free
smoking quit line at 877-44U-QUIT.
It’s also important to identify and write down the times and situations you’re most likely to smoke
and make a list of things you can do to replace it or distract yourself. Some helpful suggestions when
the smoking urge arises are to call a friend or one of the free quit lines, keep your mouth occupied
with some sugar-free gum, sunflower seeds, carrots, fruit or hard candy, go for a walk, read a magazine,
listen to music or take a hot bath.
The intense urge to smoke lasts about three to five minutes, so do what you can to wait it out. It’s also
wise to avoid drinking alcohol and steer clear of other smokers while you’re trying to quit. Both can
trigger powerful urges to smoke.
For more tips on how to quit, including managing your cravings, withdrawal symptoms and what to
do if you relapse, visit 60plus.SmokeFree.gov. There are also a variety of helpful quit smoking apps
you can download like SmokeFreeApp.com and QuitGenius.com.
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.
SENIOR HAPPENINGS
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …August Birthdays*
Nancy Beckham, Karlene Englert, Juanita Fernandez, Jeanette Francis, Joseph
Kiss, Jacquie Pergola, Pat Miranda, Jerry Burnett, Margaret Aroyan, Phyllis
Burg, Beverly Clifton, Rosemary Morabito, Susan Poulsen, Joy Barry, Marcia
Bent, Joan Spears, Ruth Torres, Jane Zamanzadeh. Helen Stapenhorst, Chandy
Shair,Heidi Hartman, Erma Gutierrez,
* To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at
626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required
SIERRA MADRE SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
The City of Sierra Madre is following these procedures to provide current communication in light of
COVID-19 and keep the Senior Community and families informed of essential information and resources.
City staff are monitoring email communication daily, and although employees are minimizing
direct engagement and practicing social distancing in the community, please note that voice messages,
emails, and social media responses are being addressed in the most efficient and timely manner.
If at any moment additional information is needed, please contact City Hall Administrative Services at
(626) 355-7135, Monday-Thursday from 7:30a – 5:30p, as they are taking messages and e-mailing the
appropriate person.
For messages that may trickle in otherwise, please note our team is remotely checking voicemail daily at
the Community Services Department, (626) 355-5278 x702.
Community Services Department will continue email communication with Senior residents and aging
community members.
If you know of family members or neighbors who may benefit from accessing information electronically,
and to receive the department’s Seniors Newsletter via email but may not otherwise have been included
on an email group list, please send your request with email address to the following team members:
Lawren Heinz Lheinz@cityofsierramadre.com and Clarissa Lowe Clowe@cityofsierramadre.com.
Community Services Department will continue Electronic Seniors Newsletter on a weekly-basis
distribution.
Community Services Department will continue with mail drop-off of newsletters at the Sierra Madre
U.S. Post Office Box (unless otherwise advised).
City Social Media will continue via Facebook as well as Instagram, and information sharing will include
updates as details becomes available.
Mater Dolorosa - Sierra Madre Meal Pick-Up Program provides seal-packaged frozen meals, 5-per
person every Thursday, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. at Hart Park House Senior Center 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.
Donations are accepted. Call (626) 355-5278; x702 or 704.
YWCA Intervale Meal Program - Effective Wednesday, April 1, 2020
YWCA has transitioned their distribution of take home meals at the Sierra Madre Hart Park House Senior
Center to a home-delivery meal program. Participants previously reserved for meal pick-up as of
Wednesday, 3/25/20 were informed that they would begin to have their meals delivered to their homes,
beginning Wednesday, April 1, 2020 until further notice.
For any additional participants calling in that are at a high risk and need meals delivered to, please
provide us their name, date of birth (they must be 60+), address and phone number and Community
Services Department will for-ward this information to our County Contact.
Food Banks Support: Seniors & Families:
If someone is outside of our local area and in need of a food bank, they can find one nearest them by
going to www.lafoodbank.org and typing in their zip code; or call from the list here:
First Church of the Nazarene-Pasadena 3700 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. 626-351-9631
Wednesday 10:30 am-12 pm
Pasadena Senior Center 85 E. Holly St. Pasadena 626-685-6732
Foothill Unity Center 415 W. Chestnut Ave. Monrovia 626-358-3486 Monday 1 pm-3:30 pm,
Wednesday & Friday 9 am-11:30 am
Lifeline Community Services & Economic Development 2556 N. Lake Ave Altadena
626-797-3585 2nd and 4th Wednesday 12 pm-2 pm & 8:15 pm-9 pm
Morning Star Outreach Ministry 1416 N. Mentor Ave Pasadena 626-794-4875
2nd & 4th Saturday 11 am-1
FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett
OUT TO PASTOR
A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder
HOW TO AVOID THE NEED FOR A
PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENT
ARE HOMEMADE COOKIES ADDICTIVE?
Last week, I
discussed some
of the pros and
cons of using
prenuptial
agreements.
Here, we’ll look
at different estate
planning vehicles
that could
provide similar—
or even better—protection than prenups.
Revocable living trust created by you: By setting up
a revocable living trust and funding it with your
separate assets before getting married, those assets
would likely be considered non-marital property and
not subject to division by the court upon divorce—
as long as you never commingle any of those assets
with your spouse after your marriage. To ensure your
separate property assets stay separate, it’s vital that
you create and fund the trust with your assets before
the marriage and never add any assets acquired or
created during the marriage.
If you commingle assets acquired during the
marriage in a trust containing your separate non-
marital assets, a court could declare all of those
assets as marital property subject to claim as part of
a divorce settlement. To this end, a revocable trust
only protects your separate assets from divorce
if they remain separate from marital property
throughout the whole length of your marriage.
You can also use a revocable living trust to provide
for your surviving spouse and children from a
previous marriage in the event of your death or
incapacity. Unlike a will, assets held by a trust are
not subject to the court process known as probate,
so those assets would be immediately available to
your spouse and kids, sparing your family the time,
expense, and potential conflict of probate.
Note that since a revocable trust is “revocable” by
definition, there is no asset protection for assets in
your revocable trust, meaning that a revocable living
trust will not protect your assets from creditors during
your lifetime. If you want to achieve protection from
both a future divorce and future creditors, you may
want to consider one of the irrevocable trusts below.
Irrevocable trust created by your family: You can
protect your assets from divorce by having your parents
(or another loved one) establish an irrevocable trust
for you before your marriage. Then, the Investment
Trustee of the irrevocable trust (who could be you)
could purchase all of your existing assets in an
arms-length transaction and manage those assets
inside of the trust, where they are totally protected
from a future divorce and any future creditors.
Note that this strategy does require special
provisions to ensure you cannot make distributions
to yourself from the trust without the approval
of an “independent trustee.” This trustee could
be a best friend or a professional trustee, but
cannot be anyone related or subordinate to you.
Your parents or grandparents could also leave
any future inheritance you are to receive to this
irrevocable trust, ensuring that your inheritance
would also be protected. If this irrevocable trust is
properly established and the terms are well-drafted,
all assets the trust owns—and any assets left to you
in the future—will be fully protected from a future
divorce, future creditors, and even from estate taxes
and probate upon your death. Yes, I like these trusts
a lot.
Irrevocable trust created by you: It’s also possible
for you to establish an irrevocable trust for
yourself and gift your assets into the trust to
keep them safe from divorce. However, this
strategy is not as airtight as having a parent
or grandparents establish the trust for you.
When you gift assets to an irrevocable trust, there’s
a risk that a spouse or future creditor can claim
fraudulent conveyance, depending on how soon you
gift those assets after creating the trust. That said, if
you are looking for asset protection and an alternative
to a prenuptial agreement, and do not have a parent
or grandparent available, a self-settled irrevocable
trust can be a great second-best alternative.
Start your marriage off right
If you are getting ready to tie the knot and would
like to ensure that assets you bring into the marriage
don’t end up being lost in a future divorce settlement
or are protected for your kids from a prior marriage,
it is important to take action now. Once you are
married, many planning options are off the table.
And regardless of your concerns about divorce, you
definitely need to create or update your estate plan
to protect and provide for your soon-to-be-spouse
and any children you have in the event of your death
or incapacity.
Dedicated to empowering
your family, building your
wealth and defining your
legacy,
A local attorney and father, Marc Garlett is on a mission
to help parents protect what they love most. His office is
located at 55 Auburn Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 91024.
Schedule an appointment to sit down and talk about
ensuring a legacy of love and financial security for your
family by calling 626.355.4000 or visit www.CaliLaw.
com for more information.
Some people say we are living in
the "new normal." I'm not sure exactly
what they mean, and I don't
have the time to ask, nor the desire.
If the "new normal" is what I have been experiencing in
the parsonage for the last several months, I'm all for it.
Let it continue. Everybody should be able to live their
own normal.
Because of being limited, as far as traveling is concerned
and going shopping or whatever, the Gracious
Mistress of the Parsonage and I have spent a lot of time
at home enjoying our time together.
I must say that my wife and I don't always see eye to
eye. After all, I'm 6'3”, and she's only 5'2”. I'm tempted
to say at times, but I value my life too much, that I have
a "higher perspective" than my wife. But you didn't
hear it for me.
We have spent almost half a century together, and
we're coming out of it most amicably. Some people
might say we were opposites in many regards. She's on
the vegetable side of the table, and I'm on the fruit side.
There have been some little clashes concerning that.
She’s a vegetable connoisseur and I, well, let’s say I’m
a fruitoholic. The only veggie I really approve of is the
Carrot Cake.
Apart from that, we have been able to carve out a wonderful
life together. I didn't realize how much it was
until all of this "lockdown" nonsense that we're in right
now.
When I go out, come home and walk into the house, I
am overwhelmed by the aroma that is all through the
house. The first time this happened, I had to stop and
try to figure out what was happening. Then it became
clear, the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage had spent
the whole day cooking or baking.
One day it is baking, and then the next day it is cooking
and putting it all together, it is marvelous.
We haven’t eaten out in a restaurant for months, but
rather have enjoyed home-cooked meals the whole
time. I’m not sure if I should leave a tip!
I remember one day when I came into the house the
aroma was one of my favorites. My wife had been baking
cookies all day long, and the house was filled with
that beautiful aroma.
On the table were cookies just out of the oven, and in
the oven was a new batch of cookies. Those cookies
on the table smelled so wonderful. Not only that, but
they also looked delicious. I'm not sure what delicious
looks like, but those cookies came very close to that
definition.
I came and stood by the cookies and looked at them,
and then I heard, "Don't you dare touch one of those
cookies!"
Looking up, my wife was staring at me, knowing full
well my intent to snatch a cookie. The problem with
cookies on the table is when you take one, there is an
empty space so you can't get away with it.
“But, my dear, they look and smell so wonderful. This
must be the last batch of cookies you have ever made
in your life.”
I’m trying to negotiate into getting at least one cookie.
The problem is, nobody, especially me, can negotiate
with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage.
I looked at her, looked back at the cookies, and then
again at her with some of my most sorry-looking eyes
I could manufacture. If I could have created a tear, I
would've at that moment.
At that time, I knew I would have to wait to have a
cookie, but it was just killing me to not only smelling
them but seeing in the same room that I'm in. Such
torture is inhuman.
I went into the living room and sat down to watch a
little TV. In a few moments, my wife came in carrying
one cookie and said, "You can have one cookie per
day."
Smiling at her, I accepted the cookie and indulged in
gratifying my cookie-itis. And it was wonderful. My
problem at the time was, it was only one, and it was
small.
I found out she was making these cookies for other
people and members of the family. I tried to tell her
that I was a member of the family, but she threw a grimace
at me and continued baking the cookies.
How can anybody live on just one cookie per day?
Later on, I saw on the table plastic bags filled with
cookies designated for some friend or family member.
An idea crumbled in my head at that time. When my
wife said, "one cookie per day," what did that actually
mean?
Looking at all the bags of cookies on that table, I developed
my own interpretation and assumed it meant one
cookie per day per plastic bag. I hope she doesn't catch
on to my plan, but I have enjoyed her cookies all day
long. Remember, I only ate one at a time.
As I was enjoying my last cookie, a verse of scripture
came to mind. "My little children, let us not love in
word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1
John 3:18).
My words don't mean anything unless it is backed
up by what I do. I think I need to confess my cookie
snatching to my wife.
Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com
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