Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, December 25, 2021

Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 25, 2021 

DECIPHERING SENIOR HOUSING OPTIONS 

Dear Savvy Senior:
Can you decipher the different types of housing options available to seniors, and recommend some good resources 
for locating them? I need to find a place for my elderly mother and could use some help.
Overwhelmed Daughter 

Dear Overwhelmed: 

There’s a wide array of housing options available to se


niors, but what’s appropriate for your mom will depend 

on her needs and financial situation. Here’s a rundown 

of the different levels of senior housing and some re


sources to help you choose one. 

Independent living: If your mom is in relatively good 
health and self-sufficient, “independent living communities” 
are a top option that can offer a sense of community. 
Typically available to people over age 55, this type of senior housing is usually apartments or town 
homes that are fully functional. In addition, many communities also offer amenities such as meals served in a 
common dining area, housekeeping, transportation and a variety of social activities. 


To locate this type of housing, contact your Area Agency on Aging (call 800-677-1116 to get your local number), 
or use an online search tool like Caring.com. Most of these communities are private pay only and can 
vary greatly in cost ranging anywhere from $1,500 to $6,000 per month. 

Assisted living: If your mom needs some help with daily living chores, she’ll probably need an “assisted living 
facility.” These facilities provide help with the activities of daily living – like bathing, dressing, eating, going 
to the bathroom – as needed, as well as meals, housekeeping, transportation, social activities and medication 
management. Many facilities also offer special “memory care units” for residents with dementia. 

Costs for assisted living usually run between $3,000 and $6,000 per month depending on location and services 
needed. Most residents pay for assisted living from personal funds, while some have long-term care insurance 
policies. And many state Medicaid programs today also cover some assisted living costs for financially eligible 
residents. 

Another similar, but less expensive option to look into is “board and care homes.” These offer many of the 
same services as assisted living facilities but in a much smaller home setting. 

Your Area Aging Agency is again a good resource for finding assisted living facilities and board care homes, 
as is Caring.com. 

Nursing homes: If your mom needs ongoing medical and personal care or has very limited mobility, a nursing 
home, which provides 24-hour skilled nursing care is the next option. To find a good one, use Medicare’s nursing 
home compare tool at Medicare.gov/care-compare. This tool will not only help you locate nursing homes 
in your area, it also provides a 5-star rating system on recent health inspections, staffing, quality of care, and 
overall rating. 

But be aware that nursing home care is very expensive, costing anywhere between $4,500 and $13,000 per 
month for a semi-private room depending on where you live. Most residents pay from either personal funds, 
a long-term care insurance policy or through Medicaid after their savings are depleted. 

Continuing-care retirement communities (CCRC’s): If your mom has the financial resources, a “CCRC” is 
another option that provides all levels of housing (independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing home 
care) in one convenient location. But these communities typically require a hefty entrance fee that can range 
from $20,000 to $500,000 or more, plus ongoing monthly service fees that vary from around $2,000 to over 
$4,000. To search for CCRC’s visit Caring.com. 

Need Help? 
If you’re not sure what your mom needs, consider hiring an aging life care expert (AgingLifeCare.org) who 
can assess your mom and find her appropriate housing for a fee – usually between $300 and $800. Or you can 
use a senior care advising service like A Place for Mom (APlaceForMom.com) for free. They get paid from the 
senior living facilities in their network. 

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. 


FAMILY MATTERS

 By Marc Garlett 

HOW TO PRESERVE YOUR FAMILY 
LEGACY DURING THE HOLIDAYS 

As you likely already know, but may not have given much thought about, 
the inheritance you provide is so much more than the money you’ll leave behind. It also includes 
your values, insights, stories, and experiences. And, while those things are such an important part 
of your legacy, they are often lost because they aren’t intentionally preserved. 

What I’ve discovered in helping my clients preserve their whole legacy, is that we can learn so much 
more than expected -- about ourselves and our loved ones - when we ask the right questions. 

So, this year, we invite you to ask your mother, father, and/or another loved one the 32 important 
questions below that can teach you valuable lessons about love, life, and what matters most. And 
don’t just ask them, record their answers to preserve your own Family Legacy. 

Use these questions as a springboard and an engaging activity during the holidays with your loved 
ones: 

1. What comes to mind when you think about growing up in your hometown? 
2. What did you love to do as a kid, before high school? 
3. What did you love to do in high school? 
4. What do you remember most about your teenage years? 
5. What do you remember most about your mom (grandma)? 
6. What was most important to her? 
7. What do you remember most about your dad (grandpa)? 
8. What was most important to him? 
9. If Grandma and Grandpa had a message to pass along to the grandchildren, what 
would it be? 
10. How did you meet your spouse? How did you know (s)he was the one? 
11. How did you choose your career? What was your favorite part about it? 
12. What made you successful? 
13. What did you believe about yourself that helped you become successful and deal with 
hard times? 
14. What times in your life truly “tested your mettle,” and what did you learn about yourself 
by dealing (or not dealing) with them? 
15. What three events most shaped your life? 
16. What do you remember about when I was born? 
17. Were you ever scared to be a parent? 
18. What three words would you say represented your approach to parenting and why? 
19. When you think about [sibling] how would you describe him/her? 
20. What message do you have for [sibling] that you want him/her to always keep in mind?
[Do the last two questions above for each sibling in your family] 
21. When you think about [spouse], how would you describe her/him? 
22. What message do you have for [spouse] that you want her/him to always keep in mind? 
23. What three words would you say best describe who you tried to be in life? How would you 
like to be remembered? 
24. What do you think your children and grandchildren should focus on professionally? 
25. What have you learned about people in life? 
26. What do you think the world needs more of right now? 
27. What do you believe people want the most in life? 
28. What were the three best decisions you ever made? 
29. What are you most proud of? 
30. What were five of the most memorable moments of your life? 
31. What message would you like to share with your family? 
32. What are you most thankful for? 
These questions can reveal a wealth of valuable life lessons -family treasures to discuss and share 
with generations to come. These non-material assets are so important. But also make sure your 
family’s material assets are protected by a comprehensive estate plan. The material (financial) assets 
are also important, so don’t neglect to secure them. Just keep in mind that you, and the generations 
which came before you, are about so much more than only your economic position during life. 

Take the time and make the intention to protect all your assets so you can preserve and pass on 
your family legacy. That’s how real wealth is created and passed on from one generation to the next. 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS 


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …December Birthdays* 

Maria Decker, Nancy Dorn, Prudence Levine Pat Karamitros, Joan 
Hufnagel, Mary Alice Cervera, Carol Horejsi, Shirley Anhalt, Helen Reese, 
Levon Yapoujian, Toni Buckner, Lottie Bugl, Sheila Wohler, Nan Murphy, 
Eleanor Hensel, Sylvia Curl, Elizabeth Levie, Gayle Licher, Cindy Barran, 
and Melissa Stute, Prudence Levin, Sheila Woehler. * To add your name 
to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not 
required 

SENIOR ACTIVITIES IN SIERRA MADRE 
HOLIDAY LUNCHEON 

Please join the Sierra Madre Senior Community Commission in the Hart Park 
House Senior Center for the much anticipated Annual Holiday Luncheon. Meet our 
Senior Commissioners as they assist with serving lunch and provide some holiday 
cheer. Bring your festive spirit for a fun and lively game of bingo, your appetite for 
a boxed lunch (by Nano Cafe) and door prizes. Staff will begin taking reservations 
over the phone on December 2, 2021. Space is limited to 40 people so reserve your 
spot! Please call 626-355-5278 with your reservation and sandwich choice. Turkey, 
beef or tuna. 

THE HART PARK HOUSE SENIOR CENTER IS OPEN!!!!

 In house lunch dining service will not resume at this time. Access to the computer/
classroom is temporarily unavailable. All Classes and programs will maintain a distance 
of 6 ft between participants. All equipment used will be sanitized after each 
use before it is stored. Each participant is responsible for providing their own water, 
masks and additionally needed supplies for each class. Please call the Community 
Services Department at 355-7394 with any questions or concerns. 

DOMINOES TRAIN GAME 
Wednesday, 12/1, & 12/15 11:00 am— 12:30 pm Hart Park House The object of the 
game is for a player to play all the tiles from their hand onto one or more trains, 
emanating from a central hub or “station”. Call Lawren with questions that you may 
have. Led by volunteer Loni. 

PAINT PALS 
Tuesday, 12/7, and 12/21, 10:00 am—Hart Park House If you enjoy painting, sketching, 
water color, or making some other form of artistic creation please join our new 
program, PAINT PALS!!! Bring a project that you are working on to the HPH and 
enjoy some quality art time with other artists looking to paint with a new pal. 

TEA AND TALK SENIOR BOOK CLUB 
Wednesday, 12/7 & 12/21— 9:00 am Staff has launched a new book club series, Tea 
and Talk, which meets twice a month to discuss the fun, suspense, intrigue, love and 
so much more that each selection will have in store! 

FIBER FRIENDS 
Tuesday, 12/14 & Monday, 12/20 —10:00 am If you enjoy knitting, crocheting, embroidery, 
needlepoint, bunka, huck, tatting or cross stitch then we have a group for 
you! Bring your current project, a nonalcoholic beverage, then sit and chat with 
likeminded fiber friends. We meet in the Hart Park House 

CHAIR YOGA 
Every Monday and Wednesday, 10-10:45 am Please join us for some gentle stretching, 
yoga, balance exercise and overall relaxation with Paul. Classes are ongoing and 
held in the Memorial Park Covered Pavilion. 

HULA AND POLYNESIAN DANCE 
Every Friday, 10-10:45 am Bring a lei, your flower skirt or just your desire to dance! 
Hula in the Park is back and waiting for you to join in on all the fun! Memorial Park 
Pavilion. 

CITY HALL AND THE HART PARK HOUSE WILL BE CLOSED THURSDAY, 
DECEMBER 23, 2021 - MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022 


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

I WAS NAUGHTY AND DIDN'T KNOW IT! 

Everybody has their own definition of what naughty is. So my great concern 
is why we allow this man called Santa Claus from the North Pole to determine 
who is naughty or nice? For some reason, I got on Santa’s naughty list 
this year. You might ask, “How do you know that you’re on his naughty list?” 

The answer to that is very simple, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage said to me this past 
week, “I think you’re on Santa’s naughty list this year.” I don’t know how she knew that, but I 
never question what she knows or doesn’t know. So if she says I’m on Santa’s naughty list, I am 
for sure on Santa’s naughty list. 

The problem is that she has a different definition of naughty than I do. Her definition of naughty 
is eating apple fritters. My definition of naughty is eating broccoli. Right here, the Twain 
shall never come together. 

The only way that Santa could know that I have been naughty this past year is if he got the information 
from The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. That in itself seems to me to be quite 
naughty. But you didn’t hear it from me. If being naughty is eating an apple fritter, then I shall 
be naughty till the day I die. After all, any Apple fritter is worth it. 

That being settled, it is very clear that I know how to be naughty. The Apple fritter is just one 
aspect of my naughtiness. So what I need to investigate is how in the world can I get on Santa’s 
nice list? What can I do this coming year to guarantee a spot on that infamous list? 

To be sure, I will not be asking The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage because then she will 
tell me, and I will be in deep trouble. I can almost hear what she would say in this regard. But I 
need to figure out for myself what it really means to be nice. I thought I was a nice person, but 
what I think doesn’t really matter. What can I do to be nice to the people around me? And if I 
am nice to the people around me, will Santa notice? What can I do to get his attention? fter all, 
this infamous character supposedly lives in the North Pole, so how would he know what I’m 
doing way down here? 

I spent some time the other day thinking about this and trying to come up with a list of things 
I could do to reveal the nice quality of myself to people around me. After a couple of hours of 
such meditation, I did not come up with a single thing I could do to reveal my niceness. My 
first focus was, how can I be nice to my wife? After all, she’s nice to me, so how can I reciprocate? 

After living with her for so long, I have come to the conclusion that anything I do, she can do 
much better. Everything I break, she can fix. 

Then a thought did a Christmas dance in my head. Then, whenever she fixes anything, she is 
very happy because she can fix it. So what makes her happy is fixing things. 

So, if I’m going to make her happy this coming year, I need to concentrate on breaking things. 
Everything I break will make her happy because then she can fix something. So why didn’t I 
think of this before? 

I can think of so many things I can break that I didn’t know exactly where to start. It’s going to 
be important to start at the right place so that I can build on that throughout the year. After all, 
if something can be broken, I’m your man. 

This was a great challenge for me because everything I break is an accident. To do this right, I 
will have to master having accidents. 

A couple of years ago, I broke the front bumper of my truck. My wife was able to fix it using 
several paperclips. Well, guess what my first accident was? You got it. 

I pulled into a parking lot for some reason, went too far, and unintentionally broke the front 
bumper again. Actually, I didn’t know I had broken it; I just heard a sound and didn’t think too 
much about it. 

Later that evening my wife happened to go outside where my truck was parked and when she 
came in, she said with a smile all over her face, “Did you notice that your front bumper is broken 
again?” At first, of course, I thought she was joking and laughed at her and said, “Is that 
right?” 

She disappeared and, in a moment, came back with several paperclips and went back outside 
and fixed my truck. 

I leaned back in my chair, smiled, and said to myself, “This is your first act of niceness for the 
year. What’s next?” 

I was reminded of the words of Jesus when he said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye 
shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7). 

This coming year I certainly will exercise when Jesus says here and look forward to ways I can 
be nice, especially to my wife. Then, I might be able to loop over to being nice to other people. 
So I have a great year ahead of me. 

Dr. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, Ocala, FL 34483, where he 
lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Telephone 1-352-216-3025, e-mail jamessnyder51@
gmail.com. Website is www.jamessnyderministries.com. 

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