Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, July 16, 2022

11 Mountain Views-News Saturday, July 16, 2022 11 Mountain Views-News Saturday, July 16, 2022 
SHOULD YOU TAKE DAILY ASPIRIN FOR YOUR HEART? 

Dear Savvy Senior:
I’ve been taking daily aspirin for almost 20 years now 
because I have a family history of heart disease. But I 
recently read that using aspirin is not recommended anymore. 
What can you tell me about this change in philosophy? 
Confused Aspirin User 


Dear Confused: 
There’s no doubt that taking low-dose daily aspirin is beneficial to most people who’ve had a heart attack or 
stroke. But if you don’t have heart disease, should you take it as a preventative measure? The answer for most 
people is probably not, according to new guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), 
a widely respected independent panel that develops recommendations on preventive health care. Here’s what 
you should know. 

New Guidelines 

For years, aspirin has been a go-to pill Americans use to help ward off cardiovascular disease because of 
its blood thinning capability. But like most medicines, it can cause serious side effects. Aspirin irritates the 
stomach lining and can cause bleeding in the stomach, intestines and brain which can be life-threatening. 
And the risk of bleeding increases with age. 

About one-third of Americans age 40 and older, and more than 45 percent of people over age 70 – who don’t 
have cardiovascular disease – already take a daily aspirin to help prevent cardiovascular disease because it’s 
been recommended for decades by many different health experts. 

But in the past few years, new research has emerged showing that for many people without diagnosed heart 
disease, the risk of bleeding may outweigh the benefits of taking a daily aspirin. This research, along with the 
advent of other effective therapies in preventing heart attacks and strokes that don’t cause bleeding – better 
blood pressure drugs and statins for lowering cholesterol – has narrowed the role aspirin plays. 

Here’s a breakdown of the updated USPSTF guidelines of who should, and shouldn’t, take a daily aspirin, and 
for those who should, how to take it safely. 

Who Should Take It? 

There are two categories of people who can still benefit from using aspirin. People with established cardiovascular 
disease, especially those who have already had a heart attack or stroke. There’s strong evidence that 
taking a daily low-dose aspirin significantly reduces the risk of a second cardiovascular event. And adults 
ages 40 to 59 with a 10 percent or higher risk for a cardiovascular disease over the next decade. They may 
see a small benefit to daily aspirin, but it should be an individual decision and discussed with your doctor. 

Who Should Skip It?

People who are 60 and older – without established cardiovascular disease – who do not currently take a 
daily aspirin to prevent heart disease should not start now. This is particularly true for people with a history 
of bleeding, say from ulcers or aneurysms, or those taking medications such as blood thinners, steroids or 
anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen or naproxen. If they already take a daily aspirin now, they should ask 
a doctor about how to proceed, because there may be a serious risk to suddenly stopping. 

How to Use it Safely

The best approach is to talk to your doctor about the potential risks and benefits of aspirin specifically for 
you. Because the risk of bleeding raises with dosage, if aspirin is recommended, take the lowest possible 
amount, which for most people is an 81 mg baby aspirin. And if you experience any stomach pain, talk to 
your doctor. 

You should also know that in 2016 the USPSTF suggested that daily aspirin use could also help lower the risk 
of colorectal cancer along with cardiovascular disease. But the group now says there’s not enough evidence 
to support that claim. 

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 

ESTATE PLANNING FOR A CHILD WITH SPECIAL 
NEEDS - WHAT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW 

Estate planning is an obvious concern for all parents, but if you have a 

child with special needs, it’s crucial that you’re aware of the unique con


siderations that go into planning for a child who may be dependent on 
you at some level for their entire lifetime. If your child has special needs, you must plan to provide 
for the emotional, physical, and financial needs of your child, in the event of your own eventual 
death or potential incapacity.

 When creating your estate plan, there are two major considerations to focus on: 1) Who would care 
for your child if you cannot (also known as guardianship), and 2) How will your child’s financial 
needs be met when you are not there to meet them. 

Naming Legal Guardians for a Lifetime of Care

The first and most critical step in ensuring the future well-being of your child with special needs is 
to name both short and long-term legal guardians to take custody of and care for your child in the 
event of your death or incapacity. And as you well know, if your child will never become fully capable 
of independently caring for him or herself, your parenting responsibilities will continue long 
after your child reaches adulthood. 

Although this lifetime responsibility likely feels overwhelming, we’ve been told repeatedly by our 
clients who have a child with special needs that naming legal guardians and knowing their child 
will be cared for in the way they want, by the people they want, creates an immense sense of relief. 
Not only that, but you may want to build in unique directives through which the named guardians 
are carefully instructed—and even incentivized—to give your child the same level of attention and 
care you provide. 

Providing for Your Child’s Financial Future: Special Needs TrustsBeyond naming legal guardians for your child with special needs, you’ll also need to provide financial 
resources to allow your child to live out his or her life in the manner you desire. And this is 
where things can get tricky for children with special needs. 

In fact, it may seem like a “Catch-22” situation—you want to leave your child enough money to afford 
the care and support he or she needs to live a comfortable life, yet if you leave money directly 
to a person with special needs, you risk disqualifying that individual for much-needed government 
benefits like Medi-Cal and Supplemental Social Security Income (SSI). 

Fortunately, the government allows assets to be held in what’s known as a “special needs trust” to 
provide supplemental financial resources for a physically, mentally, or developmentally disabled 
child, without affecting his or her eligibility for public healthcare and income assistance benefits. 
However, the rules for such trusts are complicated so you should always work with a trusted lawyer 
to create a comprehensive special needs trust that’s properly structured and appropriate for your 
child’s specific situation. 

Setting Up the TrustFunds from a special needs trust cannot be distributed directly to your child, and instead must be 
disbursed to a third party who’s responsible for managing the trust. Given this, when you initially 
set up the trust, you will likely be both the Grantor (trust creator) and Trustee (the person responsible 
for managing the trust), and your child with special needs is the trust’s Beneficiary. 

You’ll then name the person you want responsible for administering the trust’s funds upon your 
death or incapacity as the Successor Trustee. To avoid conflicts of interest, overburdening the legal 
guardian with too much responsibility, and providing a system of checks and balances, it may be a 
wise decision to name someone other than your child’s legal guardian as a Trustee. 

As the parent, you serve as the Trustee until you die or become incapacitated, at which time the Successor 
Trustee takes over. Each person who serves as Trustee is legally required to follow the trust’s 
terms and use its funds and property for the benefit of your special needs child. 

There are two ways to set up a special needs trust. In the first option, it is built into your revocable 
living trust, and it will arise, or spring up, upon your death. From there, assets that are held in your 
living trust will be used to fund your child’s special needs trust. 

In the other option, a special needs trust acts as a vehicle for receiving and holding assets for your 
child right now. This option makes sense if your child’s grandparents or other relatives want to give 
him or her gifts sooner rather than later. 

Finally, it is important to ensure that the trust will have sufficient funds to last throughout the life of 
your child. One common method to provide funding 
is for you (or another loved one) to name the Marc Garlett, Esq. 
special needs trust as the beneficiary of your life Cali Law Family Legacy 
insurance policy. Another way is for family mem-Matters 
bers and friends to make donations or gifts to the www.caliLaw.com 

626.355.4000

trust and/or include it as a beneficiary in their will. 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS 


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …July Birthdays* 

Nina Bartolai, Mary Lou Caldwell, Louise Neiby, Betty Hansen, Melinda 
Rogers , Christine Durfort, Shahrzad Azrani, Jeanne Borgedahl, Janet Cox, 
Dorothy Montgomery, Bess Pancoska, Janet Swanson, Barbara Watson, Pat 
Alcorn, Karma Bell, Alice Clark, Dorothy Jerneycic, and Betty Dos Remedios 

* To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR 
of birth not required 
SIERRA MADRE SENIOR CLUB Every Saturday from 11:30am-3:30 pm in the Hart 
Park House Senior Center. Join us as we celebrate birthdays, holidays and pay BINGO. 
Must be 50+ to join. For more information call Mark at 626-355-3951. 

DOMINOES TRAIN GAME 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, 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. 

PAINT PALS 

Tuesday, 7/21 , 10:30 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 Tuesday July 20 — 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, 7/19 —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 or the Hart Park House.. 

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. 

BLOOD PRESSURE CLINIC - Tuesday, July 12 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Methodist Hospital will be holding a free to seniors clinic once a month in the Hart Park 
House. Walk in are welcome - no pre-registration required. 

BINGO: July 14 1:00 pm - 2:00 pmCome down to the HPH (Hart Park House) for a lively round of BINGO. Prizes await! 


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

FOOL ME ONCE AND YOU WILL BE THE FOOL 

Recently, the A/C company we use came and did their yearly inspection. 
The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage took them around to the places that 
needed inspection. Everything turned out to be quite well and no problems. 

That got me thinking of what happened many years ago with another company that did our 
A/C work. At the time, we didn’t know any company in that industry so we had to take some 
company that we did not know that much about, which is usually not a good idea. 

The first company thought they knew exactly what they would do and how they would do it. 
They had no idea they had to deal with The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. They were 
in for a lesson in customer service. 

I remember the first day they arrived, I introduced them to my wife and told them that she 
would oversee this inspection. One guy laughed as he looked at me, and then looked at the 
other guy; both laughed and said, “This is our expertise. We’ll take charge right here.” 

That was when I had an opportunity to laugh. I knew what was coming, and I also knew they 
had no idea what was coming. 

My job was to turn the situation over to The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and then 
excuse myself to my office. Then, of course, I ensured I was within listening distance of what 
would happen. 

My wife said, “If you follow me, I will take you to where you need to begin.” 

The one guy laughed and said, “Ma’am, you don’t know what you’re doing; this is our job, 
we’ll take it from here.” 

It was all I could do to keep from laughing hysterically out loud. 

“This is my house, and you will do exactly as I say.” Then, with both hands on her hips, she 
gave them her infamous stare. 

The only thing I regretted was not recording this for future entertainment. These guys 
thought they could boss her around because The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage was 
a woman. The only thing I could think of was these guys were bachelors. Only a bachelor 
could entertain such a crazy idea. 

“Okay,” my wife said, “you either come where I tell you or get out of my house.” She said it in 
such a way that even those two stooges understood exactly what she was saying. 

She then took them to the first place to check the A/C unit, very solemnly following her to 
the first point. 

They checked it out, and then she took them to the rest of those points for their inspection. 

Then they told my wife they needed to go out to their truck and put together their estimate 
of our A/C inspection. 

They were outside for about half an hour, then came in with their estimate and handed it to 
my wife. 

She looked at it, then looked back at them and said, “What is this all about?” 

“Those are the things,” the one guy said very seriously, “that need to be replaced on your 
unit.” 

I don’t quite remember, but I think it was over $1,000 that they had added up. 

Unfortunately for them, they thought their job was done. 

“I do not think any of this is necessary.” She said very seriously. 

They looked at her and were not smiling. One of them said, “Ma’am, what do you mean?” 

“All this stuff you want to replace is unnecessary for our unit.” She paused for a while and 
then said, “There is nothing wrong with our A/C unit. This is just a yearly checkup that we 
already paid.” 

They looked at each other, and then looked back at my wife not knowing what to say. 

She looked at the estimate sheet they gave her and said, “Which one of these items needs to 
be replaced?” 

Then she said, “This A/C unit is only a year old. There is no reason that any of it needs to be 
replaced within a year.” 

They really didn’t have much to say at this point because they were beginning to see who 
they were up against. 

“We’ll take this to our manager for him to look at, and he will get back to you tomorrow.” 

They picked up their tools and escaped the parsonage as quickly as possible. Actually, they 
were escaping The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage to be truthful. 

I must say it was one of my better days, and I enjoyed every moment of it almost as much as 
an Apple Fritter. But, as far as I remember, that manager never got back to us about all the 
stuff they wanted to replace in our A/C unit. 

My wife found another company to service our A/C unit. It took her a while to find a company 
that she could trust. Finally she did. 

As I was reflecting on all of this I couldn’t help but think of what Solomon said in, Proverbs 
18:2-3 – “A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself. 
When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.” 

I have found myself acting like a fool in many regards but I have tried to discipline myself 
in getting away from those foolish ideas. With God’s help, I have been delighting in understanding. 
I’m not there yet, but I am progressing day by day. 

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Telephone 
1-352-216-3025, e-mail jamessnyder51@gmail.com, website 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