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 Mountain Views News Saturday, April 6, 2024 


FREE ASSISTED LIVING PLACEMENT SERVICE

 

 Discover the perfect assisted living community 
with Safe Path for Seniors. Our compassionate advisors 
specialize in assisting individuals with unique 
needs. Benefit from our extensive network and affordable 
options. Plus, we offer personalized tours 
to help you explore each community firsthand. Call 
(626) 999-6913 or visit www.safepathforseniors.com 
for free assistance.

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …APRIL BIRTHDAYS*

Howard Rubin, Anita Hardy, Hattie Harris, Marilyn Diaz, Virginia Elliott, 
Elma Flores, Betty Jo Gregg, Barbara Lampman, Betty Mackie, Elizabeth 
Rassmusen, Maria Reyes, Marian DeMars, Anne Schryver, Chrisine 
Bachwansky, Colleen McKernan, Sandy Swanson, Hank Landsberg, Ken 
Anhalt, Shannon Vandevelde, Barbara Rounkle * To add your name to 
this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR 
of birth not required


FOR CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, there 
are additional resources and considerations specific 
to the state that can help in affording assisted living:

1. **Medi-Cal**: California’s Medicaid program, 
known as Medi-Cal, offers assistance for low-
income individuals and seniors who need long-term 
care services, including assisted living. Eligibility is 
based on income and asset limits, and seniors can 
apply through their local county’s social services 
office.

2. **In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)**: IHSS 
is a California program that provides assistance 
with daily activities for low-income seniors and 
individuals with disabilities who wish to remain 
living in their own homes or communities. This 
program can help offset the costs of assisted living by 
providing financial support for caregiving services.

3. **Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) Program**: 
California’s ALW Program allows eligible seniors 
enrolled in Medi-Cal to receive assisted living 
services in participating facilities instead of nursing 
homes. This program covers room and board costs, 
personal care services, and other support services.

4. **PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the 
Elderly)**: PACE is a comprehensive healthcare 
program available in certain counties in California 
that provides medical, social, and long-term care 
services to seniors who are eligible for nursing home 
care but wish to remain living in the community. 
PACE covers a wide range of services, including 
assisted living, and may help offset the costs for 
eligible individuals.

5. **Tax Deductions and Credits**: California 
residents may be eligible for certain tax deductions 
and credits related to long-term care expenses, 
including assisted living costs. Consulting with a tax 
advisor can help seniors and their families maximize 
available tax benefits.

6. **Senior Housing Assistance Repair Program 
(SHARP)**: SHARP is a program offered by the 
California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) 
that provides grants to eligible low-income seniors 
for necessary home repairs and accessibility 
modifications. This can help seniors remain in their 
homes longer or make their homes more suitable for 
aging in place.

7. **Regional Centers for Developmental 
Disabilities**: For seniors with developmental 
disabilities, California’s Regional Centers provide a 
range of services and supports, including assistance 
with finding and accessing appropriate housing 
options, including assisted living facilities.

By leveraging these California-specific resources 
and programs, residents can better navigate the 
financial aspects of assisted living and access the 
support they need to afford quality care. It’s essential 
to research eligibility criteria, apply for relevant 
programs, and seek guidance from local agencies or 
advocacy organizations for additional assistance.

Courtesy of Safe Path For Seniors


CHOOSING A SENIOR COMMUNITY THAT OFFERS 
ALL LEVELS OF CARE


Dear Savvy Senior:

Can you help me identify some good senior living 
communities that offers all levels of housing and care from 
independent living to nursing home care? I am in my late 
seventies and know I need to downsize from my current house, but I want my next move to be my last. 

One Move Mary

Dear Mary:

If you want your next move to be your last, an all-inclusive retirement community – also 
known as a continuing-care retirement community (or CCRC) – is a great option to 
consider. Here’s what you should know, along with some tips to help you locate one.

What are CCRCs?

CCRCs are different from other types of senior housing because they provide all levels of 
housing, services and care in one convenient location. 

While the appearance and services of CCRCs can vary greatly, most provide apartments 
or sometimes single-family homes for active independent seniors. In addition, they also 
offer onsite assisted living for seniors who require help with basic living tasks like bathing, 
dressing or going to the bathroom, and nursing home care for residents when their health 
declines. 

CCRCs also provide a variety of resort-style amenities and services that include community 
dining halls, exercise facilities, housekeeping, and transportation, as well as many social 
and recreational activities.

But be aware that all these services come at a hefty price. Most communities have entry fees 
that range from less the $100,000 to more than $1 million, plus ongoing monthly fees that 
generally range from $2,000 to $5,000 for singles ($3,000 to $6,000 for couples) depending 
on the facility, services and the contract option you choose. 

With more than 2,000 CCRCs in operation throughout the U.S, finding a facility that fits 
your lifestyle, needs and budget will require some legwork. Here are some steps that can 
help you proceed. 

Make a list: To find CCRCs in the area you want to live go to MyLifeSite.net and Caring.
com, which provide online lists. Once you’ve located a few, call them to find out if they have 
any vacancies, what they charge and if they provide the types of services you want. 

Take a tour: Many CCRCs encourage potential residents to stay overnight and have a few 
meals in their dining hall. During your visit, notice the upkeep of the facility and talk to the 
current residents to see how they like living there. Also, check out the assisted living and 
nursing facilities, and find out how decisions are made to move residents from one level of 
care to another. 

Do some research: While on your tour, find out who owns the CCRC and get a copy of their 
most recently audited financial statement and review it. Also find out their occupancy rate. 
Unless it’s a newer community filling up, occupancy below 80 percent can be a red flag that 
the facility is having financial or management problems. 

To investigate the CCRC’s long-term care services call your state long-term care ombudsman 
(see LTCombudsman.org) who can tell you if the assisted living and nursing care services 
had any complaints or problems. You can also use Medicare’s nursing home compare tool 
at Medicare.gov/care-compare.

Understand the contract and fees: Most CCRCs offer three types of contracts: Life-care, or 
Type A contracts, which have the highest entry fee but covers all levels of long-term care as 
needed; Type B, or modified contracts that have lower entry fees but limits long-term care 
services in the initial fee; and Type C, or fee-for-service contracts, which offer the lowest 
entrance fees but requires you to pay extra for long-term care if you need it.

You also need to find out what yearly price increases you can expect? How much of your 
entry fee is refundable to you if you move or die? And what happens if you outlive your 
financial resources? 

To help you sort through all this, consult with your financial advisor or lawyer before 
committing. 

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.


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

IT WAS A FOOL’S GAME AND I LOST

When it comes to games, I 
am not a good player. I lose 
more times than I win, and I 
can’t remember the last time 
I won. My paternal grandfather’s favorite 
holiday of the year was April Fools’ Day. He 
often would spend the whole year developing 
a prank for family and friends.

He had a construction company, and I’m not 
sure how many employees he had, but every 
one of them was the subject of some prank 
during their time with him. Some pranks 
were so bad I can’t mention them today.

Through the years, I have tried unsuccessfully 
to prank The Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage. One of these days, cross my 
fingers, I will come up with a prank that 
works.

A week before April Fools’ Day, The Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage asked me a rather 
silly question. “When was the last time you 
had an Apple Fritter?”

I was very suspicious of this question because 
I’m not allowed to bring them into our house, 
at least if she knows about it.

I was thinking that when she asked me this 
question, she was suspicious that I had been 
eating an Apple Fritter behind her back.

Being old has a great deal of benefits to it so 
I told her, “Oh, my dear. I can’t remember 
eating an Apple Fritter lately.”

Looking at me rather strangely and with some 
air of unbelief, she said, “I was just thinking 
that maybe this April Fools’ Day would be a 
good time for you to have an Apple Fritter.”

I smiled at her, thinking she was trying to set 
me up for something. “Well, it would be very 
nice.”

With a twinkle in her eye that I couldn’t 
explain, she said, “How would you feel if I got 
you an Apple Fritter for April Fools’ Day?”

She has tricked me so many times that I’m 
not quite sure if this was a trick on her part 
or if she was having some “buyer’s remorse” 
about not allowing me to eat an Apple Fritter 
in the house.

With a pleasant smile, I replied, “I would feel 
very good about an Apple Fritter on April 
Fools’ Day.”

At the time, I did not know she was setting 
me up. I didn’t think she could do that to me 
and I would not notice it. After all, I’m the 
one who tries to prank her every chance I get.

With a smile like I’ve never seen before, she 
replied, “Maybe I’ll do that for you for April 
Fools’ Day.” With a laugh, she turned around 
and walked away. I didn’t know if I should be 
happy or suspicious at the time.

I went on with my week as normal and was 
busy with a few projects. I forgot about the 
Apple Fritter because I assumed she was 
just pranking me. I did not expect an Apple 
Fritter on April Fools’ Day. I did, however, 
think about going out and getting one for 
myself behind her back.

It was a busy week because we were preparing 
for Easter Sunday. Usually, our family gets 
together for dinner on Easter, so there was 
a lot of work in preparation for the family 
gathering.

During dinner, The Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage said something rather strange. I 
pretended not to hear, but she said something 
to our oldest daughter, “What do you think 
about having an Apple Fritter on April Fools’ 
Day?”

I had no idea why she asked that question. She 
was pretending to say it behind my back but 
did it in such a way that I could hear it without 
knowing that she knew I was listening.

Like a good husband, I pretended not to hear 
and just looked the other way.

Several times during our family get-together, 
she mentioned the word “Apple Fritter.” 
There was no substance to what she was 
talking about; she just mentioned the word. 
I knew there was no chance of her getting me 
an Apple Fritter for April Fools’ Day. I knew 
she was trying to play with my expectations.

All that day I couldn’t help but think of Apple 
Fritters and how much I would really like 
one but I knew it was a prank, so I had no 
expectations.

The more I thought about it, the more I began 
to think that maybe, just maybe, she wanted 
me not to believe she was going to give me an 
Apple Fritter and then, at the last moment, 
surprise me and give me an Apple Fritter.

That breakfast on April Fools’ Day, she 
brought me a little box, and on the top of the 
box, it said, “This is your Apple Fritter for 
April Fools’ Day.”

I must say I was a little surprised when she 
handed me that little box. I smiled, opened 
the lid, and saw written at the bottom of the 
box was, “April Fool.”

Sometimes what you do to others comes back 
on you. I was reading my bible and came 
across this verse. “And as ye would that men 
should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” 
(Luke 6:31).

That got me thinking about some of my 
actions. Would I want others to do to me 
what I sometimes do to them? Maybe I should 
begin doing good to people and see how that 
works. I think I’ll start with the Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage.

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