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 Mountain Views News Saturday, April 13, 2024 


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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


HEALTHY TRAVEL TIPS FOR OLDER TRAVELERS


Dear Savvy Senior:

What tips can you offer retirees with health issues who 
are planning some trips? We’ve been looking forward to 
traveling again after staying home the past few years, 
but my husband has a heart condition and some back 
problems that worry me. 

Concerned Wife

Dear Concerned:

A dream vacation can turn into a real nightmare if you get ill or injured while you’re away and 
aren’t prepared. Before setting out, here are some tips to help ensure a safe and healthy trip for you 
and your husband.

Get prepared: Before you go, talk with your doctor about your travel itinerary and what precautions 
you need to take before traveling. You should also have your doctor’s contact information with 
you when you travel, as well as a list of the medications you’re taking in case you need emergency 
medical care while you’re away.

It’s also a smart idea to locate health clinics or urgent care facilities near the areas you’re visiting. 
Your hotel can help you with this or a simple internet search can identify nearby health care 
services. If you’re traveling abroad, the U.S. consulate or embassy in the countries you’re visiting 
(go to step.state.gov to enroll your trip) is a good place to get a referral. Or use the International 
Society of Travel Medicine’s directory at ISTM.org.

If you’re traveling outside the U.S., you also need to find out the health conditions of the country 
you’re visiting and what, if any, vaccinations and/or preventative medications are recommended. 
See CDC.gov/travel or call 800-232-4636 to get this information. 

Check your insurance: If you have private health insurance or a Medicare Advantage plan through 
an HMO or PPO that covers in-network doctors only, check your plan to find out what’s covered if 
you need medical care when traveling outside your geographic area. 

Beneficiaries that have original Medicare are covered everywhere in the U.S. But if you’re traveling 
abroad, you won’t be covered outside the U.S. and its territories except in rare circumstances, 
although some Medicare Advantage plans and some Medigap supplemental policies do provide 
limited coverage. Most private health plans don’t pay health care costs outside the U.S. either. Be 
sure to check. 

Many retirees traveling abroad purchase travel insurance with medical coverage, which may cover 
expenses if you cancel the trip, need to be treated while traveling or need to be evacuated for 
medical care. Make sure the policy will also cover your preexisting medical conditions. To shop 
and compare policies visit TravelInsurance.com, InsureMyTrip.com or SquareMouth.com. 

Organize your medications: Make sure you have a sufficient supply of medications to last the entire 
trip. 

If traveling by air, you need to pack your medicine in your carry-on bag, so if your checked luggage 
gets lost or misdirected you won’t be without. It’s best to keep your medications in their original 
containers to get through airport security without delays. It’s also a good idea to bring along a note 
from your doctor that explains why you take these medications, especially if syringes or other 
medical supplies are involved.

For airport security requirements visit TSA.gov – click on “Disabilities and Medical Conditions.” 
You can also call TSA Cares at 855-787-2227 prior to traveling with questions about screening 
policies, procedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint.

Maximize technology: Keep a list of your medications and other important health and medical 
information handy on your smartphone so you can easily access and share it with emergency 
health care providers when you’re traveling. Some good apps that can help with this are Backpack 
Health (BackpackHealth.com) and Capzule (Capzule.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.


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

AND THEN THERE WAS BROCCOLI


Sometimes, bad days are a 
blessing in disguise, but you 
don’t know it at the time.

I have learned that whenever 
I have a bad day, it is not a time to get 
discouraged or sad. A bad day is often a door 
that opens up something I never expected.

Last week, for example, The Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage had plans to 
spend three days in St. Augustine with her 
daughter and granddaughter on a thrift store 
drive. They would visit all the thrift stores 
in the area and buy whatever they could at 
a good price.

“You don’t mind if I and the girls go to St. 
Augustine for three days,” the Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage asked. Asking me 
a question like that does two things for me.

First, it allows me to have lunch at nearby 
restaurants. Second, it allows me to do 
things against The Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage’s rules and guidelines without her 
knowing. For three days, I will be left to my 
own rules and guidelines. What in the world 
more could I ask for?

As I was processing this, The Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage said, “And by the 
way your meals are already prepared and in 
the refrigerator.” Well, that wasn’t expected.

After all the preparation on both sides of 
the aisle, she was ready to take off with her 
daughter and granddaughter for a three-
day thrift store extravaganza. She kissed me 
goodbye, and out the door she went, and my 
three-day celebration had just begun.

I went to the kitchen, got a fresh cup of 
coffee, took it to my easy chair, set back, 
and just thought about what I was going to 
do during the next three days. I sat there 
thinking about all of the opportunities that 
were before me. At lunchtime, I went to the 
refrigerator to see what lunch was waiting for 
me. When I opened the door, I was literally 
surprised. The refrigerator was jammed 
full of lunch, dinner, and breakfast food 
already for me. Every item was labeled either 
breakfast, lunch, or supper, so I knew which 
one to take and at what time.

Being the contrary person I am, instead of 
eating the lunch package, I ate the supper 
package. As I chomped on the delicious meal, 
I chuckled, knowing that I was in charge of 
my life. I didn’t care about the tags on the 
food; I just grabbed what was handy, and that 
was what I was going to eat at the time.

At the beginning of the second day, I 
noticed something. The labels were not 
exactly correct. The breakfast label was on 
the supper package, the lunch label was on 
the breakfast package, and the supper label 
was on the lunch package. She made it very 
distinct and did an excellent job at it.

On the first day, I snuck out in the afternoon 
and got a cheeseburger, fries, and Diet Coke. 
I’m not sure if it was lunch or supper, but I 
enjoyed it. By midmorning, when I was 
working at my desk on the second day, a 
thought fluttered into my head. That thought 
was about an Apple Fritter. This would be an 
excellent time for me to sneak over to Publix 
and get one. I could do that, and she would 
never know the difference.

I kept thinking about that and wondered how 
I could accomplish it. After all, everybody at 
Publix knows my wife and knows that she 
doesn’t want me to eat any Apple Fritters. I 
tried it once before and got caught, and so I 
wasn’t going to do it again. It didn’t stop me 
from thinking about those wonderful Apple 
Fritters. What harm would I do to sneak one 
into the house, but The Gracious Mistress 
of the Parsonage wasn’t home and wouldn’t 
find me out?

I thought about going to the Publix across 
town, which would be worth the time and 
the gas. I was eating the food from the 
refrigerator, and on the third morning I 
noticed a box in the back of the fridge. I 
pulled the box out, and on the top of the box 
was the word broccoli. I almost had a heart 
attack when I saw it and was afraid to open it.

Why did she put a box of broccoli in the 
refrigerator for me to find when she was 
away? Maybe she thought I would take that 
broccoli and throw it away. Or maybe she 
thought I would see it and do nothing with it.

I’m not that kind of person, so I pulled the 
box out. I was going to throw the broccoli 
away and put something else in it just to 
be funny, but when I opened the lid, inside 
were Apple Fritters. In the box was a note 
on which she wrote, “You deserve a break 
today, just don’t break a leg.” I could not help 
but think of that Bible verse, “Can two walk 
together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3).

As I munched on those Apple Fritters I 
thought about what it means to “be agreed.” 
Certainly The Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage and I “walk together.” That has 
been true since our marriage. The important 
thing is that we agree sometimes to disagree.

Our difference is what makes us a great 
team. My weakness is her strength and her 
weakness is my strength.

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