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 Mountain Views NewsSaturday, May 18, 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! …MAY BIRTHDAYS*

Beth Copti, Marilyn Diaz, Anne Schryver, Jo Ann Williams, Paul Hagan, Lenore 
Crilly Joann Serrato-Chi, Harriett Lyle, Jean Coleman, Birgitta Gerlinger, 
Luciana Rosenzweig, Linda Wochnik, Marian Woodford, Debbie Sheridan, 
Joanne Anthony, Carole Axline, Kika Downey, Shirley Hall, Janet Ten Eyck, 
Jane Thomas, Ray Burley, Bridget Flanagan,Donna Mathisen,Vicky Ryan,

 * To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. 
YEAR of birth not required


Courtesy Safe Path For Seniors

THE TYPICAL BOARD AND CARE HOME FOR THE ELDERLY

Unlike large 
assisted living 
facilities, board 
and care homes 
provide more 
of a home like 
environment. 
These homes 
are in regular 
residential 
neighborhoods 
and do not look 
any different from 
any other house. 
They are licensed by the Department of Social Services and are in compliance with the laws and 
regulations for RCFE (Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly) under title 22. 

Most of these board and care homes have a 6 resident capacity although some can be larger. Being 
that said, one of the advantages of a board and care is their care ratio being in most cases 1 to 2 
caregivers to 6 residents. Because of this many of these homes take care of residents with high 
care needs. One should be aware that not all board and care are alike. One needs to be aware of 
reputation of the home and any citations that were given in recent months. Citations are published 
by the department of social services. 

For more information on finding board and cares in your area, contact Steve Sciurba at 
626-999-6913.


FINANCIAL AND LEGAL RESOURCES FOR GRANDPARENTS 
RAISING GRANDCHILDREN

 
Dear Savvy Senior:

Are there any programs that you can refer me to that 
financially help grandparents who are raising their 
grandkids? I’m raising two of my grandchildren and 
could use some help. 

Tapped Out Tonya,

Dear Tonya:

Money is a common problem for the nearly 2.4 million U.S. grandparents who are raising their 
grandchildren today. To help with the day-to-day expenses, there are a wide variety of programs 
and tax benefits that can make a big difference in stretching your budget. Here’s where to look 
for help. 

Financial Assistance

For starters, find out whether your family qualifies for your state’s Temporary Assistance for 
Needy Families (TANF) program, which may include cash assistance, food benefits, utility bill 
assistance and free or low-cost daycare. Or, if your household income is too high to qualify as a 
family, ask about the “child-only grant” for just the grandkids support alone. 

Also, check to see if you’re eligible for foster care payments as a relative caregiver, or if your state 
offers any additional programs like guardianship subsidies, non-parent grants or kinship care. 
Adoption assistance payments are also available to adopted grandchildren with special needs.

To inquire about these programs, contact your state’s TANF program and/or state Department of 
Human Services. See ACF.hhs.gov/ofa/map/about/help-families for contact information.

You also need to see if your grandkids are eligible for Social Security, including benefits for 
dependent children, survivor benefits or SSI – visit SSA.gov or call 800-772-1213. And find out if 
they’re eligible for free/low-cost health or dental coverage through your state’s Medicaid and the 
Children’s Health Insurance Program – InsureKidsNow.gov or 877-543-7669.

You can also use Benefits.gov, the official benefits website of the U.S. government that has a 
screening tool to help you identify the programs that you and your grandchildren may be eligible 
for and will direct you to the appropriate agency to apply. 

Tax Benefits

In addition to the financial assistance programs, there are also a range of tax benefits that you 
may qualify for too like the Earned Income Tax Credit or EITC which is available to those with 
moderate to low incomes, and the Child Tax Credit which is worth $2,000 per dependent child 
under age 17. 

If you’re working, and are incurring childcare expenses in order to work, there’s a Child and 
Dependent Care Credit that can help. And, if you’ve legally adopted your grandkids, there’s an 
Adoption Tax Credit that provides a federal tax credit of up to $16,810 in 2024.

You can also deduct medical and dental expenses if you and your dependent grandchildren’s 
healthcare cost exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income for the year. And there’s even 
education-related tax credits that can help your grandkids go to college, like the American 
Opportunity Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit. 

In addition to the tax credits and deductions, if you’re unmarried you may qualify for “head of 
household” status when you file your tax return, which has a higher standard deduction and a 
lower tax rate than you would filing as a single.

Legal Help

If you haven’t already done so, you should also talk to an attorney to discuss the pros and cons of 
obtaining legal guardianship, custody or adoption. Without some sort of legal custody, you may 
not be eligible for many of the previously listed financial assistance programs, and there can be 
problems with basic things like enrolling your grandkids in school or giving a doctor permission 
to treat them. 

For help locating affordable or free legal assistance, visit FindLegalHelp.org, or call the Eldercare 
Locator at 800-677-1116 for referrals. Also see GrandFamilies.org, a clearinghouse resource that 
offers information on financial assistance, adoption, foster care and more.

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

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO REALITY?

During my health hiatus I did things I never had time to do before. One 
of them was to check out some Reality TV Shows.

I never had much interest in these TV shows, but I thought now would 
be a good time to check some of them just to see what their idea of reality really was.

Of course, my health probably affected my mental capacity, so I wasn't going to take 
much seriously. I checked them out all the more and discovered that if what I saw on 
TV was their idea of reality, I had a good deal on a Brooklyn Bridge for one of them.

I thought, and it's just me speaking, that reality had something to do with, what's that 
word? Oh yes, “truth.” I watched several, and if there was any truth in what they were 
doing or even saying, I could not find it.

 I found one show called Naked and Afraid, and I must tell you I didn't come 
anywhere near that because I was afraid. I was afraid that their idea of naked reality 
was nowhere near the truth. Who in their right mind, and there are plenty who aren't 
in their right mind, would spend their time watching such nonsense?

I checked out a few of these reality shows but could never find any reality in anything 
they showed.

 After watching some of these, I got to thinking about the reality in my life. Is 
my life a "Reality Show", or is it for real?

 That's what I got out of looking at some of those shows. I don't want to blame 
somebody else for doing things I might be doing myself. After all, reality is reality.

During my health hiatus, I was beginning to think that health was not a reality for me. 
The only thing real about me during that time was sickness, which was characterized 
by coughing and sneezing.

 I must admit that the sickness was a reality at the time. But, it wasn't a reality 
forever.

Coming out of that health hiatus, I realized that there are more important things in 
life than just feeling sorry for yourself because you're sick.

During my sickness The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage was a reality to me. She 
brought me pill after pill after pill after pill. At the time, I referred to her as my drug 
Lord. I got so tired of taking pills that I just did not know what to do.

Looking back on that, I realize that wasn't reality. Oh yes, I was sick for a short period 
of time, but the key is that it was a short period of time.

The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage told me time after time that I would get better. 
At the time, I didn't care if I got better or not. But, eventually, I realized that she was 
right. After all, isn't she right all the time?

Now that I'm up and getting back to a somewhat normal schedule, I've been thinking 
a lot about reality. There are things in my life that just are not reality.

My challenge is to find what is real in my life and what is artificial.

My wife and I agree on many things except for one. I'm a firm believer that the 
strongest aspect of reality is an Apple Fritter. She thinks that broccoli is a reality.

The reality is that both of us are right, and both of us are wrong. I'm not going to try 
to explain that because if I do, I'm not going to understand it myself.

The one thing that got me through all that health nonsense was thinking about an 
Apple Fritter when I was healthy.

The danger is that if I got an Apple Fritter and The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage 
found out, it might be a challenge to my health at that time.

Every day, my wife asks me how I'm feeling, and I always reply, "I'm fine."

She responds, "No, you're not fine."

And then reality sets in.

At my last doctor's visit, the doctor examined me quite thoroughly and went over all 
of the forms. Finally, the doctor looked at me and said, "I have good news for you. 
You're fine."

Sitting right next to me was The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, and so I said, 
"I'm sorry Dr., what did you say?"

"I said, you're fine."

Looking at my wife with a giggly smile, I said, "My dear, did you hear that? Doctors 
don't lie."

All the way home from the doctor's visit, I kept chuckling and saying under my breath, 
"I'm fine."

I did not want to say it out loud because The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage was 
driving, and that's all I'll say about it.

It's a beautiful day when you find reality in your life.

Thinking about this I was reminded what the Apostle Paul said. “Finally, brethren, 
whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, 
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of 
good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” 
(Philippians 4:8).

This is a challenge for everyone. Personally, my reality starts in the Bible. I work on 
adjusting my life to the realty presented in the Bible. Each day I search for that reality 
that applies to me.

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