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Mountain View News Saturday, August 31, 2024

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

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.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …AUGUST Birthdays*

Nancy Beckham, Karlene Englert, Juanita Fernandez, Jeanette Francis, 
Joseph Kiss, Jacquie Pergola, Pat Miranda, Jerry Burnett, Margaret Aroyan, 
Phyllis Burg, Beverly Clifton, Rosemary Morabito, Susan Poulsen, Joy Barry, 
Marcia Bent, Joan Spears, Ruth Torres, Jane Zamanzadeh. Helen Stapenhorst, 
Chandy Shair, Heidi Hartman, Erma Gutierrez, Margaret Switzer

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


From The Desk of Steve Sciurba, Safe Path For Senior


ORGANIZE YOUR IMPORTANT INFORMATION 

As we age, it's increasingly important to ensure that our loved ones have 
easy access to essential documents and information. Creating a single, 
organized place for important records can bring peace of mind to you 
and your family. This simple step can save time, reduce stress, and pre-
vent confusion when quick access to information is crucial.

Consider setting up a dedicated binder to store all your key documents. 
This binder should include medical records, a list of medications and 
in-structions, health care proxy, power of attorney, bank statements 
and fi-nancial information, insurance documents, house or estate 
information, trust documents, deeds, wills, and emergency contacts. 
As you gather these items, place them in clear sheet protectors to allow 
for easy up-dates and access. Be sure to label each section clearly and 
include any passwords or login information for online accounts.

Once your documents are organized, keep the binder in a safe yet ac-cessible place. Make sure 
your children or a trusted individual know where it is and how to access it. Also, have someone you 
trust upload all the forms into a digital folder as a backup. Regularly update the binder to reflect 
any changes in your financial or medical situation.

By taking the time to organize your important documents now, you are giving a valuable gift to 
your family. This allows them to focus on what truly matters during challenging times, being 
there for you, without the added burden of searching for critical information. Lucy De Teresa is a 
Professional Organizer and Move Manager with the KIND Organizer that assists seniors and their 
families with the downsizing process.

Lucy De Teresa

Professional Organizer | Senior Move Manager

www.kindorganizer.com

951.514.9910


HOW TO FIND LEGAL HELP WHEN YOU CAN'T AFFORD

A LAWYER


Dear Savvy Senior:

Can you recommend any programs or 
organizations that provide free or low-
cost legal services to seniors? I believe I 
need some professional legal help but have 
limited income and very little savings. 

 Almost 70

Dear Almost:

Whether you need help drawing up a will or a contract, or you’re facing some sort of legal jeopardy or 
dilemma, hiring an attorney can be expensive. Most lawyers today charge anywhere between $100 and $300 
an hour. Fortunately, there are a number of different programs and organizations that offer free legal advice 
and may help you find a free or lw-cost attorney. Here’s where look for help in your area.

Legal Aid: Directed by the Legal Services Corporation, legal aid provides free legal assistance to low-income 
people of all ages. Each community program will differ slightly in the services they offer and income 
qualifications. Visit LSC.gov/find-legal-aid to locate a program near you.

LawHelp: Powered by Pro Bono Net, a national nonprofit organization, LawHelp.org is a terrific resource 
that will help you locate free legal aid near you, get answers to your legal questions and even fill out legal 
documents. These free services are for people with low to moderate incomes.

Free Legal Answers: This is an online program created by the American Bar Association that matches low-
income clients with volunteer lawyers who agree to provide brief answers online for free. This service will 
not answer criminal law questions and it’s not available in every state. See ABAfreelegalanswers.org to look 
for a program in your state.

Senior Legal Hotlines: There are around 30 states that offer senior legal hotlines, where all seniors over age 60 
have access to free legal advice over the telephone. To find out if this service is available in your state, go 
to ProSeniors.org and click on “Resources,” followed by “U.S. Senior Legal Hotline Directory.”

Senior Legal Services: Coordinated by the Administration on Aging, this service may offer free or low-cost 
legal advice, legal assistance or access to legal representation to people over the age of 60. Your Area Agency 
on Aging can tell you what’s available in your community. Call the Eldercare Locator at 800-677-1116 to get 
your local number.

Local Law Schools: More than 200 university law schools across the country have pro bono programs that 
offer free legal assistance provided by law students, who are supervised by their professors. See AmericanBar.
org/groups/center-pro-bono – scroll down and click on “Directory of Law School Public Interest and Pro 
Bono Programs” to locate a program near you.

Pension Rights Center: This is a nonprofit consumer organization that provides free legal assistance for 
problems with pension, 401(k) or other retirement plans. Go to PensionRights.org/find-help to search for 
help in your state.

Stateside Legal: For military members, veterans, and their families, StatesideLegal.org provides access to free 
legal information and legal assistance in your area.

National Disability Rights Network: This is a nonprofit membership organization that provides legal 
assistance to people with disabilities through their Protection and Advocacy System and Client Assistance 
Program. If you are disabled, visit NDRN.org to find help in your state.

Other Options: If you can’t get help from one of these programs, or find that you aren’t eligible, another 
option is to contact your state or local bar association to see if there are any volunteer lawyer projects in 
your area or if they can refer you to a low-fee lawyer. To contact your state or local bar association, go to 
FindLegalHelp.org.

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

DOCTOR - COULD YOU REPEAT THAT?

For the first time in my life, I've been having health issues. It was nothing 
serious, but just enough to be aggravating.

The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage has been very helpful with my 
medical issues. She arranges all of the medicine I'm supposed to take every day; otherwise, 
I probably wouldn't take any. She often asks me, "How are you today?" I look at her, smile, 
and say, "I'm fine." "No, you are not fine. Now take your medicine." Obviously, she doesn't 
think I'm fine, but I guess I'm fine with that.

My health issues are very superficial, at least from my perspective. I get up in the morning, 
eat everything I can get a hold of, take a little nap in the afternoon, and do whatever I want 
to do. No matter what I do or don't do, I am still "not fine," according to The Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage. 

When I have a doctor's appointment, she usually accompanies me be-cause she knows I 
will not remember anything the doctor says. Of course, she is absolutely truthful about 
that. I hear what my doctor is say-ing, but I'm not always listening to what he says. The only 
thing I hear from the doctor is, "You're doing fine; keep up the good work." 

Most health issues had to do with getting old. The older you get, the more your body seems 
to wear out. So, I'm going to continue getting as old as I can, even if it means hobbling 
down the road of life. I noticed something rather interesting. Whenever I go to see a 
doctor, he or she is always looking for what's wrong with me. I never had a doctor examine 
me to find something that was right with me.

I know what that means, of course. If there's nothing wrong with me, the doctor has no job. 
If he does find something wrong, no matter how small, he at least has a job.

Several years ago, before I had these health issues, I went to my doctor every year for an 
annual checkup. Every time I went, the doctor ended the session by saying, "Somebody 
your age should have something wrong with them." He was always trying to find something 
wrong with me. It's a good thing I wasn't seeing a psychiatrist. I remember something 
happening at one of my yearly visits to the doctor. It was on a Monday, and the day before, 
I had an episode of shingles on the right side of my body. At the time, I didn't know what 
it was.

When I went to see the doctor on Monday, I showed him some of the marks on my right 
arm, and I've never seen my doctor so excited. He said, "Let me examine that. Something 
must be wrong." Well, he examined it and re-examined it, and every time he examined it, 
his smile got bigger and bigger. Then, after his examination, he said, "You have been hit 
with the shingles."

Of course, I didn't know what that meant at the time, but he explained it, and every other 
sentence was a giggle. I'm one patient who never had anything wrong with them and finally 
has something wrong with him. That's what my doctor lives for. 

That was over five years ago, and it seems like my health went downhill after that. Not too 
much, just enough to be aggravating. I did spend sev-eral days in the hospital. I had a heart 
attack and had to have a stent put in. I had the Covid episode, which kept me locked in my 
house for two weeks.

In spite of all of that, I seem to be getting back to some good health. I still have to have 
regular six-month physical checkups. I have a series of doctors that I have to see, and that 
just is life.

Last week, for example, I had my six-month appointment to see my heart doctor. I had some 
tests taken a week before, and he was going to re-view them for me at this appointment.

He went through all of the regular processes, examined my report, and finally, he was 
finished. As he was closing up my file, he simply said, "Sir, you are good." I looked at him 
and said, "What did you say doctor?" "I said, you were good."

Looking at him and then back at my wife, who was with me, I said, "Doc-tor, could you 
repeat that last word for me so my wife can hear it?" He looked at me, my wife, and then 
laughed and said, "good."

I looked over at my wife, who was not smiling then, and said, "My dear, did you hear what 
the doctor said? Do you need the doctor to repeat it? Looking at me with no smile, she said, 
"I heard everything the doctor said."

As we left the doctor's office, I smiled and said as I walked out, "I'm good." Let's see how 
The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage can han-dle that one.

For many years my favorite Bible verse has been, Proverbs 17:22, “A merry heart doeth 
good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones”

I realize there are many problems in life, but my focus should not be on that, but on the 
God who is bigger than any problem I might have. My faith in God creates a merry heart 
in my life. 


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