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 Mountain Views NewsSaturday, October 12, 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! … OCTOBER Birthdays*

Janda Ferris, Darlene Traxler, Margit Johnson, Sole Krieg, Mary Jane Baker, 
Dixie Coutant, Jill Frank, Cathleen Cremins, Adie Marshall, Darlene Crook, 
Susan Gallagher, Maggie Ellis, Gloria Giersbach, Ellen O’Leary, Jenny 
Piangenti, Anita Thompson, Linda Boehm and Angela Stella *

 * 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


HOW TO FIND A CHEAPER MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN

Dear Savvy Senior:

What’s the easiest way to compare 
Medicare Part D prescription drug 
plans? My Part D premium is 
increasing again in 2025, so I would 
like to use the fall open enrollment to 
find and sign up for a cheaper plan.

Shopping Around

Dear Shopping:

I’m happy to hear you’re comparing 
your Medicare coverage options this fall! Research 
shows that many Medicare beneficiaries with Part 
D coverage can lower their prescription drug costs 
by shopping among plans each year during the open 
enrollment season, which runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7.

 There could be another Part D plan in your area 
that covers the drugs you take with fewer restrictions 
or with lower costs. You never know until you look.

 You’ll also be happy to know that thanks to the 
Inflation Reduction Act, in 2025 annual out-of-
pocket costs will be capped at $2,000 for all Medicare 
Part D beneficiaries.

 Here are some tips and tools to help you shop and 
compare Part D plans.

Plan Finder Tool

If you have internet access and are comfortable using 
a computer, you can easily shop for and compare all 
Medicare drug plans in your area and enroll in a new 
plan online, and it only takes a few minutes.

Just go to Medicare’s Plan Finder Tool at Medicare.
gov/find-a-plan. You can do a general search on 
the right side of the page, under the title “Continue 
without logging in.” If you wish to save your drugs 
and pharmacy information, you can log into or 
create your Medicare account on the left side of the 
page.

Next, type in your ZIP code and choose the type 
of coverage you’re looking for, enter the drugs you 
take, choose the pharmacies you use, and indicate 
whether you are interested in a mail order option.

The plan finder will then display results for plans 
in your area. Be aware that a plan may not cover all 
the drugs you take, but it may cover alternatives. It 
will also tell you if the plan has a deductible and how 
much the monthly premium is. 

Initially, the plans will be sorted by “lowest drug + 
premium costs.” This is the closest estimate to what 
you may pay out of pocket for your Part D coverage 
for the year. You can select “plan details” to find 
out more specifics about coverage, including any 
coverage restrictions that might apply to your drugs.

Before enrolling, it is a good idea to call the plan 
directly to confirm any information you read on 
plan finder, as information may not be completely 
up to date.

If you need help, you can call Medicare at 800-633-
4227 and they can do this for you over the phone. 
Or contact your State Health Insurance Assistance 
Program (SHIP), which provides free unbiased 
Medicare counseling. To find a local SHIP counselor 
call 877-839-2675 or see ShipHelp.org.

Any changes to coverage you make will take effect 
Jan. 1, 2025. If you take no action during open 
enrollment, your current coverage will continue 
next year.

Extra Help

If you’re lower-income and having a hard time 
paying your medication costs, you may be eligible for 
Medicare’s “Extra Help” program. This is a federal 
low-income subsidy that helps pay Part D premiums, 
deductibles and copayments.

To be eligible, your annual income must be under 
$22,590 or $30,660 for married couples living 
together, and your assets (not counting your home, 
personal possessions, vehicles, life insurance policies 
or burial expenses) must be below $17,220 or $34,360 
for married couples. For more information or to 
apply, call Social Security at 800-772-1213 or visit 
SSA.gov/medicare/part-d-extra-help.

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

I'VE BEEN ACCUSED OF MANY THINGS.....

...... BUT NEVER 
HAVING A GREAT 
MEMORY.

It's not that I don't try 
to remember things; I can't remember 
things I'm supposed to remember. It has 
nothing to do with my age because it 
started as far back as I can remember.

This dramatically affects my relationship 
with The Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage.

Her memory is perfect. She can 
remember things that actually never 
happened. How she does that is beyond 
my understanding. Trust me, I'm not 
going to ask her to explain it to me 
because then I would have to remember 
that explanation for the rest of my life. 
Some things are not worth remembering.

It's not so much that I don't remember 
things, I just am busy when things 
are happing. I don't remember what's 
happening when I'm watching TV 
because I'm busy doing something else. 
When The Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage is conversing with me, I don't 
remember everything because I'm busy 
doing something else.

When I was young, one of my favorite 
authors was James Thurber, who wrote 
the short story "The Secret Life of Walter 
Mitty," which later became a movie.

When Thurber was young, he and his 
brother played a game called "William 
Tell," which I had never heard of before 
but somehow involved bows and arrows. 
In the middle of that game, his brother, by 
mistake, shot an arrow hitting Thurber 
in the left eye, causing him to lose that 
eye. Later, his other eye suffered, and he 
was almost completely blind.

Thurber was a writer, and most of his 
writing was done in his head. Then, the 
next morning, he would sit down with 
his secretary, and she would write out the 
story as Thurber would dictate it to her.

Often, when Thurber and his wife were 
having dinner with some friends, his wife 
would say, "Jim, will you stop writing and 
listen to what we're saying?" Of course, he 
was always working on some short story 
wherever he was.

Although I am not blind, I often do 
the same thing. I'm always working on 
a sermon, a newspaper column, or an 
article in my head even when I'm with 
others. I might be watching TV, visiting 
friends at some restaurant or just sitting 
at home with my wife.

I can remember just about everything 
I'm writing in my head which I will write 
out later. That technique, which I learned 
from James Thurber, has greatly profited 
me. However, it has also hindered me in 
the social area.

Even though I can remember what I was 
working on in my head at the time, I can't 
remember the conversation with people 
around me. I can never figure that out.

The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage 
often says, "Do you remember what I told 
you yesterday?"

That is a question to ponder. Whether I 
say yes or no, I'm still in some trouble.

Now, if she said something like, "Do you 
remember what you were thinking last 
week when we were at dinner with some 
of our friends?"

I would remember almost to the word 
what I was thinking, but the talk around 
the table is beyond my recollection.

Even while watching television, 
something will happen on some program, 
which will get me thinking about the 
sermon I'm working on. Pretty soon, I'll 
be working on that sermon and laying 
out details. I call it my thinking cloud.

While watching TV together, The 
Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage 
sometimes laughs and says, "Did you 
hear that? Wasn't that funny?"

I will look at her, laugh and say, "That was 
hilarious."

Once, she looked over at me and said, 
"Did you really hear that joke?"

She knew I didn't hear that joke. Now, if 
she would say, "What were you thinking 
about when they told that joke?" I would 
immediately begin to respond and tell 
her what I was thinking.

I have so much work to do that I need 
to take advantage of every bit of time to 
work on it. I don't necessarily have to be 
at my computer but as long as my brain is 
working, so am I.

Whenever we have dinner with friends, 
I look forward to the next morning. 
During that dinner, my head is swarming 
with ideas and thoughts about a project 
I'm working on.

One of these days, I'm going to thank those 
people for giving me the opportunity to 
think through a project I'm working on.

On occasion, the Gracious Mistress of 
the Parsonage and I are on a trip across 
town.

While driving the Gracious Mistress of 
the Parsonage will look over at me and 
say, “Ok, what are you thinking?”

Because I’m thinking I don’t hear her at 
first. Finally, she gets my attention and I 
once replied, “Oh, I was just thinking of 
what a wonderful, lovely, gracious wife I 
have. I’m so fortunate.”

She has a hard time responding to that. 
Great thought.

A verse of scripture came to mind. Psalm 
139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know 
my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 
And see if there be any wicked way in me, 
and lead me in the way everlasting.”

God knows what I’m thinking all the 
time. I want to discipline myself to have 
thoughts that honor and please God. To 
think about God is the great pleasure of 
being a Christian.

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL with 
the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. 
e-mail jamessnyder51@gmail.com, 
website www.jamessnyderministries.
com

SENIOR MATTERS

COMBATING LONLINESS AMONG SIERRA 
MADRE'S SENIORS

As we age, maintaining social connections becomes vital, not just 
for mental health, but for overall well-being. Many seniors in Sierra 
Madre face isolation, which can lead to depression, anxiety, and even 
physical health decline. Fortunately, there are plenty of local services 
and activities to help break the cycle of loneliness and build meaningful 
relationships.

The Sierra Madre Senior Community Commission is resourceful in 
identifying senior needs and coordinating activities through the Hart 
Park House Senior Center. Programs include free movie afternoons 
every Wednesday at 1 PM (complete with refreshments and popcorn), 
a senior lunch program Monday through Thursday ($3 suggested 
donation, co-sponsored by the City of Sierra Madre and the YMCA), 
exercise classes, chair yoga, bingo, quarterly group excursions, a Tea 
& Talk book club, arts and crafts, and various social events. These 
activities provide opportunities for seniors to stay active and engaged. 
For those unable to leave their homes, Dial-A-Ride is available at 626-355-3873. A list of resources can be 
found on sierramadre.gov, located residents tab then senior tab to download the guide. 

Volunteering is another excellent way to foster connections. The Sierra Madre Public Library, Civic Club, 
Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, and the Sierra Madre Woman’s Club (men are welcome too) encourage senior 
volunteers, offering a rewarding way to remain active. The YMCA also provides special senior memberships, 
promoting social interaction through fitness classes and events.

Research shows that maintaining social ties can improve cognitive function, reduce stress, and lower the risk 
of chronic conditions such as heart disease. Socializing strengthens the immune system and can even add 
years to life.

For seniors feeling isolated, taking the first step—joining a club, volunteering, or attending community 
events—can lead to a more vibrant and healthier lifestyle. Staying connected helps enrich not just their lives 
but also the community around them.


JANETTE LEDEA, 

REALTOR/CONSULTANT 

ePro, GRI,CDPE, SRES RE/
MAX Tri-City DRE#01480942

Cell: (626)242-3244

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