Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, January 11, 2020

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Mountain View News Saturday, January 11, 2020 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …January Birthdays*

 Gerald Day, Mary Tassop, Judy Webb-Martin, John Johnson, Mary Bickel, Marlene 
Enmark, Shirley Wolf, Ross Kellock, Ruth Wolter, Sue Watanabe, Sandy Thistlewaite, 
Bobbi Rahmanian, Fran Syverson, Shirley Wolff, Judy Zaretzka and Becky Evans. 

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

HART PARK HOUSE MONTHLY PROGRAMS: 

Unless listed differently, all activities are at the Hart Park House (Senior Center) 222 W. 
Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre

Hawaiian & Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday Morning from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. 
Join the class with Instructor Barbara Dempsey as she leads you in the art of Hula!

Bingo Time: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00 p.m. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is welcome to play! Activity may 
be canceled if there are less than five people.

Free Blood Pressure Testing: 2nd Tuesdays Monthly from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

Brain Games: Every third Thursday of the month at 12:45-1:45pm Join us for Scattergories, a creative thinking game by 
naming objects within a set of categories; or Jenga, a block-building challenge that keeps you stacking and bal-ancing your 
tower. Everyone is welcome, and no experience is needed. A great way to strengthen your mind and make new friends... 
Games are facilitated by Senior Volunteers. 

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, December 18th from 10:30 a.m. - Noon. Attorney Lem Makupson is available for 
legal consultation. Specializing in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates and Injury. Please call the Hart Park House for an 
appointment, 626-355-5278 ext. 704.

Senior Club: Meets Saturdays, Weekly at Hart Park House Brown Bag Lunch, great company and bingo at 11:30 a.m.

Chair Yoga: Mondays & Wednesdays 11:00 - 11:45 a.m. with Paul Hagen. Classes include Yoga and balance exercises. All 
ability levels are encouraged and welcomed!

Birthday Celebration: Every 2nd Thursday Monthly at the Hart Park House. Share free birthday cake and ice cream 
kindly provided by the Senior Community Commission!

Game Day: Every Thursday Monthly 12:00 Noon come into the Hart Park House and join a lively poker game with 
friends!

Free Strength Training Class: Fridays 12:45 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. with Lisa Brandley Light weights, low impact resistance 
training and body conditioning. Class equipment provided.

Gentle Yoga for Active Seniors: Every Monday & Wednesday from 8:15 - 9:45 a.m. with Andrea Walsh at the Hart Park 
House. Classes include complete floor relaxation, standing and floor postures, balancing, and featuring extended 
meditations on the fourth Wednesdays of the month! Call (626)-355-5278 for more information.


MEALS - ON - WHEELS PROGRAM

The Home Delivered Meals Program provides healthy meals to homebound Seniors 60 and above. Seven 
frozen meals, milk, bread and fruit are included and delivered once a week. $3 Donation per meal is 
suggested but remains completely anonymous and voluntary. Clients must be eligible and we invite you 
to contact YWCA Intervale Senior Services at 626-214-9467. SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT 
NOTICE SUGGESTED DONATION $3.00 1% LOW FAT MILK INCLUDED


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

TO ONE IT’S MONDAY TO ANOTHER IT’S 
WEDNESDAY

DOES MEDICARE COVERS COUNSELING 
SERVICES?

Dear Savvy Senior:

Does Medicare cover outpatient counseling services 
for its beneficiaries? Since the death of my 
sister last year, I’ve struggled with depression and 
anxiety and would like to get some help. Sad Senior

 

Dear Sad:

I’m sorry for your loss. Yes, Medicare covers both outpatient and inpatient mental health services 
to help beneficiaries with depression, anxiety and many other needs. Here’s what you should 
know.

Outpatient Coverage

If you have original Medicare, your Part B coverage will pay 80 percent (after you’ve met your 
$198 Part B deductible) for a variety of counseling and mental health care services that are provided 
outside a hospital, like individual or group therapy, family counseling and more. They also 
cover services for treatment of beneficiaries who struggle with alcohol and drug abuse.

You, or your supplemental insurance is responsible for the remaining 20 percent coinsurance. 

Medicare also gives you the option of getting treatment through a variety of mental health professionals 
such as psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers and clinical nurse specialists. 

To get this coverage, you’ll need to choose a “participating provider” that accepts Medicare assignment, 
which means they accept Medicare’s approved amount as full payment for a service.

If you choose a “nonparticipating provider” who accepts Medicare but does not agree to Medicare’s 
payment rate, you may have to pay more. And if you choose an “opt-out provider” that does 
not accept Medicare payments at all, you will be responsible for the entire cost.

To locate a mental health care professional in your area that accepts Medicare assignment, use 
Medicare’s online Physician Compare tool. Go to Medicare.gov/PhysicianCompare and type in 
your ZIP code, or city and state, then type in the type of profession you want to locate, like “psychiatry” 
or “clinical psychologist” in the search box. You can also get this information by calling 
Medicare at 800-633-4227.

Inpatient Coverage

If you need mental health services in either a general or psychiatric hospital, original Medicare 
Part A covers this too (after you’ve met your $1,408 Part A deductible). Your doctor should determine 
which hospital setting you need. If you receive care in a psychiatric hospital, Medicare 
covers up to 190 days of inpatient care for your lifetime. And if you use your lifetime days but 
need additional care, Medicare may cover additional inpatient care at a general hospital.

Additional Coverage

In addition to the outpatient and inpatient mental health services, Medicare also covers yearly 
depression screenings that must be done in a primary care doctor’s office or clinic. Annual depression 
screenings are covered 100 percent.

And if you have a Medicare prescription drug plan, most medications used to treat mental health 
conditions are covered too. 

Medicare Advantage

If you happen to get your Medicare benefits through a private Medicare Advantage plan, they 
must provide the same coverage as original Medicare does, but they may impose different rules 
and will likely require you to see an in-network provider. You’ll need to contact your plan directly 
for details.

And for more information, call Medicare at 800-633-4227 and request a copy of publication 
#10184 “Medicare & Your Mental Health Benefits,” or you can read it online at Medicare.gov.

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.


Time goes so fast at times 
that I do not always remember 
what day it is. I get so busy trying to get 
my work done that I forget if it’s Monday or 
Friday.

It is a good thing I am getting older because I 
have a built-in excuse for forgetting what day 
it is.

Recently, the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage 
and I spent some time in St. Augustine 
for some vacation days. We don’t often 
get to have vacation days, but when we do, we 
try to enjoy it.

Just down a few blocks from our motel is a 
place we love dinning. It’s called the Village 
Inn. What I like about this restaurant is that 
on Wednesdays they always have free pie 
with anything you order even if it’s just coffee.

Free is always a good thing with me. I know 
that nothing is free, but sometimes it is.

Anybody who knows me knows that I do not 
take many things seriously. I enjoyed being 
around people who are very seriously minded 
because I can get away with a lot of jokes 
with them. Some things are to be serious, but 
those are rather few in my book.

Even at my age, I love to have fun.

It was a Monday on our vacation that we went 
down to have lunch at the Village Inn.

Someone once asked me what my favorite pie 
was, and I gave them an answer that my uncle 
always gave, "The one I'm eating at the time." 
And this restaurant has very delicious pies.

It was Monday, however, and the pies were 
free only on a Wednesday. That did not stop 
me from trying, though.

The restaurant host escorted us to our table, 
and we sat down. Then the waitress came to 
take our order. It was then that I had a thought 
giggling at the top of my head. That is always 
a dangerous situation. I decided to go with it.

"Ma'am," I said as seriously as I possibly 
could, "I am a Yahooist, and according to our 
religion, your Monday is our Wednesday."

I am sure she never heard of a Yahooist because 
I never heard of one either. She looked 
rather strangely at me, and I continued, "Does 
that mean I can have the Wednesday free pie 
today?"

Looking at me for a few moments, she then 
broke out in laughter. I guess she knew I was 
joking.

“A Yahooist, you say.” Then she took our order 
and went to the kitchen.

I heard some laughter coming from the kitchen 
area when she went back, and every waitress 
that walked by our table looked at me 
and said, "Yahoo."

One thing I strive for each day is making 
somebody smile if not laugh. There are so 
many sad people in this world that I am trying 
to get them from being so sad. I have 
found that it does not take very much to get 
some people to laugh.

Then the manager came to our table and said, 
“So, you’re a Yahooist. How could I join that 
religion?”

Knowing that he was just having a little fun 
with me, I responded very seriously, "To join 
you must say 'Yahoo' three times in a row and 
then bring me a free piece of pie."

I do not let anything get past me if I can avoid 
it. The manager laughed rather heartily and 
then walked back to the kitchen.

Maybe I should think a little more seriously 
about creating a Yahooist group of people. 
We sure could make a lot of people smile and 
laugh that otherwise would not do any of that.

Then our waitress came back with our meal 
and greeted both of us by saying, "Yahoo." 
Then my wife and I shouted "Yahoo" back, 
and all of the customers around our table 
started to laugh and say, "Yahoo."

As my wife and I were eating our lunch, I 
thought that I had accomplished my purpose 
for the day. I love making people laugh and 
smile. That is what I call a good day. I know 
I can’t make everybody smile or laugh, but I 
can make some people and those of the people 
I focus on.

As customers departed and passed our table, 
they all smiled and said, “Yahoo.” I cannot remember 
when I had a better day.

As we were finishing our meal, the waitress 
brought our ticket to the table. She commented 
by saying, “It sure was nice to meet a real 
Yahooist. I hope you come back again.” Then, 
as she left, she chirped, "Yahoo."

“You sure made an impression with her,” my 
wife commented.

As I looked at the ticket, I noticed that the pie 
we ordered was not on our ticket. For some 
reason, she forgot to include it on our ticket. 
I called her back and asked about why the pie 
was not included on my ticket.

"Isn't today your Wednesday?" she said. "On 
Wednesday, the pie is always free." As she 
walked away, she cheerfully said, “Yahoo.”

I have found that it always pays, and pays 
wonderfully, to make somebody smile.

The theme of my life is, “A merry heart maketh 
a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow 
of the heart the spirit is broken” (Proverbs 
15:13).

My goal is never to let a day go by without 
causing somebody to smile.

Dr. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of 
God Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 
34472. He lives with his wife in Silver Springs 
Shores. Call him at 352-687-4240 or e-mail 
jamessnyder2@att.net. The church web site is 
www.whatafellowship.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