Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, May 9, 2020

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Mountain View News Saturday, May 9, 2020 

WHAT OLDER DIABETICS SHOULD 
KNOW ABOUT CORONAVIRUS

Dear Savvy Senior:

My husband and I are both in our late sixties 
and have diabetes. We would like to find out 
if our diabetes increases our risk of getting the 
coronavirus. Concerned Diabetics

Dear Concerned:

Currently, there’s not enough data to show that people with diabetes are more likely to get coronavirus 
(COVID-19) than the general population. But the problem for diabetics is, if you do happen 
to contract the virus, your chance of developing serious complications are much higher. This is 
especially true if your diabetes isn’t well-controlled. Here’s what you should know.

Diabetic Risks

Health data is showing that about 25 percent of people who go to the hospital with severe COVID-
19 infections have diabetes. One reason is that high blood sugar weakens the immune system 
and makes it less able to fight off infections. Your risk of severe coronavirus infection is even higher 
if you also have another condition, like heart or lung disease.

If you do get COVID-19, the infection could also put you at greater risk for diabetes complications 
like diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which happens when high levels of acids called ketones build up 
in your blood.

Some people who catch the new coronavirus have a dangerous body-wide response to it, called 
sepsis. To treat sepsis, doctors need to manage your body’s fluid and electrolyte levels. DKA causes 
you to lose electrolytes, which can make sepsis harder to control.

How to Avoid COVID-19

The best way to avoid getting sick is to stay home as much as you can. If you have to go out, keep 
at least 6 feet away from other people. And every time you come back from the supermarket, pharmacy 
or another public place, wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds.

Also wash your hands before you give yourself a finger stick or insulin shot. Clean each site first 
with soap and water or rubbing alcohol.

To protect you, everyone in your house should wash their hands often, especially before they cook 
for the family. Don’t share any utensils or other personal items. And if anyone in your house is sick, 
they should stay in their own room, as far as possible from you.

The CDC also recommends that you stock up on medications and diabetes testing supplies to last 
for at least a month. The same goes for grocery supplies and other household necessities.

Also know that Medicare is now covering the cost of telehealth visits, so if you have questions for 
your doctor, you can ask by video chat or phone instead of going into the office.

If You Get Sick

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are a dry cough, fever, or shortness of breath. If you 
develop any symptoms that are concerning, call your doctor about getting tested.

If you find that you have contracted COVID-19, the first level of care is to stay home and check 
your blood sugar more often than usual and check your ketones too. COVID-19 can reduce your 
appetite and cause you to eat less, which could affect your levels. You also need more fluids than 
usual when you’re sick, so keep water close by, and drink it often.

You should also know that many over-the-counter medicines that relieve virus symptoms like fever 
or cough can affect your blood sugar levels one way or the other. So, before you take anything check 
with your doctor.

And be aware that if you start experiencing severe shortness of breath, high levels of ketones or 
DKA symptoms like severe weakness, body aches, vomiting or belly pain, you need to see your 
doctor or get to an emergency room right away.

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.


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, Donna 
Mathieson, Luciana Rosenzweig, Linda Wochnik, Marian Woodford, Debbie 
Sheridan, Joanne Anthony, Carole Axline, Kika Downey, Shirley Hall, Annie Scalzo, 
Janet Ten Eyck, Jane Thomas, Ray Burley.

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


SIERRA MADRE SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

1. Community Services Department will continue email communication with Senior residents and aging 
community members. If you know of family members or neighbors who may benefit from accessing 
information electronically, and to receive the department’s Senior Moments Newsletter via email 
but may not otherwise have been included on the email group, please send your request with email 
address to the following team members: Lawren Heinz at lheinz@cityofsierramadre.com or Clarissa 
Lowe at clowe@cityofsierramadre.com 

2. Community Services Department will continue Electronic Seniors Newsletter on a weekly-basis 
distribution. 

3. Community Services Department will continue with mail drop-off of newsletters at the Sierra Madre 
U.S. Post Office Box (unless otherwise advised). 

4. City Social Media will continue via Facebook as well as Instagram, and information sharing will 
include updates as details becomes available. 

5. Mater Dolorosa - Sierra Madre Meal Pick-Up Program provides seal-packaged frozen meals, 5-per 
person every 

Thursday, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. at Hart Park House Senior Center 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Donations 
are accepted. 

Call (626) 355-7394. 

6. YWCA Intervale Meal Program - Effective Wednesday, April 1, 2020 

YWCA has transitioned their distribution of take home meals at the Sierra Madre Hart Park House 
Senior Center to a home-delivery meal program. 

Participants previously reserved for meal pick-up as of Wednesday, 3/25/20 were informed that they 
would begin to have their meals delivered to their homes, beginning Wednesday, April 1, 2020 until 
further notice. 

For any additional participants calling in that are at a high risk and need meals delivered to, please 
provide us their name, date of birth (they must be 60+), address and phone number and Community 
Services Department will forward this information to our County Contact. 

NIXLE Alerts which send messages through public safety agencies via cell phones and social media 
networks will be issued through the Sierra Madre Police Department. This enables local response agencies 
to get that information into the community as quickly as possible. VOICE TO TEXT messages 
from Police Department will further offer automatic pre-recorded voice messages that reach approximately 
4,000 phones within our community. Social Media platforms will include direct phone numbers 
provided by PD to the pre-recorded messages for accessibility. 

Anyone interested in receiving the NIXLE alerts may do so from their mobile phone: 

hit 888-777 and follow the prompts. OR go to Nixle.com and do the same. For non-emergency help or 
guidance on Nixle, please call 626-355-1414. 

Sierra Madre Channel 3 will provide information and what the city is doing for the Senior Community, 
including transportation and food services. 

Currently, Sierra Madre transit support has been operating in accordance with our regular schedule 
and will continue as such. Extra precautions are being taken with the sanitization and cleaning of buses 
due to the recent circumstances. 

Pasadena Senior Center, has also provided a resource, Telephone Reassurance Program, which offers 
daily calls to home bound seniors to provide support and contact with others on a regular basis. If any 
senior, in this time of emergency, finds themselves home bound and needs to talk with someone, please 
refer them to 

(626) 685-6732 and they are available Monday – Friday from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett

OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder


PROTECTING YOUR ELDERLY PARENTS FROM 
UNDUE INFLUENCE DURING COVID AND BEYOND

It’s an unfortunate fact that predators emerge during times of 
crisis to take advantage of people. That means the COVID-19 
pandemic can leave your elderly parents vulnerable in more 
ways than one. But even when things go back to normal, this 
chronic problem of financial exploitation will still be a risk.


We see it happen far too often. Maybe your parents live several hours 
away, or in another state or country, and someone in their community 
gets close to them. Or maybe they have a close relationship with a 
financial advisor who isn’t really looking out for their best interests. This 
person could even be another family member, friend, business partner, 
hired caregiver, professional advisor, or just a casual acquaintance. 

Sometimes, when bad actors become involved with your parents’ lives and assets, it can lead not only to a loss 
of money, but even a loss of personal freedom. One of the worst cases of this I’ve heard of is the case of Milo, 
a retired veteran living in Arizona, and his son Greg, who lives in California. It all started when Milo asked 
Greg to help him protect his small amount of money from a family member who was “borrowing” it freely. 
All Milo had was a savings of $140,000 and payments of $3,700 per month from social security, a pension, 
and veteran’s benefits.

To help his father out, Greg applied for guardianship of Milo’s money, and the court granted it. But at the same 
time, without notifying Greg, the court appointed a professional financial Conservator that neither Milo nor 
Greg knew. The Conservator quickly set to draining Milo’s small savings, with the court barring Greg from 
filing any more motions.

The situation escalated even further when the Conservator decided to move Milo from his assisted living 
facility to a cheap lock-down facility where he wouldn’t even have access to the outdoors. This would, of 
course, free up more money for the Conservator to access. Before this could happen, though, Greg hurried to 
pick his father up and bring him back to California with him. 

Now, the two are essentially on-the-run from authorities, who are trying to bring Milo back to Arizona and 
under the control of the Conservator. Milo and Greg are out of funds and are now trying to raise capital to 
mount a legal battle and free Milo from this terrible situation.

The scariest part is that Milo and Greg had all the proper legal documents in place. Sometimes, though, that 
is not enough to protect your parents from being taken advantage of—even to this extreme. Especially in a 
time of stress and confusion like the COVID-19 pandemic we are currently living in, it is vital to be vigilant 
and get the best possible counsel to avoid something like this happening.

This isn’t meant to make you paranoid or distrustful of the people around you, or of how your parents handle 
their own lives. Well, maybe it is a little. Mostly, though, it’s a call to encourage you and your family to be 
aware, educated, and empowered in knowing what risks are possible for your parents, and for your future 
inheritance. 

Look out for the following “red flag” actions from influencers: 

1. Preventing important communication between family members;
2. Withholding documents from other family members;
3. Encouraging financial gifts or economic benefits to recently met connections (usually in the same 
network as your parents’ “new friend”);
4. Naming recently met connections as attorney-in-fact (under a financial power of attorney), or as a 
joint owner on financial accounts, real estate, and other assets;
5. Giving financial advice that may not be in your or your parents’ best interests, but rather in the 
interests of the advisor.


We recommend you start talking with your elderly parents now about how they want their affairs to be 
handled. Also, you should immediately investigate any situation where you suspect your loved ones are being 
taken advantage of. There have been too many cases of financial abuse or inappropriate influence where 
family members are too late to stop the bad actor. 

Ideally, you’ll know the value of your parents’ tangible assets (i.e., home, car, business, stocks) and intangible 
assets (i.e., generational stories, personal relationships, theological legacies). Additionally, you should be 
working with an advisor to help you understand how family dynamics and the law will impact you, and 
everything that matters to you and your parents when they’re gone. 

Dedicated to empowering your family, building your wealth and defining your legacy,

A local attorney and father, Marc Garlett is on a mission to help parents protect what 
they love

most. His office is located at 55 Auburn Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 91024. Schedule an

appointment to sit down and talk about ensuring a legacy of love and financial security for your

family by calling 626.355.4000 or visit www.CaliLaw.com for more information.

WHEN EVERYTHING FAILS, IT’S OVER

During this time of seclusion, the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and Yours 
Truly has spent some significant time binge-watching some of those Hallmark mystery 
movies. After a while, they all look alike, but my wife loves them, therefore, so 
do I.

The other night as we were watching, one of the characters was a very old, grouchy, 
mean-looking woman who had nothing nice to say about anybody. I usually groan whenever I saw her.

In the middle of the movie, my wife looked at me and said, “Does that woman remind you of anybody?”

Whenever my wife asked me a question, I never know if it is a trick question or if she is looking for information. 
Most of the time, she is not looking for information. Therefore, I responded in the negative.

“Just look at her,” my wife explained, “doesn’t she remind you of Aunt Flora? I paused for a moment 
and then responded, “Oh, my goodness. She sure does.” I wished she would not have brought that 
subject up. I had not thought of Aunt Flora for years. I only knew her for the last 10 years of her life.

Aunt Flora was a very grouchy, complaining old woman. She could find a dark cloud in every burst of 
sunshine. No matter how good a situation might be, she could find the bad in it and exploit it.

Not only was she grouchy, but she was the neighborhood gossip. She knew things a few days before 
they actually happened. If you did not want anybody else to know, you certainly did not tell Aunt Flora. 
What Aunt Flora did not know was, when you wanted the whole community to know something, 
you whispered it into Aunt Flora’s ear.

I never spent too much time with her, but I remember one time she gave me some advice.

“Sonny,” she couldn’t remember my name, “when everything fails, it’s over.” I cannot tell you how 
many times I heard her say that. If anybody knew anything about failure, it was her. As far as I know, 
and I could be wrong, she had three failed marriages. Knowing her as I knew her at the time, I can 
fully understand why her marriages failed. I often thought it would be great to find one of those ex-
husbands and talk about what he thought about my aunt Flora. I am sure I would have had several 
ears full of material. As far as I know, nobody knew where those husbands were. I do not think I am 
going to dig any deeper than that. During a commercial in the movie we were watching, I talked to 
my wife about my aunt Flora in the kind of person she was. My wife knew Aunt Flora for a relatively 
short time, but you only had to meet her once to know what she was really all about. “Do you know 
who Aunt Flora reminded me of?”

I stared at my wife a little bit, shook my head, and said, "No. Who does she remind you of?” I was 
prepared for a whole lot of comparisons. Thinking for a moment, she finally said, "Aunt Flora reminds 
me of Job's wife in the Old Testament." That sure got me thinking. Never for once did I think that Aunt 
Flora was anywhere close to some Bible character. However, as we talked about it, I begin to see her 
point of view. Aunt Flora was certainly a modern-day Mrs. Job.

You remember the story in the Old Testament. The story of Job and all of the conflict, problems and 
disaster that came down upon him. He did not know what was coming, did not know when it was 
coming or why it was coming, but all kinds of problems

surrounded him.

Amid those problems, Mrs. Job comes to her husband and says, "Curse God, and die" (Job 2:9). I cannot 
imagine any wife saying such a thing to her husband. Yet, that is exactly what old Aunt Flora would 
have done. Who knows, maybe she did say that many times to her ex-husbands.

I do not know how Job really got through all his problems, particularly when he did not have a wife to 
support him. I think she had the same attitude as Aunt Flora.

What I like about Job was, despite his wife's encouragement to give up, Job said something that amazes 
me. "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15a).

Job did not hold to the same ideas as Mrs. Job or Aunt Flora, which says, “When everything fails, it’s 
over.”

Talking with Aunt Flora, I would always come away discouraged and depressed. She had not a positive 
thing to say about anything or anybody. If you were on a high and you wanted to find a way down, just 
spend time with Aunt Flora.

While we were talking about Aunt Flora, I happen to think of one of my favorite verses in the Bible. 
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways 
acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

In one way, Aunt Flora was right. When everything fails, it’s over. But not the way she thought. Looking 
at it from Job’s point of view, when everything fails, it is time for God to do what only God can do.


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