Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, June 6, 2020

6


Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 6, 2020

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT ADVANCE 
CARE PLANNING IN 
THE AGE OF CORONAVIRUS

Dear Savvy Senior:

All this horrible coronavirus carnage got me thinking 
about my own end-of-life decisions if I were to get 
sick. Can you recommend some good resources that can help me create a living will or advance directive, 
or other pertinent documents? I’ve put it off long enough.

Almost 70

Dear Almost:

Creating a living will (also known as an advance directive) is one of those things most people plan 
to do, but rarely get around to actually doing. Only about one-third of Americans currently have 
one. But the cold hard reality of the novel coronavirus may be changing that. Here’s what you 
should know along with some resources to help you create an advance directive. 

Advance Directives

To adequately spell out your wishes regarding your end-of-life medical treatment are two key 
documents: A “living will” which tells your doctor what kind of care you want to receive if you 
become incapacitated, and a “health care power of attorney” (or health care proxy), which names 
a person you authorize to make medical decisions on your behalf if you become unable to.

These two documents are known as an “advance directive,” and will only be utilized if you are 
too ill to make medical decisions yourself. You can also change or update it whenever you please.

It isn’t necessary to hire a lawyer to prepare an advance directive. There are free or low-cost resources 
available today to help you create one, and it takes only a few minutes from start to finish.

One that I highly recommend that’s completely free to use is My Directives (MyDirectives.com). 
This is an online tool and mobile app that will help you create, store and share a detailed, customized 
digital advance directive. Their easy-to-use platform combines eight thoughtful questions 
to guide you through the process. If you’re not computer savvy, ask a family member or trusted 
friend to help you.

The advantage of having a digital advance directive versus a paper document is being able to access 
it quickly and easily via smartphone, which is crucial in emergency situations when they’re 
most often needed.

If, however, you’d rather have a paper document, one of the best do-it-yourself options is the Five 
Wishes advance directive (they offer online forms too). Created by Aging with Dignity, a nonprofit 
advocacy organization, Five Wishes costs $5, and is available in many languages. To learn 
more or to receive a copy, visit FiveWishes.org or call 850-681-2010.

Another tool you should know about that will compliment your advance directive is the Physician 
Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, or POLST (sometimes called Medical Orders for Life-
Sustaining Treatment, or MOLST). A POLST form translates your end-of-life wishes into medical 
orders to be honored by your doctors. To learn more about your state’s program or set one up, see 
POLST.org.

Readers should also know that if you’ve already prepared an advanced directive paper document, 
a POLST form or the VA advance directive form 10-0137, you can upload, store and share these 
documents too at MyDirectives.com.

And finally, to ensure your final wishes are followed, make sure to tell your family members, 
health care proxy and doctors. If you make a digital advance directive or have uploaded your 
existing forms, you can easily share them electronically to everyone involved. Or, if you make a 
paper advance directive that isn’t uploaded, you should provide everyone copies to help prevent 
stress and arguments later.

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! …June Birthdays*

Joanne Thrane, Nellie Haynes, Dorothy McKay, Donna Doss, Mary Carney, Carol 
Handley, Marilyn McKernan, Pat Fujiwara, John Shier, Beth Smith-Kellock, Ann 
Disbrow, Joan Ellison, Anne Montgomery, Trini Ornelas, Martha Spriggs, Pat 
Starkey, Kathleen Coyne, Suzanne Decker, Jacque Persing, Jeanne Peterson and 
Grace Sanders

 * 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

The City of Sierra Madre is following these procedures to provide current communication in light of 
COVID-19 and keep the Senior Community and families informed of essential information and resources. 
City staff are monitoring email communication daily, and although employees are minimizing 
direct engagement and practicing social distancing in the community, please note that voice messages, 
emails, and social media responses are being addressed in the most efficient and timely manner.

If at any moment additional information is needed, please contact City Hall Administrative Services at 
(626) 355-7135, Monday-Thursday from 7:30a – 5:30p, as they are taking messages and e-mailing the 
appropriate person.

For messages that may trickle in otherwise, please note our team is remotely checking voicemail daily at 
the Community Services Department, (626) 355-5278 x702.

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 Seniors Newsletter via email but may not otherwise have been included 
on an email group list, please send your request with email address to the following team members:

Lawren Heinz Lheinz@cityofsierramadre.com and Clarissa Lowe Clowe@cityofsierramadre.com.

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

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

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

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) 355-5278; x702 or 704.

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 for-ward this information to our County Contact.

Food Banks Support: Seniors & Families:

If someone is outside of our local area and in need of a food bank, they can find one nearest them by 
going to www.lafoodbank.org and typing in their zip code; or call from the list here:

First Church of the Nazarene-Pasadena 3700 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. 626-351-9631

Wednesday 10:30 am-12 pm 

Pasadena Senior Center 85 E. Holly St. Pasadena 626-685-6732

Foothill Unity Center 415 W. Chestnut Ave. Monrovia 626-358-3486 Monday 1 pm-3:30 pm, 
Wednesday & Friday 9 am-11:30 am

Lifeline Community Services & Economic Development 2556 N. Lake Ave Altadena

626-797-3585 2nd and 4th Wednesday 12 pm-2 pm & 8:15 pm-9 pm

Morning Star Outreach Ministry 1416 N. Mentor Ave Pasadena 626-794-4875

2nd & 4th Saturday 11 am-1

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett

OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder


THE BASICS OF DISABILITY INSURANCE 
AND HOW IT CAN HELP DURING COVID 

WILL THERE BE TELEVISION IN HEAVEN?

With the risks 
still posed by 
COVID-19, we 
all need to face 
the possibility 
that we could 
get sick, even 
if we take great 
care of ourselves 
through good 
nutrition, sleep, 
and exercise. 
And even if you don’t need to be hospitalized, if 
you do experience symptoms and test positive, you 
might have to stay quarantined for enough time that 
you’d lose income. These risks highlight the need 
for everyone, regardless of their age or current state 
of health, to have some form of disability insurance 
coverage. You might think you don’t need disability 
insurance, especially if you’re young and in good 
health. Hopefully, you’re right. Unfortunately, though, 
becoming disabled can happen to anyone at any time. 
This isn’t specific to coronavirus either; it has always 
been true. 

The sad fact is that, according to the US government’s 
statistics, one in four 20-year-olds become disabled 
before reaching retirement age. That makes it even 
more important that you consider how to protect 
yourself with insurance.

And this is especially important: you must get the 
actual insurance before something happens. If 
you’re already sick, you can’t buy disability insurance 
to make up for lost income. So now is the time to 
prepare. Here’s some information to get you started.

What Qualifies You for Benefits (And What Doesn’t)

Let’s get clear on one thing that applies to the 
coronavirus pandemic: only medical quarantine 
qualifies you for disability benefits. That means only 
medical self-quarantine related to COVID-19, which 
is verified by a doctor, will qualify you. Socially 
quarantining to decrease your chance of contracting 
the virus in the first place won’t qualify you for your 
disability insurance benefits. Disability insurance also 
won’t cover you if you lose income or health insurance 
because your employer has closed or laid you off.

Also, disability insurance is not the same as health 
insurance. Though your failed health is the reason 
you’d get access to your disability insurance in the 
first place, disability insurance will not cover your 
medical bills. Disability benefits are basically to help 
you pay housing and food costs. But in a time when 
you’re dealing with disability, it’s good to have those 
bills covered while you are focused on healing and 
self-care.

There are two different types of disability insurance 
and knowing the difference will help you save a lot 
of time.

Short-Term Disability Insurance

Short-term disability insurance normally lasts 
around 3–6 months, sometimes up to a year or two. It 
covers about 60–70% of whatever your salary is. The 
premiums you pay are often higher than long term 
coverage, ranging from 1–3% of your annual income. 
So for someone making $50k a year, it would range 
between $60 to $125 every month. The percentage 
depends on what kind of health risks the insurance 
company determines you have. If you smoke, for 
instance, the premium will probably be higher, just 
like with many health insurance policies. If you have 
a risky job, such as dealing with heavy machinery, 
premiums will likely be higher as well. A major upside, 
though, is that payouts usually happen within two 
weeks, which can be a huge relief in an emergency.

 Financial expert Dave Ramsey points out that, 
because of the higher premiums and shorter span of 
coverage time, you might want to consider building 
up a solid emergency fund with 3–6 months of 
expenses instead. You can consider that personal 
short-term disability coverage that you don’t have 
to pay premiums on. But if you’re living paycheck-
to-paycheck and can’t foresee saving that much (like 
80% of American workers, according to CNBC), and 
your employer doesn’t offer short-term disability 
insurance, it is something you may want to consider 
buying yourself.

Long-Term Disability Insurance

This is the type of insurance that is most important 
to get, no matter what. This is the type that will last 
through a long recovery or treatment period. Look for 
a “non-cancellable insurance policy”, which will keep 
the insurance company from being able to cancel 
your policy if you have any health changes. 

 Long-term disability insurance may pay you benefits 
for a few years or until your disability ends. Most 
policies cover 40–60% of your salary, but ones that 
pay up to 70% do exist, and you should try to find 
one. These policies also cost 1–3% of your yearly 
income, but they tend to be on the lower side than 
short-term. A major difference between the two 
forms of insurance is that it can take up to 6 months 
to see a payout. This means that it’s not the best option 
for covering costs if you have to go into medical 
quarantine for COVID-19. 

We recommend that, even if you decide to pass on 
short-term disability in favor of emergency fund 
savings (or if your employee already covers it), you 
should definitely consider a long-term policy to 
protect your earnings. Remember, though, it will only 
pay a percentage of the income you’d be taking in 
otherwise. Make sure you also have health insurance 
and as much savings as you can get to protect yourself 
as well.

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

If anybody can ask hard questions, 
the award has to go to the 
Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. 
She knows how to ask 
a question and, more importantly, when to ask a 
particular question.

Throughout our marriage, she has become an 
expert in the area of questionology. There is not a 
question I can think of that she hasn’t asked.

On the other side of the parsonage, my expertise 
has been in not correctly answering questions. It is 
not that I cannot answer a question; I do not answer 
in a way that fits her expectations. That is important 
when it comes to my wife. Her expectation is quite 
high.

Even though we have been married for such a 
long time, I have yet to master the art of hearing 
the question the way she wants it heard. My experience 
has taught me that if I do not answer the question 
correctly, I can be in deep trouble. Believe me, 
I have experience in this.

We were watching the news the other night after 
supper, and as you know, the news is terrible these 
days. All they seem to be able to show is the devastating 
depravity that is going on in our country. At 
times, I get a little weary of all this dreariness.

During a commercial, I heard my wife clear her 
throat and then say, “Do you think there will be 
television in heaven?”

I must confess that that question caught me off 
guard. I thought for a few moments and did not 
quite understand precisely the context of her question. 
I have learned by experience that if I do not 
understand the question from her point, how in the 
world can I give the correct answer?

I glanced her way, cleared my throat, and said, 
“Excuse me, what did you say?”

Looking at me, she simply said, “You heard me. 
Do you think there will be television in heaven?

hat is a hard question to answer because during 
the last few months when we could not go out anywhere, 
we would stay home and watch a Hallmark 
Mystery Movie. It is good to watch them and forget 
about what’s happening out in the real world. They 
always have a happy ending.

For example. While watching the news, it gets 
very discouraging. Just when you think nothing 
can get any worse, it does!

For quite a while, I have not really believed what 
I hear and see on any news station. Sometimes the 
local stations get something right, but the national 
media is another story. They will do and say anything 
to get ratings.

Then, of course, there are the politicians. I think 
if a politician ever consistently told the truth, their 
body would drop over dead out of sheer shock. I 
do not understand why people just cannot tell the 
truth these days.

However, my wife’s question was very thought 
provoking. We are so accustomed to television in 
our society today that we cannot imagine anywhere 
without it. I know there are places where you cannot 
get a television signal, but for the most part, 
television has really conquered our world.

I remember a famous quote from Will Rogers; “All 
I know is what I read in the newspapers.”

If Rogers were alive today, he would edit that 
quote to; “All I know is what I see on television.”

Unfortunately, that is all people know today. And 
they allow that to control their lives and their attitude 
and so forth.

Although I cannot imagine our society without 
television, I cannot imagine heaven with television. 
After all, there is a special place for “all liars” (Revelation 
21:8).

Consider, for instance, the reality shows on TV. 
There is absolutely no reality to any of those shows. 
The only reality they have is making money.

Also, on the news, we only see the worst side of 
humanity, for the most part. After watching the 
news, it is hard to trust anybody.

I then asked my wife, “I’m not sure, what do you 
think?”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” she said very 
thoughtfully, “and my conclusion is simply, I hope 
not.”

There are times in which my wife and I do not 
always agree, but on this point, I think we agree 
100%. That is a rarity, and I want to remember this 
for quite a while.

If there were television in heaven, what shows 
would actually be allowed to be shown? And, would 
there be any celebrities or personalities?

I cannot imagine a television program I would 
like to watch if I was in heaven. I think there are 
many other things more satisfying than watching 
something on television that has no relationship to 
reality whatsoever.

Finishing our little conversation, I asked my wife, 
“If there was television in heaven, what program 
would you want to watch?”

That started a very long and serious conversation, 
and I began to find out some of her likes and 
dislikes.

After our conversation, I began to think about 
what the Bible said along this line. “The wicked, 
through the pride of his countenance, will not seek 
after God: God is not in all his thoughts” (Psalm 
10:4).

My conclusion was this; anything that keeps God 
out of my thoughts is something I need to get out 
of my life. Heaven will be so full of the thoughts of 
God that nothing else would ever get in.

Dr. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God 
Fellowship, Ocala, FL 34472. He lives with the Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage in Silver Springs 
Shores. Call him at 352-216-3025 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