Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, October 29, 2022

13

Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 29, 2022


Specializing in Placing

Seniors in Assisted Living and 
Memory Care Communities

ASSISTED LIVING OR NURSING 
HOME?

There are many myths about Assisted 
Living being like Nursing Homes. 
This is not true at all. Nursing facilities 
are for those with chronic health 
issues who require care around the 
clock from medical professionals. 

In Assisted Living, one will get the support as needed, such as getting help with showering, grooming, 
and dressing. Again, these services are based on the seniors needs.

There are many reasons in working with us. At Safe Path for Seniors, we will assess the senior and 
depending on their care needs and budget, make recommendations. For example, we may suggest 
that the right fit is a Board and Care Home (normally a 6-bedroom house) as opposed to an Assisted 
Living Community or a Memory Support Facility. You will work with an experienced agent who 

knows the industry well and will give you recommendations. The good news is that there is no 
cost for this service.

If you have any questions about placing a loved one, visit www.safepathforseniors.com or call Steve 
at 626-999-6913

SENIOR HAPPENINGS


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS*

Janda Ferris, Darlene Traxler, Margit Johnson, Sole Krieg, Dick Anderson, 
Eva Poet, Mary Jane Baker, Dixie Coutant, Jill Franks, Cathleen Cremins, 
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

SIERRA MADRE SENIOR CLUB Every Saturday from 11:30am-3:30 pm in the Hart 
Park House Senior Center. Join us as we celebrate birthdays, holidays and play BINGO. 
Must be 50+ to join. For more information call Mark at 626-355-3951.

DOMINOES TRAIN GAME 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, 11:00 am— 12:30 pm Hart Park 
House The object of the game is for a player to play all the tiles from their hand onto one or 
more trains, emanating from a central hub or “station”. Call Lawren with questions that you 
may have. 

PAINT PALS 

Thursday, 10/13 10:30 am—Hart Park House If you enjoy painting, sketching, water color, 
or making some other form of artistic creation please join our new program, PAINT PALS!!! 
Bring a project that you are working on to the HPH and enjoy some quality art time with other 
artists looking to paint with a new pal. 

TEA AND TALK SENIOR BOOK CLUB Tuesday Oct. 12 and Oct. 26 — 9:00 am 

Staff has launched a new book club series, Tea and Talk, which meets twice a month to discuss 
the fun, suspense, intrigue, love and so much more that each selection will have in store!

FIBER FRIENDS Tuesday, 10/4 and 10/18 —10:00 am If you enjoy knitting, crocheting, 
embroidery, needlepoint, bunka, huck, tatting or cross stitch then we have a group for you! 
Bring your current project, a nonalcoholic beverage, then sit and chat with likeminded fiber 
friends. We meet in the Hart Park House

CHAIR YOGA Every Monday and Wednesday, 10-10:45 am Please join us for some gentle 
stretching, yoga, balance exercise and overall relaxation with Paul. Classes are ongoing and 
held in the Memorial Park Covered Pavilion or the Hart Park House..

HULA AND POLYNESIAN DANCE Every Friday, 10-10:45 am Bring a lei, your flower 
skirt or just your desire to dance! Hula in the Park is back and waiting for you to join in on all 
the fun! Memorial Park Pavilion.

BLOOD PRESSURE CLINIC - Tuesday, Oct. 11 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Methodist Hospital will be holding a free to seniors clinic once a month in the Hart Park 
House. Walk in are welcome - no pre-registration required.

LOTERIA: Oct. 20 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Come down to the HPH (Hart Park House) for a lively round of Loteria (Mexican Bingo) 
Prizes await!

OCTOBER CRAFT Tuesday, October 25 10:30am Hart Park House

Have you ever had interest in balloon art? Well you are in luck! Join Recreation Coordinator 
Pardo as she instructs us on how to create a cat, bat or pumpkin balloon column. Space is limited 
so please call or email Lawren to reserve your spot.

SENIOR CINEMA Wednesday, 10/12— 1:00 pm HUBIE HALLOWEEN PG-13 1h 43m

Good-natured but eccentric community volunteer Hubie Dubois finds himself at 
the center of a real murder case on Halloween night. Despite his devotion to his 
hometown of Salem, Massachusetts (and its legendary Halloween celebration).

Wednesday, 10/26 – Beginning at 1:00pm THE BIRDS PG 1h 59m

TOP FINANCIAL SCAMS TARGETING SENIORS TODAY


Dear Savvy Senior:

What are the most common scams today that target 
elderly seniors? My 75-year-old mother has 
been swindled several times over the past year, so 
I’m being extra cautious. Paranoid Patty

 

Dear Patty:

Great question! While many scams today are universal, 
there are certain types of fraud that specifically target older adults or affects them disproportionately. 
And unfortunately, these senior targeted scams are on the rise.

 

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in 2021 there were 92,371 older victims 
of fraud resulting in $1.7 billion in losses. This was a 74 percent increase in losses compared to 
2020.

 

Here are five of the most common senior scams that were reported last year, that both you and 
your mom should be aware of.

 

Government imposter scams: These are fraudulent telephone calls from people claiming to be 
from the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration or Medicare. These scammers 
may falsely tell you that you have unpaid taxes and threaten arrest or deportation if you 
don’t pay up immediately. Or they may say your Social Security or Medicare benefits are in danger 
of being cut off if you don’t provide personal identifying information. They may even “spoof” 
your caller ID to make it look like the government is actually calling.

 

Sweepstakes and lottery scams: These scams may contact you by phone, mail or email. They tell 
you that you’ve won or have the potential to win a jackpot. But you need to pay a fee, or cover 
taxes and processing fees to receive your prize, perhaps by prepaid debit card, wire transfer, 
money order or cash. Scammers may even impersonate well-known sweepstakes organizations, 
like Publishers Clearing House, to fool you. 

 

Robocalls and phone scam: Robocalls take advantage of sophisticated, automated phone technology 
to carry out a variety of scams on trusting older adults who answer the phone. Some 
robocalls may claim that a warranty is expiring on their car or electronic device, and payment is 
needed to renew it. These scammers may also “spoof” the number to make the call look authentic.

 

One common robocall is the “Can you hear me?” call. When the older person says “yes,” the 
scammer records their voice and hangs up. The criminal then has a voice signature to authorize 
unwanted charges on items like stolen credit cards.

 

Computer tech support scams: Theses scams prey on senior’s lack of knowledge about computers 
and cybersecurity. A pop-up message or blank screen usually appears on a computer or phone, 
telling you that your device is compromised and needs fixing. When you call the support number 
for help, the scammer may either request remote access to your computer and/or that you 
pay a fee to have it repaired.

 

Grandparent scam: The grandparent scam has been around for several years now. A scammer 
will call and say something along the lines of: “Hi Grandma, do you know who this is?” When 
the unsuspecting grandparent guesses the name of the grandchild the scammer most sounds 
like, the scammer has established a fake identity.

 

The fake grandchild will then ask for money to solve some unexpected financial problem (legal 
trouble, overdue rent, car repairs, etc.), to be paid via gift cards or money transfers, which don’t 
always require identification to collect.

 

Other Scams

Some other popular scams targeting older adults right now are romance scams through social 
media and online dating sites, COVID-19 scams, investment scams, Medicare and health insurance 
scams, and Internet and email fraud. 

 

For more information on the different types senior scams to watch out for, along with tips to help 
your mom protect herself, visit the National Council on Aging website at NCOA.org, and type in 
“the top 5 financial scams targeting older adults” in the search bar.

 

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.


SPECIAL MEDICARE PRESENTATION NEW DATE! Thursday 10/20, 9:00 am-
10:00 am Hart Park House Please join Duarte Councilmember Vihn for 
a Medicare presentation. Pastries and coffee will be served during this informative 
presentation. Space is limited, call Lawren to reserve your spot.

OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder


I DIDN'T DO IT MY WAY

I don’t think I’ve learned 
very much during my life. I 
just bounce from day to day 
and take what comes.

The one thing I did learn as I look back is, for 
the most part, I didn’t do it my way.

Remember Frank Sinatra and his song, “I 
Did It My Way?” I would have liked to ask 
him, how’s that been working for you?

Whenever we do everything our way, there is 
a consequence.

You know what they say that for every action, 
there is a consequence. By the time the consequence 
hits you in the face, it’s too late to 
make any changes.

When I ever did something “my way,” it never 
really worked out.

The other day as I was meditating on this, 
I thought of how smart I was when I was a 
teenager. I knew everything; all you had to 
do was ask me. Sometimes you didn’t even 
have to ask. I was ready to give my opinion 
at any time.

If only I were a smart as I thought I was when 
I was a teenager, everything would be gloriously 
wonderful. The problem is, I’m not.

I have learned that I don’t have to have everything 
my way. That was the first thing I 
learned as a husband. If I get everything my 
way, somebody in the house is not happy.

As long as I have been with the Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage, she is the only one 
I know that gets things done her way. Not in a 
bullying manner, she just seems to know the 
right thing to do at the right time.

I, on the other hand, cannot even tell time.

Thinking along this line, a memory flashed 
back. I remember rushing my wife to the 
hospital to deliver our first baby. I’m not sure 
who was more nervous, the mother or the expected 
father.

We got there, and she was escorted back to 
the delivery room where they would deliver 
the baby. I paced the lobby, not knowing exactly 
what I should be doing.

Several hours went by, and I heard nothing 
concerning the birth of our baby. If I only 
had my way, I would go back there and see 
for myself.

Just then, the nurse that took my wife back 
into the delivery room came out, and I approached 
her and said, “Can I go and see my 
wife and baby now?”

After all, I was the father, and I was paying 
the bill for this baby.

The nurse, who looked like she had just gone 
through World War II, glared at me and, with 
a very rough voice, said, “No, you’re not going 
back there. After all, you’re the one that’s 
responsible for all of this.”

I did not know what she meant or what she 
was talking about?

There was not anything I could do but continue 
waiting. As I sat in the waiting room, I 
thought, she ought to be very, very, very glad 
that I was not doing it my way. My way would 
have been very nasty and ugly for her.

I let that nurse do it her way because she was 
not significant in my life. For me to let her 
have it her way did not in any way harm me. 
I just had to wait a little longer.

Finally, I had the opportunity to go back and 
see my wife and our first baby. That took 
away all my memories, at the time, of that 
nasty nurse who wanted to do everything her 
way.

I was glad I didn’t do it my way.

On many occasions, I have wanted to give 
people a piece of my mind to do it my way. 
Unfortunately, I have run out of pieces of 
mind. For all things considered, it has turned 
out to be a good thing.

Many times through life, I allowed the Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage to have it her 
way. Most of the time, her way was the right 
way. If I would’ve stepped in to do it my way, 
we would be in a lot of trouble today.

There have been some very wonderful times 
when her way did not work, and if I would 
have had my way, things might not have 
turned out better. But I chose the high road 
and let her have her way.

Only a few times in my life have I been right, 
and she has been wrong. I choose not to identify 
those times for various reasons.

Every once in a while, I sit back and think 
about a few times when I have been right but 
did not step up to interfere in the situation. 
That always causes me to chuckle.

The other night I was chuckling as I was 
thinking of one in particular, which I cannot 
disclose, when my wife said, “What are you 
chuckling about?”

“Oh,” I said, “I was just thinking about a 
joke.”

“And, what joke was that,” she asked?

“Why was 6 afraid of 7? Because 7, 8, 9.”

As I sat back in my chair, a verse of Scripture 
came to mind. “Submitting yourselves one to 
another in the fear of God” (Ephesians 5:21).

Some of my happiest times in life are when 
I’m not doing anything my way. Giving 
someone else the privilege of doing it their 
way is a very satisfying thing.


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