Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, January 28, 2023

12 Mountain View News Saturday, January 28, 2023 12 Mountain View News Saturday, January 28, 2023 
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 

HOW TO COVER DENTAL CARE IN RETIREMENT 

Dear Savvy Senior:
I had dental insurance through my work for many 
years but lost it when I retired and joined Medicare. 
Where can retirees find affordable dental care? 
Uninsured Al 


Dear Al: 
Unfortunately, about two-thirds of U.S. retirees don’t have dental insurance today. Without coverage 
from traditional Medicare, and with private dental insurance typically costing too much 
to be feasible, most seniors are stuck paying full out-of-pocket prices every time they visit a dentist. 
While there’s no one simple solution to affordable dental care there are a variety of options 
that can help cut your costs. Here’s where to look. 

Medicare Advantage: While dental services are mostly excluded under original Medicare, many 
Medicare Advantage plans do provide coverage for dental care, but it’s usually very limited. 
Medicare Advantage plans are government approved health plans (usually HMOs and PPOs) sold 
by private insurance companies that you can choose in place of original Medicare. To shop and 
research Advantage plans in your area visit Medicare.gov/plan-compare or call 800-633-4227. 

Dental insurance: If you have gum problems and need extensive dental care, a dental insurance 
plan may be worth the costs versus paying for care yourself. Monthly premiums for individual 
plans range from about $20 to $80. A typical plan includes two or three cleanings and checkups 
per year, but these plans will likely have a waiting period – anywhere from a few months to a 
few years – before coverage for more expensive procedures kicks in. To find dental plans in your 
area, see eHealthInsurance.com. 

Dental savings plans: While savings plans aren’t as comprehensive as insurance, they are a good 
option for those who don’t have dental insurance. How this works is you pay an annual membership 
fee – around $80 to $200 a year – in exchange for 10 to 60 percent discounts on service and 
treatments from participating dentists. To find a savings plan, go to DentalPlans.com (or 888632-
5353) where you can search for plans and participating dentists, as well as get a breakdown 
of the discounts offered. 

Veterans’ benefits: If you’re a veteran enrolled in the VA health care program or are a beneficiary 
of the Civilian Health and Medical Program (CHAMPVA), the VA offers a dental insurance 
program that gives you the option to buy dental insurance through Delta Dental and MetLife at 
a reduced cost. The VA also provides free dental care to vets who have dental problems resulting 
from service. To learn more about these options, visit VA.gov/dental or call 877-222-8387. 

Cheaper dental care: Because prices can vary by dentist, one way to ensure you get a good deal 
on your dental care is to call multiple provides and compare prices. To get an idea of what different 
dental procedures cost in your area, see FairHealthConsumer.org. If you’re paying cash, it’s 
also perfectly reasonable to ask your dentist for a discount. 

There are also a number health centers and clinics that provide low-cost dental care to those in 
need. And all university dental schools and college dental hygiene programs offer dental care 
and cleanings for less than half of what you would pay at a dentist’s office. Students who are supervised 
by their professors provide the care. See TeethWisdom.org to search for a center, clinic 
or school near you. 

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. 

FAMILY MATTERS

 By Marc Garlett 

4 COMMON MISTAKES MADE ON LIFE 
INSURANCE BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS 


Investing in life insur


ance is a foundational 

part of estate planning, 

and when done right 

it’s a primary way to 

say “I love you” to your 

loved ones after you are 

gone. However, when 

naming your policy’s 
beneficiaries, several mistakes can lead to potentially 
dire consequences for the people you’re investing 
to protect and support.
The following four mistakes are among the most 
common we see clients make when selecting life insurance 
beneficiaries. If you’ve made any of these 
errors, you’ll want to change your beneficiary designations 
on your policy and ensure the proceeds 
provide the maximum benefit for those you love 
most. 
1 - Failing to Name A BeneficiaryAlthough it would seem common sense, whether 
intentional or not, far too many people fail to name 
any beneficiary on their life insurance policies or inadvertently 
name their “estate” as beneficiary. Both 
errors will mean your insurance proceeds must go 
through the court process known as probate.
During probate, a judge will determine who gets 
your insurance death benefits. This process can tie 
the benefits up in court for years. Moreover, probate 
opens the proceeds to creditors, which can seriously 
deplete—or even totally wipe out—the funds.
To keep your insurance proceeds out of court, make 
certain you designate—at the very least— one primary 
adult beneficiary. In case your primary beneficiary 
dies before you, you should also name a contingent 
(alternate) beneficiary. Name more than one 
contingent beneficiary for maximum protection in 
case your primary and secondary choices die before 
you.
2 - Forgetting to Update Beneficiaries 
While failing to name any beneficiary is a huge mistake, 
not keeping your beneficiary designations up 
to date can be even worse. This is particularly true 
if you are in a second (or more) marriage and fail to 
remove an ex-spouse as beneficiary, which can leave 
your current spouse with nothing when you die.
To prevent this, you should review your beneficiary 
designations annually as part of an overall review 
of your estate plan and immediately update your 
beneficiaries upon events like divorces, deaths, and 
births. You simply must ensure your beneficiary 
designations (along with all other documents and 
decisions in your plan) are regularly reviewed and 
updated when necessary.
3 - Naming A Minor (Or Their Guardian) As 
BeneficiaryYou are technically permitted to name a minor 
child as a beneficiary of your life insurance , but it’s 
never a good idea. Minor children cannot receive 
insurance benefits until they reach the age of maturity. 
In the event a minor is listed as beneficiary, 
the proceeds of your insurance will be distributed 

to a court-appointed custodian, who will manage 
the funds (often for a not insignificant fee) until the 
child reaches the age of maturity. At that point, all 
benefits are distributed to the beneficiary outright 
and unprotected.
This is true even if the minor has a living parent. 
A child’s living parent could petition the court to 
be appointed custodian but there is no guarantee 
a parent would be appointed custodian, especially 
if the parent cannot qualify or pay for a bond. In 
many cases, a court could deem a parent unsuitable 
(if they have poor credit, for example) and instead 
appoint a paid fiduciary to control the funds.
Rather than naming a minor as a beneficiary, you 
may think to name the person you have chosen as 
guardian of your child. But that’s not the right answer 
either. In that case, all insurance would pay 
outright to the named guardian and could be used 
in any way they choose, or even be at risk of being 
taken in a divorce or by a judgment creditor of the 
guardian.
Instead, the right answer is to set up a trust to receive 
the insurance proceeds and name a trustee to 
hold and distribute the funds to a minor child you 
would want to benefit from your insurance proceeds, 
when and how you determine, or even hold 
them protected for your beneficiary to control but 
safe from divorce and creditors if that’s what you 
choose. 
4 -Naming an Individual with Special Needs As 
BeneficiaryAlthough a loved one with special needs is likely one 
of the first people you’d consider naming as beneficiary 
of your life insurance policy, doing so can have 
tragic consequences. Leaving insurance directly to 
someone with special needs could disqualify that 
individual from receiving much-needed government 
benefits. 
Rather than naming someone with special needs 
as a beneficiary, you should create a “special needs 
trust” to receive the insurance proceeds. This way, 
the money won’t go directly to the beneficiary upon 
your death. Still, it would be managed by the trustee 
you name and dispersed according to the trust’s 
terms without affecting benefit eligibility.
The rules governing special needs trusts are complicated, 
so if you have a child with special needs 
know that special needs planning involves much 
more than just life insurance—it’s about providing 
a lifetime of care and protection.
Take Action Now to Eliminate Future Problems 
While naming life insurance beneficiaries might 
seem simple, if you’re not careful, you can create 
major problems for the loved ones you’re doing your 
best to benefit. Meet with a trusted financial or legal 
advisor today 
to ensure you’ve 
done everything 
properly. 

Marc Garlett, Esq. 

To your health, 

Cali Law Family Legacy Matters 

wealth, and fam-www.caliLaw.com 
ily legacy, 626.355.4000 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS 


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …JANUARY BIRTHDAYS* 

Mary Tassop, Judy Webb-Martin, John Johnson, Mary Bickel, 
Marlene Enmark, Shirley Wolf, Ross Kellock, Ruth Wolter, Sandy 
Thistlewaite, Bobbi Rahmanian, Fran Syverson, 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 

DOMINOES TRAIN GAME 

1st & 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. 

TEA AND TALK BOOK CLUB 

Tuesday, 1/11 & 1/25 9:00 am Hart Park House 

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, 1/17 10:00 am Hart Park House 

If you enjoy knitting, crocheting, embroidery, needlepoint, bunka, huck, tatting or 
cross stitch then we have a group for you! Bring your current project, sit and chat 
with like-minded fiber friends. 

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. 

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. 

BINGO 

Thursday, 1/19 Hart Park House 1:00 pm-2:00 pm

Please join in a fun and lively game of BINGO. Several rounds fun will be had with 
prizes for each rounds winner. 


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

SOW A THOUGHT REAP A PIE 

One thing that has been burning in my life has been thoughts. Not that 

I don't have thoughts, but I'm not quite sure how to use them when I 

have them. Looking back over my life, it has been my thoughts that got 
me into trouble. I just never learn. 

I was finishing up a little project in my office, and I couldn't help but think about The 
Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage's wonderful coconut cream pie. She makes a lot 
of pies, but this one has to be her best. It's been a long time since she baked a coconut 
cream pie. 

Being a husband as long as I have been, over 50 years, I know it doesn't do any good 
for me to tell my wife what to do, particularly in the kitchen. My access to the kitchen 
has to be supervised by her. How can I get her to bake her infamous and delicious 
coconut cream pie? 

This thought took a whole bunch of other thoughts to come up with a good idea. I 
don't always come up with a good idea, but I thought I had done it this time. I needed 
to plant a thought in her mind concerning this coconut cream pie. How I was going 
to do this demanded some more thought, then I came up with an idea.
We get spam callers about medicare benefits and my expiring auto warranty, so I 
come up with a little idea. The next time someone like this calls me, I will use it to 
plant a thought into my wife's head. 

It didn't take long, and one of those spam calls came. 

Somewhere in the conversation, they asked me a question, and I noticed The Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage was in the next room within hearing distance. 

I inserted into the conversation, "And my wife bakes the most delicious coconut cream 
pie I have ever eaten." I mentioned it several times in the conversation, hoping I had 
planted some thought in someone's mind. 

The expiring car warranty call came, and I used that as an opportunity to say, "You 
should taste the amazing coconut cream pie that my wife bakes. You would love it."
I even used it when some friends called me. I would say, "Do you remember my wife's 
delicious coconut cream pie?" 

This routine went on for a couple of weeks, and I hadn't noticed any difference with 
The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. I was beginning to feel that maybe my "sowing 
a thought" wasn't working. That thought in and of itself caused a little bit of despair 
on my side. 

Giving this quite a bit of thought, I just couldn't come up with another scheme to entice 
her to bake coconut cream pie without knowing it was me. 

I kept it up for several weeks, hoping that one little thought might take root. It was 
worth the trouble if I got one of her coconut cream pies. 

One day this past week, I had several appointments across town that would take up 
most of the day. So, I would be out of the house all that time, unable to sow any more 
thoughts. 

It was a long and boring day, but finally, it was over, and I headed home. I pulled into 
the driveway, got out, and entered the house. As I entered, there was this familiar 
aroma that I really couldn't place at the time. It smelled delicious, but I didn't quite 
understand what it was. 

My wife was in the kitchen, so I went into my office and sat at my desk to finish my 
day's task. 

It wasn't long before The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage came to the doorway 
into my office with something in her hand. Then she said, "Look what I baked this 
morning. It's a coconut cream pie. For some reason, I kept thinking about my coconut 
cream pie I made a couple of years ago. I don't know why, but I just decided to bake 
this pie this morning." Then she smiled at me. 

I smiled back at her and said, "When can I have a piece of that delicious pie?"
She brought me a piece, and I sat there enjoying every bite. I was beginning to think 
that my planting the thought would not work. 

After finishing that pie, I began thinking, is this pie the result of me planting a 
thought, or did she just hear what I was saying and was trying to trick me?
I never will know which way it was. But then I got to thinking; maybe I will try this 
again to get my wife to do something in the future. I'm going to have to give this 
an awful lot of thought because it's very hard to fool The Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage. 

Sometimes my thoughts get me into trouble and sometimes they don’t. I can never tell 
which way any of thoughts will go. 

I thought about what David said, “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” (Psalm 139:22-24). 

It is important for me to allow God to search me and know my thoughts and if there 
is anything that offends God, I need to deal with it regularly. 

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. 
Telephone 1-352-216-3025, e-mail jamessnyder51@gmail.com, website www.jamessnyderministries.
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