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Get Ready For Medicare Enrollment

The Medicare Fall Open Enrollment 2023 season is here and that means your mailbox gets bombarded with advertisements. Every time you turn on the television you hear another commercial about Medicare plans. It is by far the most confusing time of year for most Medicare beneficiaries: October 15th through Dec. 7th. WHAT SHOULD I DO DURING THE MEDICARE FALL OPEN ENROLLMENT? Many beneficiaries know they need to be doing something during the Medicare Fall Open Enrollment each year, but they are not sure what. The constant radio and television ads cause people anxiety because they ...

Food Safety – Are You At Risk?

Access to safe and nutritious foods is important to promote good health. Unsafe foods may contain harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemicals that can lead to foodborne illness. Anyone can get food poisoning, but older adults are more likely to get sick or have a more serious illness when consuming contaminated foods because their bodies are not as effective at getting rid of these germs as they once were. More than half of those over 65 year’s old and lab-confirmed diagnosis of food poisoning are hospitalized. In order for these harmful bacteria to thrive on our foods, they ...

Difference Between Aging, Alzheimers

Americans are living longer than ever before. While longer life brings great opportunities, older adults also face an increased risk of developing a chronic health condition or a cognitive disorder. Since September is Alzheimer’s awareness month, we want people to recognize the differences between normal aging-related changes and something more serious like dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, dementia is a general term for a decline memory and thinking ability such that it interferes with everyday activities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of ...

Get Connected With Affordable Connectivity Program

There is a program out for a few months that everyone should know about. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) replaced the Emergency Broadband benefit program at the end of 2021. This connectivity services connection program is available to help people get internet services. Families can receive up to $30/month to help pay for Internet services. The program offers a one-time discount of $100 to help people purchase a laptop, desktop, or tablet computer through a participating provider. The ACP program includes 14 billion dollars to assist eligible households with this monthly ...

I Work And Collect Social Security. What Do I Need To Know?

Question: I am still working and thinking about collecting Social Security. What should I be thinking about? Answer: Most of us understand you become eligible to file for Social Security Benefits when you are 62, and is considered early retirement. Full Retirement Age (66 years to 67 years) for Social Security Benefits depends on your year of birth. For this discussion, we will set your year of birth as 1957. To collect Social Security you must “file a claim” with the Social Security Administration (SSA). This contact with SSA can be via phone call, going to the local SSA office ...

SNAP Helps Provides Access To Healthy Nutritious Foods

August is such a wonderful time in Chautauqua County. So much to see and do. Hopefully, you are taking advantage of all the outdoor activities including music, festivals, Chautauqua Institution, National Comedy Center, or just enjoying the numerous parks, trails, and lakes. When I am looking for an activity on any particular day, I visit the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau at www.tourchautauqua.com for a full list of activities and events. I also love August for the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables that it brings to our table. I love to garden but I also take advantage of ...