Hands to Help Seniors

For those who haven't tried it, there is a group called Double Nickels up that meets for lunch the second Wednesday of each month at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd at 301 Corral de Tierra Road.  They have always had great speakers.  The next lunch will be February 11 at noon and the speaker will be Nan Heflin, a family therapist who specializes in issues facing older adults.  She plans on discussing age-related memory and natural changes which occur in the brain with age.  She has been a licensed family therapist for more than 25 years working with older adults and their caregivers.  The meeting is open to anyone 55 or older.  A donation of $5 is requested, but not required.  For more information call 484-2153 or visit http://goodshepherdcorral.org/church-calendar/.

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CHOMP has a number of great classes starting soon such as the “Women's Heart Health Evening” which will be held on Wednesday February 11 from 5:30 to 8:00 6:00 p.m. in Community Hospital's Conference Room.  There will be booths, a lecture and introductory workout classes.  Hear from a cardiologist, nutritionist and patient survivor viewpoint how to recognize symptoms, prevent and live with heart disease.  To get more information about this free event or to register call 625-4500 or go to www.chomp.org/classes.  

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The Alliance on Aging is offering free tax counseling for the 2015 tax season.  The Income Tax Counseling Programming has been serving clients since 1980 with IRS-certified staff and volunteers which are ready to help through April 15.

Eligibility and assistance requirements are:

• Aged 60-plus, blind, or disabled
• Low to moderate income
• NO COST tax filing assistance with federal and state tax forms
• Counseling is conducted individually and confidentially
• Services are provided in English and Spanish
• Appointments are available at sites throughout the county

What you need to bring to your appointment:

• Form W-2 “Wage and Tax Statement”
• Form 1099 for such things as dividends, distributions from pensions, annuities, I.R.A., sale of stocks, etc.
• A photo ID
• Your Social Security Card
• Your prior year tax returns

For questions on the program, contact Sarah Guzman, Income Tax Program Coordinator at 831.655.4242.

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A new report on the hospice industry from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) from the Annual Utilization Report of Home Health Agencies/Hospices found that utilization continues to grow, up 121% between 2004 and 2013.  The total days used for hospice grew by 56% during the same time frame.  In 2013, 581 hospices filed reports with OSHPD, and there were another 98 in operation who were late on filing.  The leading causes for someone entering hospice were cancer, dementia, and heart problems.  I was happy to see that the vast majority of hospice care was provided in the home.  Many people believe that hospice is a facility that someone goes into to live out their final days.  The truth is that hospice is a service which can be provided anywhere and many people fail to take advantage of it despite the fact that it's paid for by Medicare.  In addition, I think that many people fear that once they enter hospice care it will hasten their death.  Although the program is designed for those with less than six months to live, we have seen many of our clients enter hospice and then rebound and make a full enough recovery that they no longer need hospice care.

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Many people take herbal supplements to improve their health but many doctors question their effectiveness.  My own physician has told me not to take them as many ingredients come from overseas where oversight is non-existent and dangerous chemicals may end up in the product.  The New York State attorney general’s office poured fuel on the fire of this debate yesterday, accusing four national retailers of selling dietary supplements that were fraudulent and in many cases contaminated by ingredients which weren’t even on the label.  Such well known companies as GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart are at the center of the controversy.  Four of the five products analyzed from these chains contained none of the herbs on the labels.  At GNC, five out of six samples from the company’s signature “Herbal Plus” brand “were either unrecognizable or a substance other than what they claimed to be,” said court filings.  Ginko biloba, for instance, contained rice, asparagus and an ornamental plant used for Christmas decorations.  At Target, three out of six tested negative for the herbs on the label.  Things like St. John’s Wort, Ginseng, Echinacea and Saw Palmetto were found to be without what was supposed to be the main ingredient at various stores.  Even more disturbing is that many fillers like rice, pine, palm, dracaena, wheat, grass and citrus were found in products but weren’t on the label.  Many people are allergic to some of these ingredients and could become ill after taking them.

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