Hands to Help Seniors
Monterey, CA Breakfast Is The Most Important Meal Of The Day
by Richard Kuehn on 01/15/15
Health industry experts continue to say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In the most recent edition of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, they devoted an entire issue to “The Benefits of Breakfast. The study concluded that:
People
who eat breakfast tend to eat less later
in the day and better manage their
weight.
People who skip breakfast tend to be hungrier later in the day; gain weight easier; and have an increased risk for diabetes.
Think twice before you skip this important meal!
Monterey, CA Respite Is Critical If You Are Caring For A Loved One Full Time
by Richard Kuehn on 01/13/15
There was a sad, and not uncommon, story in The
New York Times called “Putting Life on Pause To Care for Her Parents.” It told the tale of how difficult life had
become for Susan Bowers, a 61-year old who spent 12 years caring for her
parents. Following the death of both
parents, Susan was flat broke and had to call a poverty center and beg for $750
to cover her rent. She went on food
stamps, which gave her just $69 per month in vouchers. Sadly, she spent so much time focusing on
caring for her parents that she had lost track of her own finances and had to
move from the apartment she shared with her mother before she died into a
studio apartment. “It was 12 years ago
that I stopped living my own life,” Ms. Bowers told The Times. “My father was diagnosed with a brain tumor,
I knew what was ahead.” If you are
caring for a loved one, take some time to yourself. It’s critical that some respite is in the
care equation or you can quickly become depressed and lose track of important
things that are going on in your own life.
Monterey, CA Caregiver Group To Be Held By Alzheimer’s Association On January 19 At 7:00 P.M.
by Richard Kuehn on 01/13/15
The Alzheimer’s Association will be hosting an evening class for those taking care of a family member with the disease on January 19 at their Ryan Ranch Office (21 Lower Ragsdale in Monterey) from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. If you have a family member who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia disorder, it could be helpful to attend. They will give you the opportunity to get more information about community resources, learn from others who are going through similar experiences, and obtain additional educational materials. This group meets on the second Wednesday of every month. For more information call 375-4454 or go to www.alz.org/norcal.
Monterey, CA A New Type Of Elder Abuse : Computer Viruses That Demand Ransom
by Richard Kuehn on 01/12/15
The
New York Times recently ran the disturbing Op Ed pieced called, “How My Mom
Got Hacked” about a woman who inadvertently downloaded a virus called
CryptoWall 2.0 which locked up all of her files and demanded $500 to recover
them. If she refused to pay within a
week, the price would go up to $1,000 and if she waited yet another week the
files would be destroyed altogether.
Most viruses cause all kinds of mischief but this is the first time I
had heard of one which came with a ransom note attached to it. The poor woman had several I.T. professionals
try and unlock the files, but apparently this particular virus is very
strong. According to the Internet Crime
Complaint Center, a joint venture between the Federal Bureau of Investigation
and the National White Collar Crime Center, this so-called ransomware is
becoming more common. One Sherriff’s
Office, for instance, recently had to pay ransom to CryptoWall in order to
unlock autopsy reports, witness statements, crime scene descriptions and other
important documents. Seniors are
particularly vulnerable to this kind of abuse and theft. Make sure that if your loved ones are using a
computer, iPad or other device that is connected to the Internet, they back up
their files frequently. That way, if
they get a virus, they can wipe the hard drive clean and start over without
being subject to a ransom demand.
Pacific Grove, CA Elder Abuse Abounds
by Richard Kuehn on 01/12/15
We hear about various forms of financial elder abuse on almost a daily basis, unfortunately. The Pacific Grove police have recently been warning residents that scammers have been calling up claiming to be agents of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and demanding payments for past due taxes. IRS representatives will never demand money over the phone, nor will they ask taxpayers to pay off debt using wire transfers, pre-paid debit cards or credit cards. If you receive such a call, please contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484 or file a complaint online at www.ftc.gov.