Questions and Answers

This page will contain the Questions from Seniors and Answers from Pliny. The names and email addresses of people who submit questions will not be published. If Pliny cannot answer a question he will let you know.

Please remember, Pliny is a senior and of course seniors have wisdom, but he doesn’t know a lot of things. He will do his best.

Question:  Where can I find some resources on grieving for the loss of a loved one?

This is something that all of us have to deal with at some point in our lives. One of the visitors to this website sent me some excellent links and I will share there here. I will also set up a separate page on this topic, Grieving for the loss of a loved one.

Question:  When was the last increase in social security?

What a great question! Thank you for asking. Unfortunately the U.S. government has been very stingy with seniors. The following link shows the history of increases in the C.O.L.A. (Cost of living adjustments) to Social Security. As you can see the increase for 2016 was 0%.

History of Automatic Cost-Of-Living Adjustments

In my opinion, it is disgraceful that the U.S. government and society do not support seniors more.

Question: Is there a service that will help with repairs to my home, (structural), at a minimal cost?

There are grants available for home repair. I have listed some of the places you can explore to find help with your home repairs. I hope this helps.

Question: Is there any free psychiatric help in my area (Sonoma Cty,Ca) for seniors with severe depression, living in dire poverty and isolation?

I did a quick search and it looks like there are several places that you might be able to get help. I will list them below:

  • County of Sonoma » Department of Health Services » Mental Health Services for Adults – This site lists six organizations along with the addresses, phone numbers and website. There is also contact information. If it is an emergency I suggest that you call the 24-hour Emergency Mental Health Hotline listed below.

    Contact

    For information and referrals:
    (707) 565-6900 or (800) 870-8786

    24-hour Emergency Mental Health Hotline:
    (800) 746-8181

    Patient Rights Advocate:
    (707) 565-4978

    To register a grievance:
    Grievance Coordinator
    (707) 565-4978

I wish you the best of luck and I hope that you find the help that you need. If you don’t please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Question: What are some agencies I can be referred to if I can not pay for my pending surgery?

Answer:

I’m very glad you asked this question. There are many seniors who live below the poverty line and many medical services now require co-pays or other payments that insurance does not cover. In addition, the medicare system and insurance policies are extremely complicated.

I am going to provide my best answer along with links for further reading. If anyone reading this has suggestions or additional information on how to get help paying for medical care, please let me know and I will add it here and on the information section of the website.

Most importantly, don’t give up hope. You may be eligible to get financial help from Medicare and from any health insurance policies you have such as Medigap.

1) First of all, I recommend that you get some expert help.

Click this link and find the SHIP information for your state.

SHIP stands for State Health Insurance Assistance Program. I would visit the website and call the 800 number. Before you call gather all your paperwork and information. You might also want to ask a trusted friend or relative to be with you when you call.

2) Try the Eldercare Locator. This website helps you to find services in your local area.

3) Check out the following links for more information and ideas on how to get financial help for medical procedures such as surgery:

4) If you still have not found a way to pay for your surgery you might want to try this website.

Give Forward – Raise Money for Surgery

Start a fundraising page for a friend who needs money for surgery. It’s the easiest way to help someone in need!

Please note: I have not tried Give Forward myself but if you cannot get help elsewhere it is worth trying. If you use Give Forward please let me know if it helped or not.

I hope this answer helps. If not, please feel free to let me know and I will keep working on the problem.

Question: In 1978 I purchased a paper-back entitled, “Wills, Estates and Government Benefits”. by Leopold Amighetti. I should like to obtain an update of this if possible…Could you possibly advise of any similar book that is available today? Many thanks for your help.

Answer:

This is an excellent question. Some of the most useful books, especially non-fiction and reference books are out-of-print.

I did some research on out-of-print books and here is what I found.

The only way to get a copy of an out-of-print book is to

1) Buy it from a bookseller as a used book,

2) Buy it from someone who has a copy. You could try this on Amazon,

3) Borrow a copy from a library.

I used books.google.com and then WorldCat and found that there is a copy of the book you are looking for at University of Ottawa 65 University Private
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5
Canada
Voice: 613-562-5213
Email: referenc@uottawa.ca

You could try contacting them or perhaps a local library could request the book on loan.

I did try a search on bookfinder.com and got no results.

You asked about similar books on this topic.  Here are a few possibilities:

Useful links:

I’m sorry  couldn’t find a copy of the book to purchase but it may turn up on Amazon some day so it might be worth checking out from time to time. I wish you the best of luck with your will and estate planning.

Question: How can gas (flatulence, flatus, farting) be reduced or avoided?

Answer:

I am glad someone asked this question as it happens to everyone, young and old. The first thing I did was to head over  MedlinePlus and they had some excellent information on how you can reduce and prevent gas.

It’s important to understand why this happens. It could be because of the foods you have eaten. For example if you eat a lot of food with fiber it may give you gas and bloating. Or maybe certain foods such as milk and other dairy products might be hard for you to digest and this could give you gas.

However, eating food with fiber is good for you. Dairy products are also important in the diet because they supply mineral salts and vitamin D that are needed for strong bones.

There are other possible causes of gas such as swallowing air, medicines such as antibiotics, etc. If the gas and bloating bothers you and won’t go away consult your doctor.

Here are some things that everyone can do to prevent problems with gas and bloating:

  • Chew your food slowly and thoroughly
  • Try not eating beans or cabbage and see if the gas goes away
  • Try not eating dairy foods to see if that reduces the gas
  • Don’t drink soda and carbonated beverages
  • Do not chew gum. You could be swallowing air as you chew.
  • Eat slowly.
  • Walk for ten to fifteen minutes after eating.

For more information you can check out the following links:

Important: Always check with your physician if you have any medical questions and before you make changes in your diet.

Question: Are bank charges on social security funds legal? How can these charges be avoided? 

Answer:

This is an excellent question.

Here is a link with good information on how you can protect funds from your social security payments from bank fees.

If you are concerned about a bank charging overdraft or insufficient funds fees on your social security funds here are some options to avoid this problem:

  1. Have your social security funds deposited into a Direct Express card instead of a bank account.
  2. Be careful of any other cards. The Direct Express card is a result of a negotiation with the U.S. government. Other cards may have very high fees.
  3. If you do not want to use a Direct Express card and want your social security funds deposited in a bank account you should consider the following:
    • Shop around for your bank account and make sure that you understand all of the fees the bank charges. Avoid accounts with overdraft fees. If you are offered overdraft coverage do not accept or opt for it. 
      • Common fees that you need to find out about and avoid
        • Many banks require a minimum balance or they will charge a fee
        • Do not use non-network ATM’s since they might charge fees
        • Some banks charge fees if you exceed a certain number of ATM withdrawals or balance inquiries
        • Link your savings and checking accounts since sometimes this can help you to avoid overdraft fees.
        • Opt out of overdraft coverage and do not use banks that have overdraft fees
    • Consider using a credit union. These tend to have lower fees and lower minimum required balances. Click here to find a credit union in your area.
    • Keep no more than two months of benefits in your account. Banks are not allowed to charge fees on two months worth of “protected funds” such as social security payments. The law requires banks to check to see if an account has “protected funds”. You must keep the “protected funds” in the account where they were electronically deposited or the bank could charge fees on them.
    • If you think a bank is illegally taking “protected funds” from your account you can use this link to find legal aid in your state.

I would suggest that if you are having problems with your bank it might be best to have your social security funds deposited into a Direct Express card. You can still maintain a bank account for funds from other sources.  Just make sure to follow the tips on how to make the most of your Direct Express card:

  1. Only take one free withdrawal from an ATM each month. If you need to withdraw more, go to a bank that accepts Mastercard and withdraw (it’s free). If you make more than one ATM withdrawal per month you will be charged a fee.
  2. You can get a free notification of when your funds are deposited by phone, text or email. A small fee is charged if you want a paper copy.

Useful Links with more information

 

Question: Who can a senior couple call to get twenty four hour care and help at home?

Answer:  

As far as I know there is not one number you can call but with a little bit of research on the web you can find lots of helpful information. If anyone does know of a phone hotline for this please let me know.

More seniors wish to remain at home but they still might need some help. Depending on your situation there are different solutions.

The following articles have comprehensive information on how you can get help to stay in your own home as you age:

Help Paying for Senior Home Care

NIHSenior Health: Paying for Long-Term Care

http://longtermcare.gov/

Please read the above articles as the options available depend on your age, whether you are a veteran, etc. You can also click on the link below for your state to find out more about home care.

To find home health and home care in your area, click on your state’s link below.

Alabama – Department of Senior Services

Alaska – Division of Senior and Disabilities Services

Arizona – Aging and Adult Administration

Arkansas – Division of Aging and Adult Services

California – Department of Aging

Colorado – Division of Aging and Adult Services

Connecticut – Aging Services Division

Delaware – Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities

District of Columbia – Office on Aging

Florida – Department of Elder Affairs

Georgia – Division of Aging Services

Hawaii – Executive Office on Aging

Idaho – Commission on Aging

Illinois – Department on Aging

Indiana – Division of Aging

Iowa – Department of Elder Affairs

Kansas – Department for Aging and Disability Services

Kentucky – Department For Aging & Independent Living

Louisiana – Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs

Maine – Office of Elder Services

Maryland – Department of Aging

Massachusetts – Executive Office of Elder Affairs

Michigan – Office of Services to the Aging

Minnesota – Board on Aging

Mississippi – Council on Aging

Missouri – Division of Health and Senior Services

Montana – Office on Aging

Nebraska – Health and Human Services – State Unit on Aging

Nevada – Division for Aging Services

New Hampshire – Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services

New Jersey – Department of Health and Senior Services

New Mexico – Aging Network Division

New York – Office for the Aging

North Carolina – Division of Aging and Adult Services

North Dakota – Aging Services Division

Ohio – Department of Aging

Oklahoma – Department of Human Services

Oregon – Seniors and People With Disabilities

Pennsylvania – Department of Aging

Rhode Island – Department of Elderly Affairs

South Carolina – Lieutenant Governor’s Office on Aging

South Dakota – Office of Adult Services & Aging

Tennessee – Commission on Aging and Disability

Texas – Department of Aging and Disability Services

Utah – Division of Aging & Adult Services

Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living

Virginia – Department for the Aging

Washington – Aging and Disability Services

West Virginia – Bureau of Senior Services

Wisconsin – Bureau of Aging and Disability Resources

Wyoming – Aging Division

 

Question: Where can I find information on a low-salt diet for seniors?

Answer:

I admit it. I love salt and I put too much on my food. However, I also know that we get a lot of the salt in our diet from the food itself. Much processed food has more salt than is necessary.

In any event, it is a good idea for everyone to reduce the amount of salt in their diet. This is especially important for people who have high blood pressure or heart problems. I have listed some links with information on how you can lower the amount of salt in your diet.