May 2022 Newsletter

There's no doubt about it. May is a strong candidate for best month of the year. So, enjoy the fine weather and review the newsletter below from American Senior Benefits.

Remember that May is ALS Awareness Month. The ALS Association says that every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with the disease, and someone passes away from it. ALS, also called "Lou Gehrig's Disease" after the baseball great who died with the disease, is a nervous system disease. Currently, there is no cure.

Mental Health

One in 5 adults struggle with mental health — creating challenging situations for many individuals and many families. (CDC)

Depression represents 99% of all mind-brain illness, making it #1 by far in the category.¹ About 15% of seniors suffer with mental disorders.²

May is Mental Health Awareness Month — a time to focus on mental illness and ways it can be combatted.

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) helps cover mental health visits with providers. Part B may also pay for partial hospitalization services if you need intensive coordinated outpatient.

If you need information on Medicare's mental health benefits, don't hesitate to contact me.

1. "Depression Facts", Help End Depression, https://www.hopefordepression.org/depression-facts/ (accessed April 4, 2022)

2. "Key Facts" — Mental Health of Older Adults, World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-of-older-adults (accessed April 3, 2022)

It's been found that seniors are LESS LIKELY to seek mental health care than other age groups.

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Retirees? Pensioners?

What Should We be Called?

It's long been a question needing an answer: what do older people want to be called?

"Senior" has stuck as well as anything, but its use is hardly universal. Medicare uses a range of references, including the long version "People age 55+."

Surveys shows that "seniors," and "retirees," are ok with many references as they get older. Others, including "Senior Citizens" aren't that popular with older Americans (After55.com)

Do you have an opinion on this? Pass it on to me if you feel strongly on the "what to call us" question.

YOU SHOULD KNOW: Reports say all major cellphone carriers are planning to shut their older 3G networks in 2022. Millions of people in the United States who use 3G phones and other 3G devices, may need to buy a new device to text, make calls or even reach 911.

Good Taste, Good Health    

Loaded Cauliflower Mash

Here's a side dish that's loaded with flavor and healthy ingredients. Cauliflower is the star.

INGREDIENTS:

   
• 1 large head of cauliflower — trimmed and cut into Florets
   
• 3 cloves peeled garlic        
   
• 1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk        
   
• 1 tbsp butter
   
• 3 strips bacon cooked/sliced        
   
• 6 oz shredded, sharp cheddar cheese(yellow)
   
• 2 tbsp chives — more for garnish        
   
• 1 tbsp salt (plus more to taste)        
   
• 1/4 tsp black pepper        
   

DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven 350°. Add in the cauliflower florets to a large pot and cover with water. Add in the fresh garlic cloves and bring the cauliflower to a boil. Boil cauliflower until fork tender. Thoroughly drain cauliflower and garlic. Once all water has drained, transfer cauliflower to food processor. Add in coconut milk, salt, pepper. Pulse until cauliflower is smooth and creamy. Give it a taste and add more salt and pepper if preferred. Transfer the mashed cauliflower to a mixing bowl and add 2/3 of the bacon, 4 oz of cheddar cheese, and chives. Stir until well combined and transfer to a 9" oven safe baking dish. Top with remaining bacon and shredded cheddar cheese. Place in a 350° oven until cheese is melted and gooey. Remove from oven and garnish with chives before serving. Want a buttery flavor? Add in salted or unsalted butter.

Source: All the Healthy Things

Is there an estate sale in your future?

At some point you might find yourself having an estate sale for a relative who has passed on. Some have called an estate sale "a yard sale that's inside."

It's actually a way of getting rid of items you do not need but which have some value.

U.S. News & World Reports offered some tips on estate sales...

   
• Allow time to prepare — just doing inventory can take a while.
   
• Decide whether to use a professional to help.
   
• If you get professional help, maybe sell some of the higher value things yourself.
   

Senior Financial Glossary

A vertical market is a market encompassing a group of companies and customers that are all interconnected around a specific niche. (Examples: electronics or automobiles).

A vested benefit is a financial package granted to employees who have met the term of service required to receive a full, instead of a partial benefit.

A voluntary accumulation plan offers a mutual fund investor a way to accumulate a large number of shares over time by investing a manageable fixed-dollar amount on a regular schedule, usually monthly.

Volatility is a measure of returns for a given stock or market index. In most cases, the higher the volatility, the riskier the security. ‍

Source: Investopedia

Did you know this about May?

May Day, celebrated May 1, is an international holiday and spring festival. It's often celebrated with people dancing around a "May Pole"

On May 4, 1494, Christopher Columbus discovered Jamaica on his second voyage to the "New World".

May 12, 1937, King George IV was, crowned, as Edward VIII abdicated.

Charles Lindbergh took off in the Spirit of S. Louis May 20, 1927.

Birthdays: Dwayne (the "Rock") Johnson (2), George Clooney (6), Madeleine Albright (15), Bob Dylan (24)

SOURCE: Famous Birthdays

"Doubt is a killer. You just have to know who you are and what you stand for."
— Jennifer Lopez