Betty Berry’s Column

QUESTION: I keep hearing that our lifestyle can affect our memory. Can diet and exercise really help our memory and prevent dementia? ANSWER: I wish I had the perfect answer that by changing your diet and exercising more you could prevent dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. Unfortunately, we still have no [...]

QUESTION : I always hear everyone talk about being grateful this time of year. Sometimes I just don’t feel so grateful though! My life has changed so much these past few years as I have gotten older and the holidays just aren’t the same as they used to be. How [...]

QUESTION: I am reading and hearing more and more about family caregivers and family caregiving. Do you have any facts or figures about this subject? ANSWER: You are hearing more and more about family caregiving and family caregivers because the need for this type of care is growing every day. [...]

QUESTION: I am a caregiver for a family member and currently doing okay but I know in the future I will need to seek placement. What should I look for in selecting a facility? ANSWER: You are to be commended for looking into placement well in advance of when you [...]

QUESTION: I am a caregiver for a family member and currently doing okay but I know in the future I will need to seek placement. What should I look for in selecting a facility? ANSWER: You are to be commended for looking into placement well in advance of when you [...]

QUESTION: My dad has always handled the finances and paperwork for the household. My mother has said she didn’t want the responsibility but now I am concerned about what will happen if something happens to my dad and then could no longer do it. Any suggestions as to how to [...]

QUESTION: I have been told walking will help my physical problems. While I think walking a great exercise I am concerned with traffic and potential accidents. Do you have any hints on ways to reduce a chance of an accident? ANSWER: Pedestrian safety is very important because it affects each [...]

QUESTION: Every day I seem to have a mailbox full of “invitations” to free seminars on living trusts and financial planning. I’m not really sure I need to be concerned with such topics, but if I do, would these seminars provide me with the information I need? ANSWER: This is [...]

QUESTION: My mother has been in and out of hospitals for the past two years. She used her 100 days in a skilled nursing facility and now my father is paying the bill. She went back in the hospital for four days. I thought that if you were hospitalized and [...]

QUESTION: I recently applied for my Medicare benefits and soon after received a form to complete asking for information about employer’s health plans that I might be entitled to. Why would Medicare need such information? ANSWER: Medicare needs to know about other health care coverage in order to establish your [...]

QUESTION: If I remember correctly it is about this time of year that Medicare has its Annual Open Enrollment. Can you provide the dates and any information that would be helpful? ANSWER: Medicare Annual Open Enrollment will start on Tuesday October 15th and run through Saturday December 7th. During this [...]

QUESTION: I am going to need in-home health care and wonder how to go about selecting an appropriate agency. Is there anything in particular I should focus on and does Medicare have any special requirements in order for the care to be covered? ANSWER: Medicare Part B covers medically necessary [...]

QUESTION: A family member has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and while not needed at this particular time I am beginning to think about hospice services. When looking into this type of care what should I consider when selecting a hospice provider? ANSWER: I commend you on preparing for [...]

Question: Medicare denied payment for services I recently had and indicated I could appeal their decision. How do I start this process? ANSWER: Denial of payment for services can occur for many reasons. Before starting the appeal process it would be wise to talk with provider’s office to see if [...]

QUESTION: I have a long-term care (LTC) policy that I purchased about 10 years ago and have just received a notice that my premium is going to increase by a substantial amount. I am provided with several options for reducing the premium amount but not sure what is best and [...]

QUESTION: It seems that calls from marketers are growing and the scammers are getting more cleaver and believable. Do you have any hints on what we can do to protect ourselves? ANSWER: As the marketers and other fraudsters become more believable we must look at ourselves – what are our [...]

QUESTION: I recently heard about two programs that are offered at the Goebel Center – “History Comes Alive” and “Music Comes Alive.” Can you provide details? ANSWER: Yes, I can. “First I would like to say these two wonderful events are very popular and an excellent way to spend a [...]

QUESTION: I am trying to get my affairs in order and am somewhat confused by some of the terms associated with wills and trusts. Could you provide definitions for those terms? ANSWER: An excellent question. I’ll try to define some of the most common terms that you will likely encounter. [...]

QUESTION: I am a caregiver for my parents and have been reviewing their financial situation. I have several questions about Veteran’s Benefits that my dad may be entitled to. Do you know who I can contact? ANSWER: You should contact Ventura County Veterans Services. This agency has a staff of [...]