Senior Concerns In the News

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 [...]

As part of its Share the Love Campaign, Ladin Subaru is partnering with Senior Concerns to hold a holiday gift drive on Monday, December 9, 4:00-6:00 p.m. at Ladin Subaru, 3725 Auto Mall Drive in Thousand Oaks. The community is invited to drop off small gifts that will be delivered [...]

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 [...]

Senior Concerns, as part of its commitment to provide support for seniors, will present a community seminar titled “Medicare: What’s New for 2020,” on Tuesday, October 22,, 2019, 4:00-5:30 p.m. at Senior Concerns, 401 Hodencamp Road, Thousand Oaks. This informative seminar is being led by Senior Concerns’ Senior Advocate Betty [...]

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 [...]

QUESTION: Some time ago you wrote a column about how to help or give assistance to a person who has a vision problem. I found it very informative and wonder if you have any suggestions when encountering those with other types of disabilities. Many times I find I want to [...]

QUESTION: A friend has been attending “OLLI” classes at CAL STATE Channel Islands and said I might be interested in the next session. Have you received information on the upcoming session? ANSWER: Yes – the fall session information has arrived and I have the following information. The program you are [...]

As part of its commitment to provide support for seniors with dementia and their family caregivers, Senior Concerns is offering quarterly Memory Cafes, with the next Memory Café scheduled for Saturday, August 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Senior Concerns, 401 Hodencamp Road in Thousand Oaks. Atria Hillcrest [...]

QUESTION:  I just spent some time with my dad who lives in another state and came away with some concerns about him continuing to live alone.  What signs would indicate that it might be time to seek assistance for him?   ANSWER:  A number of signs could send up a [...]

QUESTION:  I have been widowed for almost two years and am now considering a move.  My home and yard are more than I want to continue to take care of.  However, I am active and independent.  I don’t need to be taken care of but at times am very lonely.  [...]

QUESTION:  I am looking for information about hospice. What is it, does Medicare cover it and how does a person qualify for coverage?   ANSWER:  Hospice is a unique way of caring for a person with an advanced illness.  It focuses on palliative care instead of curative care.  It includes [...]