Hands to Help Seniors
Social Security Checks Projected To Go Up Up 8.7% In January
by Richard Kuehn on 09/18/22
According to an estimate by Mary Johnson, a policy analyst
for the Senior Citizen League, an advocacy group, Social Security Payments
could see the largest increase since 1982 in 2023. That’s the good news. The bad news is that inflation is still very
high so the 8.7% increase may not mean much as far as purchasing power
goes. For the average retiree who
currently gets a check for $1,656, the cost-of-living hike would bring them an
additional $144.10 a month in 2023, making the average payment $1,800.
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-commercial-appeal/20220915/281578064511689
New Cancer Drug Beats Chemotherapy In New Study
by Richard Kuehn on 09/16/22
A new study found that Amgen’s new lung cancer pill called
Lumakras beat out a common chemotherapy in a late stage study, helping patients
survive without their tumors getting worse.
However, it failed to prove that it reduced overall deaths, so more
studies may be needed. Lumakras is the
first approved drug in an emerging class of treatments that target a genetic
mutation called KRAS that is among the most common found in cancers. The study, which found that those taking
Lumakras went 5.6 months without their cancer getting worse, compared with 4.5
months for patients taking the chemotherapy docetaxel, was presented at the
European Society for Medical Oncology Congress in Paris. It was conducted by researchers at the Sarah
Cannon Research Institute at Tennessee Oncology.
Carmel, CA Elder Abuse Victims Send Their Tormentor To Prison For Nine Years
by Richard Kuehn on 09/11/22John Lloyd Osborne IV, himself almost a senior at 64 years of age, was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of theft from an elderly person, one count of theft from a dependent adult, one count of forgery, one count of identity theft, one count of using fraud in the offer or sale of a security and one count of conspiracy to destroy evidence. Back in 2006, Osborne solicited $250K from one elder victim to invest in a shell company that never did anything. In 2010 and 2011, he used false pretenses to solicit $100K from one victim and $5,000 from another. In 2015, he obtained power of attorney over a dependent adult who was unable to care for himself. He refinanced the victim’s house and paid himself $250K. Then in 2018, he sold the worthless company to someone else for $200K. How brazen! You would be amazed at how easily some seniors are scammed out of their life savings.
Carmel, CA Alzheimer’s Research Called Into Question
by Richard Kuehn on 08/14/22
A report in Science Magazine stated that an influential
2006 study relied on fabricated images to support its conclusion, which
resulted in misdirected Alzheimer’s research for the past 16 years. Dr. Karen Ashe, a senior University of
Minnesota scientist, has admitted that a junior colleague appears to have
manipulated two images. However, she claims
those actions did not affect the study’s wording and conclusion. And the first researcher to state that
Alzheimer’s disease is triggered by amyloid beta plaques in the brain now
concedes that after years of developing amyloid-targeting drugs that have failed,
a new approach must begin. He says a
multi-drug approach will likely be more affected. I’m confident we will gradually push back on
Alzheimer’s disease in the same way that we’ve pushed back on cancer and so on,”
Dr. John Hardy told USA Today. Regular
readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible
disease when they passed away. If you
need information or just someone to talk to, there are some wonderful people at
the Monterey branch of the Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan Ranch. They also have a 24-hour hotline at
1-800-272-3900.
Monterey, CA Medicare Equipment Rules
by Richard Kuehn on 08/13/22If you have recently been released by CHOMP, or Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, you may be wondering what equipment Medicare will pay for. It really comes down to what is essential versus what is a convenience. For instance, Medicare will pay for a motorized scooter if that’s the only way that you can get around your house, but they won’t pay if it’s mostly for longer outdoor excursions. Check with your Medicare Advantage plan. Some have benefits like home improvements such as wheelchair ramps. To find out for sure, call the Medicare hotline at 1-800-633-4227 or go to www.medicare.gov.
