Senior Living

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Theodore Parisienne/New York Daily News/TNS

Mamdani targets senior voters as he seeks to blunt Cuomo edge with older NYers

NEW YORK — Seeking to curry favor with a constituency that has been somewhat skeptical of him, Democratic mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani participated in a watercolor painting class with older New Yorkers at a senior center in Brooklyn on Thursday.

His outreach effort received a mixed response.

“He sounds very impressive, but it’s ...Read more

It is extremely important that the 69 million Americans who are on Medicare visit www.medicare.gov to verify that ALL of their prescriptions are covered, whether they have a stand-alone Medicare Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage HMO/PPO plan with a Prescription Drug plan included. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Toni Says: Help! My brand-name prescription drug is not covered by Medicare’s 2026 Part D plans

Senior Living / Toni Says /

Hello, Toni:

You helped me sign up for a Medicare Supplement Plan G and a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan; both plans started January 2021. These two plans have served me well so far.

I just received information that my current Part D plan will no longer cover the Humira that I take twice a month as an injection for ...Read more

Social Security and You: Social Security COLA for 2026

In early October of every year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its much-anticipated report on changes (usually increases) to the Consumer Price Index over the past 12 months. (It was a little late this year due to the government shutdown.) Why is this little esoteric government report -- actually called the Consumer Price Index for ...Read more

Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times/TNS

At 93, he's one of Santa Monica's hottest yoga instructors. What's his secret?

LOS ANGELES — Salomon Delgado is one of Santa Monica's hottest yoga instructors.

He's 93 years old.

What?

Let me reiterate: In a city obsessed with youth and brimming with lithe fitness instructors in Lululemon-wear and wireless headsets, a 24 Hour Fitness gym has a secret weapon in Delgado. The nonagenarian yogi has been teaching there for...Read more

Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times/TNS

At 93, he's one of Santa Monica's hottest yoga instructors. What's his secret?

LOS ANGELES — Salomon Delgado is one of Santa Monica's hottest yoga instructors.

He's 93 years old.

What?

Let me reiterate: In a city obsessed with youth and brimming with lithe fitness instructors in Lululemon-wear and wireless headsets, a 24 Hour Fitness gym has a secret weapon in Delgado. The nonagenarian yogi has been teaching there for...Read more

The Medicare skilled nursing qualification rule is explained on page 28 of the 2026 Medicare & You handbook in the section headed “Am I an inpatient or outpatient?” One must learn that a stay in the hospital does not always mean you are an inpatient and that you qualify for Medicare Part A skilled nursing facility care. If not, you may have to pay 100% out of your own pocket. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Toni Says: Who pays for a skilled nursing stay, Medicare or you?

Senior Living / Toni Says /

Dear Toni,

My husband recently fell from a ladder, shattered his hip and broke his right leg. After having emergency surgery, Jim is having a stay in a skilled nursing facility for his rehab to learn how to walk on his repaired hip.

A friend recently had a skilled nursing stay and was billed more than expected because she did not have the ...Read more

Social Security and You: Benefit Adjustment at Full Retirement Age

I hear one or both of these rumors about Social Security benefits all the time from readers.

Rumor 1: "I have been told that if I take a reduced Social Security benefit at 62, when I reach my full retirement age, my benefit will be bumped up to my full retirement age amount."

Rumor 2: "I have been told that if I take a reduced Social Security ...Read more

Kathy Witt/Kathy Witt/TNS

Travel Trending with Kathy Witt: American Cruise Lines capture the magic of Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands

Set on a rocky outcrop overlooking the chilly waters of the Salish Sea, the lighthouse at Lime Kiln State Park in Friday Harbor in Washington’s picturesque San Juan Islands casts a spell. Not surprising since scenes from 1998’s “Practical Magic” were filmed in Friday Harbor, but primarily because it is home to several enchanting sights ...Read more

Oona Zenda/KFF Health News/TNS

An age-old fear grows more common: ‘I’m going to die alone’

This summer, at dinner with her best friend, Jacki Barden raised an uncomfortable topic: the possibility that she might die alone.

“I have no children, no husband, no siblings,” Barden remembered saying. “Who’s going to hold my hand while I die?”

Barden, 75, never had children. She’s lived on her own in western Massachusetts since ...Read more

Oona Zenda/KFF Health News/TNS

An age-old fear grows more common: 'I'm going to die alone'

This summer, at dinner with her best friend, Jacki Barden raised an uncomfortable topic: the possibility that she might die alone.

“I have no children, no husband, no siblings,” Barden remembered saying. “Who’s going to hold my hand while I die?”

Barden, 75, never had children. She’s lived on her own in western Massachusetts since ...Read more

Use www.medicare.gov to verify that your prescription drugs are covered in your 2026 Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage Part D plan formulary. (Monkey Business Images/Dreamstime/Tribune Content Agency)

Toni Says: Help … Need to disenroll from a Medicare Advantage Plan!

Senior Living / Toni Says /

Toni:

In August, my husband and I enrolled in a Medicare Supplement, which has not paid a medical claim because we were in a Medicare Advantage plan when we applied for the Medicare Supplement. We could not leave the Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare due to Medicare rules.

I was told that Medicare’s Open Enrollment is when Sonny...Read more

Vitali Michkou/Dreamstime/TNS

This geriatrics training program escaped the ax. For now

In St. Louis, a team of students aboard a well-equipped van visits senior centers, a nursing home, a church, and other sites, learning to conduct comprehensive, hourlong geriatric assessments.

The team — future doctors, social workers, psychologists, and therapists — looks for such common problems as frailty, muscle weakness, and cognitive ...Read more

Social Security and You: Don't Drop the Ball

Sometimes people will write to me complaining that the government, specifically, the Social Security Administration, has messed them up and cheated them out of benefits they might have been due. But many times (to use a sports analogy), the ball is in their hands. And if they drop it, they shouldn't look around and try to blame others. Here are ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Feeling a loss of energy as you age? Here’s how to get that spark back

Aging has many benefits, and as your free time increases and many concerns from the past slip away, you can start to truly enjoy these years of your life. However, there is one thing that may stand in the way of all the new excitement heading your way: fatigue.

As you age, you may start to experience your body fatiguing more often, even when ...Read more

Aleutie/Dreamstime/TNS

Affordability is Americans’ No. 1 retirement priority — but don’t overlook these 6 factors

If you’re not living in the best place to retire, you probably know it by now. Just look at your bank account.

The price you pay in your community for groceries, gasoline, housing and other essentials will significantly impact your quality of life. And if you’re having trouble affording them now, imagine doing it while retired on a fixed ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

6 ways to avoid going broke in retirement

Retirement is a dream for many — a time to relax, travel and pursue hobbies. But the reality can be quite different if you’re not financially prepared. That’s why the fear of outliving your savings is a major concern among retirees.

However, with proper planning and discipline, you can make your golden years more comfortable and less ...Read more

Vitali Michkou/Dreamstime/TNS

This geriatrics training program escaped the ax. For now

In St. Louis, a team of students aboard a well-equipped van visits senior centers, a nursing home, a church, and other sites, learning to conduct comprehensive, hourlong geriatric assessments.

The team — future doctors, social workers, psychologists, and therapists — looks for such common problems as frailty, muscle weakness, and cognitive ...Read more

Kathy Witt/Kathy Witt/TNS

Travel Trending with Kathy Witt: MSC’s World America ship-within-a ship is the perfect special-occasion experience

On a ship carrying 6,700-plus fun seekers, it is a special treat to be cosseted among 300 or so guests enjoying the luxury, pampering and privacy of an exclusive ship-within-a-ship experience. And so it is with the Yacht Club aboard MSC’s World America, a 152-suite members-only enclave that comes with perks including butler service and 24-...Read more

Talk to your primary care and specialty doctors about which brand-name drugs can be changed to generics. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Toni Says: Is America ready for the changes to 2026 Medicare Part D plans?

Senior Living / Toni Says /

Toni:

Currently, I am on a stand-alone Part D plan with a Medicare Supplement because of my serious health issues. Last week, I received information about the changes to the 2026 Medicare Part D plan I am currently enrolled in, and the premium is increasing by $50 per month, from $44.80 to $94.80 beginning January 1. The Part D ...Read more

Social Security and You: More Stories From My Trip to Poland

About a month ago, I wrote a column about a trip I took on behalf of the Social Security Administration to Poland in the 1990s. To be honest, I thought readers would criticize me for writing it because I really wasn't doing what I'm supposed to be doing with this column -- answering readers' questions about the complexities of the Social ...Read more

 

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