Articles written by jim miller
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 71
How to buy the best blood pressure monitor for you
Dear Savvy Senior: I just found out I have stage 1 hypertension and my doctor recommended I get a home blood pressure monitor to keep an eye on it. Can you offer me any tips on choosing a good one? - Hypertensive Helen Dear Helen: It’s a smart i...
These golf gadgets can help older golfers
Dear Savvy Senior: Do you know of any golfing equipment that can help older golfers? My dad, who's 76, loves to play golf, but arthritis in his hands has made griping the club challenging, and his...
Keeping your balance as you age takes work
Dear Savvy Senior: What can you tell me about balance exercises? I’ve fallen a few times over the past year and have read that balance exercises can help me regain my steadiness, but I’m not exactly sure what to do. — Unsteady at 70 Dear Unsteady: Mo...
Technology can help you locate misplaced belongings
Dear Savvy Senior: Can you recommend any good devices that help seniors with tracking down misplaced items? My wife misplaces everything including her car keys, eyeglasses, cell phone, purse and...
I'm still working: Do I need to sign-up for Medicare?
Dear Savvy Senior: I will turn 65 in a few months and plan to keep working for several more years. I have good health insurance from my employer now. Do I have to sign up for Medicare when I reach 65? — Looking Ahead Dear Looking: Whether you need t...
Is Social Security income taxable?
Dear Savvy Senior: I understand that a portion of my Social Security benefits may be taxable when I retire. Can you tell me how to calculate this ? – Ready to Retire Dear Ready: Whether or not you’ll be required to pay federal income tax on your Soc...
Here's how to track down old friends online
Dear Savvy Senior: I’m interested in tracking down some old friends I’ve lost touch with over the years but could use some help. What websites can you recommend that can help me find them? - Tracking Tom Dear Tom: Thanks to the internet, tra...
Is there an age limit for organ donation?
Dear Savvy Senior: I never thought about becoming an organ donor until my brother died of kidney failure last year. But at age 78, I would like to know if I’m too old to be a donor, or if they would even use my organs if I were to die from COVID-19....
Quit smoking! Medicare and other tools can help you kick the habit
Dear Savvy Senior: I understand that COVID-19 hits smokers a lot harder than nonsmokers but quitting at my age is very difficult. Does Medicare offer any coverage that helps beneficiaries quit smoking? - Must Quit Dear Must: It’s true. Smokers and va...
Financial help for retirees affected by COVID-19
Dear Savvy Senior: Are there any financial assistance programs you can refer me to? The coronavirus pandemic has cost me my part-time retirement job and has shrunk my measly IRA account. - Needy Retiree Dear Needy: Absolutely. In addition to the...
Video calling for the tech-challenged
Dear Savvy Senior: Can you recommend some simple devices that can help tech-challenged seniors with video calls? My 80-year-old mother has been isolating herself for months now in fear of the coronavirus and I haven’t been able to see her f...
How to make the most of your telehealth appointment
Dear Savvy Senior: I manage a large doctor’s clinic that treats hundreds of seniors each month. We are moving to more telehealth visits to help keep our patients safe at home during the coronavirus pandemic, but this new way of seeing a doctor is bef...
High blood pressure is even more dangerous in the COVID-19 era
Dear Savvy Senior: Are people with high blood pressure at increased risk of getting coronavirus? - Hypertensive Helen Dear Helen: If you have high blood pressure, you definitely need to take extra care to protect yourself during the coronavirus...
Do pneumonia vaccines protect seniors from coronavirus?
Dear Savvy Senior: Do currently offered vaccines against pneumonia provide seniors any protection against the coronavirus disease? I’ve always been bad about getting vaccinated, but this coronavirus pandemic is causing me to change my thinking. - Pro...
How the coronavirus relief law helps retirement savers and retirees
Dear Savvy Senior: What can you tell me about the retirement account changes that Congress recently passed in response to the coronavirus crisis? - Seeking Answers Dear Seeking: Tucked into the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or...
Genes and other indicators of kidney disease
Dear Savvy Senior: Do kidney problems run in families? My mother died from kidney failure 10 years ago at age 74 but didn’t know she had a kidney problem until it was too late. - Just Turned 60 Dear 60: Anyone who has a family history of kidney disea...
Social Security offers lump sum payouts to retirees
Dear Savvy Senior: In light of the stock market crashing, I’ve heard that Social Security offers a lump-sum payment to new retirees who need some extra cash. I have not yet filed for my retirement benefits and would like to investigate this o...
Beware of potential 2020 Census scams
Dear Savvy Senior: Can you offer some tips to help seniors guard against census scams? With the 2020 Census gearing up, I’ve read that there are a lot of potential scammers out there looking to take advantage of older people and I want to protect m...
IRS introduces tax form for older taxpayers
Dear Savvy Senior: A couple months back I read that the IRS will be offering a new senior-friendly tax form this tax season that will be easier to use. What can you tell me about this? - Paper Filer Dear Filer: It’s true. The Internal Revenue S...
Why the risk of heart attack rises in winter
Dear Savvy Senior: I've read that people with heart problems need to be extra careful during the winter months because heart attacks are much more common. Why is this? -- Cautious Senior Dear...
Getting around when you no longer drive
Dear Savvy Senior: Where can I find out about alternative transportation services for my 80-year-old mother? It's time that she gives up driving, but before she does, we need to figure out how she'll...
Osteoporosis strikes older men, too
Dear Savvy Senior: Can men get osteoporosis or is it primarily a problem for women? When I fell and broke my wrist last winter the doctor that treated me told me I might have osteoporosis, but I never got it checked. What can you tell me? — Bony B...
A government pension might reduce your Social Security benefits
Dear Savvy Senior: As a teacher for 20 years, I receive a pension from a school system that did not withhold Social Security taxes from my pay. After teaching, I’ve been working for a small company where I do pay Social Security taxes. Now, a...
Protect yourself from the Social Security impostor scam
Dear Savvy Senior: I recently received a strange call from a Social Security employee. He told me my Social Security number had been suspended because it was involved in a crime, and that I needed to reactivate it and secure my bank funds by...
The long-term care benefit many veterans miss out on
Dear Savvy Senior: I have heard that the VA has a benefit that can help veterans and spouses with long-term care costs. We recently had to move my 86-year-old father – who served in the army nearly 60 years ago – into an assisted living fac...