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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...