You pay nothing for the COVID-19 vaccine. You won’t pay a deductible or copayment, and your provider can’t charge you an administration fee to give you the shot.

A COVID-19 vaccine helps reduce the risk of illness from COVID-19 by working with the body’s natural defenses to safely develop protection (immunity) to the virus.

Be sure to bring your red, white, and blue Medicare card so your health care provider or pharmacy can bill Medicare. You’ll need your Medicare card even if you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan.

If you fill out a form to get the vaccine, you may be asked for your insurer’s group number. If you have Part B, leave this field blank or write “N/A.” If you have trouble with the form, talk with your vaccine provider.

Medicare also covers COVID-19 tests, COVID-19 antibody tests, and COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatments.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers are distributing the vaccine to federally and state-approved locations to start the vaccination of priority groups. Each state has its own plan for deciding who they’ll vaccinate first and how residents can get vaccines. Contact your local health department for more information on COVID-19 vaccines in your area. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccine progress.

Be alert for scammers trying to steal your Medicare Number. Medicare covers the vaccine at no cost to you, so if anyone asks you for your Medicare Number to get early access to the vaccine, you can bet it’s a scam.

Here’s what to know:

You can’t pay to put your name on a list to get the vaccine.

You can’t pay to get early access to a vaccine.

Don’t share your personal or financial information if someone calls, texts, or emails you promising access to the vaccine for a fee.

March 31st will mark the end of Medicare Advantage open enrollment period, and those who still are choosing between plans should take a few things into consideration. One medicare expert gave us answers to little-known problems and questions regarding Medicare Advantage:

“The biggest problem I see with people regarding Medicare is that they see television commercials that promise to give them their part B premium of $144 back. The only time people qualify for this as if they qualify for Medicaid as well as Medicare. That means that they have to have an income of less than $1200 a month and less than $7300 in cash assets available to them. While some people do qualify, I would say that about 98% of my clients do not.

The other issue, although it is not a scam, asisthat a lot of people do not realize they are signing up with an HMO which means that they can only get care from in network providers. They see commercials for free dental, optical and gym memberships… But they don’t realize that with an HMO they are limited to a very small group of providers.” – Roseann Birch, Medicare Consultant and expert at MedicareAdvantagePlans.org.

The pandemic has upended our lives for a year now. We have adjusted to wearing masks, social distancing, restricting our activities, and more. As much as we struggle with these restrictions, it is nothing compared to the struggle of those grieving the death of a loved one during this time. Whether your loved one’s death was due to COVID-19 or another cause, grief is not meant to be done alone. Livingston Memorial’s Camarillo Hospice is committed to providing free bereavement services to the community. Our highly skilled grief counselors and volunteer support group facilitators are providing tele-therapy to those grieving the death of a loved one.

Virtual grief support groups include: General Bereavement Support Group on Mondays 3:00 to 4:30 pm and Tuesdays 10:30 to 12:00 pm. Spanish General Bereavement Support Group 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Good Grief Club 1st and 3rd Tuesdays 5:30 to 6:30 pm. Young Widow and Widowers Support Group Tuesdays 5:30 to 7:00 pm. Widow and Widower’s Support Group Wednesdays 1:00 to 2:30 pm. General Bereavement Support Group Wednesdays 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Survivors of a Suicide Loss 1st and 3rd Wednesdays 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Bereaved Mom’s Support Group: 2nd Thursday of every month 6-7:30 pm. Adult Loss of Parent Support Group: 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month 6:00 to 7:30 pm. General Bereavement Support Group Thursdays 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Teen Grief Support Group (15-18 yrs.) Mondays 4:00 to 5:00 pm. Young Teen Grief Support Group (12-15 yrs.) Wednesdays 3:30 to 4:30 pm.

Livingston’s Camarillo Hospice offers individual, couple, and family grief counseling in English and Spanish. To register for a support group or meet with a grief counselor, please contact Stacia Sickle, LCSW, at 805-389-6870 x452 or [email protected].  For more information visit LMVNA.org.

Working in the paid labor workforce may have cognitive benefits later in life for U.S. women. For a study supported in part by NIA, researchers looked at the influence of social, employment, and gender-related factors on memory decline with implications for dementia risk. Their findings, recently published in Neurology, show that women in the workforce during early adulthood and midlife experienced slower rates of memory decline than those who had not worked for pay.

A team of University of California (UC), Los Angeles; UC San Francisco; Harvard; and Boston College researchers analyzed the employment patterns, family structure, and demographic characteristics of U.S. women. More than 6,000 women at least age 55 in the Health and Retirement Study reported their past work-family statuses of employment, marriage, and parenthood between ages 16 and 50. They also participated in word recall memory assessments every two years over an average of 12 years. The study team then evaluated rates of later-life memory decline, which is a measure associated with dementia.

The average rate of memory decline after age 60 was slower for women who had worked, regardless of marriage and parenthood status. Taking time off from work when their children were young did not seem to decrease the cognitive benefit in married working mothers. Among nonworking mothers, rates of memory decline were similar for single and married women. Demographic characteristics, such as race, childhood socioeconomic status, and level of education, did not explain the relationship between work-family status and memory decline.

This study adds to evidence that participation in the workforce may be a protective factor for cognitive health later in life. The researchers did not look at volunteer work, the types of paid labor among women, or possible differences among genders. Future research on effects of participating in the workforce, such as cognitive stimulation and social engagement, may help explain how employment can decrease the rate of memory loss.

This research was supported in part by NIA grants R00AG053410 and R01AG040248.

by Dwayne Clark, Founder and CEO of Aegis Living

Having your elderly loved one or parent admitted to the hospital is stressful under normal conditions. During a pandemic, this situation can be even more tense for families—especially if your loved one has dementia. So when you cannot see your loved one face-to-face, how do you advocate for them when they are in the hospital?

One Point of Contact. Within your family, designate one point of contact to communicate with the hospital. Request that your contact name and phone number are written on the whiteboard in the patient’s room and/or at the nurse’s station.

Provide Documentation. Write down key points to help the care team get to know your loved one quickly. Provide documentation that includes their likes and dislikes, typical daily routine, and life history. Don’t forget to include your concerns. Do they have difficulty chewing or swallowing? Can they feed themselves, or do they need help? Are they nonverbal? Your insight is invaluable for their care team to provide the best care to your loved one.

Communicate Their Baseline. Help the hospital staff understand your loved one’s “baseline. Communicating their functionality will help the care team differentiate between dementia, acute confusion, delirium, or something more serious.

Making the Rounds. Ask to take part in doctor’s visits virtually or by phone, so you stay informed. Take notes during the visit to help you remember what the doctor said and to share with other family members.

The Essentials. Make sure your loved one has necessities like their hearing aid. With care staff wearing both a mask and face shield, it can sometimes be harder for the patient to hear. Also, don’t forget their eyeglasses, reading glasses, or dentures, so they feel comfortable.

Familiar Items. In a new or unfamiliar situation, personal items may help them feel more at home. A favorite pillow, blanket, or comfy robe may help them be more relaxed.

Smartphone or Tablet for Patient. Drop off a smartphone loaded with family phone numbers or a tablet for your loved one. Include an extra-long power cord and place the device in a brightly colored case to avoid having it forgotten on a dinner tray or lost. If you do not have an extra device, inquire if there are electronics for your loved one to borrow and if they can have assistance to make a call or connect virtually.

Clear Masks. During the pandemic, the use of both masks and face shields means that someone living with dementia cannot clearly see their nurse or doctor speak or smile. Many hospitals are now using transparent masks, where the mouth is visible behind clear plastic. Ask if your loved one’s hospital has these available.

A loved one in the hospital can be stressful, but don’t forget to take care of yourself. Remember that they are surrounded by professionals who have trained for years and have dedicated their lives to caring for the sick. And they have you, their informed patient care advocate.

A long-awaited day finally came for Aegis Living Ventura, local assisted living and memory care community. On February 23, the community hosted its second vaccine clinic and now has more than 90% of residents vaccinated.

To celebrate the occasion, the community came alive with a superhero-themed event. After receiving vaccines, residents tossed on superhero capes and gave their best pose in a photo booth before enjoying refreshing root beer floats and other treats, along with music and entertainment by the community’s Life Enrichment team.

I couldn’t be prouder to have more than 90% of our residents now vaccinated,” said general manager Sam EL-Rabaa. “This is a critical step in protecting our community and creating one of the safest places on the planet for our residents, team and families.”

Residents expressed the same joy as they received the vaccine and looked ahead to what is to come.

“While I was hesitant at first, the clinic went well, and I had no real side effects” said resident Shirley Rutherford. “Now I will be more protected for my upcoming surgery.”

Leading up to the vaccine clinics, Aegis prepared both residents and staff with several educational opportunities, including a virtual town hall with medical experts from Aegis Living’s Coronavirus Advisory Council. Aegis also prepared several educational videos and tools for residents and staff to research more on their own. The goal was to create a supportive environment and help everyone in the community better understand the science behind the vaccine and its benefits.

With the first two vaccine clinics complete, residents are finding other moments of joy with small group activities such as group exercise, courtyard walks, art classes, happy hour and more.

by Matilda Charles

COVID hits seniors hard. Many of us have underlying medical conditions that make a diagnosis of COVID very risky in terms of recovery. But the lockdown from the pandemic has another risky side: mental health disorders.

Whether we’re living at home, in a retirement center or a care facility, our isolation has been very stressful.

A survey conducted in June concluded that seniors were less negatively affected than other age groups when it comes to mental health. They say we have better emotional regulation, which means we don’t react as strongly to negative events.

But the study was done when we were only a few months into this new way of living. (Even the study mentions that as a caveat.) Now eight more months have passed. Holidays without family. Missed doctor appointments. We’ve had to take a crash course in online chat to be able to see and talk to friends and family. Our regular meetings and social outings are canceled. The news has been a daily onslaught of the increasing numbers of positive cases and deaths.

A more recent study from Portugal unearthed the truth, however. After reviewing 41 pieces of research from around the world, scientists concluded that “anxiety, depression, poor sleep quality and physical inactivity” have been prevalent among seniors during our lockdowns.

If you’re struggling, ask for help. In some communities, hotlines have opened up to deal with this kind of stress. Look online for “mental health hotline” and your state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention set up a web page in December. Search online for “CDC Coping with Stress” and look at all the offerings on the page. There is a national helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Or you can just pick up the phone and dial 211. It’s a referral for community services.

(c) 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.

Previous research has led to findings that support links between a positive mental outlook and physical health benefits such as lower blood pressure, less heart disease, and healthier blood sugar levels. In a recent study of mood changes in older adults, scientists also have discovered that healthy brain function may result in maintaining a positive outlook.

For this study, which was funded in part by NIA and published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry in September 2020, scientists proposed a potential neurobiological connection between an older adult’s mood with changes, over a period of time, in white brain matter and cognitive ability. White matter is where information is transmitted from one brain region to another. As we age, changes can occur in the white matter that may lead to thinking, walking, and balance problems.

The scientists first examined measures of executive function, the ability to perform complex tasks such as planning or decision-making that require attentional focus, and then imaged the white matter of the brain. They found that the integrity of the white matter and stable executive function appear to be important for maintaining healthy mood states in late life.

Research participants included 716 community-dwelling adults who were assessed to have normal cognitive and neurological function. Mood was measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The neuropsychological assessment included tests of executive function, memory, and processing speed (the time it takes to comprehend information and respond). A subset of 327 participants also underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within six months of completing the GDS and neuropsychological assessments.

The investigators found that mood improved with increasing age until around the early 70s, at which point the positive effect of age on mood plateaued, and eventually reversed. Stable white matter integrity, along with stable executive function and processing speed, appeared to protect against this reversal of positive mood.

Because the study was observational, these findings cannot be interpreted to show causation. Further research is needed to determine whether the brain-mood relationships are bidirectional. Another caveat is that the participants were mostly white and highly educated. Observed relationships between mood, age, white matter integrity, and cognition need to be evaluated in racially and educationally diverse groups. The researchers also suggest that future studies of the links between brain health, cognition, and mood should be large-scale, longitudinal, and use methods to allow capture of the full range of neurodevelopment. Results of such studies could inform interventions across a variety of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric conditions.

This research was supported in part by NIH grant R01AG032289.