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How to Make Sure Your End-of-Life Wishes Are Followed

Dear Savvy Senior, I had a living will/advance directive prepared about 10 years ago documenting my end-of-life medical wishes, but I’ve read that these documents are often ignored. What can you tell me about this? – Troubled Tina Dear Tina, Yes, unfortunately, that can happen. Living wills aren’t always followed in practice, most often because the document isn’t available when it’s needed or never reaches the right people in time. They can also fall short because they aren’t medical orders, and the language may be too vague to guide doctors in an emergency. That ...

Sink or Swim

I cannot remember a time in my life that I didn’t enjoy swimming. While we didn’t have a pool in our backyard, a few neighbors did. If we behaved ourselves, we would be invited to enjoy a dip in one of those pools.  I also cannot remember a time when I did not know how to swim. I had the advantage of three older siblings who were willing to keep me and my younger siblings afloat while we learned the crawl, the breaststroke and backstroke.  Even better was the fact that our parents enrolled us in the summer day camp held at Oglebay Park. It was there that my true love of the ...

What to Do When Medical Bills Pile Up

Dear Savvy Senior, I’m 63 and recently had a hospital stay that left me with bills I can’t afford to pay. I had Affordable Care Act health insurance, but after my premiums went up in January, I had to drop my coverage. Now I’m overwhelmed by medical bills. What can I do? – Struggling Patient Dear Struggling, You’re definitely not alone. Medical debt is very common. About 1 in 12 Americans are dealing with it, and many had insurance when the bills started piling up. The good news is there are ways to reduce what you owe and make it more manageable. Here are some steps ...

Fire Those Cannons!

Happy Birthday, my fellow Americans! Time to celebrate. Set aside your political differences. Put down the protest signs. Wave the Stars and Stripes proudly. We are still the most privileged free land in the world and that’s worth celebrating. The American Revolution of 1776 resulted in the ...

Should You Get a Heart Calcium Scan?

Dear Savvy Senior, I just turned 58 and heart disease runs in my family. My cholesterol has been creeping up, and I’ve been hearing about a scan that can show your actual heart risk. Is that something I should look into? – Heart Worried Dear Worried, You’re smart to be thinking about this now. For years, cholesterol numbers have been the main way to estimate heart disease risk. But there’s another tool gaining attention that can offer a more direct look: a coronary artery calcium scan, or CAC scan. This quick, noninvasive test looks for actual plaque buildup in your ...

Someone Explain This Please

I am angry. No, I’m furious. In one week, Americans will celebrate the country’s 250th birthday. I already have my flags and patriotic attire in place to mark next weekend events. While nothing can deter me — not even those who claim to hate this country — I am not in a good place mentally on this day. Why, you ask? Well, there have been such disturbing stories in the news in recent days. Some of it is too hard for me to comprehend. Here’s what I mean: A nationwide federal probe into Medicare/Medicaid fraud has turned up 455 alleged perpetrators with more than $6.5 billion ...