Travel, Leisure & Fun for South Valley Adults
Travel, Leisure & Fun for South Valley Adults
Sorted by date Results 1 - 20 of 20
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for approximately 70 million Americans will increase 8.7% in 2023, the Social Security Administration announced on September 13. On average, Social Security benefits will increase by more than $140 per month starting in January. The 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 65 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2023. Increased payments to more than 7 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 30, 2022....
"I've been wanting to tell this story ever since my grandfather passed away," explained David Baram, the writer and director of "Ball and Vase." "Like Ed in this film, my grandfather, a sometimes magician, immigrated to Paterson, New Jersey, worked in the mills and did his best to provide for those he loved. "He was as much a father as a grandfather to me," he continued. "But I took for granted that he would be around forever. Life got in the way of visits, phone calls and...
The Tulare County town of Exeter has many bright spots and important claims to fame in its history. It was home to the famous red Emperor grapes, was selected to have a beautiful Carnegie Library, and was one time headquarters of the popular Visalia Electric Railroad. But 93 years ago, one unfortunate incident cast a dark shadow on the town's amazing historic achievements. An event so noteworthy that the Exeter Sun published an "extra" edition of its newspaper bearing the...
Autumn is in full gear this month. This is a great time to plant almost any tree, shrub, perennial, ground cover, wildflower seeds and the last of spring-flowering bulbs. While the days are shorter and storms may affect our ability to work outdoors, it is generally more pleasant both for us and the plants, as long as we follow some simple guidelines. Planting This is an especially good month to plant those California and Mediterranean woody shrubs that don't thrive with too mu...
Going home for the holidays can mean reconnecting with loved ones and enjoying the spirit of the season. For many people, if they live away from their family and don’t see them often, it can also be a time of anxiety if the health of their parents or older loved ones has deteriorated since their last visit. Whether it’s more difficulty with day-to-day tasks, issues with mobility or signs of memory decline, it can be a bittersweet time of year for family members who notice changes in their loved one. Of course, the que...
My friend’s mother is staying in her home with in-home care 24 hours a day. Is this more expensive than living at an assisted living community? Licensed and bonded in-home care agencies cost between $26 and $38 per hour. If someone needs a caregiver for 24 hours a day, then it could cost anywhere from $18,720 to $27,360 a month. Assisted livings provide 24-hour care to residents at a fraction of that cost. Included in the rent of assisted livings are meals, utilities, social activities, housekeeping, cable and maintenance. M...
In an effort to increase healthcare access throughout the Central Valley, Adventist Health unveiled a mobile health unit that will provide primary care services throughout the region. The mobile unit, for which a September 27th ribbon-cutting was held at Adventist Health Hanford, offers a wide range of services, including school and sports physicals, vaccines, health screenings, preventive health visits and dental care. "For many of our community members who face...
It's not unusual for gray-haired people to lose their jobs, just like it's not unusual for those with hair of any color to lose their jobs. When it apparently happens because someone has gray hair, however, it can become a national scandal. Lisa LaFlamme is a Canadian television journalist who for almost 11 years served as the chief anchor and senior editor of CTV National News. After LaFlamme stopped coloring her hair, CTV terminated her contract, explaining in an August...
Homebound senior citizens, who often do not have friends or family visit them during the holidays, will receive a stocking filled with donated cold-weather comfort items during the annual Kings/Tulare Area Agency on Aging (K/T AAA) Stockings for Senior Citizens drive. Through November 29, Tulare County businesses, community partners and residents are invited to donate cold-weather comfort items such as slippers, socks, gloves, scarves, beanies and lap blankets in drop-off boxes such as the one pictured. For donation drop-off...
To better serve patients in Tulare County, where a recent community needs assessment found that urology services are severely lacking, Kaweah Health and Keck Medicine of USC have collaborated to open a urology clinic in downtown Visalia. Kaweah Health is operating the downtown Visalia clinic in coordination with Inderbir S. Gill, M.D., executive director of USC Urology, part of Keck Medicine, and chair and distinguished professor of urology at Keck School of Medicine. The...
In the July 2020 issue of The Good Life, we reported that, "South Valley fans of singers such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Elvis Presley will soon have a 'new' station to turn to on their radios." This month, Fritz Ashauer, the owner of the station, KZKC 89.9FM in Kettleman City, finally plans to move his 10-kilowatt transmitter "100 yards up the hill in Avenal." Moving the transmitter will allow his station to broadcast to "Fresno, Visalia, Bakersfield and all those...
Kaweah Health is celebrating November as National Hospice, Palliative Care and Home Care Month by emphasizing the importance of quality home-based care and dignified end-of-life care. Each year, Kaweah Health serves thousands of people through its hospice, home care and palliative services. These people depend on such services to remain comfortable, stable and away from costly traditional settings. For decades, caring for the elderly, disabled and chronically ill at home has...
The following article was posted at https://www.AlzheimersResearchUK.org on September 22. We are sharing the post with only minor edits so we don't lose any of the enthusiasm of the anonymous writer. It's news we've all been waiting for. Today, the pharmaceutical company Eisai announced that their drug Lecanemab has shown small but clear benefits for people with early Alzheimer's in a rigorous, well-conducted phase 3 trial. The drug is one of several in development that work...
During most seasons, people 65 years and older bear the greatest burden of severe flu disease, accounting for the majority of flu-related hospitalizations and deaths. For the 2022-2023 flu season, the CDC recommends any one of three flu vaccines for people 65 years and older: Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent vaccine, Flublok Quadrivalent recombinant flu vaccine and Fluad Quadrivalent adjuvanted flu vaccine. This recommendation was based on a review of available studies, which suggested that these vaccines are potentially mor...
Family HealthCare Network (FHCN) scheduled a late October opening for The Book Nook, a local bookstore inspired by FHCN's goal of improving the quality of life and overall health of its local community by promoting literacy. "The Book Nook is committed to providing a space that encourages children and families of Visalia and surrounding communities to develop and nourish their love of books and learning," said Kerry Hydash, FHCN president and CEO. "Our vision is a community...
Turning 100 years of age is a major milestone and Tulare County Board of Supervisors recognized county seniors who have reached this milestone at its October 4 board meeting. Supervisors presented 21 proclamations to centenarians living throughout the county. "Centenarians are gems within our community with years of experience and wisdom who have lived through ten decades of life and are examples of tenacity and perseverance - an inspiration to us all," said Tulare County...
This column is the first to cover the PACT Act; I will have at least one follow-up column covering another area of the changes. The full name of the law is "The Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act." I will cover the changes that Vietnam Veterans will see under the Act in this column. The new law expands Veterans Administration (VA) health care and benefits for veterans exposed to Agent Orange. First, an...
The Kings County Commission on Aging (KCCOA) celebrated the official reopening of the Corcoran Senior Center on October 14. The event featured food, bingo, karaoke and a performance by "Elvis." The center is located at 800 Dairy Ave. in Corcoran. On October 21, KCCOA held a similar event at the Avenal Senior Center, 108 W. Kings St. in Avenal. The next center reopening on the schedule is the Hanford Senior Center, but no date was selected at press time. For more information,...
On September 27, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2023 premiums, deductibles and coinsurance amounts for the Medicare Part A and Part B programs, and the 2023 Medicare Part D income-related monthly adjustment amounts. Medicare Part B covers physician services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment, and certain other medical and health services not covered by Medicare Part A. Each year, the Medicare Part B premium, deductible and coinsurance rates...
About 150 area residents participated in this year's Tulare & Kings Walk to End Alzheimer's at Mooney Grove Park in Visalia on October 1st. Approximately $25,000 was raised to fight the disease. "I think it went very well," said Sherrie Wallace, event chair. "The event was smaller than previous years but there was a sense of unity this year." Last year's walk at Mooney Grove Park, the first since 2019, exceeded expectations in both participation and money raised. The 2021...