By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

Can a person in their early fifties have osteoporosis? When I fell and broke my wrist last winter the doctor that treated me told me I might have osteoporosis.

Surprised Susan

Dear Susan,

While osteoporosis is much more common in adults over age 60, it can strike younger people too. In fact, according to the Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation half of women and up to 25 percent of men in the U.S. over age 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. Here’s what you should know.

Osteoporosis, a disease that weakens your bones is also called a “silent” disease because there are no warning signs until a fracture occurs. Around 10 million Americans over age 50 currently have osteoporosis, and an additional 44 million have osteopenia (lower than normal bone density) – 80 percent of whom are women.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

What’s the easiest way to compare Medicare Part D prescription drug plans? My Part D premium is increasing again in 2025, so I would like to use the fall open enrollment to find and sign up for a cheaper plan.

Shopping Around 

Dear Shopping,

I’m happy to hear you’re comparing your Medicare coverage options this fall! Research shows that many Medicare beneficiaries with Part D coverage can lower their prescription drug costs by shopping among plans each year during the open enrollment season, which runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7.

There could be another Part D plan in your area that covers the drugs you take with fewer restrictions or with lower costs. You never know until you look.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

I would like to arrange a simple cremation that doesn’t cost me, or my family, a lot of money. Can you offer any tips that can help me with this?

Still Kicking 

Dear Kicking,

If you’re looking for a simple and affordable way to go, cremation is an excellent choice, and one that’s become exceedingly popular in the United States. About 60 percent of Americans are now choosing cremation over a traditional burial, versus only around 20 percent in the mid-1990s.

Why the big shift? Price is a key reason. A basic cremation can cost as little as $700 to $1,200, depending on your location and provider, versus $7,500 or more for a traditional funeral and cemetery burial. Geography is another factor, as many families are spread across the country, making future gravesite visits less common.

Here are a few tips to help you arrange your cremation and ensure you get a good deal.

Shop Around

You can arrange a cremation through a funeral home or a cremation-only business, but it’s wise to shop around because prices vary widely. It’s not unusual for one funeral home to charge $1,000, while another charges $4,000 or more for the same service.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

If my mother needs to move into a nursing home, what are the eligibility requirements to get Medicaid coverage?

Caretaking Son 

Dear Caretaking,

The rules and requirements for Medicaid eligibility for nursing home care are complicated and will vary according to the state your mother lives in. With that said, here’s a general, simplified rundown of what it takes to qualify.

Medicaid Eligibility

Medicaid, the joint federal and state program that covers health care for the poor, is also the largest single payer of America’s nursing home bills for seniors who don’t have the resources to pay for their own care. (Note that some states have different names for their Medicaid program.)

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

I work for a county health department and every summer we’re seeing more and more seniors get sick and even die from heat-related illiness. Can you write an awarness piece on the affects extreme heat has on older adults, and what they can do to guard against this summertime risk. Thanks for helping keep seniors safe!

Health Advocate

Dear Advocate,

Happy to oblige! Most people don’t realize that each year, extreme summertime heat kills more people in the U.S. than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined. While extreme heat can be deadly for anyone, older adults are uniquely vulnerable because of three key factors: biological changes that occur with age; higher rates of age-related diseases; and greater use of medications that can alter the body’s response to heat.

Here’s how to gauge the risk for a heat-related illness for you or an older loved one and how to stay safe.

How Heat Affects Seniors

The human body has two main mechanisms to cool itself: sweating and increasing blood flow to the skin. In older adults, both of those processes are compromised. Seniors sweat less and they have poor circulation compared with younger people.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

My 77-year-old mother, who loves to cook has had several kitchen-related accidents over the past year. What tips can you recommend for making a kitchen safer and more practical for seniors, without doing a big expensive remodel.

Inquiring Daughter

Dear Inquiring,

There are a number of small improvements and simple modifications you can do that can make a big difference in making your mom’s kitchen safer and easier to maneuver. Depending on her needs, here are some tips for different aspects of her kitchen.

Lights: If the lighting in your mom’s kitchen needs improvement, replace the old overhead fixture with a bright new ceiling light, and add LED lighting under upper kitchen cabinets to brighten up her kitchen countertops. 

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

I need to hire a good in-home caregiver to help my elderly father who lives alone. What’s the best way to do this?

Searching Sarah 

Dear Sarah,

Finding a good in-home caregiver for an elderly parent is not always easy. How can you find one that’s reliable and trustworthy, as well as someone your parent likes and is comfortable with? Here are some tips that can help.

Know His Needs

Before you start the task of looking for an in-home caregiver, your first step is to determine the level of care your dad needs.

For example, if he only needs help with daily living tasks like shopping, cooking, doing laundry, bathing or dressing, a “homemaker” or “personal care aide” will do. But if he needs health care services, there are “home health aides” that may do all the things a homemaker does, plus they also have training in administering medications, changing wound dressings and other medically related duties. Home health aides often work under a nurse’s supervision.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

I understand that the Veterans Administration has a benefit that can help veterans and spouses with long-term care costs. We recently had to move my elderly father into an assisted living memory care facility, and my mother will probably need care too in the near future. What can you tell me?

Searching for Aid                                                                  

Dear Searching,

The Veterans Administration (VA) does indeed have an underutilized benefit that can help wartime veterans and their surviving spouses pay for a variety of long-term care costs.

This benefit, called “Aid and Attendance,” is a special pension that’s paid on top of existing VA pensions for eligible veterans and surviving spouses. In 2024, it pays a maximum of $2,727 a month to married veterans; $2,300 a month to single veterans; or $1,478 a month to a surviving spouse. The money is tax free, and can be used to pay for assisted living, memory care, nursing home or in-home care services.

Currently, around 156,000 veterans and survivors are receiving the Aid and Attendance benefit, but many thousands more are eligible who either don’t know about it or don’t think they qualify.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

I was recently notified that the Affordable Connectivity Program, which subsidizes my monthly internet bill, is about to end. What are my options for finding affordable home internet services now? I’m 71 years old and live primarily on my Social Security benefits.

Barely Getting By

Dear Barely,

It’s unfortunate, but without additional funding from Congress, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is winding down and will end in mid-May.

For those that aren’t familiar with this program, the ACP is a government benefit that has provided millions of financially eligible households with a discount of up to $30 per month toward their home internet service, or up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.