By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

What steps need to be taken after a loved one dies? My 71-year-old uncle, who’s divorced with no children, has terminal cancer. He’s asked me to take care of his affairs so I would like to find out what I need to do after he passes away.

Unsure Nephew

Dear Unsure,

I’m very sorry to hear about your uncle. The death of a loved of can bring about a host of different tasks and responsibilities. Here’s a list of some things you can do now, and after his death, that can help keep a sad event from becoming even more difficult.

Dear Savvy Senior,

What tips do you recommend to Medicare beneficiaries dealing with hefty medical bills? My husband recently had open heart surgery and is recovering slowly, but the medical bills are coming in fast and furious and they’re putting us in medical debt.

Struggling in Springfield

Dear Struggling,

I’m sorry to hear about your billing struggles, but medical debt has unfortunately become a chronic problem in this country. According to U.S. Census data 19 percent of Americans households carry medical debt, including 10 percent of households headed by someone 65 or older. Even seniors on Medicare can easily get snagged in a web of complicated billing and coverage problems.

To help you slash your medical bills, here are some tips recommended by health care experts that you should try.

Listen my interview with Savvy Senior’s Jim Miller on the One Thing or Another Podcast.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

What tips do you recommend for long-distance caregivers? I help take care of my stubborn 86-year-old mother who still lives at home about 150 miles from me.

Need Advice

Dear Need,

Providing care and support for an aging parent who lives far away can present a variety challenges that can make the job difficult and stressful. Here are some tips and resources that may help you.

Dear Savvy Senior,

I recently learned about a property-tax relief program for seniors in the county where I live. Apparently, there are hundreds of these programs across the country that many retirees, like me, are eligible for but don’t know about. What can you tell me about this?

Overtaxed Eddie

Dear Eddie,

Great question! Residential property-tax refund and credit programs exist in nearly every state, but unfortunately few people know about them. These programs can help retirees and many other Americans by reducing their property taxes. Here’s what you should know.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

I’m interested in getting some of the new over-the-counter hearing aids that just became available a few month ago. Can you offer any tips to help me with this?

Straining to Hear

Dear Straining,

The new FDA approved over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids that started rolling out this fall are a real game changer for the roughly 48 million Americans with hearing loss. Adults with impaired hearing can now walk in and buy hearing aids at a pharmacy, big box chain, consumer electronics store or online, without a prescription and without consulting an audiologist.

Dear Savvy Senior,

I started a walking program a few months ago to help me lose weight but I’ve been having problems with my legs and hips hurting during my walk, although they feel better once I stop. I thought it was just because I’m getting old, but my neighbor was telling me about a leg vein disease she has called PAD and thinks I may have something similar. What can you tell me about this?

Limping Linda 

Dear Linda,

The health condition your neighbor is telling you about is known as “peripheral arterial disease” (or PAD), which is an under the radar disease that affects approximately 8 to 12 million Americans.

It happens when the arteries that carry blood to the legs and feet become narrowed or clogged over the years with fatty deposits or plaque, causing poor circulation.

But you also need to be aware that because PAD is a systemic disease, people that have it are also much more likely to have clogged arteries in other areas of the body like the heart, neck and brain, which greatly increase the risks of heart attack or stroke.  

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

I’ve read that retirees will be getting a nice cost-of-living increase in our Social Security benefits next year but what about Medicare? What will our Medicare Part B monthly premiums and other Medicare costs be in 2023?

Planning Ahead

Dear Planning,

From an entitlement program standpoint, 2023 is going to be a very good year for retirees! Not only will you receive a nice 8.7 percent cost-of-living increase in your Social Security retirement benefits – the largest since 1981 – the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also recently announced that your Medicare Part B standard monthly premium will be lowered 3 percent ($5.20) from the current rate of $170.10 per month, to $164.90/month in 2023.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

How do I go about looking for an old former company 401(k) plan that I think I contributed money to many years ago, but forgot about until recently?

Retired in Rochester

Dear Retired,

If you think you may have lost track of an old 401(k) retirement account, you aren’t alone. As Americans move from job to job, many leave scraps of their company sponsored 401(k) plans behind, believing they’ll deal with it later, but never do.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

I saw a news segment on television a few months ago about home sharing programs for seniors and would like to learn more. I’m 68, divorced, and am interested in renting out a room in my house to help make ends meet. What can you tell me?

Interested Boomer 

Dear Boomer,

Because of inflation and rising housing costs a growing number of baby boomers are opting to rent out a spare room in their house as a way to generate some extra income, and for some, increase companionship. To find a good fit, older homeowners often turn to “home sharing programs” that will match an empty nester with someone needing affordable housing.