enior imes EDCS Area Agency on Aging - 937 Spring Street, Placerville,T California, 95667 - 530-621-6150 D ECEMBER 2 0 2 0 Why Do We Kiss Under the Mistletoe? Kissing under sprigs of mistletoe is a well-known holiday tradition, but this little plant’s history as a symbolic herb dates back thousands of years. Many ancient cultures prized mistletoe for its healing properties. The Greeks were known to use it as a cure for everything from menstrual cramps to spleen disorders, and the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder noted it could be used as a balm against epilepsy, ulcers and poisons. The plant’s romantic overtones most likely started with the Celtic Druids of the 1st century A.D. Because mistletoe could blossom even during the frozen winter, the Druids came to view it as a sacred symbol of vivacity, and they administered it to humans and animals alike in the hope of restoring fertility. Another famous chapter in mistletoe folklore comes from Norse mythology. As the story goes, when the god Odin’s son Baldur was prophesied to die, his mother Frigg, the goddess of love, went to all the animals and plants of the natural world to secure an oath that they would not harm him. But Frigg neglected to consult with the unassuming mistletoe, so the scheming god Loki made an arrow from the plant and saw that it was used to kill the otherwise invincible Baldur. According to one sunnier version of the myth, the gods were able to resurrect Baldur from the dead. Delighted, Frigg then declared mistletoe a symbol of love and vowed to plant a kiss on all those who passed beneath it. Mistletoe’s associations with fertility and vitality continued through the Middle Ages, and by the 18th century it had become widely incorporated into Christmas celebrations. Just how it made INSIDE This Issue the jump from sacred herb to holiday decoration remains up for debate, but the kissing tradition appears to have first caught on among servants in England before spreading to the middle Legal Information............................. Page 2 classes. As part of the early custom, men were allowed to steal a kiss from any woman caught TED Talks Event................................... Page 3 standing under the mistletoe, and refusing was viewed as bad luck. Yet another tradition instructed the merrymakers to pluck a single berry from the mistletoe with each kiss, and to stop smooching Emergency Preparedness.................. Page 4 once they were all gone. Nutrition Menu.............................. Page 5 Senior Health................................. Page 6 Social Security Changes........................... Page 7 Senior News............................... Page 8 Medicare News.................................. Page 9 Friendship Line................................. Page 10 Senior News.................................. Page 11 2 Senior News Area Code (530) Senior Legal News Western Slope Beware of Those “Senior Specialists” Information & Assistance 621-6369 By Diana Steele Frome Seniors and the Law - CA Bar Association Legal Assistance 621-6154 Long Term Care Ombudsman 621-6271 Be wary of those who tout themselves as specialists offering insurance or financial Senior Nutrition Program 621-6160 advice to seniors. Some simply use senior-related titles and designations to pose as experts. They may not have any relevant training or experience at all. Many associate Senior Trips & Activities 621-6255 themselves with well-known banks or financial institutions but are not actually bank employees and work off commissions. They seem safe, but they are not! The fancy Adult Day Services 621-6180 titles, such as “Senior Consultant”, “Senior Fiduciary”, or “Senior Specialist” (to name a Senior Times 621-6255 few) may just be a marketing ploy to get your business. Family Caregiver Support Program 621-6151 How does this scam play out? Someone might call or approach you claiming to be a Senior Shuttle 621-6369 “Senior Fiduciary” specializing in helping seniors get a better return on their money, promising to stretch your dollars by insisting you purchase in an insurance product such In Home Supportive Services 642-4800 as an annuity, or recommending you move your money into a brokerage account. These Senior Peer Counseling Program 621-6304 people are preying on feelings of uncertainty seniors often have taking care of their own funds, promising big returns, safety, longevity, and protection. Often these products have Senior Health Education Program 621-6151 none of these characteristics, but they do provide the “advisor” with a large commission. Adult Protective Services (APS) 642-4800 Of course there are legitimate financial services available, but beware of the hard sell, Department of Veterans Affairs 621-5892 the need for speed, the assurances of a deal too good to be true, or someone insisting El Dorado Transit/Dial-a-Ride 642-3696 you transfer ALL of your funds. Someone using a “Senior Specialist” title should be a red flag to you. Instead do your own research and get help from legitimately trained South Lake Tahoe specialists. How do you know? Information and Assistance 621-6369 Insurance brokers and agents are prohibited from using a “senior designation” to mislead consumers. South Lake Tahoe Senior Center 542-6094 South Lake Tahoe Senior Nutrition 573-3130 They can no longer use any senior-related certification, credential or professional designation unless it meets certain criteria and has been approved by the California Legal Assistance 621-6154 Insurance Commissioner. (IC§787.1) To check on a senior designation, call the El Dorado County Health Dept. 573-3155 Department of Insurance’s licensing division at 800-967-9331. If you have questions about an insurance offer, scheme or agent, call 800-927 HELP (4357). Adult Protective Services (APS) 642-4800 BlueGo Bus Transportation 541-7149 Broker-dealers and investment advisers (and their agents and representatives) are prohibited from using any “senior specific” certification, credential or professional SLT Cancer League 573-1203 designation that could be misleading. (Corp.§ 25243.5) Department of Veterans Affairs 573-7955 ext-5892 For more information on “senior” specialists and advisors, go to www.sec.gov and click Hospice/Adult Grief Support Group 542-3171 on ‘For Seniors’. You can also contact Senior Legal Services at (530) 621-6154. Report Elder Abuse 24 Hours 800-925-1812 Senior News 3 TED Talks Series December 16th from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Location: ZOOM from the comfort of your home Topic of the Month: CHRISTMAS TRUCE The Holiday Season is upon us and for the month of December we decided to do something different. We have some video clips from the Christmas Truce many years ago. “Initially everyone believed that this war (WWI) would be over by Christmas, but on Christmas Eve 1914, soldiers were still facing each other in Europe. Instead of shooting at each other, quite a few soldiers decided to sing and celebrate the night with their enemies.” Join us for a time to remember and reflect on the power of the Christmas Season and what it did for soldiers during the war. To attend event (ZOOM), please call (530) 621-6238. MOVIE of the MONTH Enjoy a MOVIE with Friends Temporarily Movies at the Placerville Senior Center are held on the 2nd Friday of each Cancelled month. Movies start at 1:00 p.m. in the Dining Room. Bring your own popcorn and candy. Need Help With Your Computer? Temporarily DON’S TECH TIME Cancelled Don is here to help with all your computer questions! Come by the Senior Resource DUE TO COVID-19, MOVIE OF THE MONTH Computer Room, located in the Placerville Senior Center, 937 Spring Street, Placerville. HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY CANCELLED. Don is able to offer computer instruction and assistance to seniors 60 and over. MOVIES WILL RESUME ONCE THE Don can help with PC hardware questions, PLACERVILLE SENIOR CENTER Microsoft Windows, iPADs, iPhones, Word and Excel. Please visit our Senior Resource Computer HAS REOPENED. Room on Friday’s from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. No reservations necessary and drop-ins are welcome. 4 Senior News Bon Appétit! 2020 has dished out some hefty helpings of stress & anxiety. Many of us have experienced power outages, perhaps were threatened by wildfire, and all of us continue to face the realities of COVID-19. Sometimes it feels like we’re grated, toasted, minced, or steeped. Even so, as the year comes to an end, rather than fall to pieces like an apple crumble, let’s try a new recipe – one that will help us build resilience to emergencies. One way to strengthen our resilience & reduce our stress is to consider our consumption of information. Since rumor and speculation can fuel anxiety, having access to & an appetite for accurate, reliable and timely information can help us feel more in control. Try the ‘Information Diet’ to reduce stress: • Check your trusted news source once per day – not a dozen times a day. For the latest up-to-date information that is most likely to be accurate, try and stick to reputable news sources & websites. • Ask yourself, “Which information sources am I feeding my mind and how often am I indulging?” • Balance your information diet with uplifting news sources. It’s best not to avoid all news because it’s important to stay informed. But limit your news intake if it’s bothering you. How else can you limit your exposure to anxiety-provoking news? Taking a break from social media, being more mindful of how you access news, and making a conscious effort to only read or watch reputable news sources can all help you to minimize the stress and worry you may be feeling. Cheers! Here’s to a Happy New Year! For more ways to stay healthy & build your personal resilience, check out: “The COVID-19 Anxiety Workbook: A tool to help build resilience during difficult times.” Created by The Heritage Clinic in Los Angeles County.