FOR YOUR HEALTH: Seven Myths You May Mistakenly Believe About Long-Term Care

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Preparing for a pleasant retirement should include considering a long-term care planning solution.

(NAPSI)—As you develop your retirement plans and think about how a potential need for long-term care may impact those plans and your loved ones, certain misconceptions may prevent you from taking action.

So—let’s dispel these seven common long-term care myths:

Myth #1: I’ll never need long-term care.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, almost 70 percent of Americans turning 65 today will need some type of long-term care in their remaining years.1

Myth #2: Government programs will cover all of my long-term care expenses.

Medicare pays for nursing home care, but only a portion of the costs for a maximum of 100 days and only if the three-day hospital stay requirement has been met. And, while Medicaid covers certain long-term care costs, it’s intended to be a safety net for those with limited or minimal income and assets. To qualify for benefits, you must spend nearly all of your savings and reduce most of your assets before the government will step in to help.

Myth #3: My family will take care of me.

The financial, physical, and emotional stress that full-time caregiving may place on families can be overwhelming. Sometimes the best way to take care of a loved one needing long-term care is to ensure they have access to professional care. With advances in home care services, many people needing long-term care are actually able to stay at home, with or near family, and still receive the professional care they need.

Myth #4: I can pay for my long-term care out-of-pocket.

In 2018, nursing home costs averaged more than $91,000 a year nationally.2 The majority of Americans would quickly deplete their retirement savings if they needed care for an extended period of time. Even if you can afford to cover long-term care services out-of-pocket, consider the benefits of sharing the risk and costs using a long-term care planning solution such as insurance.

Myth #5: I am better off waiting until I am closer to retirement to obtain long-term care coverage.

Generally, it is best to plan for long-term care in your 40s or 50s when you are younger and more likely to be healthier and insurable (underwriting is required). Also: premiums are generally lower when you are younger. Your insurability can change any time and a need for care can arise at any age, so purchasing coverage earlier can be a wise decision.

Myth #6: Long-term care coverage is just too expensive.

Long-term care coverage options have evolved to meet most any need, with some options starting at $100-$150 per month per person. Plans can be personalized to suit your budget and discounts may be available to partners and spouses. Even a small policy can help reduce the financial and emotional burden of a long-term care event and provide access to valuable benefits.

Myth #7: Long-term care policies only cover nursing homes.

Long-term care solutions may offer valuable benefits that allow you to stay in your home for as long as possible. Some even reimburse family members for providing care. Long-term care solutions can also help cover the cost of adult day care centers, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes as care needs evolve.

Some of these misconceptions may have prevented you or a loved one from creating a plan to address future long-term care needs. It’s important to take a step back, consider your financial plan and desired future care, and how you want to address it with you and your loved ones in mind.

Margaret Chase Smith essay contest announced

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Photograph by Brian Vanden Brink

The Margaret Chase Smith Library is pleased to announce the topic of its 24th annual essay contest. As the Pine Tree State commemorates the past during its bicentennial year of 2020, we invite Maine high school seniors to look to the future and share with us ideas of how they would propose to make the state “the way life should be” for young people so that more of them will choose to live in a place with one of the oldest populations in the nation.

Entries are due by April 1, 2020 and decisions will be announced by May 4. Prizes are $1000 for first place, $500 for second place, $250 for third place, and five $50 honorable mention prizes. For more information, visit the Library’s website at or contact John Taylor at 474-7133.

Located in Skowhegan, Maine, the Library is owned by the Margaret Chase Smith Foundation and operated under its auspices by the University of Maine. The Margaret Chase Smith Library is an archive, museum, educational facility, and public policy center devoted to preserving the legacy of Margaret Chase Smith, promoting research into American political history, advancing the ideals of public service, and exploring issues of civic engagement.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: A little more cleaning

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by Debbie Walker

Hi! For a few minutes let’s make believe you can’t get any of your cleaning products. Oh, my whatever will we do? If this really happened and all you had was kitchen supplies, your home would not be without hope. Think about all those years before we had Mr. Clean and the following generations of cleaners, “the best cleaner ever” can be replaced by vinegar, baking soda, peroxide, alcohol, etc.

I have not tried all these hints and would love it if you would let me know what your “go to’s” are. I remember Mom using some of the household products when I was a child. In fact, I remember her using ammonia and bleach together to strip wax off the old vinyl flooring. That didn’t work out very well, she was quite sick. You can check any one of these hints on the computer.

Streak free window cleaner: 1-1/2 cups water, 1-1/2 tablespoons white vinegar, 1-1/2 rubbing alcohol, three drops essential oil. Pour everything into a spray bottle.

Natural air freshener: You can put a drop of your favorite scent on a cold light bulb. When it is on and heats up, ta-da, air freshener! You could soak a cotton ball in vanilla and put in potted plants throughout your home. If you are into essential oils you can use them as well.

Lightening and whitening, naturally: Soak your whites in a bucket of hot water with lemon juice for a couple of hours then hang out to dry in sunlight.

Use pillowcase to clean ceiling fan: I will be trying this one this week. Use a pillowcase. Slip the pillowcase over the blade, then wipe the dust into the pillowcase. Hopefully this will make it relatively mess-free.

Toothpaste to clean silver: toothpaste, not gel. Rub it on, rinse and let it dry. I plan to try it out on some of my jewelry. I’ll let you know my results.

Remove sticky adhesives with a little oil: Put some olive oil on a cloth and rub the adhesive off.

Clean up for hardwater stains: For shower head, faucet, etc.: Use vinegar to lift stains right off. For extra tricky like shower head, if you can’t get it off just put vinegar in a baggy and seal around shower head. Next morning rinse it off.

Just for a little change:

Did you know you can use your crock pot for a humidifier? Wish I knew this before I bought my humidifier!

I read that drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain. I haven’t tried this, but I hope it works.

Did you remember to get a bottle of 91 percent alcohol and a spray bottle this winter? I used it the last winter I was up there, and it worked like a charm on ice and snow, on windows and windshield. Spay on windshield, move around the car spraying windows, side and back windows. Get to your door again, your vision should be cleared.

I’m just curious about how many of these you remembered as your read through them. Happy cleaning! Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfelloow had a gift for dramatic tension as well as a unique sense of the potential narrative possibilities in a descriptive poetic setting. An example was his 1866 poem, God’s Acre, yet another term for cemetery, and the starker words, graveyard and burial ground. I offer the poem before further comments:

I like that ancient Saxon phrase, which calls
The burial-ground God’s Acre! It is just;
It consecrates each grave within its walls,
And breathes a benison o’er the sleeping dust.

God’s-Acre! Yes, that blessed name imparts
Comfort to those, who in the grave have sown
The seed, that they had garnered in their hearts,
Their bread of life, alas ! no more their own.

Into its furrows shall we all be cast,
In the sure faith, that we shall rise again
At the great harvest, when the arch-angel’s blast
Shall winnow, like a fan, the chaff and grain.

Then shall the good stand in immortal bloom,
In the fair gardens of that second birth;
And each bright blossom, mingle its perfume
With that of flowers, which never bloomed on earth.

With thy rude ploughshare, Death, turn up the sod,
And spread the furrow for the seed we sow;
This is the field and Acre of our God,
This is the place, where human harvests grow!

Gottesacker was the ancient German word for God’s Acre which, as mentioned above, was the burial ground. In time, the Moravians and other groups came to see the term as a field for the sowing of flowers and such, instead of cadaver disposal, i.e. burial ground. The scriptural words, ‘from dust to dust,’ do not have to mean disposal in the cemetery septic grounds but a divine benison or blessing honoring the person that was, at least for the time being.

Longfellow was particularly effective in his use of contrasting imagery. ‘Into its furrows shall we all be cast,’ whether or not we led good lives. And we all have an expiration date and will be transferred elsewhere on that date, whether we like it or not. Yet the poet wrote a positive note; ‘In the sure faith, that we shall rise again/at the great harvest’.

But H.W.L. jolted us immediately back to reality – ‘when the arch-angel’s blast/Shall winnow, like a fan, the chaff and grain.’ The ‘winnowing fan’ is a threshing machine, not a gentle breeze.

In the last two stanzas, Longfellow sums up some eternal hope and faith for the meek and pure in heart – ‘good stand in immortal bloom…..Acre of our God…where human harvests grow.’

This is Longfellow’s gift for dramatic tension and narrative possibilities in a most splendid and truly descriptive poetic setting and the story line for the end of life’s journey .

Another highly recommended Longfellow poem is Excelsior.

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide suspends service until further notice

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AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, the nation’s largest free, volunteer-based tax preparation and assistance service, has announced that it will suspend tax preparation services at all sites effective Monday, March 16, until further notice. The action is due to concerns about the spread of coronavirus. The program’s website, www.aarpfoundation.org/taxaide and toll-free number 1-888-227-7669, are the best resources for information and updates regarding changes in service availability.

“Tax-Aide is prioritizing the health of taxpayers, our volunteers, and the communities we serve by suspending service until further notice,” said Lisa Marsh Ryerson, President, AARP Foundation.

Tax-Aide will continue to assess whether some or all sites can re-open during this tax season as regularly scheduled, or during a longer tax season if it is extended.

While Tax-Aide provides free tax preparation and filing services to all taxpayers, many of its clients are over 60, a group considered by health experts at higher risk for COVID-19.

SOLON & BEYOND: Pine Tree Club holds demonstrations

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Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

Good morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!

It is with great pleasure that I have some recent news to share with you this morning! I would like to thank all of you who took the time to send it along to me to share, it means so much!

The Solon Pine Tree Club met at the Solon Fire Station on March 14. There were nine members, three leaders and five visitors in attendance.

Demonstrations were given by Cooper Dellarma on Reese’s Fudge, Matt Ladd and Devyn DeLeonards on Parcord Bracelets, Autumn Ladd and Katelyn DeLeonardis on Jello Pie, Lyndsey Hamilton on Taking Care of a 4- H Market Steer, Desmond Robinson on how to make a paper swan, Isabella Atwood on Banana Cream Pie, Brooks Sousa on Starting Seedlings and Jillian Robinson on Reese’s Chocolate Cookies with PB Chips.

The Solon Pine Tree Club has made $125 for the Solon Food Cupboard from the bake sale at the Solon town meeting. They have made $252 from the dinner at the Solon town meeting to benefit their 4 – H Club.

Saturday, May 16, at 10 a.m., the Evergreen Campground will be hosting Trout Camp. Lunch will be provided as participants will learn fly tying, fly casting and other activities.

Somerset County Leaders are having a Luck of the Draw Auction on Saturday, May 2, located at the American Legion Hall, in Skowhegan. Tickets will be sold from 9 a.m. – noon, with tickets being drawn after noon. The club will be donating a basket.

The next meeting of the Solon Pine Tree Club will be on Saturday, April 11, at 9:30 a.m.

And now for news of another event that was held on March 7. Mary Bishop who used to live in Solon years ago, was given a 95th birthday party at the Church of Faith, in Skowhegan ,with 60 friends and family in attendance. Lief and I thank Mike and Donna for inviting us, it was a truly beautiful and loving affair to honor Mary. The Church of Faith was a beautiful place to have such an event and everyone seemed happy to honor Mary with such a happy birthday party. Mary attends that church.

I talked with Mary while we were there, and she was very happy with so many friends and family talking with her and showing their love. One of the things I learned while there was that Mary is a member of the Recycled Teen Ager’s Club which meets once a week. I think that is absolutely wonderful!

Received the following e-mail from Jennifer Herbert: “It’s that time again! They are now reserving spaces for their annual Solon Congregational Church’s Spring Yard/Craft Fair, Saturday, April 25. They are hoping that those of you who have been with them will be with them again this year, and if you have not, reserve a space with them now!

This is held at the Solon Elementary School each year so they have lots of room for everyone! Don’t wait too long to reserve a space and spread the word!

Yard Sale, Spring Craft Fair, Saturday, April 25, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., at Solon Elementary School. Breakfast and lunch will be available.

There will be a gym full of vendors, yard sale items, White Elephant table, crafters, jewelry, jellies, canned goods, bake sale. Hosted by Solon Congregational Church.

Received the following e-mail from Jeremy Lehan, Director of RSU #54/MSAD #54 Adult & Community Education. “As you have likely heard by now, MSAD #54 Superintendent Brent Colbry has decided to close schools for a minimum of two weeks as a proactive measure to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. This closure includes Adult Education programming.”

So I need to finish this column up and start calling my friends from painting class to tell them about the closure.

And so for Percy’s memoir; “When the rush of life o’ertakes me, And my soul for quiet seeks, When my mind is full of pressures that pursue me through the week, I have a little haven Where I find my hearts content, And the quiet that surrounds me there is truly heaven sent. For we all need times of stillness; to relax and just unwind, and let go of small resentments that clutter up our minds. So, I seek the soothing quiet, to my haven, safe I trod, and alone there in the silence, I feel very close to God! (words by Jean E. Moore.)

CRITTER CHATTER: Let’s go shopping!

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by Jayne Winters

If we’re to believe the groundhog’s prediction that spring will come early this year, it seems appropriate to share a post written by the late Carleen Cote, published in May 1997. Seasons change, but often planning for the next one remains the same. I leave it to Carleen to remind readers what March is like for wildlife rehabbers:

“During the cold, snowy days of winter, gardening aficionados are known to gather around them vegetable and flower catalogs with color photos of wonderful succulent vegetables and beautiful flowers, and sit down to dream of warmer days when they can go outside and get that rich garden soil under their fingernails. This is the time of year when we gather the animal care equipment catalogs to determine what we’ll need to care for the wild critters that will begin to arrive with those wonderful warm spring days! Unlike the gardeners who know exactly what they want to plant in their gardens, we deal with the unknown: which little critters will arrive, how many will we get, what will be their ages, and what treatments will be necessary?

“We know we’ll need to stock up on milk replacers for the rodents, carnivores, and fawns. Since these milk replacers are somewhat different in composition from mothers’ milk, we have to anticipate that there might be intestinal upsets leading to diarrhea. Untreated diarrhea can lead to dehydration and even death, so we must have a supply of anti-diarrhea medication, electrolytes, and acidophilus (both paste and powder). These not only stop diarrhea, but re-establish a balance of essential fluids and beneficial bacteria in the gut so foods can be digested.

“We try to anticipate the types of injuries we might encounter and what medications we will need: antibiotics (powdered, liquid, spray, and creams), mange treatment (dips and sprays), powders and sprays for fleas, ticks, and lice; bandaging materials for wounds; and cleaning, disinfecting, and deodorizing solutions for cleaning pens and cages.

“For the many newborns that arrive at the rehab center, we’ll need nipples of various sizes, especially for fawns: softer ones at first, then stiffer ones for when their suckling power increases, to prevent their choking if the milk flows in too much, too fast. We prefer to use a syringe with a special nipple rather than a pet nursing bottle for all animals except fawns. So, how many syringes to order? Some years we’ve used up to 100!

“Next, we shop for the birds that will find shelter with us. On the list are meal worms, dog food, crickets, mice, all varieties of berries and other fruits, bird seed, and scratch feed.

“We can’t forget the items to protect the human caregivers: disposable rubber gloves (by the case); gloves to provide protection from bites, scratches, and raptor talons; antibacterial hand soaps; and band aids. One of our most important protectants: every two years we get pre-exposure rabies vaccinations.

“The items are selected, ordered, and paid for by the end of March so that everything will be in place to care for those first little critters which arrive in spring and depend on us for care and nourishment until they are released back into the wild.”

Donald Cote operates the Duck Pond Wildlife Care Center, on Rte. 3, in Vassalboro. It is a nonprofit federal and state permitted rehab facility which is supported by his own resources and outside donations. Mailing address: 1787 North Belfast Ave., Vassalboro ME 04989 TEL: (207) 445-4326. EMAIL: wildlifecarecenter@gmail.com.

Central Maine Youth Hockey Association Black Mites 2019

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Members of the Central Maine Youth Hockey Association Black Mites team are, front, from left to right, Finnegan Cotter-Hayes, Tucker Hussey, Maggie Tibbetts, Lillian Wheeler, Stephen Spear and Landyn Caouette-Nye. Back, Coach Benjamin Wheeler, Owen Mitchell, Issac Dostie, Jude Espinoza, Amelia Castonguay, James Laliberty, Easton Gradie, Thomas Jewell, Maxwell Poulin, Coach Josh Mitchell and Coach James Laliberty.(photo by Mark Huard, Central Maine Photography)

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: What about your company image?

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Growing your businessby Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

You’re proud of your company. You’re proud of the company logo on the side of that shiny new white truck. On your employees’ shirts, on all of your equipment. Everything you own, everything you do is all about protecting your image. That company logo represents everything you have worked so hard for. You spent hours developing that logo; you spent years developing your image and your brand. So that when people see your logo, they recognize it as a symbol of the good service, the products and the good value, in short everything your company stands for.

That logo, that image, that brand and what it says about you, your company, and the people who work for you. And all of that company good will has to be protected at all costs…right?

Well, think about this for a minute. One of your good customers is driving to Augusta on I -95, when all of a sudden, they are cut off and almost hit by one of your employees, in your company truck, bearing your company’s logo and name, speeding down the highway, veering from lane to lane driving to endanger. What do you think your good customer is going to think about your company now? Or worse yet how about someone who is not yet a customer, but was thinking of calling you to perform a service for them. Do you think they are going to call you now?

Or, how about this? One of your customers is sitting in a local watering hole having a quiet drink when he spots one of your guys, wearing your company shirt, drunk as a skunk getting thrown out of the bar! How’s that going to affect your company image? Think about that.

Okay look, these are extreme examples for sure. But these kinds of things do happen. In fact, it happens far too often. And every time it does, it hurts the company that the person is wearing or driving.

So, what can you do? First of all, hire the right people. Then instruct them in your company’s culture. Teach them about your company and your brand and your logo. Make them as proud of the company they work for as you are. Show them that your company logo is the symbol of your company and everything you stand for. That logo, that brand, is your company’s flag and everyone who works for your company should be as proud to wave that flag as we all are as Americans to wave the stars and stripes.

By instilling so much pride in your associates that they would never even be doing anything that would soil your company’s logo, your company’s image. You will also be instilling in them your company value and that will go a long way to getting the very best out of your entire team and that will lead to you providing excellent service and products, and to growing your business.

ALBION: Trash, recyclables should be placed at curbside for weekly pick up

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Albion town office. (photo source: Town of Albion Facebook page)

Compiled by Roland Hallee

Jerry Sullivan, owner of Sullivan’s Solid Waste, had been scheduled to give a presentation on trash and recyclables at the February 10 Albion Selectmen’s meeting, but was unable to attend due to illness. However, in a telephone conversation with his son, Jared Sullivan, he informed the board of selectmen that all trash, including recyclables, should now be put in the roadside trash for weekly pick up. The new Coastal Resources facility, in Hampden, now sorts recyclables once the trash reaches them. The last recycle pick up in Albion occurred on March 14.

Albion Fire Chief Andy Clark reported that he has applied for several grants for items needed by the fire department, including a new tank truck and fire hose. When the department receives these grants, said Croft, “it is a great financial benefit to the town and helps to keep taxes down.”

The board also dealt with the following:

  • The selectmen voted to contract with Technology Solutions of Maine, at a cost of $3,500 per year, for IT services for the town office.
  • They set the date for this year’s Albion Clean-up Day for Saturday, May 16. The collection place will be at Lee Brothers lot, at 93 Unity Road, again this year.
  • The selectmen set the budget request meeting for February 11.
  • They moved to pay Codes Enforcement Officer Brian Croft’s mileage in the coming fiscal year.

At their February 24 meeting, selectmen signed the warrants for Albion’s annual town meeting scheduled to be held on March 20-21. Elections will be held on Fri., March 20, 2 – 7 p.m., and the town meeting is set for Saturday, March 21, at 10 a.m. Both will be held at the Besse Building, Drake Room.

Road Commissioner Matt Lee noted he has posted weight limit signs on the roads in Albion, and that he is doing some road patching as needed. Also discussed was road work needed in the coming year.

Selectmen Beverly Bradstreet and Kevin Bradstreet were in attendance at both meetings.