Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/136891
2B Daily News – Friday, June 14, 2013 FEATURES Hard to live with accusatory husband we need. Following us Dear Annie: My husaround and asking all sorts band and I have been of questions is annoying. together for five years. For Knowing this will happen the most part, we have a every time I enter the store great relationship. The makes me want to shop elseproblem is, my husband is where. seven years older and had a People like to be few bad relationships acknowledged. They do not before we got together. Because of this, he is Annie's like to be hounded. If I want to wander around and look, I always telling me I am a don't enjoy being bombardcheater and cannot be trustby Kathy Mitchell ed by five salespeople asked. Annie, I haven't done a and Marcy Sugar ing me the same stuff over and over. A customer who single thing in my past or present to make him feel this way. It wants help will ask for it. Otheris a constant fight between us. I wise, please leave us alone. Busihave suggested that maybe we nesses should train their employees should get counseling so we can to treat people as valued customers, work on this, but he hasn't been not idiots. — Toledo Dear Toledo: You make a valid willing. Is there anything else I can do to make this annoying part of our argument, but we have to say, for relationship go away? — Irritated every person who doesn't want to be accosted, there are 10 who wish Wife Dear Irritated: A person who they could find a salesperson altoconstantly accuses the spouse of gether. If the store employees work cheating when there is no cause is on commission, it would explain either cheating himself or too inse- why they try so hard to make a sale cure to function in a healthy mar- to every customer. It usually sufriage. It is no way to live. First ask fices to say, ''No, thank you. I'm him to see his doctor and find out just looking.'' If not, feel free to regwhether there is a medical reason ister your complaint with the store for his behavior. Then stop ''sug- manager and see whether it helps. Dear Annie: Not long ago, you gesting'' and insist that your husband go with you for counseling. If printed a letter from ''Too Clean, he refuses, go on your own to Too Fearful,'' a woman with anxiety decide whether this is something about highway travel. She did not want counseling. You suggested you can tolerate or alleviate. Dear Annie: Why do stores relaxation techniques but didn't think that having sales associates specifically mention Tai Chi or accost you in every aisle will make Qigong classes, which are available you enjoy shopping? A simple at many community centers, fitness ''Hello, how may I help you?'' is all clubs, YMCAs and senior centers. Mailbox I teach both Tai Chi and Qigong and have been practicing for more than 24 years. It was part of my personal ''quit smoking'' program in 1988. Tai Chi is ''relaxation in motion.'' It is a moving meditation that teaches one how to relax in action. It is the only exercise I know that does this. Qigong is a cousin of Tai Chi. These exercises can be done in private or in a park, alone or with a friend. You can share the activity with your spouse to learn how to relax together. They can be learned while seated for those who have difficulty standing. They can be enjoyed for a lifetime and help develop the mind, along with better balance and coordination. Tai Chi and Qigong are dynamic, fun and relaxing, and yes, they relieve anxiety. — Caroline Dear Caroline: Thanks for the additional suggestions. We hope our interested readers will check out these activities. Dear Readers: Today is Flag Day and the 34th Annual Pause for the Pledge of Allegiance at 7 p.m. (Eastern time). For more information, log on to americanflagfoundation.org. Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. Kids fishing event Saturday at Shasta Lake SHASTA LAKE – The Bureau of Reclamation's Northern California Area Office, in partnership with the C.A.S.T. (Catch A Special Thrill) For Kids Foundation, will hold the 14th Annual C.A.S.T. For Kids event on Saturday, June 15, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Packers Bay Boat Marina on Shasta Lake, about 20 miles from Redding. C.A.S.T. events team up community partners, volunteers and anglers with special needs children to enjoy a quality outdoor recreational experience through the sport of fishing. This year, participants will include Shasta County Social Services, California Children's Services, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Special Olympics, Eagle Soar and Northern California Burn Foundation. Reclamation supports the effort as part of President Barack Obama's America's Great Outdoors initiative, which seeks to empower Americans to share in the responsibility to conserve, restore and provide better access to our lands and water, and leave a healthy, vibrant outdoor legacy for generations to come, http://americasgreatoutdoors.gov/. The event is also part of the Department of the Interior's Let's Move Out- side initiative, which was created to encourage children and their families to enjoy outdoor activities that abound in every city, town and community, http://www.letsmove.gov/ lets-move-outside. The day will begin with each child receiving a free fishing rod and reel, bait and tackle equipment, a T-shirt and a hat. During breakfast, the children will learn about boating and water safety from the Shasta County Sheriff's Boat Patrol and will be treated to visits by Smokey Bear from the U.S. Forest Service and mascot Chipper from the California Highway Patrol. The children and their parent or guardian, along with their fishing mentors, will then head out to enjoy a morning of fishing on Shasta Lake. A barbecue lunch hosted by the Elks Lodge and Shasta Lake Lions Club will be served as the day concludes with an award ceremony recognizing the accomplishments of the children, their boat captains and all the volunteers. For more information, including directions, please contact Sheri Harral at 530-276-2030 or sharral@usbr.gov. For more information on the C.A.S.T. For Kids Foundation, please visit http://www.castforkids.or g. Inpatient or outpatient? It makes a difference with medicare When you go to a hos- the hospital staff if you're pital, does it make any an inpatient or an outpatient. difference if What do you you're considpay as an inpaered an "inpatient? tient" or an "outMedicare patient"? Part A (HospiYes, it does. tal Insurance) Your hospital covers inpatient status (whether services includthe hospital clasing semi-prisifies you as an vate room, inpatient or outnursing care, patient) affects drugs, and how much you meals. Generalpay for hospital David ly, you pay a services like Xo n e - t i m e rays, drugs, and deductible for lab tests. all hospital serIt also may affect whether Medicare vices for the first 60 days will cover care you get in you're in the hospital. The Part A deductible this a skilled nursing facility. You're an inpatient year is $1,184. Medicare Part B (Medstarting the day you're formally admitted to the ical Insurance) covers hospital with a doctor's most doctor services when order. The day before you're an inpatient. You you're discharged is your pay 20% of the Medicareapproved amount for doclast inpatient day. You're an outpatient if tor services after paying you're getting emergency the Part B deductible department services, ($147 in 2013). What do you pay as an observation services, outpatient surgery, lab tests, outpatient? Part B also covers outor X-rays, and the doctor hasn't written an order to patient hospital services. admit you to the hospital Generally, this means you pay a copayment for each as an inpatient. In these cases, you're individual outpatient seran outpatient even if you vice. The amount may spend the night at the hos- vary by service. The copayment for a pital. Observation services single outpatient hospital are tests and other outpa- service can't be more than tient services that help the the inpatient hospital doctor decide if you need deductible. However, your to be admitted as an inpa- total copayment for all tient or can be discharged. outpatient services may be Observation services may more than the inpatient be given in the emergency hospital deductible. Part B covers most of department or another your doctor services when area of the hospital. If you're in the hospital you're a hospital outpamore than a few hours, tient. You pay 20% of the always ask your doctor or M e d i c a r e - a p p r o v e d Sayen amount after you pay the Part B deductible. Generally, the prescription and over-thecounter drugs you get in an outpatient setting (like an emergency department), sometimes called "self-administered drugs," aren't covered by Part B. For safety reasons, many hospitals don't allow patients to bring drugs from home. If you have Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D), these drugs may be covered under certain circumstances. You likely will need to pay out-ofpocket for these drugs and submit a claim to your drug plan for a refund. Call your plan for more information. Also, keep in mind that Medicare will only cover care you get in a skilled nursing facility if you've been a hospital inpatient for at least 3 days in a row (counting the day you were admitted as an inpatient but not counting the day you were discharged). If you weren't an inpatient for 3 days but you still need care after your discharge, ask if you can get home health care or if other programs like Medicaid or veterans benefits will cover skilled nursing for you. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO), costs and coverage may be different. Check with your plan. For more detailed information on how Medicare covers inpatient and outpatient hospital services, read Medicare's brochure, "Are You a Hospital Inpatient or Outpatient?" You can find it online at www.medicare.gov/pubs/. David Sayen is Medicare's regional administrator for Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the Pacific Territories. You can always get answers to your Medicare questions by calling 1-800MEDICARE (1-800-6334227). Forgetfulness not always a sign of Alzheimer's The physician DEAR DOCmay refer your TOR K: My father to a neufather's memory ropsychologist. has worsened lateNeuropsychololy, and we suspect gists typically use he may have a battery of paperAlzheimer's disand-pencil tests, ease. Can you tell or computerus what is administered tests, involved in makDr. K to evaluate cogniing a diagnosis? by Anthony L. tive function. The DEAR READER: There is no Komaroff, M.D. tests assess attention, memory, single test for Alzheimer's disease. executive function, lanDiagnosing it begins with guage, spatial ability and identifying symptoms even mood. A brain scan — usually associated with Alzheimer's and ruling either computed tomograout other possible causes phy (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) — of memory loss. Your father should may also be done. These begin with his primary scans can help rule out care physician. This doc- other conditions that tor can combine his could contribute to memoknowledge of your father ry loss. They also can and his medical history show shrinkage of the with results from a physi- brain in areas that tend to cal exam and blood tests. shrink with Alzheimer's He may discover that your disease, but they cannot father's symptoms are identify Alzheimer's with related to medications certainty. However, the ability of he's taking or perhaps a other types of brain scans medical condition. There are many causes to diagnose Alzheimer's of forgetfulness, confu- has improved greatly in sion and inattentiveness recent years. Especially besides Alzheimer's dis- promising is a positron tomography ease. Most of the patients emission I have seen who start to (PET) scan that uses a worry that they may be chemical tracer known as developing Alzheimer's PiB. In Alzheimer's disease, never actually develop the a substance called amydisease. Your father should loid-beta slowly gets expect a lot of questions deposited in the brain. It is about his memory. And invisible on most types of since answering questions brain scans. However, about memory and think- when PiB is injected into a ing requires memory and person's blood, it binds to thinking, the doctor might amyloid deposits in the want a family member brain. When the PET scan who knows your father is done, it can see all the well in the room. The places where there are questions the doctor is amyloid deposits. Tests of chemicals in likely to ask include: — How long have you the spinal fluid, the liquid that surrounds the brain been having problems? — Did the trouble and spinal cord, also show come on gradually or sud- promise in diagnosing Alzheimer's. Most of denly? — What sorts of things these new technologies have become hard to are still used largely for research. I predict they are remember? — Are your difficulties going to become imporpreventing you from tant in regular clinical doing ordinary things like medicine very soon. cooking or paying the Dr. Komaroff is a bills? Your father (or his physician and professor Harvard Medical spouse/caretaker) may at To send need to track his symp- School. go to toms for several months. questions, or This will show if his AskDoctorK.com, symptoms are improving, write: Ask Doctor K, 10 staying the same or get- Shattuck St., Second Floor, Boston, MA 02115. ting worse. Community Clip? e-mail: clerk@redbluffdailynews.com or Fax: 527-9251