When "fine" isn't the whole picture

When "fine" isn't the whole picture

My friend recently had dinner with a long-time neighbor who has been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment.

She told me, “He carried on a good conversation all through dinner. He seemed fine to me.”

She was questioning her neighbor’s diagnosis, since in my friend’s mind, her neighbor appeared normal.

My friend’s reaction is very common and somewhat understandable.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is when changes to the memory or thinking go beyond normal aging but are not severe enough to be called dementia. It’s often an early warning sign that something in the brain is shifting.

Medicare open enrollment doesn’t have to be overwhelming

Medicare open enrollment doesn’t have to be overwhelming

A few weeks ago, I received the thick Medicare & You government handbook that is mailed to every Medicare household each fall before open enrollment (Oct. 15–Dec. 7).

Seeing it immediately made me feel anxious and overwhelmed.

The handbook is a comprehensive guide to Medicare and covers many topics like the basics of coverage, changes for the upcoming year, plan comparison tools, and prescription drug coverage. And while it is meant to be the go-to reference for beneficiaries, many people find it overwhelming because of the amount of detail.

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