Lyndon Thomas Insurance
OLD PROBLEMS, NEW SOLUTIONS How Marriage Counseling Can Help Senior Couples
No one stays the same forever, so it makes sense that many couples have more difficulty relating to each other as they age. So-called “gray divorce” is rising, with 10% of all divorces occurring between couples 65 and older. It’s never too late to start again and be happy, but it also may not be too late to save a troubled relationship. Marriage counseling helps countless couples reconnect, communicate, and solve their differences. While many people still attach a stigma to marriage counseling, the practice is more common than ever among seniors. And there is a variety of issues counseling can help address. Many couples who have been married for a long time have ingrained negative patterns over decades. Changing them is possible, but it isn’t easy without outside help. People change significantly over 10, 20, or 30 years, leading to conflict and dissatisfaction. And it’s not uncommon to go through a relationship upheaval during an “empty nest” period. Other seniors are in second marriages, and while they’re often newer, they can come with their own sets of problems. After all, integrating two lives is never easy.
And couples of all ages can struggle with routine marital problems like conflicts over money, a loss of romance, infidelity, regular arguments, and simply growing apart. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be contemplating divorce or at each other’s throats to attend marriage counseling — though both scenarios are good reasons to do so. Many people attend marriage counseling when they feel like their relationship is going through a slump, have trouble communicating, or struggle with one specific issue. Counseling also isn’t about proving who’s “wrong” or “right” but about helping you and your spouse work together better to address the problems in your life or marriage. If you think your marriage could benefit from counseling, talk to your spouse and look for therapists through friends and family, your doctor or faith leader, or even Google. Hopefully, your other half will be on board with the idea, but you can’t force them. A spouse that refuses to attend will be a roadblock, but you can still benefit from individual counseling. With a therapist, you can determine the best steps forward for your life and relationship.
TELEPHONE SCAMS THE ULTIMATE LUMP OF COAL FOR CHRISTMAS OR NEW YEAR’S
Christmas may be past, but the scams are coming fast and furious. This morning, my sister-in-law from Montana texted me, “I got a call from a gal who said she was with Medicare and wanted me to get my card and give her information from it to update my Medicare information and send me an updated card. Is that something that they do or is this a scam?” I texted back, “I’m thinking scam.” It’s absolutely a scam! Never forget, the IRS, Social Security, and Medicare NEVER make first contact by telephone. If any of these federal agencies want to communicate with you, they always send you a letter first. Telephone calls may become a part of the ongoing communication on the particular matter, but that is after initial contact by mail. Now, you may call them first and a return telephone call from the agency may follow up, but you would have started the conversation.
Back to Sue’s call this morning. Besides the scratchy telephone connection and hard to understand accent, the substance of the call is a easily recognized scam: • The caller claims to be from Medicare but is asking for her Medicare number. (They didn’t actually have Sue’s Medicare number, did they?) • The caller has her phone number but wants to update her Medicare information. • Sue already has a Medicare card, but the caller wants to send her another card. Sue saw through the scam immediately and hung up on the caller. As an aside, Medicare completed its beneficiary number and card replacement project in April 2019. So, any card replacement scam attempt is completely bogus. And remember, Medicare never makes first contact for any matter by telephone.
So what would have happened if Sue would have given the caller her Medicare number? More likely and less damaging, Sue’s name and telephone number would have been sold to even more lead generators, resulting in even more telephone calls. More damaging would be her possibly being enrolled in a different plan without her consent, resulting in months of hassle trying to figure out what happened, along with any interruption in medical services getting re-enrolled in her previous plan. Legends of a lump of coal as trick Christmas gift go back to the Middle Ages. The ultimate lump of coal for Christmas(and New Year’s!)
are these telemarketing scams that our government regulators seem either uninterested in or impotent to deal with. Never hesitate to contact LTI if you have any questions about what’s happening.
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CA# 0D96309
1211 Maricopa Hwy, Ste 222, Ojai, CA 93023
www.LT-ins.com
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