Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, OCTObEr 11, 2024 SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 12 cate contributor Joanie Allbee: ”I’d like to give a MASSIVE SHOUT OUT TO AN INCREDIBLE LADY! Cheryl Walton Doucette! “Cheryl Walton Doucette is a shining example of selfless love. Cheryl mothered and cared for many. When her mother Joan Walton became ill with medical challenges, her daughter Cheryl would cancel her own plans and events to be available to take her mom to any appointments, or just a cheery day excursion. Cheryl Chose to honor her Mother, her best friend. “Often, I’ve stood on the sidelines and felt the tangible love between mother & daughter. Together, they were a forged team. They loved and thrived in each other’s company. They had each other on speed dial. “Many times they went on adventures together. They faced many hardships hand and hand. “When her mother became unable to care for herself, Cheryl took her in her own home to provide the 24/7 care she needed. “Cheryl was never further than a room away towards the rapidly declining health of her mother. She gave her Mother the best life possible through her heart full of love and her gentle guiding hands of compassion. “Joan’s daughter honored and cherished her mom till she passed Sept 20, 2024 at the age of 90. Cheryl is a shining example to all and a bright light to Saugus.” Want to “Shout Out” a fellow Saugonian? This is an opportunity for our paper’s readers to single out – in a brief mention – remarkable acts or achievements by Saugus residents or an act of kindness or a nice gesture. Just send an email (mvoge@comcast.net) with a mention in the subject line of “An Extra Shout Out.” No more than a paragraph; anything longer might lend itself to a story and/or a photo. One-Day trash delay for holiday The Town of Saugus announces that trash and recycling collection will run on a one-day delay for the Indigenous Peoples’ Day holiday. Trash and recycling will not be collected on Monday, Oct. 14, due to the holiday. Collection will resume on a one-day delay on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Residents are kindly asked to leave their trash and recycling curbside by 7 a.m. the day after their normally scheduled collection day. The Town of Saugus would like to thank everyone for their cooperation. Please contact Solid Waste/Recycling Coordinator Scott A. Brazis at 781-231-4036 with any questions. Wayne’s weight loss watch For several years now, I’ve been keeping Saugus Advocate readers posted on my older brother Wayne’s weight loss gains and losses, as I thought it might be an inspiration to folks who strive to lose weight – but are too quick to throw in the towel. On Oct. 5, 2020, I felt frustrated and helpless as Wayne weighed in at 377 pounds during an examination at the Swansea offi ce of his longRON’S OIL Call For PRICE MELROSE, MA 02176 NEW CUSTOMER’S WELCOME ACCEPTING VISA, MASTERCARD & DISCOVER (781) 397-1930 OR (781) 662-8884 100 GALLON MINIMUM time primary care physician, Mark A. Ringiewicz. It was on that day that I made a personal request for the doctor’s help in dealing with Wayne’s weight problems, as he was just 23 pounds away from the 400 pound club. At that point, Dr. Ringiewicz made a referral that would change Wayne’s life dramatically. Dr. Jessica Inwood took Wayne on as a new patient at her Fall River office. She’s a specialist in weight management, nutrition and diet. She’s also a motivator who seems to succeed with a gentle approach in getting Wayne to focus on making better food choices while maintaining an exercise routine. Well, after four plus years, I’m happy to report that the program Wayne embarked on is defi nitely working. Wayne reports to both doctors three to four times a year. Once in a while, he gains fi ve or so pounds back. But, for the most part, he’s managed to maintain a gigantic weight loss. On Tuesday, his weight at Dr. Ringiewicz’s office was back to 259 pounds – a low that he had reached about a year ago. I told the doctor I was glad to see a fi ve pound loss instead of a gain. I asked what would be a realistic weight loss goal for February, Wayne’s next appointment. Dr. Ringiewicz said 250 would be good, or at least doable – which would average out to two and a quarter pounds per month for the next four months. Wayne told the good doctor he could do even better: drop down to 240. The doctor seemed amused at Wayne’s goal. But Wayne boasted he could do it. If he sets his mind to it, he probably can do it. Stay tuned for the results in early 2025. McDonald’s backs young athletes Yesterday (Oct. 10), the McDonald’s owner/operators at THE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 15 Sa nir Sa a nior How SSI Benefi ts Can y Senior Seni by Jim Miller ior Help Struggling Seniors and the Disabled Dear Savvy Senior, What can you tell me about the SSI program and what are the eligibility requirements for seniors? I’m trying to help my elderly aunt who is very low-income. Searching Niece Dear Searching, The SSI program that you’re enquiring about, which stands for Supplemental Security Income, is a program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that provides monthly cash benefi ts to people that are disabled or over 65 based on fi nancial need. Currently, around 7.5 million people are receiving SSI benefi ts, but many more are now eligible as the SSA recently expanded access benefits by tweaking some of the rules. Here’s what you should know. Eligibility Requirements To qualify for SSI your aunt must be either age 65 or older, blind or disabled, and must be a U.S. citizen or lawful resident. She must also have limited income and assets. Her income as an individual must generally be under $1,971 per monthly, or $2,915 for couples. Countable income includes wages or any other kind of money your aunt earned from working, plus money she gets from other sources like unemployment, Social Security retirement, or gifts from friends, but also, free shelter. And her assets must also be less than $2,000 or $3,000 for couples. This includes cash, bank accounts, other personal property, and anything else that could potentially be converted to cash. Her home, household goods and one vehicle, along with life insurance policies and burial funds valued under $1,500, do not count towards countable assets. In 2024, the maximum SSI payment is $943 a month for an individual or $1,415 a month for a couple. But, if eligible, the amount your aunt would receive may be lower based on her income, living situation and some other factors. To help you determine if your aunt is eligible for SSI, help her take the Social Security Administration’s benefi ts screening test at SSAbest. benefi ts.gov. This online questionnaire takes approximately 5 minutes to complete and screens for a variety of benefi ts, not just SSI. You should also know that most states – except Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, Tennessee and West Virginia – supplement the federal SSI payment with payments of their own. In some of the states that pay a supplement, your aunt may qualify for the state payment even if she doesn’t meet the federal SSI eligibility criteria. How to Apply If you think that your aunt is eligible for SSI, she (or you) can begin the application process and complete a large part of it online at SSA.gov/apply/ssi. If she’s disabled, she can apply for both SSI and Social Security Disability at SSA.gov/ disability. Or, if she can’t apply online, call 800-772-1213 and set up an appointment with her local Social Security offi ce. To help make the application process go quickly and smoothly, your aunt will need her Social Security number; birth certifi cate or other proof of age; information about the home where she lives, such as her mortgage, or lease and the landlord’s name; payroll slips, bank books, insurance policies, burial fund records and other information about her income and the things she owns; her proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen status; and if she is applying for SSI because she is disabled or blind, the names, addresses and telephone numbers of doctors, hospitals and clinics that have information related to her condition. For more information visit SSA. gov/ssi or see Social Security’s online SSI publication at SSA.gov/ pubs/EN-05-11000.pdf. Other Assistance Programs Depending on your aunt’s income, there are other fi nancial assistance programs that may be able to help her like Medicare Savings Programs, prescription drug assistance, food stamps and energy assistance. To locate these programs, and learn how to apply for them, go to Benefi tsCheckUp.org. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
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