279 York Street
P.O. Box 467
York, Maine 03909
207-361-4680
The Brennan & Rogers, PLLC Journal
December 2019 Edition
"Don't try to be young. Just open your mind. Stay interested in stuff. There are so many things I won't live long enough to find out about, but I'm still curious about them. You know people who are already saying, 'I'm going to be 30 - oh, what am I going to do?' Well, use that decade! Use them all!"
(Betty White)

It is the last month of the decade. Take the best of the past ten years and bring it with you to the next. It is our fervent hope for all our clients and their families that the good times outweigh the bad!
National Older Driver Safety Awareness Week is December 1-7

Millions of people have Alzheimer’s disease. If you or someone you love has Alzheimer’s, talk with your family and your health care provider about it and how this disease can affect your driving safety.
There are early warning signs that Alzheimer’s may be affecting one’s driving safety and while some can happen to anyone, when many are combined together they can be an indicator of a greater problem. Some signs are:

1.       Need more help with directions or with learning a new driving route.
2.       Trouble remembering where you are going.
3.       Forget where you parked your car.
4.       Trouble making turns, especially left turns.
5.       Misjudge gaps in traffic at street crossings and on highway ramps.
6.       Trouble seeing or following traffic lights and road signs.
7.       Get traffic citations or “warnings”.
8.        Drivers often honk their horns at you.
9.       Stop at a green light, or hit your brakes at the wrong time.
10.    Trouble staying in your driving lane.
11.    Less muscle control. Hard to push down on pedals or turn steering wheel.
12.    Find dents and scrapes you cannot explain on your car, fences, mailboxes, garage doors, and curbs.
13.     Other people question if you are driving safely.
14.    Cannot control your anger, sadness, or other emotions that can affect your driving.

As soon as you notice one or more of these warning signs, please tell your family or someone close and see your health care provider. Understanding how this disease can affect your driving is critical. Your health care provider may suggest that you see two types of specialists that can help you:

1.       A driver rehabilitation specialist can test how well you drive on and off the road. This specialist also can help you decide when you need to stop driving. To find a driver rehabilitation specialist, go to www.aota.org/olderdriver. Under “Driving & Community Mobility,” click the button in the center of the page marked “Search for a Driver Rehabilitation Specialist.” This will link you to a national database. There you can search for names and addresses of driver rehabilitation specialists in your area.
2.       An occupational therapist with special training in driving skills assessment and remediation. To find an occupational therapist, contact local hospitals and rehabilitation facilities.
 
Even if you have to limit or give up driving, you can stay active and do the things you like to do.
First, plan ahead. Talk with family and friends about how you can shift from driver to passenger. Try to coordinate rides with family and friends. Taking a family member or friend with you when you use public transportation or when you walk would be helpful in aiding to get you where you want to go without confusion. Services such as Uber and Lyft are additional methods of transportation besides the traditional taxis, shuttle buses/vans, public buses and para transit services for those with disabilities. Many community- based volunteer programs offer free or low-cost ways to get around.

See if grocery delivery services such as Instacart (currently available for delivery to in Eliot, Kennebunk, Kittery, Kittery Point, Wells, Dover, NH and Portsmouth, NH) or food delivery services such as DoorDash are available in your area. With the advancement in technology and 1-2 day delivery options from Amazon Prime or even department stores like Target, it can take some of the stress out of worrying about how you are going to find a ride to get some of your mundane errands done.
National Handwashing Awareness Week is December 2-8

Handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from getting sick. This is especially prudent during the upcoming winter season when Influenza and noroviruses are abound! You can help yourself and your loved ones stay healthy by washing your hands often, especially during these key times when you are likely to get and spread germs:
  • Before, during, and after preparing food
  • Before eating food
  • Before and after caring for someone at home who is sick with vomiting or diarrhea
  • Before and after treating a cut or wound
  • After using the toilet
  • After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
  • After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
  • After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
  • After handling pet food or pet treats
  • After touching garbage
Follow Five Steps to Wash Your Hands the Right Way
Washing your hands is easy, and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community—from your home and workplace to childcare facilities and hospitals.
Follow these five steps every time.
  1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
  2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
  3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
  4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
  5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
Use Hand Sanitizer When You Can’t Use Soap and Water
Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs in most situations. If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer  that contains at least 60% alcohol. You can tell if the sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol by looking at the product label.
Sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in many situations but keep in mind that sanitizers do not get rid of all types of germs, they may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy and might not remove harmful chemicals from hands like pesticides and heavy metals.
How to use hand sanitizer
  • Apply the gel product to the palm of one hand (read the label to learn the correct amount).
  • Rub your hands together.
  • Rub the gel over all the surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry. This should take around 20 seconds.
Medicare Open Enrollment Ends December 7!
Any changes to Medicare Drug Plans or Medicare Advantage Plans need to be made during Medicare’s Open Enrollment period! Please note - there is now an additional Medicare Advantage Plan only enrollment/disenrollment period from January 1 to March 31.
Holiday Happenings
December

South Berwick Home for the Holidays stroll down Main Street decorated and alive with lots of seasonal activities for kids and adults alike on Friday December 6, 2019 from 4 pm- 8 pm. Saturday December 7 from 10am-12 pm you can visit the local artists and artisans on the third floor of the town hall and start your holiday shopping early and support SoBo Arts!

Festival of Lights Parade on Saturday December 7, 2019.
Wreaths Across America on Monday December 9, 2019 at Goodrich Park.
Kennebunkport's Christmas Prelude with events from December 5, 2019-December 15, 2019 in Kennebunport, ME.

January 2020 (!)

Active Maine Expo on Saturday January 11, 2020 from 10 am- 4 pm at The Point in South Portland. This event will showcase multi-seasonal, physically active activities and lifestyle options found in Maine. Individual, Groups, and Family Friendly activities for all skill levels.
Holiday Office Hours
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Please be advised that the office will be open for administrative details only (Neither Smilie nor Mary Kathryn will be onsite or available) on Monday December 23, 2019 for regular hours between 9 am-5 pm and on December 24, 2019 until we close at 12 pm. The office will remain closed until Monday December 30, 2019 when we re-open for normal business hours at 9 am so we can enjoy the Christmas season with our families.
279 York Street
P.O. Box 467
York, Maine 03909
207-361-4680

Monday - Friday: 9 am - 5 pm
Saturday: By appointment
Sunday: Closed

*Satellite office located in  Kennebunk, ME is staffed for scheduled appointments made through the York office only *

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The information and/or materials appearing or contained on the newsletter of Brennan & Rogers, PLLC have been prepared and made available for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. The transmission and receipt of information contained on this newsletter, to clients or otherwise, do not constitute the giving of legal advice or other professional advice and/or services. No recipient of information or materials from this newsletter should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information or materials contained on this website without seeking legal advice. Links on this newsletter may lead to other websites. Brennan & Rogers, PLLC does not necessarily endorse or approve of any materials or information contained upon linked websites and is not responsible for any materials contained upon such linked websites. 
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279 York St (PO Box 467)
York, ME 03909
207-361-4680