Only a small number of funeral homes allow consumers to look at their price lists on their websites so they can compare prices. Just 191 of 1,046 funeral homes or 18 percent in a survey posted their prices online, according to a report by the Funeral Consumers Alliance and Consumer Federation of America. Read more →

Best wishes on Father’s Day. I hope you and your loved ones will have a great day with your plans for brunch or dinner, an outing, and/or gift giving. My dad, Minor H. Slingsby, passed away in 1990 at age 80. A farmer, he died of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, which is linked to pesticide exposure. Read more →

When life gets tough, I tell my family and friends not to let it steal your joy. That philosophy got me through the Trump years fairly well. However, the massacres this month are weighing heavy on my heart. I hope taking my own advice will help me bounce back soon. Read more →

On Memorial Day, I’m remembering my uncle Frank Gilliam who died at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. I’m also remembering my uncles Richard Telecky and Orval Telecky who also served in World War II. While President Biden will speak today and parades will be held, processing losses is difficult. Read more →

Everyone is getting covid it seems: Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, and Stephen Colbert, and even the governor and lieutenant governor of Washington state where I live. Why are so many people getting covid now, I wonder? In the Seattle area, about half of people are wearing masks, more or less. Read more →

Every year during open enrollment for Medicare Advantage plans, I write about them. Why? The plans are widely hyped, and older adults may switch to the plans and lose coverage. What’s Medicare Advantage? It’s a way to combine Original Medicare and a supplemental or medigap policy. Read more →

As part of National Older Americans Month in May, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is providing 10 steps for healthy aging. “Promoting healthy aging helps ensure older adults remain a vibrant, integral community members for many years to come,” said Charles J. Fuschillo Jr., AFA’s president & CEO. Read more →

It’s difficult for families to make decisions about funeral arrangements fast when a loved one dies. Due to the pandemic or if they live far away, they may need to plan services by phone or online. When consumers ask for information by phone, the FTC’s Funeral Rule requires funeral providers give them accurate information. Read more →

About 129,000 Bestar wall beds are being recalled in the United States due to serious impact and crushing hazards. In addition, Bestar sold about 53,000 wall beds in Canada. In July 2018, a 79-year-old woman died after a Bestar wall bed fell on her, injuring her spine. Read more →

It's time to take look at what my blogger friends are up to as April showers are bringing May flowers. In “Am I Just an Old Fogey?,” Tom Sightings of Sightings Over Sixty wonders whether it’s O.K. for Jen Psaki, President Biden’s press secretary, to leave her job and work for MSNBC as a program host on Peacock and an analyst. Read more →