When Medicare can Dis-Advantage you

If you have an individual policy with a health insurance company when you become medicare eligible you can be added to a Medicare Advantage program that may not suit your needs.  You have sixty days to opt out, but in the deluge of insurance mail you receive you may miss the notification.
Medicare Disadvantage

Update, air conditioning and other issues at the Van Cortlandt Village Senior Center

July 15, 2016 At last air conditioning on in the morning.  I participated in Doriana Castro's aerobics class.
During June 2016 the issues regarding lack of air conditioning continued.
Today July 16, 2015 when I walked into the dining room I saw this

This is the first time I have observed the senior center tolerating this behavior.  It was one table, the other tables did not have reserved seating.

July 14, 2015 this week the air conditioning was on in the morning.  Last week it was turned on near lunchtime.  This should never have been an issue.

This film was on July 2, 2015
Fan in dining hall  This is the room where exercise classes take place as well as lunch.  It is now a month and the air conditioning still hasn't been fixed.  Filmed this morning around 10 a.m.

Summer Storm July 14 2016

Avoiding white coat syndrome

Ambulatory measure of BP recommended

We are being poisoned by the parks department.

Vulnerable Plaque hypothesis in CVD may be going away

A powerful article by Larry Husten The Vulnerable Plaque 'Hype-othesis'

An explanation of the no enclosure balcony rule

In 2015 the building code will make it hard to have enclosures

Here are articles from the September 2015 Habitat Magazine about balcony enclosures.
When must enclosures come down
Floor Area Ratio
Types of balcony enclosures and when do they have to be altered

Battery dies, the patient is at risk

Short Battery Life of Cardiac Devices 
The theme of this article is that it's not in the best financial interest of battery manufacturers to make a longer lasting battery.  Every time one has to be replaced, you the patient, are at risk of harm.  Remember, the consent form you sign when you enter the hospital is a carte blanche for your medical team to do whatever they want when you are in surgery.

New Year, first winter snowstorm

Van Cortlandt Park January 26, 2016 

New trees on Saxon Avenue

Newly planted trees on Saxon Avenue

I was happy to see new trees all over my neighborhood.  It has rained since I took the picture so the trees have been watered.

Lobby Restoration, The Towers

Lobby, November 27, 2015 finishing touches to bottom of seating

October 30, 2015 Lobby almost finished

August, lobby is starting to get the paneling.   Waiting for the updated notice.

July 3, 2015 lobby still unfinished.  No explanation given.

Scenes at the Amalgamated Housing

November 24, 2015 Window Washing Tower 2

November 23, 2015 the windows of my living room in Tower 1 were washed.

Windows being washed on Building 9, September 18, 2015

Balcony Restoration Project, Memos, Photos

The first item, attaching items to railings is important.  Once during a snowstorm a falling flower pot hit my railing and split in half.  Half dropped to the ground, fortunately, no one was out there and hit by it.

Balcony restoration completed

Balcony just before windows boarded up

The dates have been pushed back, no explanation given.  No completion date even hinted at for the B & E lines.

Manhattan woman resists giving up her balcony

Woman fights the law and the law won.

Fortunately, we haven't yet had this problem.  We have had challenges with severely mentally ill people but this story was the most extreme I've heard of.

Discontinuing Heart Drugs

Larry Husten wrote this thought provoking article.  Almost nothing is known about the long term impact of taking heart drugs such as statins, ACE inhibitors, beta blockers and aspirin.  No one has the financial motive to do the research.  On an autobiographical note, I discontinued two medications clopidogrel and amplodipine because I could see no reason to continue with them.  I tried to talk to my cardiologist about my medications and he cut me off with the remark "you don't know how serious your condition is".  I understand, I have a right to discuss my medications.
When should drugs be discontinued

Intercom keypad

The glyph for the bell is hard to decipher.

Aug 24, 2015 I contacted Elvox and learned that the display can be customized.  Instead of showing date and time we could have another instructional panel telling people how to get into the building.  It could be in Spanish.  Management needs to look into how to make the display more meaningful.

FUBU

This did not happen.  The main intercom panel was not installed, no apartments were visited.  Cooperators were not notified of the change in plans.

Plywood off windows

Yeaaay!  The plywood is off my living room windows, the sun is shining in!

Van Cortlandt Village Senior Center

6/16/2015 No air conditioning in the dining room, the room where exercise classes are held.  I spoke to someone in the office who said it will be repaired today.

6/17/2015 again, no air conditioning in the dining room

Amalgamated Nursery Flea Market May 17, 2015

Amalgamated Nursery Flea Market