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Yes, it is a true emergency!! If anyone, any age has sudden numbness in their face, arm, leg, especially on one side of the body. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, lack of coordination. Sudden severe headache with no known cause. Call 911 right away!! This is a real emergency. If left unattended the consequences can be life altering if not fatal.

If you think someone might be having a stroke, act F.A.S.T.

F—Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

A—Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S—Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or strange?

T—Time: If you see any of these signs, call 9-1-1 right away.

The sooner someone is treated the better the outcome. Strokes can be potentially reversed or at least stopped if a stroke is treated within the first 3 hours. Call an ambulance. Do not drive them!! The crew on the ambulance can start treatment sooner and the outcome will be better. You want life-saving treatment as soon as possible!!

If you think you are having a stroke call 911 right away. You might not be able to make that call even a few minutes later.

Every year over 800,000 people have a stoke. Nearly 150,000 die each year. Strokes are the leading cause of serious long-term disability. BUT 80% of strokes are PREVENTABLE!!

Most strokes are caused by clots blocking blood flow in the brain and strokes are a leading cause of disability. Some ways to prevent or lower your risk of having a stroke is to stop smoking, limit alcohol,  maintain a healthy weight, eat plenty of veggies and fruit, and exercise. Also be sure you are managing your diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart disease. Stress and depression can also contribute to the risk of a stroke.

By looking at your own risk factors  of having a stroke and living a healthier lifestyle you can help reduce the odds of having a stroke. Be sure to review all of this with your health care professionals. Check with them before taking or changing supplements to see if they are right for you. Get regular checkups. Reach out to other professionals for help to improve your lifestyle.

And it is never too late to change! Talk to your doctor and modify some things in your life!!

Here’s how to recognize and protect yourself from these costly cons
Frauds aimed at older adults are becoming more creative.
Scammers stay on top of whatever is new, such as the
popularity of Zoom, COVID-19 vaccines and online
shopping, and then move fast to create ploys that best fit
the moment.

COVID-19 vaccination card scams
Many who got a COVID vaccine posted selfies on social
media showing off their vaccination card. Scammers
immediately pounced.
The scheme: With your full name, birth date and
information about where you received your shot, scammers
have valuable data for identity theft, breaking into your bank
accounts, getting credit cards in your name and more.
How to avoid: If you want to inform friends and family that
you got your shots, a selfie with a generic vaccine sticker
will suffice. “Or use a Got My Vaccine profile picture frame
on social media,” Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody
suggests. And review your social media security settings to
choose who can see your posts.

Phony online shopping websites
Phony retail websites aren’t new, but they look more real
today than ever before. Fake sites are using photos from
real online retailers and mimicking their look and feel.
The scheme: You click on an ad online or on social media,
see stuff you like at a great price, enter your credit card info
… and never receive a product. Or you receive a lower quality item shipped directly from an overseas seller.
How to avoid: Never click on an ad to go to a retailer’s
website. Instead, bookmark the URLs of trusted shopping
websites you visit frequently and use those, suggests Tyler
Moore, professor of cybersecurity at the University of Tulsa.
Don’t bother with trying to figure out whether the web
address is real. Attackers adapt and change them
frequently.
If you’re considering buying from a new site, first check
online reviews as well as the company’s track record via the
Better Business Bureau’s online directory (bbb.org).

Medicare card scams
Scammers are emailing, calling and even knocking on
doors, claiming to be from Medicare and offering all sorts of
pandemic-related services if you “verify” your Medicare ID
number.
The scheme: The offers include new cards they claim
contain microchips. Some posers are asking for payment to
move beneficiaries up in line for the COVID-19 vaccine.
How to avoid: Hang up the phone, shut the door, and
delete the email. According to the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services, Medicare will never contact you without
permission for your Medicare number or other personal
information. And it will never call to sell you anything. Guard
your Medicare number and never pay for a COVID vaccine.
It’s free.

Social Security scam calls
Scammers are using “spoofed” phone numbers that look
like they’re coming from Washington, D.C., to appear
credible.
The scheme: You get a scary phone call saying your Social
Security number was used in a crime — and you’ll be
arrested soon if you don’t send money to fix it. They may
say your number was used to rent a car where drugs were
found and that the Drug Enforcement Agency is on their
way to your house. The caller may refer you to a local law enforcement website where you can see the person’s
picture. You think you’ve checked it out, call them back and
send money.
How to avoid: Don’t pick up the phone unless you
absolutely know who’s calling. If it’s important, they’ll leave
a voicemail.

Account takeover scam texts
Scammers are sending fake text messages alleging
there’s big trouble with your internet account, a credit
card, and bank account or shopping order on Amazon.
They want you to click on links and provide personal
info.
The scheme: The urgent-sounding text message may
have a real-looking logo. People don’t expect
scammers to use text messages, so they’re more
likely to click.
How to avoid: Remember, don’t click on links in
emails and texts that you haven’t asked for. Call your
bank or credit card company to check for a problem.
Installing security software on your computer and
keeping it updated is also crucial, says cybersecurity
expert Brian Payne, of Old Dominion University in
Norfolk, Virginia.

AARP’s Fraud Watch Network can help you spot
and avoid scams. Sign up for free Watchdog
Alerts, review our scam-tracking map, or call our
toll-free fraud helpline at 877-908-3360 if you or a
loved one suspect you’ve been a victim

As I worked on my Vision Board for 2021, I searched for that all important key word – for me and for SeniorCenterCt.org. What one word was the best fit? What word would portray and define my path for 2021?

Many businesses and individuals pick one word that best describes how they want to be characterized and/or strive to achieve in the upcoming year.

Well, I wanted to do this as well but as much as I searched, I just could not find the right word. I kept at it. I would revisit and wander down the path of words I’d see from time to time. And yeah, there wasn’t ever quite the right fit until…

This week I was walking along the ocean in Westbrook for the second day in a row and as I let my mind wander, there it was – fortitude. Wow, I mulled it over. Said it out loud and knew it was the word I had been searching for.

FORTITUDE – courage in adversity. Isn’t this exactly what we all have been doing since COVID came to visit and did not leave just like an unwanted house guest. We all discovered that we have the strength of mind to endure a 2-week shelter in place that has turned into a year plus. We have discovered we have gumption, spunk, moxie and determination. We can and are surviving.

And as I traveled down 2020, I struggled just as many businesses did on whether SeniorCenterCt.org would survive or was it time to shut the doors and close down Jencks Network, LLC. There were no new sales happening and little money coming in. But the bills continued arriving. The question became “Is today the time to file for bankruptcy?”

But I also knew I have a product that is stunning and needed by so many.  Also, that as we come out of COVID I know other businesses are going to be looking for “new” ways to advertise.  That post COVID we all will be in a “new world” and SeniorCenterCt.org is in the best position ever to thrive and grow into the business I have always know it will be.

So, I reached out for grants, PPP, EIDL and anything else that might give me the money I needed to survive. And as I said “FORTITUDE” on the beach, I knew that is exactly what I have been doing. What I will continue to do as SeniorCenterCt.org grows in 2021. A new Senior Center is being added. A different calendar platform will be used. Other changes are in the works. I know that FORTITUDE is the strength and strong will that carries me patiently forward with firm courage.

This word – FORTITUDE —   reflects back at me as I read my 2021 Vision Board. It says – I will experience everyday humility, curiosity, courage and confidence. I will always ask “Why?” I will look for and see the clues.

Because I have the ability to carry on, because I and all of us who have survived COVID we all have  FORTITUDE!

And yes, you have been traveling this same journey even if your path looks a little different, we all have had the strength to bear through a pandemic and have the ability to carry on!! We have guts, grit, backbone and FORTITUDE!!