Sometimes, when society is in the middle of a great change, it’s hard to sense how large it really is. Certainly, the introduction of smartphones to society is big. Hardly a day goes by that someone does not comment on how omnipresent they are, whether in the hands of young people texting one another from across a table, or in the grip of busy professionals who pull them out and check them frequently, even during lunches or meetings. Smartphones seem to have affected the way we regard ourselves and how we relate to one another. Some people are alarmed. Other’s exult in the constant communication made possible by these devices.
The articles in this issue of
Well Now do not take a position except to observe that this digital revolution may be the largest humans have undergone. The article “Is it smart to use smartphones?” does document the extent of smartphone use and describe some of the effects, while “Smartphone good citizenship” offers some ideas on how to handle this new invasive presence in our lives.
We also bring you information on Medicare supplement insurance. If you are approaching retirement, you should be planning to enroll in Medicare and to take out a Medicare supplement policy. If you are an employee of a Brethren institution, you will qualify for the excellent coverage offered by Brethren
Insurance Services. If you do not qualify for the Brethren Med Supp plan, this
article can still be
useful as you think about what you need. You should talk to your insurance broker and decide which plan is best for you.
If you’re in the mood for something light, try our brainteaser or the humor section.
Can you believe it’s October already? Many parts of the country are already in the midst of the color and energy of autumn. May you enjoy this season — the crisp air, the falling leaves, and the renewed activity of fall.
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Considering Medicare
Supplement Insurance
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Whether or not you are
a
member of a group plan from Brethren Insurance Services, you should be thinking about Medicare supplement insurance if you are approaching retirement or are already on Medicare. Below are some things to consider.
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Is it smart to use smartphones?
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Several sources have suggested a correlation between increased cellphone use by kids and growing anxiety, more ER visits for mood disorders, and more bullying. Another source suggests that cellphone use in teens is correlated with memory problems. Of course, there is a greater risk of accidents when cellphones are used while driving. Some think there is a cancer risk from radiation from the phone’s magnetic field, though the evidence on this is inconclusive.
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Smartphone good citizenship
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Remember that your smartphone is a social device that connects you to other people, other places, and other ideas. In a manner of speaking it makes you a citizen of the internet world. So, it is only fair to examine what good citizenship looks like.
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Please click on the image below to view PDF.
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Laura, Jessica, Emma, Katie, and Rachel are always on their new cell phones. They each try to think of as many reasons as they can to use their phones. Their cell phone usage varies from 32, 12, 13, 9, or 4 times a day. Also, their cell phones feature the favorite animal of each of the girls: unicorn, kitten, hedgehog, panda, and puppy.
Using the following eight clues, for each girl, match the animal with her cell phone, and determine how many times a day she uses her phone.
1.Jessica, who isn’t all that fond of kittens, (especially since she is allergic to them), doesn’t use her cell phone more than ten times a day.
2.Katie doesn’t use her cell phone more than the one who has pandas on her cell phone, but does use it more than Jessica.
3.Jessica’s favorite animal is not the hedgehog, but the one who does have the hedgehog uses it 13 times a day
4.Rachel doesn’t use her cell phone 9 or 4 times a day.
5.Emma uses her cell phone 12 times a day.
6.Laura uses her cell phone more than Emma, but less than Rachel.
7.Jessica uses her phone less than Katie, who doesn’t have unicorns or kittens on her cell phone.
8.Rachel has either puppies or pandas on her phone.
BrainHQ
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(Websites below were recommended in the South County Times which is published in the St. Louis, Missouri area.)
If you are an enthusiastic smartphone user who wants to use your phone in a new and stimulating way, consider the following exercises, games and platforms that may help give your brain a unique workout:
- BrainHQ: According to Posit Science, which created the system, BrainHQ (www.aarp.brainhq.com) is a system of training the brain that was developed by neuroscientists and other brain experts. The BrainHQ platform includes various brain training exercises with hundreds of levels that can help people improve their brain function, including memory and retention.
- Writing in the Stars: Similar to a crossword puzzle, this game provides a list of nine words to users, who must then find the six words that connect to form a six-point star before they can move on the next level. Available at www.happy-neuron.com, Writing in the Stars aims to help users improve their logical reasoning.
- Private Eye: With a goal of helping users improve their focused attention and concentration, Private Eye (www.happy-neuron.com) asks players to peruse a grid full of intricate layers and symbols in an effort to find the item that does not belong.
- Braingle: With more than 200,000 members, Braingle (www.braingle.com) is a popular online community where users can go to access brain teasers, trivia quizzes, IQ tests and more. Users even rank the games, allowing novices to find games that might help them hone certain skills or ease their way into challenging their brains with games.
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For your long-term care needs
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Brethren Insurance Services offers Long-Term Care Insurance all through the year.
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If you're interested in purchasing coverage, you should know that eligibility for benefits is determined by the inability to meet at least two of these six activities of daily living
—
bathing, eating, dressing, toileting, continence, or transferring. Cognitive impairment can also trigger benefits.
It's difficult to think about the fact that a debilitating condition or a disabling injury might leave you unable to care for yourself, or that when you reach your twilight years, the time will come when you will need some extra care. Long-term care insurance makes sure that you will get the care you need. It helps assure that the cost of your custodial care will not eat up your savings. Finally, and this is one of the best things about LTCI, it can help protect your children and other relatives from having to use their resources to care for you.
Brethren Insurance Services offers Long-Term Care Insurance for all members and employees of the Church of the Brethren and their family and friends; and also for employees of Church of the Brethren-affiliated agencies, organizations, colleges, and retirement communities and their families and friends.
If you are interested in obtaining this coverage, contact Brethren Insurance Services at
insurance@cobbt.org
or 800-746-1505 for a free, no-obligation proposal.
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Church of the Brethren Insurance Services provides the following products - dental, vision, basic life and accidental death & dismemberment, supplemental life and AD&D, dependent life and AD&D, long-term disability, short-term disability, accident insurance, and Medicare supplement for eligible Church of the Brethren employees.
Dental, vision, and Medicare supplement coverage may also be available for eligible retired Church of the Brethren employees.
For eligibility information, call Connie Sandman at 800-746-1505, ext. 3366, or contact your human resources representative.
Medical and ancillary plans (named above) may be available to Brethren-affiliated employer groups.
Long-Term Care Insurance is available for all members of the Church of the Brethren, their family and friends, and employees of Church of the Brethren-affiliated agencies, organizations, colleges, and retirement communities.
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A not-for-profit ministry of
Church of the Brethren Benefit Trust Inc.
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Contact Us
1505 Dundee Ave
Elgin, IL 60120
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