I would add one comment to Hydration Frustration in your May cover story [“Modern Problems & Their Solutions”]. It is a medical fact that thirst tends to diminish with age. Therefore, when our bodies are in need of fluids, we might not be aware of it. The absence of thirst does not ensure adequate hydration. Older adults must make a conscious effort to consume adequate fluids and water throughout the day. Making it part of a daily routine to drink at certain times helps.

Thank you for interesting tips and responses on issues regarding home appliances. For cooking with gas, I agree that the gas particles (burned and raw) could cause irritation or be harmful to some living beings in the home. But merely using a vent doesn’t help in many cases because many range hood vents are vented back into the kitchen area. The Bulletin’s answer is helpful when the hood vent exhausts to the outside of the home.

Thank you for the article “I Never Thought I Could Be Scammed ... Until I Was” [Your Money]. The same day I read it, I opened my email, only to find the exact situation that was presented in the article. I contacted PayPal directly and learned not only that it had caught the problem but that PayPal has strengthened its work on finding this kind of fraud.

Your program is a worthwhile effort [“AARP’s Banksafe Battles Financial Exploitation,” Your AARP]. When my father-in-law was 86 years old and starting to make poor decisions, the bank called me to inquire about a $100,000 check he wanted to cash. He intended to give the money to his recently hired live-in caregiver, whom no one at the bank recognized. The bank employees were embarrassed to deny service to a long-standing customer, but they waited for me to talk him out of his plan. I was grateful to the employees of the neighborhood bank for recognizing this aberrant behavior.

Thanks for the article “Social Security Send Too Much? Don’t Panic” [In the News]. Social Security has been docking me $500 per month because of an overpayment. After reading this, I called, had a hearing, and I now pay $100 a month!

The May 2024 Financially Speaking column gave an incomplete answer about whether a divorced spouse who already claimed Social Security retirement benefits could get an increase based on her still-living ex-husband’s subsequent earnings. She might, but only if her ex’s primary insurance amount (PIA)—one’s benefit if claiming at full retirement age—was more than double her own PIA. She can contact the Social Security Administration to check.