An Important Message from Don Francisco-Volunteer Spokesperson for Social Security

By guest columnist, Don Francisco
I have good news to share with the millions of Americans who prefer to conduct business in Spanish. You can now apply online for Social Security retirement and Medicare benefits totally in Spanish. Go to www.segurosocial.gov and you will be able to take advantage of other online services offered in our language.

For years, Social Security has been at the forefront of providing online services for Americans, offering a wealth of information in Spanish.

I want to tell you about the expanded suite of services offered in our language and why you should visit www.segurosocial.gov.

Let’s say that you are ready to apply for Social Security retirement benefits. What would you think if I told you that you could do it online in only 15 minutes. Once you complete the online application and “sign” it with the click of a key, your application is complete. In most cases there are no documents to submit or additional paperwork to fill out. It’s the easiest way to do this transaction, and now it’s available in Spanish.

You can also go to www.segurosocial.gov to apply for Medicare. That also is easy and you can complete the application online in about10 minutes.

If you are already receiving Medicare and are having trouble with the high cost of drugs that have been prescribed, you might qualify for Extra Help from Social Security. The Extra Help can save you as much as $4,000 each year. You can learn all about it and you can do the application online for this Extra Help at www.segurosocial.gov too.

If you are not ready to retire but want to get an immediate, personalized estimate of your Social Security benefit, try the Retirement Estimator. Using the actual wages posted in your Social Security record, the Estimator gives you a good picture of what to expect in retirement.

You can type in different situations and put in different amounts of wages to get the estimates that can help you plan your life.

There are many things you can do at www.segurosocial.gov. There is a lot of information in this site, and you can conduct a lot of Social Security business online from the convenience and comfort of your home or office computer. Most importantly, you can conduct it in our language. Need help getting started on the computer? Ask your children or grandchildren to help you.

Visit www.segurosocial.gov today. It’s so easy!

Coolaboration by Mayra Salazar, Public Affairs Specialist. Social Security Administration.

Happy Holidays from SOL !

Sometimes the better gift you give to others is a sweet smile that shows how much you care. Michael has learned about it and he sends a great smile with best wishes for good health and prosperity this holiday season and throughout the coming year to all on behalf of HCHS/SOL.
Michael Heathcote, who is project manager of HCHS/SOL in Chicago, is very glad that over 4,000 Hispanics are still participating with follow-up interviews locally. Participants are contacted once a year for three years, “we do call them, track them and try to contact them on their anniversary date,” said Michael. All SOL participants had free clinical exams as initial part of the study; at this time, they continue with follow-up interviews by telephone usually.
The HCHS/SOL outcomes are pretty ambitious and researchers want to find out some answers to many pending questions regarding the Hispanic health such as why Hispanics would have less mortality of cardiovascular disease even though they have similar or higher risk factors and socioeconomic disadvantages than other population groups in the USA. A phenomenon dubbed “the Hispanic paradox.” To answer this one and other questions, it was necessary to set a large study in which was recruited 16,000 Hispanics nationally. The participation of Hispanics is crucial to reach the study outcomes and succeed, “I do not know if they have realized on the impact of their participation would mean for their community in the future” remarked Michael as trying to link the strategic importance of Hispanic participation and the relevance of final study outcomes. Michael thinks SOL participants need motivation to keep enrolled in research studies. After he offered his greeting to all SOL participants, he left us saying “I just would like to encourage them to always stay open to these opportunities, take them seriously, and to know how much the SOL study really means to our families and the community out there.”
Happy Holidays!

Sleep Disorders: More Common Than You Think

If you are not getting enough sleep, probably you got a sleep disorder. In fact, some sleep disorders may be present in our everyday life and many of us do not notice of it. There are many types of sleep disorders, the most common ones are: sleep apnea, insomnia and the restless leg syndrome.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing while you sleep. This is a serious condition because increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Sleep apnea is difficult to check and diagnose even by doctors during a routine office visit; therefore, it is important you should be alert on some signs like snoring or chocking while you are sleeping. Snoring sometimes disrupts your sleep and it may be very annoying to your bedroom mate. Snoring could be a sign of sleep apnea, particularly if it is a loud snoring. If you suspect of sleep apnea because you have loud snoring, you should be evaluated and treated by a health professional.
Another chronic sleep disorder is insomnia that is characterized by difficulty falling and/or staying sleep. People with insomnia may have stress, anxiety, depression, and an increased risk for having heart attacks as well; that is why poor sleepers should see a doctor to look for professional advice and treatment.
Other sleep disorder often unrecognized is the Restless Leg Syndrome. This sleep disorder affects your nervous system with unpleasant feelings in your legs that cause the urge to move them. Symptoms of tingling, creeping, burning, aching or twitching your legs, particularly at the end of the day or at night when you are resting in bed, are very frequent in this sleep disorder. As a result, it may be difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. You should talk to your doctor if you are having these symptoms. The Restless Leg Syndrome only should be diagnosed and treated by a doctor.
Besides sleep disorders, some habits such as cigarette smoking, caffeine and alcohol consumption may affect the duration and quality of your sleep. All these habits may worse symptoms for people with insomnia or Restless Leg Syndrome. I have heard some people say that drinking alcohol beverages make it easier to fall asleep because it is a sedative; however, people who like to drink and/or smoke cigarettes tend to awake too early because of nicotine or alcohol withdrawal. So consider such habits that may be preventing you to get a good sleep at night. Here are some tips for getting a good night’s sleep:
 Stick to a sleep schedule. Go to bed and weak up at the same time each day even on weekends.
 Exercise at least 30 minutes on most days, but not too late in the day.
 Avoid coffee, colas, teas, and chocolate that contains caffeine.
 Avoid smoking and alcoholic drinks before bed.
 Avoid large meals and beverages late at night.
 Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to see whether any medication you are taking may be delaying or disrupting your sleep.
 Relax before bed. Read, listen music, or other relaxing activity should be part of your bedtime ritual.
 Have a good sleeping environment. Check the temperature in your room; avoid distractors like TV, cell phones, or computers in the bedroom; and have a comfortable mattress and pillow.
 See your doctor if you continue to have trouble sleeping.
If you are looking for more sleep information, you can go to this website: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/index.htm.