I’ve just discovered that I completely missed a national designation last month. (Of course, a reasonable case could be made to the point that I miss a lot of things.) Did you know that in April we observed National Ex-Spouse Day?

I didn’t even know that there was such a thing — but, hey! Good! Why not?

Which may or may not have anything to do with the fact that I’ve received a number of inquiries regarding what the heck the deal is with filing for Social Security benefits on an ex-spouse’s earnings record.

Here’s the deal: If you are at least 62, unmarried and divorced from someone entitled to Social Security retirement or disability benefits, you may be eligible to receive benefits on his or her record. (Please note that this is all gender-neutral.)

You must have been married to the ex for at least 10 years. And if you’ve since remarried, you can’t collect benefits on the former spouse’s record unless your subsequent marriage ended in annulment, divorce or death.

You also want to remember that if you’re entitled to Social Security benefits on your own record (work history), that amount would have to be less than what you would receive based on your ex-spouse’s record. In other words, they’ll pay you the greater of the two benefits for which you’re eligible, but not both. (Nice try, though.)

You are potentially eligible for up to 50 percent of what your ex could receive at their full retirement age — and, by the way, he or she doesn’t have to be retired for you do this, as long as you’ve been divorced for at least two years before applying . Also, your ex has to be at least 62.

Finally (and this is important): The benefits you might get will have no effect on the benefits received by your ex.

You can get the full lowdown by going to www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/divspouse.htm and looking for “Retirement Planner: If You Are Divorced.”

By the way, if your ex died after the divorce, you could still qualify for widow’s benefits.

Personal note: Don’t make this about who did or didn’t do what to whom. It’s a simple matter of whether you need (and qualify for) the money in order to conduct your life.

Good luck.

Alzehimer’s not inevitable

This something completely different, but I hear it a lot, so I’m going to address it.

I’m well aware that most of us are scared to death of Alzheimer’s — and for good reason. Add to that the fact that every time we turn around, we’re reading another report/piece of research on the percentage of us who will be afflicted with same, and they inevitably point out that the percentage increases as we get older.

This is all true; however, let me point out something else: Most of us will not get Alzheimer’s. It’s true: The odds are in our favor.

Let me also point out that with each additional year we manage to survive, the odds of anything happening to us increases. It’s just how the math works. Struck by lightning? Blind-sided in a meteor shower? Whacked by a tractor in midtown Manhattan? Died of boredom in a doctor’s waiting room? OK, those may be unlikely (except for the last one), but the statistical truth is that the odds do increase as we get older — which does not make it inevitable.

Every time anyone past puberty forgets something, it is not indicative of Alzheimer’s, or any other form of dementia. We all forget stuff. And sometimes we get “confused” — who doesn’t?

When I hear concerns like this, I immediately start asking about changes in medical conditions/diagnoses, changes in medications, mental health history, etc., because there are any number of things that can cause any number of things — but most of the time, they are not the beginning of the end.

Now: If you honestly believe someone you care about might be experiencing symptoms ofdementia, for heaven’s sake, get to a doctor. Don’t mess around or stall; just do it — for peace of mind, if nothing else.

I just want us all to relax a little bit, cut ourselves some slack, enjoy life — and stay the heck out of midtown Manhattan!

Mark Harvey is the director of information and assistance for the Olympic Area Agency on Aging. He can be reached by email at harvemb@dshs.wa.gov; by phone at 360-532-0520 in Aberdeen, 360-942-2177 in Raymond, or 360-642-3634; or through Facebook at Olympic Area Agency on Aging-Information &Assistance.