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You Never Call…
Over 20 million American baby boomers are considered members of the ‘sandwich generation’ – those facing the challenge of simultaneously raising children and caring for elderly parents. Check-in Friends, a new nationwide senior support service, helps mitigates this problem by scheduling peace of mind producing connections. The service provides well-being check-in phone calls for seniors, medication and doctor appointment reminders and even personalized mail. Family follow-up services are also provided. Monthly plans are customized to each person’s needs and range from a fee of $85-$215 per month. Short-term (1-2 week temporary plans) are also an option. More information at 800-326-4515 or by visiting www.checkinfriends.com.
It’s Never Too Late to Quit
Need a little extra incentive to kick the habit? A UCLA study published in the January 2010 edition of the American Journal of Ophthalmology has found that even after age 80, smoking continues to increase one’s risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness
in Americans over 65.
Try Freelance Caregiving
Retirement for some can unexpectedly be less than what they imagined – less money and less interaction with others. Part time work can help, but you may have to sacrifice the flexibility that is so desirable when a full time career comes to an end. One source of flexible, part-time work, utilizing existing skills is Care.com. Whether your interest is in child, senior or pet care or even tutoring or private lessons, as a care/assistance provider on Care.com you set your own price and choose jobs that match your experience and schedule. Learn more at www.Care.com.
Pass the Pie Please
Adults aged over 70 years who are classified as overweight are less likely to die over a ten year period than adults who are in the ‘normal’ weight range, according to a new study published in the Journal of The American Geriatrics Society.
Beginning in 1996, 4,677 men and 4,563 women were followed for ten years or until their death, whichever was sooner, and factors such as lifestyle, demographics, and health were measured. The research uncovered that mortality risk was lowest for participants with a BMI (Body Mass Index) classified as overweight, with the risk of death reduced by 13% compared with normal weight participants. The benefits were only seen in the overweight category, not in people who are obese.
However, while the same benefit in being overweight was true for men and women, being sedentary actually doubled the risk of death for women, whereas it only increased the risk by a quarter in men.
Get Paid to Get Up to Speed
The number of unemployed individuals age 55 and older rose to 2,082,000 in November, up 54 percent from November 2008 and the most since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started keeping records for specific age groups. On a more positive note, low-income older workers in Minnesota may be eligible to earn a wage while completing free job training services through the nonprofit organization Experience Works and the Senior Community Service Employment Program. Services include computer and technical training, placement in an appropriate training assignment and job search assistance. The program is currently available in Dakota county as well as the western and southeastern counties of Minnesota, including the Rochester area. For more information about the Senior Community Service Employment Program, log on to www.experienceworks.org or call 1-800-450-5627
www.sporcle.com
Exercising your brain helps keep the synapses sharp and can reduce memory problems associated with aging. If you are looking for a diversion from crosswords and Sudoku, give Sporcle a look. Offering timed online memory and word games of every description, with topics including sports, literature, language, science, entertainment and much more, it is good-and-good-for-you fun.
www.pandora.com
Tired of the you-know-what that is coming across the airwaves these days? Pandora, is an Internet radio service created by the Music Genome Project that customizes a playlist for each listener based on 400 different musical attributes of songs or artists that they identify as music they like. It is surprisingly accurate and it’s free!
www.kiplinger.com/tools/retiree_map
Which states impose their own estate taxes? Which 7 states have no income tax? What are the most pension-friendly states? Kiplinger offers an interactive map to point you to which states will take the smallest—and biggest—bites out of your assets in retirement.
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