Sherry

Sherry L. Christensen is a retired high school teacher. She designed and built this blog site to inform and inspire others in an effort to build a community of solo retirees. You can reach her at livingliferetired16@gmail.com.

Falls affect all of us

by

My 83-year-old Mom who lives in Iowa fell at her home last winter.  A neighbor found her unconscious, lying on her living room floor a day or two later.  She was transported to a hospital and later to a rehabilitation center.  She doesn’t remember what happened or being in the hospital.  After a couple of weeks, she was back in her home living independently but walking with a cane.

In December, she fell twice.  Once at the hospital while visiting a dying friend.  Luckily, two orderlies helped her to her feet.  A day or so later she fell again at her home but luckily she was able to get herself upright after several attempts.  I spoke with her about the importance of setting up a system to notify someone if she has fallen and is unable to get back up.  This system would be imperative if she wants to continue living independently in her home.

A dear friend of mine notified me recently about her Dad’s (80+) recent fall.  He was hospitalized and diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.  He has also developed pneumonia.  Needless-to say, the family is extremely distraught.  In her last text to me she said, “It’s been a roller coaster ride of emotions over the past two weeks….”

“Falls affect us all—whether personally or someone we love or care about. Every second of every day an older adult falls. In 2014 alone, more than one in four older adults reported falling and more than 27,000 older adults died as a result of falls—that’s 74 older adults every day.

There are simple steps you can take to prevent falls and decrease falls risks. CDC has developed the STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries) initiative which includes educational materials and tools to improve fall prevention.

If I were to fall and break a bone, I wouldn’t be able to play with my grandkids. So I take a vitamin D pill each day to keep me strong. Lisa, 74

What You Can Do to Prevent Falls

Falls can be prevented. These are some simple things you can do to keep yourself (or a loved one) from falling.

falls

Talk to Your Doctor

  • Ask your doctor or healthcare provider to evaluate your risk for falling and talk with them about specific things you can do.
  • Ask your doctor or pharmacist to review your medicines to see if any might make you dizzy or sleepy. This should include prescription medicines and over-the counter medicines.
  • Ask your doctor or healthcare provider about taking vitamin D supplements.
falls

Do Strength and Balance Exercises

Do exercises that make your legs stronger and improve your balance. Tai Chi is a good example of this kind of exercise.

falls

Have Your Eyes Checked

Have your eyes checked by an eye doctor at least once a year, and be sure to update your eyeglasses if needed.

If you have bifocal or progressive lenses, you may want to get a pair of glasses with only your distance prescription for outdoor activities, such as walking. Sometimes these types of lenses can make things seem closer or farther away than they really are.

falls

Make Your Home Safer

  • Get rid of things you could trip over.
  • Add grab bars inside and outside your tub or shower and next to the toilet.
  • Put railings on both sides of stairs.
  • Make sure your home has lots of light by adding more or brighter light bulbs.”

For more information and resources about older adult falls

Need investment advice for 2017?

by
investment advice
cnbc.com

Economic concerns occur when a new President of the United States is elected. No one really knows for sure what is going to happen in the future, but if you are looking for some investment advice, then the following article may help you make decisions on your retirement investments this year.

Investment moves based on likely events this year

by Elliot Raphaelson, The Savings Game, Chicago Tribune

January 24, 2017

“Many readers have written asking for advice about how to invest for consistent income in 2017 with minimal risk. As I have emphasized many times, it’s impossible to reap high returns on your investments, whether it’s in the form of income or equity appreciation, without assuming some risk.

That being said, it is possible to predict likely occurrences in 2017 and make investments taking these into account.

What is likely?

It is likely that the Federal Reserve will increase short-term interest rates a few times in 2017. Most experts following the Fed agree. If that is the case, then bond markets will be volatile, and some long-term investments such as long-term Treasury bonds will likely decrease in value, even if only in the short term.

Find peace, strength, guidance and forgiveness in prayer

by

“Our Foolishness, His Faithfulness”prayer

An Excerpt from #84-22
Presented on The Lutheran Hour on January 29, 2017
By Rev. Dr. Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
Copyright 2017 Lutheran Hour Ministries

“…When you look back at your life, are you haunted by wrong and shameful things you have done or said or thought? Have you committed acts which you struggle to keep hidden from everyone else; acts which twist your stomach into knots, which bring a blush to your cheeks and rob you of sleep? Now let me ask, ‘What has the world done to bring you lasting and permanent peace?’ If you are like most, you will have to admit the world has no medication, no program, no philosophical plan which can remove those sins and soothe your conscience. Let me continue. When you think of your own mortality and the moment you will breathe your last, do you ever wonder what will happen next? Are you absolutely convinced that death is the end of everything or do you, every so often, get a fleeting feeling that there is something more and you aren’t prepared for what’s going to happen? Have you ever longed to have something, someone in whom you can place your trust… someone who is absolutely reliable and will always be there for you?

If so, I encourage you, abandon any attitude which has labeled the cross as being foolish. The crucified and risen Christ came to erase those sins which trouble your days and upset your nights. He has come to give you a peace which the world cannot give. Look to the cross and empty grave of Jesus and know that, right now, a living Lord extends His nail-pierced hands to you in welcome. Jesus says, ‘Come to me and I will listen, I will carry your concerns; I will hear your prayers; I will comfort your soul and my love for you will never end.‘”

Katherine Johnson–retired NASA mathematician finds fame

by
Katherine Johnson
nasa.gov

If you’ve seen the movie “Hidden Figures,” you know about Katherine Johnson. Below is a recent article written about Katherine’s new found fame.

Katherine Johnson, a black NASA pioneer, finds acclaim at 98

by Victoria St. Martin, The Washington Post

January 29, 2017

“Fame has finally found Katherine Johnson — and it only took 98 years, six manned moon landings, a best-selling book and an Oscar-nominated movie.

For more than 30 years, Johnson worked as a NASA mathematician at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, where she played an unseen but pivotal role in the country’s space missions. That she was an African-American woman in an almost all-male and white workforce made her career even more remarkable.

Now, three decades after retiring from the agency, Johnson is portrayed by actress Taraji Henson in ‘Hidden Figures,’ a film based on a book of the same name. The movie tells how a group of black women — world-class mathematicians all — helped provide NASA with data crucial to the success of the agency’s early spaceflights. ‘Hidden Figures’ was nominated Tuesday for an Academy Award for best picture.

Suddenly Johnson, who will turn 99 in August, finds herself inundated with interview requests, award banquet invitations and people who just want to stop by and shake her hand.

…For many people, especially African-Americans, her tale of overcoming racism and sexism is inspirational.”

Read more about Katherine Johnson

Travel insurance can “soothe” your worries

by

travel insuranceTravel Insurance to Protect Your Vacation

by Miriam Cross for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine

June, 2016

“You’ve finally booked a long-awaited Mediterranean cruise. Before cracking open your guidebook, make one more purchase to ensure that your dream vacation goes smoothly: travel insurance.

Nearly one-fourth of Americans had to cancel, delay or interrupt travel plans between spring 2013 and fall 2014, reports the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, mainly because of illness, severe weather or transportation delays. A comprehensive travel insurance policy includes coverage for those problems and others that might derail your trip, both before and during your vacation. As insurance goes, it’s relatively inexpensive—typically 5% of the cost of your trip. You can generally lock in coverage up to 24 hours before your departure. But the sooner you buy, the more key, time-sensitive benefits you get, including coverage for preexisting conditions.

Good reasons to buy. Most insurers’ package plans will reimburse your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses if you have to cancel or interrupt your travels because of a close family member’s death or illness, storm damage that makes your destination uninhabitable, or a layoff from work. They also typically reimburse you if your flight is delayed or your bags are lost or stolen. And you should get 24-hour phone support.”

Read more

Help “keep the music that shaped America alive”

by

Music Maker Relief Foundation: Our Mission

Music Maker Relief Foundation

Published on Sep 5, 2012

“The Music Maker Relief Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit, was founded to preserve the musical traditions of the South by directly supporting the musicians who make it, ensuring their voices will not be silenced by poverty and time. Music Maker will give future generations access to their heritage through documentation and performance programs that build knowledge and appreciation of America’s musical traditions.”

Music Maker
Age Don’t Mean a Thing by Robert Finley, age 62, album released September 2016

I have always loved the Blues and today I purchased the album on the right. The reviews on Amazon say it is great!  I can’t wait to get it!

Please visit their website and check out what the Foundation does for these talented elderly musicians.  It’s an awesome mission and you can see the difference they are making on the musicians’ faces.

“You can support the artists and the music by making a donation, purchasing a CD,  or attending an event!”

How do you approach financial planning?

by
financial planning
kiplinger.com

How Men and Women Think Differently About Money

by Janet Bodnar for Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine

September 2016

“When I get a massage, as I do periodically, I like to park my brain in neutral and bask in the serenity. So imagine the jolt when, a few months ago, my massage therapist wanted to spend our hour talking—about Social Security. A divorced woman in her fifties, she had heard that she could apply for Social Security on her former husband’s record. Was that true, she wanted to know, and if so, would it have any effect on her ex-spouse’s own Social Security benefit?

So instead of parking my brain in neutral, I had to shift into overdrive to explain the nuances of Social Security (yes, if her marriage had lasted 10 years, she could apply for benefits on her husband’s record once she’s 62, and no, it wouldn’t affect his Social Security). So much for my peaceful massage.

A few weeks later, I sat down for my regular haircut, assuming I could zone out while my stylist snipped away. But she wanted to talk—about her retirement plan. She thought that as a self-employed person she could sock away much more than she could in a traditional IRA, but she was hesitant to raise the subject with her accountant. I confirmed that she was probably eligible for a Simplified Employee Pension or individual 401(k), and that triggered a discussion about retirement investments that lasted as long as my haircut.

It occurred to me later that both women were in tune with the Kiplinger’s subscribers we surveyed earlier this year to learn more about how they invest.”  Read more