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 [email protected].

Home fire dangers – are you safe?

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Home fire danger
southaven.org

In 2015, my son-in-law’s childhood home caught fire accidentally.  His mom (in her 60’s) was home.  She got out safely with just the phone in hand which she used to call 911. Unfortunately, she lost almost everything, including her car which was in the garage.  She basically just had the clothes on her back: pajamas and a robe.  She was relocated for over six months as her home was repaired. Luckily, she had good insurance and she is back in home but without many of her family’s treasures.  Could this happen to you and would you be able to get out quickly and safely?

“National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) statistics show that people age 65 and older are twice as likely to die in a home fire as the population at large. This high risk can be greatly reduced by following simple fire prevention rules.

Why are Older Adults at Risk?

If you are an older adult, you are at a higher risk for death and injury from fire for a number of reasons:

• You may be physically less able to take quick action in a fire emergency.
• If you are on medication, it may affect your ability to make quick decisions.
• If you live alone, others may not be around to help should an accident occur

What Fire Hazards Affect Older Adults?

• Cooking is the leading cause of fire-related injuries for older adults. The kitchen is one of the most active and potentially dangerous rooms in the home.
• The unsafe use of smoking materials is the leading cause of fire deaths among older adults.
• Heating equipment is responsible for a big share of fires in older adults’ homes. Extra caution should be used with alternative heaters such as wood stoves or electric space heaters.
• Faulty wiring is another major cause of fires affecting the elderly. Older homes can have serious problems, ranging from old appliances with bad wiring to overloaded sockets.”

View or print helpful tips about how to prevent fires

Heart health may improve by doing daily household chores

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heart healthOlder Adults Should Engage in Household Work to Keep the Heart Healthy

NDTV Food, March 27, 2017

“Staying active can take you a long way to good health. It is not without reason that doctors tell us to engage in physical activities and lead an active lifestyle. It has various beneficial effects on our body, aiding day-to-day functions as well as keeping diseases at bay. Elders too should keep active to not fall prey to health problems. Even walking or carrying out household chores can work wonders. According to a recent study by University of Pittsburgh, engaging in daily activities like making bed, doing the laundry, climbing stairs, carrying groceries, dancing or walking can help immensely, even in their road to recovery from heart attack or other ailments.

According to researchers, a daily walk is proven to be beneficial, and tai chi, yoga and balance training can also help, but encouraging patients to do more chores around the house is the simplest way to get people moving. The study published by the American Heart Association said patients should be encouraged to do everyday household chores instead of simply given medication.”

Read more about heart health

Valuable financial advice

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financial advice
investmentnews.com

How to prepare your finances for widowhood

By Natasha Burton, Market Watch

March 9, 2017

“Despite more women becoming involved in, or even taking over, the family finances, widowhood remains a significant risk factor when it comes to transitioning into poverty. More than one in five women living in poverty are 60 and older; and widows accounted for a nearly 46% of poor women age 60 and older in 2008.

A recent survey of women whose partners died showed that half of them lost at least 50% of their income following their loss, and 48% had difficulty determining what benefits they were entitled to from Social Security.

Given that women live longer than men — in every country in the world, in fact — it’s important to be prepared for your post-spouse life and start looking at widowhood as a when, rather than a what if. Here’s what you need to do to remain financially secure:

Get involved in the family finances

If your husband currently handles all of your money, it’s time to change that, advises certified financial adviser and founder and president of EverGuide Financial Group Mark Painter, who has worked with several widows as clients.

‘Be involved with financial decision making,’ he says. ‘If you and your husband use a financial adviser, be involved in the meetings. I have found that clients with a dual role are more successful than those with one decision maker.'”

Read more valuable financial advice

Social media helps seniors stay connected

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social media
pinterest.com

Social media complements face-to-face interactions for residents

by Lisa Price, M.D., McKnight’s Senior Living
March 20, 2017
“No matter where older adults live — in their own homes or in a senior living community — there’s an excellent chance that they have access to social media. Ten years ago, few of those aged 65 years or more used social networking sites such as Facebook. By 2015, 35% were online, and this number is only expected to increase.

A recent study published in the journal PNAS found that Facebook interaction among older adults is doing more than just helping them while away the time.

Loneliness in older adults

Older adults often report they are lonely and feel isolated in their lives and in the communities in which they live. An Archives of Internal Medicine article found that 43% of those aged 60 or more reported feeling lonely. Delving into the numbers, researchers were able to pinpoint two issues facing older adults: 32% reported lacking companionship, and 25% said they felt left out.

Face-to-face interaction long has been the gold standard for socializing, decreasing loneliness and isolation in older adults. Our culture is fast-paced and ever-changing, and our means of communicating is changing along with it. Researchers have taken notice of the continuing growth of social media, the ubiquitous nature of smartphones and tablets that help people connect to the internet, and the fact that people around the world easily can interact through the technology.”

Read more

Lisa Price, M.D., is chief medical officer at Denver-based InnovAge, a provider of health and wellness services for older adults in California, Colorado and New Mexico. She was a private practice geriatrician for 11 years and then attended on the Acute Care of the Elderly service and taught quality improvement at the University of Colorado.

Tips for eating healthy as we age

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Since retiring almost two years ago, I have noticed that my daily habits do not include healthy eating or eating as often as I should.  My calorie intake should be different now that I am not as active as when I was teaching high school students full time and I am aging. I hope the following tips help you as they did me.

healthy eatingHealthy Eating after 50

from The National Institute on Aging

“Choosing healthy foods is a smart thing to do—no matter how old you are!

Here are some tips to get you started:

  • Eat many different colors and types of vegetables and fruits.
  • Make sure at least half of your grains are whole grains.
  • Eat only small amounts of solid fats and foods with added sugars. Limit saturated fat (found mostly in foods that come from animals) and trans fats (found in foods like store-bought baked goods and some margarines).
  • Eat “good” (poly- and monounsaturated) fats, like those found in seeds, nuts, avocados, and fatty fish like salmon. Any fats added in cooking should come from olive, canola, corn, or vegetable oil.
  • Eat seafood twice a week. Small fish, like sardines or trout, or farm-raised fish (check the label) contain less mercury than large fish, like tuna. Mercury can be harmful.

How Many Calories Do People over Age 50 Need Each Day?

A woman: Who is not physically active needs about 1,600 calories

A woman: Who is somewhat active needs about 1,800 calories

A woman: Who has an active lifestyle needs about 2,000-2,200 calories

A man: Who is not physically active needs about 2,000 calories

A man: Who is somewhat active needs about 2,200-2,400 calories

A man: Who has an active lifestyle needs about 2,400-2,800 calories

Here’s a tip: Aim for at least 150 minutes (2½ hours) of physical activity each week. Ten-minute sessions several times a day on most days are fine.”

Read more and download comprehensive Age Page – Healthy Eating After 50 brochure

Need dental work?

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dental workGet Dental Work Before You Retire

by Kim Blanton, Squared Away Blog

March 9, 2017

“Caps, gum surgeries, implants, dental exotica – all kinds of things can and do go wrong in retirees’ mouths.

dental workBut dental coverage also drops sharply for older Americans, because when people retire, they give up their employer’s dental insurance. Without it, retirees needing dental work can face an unexpected, mini financial crisis.

Medicare does not cover routine dental procedures, a fact that a majority of working baby boomers are unaware of. But most seniors also aren’t covered through a spouse or under, say, a union dental insurance plan for retirees. The private dental insurance market is their only option for care, and very few purchase it.

Uninsured older Americans shell out $1,126 annually, on average, for dental work, which is $400 more than people with coverage spend. Out-of-pocket costs can be much higher in a year when extensive work is required.

There is also a hidden cost to not being covered.  Failing to deal with dental problems can cause other serious illnesses, from malnutrition to heart trouble.”

Read more about getting dental work

Lonely or socially isolated?

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social isolation
DREAMSTIME

Social isolation does not mean mom is lonely: Caregiver SOS

The two terms are not interchangeable, but it is important to find out why senior doesn’t want to leave the house.

By Nira Rittenberg, Special to The Star
March 20, 2017

“Mom lives in a small town north of me. Since dad died, she doesn’t want to go out. Her arthritis is bad. I see her when possible but feel badly that she is alone. She says she is fine?

It is critical to understand the difference between social isolation and loneliness. We hear in the news about how seniors are prone to both these issues. The truth is, the language is not interchangeable.

Loneliness is a subjective state. The person may feel a sense of unhappiness or distress from not having people around enough or not having fulfilling social contact. They may feel they will be rejected or they may have poor self-esteem.

Social isolation occurs when the person does not have enough people to socialize with. People can feel lonely (their own perception) even in a highly social environment. The concept is related to depression, but not all people who are lonely are depressed.

Social isolation is defined as a lack of rewarding social relationships. A 2012 Statistics Canada Report stated that almost 25 per cent of seniors’ wished for more social participation.”

Read about factors which bring about social isolation

Nira Rittenberg is an occupational therapist who specializes in geriatrics and dementia care at Baycrest Health Sciences Centre and in private practice. She is co-author of Dementia A Caregiver’s Guide.