Most Americans treat Social Security benefits about the same way they treat paying into Social Security. That is, they pay almost no attention to it at all. Many are like a friend of mine who is sure that she won’t live particularly long because she has diabetes. It’s true that her diabetes is likely to…
‘Ware the Robocall. It should be the name of some bizarre horror film but instead it’s a warning to seniors about yet another scam. Robocalls are the automated calls you receive from political candidates or telemarketing companies. Some of them sound personalized. Nearly all of them are a waste of your time but some of…
Less than half of all Americans meet the federal guidelines for activity. Unfortunately, even those adults that meet the guideline often negate the benefits of their activity by pursuing long periods of inactivity either through work (by sitting at a desk all day or commuting) or in their leisure time (by watching television, playing on…
Caregivers often find themselves in tricky situations. Here’s a situation that can come up that can require trained help to overcome. Your mom has dementia and resides in a nursing home. She never lasts very long in any particular nursing home because she enters other client’s rooms, undresses and slips into bed with them (don’t…
We have a walking trail in my neighborhood. It’s neither long enough nor is it particularly picturesque, it doesn’t lead to shopping areas or impressive views and yet despite that I see more and more of my neighbors taking advantage of its existence. The benefit to the walking trail in my neighborhood over the sidewalks…
If your garden includes any edibles, it probably includes rosemary and oregano. Not only do they grow well in this climate but even weeding around them can be restful. There’s nothing like pulling up a weed and accidentally crushing the leaves of one of these wonderfully aromatic plants. Now, there’s another reason to grow them. …
The Wall Street Journal reported this month that the number of reverse mortgages has increased. In the first quarter of this year, banks processed 9 percent more reverse mortgage loans over last year. The average credit line was also up, 4 percent over last year and the highest since 2008. The most common reason borrowers…
About 10 percent of the population experiences kidney stones at least once in their lives. That’s up significantly since the late ‘70s when only about 4 percent of the population did so. Some scientists see a correlation between kidney stones and climate change because one important risk factor is that kidney stones are more prevalent…
If you’re thinking that the friendly guy working at the Social Security office is your financial advisor…stop thinking that way. It’s not that he doesn’t want to help you, it’s that he can’t. Even as about 10,000 Americans reach retirement age each day, the Social Security office has seen massive cuts to its offices in…
It’s Friday. So maybe that’s why the words dark chocolate jumped off the computer screen while I was reading my email today. The article’s title is “PAD: Dark Chocolate May Make Walking Easier”. I walk a couple of times a day and mostly don’t find it all that difficult but still if dark chocolate can…
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