Monthly Archives: January 2011

Keep safe and enjoy retirement

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What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything? ~ Vincent Van Gogh

 

It can be a scary world out there as evidenced by the steady stream of bad news that we are accosted with each day. Bad things happen to good people innocently trying to live a normal life. Senior citizens can be more vulnerable as aging bodies prevent a speedy response should danger rear its ugly head. Few crooks feel compassion for the elderly but instead see only weakness to be exploited. And yet there is so much beauty in the world to be experienced that few are willing to resign our self to self-imposed house arrest. We are going to get out there and live the life that we want to – heck that is what enjoying retirement living is all about!

To enjoy safe retirement living there are some basic precautions that can be taken.  Recognizing scams for what they are and a little planning ahead can prepare us so we are less likely to be surprised or taken advantage of.

Stay safe checklist

Driving and accidents – there are numerous challenges facing senior citizens when it comes to driving, mostly focused on how capable the elderly are of safely negotiating our busy streets. Often overlooked is the importance of being vigilant AFTER a crash occurs. Even the best of drivers may become dazed or distracted immediately following an accident, wander from the car and unintentionally be the victim of further harm. Highway officials advise you to stay in your car with your safety belt fastened, turn on your hazards and drive to the shoulder if possible where you can call 911 and await the arrival of the police. If you are in a residential area with lower speed limits, use your best judgment to exit your vehicle and get to the sidewalk. If you are concerned about exchanging information with the other driver, be sure to write down their license plate number for future reference. Following these steps helps to give you a well defined course of action during a typically fast moving and emotional time.

Most prevalent senior scams – crooks are everywhere, tirelessly in search of their next victim. Too often, the elderly provide just what they are looking for. Seniors like everyone else need to remain perpetually on guard to avoid being taken advantage of. Here are some popluar scams to be on the lookout for:

  • Telemarketing and mail scams involving lottery winnings, free travel, or valuable prizes but involving some up-front fee to qualify. Do not trust ANY scam that asks you to pay money up front or provide personal financial information or your social security number to receive your winnings. To discourage telemarketers, you can add your name to the do not call list or call 888-382-1222. And always read the fine print.
  • Contractor fraud – having lived in the same place for many years, retirees may be ready for some changes and unscrupulous contractors can start crawling out of the woodwork. Legitimate builders do not go door to door so don’t be “sold” something you do not really want. Common scams include requiring money up front and then disappearing; shoddy work done quickly with no likelihood of lasting; using entry to your house to rob you. I recommend you review any prospective contractor at the Better Business Bureau and ask for referrals to check out work done in the past. Don’t allow yourself to be bullied into working with a contractor that you are not 100% comfortable with.
  • Help, I need bail money – callers posing as family members tearfully ask for your help to get them out of jail by wiring money. One senior citizen was recently scammed out of $8000 by thieves posing as his grandson using this heartless approach. If you are in doubt – as you should be – ask some personal questions that only the genuine caller would know before you even think of wiring funds.
  • Public utility imposters come to your door and while one distracts you the other steals valuables behind your back. Don’t let anyone in the door and ask for identification before you talk to anyone. If for any reason you do not trust the person, just do not let them in.
  • Medicare drug discount cards cannot be sold over the phone or door to door. Additionally, you should never need to prove your income because Medicare can find that from the IRS. Anyone asking for bank account information in this case is likely trying to rip you off. Stay safe and visit the Medicare website or call 800-MEDICARE for legitimate card information.
  • Overpayment scams – you sell something online on eBay or Craigslist and the buyer sends you a check that is more than the amount of the sale – oops. “Just send back the difference” he requests but the check is fake and any difference you return is lost money.
  • Stranded in a foreign country – thieves can hack into an email or Facebook account and pretend to be that person who you know and trust. Then they send out a plea for help as they are stranded in a foreign country and need some cash wired to get home.
  • Email containing links with no subject or context – similarly if you receive an email from someone you know but with no subject line and/or a link with no context explaining what it is, do NOT click on the link. If you are curious, forward the email back to your friend and ask for their confirmation that it came from them. Remember, once you click on the link, you cannot unclick it.
  • Visit consumer protection for seniors for some additional pointers.

Avoiding personal injury – seemingly insignificant injuries to senior citizens can develop into serious problems. As we age, the danger of falling and the subsequent injury rightfully scares the elderly. Remember to focus on your balance as you walk and navigate the streets. Do regular exercise to maintain strength and stamina. And take it easy – all things in their good time and rushing hastily onward is when you lose control.

Home security – your house is supposed to be your castle but these days it doesn’t always seem that way. Some precautions to help secure your abode include:

  • Talk through your closed door – a chain on the door offers only a false sense of security and is no real protection.
  • Always ask for identification – if someone wants to come into your house, have him slip his ID under the door first. If you are still in doubt, check with the person’s office before letting him in.
  • Have lights on when you are away – timers are a good idea as well for a radio to make some noise. You want your house to appear occupied at all times. Burglars are looking for the easiest targets first.
  • Always lock your door whether you are at home or out.
  • A dog can be a deterrent, even little noisy ones. Burglars may not fear the size of the hound but they do not want barking to attract attention.
  • Alarm systems – to be most effective, alarm systems should have wiring concealed. Work with a reputable, brand name company. And ask for references to talk with current customers. You will generally have the option of including a service that directly alerts the local police department when the alarm is triggered. This is an additional cost but typically also includes an emergency button that you can press when threatened to summon the cavalry.

Personal security when you are out and about

  • Walk with someone – not only fostering mentally stimulating conversations it is good do walk with someone. Four eyes are better than two!
  • Stick to populated, well-lighted areas.
  • Carry a cell phone.
  • Bring the dog.

A bit of planning and some basic precautions can provide a little peace of mind and improved safety.  Although we cannot prevent everything we do not want to be easy marks for crime. Most importantly we do not want to let fear prevent us from living! It is a wonderful life and a glorious world around us and no one should stand in our way of experiencing all there is. Today is the first day of the rest of our lives so let’s get to it.

 

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. ~ Helen Keller

Why growing old is cool

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We listen to songs telling us “what a drag it is getting old”. Models in magazines and on TV who everyone wants to be like are an average age of about 18 – amazing how those anti-aging creams work so marvelously for them! We exercise and diet, we avoid too much sun, we take out vitamins, and we wear “the right clothes”. We do everything we are supposed to in an attempt to stay young. Why? What is it that causes us to focus so intensely on “young”? Honestly, if it were not for the constant media blitz that tells us how we should look and dictates what we should want to be happy, things would be different.

There is a time for youth and it is a wonderful time indeed. But there is also a time to move beyond youth and on to the rest of life and all it has to offer. Attempting to live in the past is destined to fail. Pretending to be other than we are ultimately fools no one. And you know what? Growing older is a wonderful thing. Sure we could do without the aches and pains and memory challenges, but beyond that we get to spend time with a self that has matured with age, learned from mistakes, figured out what is most fun to do, and accepted that nothing is perfect in life. What a cool person to hang out with!

Old is the new young

Starting now and for the next 19 years, 10,000 people each day will reach the age of 65 an age that typically delineates a move into the state of oldness. By 2030, for the first time in history, our population will be made up of more people over 65 than those under 17. This world it is a changing! Longevity is at an all time high and the longer lives we live are healthier due to medical advances and attention to living better.

Senior citizens are going to be around for a long time! We already see the shift beginning in products and services as companies cater to the needs of the elderly. Cell phones with bigger buttons that basically function as phones not computers, investments specific to senior needs, communities dedicated to senior living, and “senior discounts” across the board. Look out youngsters, here we come!

Youth has no age ~ Pablo Picasso

It’s hip to be old

Aging is moving out of the back rooms. With 75 million baby boomers fueling the surge, the ubiquitous presence of wrinkles cannot be avoided.  We may not be the majority, but we are a force to be recognized! It is time to embrace our aging.

  • Having reached “older age”, we better understand what is important in life. Those confusing early years as we tried to figure out what it is all about are behind us. And we survived so let’s have some fun! We don’t want to waste time. As long as we continue to learn from our life experiences, we are better people.
  • We can be the real person we are – no longer concerned with moving up through the working ranks, we can speak our mind and do what we think is best. We don’t have to try to impress anyone. We can let our true colors show. What a relief! Some of our lives have us acting in roles deserving of an academy award. “I want to learn how to break dance”; “I have always wanted to sing in the choir”; “what is this bunjee jumping all about?” Time to find out.

I have enjoyed greatly the second blooming that comes when you finish the life of the emotions and of personal relations; and suddenly find – at the age of fifty, say – that a whole new life has opened before you, filled with things you can think about, study, or read about…It is as if a fresh sap of ideas and thoughts was rising in you. ~ Agatha Christie

  • We actually have the time to do what we WANT to do! There is no better feeling than waking up and knowing that you do not have to do anything that you do not want to do (with the exception of basic doctor, dentist, etc. appointments that litter the calendar). The day ahead is your blank canvas and you can paint it any way you choose. Sleep in a bit, enjoy the paper, do a little morning exercising, take a walk around the quiet neighborhood while everyone else is working, sit down to that book that has been gathering dust, ahhh sweet freedom. I do believe it is in our best interest to not just fill up space but to pursue worthwhile endeavors, things that give us a genuine feeling of accomplishment. We talk about pursuing our passion in retirement and there is no better time.
  • We get to watch our children grow, mature, and navigate their lives, seeing a little of ourselves in each of them. As grandchildren enter the picture, we once again have the opportunity to see life through the eyes of a child – everything a first, new and exciting and overwhelming. As time passes, we witness how our kids deal with family raising “situations” just like we faced and we get to see just how good they are. Of course we lend an encouraging word of advice along the way but we know they have to go through the experiences first hand just like we did.
  • Ideally we have been saving over the years and are relatively financially secure. Even with the ups and downs of the economy, we hope to no longer be living check to check. Time to enjoy a mid-week escape to a romantic beach side B&B or to plan for that multi-week adventure somewhere we have not yet been. We stay frugal as we have learned that is a key to surviving but we also enjoy this present moment

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise – growing old is cool. Take advantage of your well-earned position in life. Live a little – make that live a LOT! Do it now because each day you wait, those youngsters out there are creeping up on us and someday soon will be challenging our roles as the coolest oldsters on the block.

Remember, you are only old once!  :)

Don’t forget to pick up a free copy of Navigating the Retirement Jungle, available upon request by mailing to lovebeingretired@hotmail.com.


Would you donate a kidney?

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The National Kidney Registry maintains a living database of kidney donors with a unique twist. In order to have access to the database and compatible donors, you or someone in your family must donate one of your kidneys to keep the chain going. With 200 transplants facilitated in 2010 they have literally saved the lives of people who without a kidney transplant might not be here today.

According to Katie Couric and the CBS News, every 90 minutes someone dies waiting for a kidney transplant and there are currently more than 87000 Americans on the waiting list for a new kidney.

Physically we can live with only one kidney. The actual transplant procedure takes about three hours. Modern medications to prevent rejection have come a long way and today donors do not necessarily need to be genetically similar to the recipient. A kidney transplant is considered a life-extending procedure typically enabling the recipient to live 10-15 years longer than if kept on dialysis. The bottom line is that for those with failing or failed kidneys, their life depends on a transplant.

As I learned more about this service and the incredible impact it had on families everywhere, I asked myself what would it take for me to donate a kidney? If someone I loved needed a kidney and I was a compatible donor, would I willingly offer myself or would I hesitate?

I think that all of us would like to believe that we would selflessly without hesitation say yes to immediate family members in need. Deep inside, we feel that we would likely agree to help out a close friend. But just how far is each of us willing to go? At what point would we say “no”?

I came up with a few questions to help me better understand myself and tried to answer them honestly.

  • Would I donate a kidney to my wife to save her life?
  • Would I donate a kidney to my child?
  • What about a more distant family member?
  • What about a good friend?
  • Would I donate a kidney for money? If so how much – what is my kidney worth to me in dollars and cents?
  • What unique or extreme circumstances might lead me to become a donor?
  • Would I ever unequivocally say no?

After thinking through how I would personally answer each question, I realized how difficult it is to make a final decision without actually being in the situation. For most of us it is a no brainer when it comes to family members and even close friends. But where would we absolutely say no? Without intimate knowledge of the people involved and their lives and their particular story, I don’t think we can know for sure how we would react.

I like to believe that for any given situation people will make the difficult choices to help their fellow human beings. Blood is thicker than water but love conquers all! Why else is it that we get a tear in our eye when we hear of the struggles of poor children around the world or the impact of disasters on the innocent? Why do we stand united against injustice and abuse? It is because we are basically good people and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

After I completed this exercise, I took a look at the list of those I would be willing to donate a kidney. I realized that these are the most important people in my life. Important enough for me to theoretically undergo an operation and donate one of my organs! But when was the last time I reached out to them, when did I last offer a good deed to these most significant in my life?

Although we may be fully willing to donate a kidney to someone we love, the likelihood is we will never be called upon to do so. So we need to show our love in slightly less dramatic ways. However we choose to show that we care is up to us. Just remember the fact we FEEL the love is not necessarily apparent until we SHOW the love.

Who would you add to your list?