All Posts in "Lifestyles"

Have you heard that some of Social Security’s rules about claiming benefits are changing? Well, it’s true. The Bipartisan Budget Act that passed last November closed two complex loopholes that were used primarily by married couples. We want you to know why this happened, how it might affect you, and what you should do next.

But first, don’t forget that one of the best ways to increase your Social Security retirement benefit is to delay claiming it between ages 62 and 70. Each month you delay results in a higher monthly benefit for the rest of your life. The new law doesn’t change this.

The new law closes loopholes that allowed some married couples to receive higher benefits than intended. Only a small fraction of retirees used these loopholes. Closing them helps restore fairness and strengthens Social Security’s long-term financing.

So what’s changing with the new rules?

  • First, if you are eligible for benefits both as a retiree and as a spouse (or divorced spouse), you must start both benefits at the same time. This “deemed filing” used to apply only before the full retirement age, which is currently 66. Now it applies at any age up to 70, if you turned 62 after January 1, 2016.
  • Second, if you take your retirement benefit and then ask (on or after April 30, 2016) to suspend it to earn delayed retirement credits, your spouse or dependents generally won’t be able to receive benefits on your Social Security record during the suspension. You also won’t be able to receive spouse benefits on anyone else’s record during that time.

For more information about these changes in the law, please visit Recent Social Security Claiming Changes – https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/claiming.html.

Deciding when to start your Social Security benefits is a complex and personal decision. You may contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), or visit your local field office, to speak with a representative about your retirement options. In particular, if you are or will be full retirement age (66) or older before April 30, and you think you want to suspend your benefits, contact us as soon as possible before April 30. But remember, if you want to let your retirement benefit grow, you can simply delay taking it, up to age 70.

 

Virginia Reno, who wrote this article, is a Social Security Administration deputy commissioner.

srmedia by — June 14, 2016 in Lifestyles

Grow a beautiful flower garden with minimal care by investing a bit of time at the start of the season to reduce on-going care.

Always match flowers to the growing conditions and the care you are willing to provide.  Low maintenance plants need minimal or no deadheading and staking. This means you’ll be growing good-looking plants with little effort on your part. And if the plants are suited to the growing conditions and resistant to common pests you’ll be doing less work managing insect and disease problems.

Further reduce your workload by selecting self-cleaning or free flowering annuals and perennials and those bred for long bloom and compact growth. You’ll enjoy more colorful flowers with less pruning and grooming.

Ageratum, angelonia, calibrochoa and many of the newer petunia cultivars are just a few of the annuals that do not need regular deadheading for continual bloom. Include perennials like willow amsonia, bugbane, Solomon seal, turtlehead and sedum autumn joy for lower maintenance and big results.

Prepare the soil and provide proper fertilization before planting. Work several inches of compost or other organic matter into the top eight to 12 inches of soil to improve drainage and water holding ability. Incorporate a low nitrogen organic fertilizer like Milorganite (milorganite.com) at the same time. The slow release formulation provides needed nutrients throughout most if not all of the season. Plus, it promotes slow steady growth that won’t interfere with flowering, is less susceptible to pests and is more drought-tolerant.

Properly space the plants, making sure they have sufficient room to reach their full size. Overcrowding means you will be thinning or dividing plants more often or battling disease problems instead of enjoying the full beauty the plants provide.

Consider removing flowers on annuals at planting. This allows plants to focus energy on establishing roots instead of flowers.  Can’t bear to do this? Then remove the flowers on every other plant or every other row. Then a week or two later remove the flowers on the remaining plants. You will soon be rewarded with full compact plants that will produce more flowers throughout the season.

Pinch back long and leggy transplants. Use a hard pinch to remove the tip and several inches of stem. Use your pruners or fingers to remove stems just above a set of leaves. The remaining plant will still look good while you wait for new leaves and stems to grow and produce new blooms.

Encourage branching on single stemmed plants with a soft pinch. Remove just the uppermost portion of the stem where the leaves and tip are starting to develop. Soon you will have a well branched plant and more blossoms.

Improve plant posture and reduce the need for staking with early season pruning. Keep mums and asters compact by pinching them back to six inches throughout June to encourage compact growth. Eliminate floppy growth and the need for staking on late bloomers like Boltonia, Autumn Joy sedum, Russian sage and Heliopsis

Revive catmint and perennial salvia that flop open in the center with pruning. Cut flopping plants back halfway once or twice a season as needed.

And don’t forget to mulch. Covering the soil surface with an inch or two of shredded leaves, evergreen needles/pine straw or other organic material will conserve moisture, suppress weeds and improve the soil as they decompose.

Always water new plantings often enough to keep the top few inches of soil moist. Once established water thoroughly and only as needed. This encourages drought tolerant roots, so you’ll need to do less watering in the future.

With proper planning, plant selection and soil preparation you can keep your ongoing care to a minimum. That means more time to relax and enjoy your beautiful garden.

 

Melinda Myers, who wrote this article, has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written 20 gardening books.

Rudbeckia “Prairie Sun” and Ageratum “Blue Horizon” are examples of low-maintenance flowers that add color to gardens.
Rudbeckia “Prairie Sun” and Ageratum “Blue Horizon” are examples of low-maintenance flowers that add color to gardens.
Contributing Author by — May 18, 2016 in Lifestyles

Getting older doesn’t have to mean getting weaker. But not all exercise is created equal. Activities such as running or some sports may be too hard on older joints. Other types of exercise require a lot of equipment or facilities such as a pool, track or weights. Older adults looking for a gentle way to get strength and resistance training can look to Pilates to get back some flexibility without risking further injury.

“Pilates is perfect for older adults because it does not have the impact on the body that other forms of exercise do, and is not nearly as severe on the joints as most workouts are,” said Ellie Herman, owner of several Pilates studios and a Pilates instructor and author. “It really is a gentle way to exercise. If you’re an older adult and haven’t exercised in a while, Pilates is a safe way to restart a workout program.”

  • Pilates can increase your stability and balance. Researchers have found that pilates helps improve balance and possibly even reduce the fear and risk of falls. In the study, the group of women who completed a six-week yoga program had a higher mobility and better balance than the group who didn’t participate in pilates.
  • You can tailor your program to your health. Pilates can be easily modified for all types of activity level. There are hundreds of different poses, moves, and exercises to increase strength and flexibility without injury.
  • Start breathing easier. One of the main components of pilates is controlled breathing. You’ll benefit from an increased lung capacity in your other daily activities.
  • Strengthen your muscles down there. Urinary incontinence is a serious issue for older adults. An important part of pilates is core activation, which is connected to the muscles in the pelvic floor. The stronger those muscles are, the better you can control the flow of urine.
  • You can reduce back pain. Years of sitting or pain after surgery can be eased through gentle stretches and strength exercises. A study in the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy found that people with chronic lower back pain who participated in pilates for four weeks had reduced back pain, and the pain stayed away for a full year afterward.

You can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. A University of Washington study found that regular exercise reduces the risk of cognitive diseases by up to 40 percent. The mind-body focus of pilates as well as the increased blood flow help keep your brain–which is a muscle–engaged and toned.

You can make new friends. Pilates is a social activity. The instructors are lively, and you can meet other active adults. And, with your increased mobility, you can go out after you work out.

Getting fit as an older adult doesn’t have to come at the expense of your joints, and it’s never too late to get active. Consult with your doctor before you get started with a program, but once you have the all-clear, go visit a studio and see the benefits Pilates can have on your mind and body.

 

Amy Osmond Cook wrote this article. She

Pilates is a form of strength and resistance exercise that has a low impact on seniors’ bodies.
Pilates is a form of strength and resistance exercise that has a low impact on seniors’ bodies.

is executive director of the Association of Skilled Nursing Providers. “My passion is writing about all types of healthcare issues for both patients and practitioners, especially as they relate to senior care,” she says.

srmedia by — April 21, 2016 in Lifestyles

We all experience times when we feel alone and are physically alone.

We might welcome some time on our own to get tasks done, sit quietly with a hot beverage or meditate in our thoughts.

Family caregivers could use a little alone time. Our seniors need it too, but on their own terms, not dictated by their situation.

Having some time alone can be a very good thing for our mental well-being. We need time to process our thoughts and decompress from a stressful situation.

The problem comes when, especially for our senior loved ones, too much time alone turns into a feeling of loneliness. It has been estimated by the National Institute on Aging that 19 percent of men and 37 percent of women over 65 are living alone. 43 percent overall report feeling lonely on a regular basis. Some estimates put the number of people in the U.S. who report feeling lonely at 60 million, or 20 percent of the population.

Loneliness is defined as a state of sadness brought on by having no friends or company, being remote and isolated. When compared to being alone, it is usually a negative condition and described as unpleasant.

Seniors don’t have to be alone to feel lonely. Feelings of loneliness are often accompanied by physical feelings such as anxiety, increased risk of heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure (as much as 30 additional points), and even obesity. People with prolonged loneliness frequently have higher cortisol levels (hormone) which can result in depression, digestive problems, sleep problems and obesity.

Seniors who report feeling lonely are more prone to physical decline and have a greater mortality rate.

Loneliness can impair cognitive function. Not surprisingly, older adults who feel lonely are more likely to behave in ways that make other people want to avoid being around them. This could further enhance their feeling of loneliness.

 

Causes of loneliness

 

Feeling left out of the action can be hard for seniors who are living alone. They may wonder why their families and friends aren’t visiting, calling or wanting to socialize as they once did.

Perhaps some of our senior loved ones are unable to drive themselves or have other obstacles to visiting friends and family members on their own, which could further make them feel isolated and lonely.

Seniors may not fully appreciate that others are busy and it isn’t really a personal affront. Unfortunately, this doesn’t make them feel any less lonely.

Sometimes our senior loved one’s friends stop visiting because seniors have changed and they aren’t as they remember them and just lose track. They may not be able to handle their own aging so that visiting with our senior loved one becomes too much of a reality check that they aren’t ready to confront.

“Why do I want to hang out with old people” is something we’ve heard many facility dwelling seniors say about their peers, not realizing that they are them too!

Our seniors may be dealing with the loss of a close relationship such as a spouse or dear friend. Perhaps the one with whom they shared their adult life is no longer there, nobody to sit with or eat with and no one to talk with about big or small things can be hard for seniors.

Many seniors face the notion that they are the last of their generation in the family – siblings are gone, parents are long gone, spouse may be lost and now their close friends are gone too.

Grieving and healing from this personal loss is hard enough except now they may be alone with no one left to share their grief.

Loneliness is sure to follow without some other intervention.

Many seniors eat meals – most of their meals in fact – alone each day when they are aging in place.

Not just sitting down at the table or in front of the TV using a tray by themselves, but having to prepare a meal for themselves without being able to cook for others can be a source of loneliness for many seniors.

The danger for seniors who cook for one and eat by themselves daily is that loss of social interaction. Eating is a social activity and an occasion for most of us, including our seniors. Seniors have lived most of their lives sharing their mealtime with others. Talking about the day, discussing the latest news, planning future events and reminiscing about prior history and fun times is missing when our seniors eat alone.

This missing piece can have a definite negative impact on our senior loved ones.

Eating alone can impact how much is eaten as well as the nutritional quality of the food they do eat. When you are cooking for yourself, opening a can of soup is easy and fast. Who wants to prepare a full meal for one, day after day?

 

How can family caregivers help?

 

Family caregivers who realize the potential risk of loneliness in their aging-in-place senior are on the right track. Understanding that this could be a problem will help caregivers.

  •     Observe the situation and be alert to potential feelings of loneliness in your senior loved one. Do they look like they are often sad? Does anyone come to visit especially when you can’t make it often?
  •     Is there food in the pantry? Are they shopping or cooking? If not, family caregivers can help with prepared meals, initiating a home delivered meal, link seniors to the senior center for socialization and one good meal a day, shop with them (in person or online), bring food during visits or encouraging other family to bring a meal.
  •     Help your senior cook and freeze in batches so they have nutritious meals available without having to cook each day.
  •    Encourage your senior to invite others, such as a neighbor, church friend or relative, in for a meal from time to time.
  •     Help your senior make meal time more enjoyable by suggesting they play their favorite music, use fancy dishes for themselves (not just company) or light a flameless candle.
  •     Will their local restaurants deliver a meal so that they get a healthy meal without cooking? Can a family caregiver set that up for them, especially if at a long distance and unable to visit frequently?
  •     Set up technology such as Skype, FaceTime or other video calling for family and friends so your senior can feel connected even when other people can’t come in person.

Find a virtual companion who can communicate with your senior so that they won’t feel like there is no one to listen to them. This is a great use of innovative technology.

If your senior loved one feels loneliness, it can be affecting their emotional and physical health. They may feel lonely even if they are not really alone because they are experiencing a loss.

Loneliness can happen when a person desires more social interaction than they are receiving so they may have visits but desire more. It is not about the number of interactions but more about the meaningfulness of the interaction.

While solitude can often be welcome, loneliness is not. Family caregivers should be alert to signs of loneliness in our senior loved ones and take action that can help prevent or reduce it.

 

Written by Kathy Birkett for Senior Care Corner (seniorcarecorner.com), an online provider of articles and information about senior-oriented topics such as aging in place, health and nutrition, Alzheimer’s and family caregiving.

 

srmedia by — April 2, 2016 in Lifestyles