grow older better

Tag: ageing

Eyes, hairlines, and hearts

Wow!

If you "look old," and have signs of aging such as a receding hairline – it may be linked to your heart's health!

If you look old, your heart may feel old, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2012.

In a new study, those who had three to four aging signs — receding hairline at the temples, baldness at the head’s crown, earlobe crease, or yellow fatty deposits around the eyelid (xanthelasmata) — had a 57 percent increased risk for heart attack External link and a 39 percent increased risk for heart disease External link.

“The visible signs of aging reflect physiologic or biological age, not chronological age, and are independent of chronological age,” said Anne Tybjaerg-Hansen, M.D., the study’s senior author and professor of clinical biochemistry at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

I admit, I went and looked in a mirror after reading the article…phew – no receding or other of the signs….

Not to scare anyone – but take a look in the mirror and discuss any of these signs with your physician!

Comments? Thoughts? [Worries?]

11/06/2012
Confused About Medicare?

Are you confused about all your Medicare choices?

It's "open enrollment season" which means every plan in your state may be contacting you!

It also means that almost every plan in you state will mail you some information and maybe invite you to call them or meet with them..

One Oregon plan offered a "free" re-useable shopping bag if I met with them.

Let's see – drive about a 20 round trip [maybe use a gallon of gas for almost $4.00] – plus spend my time driving and then listening to a sales pitch.

For that I get something I can get at for a few bucks…and I can never recoup the time..

Now if I were interested in that plan I'd go – but then if it were that good they would not have to entice me with a cheap promo item.

For those who do go to these "events" – aka sales pitches – PLEASE – be careful…

If you sign on to that plan – you are locked into it for the upcoming year!

It is a legal contract – one you should not be pressured into signing.

You have until December 7th to make your decision.

There is absolutely no reason to be pressured.

Comments? Thank you….

10/17/2012
The “New” Empty Nest

Many parents know what an empty nest is……

But did you know it can happen more than once or twice?

The first time you child leaves home, be it for college, the military, or just finding their own place – you can experience empty nest.

Your experience overall depends on how many children you have and whether or not some are still home…but one day all the kids are gone – they flew away – and the nest is empty!

This experience, I have found, also comes about when a pet dies and you are suddenly petless…but that empty nest, can, in time can be refilled with another pet, or two, or three.

You can not refill the nest with more babies, toddlers, teenagers or adults…

unless…..

Your grown child or children come home to live with you and bring their family with them.

Suddenly, your nest is very full!

But then….as their life circumstances change – they leave!

And that is the "new" empty nest….when your now adults child who has lived with you for a long stretch, flies off again!

The economy has made this type of empty nest more prevalent – as more adult children are returning to the nest for varying lengths of time..

Your experience overall depends on how many children you have and whether or not some are still home…but one day all the kids are gone – they flew away – and the nest is empty!

This experience, I have found, also comes about when a pet dies and you are suddenly petless…but that empty nest, can, in time can be refilled with another pet, or two, or three.

You can not refill the nest with more babies, toddlers, teenagers or adults…

unless…..

Your grown child or children come home to live with you and bring their family with them.

Suddenly, your nest is very full!

But then….as their life circumstances change – they leave!

And that is the new empty nest….when your now adults child who has lived with you for a long stretch, flies off again!

The economy has made this syndrome more prevalent as more adults children are returning to the nest for varying lengths of time..

But, like most everything in life, each change has its ups and downs….

There is an ambivalence about having an empty nest….you miss the kids like mad…but you have more space, time and energy…because no matter what age your kids are, when they live with you, they take energy..

In future posts, I'll write about what I am doing with my bursts of energy – but in the meanwhile…

Do you have thoughts? Comments?

Thank you…..

10/01/2012
Heat Waves Are Killers

Each year the earth is getting hotter and we are experiencing major heat waves and crop killing droughts.

While we hear, usually well in advance, about taking precautions for tornadoes, hurricanes and blizzards – we don't seem to get the same warnings through the media about heat waves.

BUT:

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, blizzards or tornadoes might be more dramatic and attention grabbing than a heat wave, but in reality, the heat may be capable of claiming more lives than even these violent storms.

The drama of hurricanes may be great TV but the deaths from heat are greater in number and do not get as much coverage.

Maybe because heat pictures are less interesting?

And deaths from heat are not pretty?

And sadly – maybe because most heat related deaths are older poorer people?

Living alone, being poor, and being in an apartment building, are factors in heat related deaths. the poor are congregated usually in the not-too-good parts of cities and no matter what is the temperature, residents do not open their windows because crime tends to enter.

Open windows are an invitation to crime. That's a sad statistic about modern cultures. And older, poorer people do not tend to use air conditioners because either they aren't supplied or they fear they won't be able to pay the high electric bill.

Please – if you have poor or elderly people living near you – do check on them.

Most towns and cities have a cooling center where they can spend the day and some may have night services.

We have overnight warming shelters for the extremely cold temperatures. We should have equivalent cooling shelters for the extremely hot weather.

08/15/2012
Our Golden Years? Not Really

Reaching 65, retiring, relaxing and having fun used to be the goal of most Americans…the "golden years" of aging.

With the economic bust, many who thought they would be retired are still working….out of sheer necessity…they need the income and they sorely need the health insurance.

According to the National Council on Aging:

Over 20 million Americans aged 60+ are economically insecure—living at or below 250% of the federal poverty level (FPL) ($27,225 per year for a single person). These older adults struggle each day with rising housing and health care bills, inadequate nutrition, lack of access to transportation, diminished savings, and job loss. For older adults who are above the poverty level, one major adverse life event can change today’s realities into tomorrow’s troubles.

Women, who earn less than men [77 cents to the man's dollar] fare less well as they age too. 56% are disadvantaged financially – while only 30% of men are.

But life need not be economically bleak as we age.

It may be difficult to find a "job" but it is far less difficult to have your own business.

A business that can bring in sufficient income to take the tarnish off the golden years and make them shine!!

If you want to learn more about being self-employed let me know…I've written some on this and will write more….

Thoughts? Comments? Thanks!

07/14/2012