Baby Boomers U. S. (The Blog)

This Weeks Good Reads-Week One Hundred forty-one

Joe Hauckes — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:47:56 +0000

The real BBUS post can be found here… This Weeks Good Reads-Week One Hundred forty-one by Joe Hauckes © Baby Boomers U. S. (The Blog) . Not on Senior Zen!
Every week I come across an article or two that I find very helpful to me as a Baby Boomer and think may be of some interest to you, the community, as well.

They may be from an online news source, another Blog or Website or something I found surfing around the Internet. They could even be something that was sent in by a reader of the Blog or a member of the Baby Boomer’s Forum.

Enjoy!

My 1960s wasn’t all sex, drugs and rock’nroll – and I suspect I’m not alone by Ian Jack… Being in the UK, I guess his life was a little different, but I agree, those days were not all about a be-in or anything like it. Hell, I didn’t even get out of grade school ’til ’67. But, an interesting look at the life of the majority of boomers in the early years.

I’m a Baby Boomer and a Mom, And We Invented Technology bySuzie Mitchell… Not all (read most) Boomers have big problems with all the new tech devices that are floating around the world today. Some of us actually learned a thing or two about them from the ground up. Before there was such a thing as an i-pod etc.

I hope you found this weeks choice(s) helpful and enjoyable. What did you think? Do you have any suggestions for next week?

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Baby Boomers Blog Carnival ‘Oh, No, Not Again!”

Joe Hauckes — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:01:39 +0000

The real BBUS post can be found here… Baby Boomers Blog Carnival ‘Oh, No, Not Again!” by Joe Hauckes © Baby Boomers U. S. (The Blog) . Not on Senior Zen!
This Edition of the Baby Boomers Blog Carnival has been postponed once again. I am working on setting up a submission form that can be accessed here on the Blog that will come directly to me.

I will update this post with the new submission information as soon as it is all set up.

In the mean time, keep trying the old Blog Carnival submission site to see if they actually fixed whatever problems they are having. I will continue to check them so we don’t miss any submissions.

Update: I have created a brand new page designed just for submissions to our Baby Boomers US Blog Carnival. As of now, it will be in the Header Bar and the Pages Widget in the Sidebar. I will probably be using it in all the other links that are now alloted to the Blog Carnival Site, just not yet. I’ll wait for a short time to see if they get their act together.

I’ll let you know, but in the mean time, just use either of the Blog Carnival Submission Form links I mentioned above.

Remember, when you submit an article on either form, please fill in the Category and Remark Fields to add your own description of your post. Please Submit only ONE Article per Carnival, multiple articles Will Not Be Accepted.

Since this is a community endeavour, please feel free to advise me through comments or my contact form if there is something you think I can do to improve the Carnival.

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You may also want to join the Baby Boomers US Forum for conversations by Baby Boomers about topics important to Baby Boomers!

Monday Musings for Baby Boomers – What Do I Look Like?

Joe Hauckes — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:31:55 +0000

The real BBUS post can be found here… Monday Musings for Baby Boomers – What Do I Look Like? by Joe Hauckes © Baby Boomers U. S. (The Blog) . Not on Senior Zen!

Smile!

Monday has always been a little bit of a let down, what with it being the beginning of the work week and all.

So to start things out on a bright note for the week, I bring you the…

Baby Boomers Monday Musings.

What Do I Look Like?

There was a young couple living in an old run down house. One day the man gets home from work and his wife says, “Honey, look at the walls. They haven’t been painted as long as we have lived here. It’s peeling and cracking; couldn’t you please just paint them?”

“Who do I look like? Michelangelo?” the man replies.

“I guess not”, says the wife.

The next day the man gets back from work again. Again his wife starts to complain. “Oh sugar, couldn’t you just please at least repair the stairs? They’re falling apart and they’re really unsafe to walk up.”

The man says, “Who do I look like? Frank Lloyd Wright?”

“Well, maybe not,” says the wife.

The next week the man returns from his job. He walks into his house and is suddenly amazed. The stairs are fixed, the walls were painted and the house looked superb. “Honey…..How did you do this? It looks great!” he says. “Well I met up with a handyman down the street. He offered to repair our house if I either bake him a batch of brownies or sleep with him” says the wife.

“Well, honey, you baked the batch of brownies, right?”

The wife replies, “Who do I look like, Sara Lee?”

Hope that put a little smile on your face and Keep On Smilin’

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Deciding if Elderly Drivers Should Still be Behind the Wheel

Joe Hauckes — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:05:03 +0000

The real BBUS post can be found here… Deciding if Elderly Drivers Should Still be Behind the Wheel by Joe Hauckes © Baby Boomers U. S. (The Blog) . Not on Senior Zen!

This is a Guest Post by Patricia White. If you would like to Guest Post for Baby Boomers US, check out our Guest Post for Us page.

It’s often said that wisdom comes with age, but another part of aging is slow reflexes. While elderly drivers may know all the hazards of the road, their compromised reflexes and fading vision can cause serious problems. Many families struggle with the question of whether their elderly parents should still be behind the wheel. Knowing the facts and the signs to watch for can help you decide if your parent is safe or a serious hazard.

Confusing Statistics

Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and the AAA Foundation for Traffic performed a study based on data gathered between 1999 and 2004. They found that the fatality rates for drivers over age 65 starts to climb. Drivers between the ages of 75 and 84 have a record equal to that of teenage drivers, and those over age 85 have fatality rates that are four times higher than the statistics for teens.

However, that data has changed in recent years. When reviewing accident statistics for Western new York in 2007 and 2008, it is found drivers over the age of 60 make up the largest group yet cause the fewest accidents.

Questions About Health

The problems with elderly drivers are attributed to declining health. As people age, it’s natural for certain physical abilities to start diminishing. Reflexes slow down, flexibility decreases, vision is not as sharp, memory fades and it becomes harder to focus. Medications used to treat conditions like blood pressure and other ailments can also make driving more difficult.

On the other hand, many senior citizens are still in excellent health. Their vision is fine with prescription glasses, and their reflexes are still adequate for driving. Their tendency to take things a little slower on the road also helps offset a minor shift in reflexes and flexibility.

Types of Accidents

While teen drivers are more likely to cause accidents from speeding and taking risks, elderly drivers are more likely to cause accidents due to confusion and slow reflexes. They may miss the light changing color and run a light, or they could misjudge a turn and put themselves into oncoming traffic. Confusing the brake for the gas is another common mistake made by elderly drivers who have become dangerous on the road.

Changing Attitudes

Over the last decade, growing awareness has prompted many seniors to self-regulate and give up the keys of their own accord. The wisdom that comes with age allows them to recognize that they no longer possess the skills to safely navigate the roads. Another common decision of seniors is to stop driving at night or to avoid the busy highways where reflexes need to be faster and vision more acute.<.p>

If an elderly person you know and care for is still driving, you can watch for warning signs. The best way to spot the signs is to spend some time in the car with the senior behind the wheel. If they seem confused, have to stop and think for things that should be automatic or seem less focused on the activity, then it may be time to take the keys and the license. Repeat the activity occasionally to be sure that your loved one can still drive safely. You will make society a little safer, and it’s a good chance to spend some time with your aging family member.

About the Author: Patricia White is a personal finances guru and freelance blogger for carinsurance.org.uk, a site she often recommends as a great wealth of information for learning more about car insurance. They have a variety of helpful articles, such as this one: carinsurance.org.uk/choosing-parameters-of-a-policy.html.

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This Weeks Good Reads-Week One Hundred forty

Joe Hauckes — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:55:52 +0000

The real BBUS post can be found here… This Weeks Good Reads-Week One Hundred forty by Joe Hauckes © Baby Boomers U. S. (The Blog) . Not on Senior Zen!
Every week I come across an article or two that I find very helpful to me as a Baby Boomer and think may be of some interest to you, the community, as well.

Enjoy!

Good News for Everybody: Social Security is Not Going Broke by David M. Kinchen… Well, it probably still could go broke the way the politics works in Wahington, but it doesn’t have too according to this article. It will just take a little nudge from us for the politicos to make the right decisions.

I hope you found this weeks choice(s) helpful and enjoyable. What did you think? Do you have any suggestions for next week?

If you are reading this on Senior-Zen: It is STOLEN CONTENT from Baby Boomers US

You may also want to join the Baby Boomers US Forum for conversations by Baby Boomers about topics important to Baby Boomers!

Baby Boomers Blog Carnival One Hundred forty-first Edition

Joe Hauckes — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:47:28 +0000

The real BBUS post can be found here… Baby Boomers Blog Carnival One Hundred forty-first Edition by Joe Hauckes © Baby Boomers U. S. (The Blog) . Not on Senior Zen!
Welcome to the May 9, 2012 edition of the Baby Boomers Blog Carnival. There are some really well thought out and insightful Boomer articles for you to peruse this week.

So, grab a cup of coffee (or tea), sit back in your most comfortable chair, put up your feet and Enjoy.

This one’s for you!

Entertainment

terry hamburg presents Baby Boomer Dance Party That Started It All: RIP Dick Clark posted at BabyBoomerDaily.com, saying, “”Rock ‘n roll will never die…”"

General

Molly Cunningham presents 10 Reasons People Purchase Girl Scout Cookies posted at Live-In Nanny, saying, “Girl Scouts of the United States of America is an organization that was created to provide girls with a chance to develop physically, mentally and spiritually. It was begun 100 years ago in Savannah, Georgia when Juliette Gordon Low assembled a group of 18 girls for a meeting.”

Suzanne Cullen presents 10 Facts About Cereal Companies Putting Toys in the Box posted at aupair.org, saying, “One of the things we miss most about childhood is the prizes we used to get in cereal boxes. It was a genuine thrill to open up a box, pour out some of that sweet breakfast treat, and out would come a toy. There were all sorts of prizes packaged into the boxes over they years, and we’ve probably gotten most of them at some time or another.”

Rebecca Black presents 8 Biggest Credit Card Scams on Record posted at Credit Report, saying, “The age of information has made credit card fraud a prime target, and consumers should be especially cautious with their credit card information. Luckily we can learn from past cases of fraud and credit card scams, on any scale or magnitude. Here are some of the biggest credit card scams on record thus far.”

Health

Jon Anderson presents The Day I Got Ataxia, Jan. 19th 2007 posted at I HAVE ATAXIA, saying, “I’m a boomer and I have ataxia”

Randy Powell presents Keep Your Pre-Diabetes in Check posted at High Alkaline Foods Diet.

presents How Fad Diets Do Not work? posted at Good Life Weekly, saying, “The truth about fad diets, and how they can even cause you to gain weight.”

Denise Harris presents Treatment for Bone Spurs on the Feet posted at Able Mart | Disabilities and Aging, saying, “Take a look at treatment options for these painful bony growths.”

Peter Stockwell presents Do You Need a Safe Weight Loss Diet? posted at The Senior Walking Fitness Blog, saying, “If you want to lose weight make sure you choose a safe diet.”

Ashleigh Denton presents 7 Household Products That Worsen Your Allergies posted at Home Equity Loan, saying, “Spring is here, but you may have mixed feelings about it. While the weather is delightful and your garden is blooming, your allergies might render you a sneezing, red, drippy mess. Your only solace rests in antihistamines and you keep a box of tissues on you at all times. However, your suffering might not be as inevitable as you think!”

Will Blesch presents Little White Lies on the HPV Vaccines (but Here’s the Truth) posted at Health and Wellness, saying, “This is an article anyone concerned with HPV, their health, and vaccination should read.”

Retirement

Super Saver presents Reflecting on the Amount of Time Left posted at My Wealth Builder, saying, “Thinking about my remaining time in hours provided me a new perspective.”

Travel

Dr. Dean presents iPads And Tablets: Ten Ways To Keep ‘Em Safe While Traveling | The Millionaire Nurse Blog posted at Dr. Dean’s TheMillionaireNurse.com Blog, saying, “iPad’s size and weight make them great for traveling Read all about how to help keep yours from the black hole that is ‘ airline lost and found.’”

Work

Theresa Torres presents Midlife Job Loss: 5 Tips to Bouncing Back posted at man-o-pause, saying, “Losing a job in midlife can lead to a loss of self-worth and self-confidence, but by looking at the experience positively you can bounce back more quickly with the help of these tips.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of baby boomers blog carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Remember, when you submit an article, please fill in the Category and Remark Fields to add your own description of your post. Please Submit only ONE Article per Carnival, multiple articles Will Not Be Accepted.

Since this is a community endeavour, please feel free to advise me through comments or my contact form if there is something you think I can do to improve the Carnival.

If you are reading this on Senior-Zen: It is STOLEN CONTENT from Baby Boomers US

You may also want to join the Baby Boomers US Forum for conversations by Baby Boomers about topics important to Baby Boomers!

A Short Story About Long Term Care

Joe Hauckes — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:12:52 +0000

The real BBUS post can be found here… A Short Story About Long Term Care by Joe Hauckes © Baby Boomers U. S. (The Blog) . Not on Senior Zen!
Iframe support required to view this content.A few years ago, December 19, 2006 to be exact, my Mom died. Then my Pop died 13 weeks to the day after Mom on a Tuesday in March.

The weird part is that Pop was born on December 25, 1920 and Mom was born on March 23 a few years later, she would never admit to what year exactly. ( More weird, all three boys in the family were born in March and the only girl was born in December.)

Anyway, when Mom died, it was kind of sudden. We had no idea that anything was wrong . She fell asleep in her lounge chair, as was the norm, and in the morning she was gone. My little sis, Karen and I handled things so that Pop could grieve without having to deal with all of the funeral arrangements etc.

I didn’t mention it before, but I had to tell Pop that Mom died while he was in the hospital dealing with pneumonia. Not a good thing to tell your old man when he’s not doing too well himself, let me tell ya.

Afer we buried Mom, we brought Pop home and he seemed to be doing fairly well. Or so we thought.

Karen and I went home and ‘lil sis stayed on helping Pop. Sis dealt with Pop along with working a full time job and raising her own daughter as long as possible. When it got to be too much for her to deal with every day, seven days a week, she called me to help her out.

I went down to the house to help out. Since I work mostly online and do remote computer consulting, it was not taking away from my job too much as long as I had an internet connection.

Where is all this leading you may ask.

We had to take Pop to the bathroom, help him get dressed, stand behind him going up and down the steps… it even got to the point of having to change his diaper. Pop only lived 13 weeks after Mom died, but imagine if he had lived 13 more years.

We weren’t prepared for any of this. Care for the elderly is a lot of work and should be done by professionals. We can provide all the Love they need, but leave the in home care to the people who know how to deal with it.

I think it is time for us to stop procrastinating and start preparing so that our kids don’t have to worry about us. Let them take care of the grandkids, not us.

This is a sponsored post.

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Monday Musings for Baby Boomers – Sauerkraut

Joe Hauckes — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:52:14 +0000

The real BBUS post can be found here… Monday Musings for Baby Boomers – Sauerkraut by Joe Hauckes © Baby Boomers U. S. (The Blog) . Not on Senior Zen!

Smile!

Monday has always been a little bit of a let down, what with it being the beginning of the work week and all.

So to start things out on a bright note for the week, I bring you the…

Baby Boomers Monday Musings.

Sauerkraut

A doctor started an affair with his nurse. Shortly after this started, she announced that she was pregnant.

Not wanting his wife to find out, he gave her a large amount on money and asked her to go out of the country, to Germany, to wait out her pregnancy and have the baby over there.

“But, how will you know when our baby is born?” she asked.

“Well, he said, “after you’ve had the baby, just send me a post card and write ‘sauerkraut’ on the back.”

Not knowing what else to do, she took the money and went off to Germany.

Six months went by. Then one day the doctor’s wife called him at the office. “Dear, you received a very strange post card in the mail today,” she explained. “I don’t understand what it means!”

“Just wait till I get home and I’ll read it,” he replied. Later that evening, the doctor came home and read his post card which read:

“SAUERKRAUT, SAUERKRAUT, SAUERKRAUT, TWO WITH WIENERS, ONE WITHOUT!!!”

Hope that put a little smile on your face and Keep On Smilin’

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Keeping your smile bright: Tips for selecting dental coverage

Joe Hauckes — Sun, 06 May 2012 11:09:18 +0000

The real BBUS post can be found here… Keeping your smile bright: Tips for selecting dental coverage by Joe Hauckes © Baby Boomers U. S. (The Blog) . Not on Senior Zen!

This is a Guest Post by Ross Blair, CEO of PlanPrescriber. If you would like to Guest Post for Baby Boomers US, check out our Guest Post for Us page.

When I was growing up it was very common for people in their late sixties, early seventies to have dentures. But today, people are living longer and healthier lives, and older adults are more likely to keep their teeth for a lifetime than they were even a decade ago.

But, as most Medicare beneficiaries know, “Original Medicare” (Parts A and B) does not provide routine or preventive dental insurance coverage. Of course, there are some limited exceptions. For example, if a beneficiary has a medical emergency that involves teeth, original Medicare may cover those emergency costs, depending on what services are needed and who performs them.

But, when it comes to keeping your smile bright, the traditional dental coverage most people are accustomed to — cleanings, fillings, crowns and dentures — are not a part of basic Medicare coverage. Some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans do bundle in dental coverage, but not all of them.

For that reason, many Medicare beneficiaries purchase stand-alone dental insurance coverage. However, dental insurance is generally not as comprehensive as traditional major medical coverage so it’s important to do your homework before purchasing a plan.

Here are some things Medicare beneficiaries should keep in mind:

Medicare supplement insurance plans don’t provide dental insurance coverage. If you have a medical emergency that involves your teeth, routinely Medicare Parts A and B (Original Medicare) may cover those emergency costs, depending on what services you need and who performs them. And, if Original Medicare covers your procedure, a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan is more likely to cover your out-of-pocket costs for that emergency. But, that supplement will not cover preventive dental services like cleanings, fillings and crowns.

Some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans provide dental coverage. Many Medicare Advantage plans routinely provide benefits like dental and vision coverage. So, if you’re on a Medicare Advantage plan or considering enrolling in one, check to see if the plan provides routine or preventive dental coverage before you buy a separate dental insurance policy.

Be sure your dentist takes your plan. If you have a preferred dentist, find out what plans they accept before you enroll in a plan. Websites like eHealthInsurance, and the licensed agents in their call center, can help you search for plans with your dentist in them. Stand-alone dental insurance policies are typically going to give you a far better price for services performed by dentists in their network. Almost all policies use a tiered cost-sharing system, and you pay the least out of pocket for services when you use a dentist from the plan’s network.

Read the fine print. Most stand-alone dental insurance plans have cost-sharing requirements (co-pays, deductibles and coinsurance) so you should be sure you know how much you’ll spend for regular checkups or emergency dental work not covered by Medicare. And, expensive procedures like crowns and root canals may be subject to higher deductibles and co-payments than routine cleanings or fillings, depending on the plan you have.

Cosmetic dental surgery is almost never covered. Medicare beneficiaries should not expect an individually purchased dental insurance plan to provide coverage for cosmetic or elective procedures like teeth whitening or dental implants. There may be plans out there that provide those benefits, but they’re not the norm.

Only buy what you need. If you’re over age 65, chances are you don’t need braces. And, if you don’t need braces, don’t waste money on a plan that covers them. Stand-alone dental insurance policies come in all shapes and sizes. Some plans cover everything from braces to cleanings, while others cover a more limited set of benefits. Skipping the plans that offer dental benefits you don’t need could save you money.

Don’t wait for problems to arise. If you want to buy dental insurance on Monday and have major dental surgery on Tuesday, you may be disappointed. Most dental insurance plans have waiting periods for any major dental work so don’t procrastinate.

Selecting the medical coverage that’s best for you can seem overwhelming. But with a little time and research, you can find the dental plan that best fits your needs. And that’s something to smile about.

About the Author: Ross Blair is President and CEO of Plan Prescriber, Inc., a leading provider of comparison tools and educational materials for Medicare-related insurance products.

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This Weeks Good Reads-Week One Hundred thirty-nine

Joe Hauckes — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:41:33 +0000

The real BBUS post can be found here… This Weeks Good Reads-Week One Hundred thirty-nine by Joe Hauckes © Baby Boomers U. S. (The Blog) . Not on Senior Zen!
Every week I come across an article or two that I find very helpful to me as a Baby Boomer and think may be of some interest to you, the community, as well.

Enjoy!

Family Duties can threaten retirement by Craig Brimhall… When is it time to think of yourself and your money when it comes to retirement instead of your kids and your parents? Some words of advice from the experts regarding your retirement funds.

Slogans embraced by baby boomers a few years ago by Carrier Slocomb… Feeling a little down about the way things are going in your daily life? Try thinking and using a few of the slogans we used to use when things were bad and we were mad enough to try to change the world.

I hope you found this weeks choice(s) helpful and enjoyable. What did you think? Do you have any suggestions for next week?

If you are reading this on Senior-Zen: It is STOLEN CONTENT from Baby Boomers US

You may also want to join the Baby Boomers US Forum for conversations by Baby Boomers about topics important to Baby Boomers!