Unless unless a “do not resuscitate” bracelet comes in one of only two forms in Wisconsin, it’s no more than jewelry in emergencies when it matters most, the Appleton Post-Crescent reports.

According to the article, Wisconsin residents have a choice between two styles of bracelets to identify themselves as having a do-not-resuscitate order in settings outside of hospitals or other care facilities. Only a physician can issue the written order.

The plastic version resembles a hospital ID band and includes an official insert containing the Wisconsin logo and physician’s name, business telephone number and signature.

The metal bracelet displays the internationally recognized symbol Staff of Aesculapius on the front and the words “Wisconsin-Do-Not-Resuscitate-EMS” and the qualified patient’s name engraved on the back. There is room on the back to add other health concerns and MedicAlert’s 24-hour emergency phone number. The bracelet is ordered by the patient’s physician through MedicAlert.

Order forms for either bracelet can be obtained from a physician, or ordered from the state Department of Health Services by calling (608) 266-1568. Those who cannot afford the required MedicAlert membership can receive financial assistance.

Other bracelets — such as those purchased from engraving shops, pharmacies or elsewhere — generally serve legitimate purposes, such as identifying allergies, medications and medical conditions like epilepsy or diabetes. Only the “do not resuscitate” bracelets need be “official,” the newspaper article said.

Read more in the Appleton Post-Crescent.

Read more about DNR and MedicAlert bracelets from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

“Many insurance plans here allow some adult children to stay on their parents’ plans if they are in school, but a provision in the state budget, passed in June, significantly extends the benefit,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel explains.

Starting Jan.1, plans will have to allow most children under 27 to stay on their parents’ coverage even if they aren’t students, according to a rule issued by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner clarifying the new law.

Gov. Jim Doyle said the change was needed to help parents whose kids are unemployed, work at jobs that don’t offer benefits or take a year off from school.

The article also explains that if the adult children are unmarried and have kids of their own, the youngsters also would be covered.

Parents who put children who are 25 or 26 onto their plans would pay about $1,600 more a year in income taxes because of federal tax rules, according to the Journal Sentinel.

About 20 states require insurance to offer what are sometimes called “slacker plans” to extend coverage to adult children. Congress is currently debating a federal law that would require all insurers to do so, as reported in The New York Times.

“Supporters of the provision cite studies showing that young adults, including recent college graduates, are less likely to have health insurance than older adults, either because they do not have access to employer-sponsored plans, or because they are young and healthy and do not believe insurance is a necessary expense,” the New York Times wrote. Additional premiums would apply.

What do you think — would you extend your adult child’s health insurance coverage under your policy, and if so, would you cover the extra premium cost? Please comment.

For more information on health insurance:

• Wisconsin Guide to Finding Health Insurance Coverage
• Insurance 101, A Guide to Insurance Basics for College Students from the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance

Higher debt levels, fewer pensions, the need for health benefits – and maybe even because it’s good for one’s health – are some of the reasons people are working longer. A Pew Research Center report released in September found that nearly four in 10 adults who are working past the median retirement age of 62 say the recession has delayed their retirement.

Among workers age 50 to 61, 63 percent say they may have to work longer. In fact, most of the growth in the U.S. labor force over the next seven years is expected to be among workers 55 and older.

But as the Times reports, finding a new job in this environment is another challenge. Unemployed older workers stay out of work longer — 36.5 weeks on average, 40 percent longer than for the unemployed in general.

Wisconsin job seekers may have an easier time, as the unemployment rate fell across the state in September and skilled workers are in demand. (Read more in the Green Bay Press-Gazette.)

And finally, the good news is that experience is an asset. The experts say to play up generational attributes and accentuate the positive.

For more information:

Seven Deadly Sins for Older Job Seekers from AARP Bulletin Today

Tips for Older Job Seekers from CareerBuilder.com

Your Career: Tips for Older Job Seekers from MSNBC

Job and Career Resources from QuintCareers.com

Do you have any advice to offer mature job seekers? Please comment!

Some events, like the seminar “Getting Your Affairs in Order,” on Oct. 16 in Manitowoc are geared specifically toward Wisconsin baby boomers. Other workshops will focus on planning for retirement, cost-saving tips, improving one’s credit score, household budgeting, investing for beginners, Health Savings Accounts and more.

Read more in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Dollars & Sense blog or view the complete list of almost 600 events at www.moneysmartwi.org/events.

The survey also found that:

• 28 percent of those over 55 who were laid off in the last year found new jobs, compared to 71 percent of those ages 25 to 34.
• 63 percent of laid-off employees over 55 said they had applied for positions below the level of their previous jobs.
• 44 percent have been told by prospective employers that they are overqualified.

For more information on job seeking for mature workers, see:

QuintCareers.com’ s Job and Career Resources for Mature and Older Job-Seekers

AARP resources to assist mature workers

RetiredBrains.com, a site for retirees seeking part-time, temporary or full-time work

Senior Job Bank, a site for workers age 50-plus

Brown County (Wis.) Job Center resource page

Travel back in time for a retrospective 1969 slide show from The New York Times (be sure to click along the top of the page to go through the slides). For a true fix of nostalgia, view actual pages from many Wisconsin newspapers from 1969 at www.NewspaperArchives.com.

Wisconsin boomers, what stands out in your mind from 1969? Please post a comment here.

(Jimi Hendrix photo from Answer.com)

Jill Krupke worked on the line at the General Motors plant in Janesville for three decades before it closed, but at 53, she feels she’s too young to retire. Now she’s back in school at Blackhawk Technical College, learning how to use computers and participating in a five-week course to become a certified nursing assistant and phlebotomist, according to a story on Milwaukee Public Radio.

Even though hospitals and other health care organizations aren’t hiring much these days, an economic recovery will open up a variety of positions as older workers retire.

“Healthcare workers are currently in demand in Wisconsin. The demand now is nothing compared to what the future demands are projected to be. The total number of 65-year-olds will surpass the number of 18-year-olds by 2016 and medical technology is constantly improving and lengthening lives,” according to the Wisconsin AHEC Health Careers Information Center.

For more information, see the list of health care careers, Wisconsin educational institutions, and programs and resources.

Many boomers, who ranged in age from 5 to 23 when Apollo 11 landed on the moon 40 years ago today — on July 17, 1969 — recall watching the momentous event on television.

“It really gave me a lifelong interest in space travel and the stars,” David Niles, a 52-year-old Wauwatosa resident, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

He was one of several Wisconsinites who shared their memories of the “giant leap for mankind” in today’s Journal Sentinel. One of them, Sam Freeman, was involved with monitoring Apollo 11’s navigation system from GM’s AC Electronics division in Oak Creek. “We were on pins and needles in the monitoring room and then [Neil Armstrong] finally said, ‘The Eagle has landed.’ We felt real good about the whole thing,” Freeman said.

Read more Apollo 11 memories in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Read about how Sen. John McCain, Sally Ride and others remember that day (USA Weekend)

Take USA Weekend’s Moon Landing Quiz

Where were you when Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon? Share your memories here.

On the other hand, those who delay their benefits until age 70 will collect as much as a third more each month. A retiree who would receive $1,000 a month at full retirement age would collect just $750 at age 62 — or $1,320 a month at age 70, The New York Times explains.

Those born from 1943 to 1954 are eligible to receive benefits at age 66. “For people who choose to defer benefits until age 66, it generally takes about 12 more years to collect as much as if you started getting checks at 62,” according to the Times article, meaning that the “break even” age will be 78.

In a way, financial planners say, deciding how to time the start of Social Security benefits depends upon whether people plan for a long life — and that is, of course, what they recommend.

Still working? That will influence the decision as well. AARP explains the limits of how much workers can earn and still collect benefits.

For more information:

AARP.org: Social Security Benefits

Social Security Retirement Benefits Estimator

AnalyzeNow.com

And — for fun — if you want to know, that is:

What’s My Real Age? quiz

We want to hear from you. How will you determine when to collect Social Security benefits? Please share your thoughts below.

“As we get older, our sleep patterns change,” according to WebMD. “In general, older people sleep less, experience more fragmented sleep, and spend less time in stages 3 and 4 and REM sleep (for example, deep sleep and dream sleep) than younger people. However, regardless of your age, good restorative sleep is essential to physical health and emotional well-being.”

To improve the quantity — and quality — of sleep, RealAge.com offers the following tips from the National Sleep Foundation:

• Get up and go to bed at the same time each day, even on weekends. A regular sleep schedule helps you get better sleep and can even improve your mood.
• Tidy up. Coming back to an unmade bed and messy room at night can be stressful. Which is the last thing you want when you’re trying to wind down.
• Create a sleep oasis. Is your bedroom calm and comfortable? Everything from the paint color on your walls to the quality of your pillow can affect your sleep.
• Switch to decaf in the afternoon. It takes hours for the effects of caffeine to wear off, so try to have your last cup 6–8 hours before bedtime. Try peppermint or lemon tea for a pick-me-up that won’t keep you up later.
• Get some exercise. Working out regularly has been shown to help you sleep better and longer. Late afternoon is an ideal time. Before beginning or modifying an exercise program, consult with your doctor.
• Stock up on bedtime snacks. Small portions of high-carb foods like bread or cereal, or foods that contain tryptophan, like bananas, milk or peanuts can help induce sleep.
• Leave work at work. Before you leave work, make a to-do list for tomorrow. It will help keep your mind clear when you’re trying to sleep.
• Take a warm bath. A bath can be a relaxing nighttime ritual. Just be sure to cool off before you get into bed. Cool temperatures are better for sleep.
• Skip the nightcap. Alcoholic beverages may help you fall asleep; they also make it harder to stay asleep. Wind down with some herbal tea instead.
• Don’t work in bed. Or watch TV or eat or sort through your mail. Your bed should be associated only with sleep and relaxation.
• Use the 30 minute rule. If you can’t fall asleep within a half hour, get up. Go to another room and relax by reading or listening to music until you get sleepy.
• Breathe deep. If you still can’t sleep, try some deep breathing. Feel your stomach rise and fall. Count as you inhale and exhale. This helps you relax by placing your attention on your breath.

For more information:

National Sleep Foundation

Sleep Better: A Goodnight Guide from Tylenol PM

HelpGuide.com: Sleeping Well As We Age

Health.com: Are Sleep Problems Normal As We Get Older?