AARP » Correy Robertson

AARP's Revamped Retirement Calculator!

Correy Robertson — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 13:42:03 +0000

The fact is, many American’s retirement accounts took a hit during difficult economic times – leaving many people wondering if retirement was still even an option. Are you one of those people with questions about your retirement? When can you retire? What do you need to do in order to get there? Are you saving enough? How long will the money you have saved last once you do retire?
You aren’t alone – millions of people out there have the same questions, and AARP has launched a brand new retirement calculator to help you find the answers to all of your questions and feel more comfortable knowing where your financial future stands.
You may be thinking that you’ve tried out retirement calculators before – but they were either too simple and inaccurate leaving you feeling confused, or too complex, requiring a ton of information that you may not have readily available. The AARP Retirement Calculator strikes a balance between those two extremes, keeping users engaged while providing you with ample information.
New features of the AARP Retirement Calculator include the ability to develop a retirement plan for a dual-income home, calculate and include individual Social Security benefit estimates as a part of retirement income, easy to navigate tabs, easy to understand explanation of where an individual is currently at in their retirement planning and the ability to experiment with various retirement scenarios to create a plan that is right for each individual. When you’re finished, you’ll find links to a number of AARP resources to learn more about Social Security, financial planning and health care in retirement.
Retirement should be a goal to look forward to…not one to dread.

The Latest News on Alzheimer's

Correy Robertson — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:59:44 +0000

Here is a noteworthy post from TIME.com’s “Healthland” section: this one on Alzheimer’s Disease and California First Lady Maria Shriver’s report (The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Takes on Alzheimer’s), which shows that Alzheimer’s is largely a woman’s problem. According to the TIME piece, two-thirds of those suffering from Alzheimer’s are women. Add to that the immense number of women who are caretakers of Alzheimer’s patients, and your grand total of American women affected by the disease: 10 million.
This other article on Alzheimer’s from TIME last week says that experts estimate that a 65-year-old has a 10 percent chance of developing the disease. That’s a pretty alarming statistic, especially given the “78 million baby boomers reaching peak age for diagnosis in the next few years.” Not only is that a lot of people who will be affected by the disease physically and emotionally, but Alzheimer’s is poised to burden our health care system financially.
The Shriver Report pays a particular focus to unpaid caregivers – who are usually family members – of Alzheimer’s patients, point out that in addition to just dealing with the stress of caring for a loved one, their own health and health care costs tend to rise due to that stress.
It’s a topic worth engaging in. Is your family affected by Alzheimer’s disease? Are you a caregiver for a patient? You’re definitely not alone.

Rest in Peace, Barbara Billingsley!

Correy Robertson — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:53:52 +0000

Barbara Billingsley, best known as the “ever-sweet, ever-helpful suburban stay-at-home mom,” June Cleaver from Leave it to Beaver, passed away on Saturday in her home at the age of 94. A family spokesperson says that Billingsley died of polymyalgia, a rheumatoid disease. Her family says that she had been suffering from the illness and in poor health in recent years.
Billingsley played the well-known June Cleaver from 1957-1963 (and of course in decades of reruns), and admitted 40 years later that June Cleaver was a “picture-perfect” reflection of the times, wearing pearls and high heels to baking cookies and maintaining the Cleaver household pristinely. But June was also no pushover, and remains famous to this day with uncountable references to her in pop culture. Billingsley is quoted as saying she would never take part in a role that would poke fun at June: “She’s been too good to me to play anything like that,” she said.
Following Leave it to Beaver, played a role in the movie Airplane!, and then had several guest appearances on TV shows like Mork and Mindy, Roseanne, and Murphy Brown.
Check out the video below from CNN – Don Lemon talks to Tony Dow, who played June’s son Wally about the loss of an American TV treasure:
http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=showbiz/2010/10/16/nr.bpr.billingsley.dow.cnn
Jerry Mathers, who played Beaver, released a statement with nothing but praise and admiration for Billingsley as well: “She will live in the hearts of her fans as a wonderful actress and be remembered by her friends as a gracious lady. Barbara was a patient advisor and teacher. She helped me along this challenging journey through life by showing me the importance of manners, and respect for others. She will be deeply missed by all of her family, friends, fans and most especially by me.”
Well said, Beaver. Did (or do you still) watch Billingsley perfectly portray June Cleaver of the hit show?

Have you taken a walk today?

Correy Robertson — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:58:30 +0000

If not, you should think about getting up and doing so. I came across this blog post from the LA Times today reporting on a study published yesterday by the Journal of Neurology. The study showed that not only does walking improve physical health (we all knew that part, right?), but it may also help to maintain cognitive function and memory for years!
The study followed 299 men and women with an average age of 78 over a period of nine years. Even after controlling for factors like gender, age, race and BMI, the study found that the more participants walked at the beginning of a study, the greater their brain function was nine years later.
This study just shows another reason exercise – particularly walking in midlife – is a smart addition to your daily routine. The study showed that about 6-9 miles of walking per week seemed to provide the most benefits. And the lead researcher, Kirk Erickson of the University of Pittsburgh said it best: “If regular exercise in midlife could improve brain health and improve thinking and memory in later life, it would be one more reason to make regular exercise in people of all ages a public health imperative.”
So, have you taken a walk today?

How to Eat Your Halloween Decorations

Correy Robertson — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 10:27:42 +0000

No, I’m not talking about the cardboard witch you have hanging on your window. I’m talking about none other than the lovely pumpkin you’ll be carving (if you haven’t already) for Halloween this year.
This funny (and useful!) article by Jeff Yeager gives you fantastic ideas when turning your jack-o-lantern into something tasty, whether it be pumpkin cider bisque or even a pumpkin milkshake. On top of that, pumpkins are also good for your health:
While some varieties of pumpkins are specifically grown to be eaten and are a little meatier and tastier (including sweet Jack Be Littles, Cheese Pumpkins, sugar pumpkins and some delicious heirloom varieties), any commonly available pumpkin is edible. Pumpkins are a true American vegetable, a favorite of Native Americans before becoming a staple of early European explorers and settlers in the New World. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, pumpkins are packed with beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant that fights cancer.
Enjoy!

The Power of Nurses

Correy Robertson — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 11:51:15 +0000

AARP has a great piece from yesterday about just how helpful nurse practitioners are in keeping patients healthy across the country. There are even hundreds of clinics nationwide that are fully staffed with nurses. Doctors are always preferred, but nurses can often be just as effective as treating a person when the doc’s away, Here’s a snippet:
“Nurse practitioners can deal with about 80 percent of the problems that show up in primary care settings,” says Marla Salmon, ScD, RN, FAAN, dean of nursing at the University of Washington. “Allowing advanced practice nurses to do what they do well improves efficiency and increases access to health care. And when nurse practitioners encounter a problem they can’t deal with, they can refer patients to the appropriate doctor.”
In a report released today called “Leading Change, Advancing Health,” the Institute of Medicine and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation outlines the many ways in which nurses are key to solving many of the challenges facing health care. “Given their education, experience, and unique perspectives and the centrality of their role in providing care, nurses will play a significant role in the transformation of the health care system,” the report states.
It’s really great to see nurses get their dues; they certainly deserve it. Check out the rest.

A Few Tuesday Health Tips

Correy Robertson — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 13:37:37 +0000

I’m always on the lookout for what the latest studies show in terms of how to stay healthy, how to lose weight, how to boost your metabolism… and if you read any news at all, you’re bound to find at least one of those stories every day. Sometimes, studies seem like they were unnecessary (Study Shows Exercise Helps You Shed Pounds!), but the one that is all over the news today may actually provide some good advice – and make me feel less guilty for hitting the hay before 10pm.
A study done by researchers from the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin-Madison found an association between less sleep and a decrease in fat loss. Experts say the findings of this small scale study are very significant because few studies have looked at the relationship between sleep and metabolism. It also makes sense that the longer you’re awake, the more chance you have to feel hungry and act on that feeling.
Just another reason to make sure I squeeze in as many hours at night as possible!
While I was perusing that article, I found this one from Time; as someone who knows she eats too much salt but just can’t help it, this was really interesting for me. According to the article, potassium is the “good salt” and if you eat enough of it, it is equivalent to cutting out some of the “bad salt.” Check out the story to see what foods – besides bananas – can help you maintain health levels of salt in your body.

Vitamins 101 for the 50+ Diet

Correy Robertson — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 10:47:18 +0000

For those of you who are over 50 and are clueless about what vitamins you should be taking (I’ll admit I’m a culprit), you definitely want to check out this neat tool that AARP created so you can see what vitamins are important for your dietary needs:
The best way to get crucial vitamins and minerals is through healthy foods, so for a completely well-nourished person, supplements may be a waste of money. But for people over age 50, even the best diet may not provide enough of some important nutrients. “How many of us can claim to be getting the full complement of what we need from our diet each day?” says Meir Stampfer, M.D., professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard University.
Just remember: Supplements can cause side effects, so you also want to talk to your doctor about vitamins and supplements to take, especially if you have any illnesses.

Elder Mediation Helps Quarreling Siblings Find Middle Ground

Correy Robertson — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:24:59 +0000

As much as you may love your sibling(s), issues involving your aging parents often lead to arguments — and even sometimes serious altercations within the family. Check out AARP’s article on a new form of family problem-solving, elder mediation, that helps siblings see eye to eye when trying to figure out what’s best for their parents:
At an impasse, the family turned to elder mediation. In this fast-growing field, a trained, neutral conflict-resolution professional–sometimes an attorney or therapist–meets with adult siblings and, if they’re alive and able, their parents, to sort out contentious or unresolved issues relating to Mom and Dad. The mediator’s job is to defuse the situation and keep the group focused on their common goal: to come up with the best possible outcome for a parent they all love and to preserve family relationships. Everyone gets to talk (or vent or cry) and problem-solve to reach an agreement. In some situations, an elder law attorney, financial planner, caregiver or geriatric care manager also attends to lend his or her expertise.
I bet more people need this than they’d like to admit. Check out the rest.

Know Thy Neighbor (and how they can improve your life)

Correy Robertson — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 10:42:16 +0000

After recently resolving longstanding argument with my neighbor, I appreciate this article more than ever. AARP Peter Lovenheim has a great piece on the importance of neighbors and how they can be allies — especially after retirement:
A few years ago, I decided to make a concerted effort to get to know the people who live on my block. In the course of doing so, I came to the firm conclusion that there are important reasons for all of us to do this — especially as we age. The older we get, the more likely we are to live alone — and the greater our risk of some kind of emergency. In an emergency, a friend even 10 minutes away may be a friend too far. Sometimes, only the person next door or across the street is close enough to help.
Beyond that, neighbors can enrich our lives — particularly in retirement when people have more time on their hands. There is a real pleasure in having unplanned conversations with folks nearby. It’s a special kind of connection that coffee dates don’t quite replace. And neighbors may have something of value to contribute to your life: Maybe it’s just borrowing a lawn mower, exchanging a recipe or offering to give a piano lesson to a visiting grandchild. These are advantages we never know about until we actually get to know our neighbors and to say more to them besides, “Hello, how are you?”
Check out the rest for five great tips on how to strengthen your neighborhood ties.