Contemporary and Cool Defines Today's Boomerized Home: Increases Home Value While Saving You Tens of Thousands on Long-term Care

Universal design meets style at bath, kitchen show in Las Vegas

Boomers 50 years old and up account for 45 percent of remodels done in The U.S.A. today, according to the National Association of Homebuilders.  The money to remodel the kitchen, bath or the whole house in many cases comes courtesy of the equity in a home in which one has lived at least 20 years. The method by which this happens is called reverse mortgage. The person taking out the equity is the owner/occupant of the house. The cash allows Boomers to age in a cool place until such time they decide to move.  Meantime, the home continues to go up in value thanks to the visit-ability created by the renovations, and opens the door to other Boomers looking for unique home features that suit their vibrant lifestyles and frees them up to pursue life's other passions with the huge savings realized by not having to be in a restrictive environment like assisted living or nursing home.

View our photo galleries of accessible bathrooms, accessible kitchens, accessible laundry, work rooms and offices, accessible living spaces and outdoor living and access.

New Product Recalls Issued This Week

Bottled Water Recall
Recalled Lots Include Water Distributed During Recovery Effort in Clinton
Officials at the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) announced that test results on a sample taken from certain lots of Mountain Pure bottled drinking water show the presence of biological contamination.

The company has announced a voluntary recall of lots marked with a four-digit time code. The time code is written in military time, and the affected time period is from 2200 through 0400. This is etched into the plastic bottle. Also included is an expiration date code that says either Best By 2-27-2013 MPWA or Best By 2-28-2013 MPWA. These are bottles of purified drinking water in the 16.9 fl. oz. (506 ml.) size. ADH is recommending that anyone who might have purchased or received any of this bottled water dispose of it or return it to the point of purchase.
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm254580.htm

Donuts
Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc. Announces Voluntary Regional Recall Of Entenmann’s Bagged Pop’ems Donuts And Bimbo 8 Pack Donitas Donuts Due To Off-Smell And Possible Mold Growth. http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm255026.htm

Light Bulbs
Telstar Recalls Energy-Saving Light Bulbs Due to Fire Hazard
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11219.html

Vanilla Bean Paste
Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall for Specific Lot of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm255713.htm

If you missed last week's recalls you can read them here

Subscribe to the Senior Wellness Specialists Blog to get up-to-date information on product recalls and other information of value, especially to people 55 and older.

Accessible Bathrooms to Age in Place

Every year, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The Unites States Department of Health and Human Services, thousands of seniors injure themselves in their own bathrooms. Many of those injuries occur while bathing or showering. Seniors report it's gotten to the point they dread going into their own bathrooms. A curb to access the shower must be stepped over. Some experience claustrophobia in the shower area and now avoid taking a shower. Slipping and falling and not having anyone there to pick them is a major fear. Once not a problem, turning on the water or lights are reported difficult tasks for them.  If you live alone and don't have plans to go into an assisted living facility, you should consider making your bathroom safe and functional without sacrificing elegance.

Companies that specialize in retrofitting bathrooms can recommend a variety of solutions such as non-slip tiles, curbless entry to your shower, in-shower, built-in bench, specialty showering apparatus, wide doorway for easy access, touch-only sensor faucets and a wide variety of other solutions to make your bathroom more accessible.

View our photo galleries of accessible bathrooms, accessible kitchens, accessible laundry, work rooms and offices, accessible living spaces and outdoor living and access.

Seniors: Staying Safe Behind the Wheel

A breakdown on the road is inconvenient and becomes a bigger issue as we age. Before heading out on the road following these simple tips and rules:

• Let your family or friends know your daily routine; where you drive to regularly. 
• If you’re going out of your daily routine; be sure to tell a family member or friend.  
• Carry a cell phone ensure it’s fully charged and ensure you have emergency contact names and phone numbers listed.
• Sign up for roadside assistance in case of emergencies.
• Keep the phone number of your auto repair shop facility in your cell phone or in your car.
• If you’re taking a long trip, have your auto service facility perform a quick check of fluids, lights, horn, battery and tire pressure. Include in your vehicle: a flashlight, gallon of water, blanket and first ad kit.

A little preparation and preventive maintenance will greatly reduce the chances of a mechanical breakdown and keep you safe.

This tip was brought to you by our Senior Wellness Specialists Guest Blogger, Joe Marconi.

Joe Marconi is an ASE-Certified technician and owner of Osceola Garage, serving Putnam and Northern Westchester County, New York.  Osceola Garage never compromises on quality, training or equipment and offers you only the best in automotive car care.

Tele Caregiving: Video Caregiving Service

Here's another question from our mailbag.
Q. Two thousand miles separate us from my parents. We want to be a part of their lives and make them feel they're not alone, and we need a smart way to connect with them on a daily basis to make sure they're safe and stay healthy. How does your 24-7 video communication work? Do you provide a daily summary of their activities? How does the monitoring system work in an emergency?

A. We have a large population of graying people, and a shrinking population of caregivers. Boomers whose parents have beginning stages of Alzheimer's or dementia and other health issues need help now. Being proactive is smart. Don't let distance prevent you from being there for them. Stop feeling guilty.

Telecaregiving is an effective way to prevent trouble down the road, and it’s even a way to help with mundane daily activities like preparing breakfast and reminding parents to take their medication. “Wired” homes keep tabs on Mom and Dad, and it’s a sensible approach to making them feel like they're not alone. Telecaregiving lets them feel someone is always around: whether it's you or a friendly face and voice of the telecaregiver who's monitoring daily activities.

Interactive video communication is common in an era of Skype. People are used to staying in touch with far-flung relatives and friends. Say Mom or Dad is in poor health and you're not able to be there in person. Strategically positioned cameras (you don't notice them, yet they are always scanning and tilting) are mounted in the ceilings and a telecaregiver monitors every move throughout the home. In the kitchen. In hallways. Always keeping track of a person's daily activities. If Mom or Dad has been in the bathroom too long, a relative or friend is notified immediately. The telecaregiver is a constant companion, often joining Mom or Dad at mealtime and engaging them in conversation or reminding them about taking their medications. They become good friends.

Family is central to the service. Loved ones are connected daily. At dinner, baby boomers join their parents at the dining room table to share a meal and catch up on things. Detailed activity information is provided for use by loved ones on a private web site. The service helps provide relief to a spouse whose better half requires constant care. At their age, being the full-time caregiver can be exhausting; a burden that is mitigated thanks to cameras that allow them to leave the house to mingle with friends or attend to personal needs. It takes the pressure off.

Concerns over privacy are quickly allayed when one stops to ponder what would happen in the event Mom/Dad breaks a leg, ankle, arm or worse has a heart attack or stroke. Boomers and their parents who would otherwise be overwhelmed with the duties associated with getting parents back to health quickly learn to appreciate the service.

Ask your wellness questions on aging. Our panel of experts will answer all questions, from the government's role in taking care of seniors to family and sources to help make the transition. Please send your question to info@seniorwellnessspecialists.com

Product Recalls: Grape Tomaotes

Grape Tomato Recall Widens to include the following:

Six L's, Taylor Farms Pacific, Mastradoni Produce (which includes Aldi "From the Vine" Grape Tomatoes, Sunset Grape Tomatoes and Trader Joe's Splendido Little Tomatoes), Del Monte Vegetable Trays that include Grape Tomatoes, Safeway Kabobs made with Grape Tomatoes

All due to possible contamination with Salmonella.

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm253995.htm
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm254610.htm
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm254064.htm

Also this week we are alerted to a recall of Chives:
Goodness Gardens, Inc. Recalls Chives Lot # 0201111 because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The Chives were distributed in NY, NJ, CT, MA, PA, MD, AL, IL, and VA through retail stores primarily and one wholesaler in PA.   The Chives were distributed in various plastic clamshell containers: 0.25 oz. (UPC 0 21985 20005 6), 2/3 oz.
(UPC 0 21985 10004 2), in 1 lb. bags, and ½ oz. twist tie bunches. Consumers are urged not to consume the above lot. Consumers who purchased this item are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions can contact Goodness Gardens, Inc. at 845-355-4757, Mon – Fri 9am - 4pm EDT with any questions.

Subscribe to the Senior Wellness Specialists Blog to get up-to-date information on product recalls and other information of value, especially to people 55 and older.

Brooding Boomer Exits Fortune 100, to discover pension and health insurance to be a bust

“Beer-money,” is the way Ray (a childhood friend visiting his elderly parents and me in Florida recently) describes the severance package he got. Caught off guard and let go from a middle-management position after 25 years at one of the world’s premier aircraft manufacturers (the name of which he asked not to have mentioned), at age 55 Ray finds himself unprepared for the challenges that lie ahead in the next leg of his life—which, according to the census, could be another 30 years.

With about three hundred thousand in savings—most Americans didn’t start saving feverishly until after the most recent economic meltdown occurred 5 years ago and most underestimated corporate America’s insatiable appetite to broadly slash jobs—and a $40,000 pension and six weeks of health insurance starting from his last day of work, Ray is at a crossroads.

Ray isn’t spendthrift; he still drives his 10 year-old Tacoma, lives in his paid-for house, no one but himself to be responsible for, and is in good health. What concerns him most, however, is uncertainty over his future health. He‘d never really addressed the need for long-term care. Even though new health insurance kicks in after his current policy expires, he knows it won’t cover long-term care.

At least 70 percent of people over 65 will require some long-term care services at some point in their lives. And, contrary to what many people believe, Medicare and private health insurance programs don’t pay for the majority of long-term care services. Many states’ departments of elder affairs estimate that a semi-private nursing home room is close to $126,000 a year. Fortunately for Ray, there are other options besides senior living facilities. Staying in your own home is one such option.

At age 55 and in good health, Ray is purchasing enough long-term care insurance that’s affordable even on what he calls his beer-money pension. (Most long-term care policies are sold to Boomers between the age of 46 and 58.) More than a long-term care insurance policy, it represents a turning point where peace of mind is critical to his well-being. Control over how and where and when he will use the benefits is important to him. It means being able to one day use funds to retrofit his “man-crib” with the latest high tech gadgetry that will allow him to work and mature in a home he has come to love. With the savings he realizes from the policy, he also will be able to receive wellness care at home. It represents a lifestyle change many of us will soon have to face, if we’re to enjoy a life-time of wellness and health.

What will be your defining moment? And how will you react to your ever-changing needs? For Ray, the unexpected early exit from corporate America, though a surprise to him, is manageable. Being able to talk through the matter with a professional certainly helps. Will you be able to turn lemons into lemonade for a lifetime of fulfillment if it happens to you?

Turns out a life-long passion of Ray’s has been to captain a yacht and travel the Pacific, when he wants and for as long as he wants.

Senior Wellness Specialists was there for Ray and is here to help you reinvent yourself, stay healthy and live longer, all on your terms.

Andy Berger

Andy Berger is the president of Senior Wellness Specialists, a lifestyle and healthcare services company offering Universal Design and Senior Concierge services for all stages of life.