Still Clickin

Older citizens have seen a lot of new technology both come and go. Television, digital computers, digital cameras, digital anything, fax machines, scanners, the Internet, Betamax, VCR’s, DVD’s, cell phones, blackberries, iPods, and tweets. The list could go on and on.

Although it has changed, from party-line to private, rotary dial to touch tone, analog to digital, and wired to wireless, the old ‘home’ telephone has been one of the few constant technologies that has been with us throughout our lives. Telephones could always be relied upon. In the trade, they called it five-nines, i.e. 99.999%, reliable. There are no dead zones to break the connection of a wired ‘home’ phone, and it often still works whenever a house loses its electric power.

But mankind isn’t satisfied to leave things alone. So -

• wireless phones were introduced to the home. It was nice to be free of the cord, but now service is lost whenever you lose power.
• phone connections changed. New area codes, satellite and Internet connections, and fixed long distance charges have become the new standards.
• cell phones are replacing the ‘home’ phone. That social anchor called the ‘home’ phone is being abandoned for the ‘personal’ cell phone in many homes.
• payments for phone usage have never been more varied.

Although most seasoned citizens are keeping their reliable ‘home’ phone, change keeps intruding.

• In addition to the local telephone company, the cable company and others may offer the service.
• With an Internet connection, you can use skype or Vonage to route your calls directly over the Internet.
• Typically, long distance calling is bundled together with local calling for a flat monthly fee. How long you talk is no longer an issue.
• Now, you own your own phones, and you must buy and set them up yourself. The features and choices can become quite confusing.
• Internet and television services can also be bundled together with your phone service.

Most people don’t make a change until they must. If you must, however, what is a reasonable approach?

1. Service Provider -

• Because of the Internet, your choices have expanded. Often, you are not limited to the local franchise, e.g. Verizon, you can also consider other providers like Vonage, Earthlink, or Comcast.
• The simplest way to find out what choices your have for your home is to go to White Fence, a web site that searches the Internet for all of your options. All you have to do is enter your home address.
• Another search service is Connect My Phone, but is not as comprehensive.

2. Telephone Sets -Typically, you now have to buy your own phone. There are a wide variety available - wired, wireless, multi-line, answering machines, etc. To help with this decision, go to any of the price comparison sites, e.g.

• BizRate,
• NexTag, or
• Deal Time.

These sites can give you a sense of the variety available and their costs. However, if you want local support, don’t forget the local Radio Shack or Sears.

If you know that you’ll have to make a change at some time in the near future, don’t wait to do your research. The last thing you want to do is be without a phone!

NB. Click below to make a comment. Even better, expand on the original article by going to wikiSenior and clicking on ‘edit’.

Most of us picture our homes as castles or nests. Places of comfort and security. Insurance agents look at things differently. They have to. Its their job.

“Picture your own home on fire”, was the comment of an old insurance pro that had been in the field for years. “Think of all the questions that the firefighters have to answer.”

“In what part of the home did the blaze start? Are there people inside? How many trucks have responded? Are any ambulances on the way? How close are the hydrants? Is the water pressure adequate? Is there natural gas or propane at the home? Is it turned off? Are there cars, i.e. mobile gas tanks, inside the garage? Are there cars in the way on the street? Are any nearby homes threatened?”

As you envision these questions and their responses, think of the actions that you, as a homeowner, could take to prepare. It may be time to review your escape plan for every member of the family and practice it. Also -

• Do you have the fire alarm number on your speed dial list?
• Do you have a working flashlight near the bed?
• Have you put new batteries into your smoke detectors this year?
• Do you have a working fire extinguisher near the stove?
• Do you know where your gas main shutoff valve is?
• Does your assembly point still work, or have those people moved?

Also consider how your home is situated. Is there someone you can call to assess your location?

• How close are you the fire station?
• What is the water pressure like in your area?
• Can the fire engines access your home easily?

Any thought of a home fire is terrifying. The preparation necessary to develop an escape plan is sufficiently worrisome that people can put it off so that they will not have to have think about it. But that is short-sighted. A handy extinguisher or a quick exit give you options in the event of a calamity. They can help a great deal.

For more information, look at the -

• Fire Safety site,
• USFA guide, and
• NACHI check list.

Have you practiced your escape plan lately?

NB. Click below to make a comment. Even better, expand on the original article by going to WikiSenior and clicking on ‘edit’.

During these past summer months, we’ve had a number of out-of-town friends grace us with a visit (and I’ve become a lazy blogger). We’ve also been to a number of social events with local friends. We’ve even acquired new neighbors with which to share our newfound surroundings here in the Northwest. Gathering together with so many folks, we had a good chance to discuss our latest quandaries. I learned a few new things about this world of retirement that we share.

Some things may not have changed. Our joints all seem to need a bit more lubrication. Our attitudes all seem to be more flexible. Personally, I always seem to sport another new scar. But listening closely, I began to realize that a number of changes had occurred.

It’s easy to pick up on the major events, like moving, marriages, and more grandchildren. But it’s the smaller, more subtle events that are often more interesting. One friend was installing grab bars in his shower. Another has started volunteering at a local hospital. A third was playing more golf. Still another was completely restructuring all of her finances. The one common thread was change. All of these friends had encountered obstacles and were choosing their own changes to adapt to the new situation.

It made me realize how critical our talent for adaptability is and how important it is to maintain it. It can be easy to get into a comfortable groove and do the same-old, same-old everyday. But I’m beginning to realize that may be the wrong tactic. Just like we walk to keep the blood circulating, maybe we have to force changes on a regular basis to keep our adaptability honed.

These changes can be simple, e.g. starting to use that new technical gizmo, charting new paths for the daily strut, rearranging the furniture, or launching a new project or activity. But change for change sake may have a point after all. If it helps us to maintain our level of adaptability, the slight disruptions we encounter may be worth it. Sooner or later we may all start dancing the hesitation shuffle, i.e. trying to remember where to find the same bathroom we just visited thirty minutes ago. But those that can still adapt may solve it by installing a neon sign that says “This Way”.

Until a major health event, we all expect that our own aging will progress gradually, and that we assume that we will be able to make adaptations to cope with the process along the way. Our personal dignity is tightly bond to our independence, and making those appropriate adaptations is critical to maintaining that independence. It never occurred to me that I could lose the very ability to adapt, both mental and physical, unless I continue to exercise it.

Visit with Ronni Bennett, my blogging idol and an eminent guru on aging, to learn about her encounter with adaptability. Then visit with her contributing Geriatrician to learn how important and wonderful this talent called adaptability can be.

At the end of the day, that old line, “aging is not for wimps”, just seems to keep reasserting itself all too often. Although each of us encounters the challenges of aging differently, each of us has to make our own choices as to how we adapt. But adapt we must . . . even if that means we have to adapt our adaptability.

NB. Click below to make a comment. Even better, expand on the original article by going to wikiSenior and clicking on ‘edit’.

Because they can be used to call for help, cell phones often provide senior citizens with a sense of security and independence. Although I currently don’t choose to have one, my wife does, but it is old and has started to fade. To give me a project, she placed the search for a replacement into my hands. This is what I found in June 2009.

To make the best selection, I narrowed the search by first answering some key questions, i.e.
1. How is the phone going to be used? That choice determines both -

• the kind of phone you should pick as well as
• the type of billing plan you should select.

2. Of the major networks (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint/Nextel, T-Mobile), which provides the best signal in your immediate area?
3. Of the many service providers, which combines the best answers to the prior questions with stability, service, and price?

First, you need to pick your network. Despite all the ads, cell phone signals travel in a straight line between your phone and the nearest tower for your network. Hills and valleys matter. Don’t listen to the commercials; listen to your neighbors. Ask them which network they are using and how well it works for them. On the major highways, all of the major networks work well. However, at our last home, AT&T worked well and Verizon did not. Now, at our new home, the reverse is true. You can try this web site to assess the local terrain, but asking your neighbors is the best.

One improvement over the past year is that the networks in the USA have become more “open” as they are in the rest of the world. That means that you often don’t have to buy a new phone if it already has the technology (GSM or CDMA) that the network supports. CDMA is used by Verizon and Sprint / Nextel. GSM is used by AT&T and T-Mobile.

But if you don’t own a phone or have a “tired” one, how you answer the questions on usage can determine which model of telephone device you should select. Are there other things you want to do with this phone beyond telephone access? Today’s cell phones come in three major flavors, and there many additional features that you can pick to suit your taste. While their prices may vary from nothing to over $500, they allow you to do a lot more than just dial a friend. Listed by increasing cost, the categories are -

• Basic - allows you to talk and listen,
• Media - also lets you take pictures or video, play music or games, and
• Smart - acts like a mini PC for email, texting, and Internet access.

Next, you need to decide what your usage patterns will be, e.g.

• How many calls will you make per month, and how long will they last? Remember, you are charged for every minute that you are connected to the network whether you made the call or simply received it.
• What time of the day/night will you use your phone the most? Night and weekend calls are typically charged at lower rates.
• From what geographic area will you make/receive most of your calls? This choice can affect both the quality of the service as well as the cost.

The challenge is to pick the billing plans that best fit your actual usage because that will usually offer you the best value. There are two major types of billing plans -

• Contract - provides a year or two of service at a fixed monthly fee for a certain number of anytime minutes as well as a much higher number of night and weekend minutes, and
• Pre-pay - requires payment up-front for a fixed time period, and charges either by-the-minute or with a combination of daily (or monthly) access charges coupled with a lower by-the-minute fee. There is no contract. For many seniors whose usage is less than 200 minutes per month, a pre-pay usually offers the best value.

Once you have an idea of your network, phone, and billing plan, start searching for service providers. You can deal directly with the major networks or you can choose an alternate network (MVNO’s), who buy bulk time on the major networks and resell it to their customers. Often, these outfits offer more creative billing plans and solid customer service. Names you may have heard of in this group include Page Plus, Jitterbug, Consumer Cellular, TracFone, and Virgin Mobile.

My search ended with a pre-paid billing plan from the service provider, Page Plus Cellular, which uses Verizon’s network. The LG VX5200 media phone offered more features than we really needed, but at $15, the price was right.

The very next thing we need to do is enter the phone number into the Do Not Call Directory. I don’t want our minutes to be used for some tele-marketer’s solicitations.

Some links that may be helpful for your search are -

• WirelessInfo.com - provides reviews of many devices
• WirelessGuide.org - a buying guide for phones and services
• PrepaidReviews.com - extensive reviews of the prepaid plan
• CellGuru.net - nice comparison chart of the prepaid plans
• National Do Not Call Registry - critical for cell phones

Click below to make a comment. Even better, expand on the original article by going to wikiSenior and clicking on ‘edit’.

Surrounded by the Familiar

“Should I stay or should I go?” That’s not only the line from a song, it is a question many seniors ask of themselves. The majority of seniors stay put and live through their senior years at the old homestead. They have their friends near. They know their merchants. They are familiar with every curve in the local roads. They are surrounded by the comfort of their own history.

That does not mean, however, that it is wise for any of us to attempt to steer through this new phase of life using cruise control. They need to look at their surroundings with “new eyes” and assess whatever adjustments may be possible to enhance this next phase of their life. For example -

• Removing clutter
• Decide to spend some time upon a few “New Things to Try”
• Rearranging space for new usage
• Retrofitting the home for safety and ease
• Researching opportunities to reduce expenditures
• Discovering local senior activities and opportunities

Rather than ruminate, it is always better to do something. For example -

1. As suggested in Downsizing, identify a place for disposable items and start moving things to it. This “way station” approach allows you time to reassess and reverse your decision if necessary.
2. Rearrange the children’s bedrooms for space to accommodate your new activities.
3. Consider creating a master bedroom on the main floor if you do not already have that arrangement.
4. Secure scatter rugs, install some lever door knobs, add grab bars to the shower, and perform all the other modifications mentioned in Accident Prevention before you have the immediate need for them.
5. Investigate local property tax relief or caps that may be available in your area.
6. Audit your home for safety and make the necessary changes before they are necessary.

The important thing is to recognize that this is a new time in your life, and it is best to prepare carefully for it. Before health becomes more of an issue, it is smart to retrofit your nest for independent living. You might be surprised by how much you enjoy the changes.

Maybe we’re not so bad.

We live in a mobile society. For most of us, the ability to drive a car is intrinsic to the ability to live independently. How else can you “get about”.

However, after the Drivers-under-twenty category, the Drivers-over-seventy-five are the next most problematic. In comparison, the younger drivers speed more frequently, drink before driving, and underestimate weather conditions. But, although drivers in the younger category are four times more likely to crash that the older category, their crashes are less deadly.

For older drivers, slower reaction times and spells of disorientation affect their performance, especially at intersections and highway merges.

In truth, we all know that our muscle tone, reaction times, and eyesight will diminish as we age. If we keep surviving, then sooner or later we all know that there will come a point in time when we will have to give up the car keys. I remember being on the other side of that decision when I had to “lose my Dad’s keys”. My Dad made that decision easier for me because I knew that he loved to walk. Through walking, he prolonged his independence.

Jane Broady, that clarifier of so many health issues, has spelled out the problems facing older drivers in many articles. For example -

• in this NY Times article, she spells out all of the health factors that can impair older drivers.
• while in a subsequent NT Times article, she provides a number of suggestions to combat those impairments and prolong the ability to drive, e.g. never tailgate, avoid rush hour, nighttime and bad weather trips, take a defensive driving course, and update your car. It should be noted that the AARP offers a drivers test for self-assessment.

But despite all these realities, there seems to be some encouraging signs regarding older drivers. It’s not that the issue is going away, but maybe it is being delayed. In the latest statistics, it seems that we might be getting better.

Although there will always be a day when we will have to surrender the keys, maybe it is not coming quite as soon as we thought.

NB. Click below to make a comment. Or, if you would prefer to make an enhancement to the original article, please go to wikiSenior and click on edit.

For “those of a certain age”, loneliness has to rank near the top of the special concerns. Health probably comes first because its lack preempts so many other things. Independence probably comes next because it directly impacts our sense of self worth. All of the concerns about money are directly related to independence.

Loneliness must come next because it can become so pervasive throughout your life. It can certain take some of the zip out of your stride, and if it isn’t combated, it can quickly lead to depression.

After a move to a new location, the loss of a spouse, or the departure of long time friends, loneliness can find us and weigh us down. It stalks us throughout our day and can lure us into a swamp of self pity.

The last time most seniors encountered such bouts of loneliness was, ironically, during their teenage years. Those time of loneliness and depression were profound but very temporary. This time around, in senescence, the bouts can last much longer without the resilience of youth to cast them off.

What actions can you take?

1. Force yourself to be active! Get out of bed. Get out of the house. Get going. Activity forces you into contact with others whose struggles often far exceed your own.
2. For a quick fix, take a trip with a tour group.
3. At mealtimes, use the TV to divert your attention away from the fact that you are alone.
4. Get some regular exercise, even if it has to be limited to walking the shopping mall. Churning your blood will revive your spirits.
5. Take a class at a local community college or center in something totally new.
6. Join a bridge-book-sewing-hiking-cooking group.
7. Volunteer at the local library, hospital, or school.
8. Get a job which will force you to become engaged each day. Although the pay is modest, retailers are always looking for people to staff their stores.

Everyone has to develop their own unique action plan to combat the specter of loneliness. If you are unsure, try some things and give yourself permission to make some mistakes. The mistakes aren’t important, the effort of trying is. You may soon find yourself engaged in a novel activity and surprised by how much you love doing it.

You may also like this NY Times article by Jane Brody on The Will to Live.

NB. Click below to make a comment.  If you would prefer to make an enhancement to the original article, please go to wikiSenior and click on edit.

Somehow, the people that praise the joys of home ownership forget what it’s like to have a new roof installed. But once the job is complete, the sense you feel of “shelter” is never so intense. Maintaining a home is like that, terrible to endure the process but delightful to enjoy the results.

Certainly, the adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” can be applied aptly to the challenge of maintaining a home. But the process does not have to be difficult if it is conducted with care. There are three facets that must be tailored to your home. They are -

• a regular schedule of monthly tasks
• seasonal inspections to uncover any unscheduled surprises
• a budget to anticipate necessary repairs, and
• a roster of trustworthy tradesmen to perform certain work.

The start of the New Year is a great time to budget repairs for the coming year as well as perform some routine tasks. Specifically -

Home Exterior:

1. Will this be the year for a new paint job or a roof?
2. What was the condition of the roof gutters when they were cleaned in the Fall?
3. Are there any landscaping changes needed? - trees, shrubs, gardens, lawn, or hedges?
4. Does any fencing need repair?
5. Are the decks and/or patios safe?
6. Will the driveway need resurfacing?
7. Is more insulation required? This is the time of year to check.

Home Interior:

1. Detectors - Time to change batteries in smoke and CO detectors?
2. Furnace - Time to change filters (depends upon filter type and furnace)?
3. Humidifier - Check to see that it is operating properly.
4. Interior paint - Time for a new coat on ceiling, walls, or trim?
5. Floors - Time to refinish?
6. Bathrooms and Kitchen - If it is time for an update, this can become a major expense.

Maintaining a home can seriously impact finances. Now that the new assessment of Net Worth is complete, a serious assessment of the homestead is imperative. The start of the New Year is a perfect time to make that evaluation. It definitely takes precedence over any travel plans, because you’ll want to feel good about coming home.

Click below to make a comment. Or, if you would prefer to make an enhancement to the original article, please go to wikiSenior and click on edit.