Still Clickin

What kind of pet person are you? There are bird-lovers, dog-lovers, cat-lovers, and goldfish-lovers. Everyone has their own particular favorite that was usually established during their youth. People that have had pets can even be classified as such. For example, we have dog-people, cat-people, and bird-people. Are you a certain pet-person?

If you are, maybe you are currently pet-less and rethinking that decision. Obviously, there are a number of pros and cons to such a decision, but the choice of the type of pet has a lot to do with most of them. There are a wide variety of pets that seniors may choose.

Dogs -
Dogs need and give love. Many studies indicate that having a dog really can help a senior’s health and attitude. Not only do they offer companionship, but their needs serve as an ongoing encouragement for some good exercise as well. Also, they are probably the best security system available on the market today.

If you are particular about breeds, you can contact the American Kennel Club and get a list of local breeders. Be prepared to open your wallet, however, since many breeds now go for $1,500 or more.

Another approach is to take a visit to the local animal shelter. These pets often have that wonderful price of ‘free’, although small donations are very welcome. These pets can vary widely, so you must look carefully to find the right dog for you. The people in the shelters understand animals and can provide you with a wealth of information. Don’t be afraid to ask. Before you “take the plunge”, consider -

• Age - If a dog is older than 18 months, it will not only be housebroken, its teeth will have grown in and it will also be less inclined to eat your slippers. If a dog is older than six, you may find not only health problems but an inability to adapt to new surroundings.
• Size - Golden Retriever mixes and Labrador mixes are great, but if you are going to walk the dog, you may need a smaller dog (who won’t pull you over when it chases after a squirrel). However, if you aren’t used to having a small dog around, you probably shouldn’t get a dog weighing less than 25 pounds. You don’t want to trip over the little thing because you didn’t see it.
• Allergies - If you have avoided dogs because you are allergic, look for dogs that don’t shed. Many terriers and poodles have this trait.
• Temperament - Undoubtedly, the vast majority of dogs have better temperaments than many people. A few, however, may have experienced poor treatment and developed a nasty streak as a consequence. Pay attention to how the dog reacts to you, since initially you are a stranger.

Cats -
“For a balanced ego, a person that has a dog to adore him should have a cat to ignore him.” That old quote is harsh, but contains an element of truth. Cats are much more independent than dogs. As long as they are properly fed and stroked occasionally, cats require far less attention than dogs. They quickly learn how to use a litter box and can amuse themselves for hours with a favorite toy. This independence allows a cat to tolerate much longer absences from their owners than dogs.

If you are looking for a cat at a shelter, many of the same cautions for dogs apply to cats. Their sizes, however, are much smaller. They compensate for their small size by their pronounced ability to quickly leap out of the way.

Other Critters -
For the most part, other small animals kept as pets live in defined enclosures. This reality makes them far less intrusive than dogs or cats. They each offer their own special qualities that can both divert and delight. They still require care, however, and someone else must mind them if you take a trip.

If you do live alone, having another living creature around the mansion has distinct benefits for all involved. Yes, they do require you to expend extra effort and care, but that is a gift. Answering needs is what life is all about.

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A couple of weeks ago, I heard some news commentators talking about Page Plus Cellular. The story-line centered upon a subscriber to their “unlimited” service whose contract was canceled because of overuse. Obviously, there was a disconnect at many levels.

Without question, the marketing crew at Page Plus should change the plan name to “universal” or “vast”, but that is all they should change. I’ve been a customer of Page Plus Cellular for nearly a year, and I could not be more pleased. Their plans are flexible and aggressively priced, and their service is rock solid. I have recommended them on this site, and I continue to recommend them to family and friends.

You have to understand the realities of their business.

Page Plus Cellular is a re-seller. They buy large blocks of time from a network operator, i.e. Verizon, create usage packages for different market niches, and then service their customer base in an efficient and effective manner. This approach allows Verizon to supply users they would otherwise never capture, and users access to services they could otherwise never afford. It is a true win-win.

This service model breaks down whenever certain users lock onto a connection for an extended period of time, because the switch is prevented from reallocating its resources. An occasional incident is never a problem, but continued patterns do upset the apple cart. At the end of the day, any re-seller can only offer as much as it has acquired.

But I continue to find the Page Plus Cellular service compelling. It is so easy to buy one of their phones at the Circle K. Using their standard plan, a senior citizen can have 300 minutes of access to a reliable network for $30 a year. That is a service that offers both peace of mind and value. Who knows how many worries it has eased and lives it has saved.

Thank you Page Plus Cellular for your outstanding service!

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Most senior citizens simply stay put right where they are when they retire. They cherish the friendships they have established, the history they have lived, and their familiar grocers, doctors, druggists, etc. However, staying in the same town doesn’t necessarily mean staying in the same house. Downsizing is one trend that many active seniors embrace as a way of simplifying their lives and prolonging their independence.

The ties of family and grandchildren may pull others to unfamiliar locations where their children have become entrenched. Selecting new doctors, finding new dentists, and coping with this change can be a stiff challenge for any senior.

Others, especially those who have had to face frequent moves during their working lives, like the idea of a new place to retire. They are enticed by the latest “Best Places to Retire” article and the challenge of a new adventure.

On any “Now that I’ve Retired List”, location is placed first because it influences so many other choices. For example, telephones, taxes, insurance, legal, and caregiving all have rules that vary by state.

What’s a person to do??

Whichever you choose, re-evaluating your location is a healthy exercise . . . even if it is the old homestead. Your location can determine -

• to which hospital a call to 911 will deliver you,
• the range of community support services that are available to you,
• the types of activities that are readily available to you as well as,
• the amount of snow that will have to be shoveled to get you out of the house.

Some people make this choice quickly. Others spend time and consider the wide range of choices available, i.e.

1. Staying Put Keeping the same, familiar roof, where the pencil marks of the children’s heights on the door jam still mark the progress of their growth. Here, the support of old friends, the history with known doctors, and the connections developed over the years provide a personalized support network that is impossible to duplicate elsewhere.
2. Moving locally - Changing to another nest and neighborhood within the same community might offer a better fit for the needs of your newly evolving senior lifestyle while maintaining your lifelong network of friends and community around you.
3. Downsizing - Simplifying your life and reducing the demands required for the upkeep and care of your nest, a move to a smaller structure can prolong your ability to stay there as the clock keeps ticking.
4. Relocating farther away - Making a move to another community, state, ocean, or country is for the brave of heart. You can’t wait too long to make this move since the effort involved can be taxing. Evaluating destinations, together with its weather patterns, safety concerns, theater offerings, and recreation, can become a major project in and of itself. Once you decide on a place, those with wisdom advise renting for a year while you discover the innuendoes of the locale and its neighborhoods. During that time, you can address the challenges of a new place, e.g. to Find doctors, services as well as Finding new friends.
5. Retirement communities - For those that prefer the amenities of a planned community, developments designed for the 55+ crowd offer an alternative that many people find very attractive. It’s like moving into a neighborhood with an established network. Many people make this choice because the want to follow friends who are already there.
6. Active/Assisted living facilities - If one member of a couple has an emerging health issue, these facilities with built-in medical services can provide a support structure that tiers the living accommodations to the health of the individuals,where care is provided with housing
7. Living abroad - This move can scratch a lifelong itch of an adventurous soul. However, if adaptability is your strong suit, there are many locations in the world where you can stretch your dollar.

Of course, once you make your decision, then the financial issues, Renting versus Home Buying and Selling, must be considered. These are quickly followed by the practical issues of Moving and Home Maintenance.

For further reading, try the AARP Article on Housing Choices.

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If you’re reading this, you already know about the Internet. The use of the Internet by the senior community is continually expanding. And it doesn’t have to cost you anything. At local libraries, computers are siting there waiting for your curiosity and fingertips.

What do seniors do with the Internet when their fingertips start moving? According to a report by the Pew Research Center, they are involved with -

*Email - This still drives their primary usage of the Internet. Keeping in touch without the hassle of time zones and time charges, email remains the primary reason why people keep going back to the Internet. It’s especially delightful when the message is from your grandchildren. Free email accounts can be established at Yahoo and other services.

*Finding Information - Once they finish with their email, people typically switch to Google or Yahoo to find out about something. They might be planning a trip, researching a problem, or comparing different brands of toasters. Not surprisingly, Most Internet searches on health topics are performed by seniors.

*Online Shopping - Once they have completed their research, seniors are not afraid to actually make a purchase. As noted in the Pew Report, nearly 50% of the online seniors actually are making purchases. One area of particular interest is travel, both planning and booking tickets. They also are not afraid to both sell and buy items on eBay.

In addition to these top three activities, seniors also explore other facets.

*Reading News - If they’ve moved away, seniors are very likely to scan the pages of the old hometown newspaper online. They are also avid readers of specialized news topics on politics, entertainment, and other targeted sectors. Even the headlines of major newspapers, e.g. New York Times, are available online.

*Sharing Photos - Whether directly through email or via a service like Flickr, seniors love to see the latest images of their grandchildren, grandnieces, and grandnephews.

*Skype - If you are geographically removed from loved ones, skype is a treasure for everyone regardless of age. Simply speaking, skype not only allows you to talk to those you love, but to see and interact with them from many miles away. The visuals of loved ones make them feel so much closer, and it can ease the worries and loneliness that distance can engender.

*Social Sharing - Seniors have not flocked to Facebook or Twitter. They might view a My Space or You Tube link contained in an email, but they are not going to enroll. At this point in their lives, seniors are far less intrigued by the social and gaming aspects of the Internet than are the younger members of our society. Instant messaging holds as little appeal as instant gratification. They prefer to respect privacy and to savor the anticipation of a thoughtful reply. They find important items more interesting than urgent ones.

*Blogs - Because seniors have the time, there are a surprising number of blogs by, for, and about seniors. They are quite often frank, intelligent, and very thought-provoking. They can not only make for fascinating reading, but they can often make you chuckle, cry, and pray. One huge favorite blog that publishes links to many others is Ronni Bennett’s Time Goes By A visit to Ronni’s site is always worthwhile.

The Internet presents all of these facilities and more. It has become an indispensable part of our lives. You should encourage any of your friends that are not involved to take a free course at the library. They may feel uncomfortable at first, but they will thank you profusely later.

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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!

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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?

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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.

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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

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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.

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