Beware of Cons

As I was happily doing a bit of shopping in the cool air at my local mall recently a man approached me to ask for money. I assumed the man to be in his late fifties, early sixties. He was well dressed, well groomed and appeared to be in fine shape. His graying hair gave him a sophisticated look. He told me someone had stolen his wallet and that he had absolutely no money to get back home on the bus.

Being at an age that leads me to be somewhat weary of strangers wanting money—any amount—I told him that unfortunately I was broke myself. He then boldly suggested that we might go to an ATM where I could get cash so I could give him some money. I firmly told him no and walked away, but I did keep an eye out. Women of varying ages seemed to be giving him $5 and $10. He was after all a poor boomer who had been victimized by a thief. Who could say no!

A bit later as I approached the ATM at one end of the mall, I saw an older woman, no doubt well into her eighties, trying to get money while the well groomed con man stood close by keeping an eye on her bank card and certainly her PIN. Using my cell phone I dialed 911.

Luckily a patrol car must have been around the corner because two large policemen quickly accosted the man. After some verbal exchange they took him away. I later learned that the man had been sought by authorities for milking older women of money. Just goes to show you that con men come in every age group.

I am firm in not believing every sad story. I let my instincts guide me and I am rarely wrong. Of course, for me the best way to help others is to give to recognized charities. That way I’m sure the money goes to help those who really need it. Not con men.

 

 

Dog Days

The stores may be full of reminders that the start of school is not far away, for those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere there is still a lot of summer left as we bask in the dog days. Typically, the dog days are mid-July to September 2, the hottest time of the year. Some believe the term dog days originated with the Romans who were convinced it was a period of the year when dogs became mad and wine turned sour, a time when man was plagued with disease and discomfort.

         Mankind is still plagued with the discomfort of heat and humidity during the dog days of summer even more so now with global warming, just ask those who work outside. However, not everyone is complaining. Some people just love the summer heat, the higher the thermometer reading the better. Those people are easy to spot: during the dog days they vacation in Florida or they don a sweater when the temperature drops a few degrees; the latter is especially true of older individuals. Although I’m not as young as I used to be, this definitely is not for me. Yet.

        Those of us who endure the dog days of summer more or less graciously have a tendency to forget that in a few short months, the temperature will dip to an indecent level. When reminded of that fact, we quickly realize that this is the time to make the most of summer.

         But the dog days are brief indeed and we’ll get to welcome fall before we know it. I personally like experiencing different seasons, but it’s not something all countries get to see. I recently read a comment by an African woman who cannot understand how people can survive in snow and ice. We all get used to our own world, don’t we?

          When I get older I may need to wear a sweater during the dog days as an older relative had on when I visited her recently, but in the meantime if I could spend the dog days in a swimsuit I would. Some people do, of course, but they have the shape for it. In my case it might well make people think that the dog days do indeed bring discomfort to mankind!

Life as Knitting

Recently I came across this poem by the famous poet, Anonymous. I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a nice metaphor for life. After all, just like knitting, our lives are constantly changing and evolving, and this relentless motion colors our moods and emotions. We don’t know what the final piece will be, but one thing is certain, no matter who we are, it will be worth being on display for all to see.

Life is like knitting

God gives us the wool and the needles saying:

“Knit as best you can, one stitch at a time”

A stitch is one day on the clock of time

As you go, you knit one, you purl one

When stitches are dropped, they are worked back up

The wool we have been given is multicolored

Pink for our joys; black for our sorrows;

Gray for our doubts; green for our hopes;

Red for our love; blue for our desires;

And white for our faith.

How many stitches will we knit? Only God knows.

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Summer is here, so I’m taking a few weeks off to enjoy it all. I’ll be back in August.

 

What’s your Yardstick?

In my view, the only way to deal with age is to lie about it. Of course, you can’t fool relatives or friends who know you well. So every year they send a card—either an e-card or a traditional one sent by mail—praising the fact that you’ve reached another milestone and make it a point to display the correct number in as big a font as possible. I suspect that they simply want to point out that they are not there yet.

            We all age no matter how we feel (or lie) about it. Would we want to be younger? I suppose most of us feel that it’d be a good thing.

            The mother of a friend just celebrated her 90^th birthday, and someone asked her that exact question: Would you want to be younger? In her wisdom she answered: Not especially. Of course, she would prefer that her body not be on its decline, but she said that she was proud of what she had done and had seen. It had been her life, her time. “Younger folks will see other things, live in a world quite different from mine, I’m sure,” she said, “but the important thing to consider is whether they will be happy. I was happy. That’s my yardstick.”

            Wonderful perspective, don’t you think? We should spend less time worrying about the number marking the years we have lived and more time making the most of our lives at this point in time. Sure, aging is not always easy, but to me it’s a time when it’s easier to accept what may not be perfect in our lives so that we can concentrate on the reasons we should feel blessed.

            Counting blessings instead of birthdays is a nice yardstick, don’t you think??

Weightlifting

We are all aware of the many health benefits of physical exercise, but what about weightlifting? Is it dangerous as we get older?

          The American College of Sports Medicine is recommending that adults aged 50 and up include strength training as part of their exercise routine because it can help prevent osteoporosis, increase bone density and improve cognitive functions.

          As it builds balance and flexibility, regular exercise is linked to the prevention of aging-related diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, back pain, joint pain and cardiovascular disease. But while weightlifting (strength training) improves muscle strength thus lessening the risk of hip fractures, it has its own unique benefits in that it can prevent falls and make it easier to engage in daily activities as we age.

          A University of Vermont study found that after 12 weeks of weightlifting, a group of healthy seniors aged 65 to 79 were able to walk almost 40% farther. After just eight weeks of weightlifting, a group of seniors ages 87 to 96 improved their muscle strength by nearly 180%.

          If you have never engaged in strength training, you should make certain that you know how to go about it so you don’t end up injuring yourself. It is a good idea to start by seeking the advice of a professional to learn the correct techniques. 

Identity Theft

While new technology is increasingly part of our lives, hackers seem to be more and more devious. The result: identify theft is becoming more and more common. In 2014 alone, some 12.7 million Americans had their identities stolen.

            Gaining back your life after being victimized by identity thieves is extremely difficult, says Robert Elder, the CEO of Elder Insurance Services. He advises that prevention is key. Here are some of his suggestions for minimizing your risks:

<          - Only carry essential documents with you. Leave extra credit cards, birth certificate or passport at home while on daily outings.

<           - Be careful when giving out personal information over the phone. Identity thieves pose as bank personnel or government agencies to try and get information. Elderly people are especially vulnerable to these types of scams. Discuss it with the older people in your life.

<           - Your trash is their treasure. Be sure to shred receipts, credit card offers, bank statements, cancelled checks or any other sensitive information before throwing it away.

<           - Keep a list of credit card numbers as well as telephone numbers in a safe place at home so that if your wallet is lost or stolen you can quickly contact the issuers.

<           - Passwords and PINs should be a random mix of letters and numbers so that they are harder to figure out. 

<            - Get coverage. Many insurance companies now offer protection should you fall victim to identity theft.

               - Keep new checks out of the mail. After ordering them, it is best to pick them up at the bank instead of having them mailed to your home. It prevents them from being stolen, altered and cashed by identity thieves.

           Great advice indeed!

Alzheimer Disease and the Sun

Because I have relatives who are fighting the dreaded Alzheimer disease, I can tell you that I am well aware of the cost of this illness, not only money-wise, but especially in terms of the pain it causes. The victim is not the only person affected because the disease poses such a heavy burden on family members and close friends.

            The risk of getting Alzheimer disease and dementia increase with age. Statistics show that in the U.S. one in nine people is affected, and that two-thirds of those are women. In Canada, the numbers are similar with 15% of Canadians over the age of 65 being affected. It is predicted that the incidence of the disease will double over the next 15 years as the population continues to age since most Alzheimer disease sufferers are 75 or older.

            The question certainly is: what can any of us do to ensure we remain dementia free in our golden years? We are all aware that to reduce the risks of any disease, a proper diet and exercise certainly top the list. And when it comes to dementia in all its forms, being active mentally is especially important. So is being engaged in life through social activities.

            In addition, maintaining optimal levels of vitamin D all year long can help older adults and seniors prevent cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease, according to Dr. Reinhold Vieth of the University of Toronto. Research results on Alzheimer disease published in the Journal Neurology found that older adults who have low vitamin D levels are twice as likely to develop dementia or Alzheimer disease. Vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk of dementia go hand in hand.

            Also, a Swedish study has shown that women who avoid sunshine shorten their lifespan by the same amount as smokers reports the Canadian-based Vitamin D Society. Higher levels of vitamin D have been related to lower risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis as well as osteoporosis, Dr. Vieth says. “Most of our vitamin D supply comes from exposure of the skin to sunshine. Moderate sunshine has always been known to be good for us.”

            Now that the good weather is here, a good way to get vitamin D into your system is to spend time in the sun. The Vitamin D Society advises adults to maintain an optima blood level of vitamin D by spending 15 to 30 minutes in the sun from mid May to early October, and then put on sunscreen or light clothing to prevent damage.

            Now is a good time to get started.