This guest blog post is contributed by Boomerater, a free online resource for Baby Boomers helping you find everything from a financial advisor to group tour vacations. Seniors for Living contributes its properties to Boomerater’s Continuing Care directory.

A new Q&A discussion from Boomerater’s forums appears here each Friday. In this week’s post, members share their advice about things you can still do to save on 2009 taxes.

Question: As we near the end of 2009, is there anything I should be doing right now to lower my taxes?  I’d also like to know about stimulus offers before they expire.

Reply #1: There are a lot of purchases for which you can get a tax credit.  You’ve probably heard about the first home credit, which has just been extended through April of 2010.  If you are able to close on your first home by the end of the year, you can deduct 10% of the purchase price, up to $8,000, if your adjusted gross income is less than $75,000 ($150,000 married).  If you buy a new car (not used), you can deduct sales and excise taxes for a car or truck up to $49,500, even if you don’t itemize your taxes. Deduction phases out if your adjusted gross income is more than $125,000 ($250,000 married.)

Reply #2: Go green to save green! You can get tax credits at 30% of the cost up to $1500 for some energy-efficient windows and doors, insulation, water heaters, metal and asphalt roofs, and heating/cooling systems. The deal is good for 2009 and 2010 if you are remodeling a home (not building a new one). Plus, you can get the 30% credit with NO upper limit for both existing and new home construction when you buy solar panels, solar water heaters, and other energy-efficient items. The site I use for tax credits and rebate offers is energystar.gov.  You can also find out more about how these tax breaks might affect you by going to the Turbo Tax website turbotax.com and click on the Tax Calculators and Tips tab. There you will find the Featured Tax Guide that outlines the specifics.  Also, depending on where you live you can get rebates for buying energy-saving products. Here in New Jersey there are deals for buying air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers and clothes washers.

Reply 3: Don’t forget to deduct medical expenses.  If they exceeded 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, you can deduct the excess.  Health insurance premiums, medical, dental, and prescription drugs are all eligible.

Find out what others had to say about tips to save on 2009 taxes on Boomerater.com.

Earlier this month, thousands of people of all ages and spanning 43 countries, stood up for the rights of older persons. HelpAge International sponsored the event as part of their “Age Demands Action” campaign, and visitors to their website showed their support by signing a petition or uploading a photo to their Flickr gallery.

According to HelpAge International’s website, “Increased life expectancy and declining fertility are changing the global make-up of populations. By 2050, people over 60 will outnumber those under 14 for the first time.”  These are striking statistics and undoubtedly stir the call to action for support of elder’s rights.

HelpAge International is a global organization that tackles such difficult issues as age discrimination (both in roles and society), elder poverty, work, pensions, and access to health/other needed services. It is important work, to be sure. While elders are a rapidly growing population, I believe that we are still very far behind in terms of our respect for elders and our understanding of their place in society. Sure, we might see a few more older faces in advertising campaigns and print media, but that doesn’t mean we know how to treat an older person or know how to approach a complex spectrum of care needs as they age.

Many people are afraid to visit nursing homes for any number of reasons. The excuse I’ve heard from most?  Visitors don’t know what to say or know how to talk to an older person. This is a tragedy, in my opinion, because really it’s not all that different from talking to someone your age or even younger. Besides, imagine living 80, 90, or 100 years — think of all the stories they have to share!  Yes, Alzheimer’s can complicate conversations with an older person, and resulting behaviors can be very frightening. However, the person still deserves the respect and admiration that should naturally come from having walked for decades on this earth.

There is a great need for more dialogue on these issues among cultures across the globe, and I applaud HelpAge International for creating the spark.

I also strongly recommend checking out the photo gallery in the Rights section of the website – you’ll find stunning photos of older persons, and each photo carries with it the story of that elder in their corner of the world.

For more on the “Age Demands Action” campaign or the broader work of HelpAge International, visit http://www.helpage.org/Home.

-Michelle Seitzer

Family caregivers have been named the backbone of the long-term care system – and for good reason. Says the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, more than 50 million people currently provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend during any given year. Peter Arno from the Department of Veteran Affairs at NIH (National Institutes of Health) estimates this multitude provides $306 billion in “free” services each year, an amount that is nearly double the amount spent on homecare and nursing home services ($158 billion).

Whether you’re a card-carrying member of the Sandwich Generation, a teenager caring for an elderly grandparent, or a mother caring for a disabled child, family caregivers hold immense value in our society, far beyond the stunning dollar amounts mentioned above. Perhaps they are not recognized in the way they should be, but we certainly could not do without them. In fact, in the years ahead, people over 65 are expected to increase at a rate of 2.3%, while the number of family members available to provide care will increase at a 0.8% rate, as per Katherine Mack and Lee Thompson of Georgetown University.

The National Family Caregivers Association is an excellent resource for the A to Z’s of caregiving…their website is full of statistics, connections to resources, media information, surveys and reports, forums, educational materials, how-to guides, webinars and more. And, as November is National Family Caregivers Month, a number of additional resources are offered, such as a free national teleclass on an important caregiver issue: “Safe & Sound: How to Prevent Medication Mishaps”.  To register for the class or peruse the plethora of other materials on the site, go to http://www.thefamilycaregiver.org/national_family_caregiver_month/.

A support system of neighbors, colleagues, friends, or even an online community is crucial, no matter what type of caregiving situation you are in. Without it, and without a healthy amount of respite, caregiver burnout can be a dangerous downward spiral. Burnout can sneak in unnoticed; all too often, caregivers are so wrapped up in the care needs of their loved one that they don’t realize how their own needs have been neglected.

If you want to provide the best care possible to your loved one, be sure to take care of yourself. Think of it as the process that’s explained on every flight before takeoff: in the case of a sudden drop in cabin pressure, oxygen masks will lower. Take the time to put yours on first before helping another. In the same way, consider your care and well-being with the same concern and level of priority as you do your care recipient. There’s nothing selfish about it – your loved one is dependent on you for their daily needs, and you need to be in the best shape possible to provide it.

Honor those who have cared for you. Admire those who are caring for someone you love. Support someone who is facing a difficult caregiving crisis. Share the National Family Caregivers Association website to a friend in need. Celebrate the caregivers in your life during National Family Caregivers Month (and all year-round, for that matter)!

- Michelle Seitzer

SFL followers, who are you thinking of during National Family Caregivers Month?

Baby doll therapy is something that I’ve never been too sure about. During my senior living days, I observed many Alzheimer’s patients hugging, rocking, burping, or carrying a baby doll throughout the halls of the memory-impaired unit. In a way, it seemed to soothe the person. The doll provided someone, something to care for, and I’m sure it reminded the person of precious memories from the early days of parenthood (maybe even as early as the days of their own childhood, being rocked by their mother or father). So I can’t say I’m opposed to the idea – if it brings comfort or joy to the person whose memories are quickly escaping them in the fog of Alzheimer’s, then by all means encourage it. On the other hand, I do think that the facility staff must be aware of this therapy and educate themselves accordingly, which also means unit staff should carefully select the dolls available for use, provide appropriate accessories, and replace dolls when they are worn out or dirty.

It seemed that many of the relatives and friends who visited the unit were somewhat disturbed or distressed if their loved one was seen carrying a baby doll. Again, education in the form of communication from unit staff would be helpful – perhaps if families knew the benefits, they would be more comfortable with the idea. Let’s face it – precious little about the Alzheimer’s journey is comfortable, so it requires a great deal of evaluation/re-evaluation, and above all, flexibility and openness from those who are along for the wild ride. Family and friends must also remember that their loved one is suffering from a disease; behaviors like playing with a baby doll are not exactly normal at an advanced age, but it is not a result of senility or “falling off the rocker.”

According to the Alzheimer’s Store website, where you can order a variety of these dolls, baby doll therapy offers many benefits:

“A baby doll can…

• Calm someone who is upset;
• Provide endless hours of hugs and smiles;
• Lull a person to sleep;
• Create a distraction from a dangerous, harmful or upsetting event;
• Serve as an attention-getter;
• Provide a tool for social interaction;
• Regenerate warm, nurturing feelings of once again caring for a young child;
• Make it possible for someone, totally dependent upon others, to care for ’someone’ else.”

To order a baby doll or find out more about other unique products for persons with Alzheimer’s or some other form of memory loss, visit http://www.alzstore.com/index.html.

SFL readers, what do you think about baby doll therapy?  Share your thoughts here!

- Michelle Seitzer

A retirement community in Largo, FL is fighting to evict a six-year-old girl (link has sound) from her grandparent’s house. The community rules are that residents must be older than 55, but Judie and Jimmy Stottler are the only parents Kimberly Broffman has ever known. Kimberly’s mother has drug and personal issues and lost custody of her when she was about 6 months old.

The debate has been going on for several years, but the Stottlers have been unable to sell their house since the housing market collapsed and the homeowner’s association is taking the Stottlers to court. A judgment is expected soon and there’s the possibility that Kimberly could be placed in foster care.

On one hand, I think the community has every right to enforce their rules, but on the other hand, even though this has been going on for a while, it seems like this would clearly be an exception.

The Stottlers appear to be taking measures to parent the girl without imposing on others and actively trying to sell their house. This exception would be the right thing for the homeowner’s association to do, and it doesn’t mean that they’d have to allow other kids into the community. It appears to be completely illogical to place the girl in an already burdened foster care system in hopes of reuniting her with her family when the family doesn’t want to be in the situation either, and the girl isn’t in danger.

Though there are probably also rules against renters in communities like this, it seems that if they truly want the little girl out, that exception might be a better option for them, or even trying to arrange some sort of house trade with people of the appropriate age.

-Elizabeth Thielke

This guest blog post is contributed by Boomerater, a free online resource for Baby Boomers helping you find everything from advice on retirement planning to family vacations. Seniors for Living contributes its properties to Boomerater’s Retirement Communities directory.

A new Q&A discussion from Boomerater’s forums appears here each Friday. In this week’s post, members tell us about knowing and safeguarding your credit rating.

Question: “Are there websites that offer free and reliable credit reports? My bank informed me it is possible my security may have been breached. I am keeping a close look at all of my accounts, but am concerned because I am retired and live on a fixed income. Also I hope to sell my house and move to a retirement community. I don’t want a bad credit report to keep me from being able to buy a condo. Would like to know any suggestions about securing my credit standing.”

Reply #1

It is smart to scrutinize all your accounts; everyone should review their credit reports annually. Each year you can receive a free copy of your credit report from www.annualcreditreport.com. The highest credit score is 850, but most people’s scores are not that high. Each lender has its own way of interpreting the score. Most lenders agree that any score above 750 is considered excellent, scores around 650 are fair and scores under 600 are considered poor. The closer you are to a 750 score, or above, the more likely you will be approved to buy your condo and pay lower interest rates. While there are a number of other websites that say you will receive a free credit report, be aware that if you have to provide a credit card to get a free report then it is not really free. Check out www.annualcreditreport.com – it provides ‘free and no strings attached’ reports. Reports are provided from the three major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion). Once you have your reports in hand, verify the reports and look for inaccuracies. If you see any inaccuracies, contact the credit reporting agencies to give them the correct information. Inaccurate information can cause you to be denied credit or pay a higher interest rate.

Reply #2

Be very careful about being sucked into credit card promotions.  When you take out a credit card or cancel one it can have a major affect on your credit rating.  Most people don’t realize this – I didn’t.  I signed up for 3 different credit cards because they were offering free airline miles, basically a free ticket for keeping each of the cards for a year.  I never even used the cards after the first initial purchase to activate the cards, and I paid the bill immediately.  Little did I know that just signing up and canceling these cards would so negatively impacted my rating.

Reply #3

I understand your situation.  My husband handled all of our finances.  When he died I learned he had not been keeping our credit cards paid off.  Because I was delinquent in paying my bills, my credit rating was lowered, which resulted in being turned down for a home improvement loan. My advice is to understand your accounts, don’t let your spouse take control of all the banking, and have at least one credit card in your name, separate from your spouse’s.  Also, open all bills immediately and pay them, or if necessary dispute them, so you don’t get a black mark on your credit rating.

Add your own comments or read other tips about knowing and protecting your credit score at Boomerater.

Welcome to the November 10, 2009 edition of Boomers & Seniors: News You Can Use. November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and this installment is packed with health and wellness posts of interest, including brain fitness tips, what you need to know about Medicare and Medicaid benefits, how to prevent dangerous drug combinations, and more. Join us…

Senior Care & Caregiving

Get a poignant look at Life Inside a Nursing Home in a recent SeniorsforLiving.com latest post, which highlights a geriatric specialty training program that requires students to spend 10 days in a home chronicling their experiences.

According to resident satisfaction surveys conducted by ALFA, residents and families are concerned about who would provide much-needed care services should caregivers that belong to a union that went on strike. Read more at No Place for Union Strikes in Senior Living, posted by Paul Williams at ALFA Re:source.

For senior home care givers who have to be away from aging parents, read Kaye Swain’s post about Electric Solution for Senior Parents posted at SandwichINK.com.

The stresses of caregiving can lead to both unintentional and intentional elder abuse, says Patricia Grace in The growing problem of elder abuse posted at Aging with Grace CareConnection.

At least 10 percent of seniors may be taking dangerous drug combinations, cites a new article at Health Care Today. Seniors who take multiple supplements and/or drugs and those caring for them should take a look at this important piece.

Health and Wellness

November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. Learn how you can get involved by reading the post at ALFA Re:source.

Join a walking group and lose weight. Read more at Peter Stockwell’s post Group Walking Helps Weight Loss posted at The Senior Walking Fitness Blog.

And Kathi Casey, a fitness/wellness coach who blends her experience of both eastern and western traditions, suggest we lead with the hip when we walk (no, not the pelvis, Elvis!) As a fellow boomer who feels more fit now then when in her 50’s, she offers tips to get rid of back pain in her post Bye Bye Back Pain posted at Kathi Casey, Your Healthy Boomer Body Expert.

Financial Issues

Find out what you need to know about your Medicare and Medicaid Benefits, including your eligibility and how long Medicare covers nursing home costs. “Many seniors have misconceptions on the differences between Medicare and Medicaid eligibility benefits,” Jeff Rose says.

Calculate a Retirement Income Replacement Ratio with Mr. ToughMoneyLove at Go To Retirement. “When determining how much income you will need in retirement, watch out for ‘rules of dumb.”"

Living Life to the Fullest

Get in the holiday mood by Making Christmas Ornaments With Grandkids. It’s easy as apple pie when you follow Kaye Swain’s directions in her new post at SandwichINK.com. “It’s a fun way to start getting ready for Christmas,” Swain writes.

When it comes to one’s purpose in life, these seniors featured in “The Way We Get By,” which will be airing on PBS on 11/11 at 9 p.m., have a phenomenal goal. Watch and read more about the issues that they deal with as a result of the aging process, and the meaningful work they do in seeing off/welcoming home soldiers from the war…it’s truly a powerful piece, which is why it’s our leading post this week at the SeniorsforLiving.com blog.

It’s Never Too Late to Benefit from Music Lessons, says Cynthia Wunsch at The Unlikely Entrepreneur. “A study about the health and brain boost benefits of learning to play an instrument in your senior years, even if you’ve never played before,” she writes.

Get a dose of “self-help humor.” Madeleine Begun Kane presents Contending With Time posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog.

Give your brain a workout — Charles Chua presents All About Living with Life: Baby Boomers – Tips for Brain Fitness posted at All About Living with Life.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of Boomers & Seniors: News You Can Use using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on What Is a Blog Carnival? page.

Technorati tags: boomers and seniors – news you can use, blog carnival.

I’ve mentioned in previous posts how absolutely thrilled I am to see a much-needed increase in the number of mainstream and independent films and documentaries covering our 50+ population. Well, “The Way We Get By” is another phenomenal film covering a phenomenal group of seniors, the issues that they deal with as a result of the aging process, and the meaningful work they do in seeing off/welcoming home soldiers from the war…it’s truly a powerful piece. I needed a handful of tissues just to “get by” the trailer (watch it below), so I recommend a box or two accompanies you to the theater when you get your tickets for the big screen showing.

A few months back, I saw a report on this group, unofficially called “The Maine Greeters” during the Making a Difference segment of the NBC Nightly News. Regardless of my political views and my opinions about the war (which, to be honest, are fluid – I haven’t quite decided where I stand or what to think), I am always deeply moved by any stories that highlight the emotional homecomings of our troops. Throw in a few seniors doing their part to welcome these soldiers back, and I’m guaranteed to lose it.

Meet Bill, Joan and Jerry, the senior greeters who wait patiently in the Bangor International Airport terminal for soldiers returning home from (or departing to) Iraq. Many troops come in to Bangor as it is the first major American airport encountered by planes approaching from the east; the two mile-long runway and uncluttered airspace also makes it quite attractive for a safe and smooth landing. As they wait in the lonely terminal of BIA for the soldiers expected to pass through that day, each greeter is wrestling with heavy stuff in their lives: failing health, mounting debt, depression. But I imagine that they are quickly overwhelmed by a strong sense of purpose and meaning as soon as those soldiers come through the doors.

The award-winning film “seeks out the telling detail rather than offering sweeping generalizations, to build stories of heartbreak and redemption, reminding us how our culture casts our elders, and too often our soldiers, aside” – unquestionably crucial lessons for difficult times such as ours.

This isn’t a political film. This is about a group of seniors who take the time to look past their own troubles encountered in the so-called twilight of life and say a much-needed, much-deserved “THANK YOU, welcome home, or safe travels” to those serving our country in Iraq. Be prepared for emotional moments, to be sure, but know that it’s not just a simple story about an unlikely trio of old folks greeting our American soldiers in their time of need – this is a real-life, intense, sometimes unsettling story about “aging, loneliness, war and mortality.” As I said earlier, grab a box of tissues before you view.

Intrigued? Visit http://www.thewaywegetbymovie.com/ for Facebook/Twitter links, screening times, dates and locations, and much, much more on this amazing motion picture. Check it out on PBS this Wednesday, 11/11, at 9 p.m. Share the word with others too! It may not be the “feel good” movie of the Christmas season, but it’s certainly on my required, “life-changing” viewing list.

Watch the trailer now:

-Michelle Seitzer

This guest blog post is contributed by Boomerater, a free online resource for Baby Boomers helping you find everything from advice on financial planning to anniversary vacations. Seniors for Living contributes its properties to Boomerater’s Alzheimer’s Care directory.

A new Q&A discussion from Boomerater’s forums appears here each Friday. In this week’s post, members discuss the responsibilities of being the executor of an estate.

Question: My parents have asked me to be the executor of their estate.  I’m honored that they trust me with this, but I don’t know what’s involved.  I don’t think their estate is very complicated, but I have no idea how much time or effort it could take. Any advice? By the way, I visit them often but do not live near them.

Reply #1: I can offer some insight from my own experience as executor of my parents’ estate…

1. Get duplicate copies of death certificates – you’ll need them to close accounts.
2. Know where everything is kept, not just where they bank, but where the keys for the safe deposit box are, etc. My parents had a weird “secret hiding place” where they kept my grandmother’s jewelry – fortunately I knew about that, but I never could find the keys to the car.
3. All costs have to be paid before you can settle the estate. This includes rent or mortgage, credit cards, property taxes, medical bills, etc.

Reply #2: Early responsibilities of the executor include identifying the assets and liabilities.  This in itself can be complicated.  Costs associated with an illness, tax issues and any business relationship the decedent had all have to be taken into account.  To handle the legal, financial and tax issues I suggest you find competent financial advisors with experience in each of the areas.  A good executor works with the advisors to oversee the process and makes the final decisions.

Reply #3: The best situation is when the decedent has made his/her wishes known and documented… who gets what, where all the documents are, etc.  My aunt and uncle, who never had children, willed some personal items to individuals, then divided the rest of the estate into “lots.” Each heir (mostly nieces and nephews) drew one lot and received all of the items associated with that lot.  The lots were of similar value, so everyone was treated equally. The more effort your parents put into organizing their estate and documenting their wishes, the easier your job as executor will be.

Find out what others had to say about being the executor of an estate on Boomerater.com.

If there is anything that really makes my blood boil, stories of elders being mistreated does just that. Physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse, neglect – the anecdotes I’ve heard (and the millions of cases that probably remain unreported and unresolved) are deeply disturbing to me. Even talking down to elders (and studies have shown that even those with cognitive impairments are highly averse to “elderspeak”), in my opinion, is completely unacceptable.

Besides these extreme cases, there are a number of perhaps subtle ways that seniors get dismissed by an age-biased society like ours. In fact, Steve Gurney of the ProAging network recently posted a UPI report out of Washington indicating that complaints of age bias have been on the rise, due to the tough economy and our ever-increasing reliance on technology. In Michigan, the Department of Civil Rights received 1,245 complaints of age discrimination, representing a 77% increase over the number received in 2008 (a mere though inexcusable 703). The federally-backed Equal Employment Opportunity Commission saw a 36% increase from 2005 to 2008.

The bottom line?  It’s all about getting the job done quickly, efficiently, and at the lowest cost, says attorney Steve Fishman. Fishman represents companies in age-discrimination cases. Essentially, your years of experience and loyalty to the company just don’t count if it costs the company too much.

I’m sure there are companies out there who still value their savvy senior employees, and wherever you are, I applaud you. But we all know that the market has wreaked havoc on small businesses, large businesses, 401Ks, retirement plans, health care benefits and, unfortunately, the career paths of those expensive FTEs who have given years of blood, sweat and tears to the company.

Desperate times call for desperate measures – some may say in defense – but I believe that today’s business leaders must consider those who have built the companies they represent. Perhaps you need to make difficult decisions given the state of the economy, but consider all the options. Explore ways of keeping that valuable employee engaged, rather than simply striking them out on account of their age (see post on the 100-year-old still practicing physician for evidence that there is no ideal retirement age). A 60th birthday does not equal an expiration date.

Seniors are far too often taken for granted, in the workplace, in our families, in our communities, in our places of worship, in nursing homes and senior living communities – and if you ask me, it’s absolutely a crime! With all that they have to offer in the way of life experience, their stories must be heard, their contributions to society must be celebrated, their value must be affirmed, their courage and fortitude in what were far more difficult times than many of us have known. We cannot afford to neglect this priceless population — not now, not ever.

SFL followers, how do you honor the seniors in your life? Don’t miss out!

-Michelle Seitzer