For Seniors, they are of particular worth.  Companionship  is, of course, principle among their qualities.  Folk who have had pets discover the emptiness of loneliness when living without them.  We live in a multi-generational area where there are many pets, mostly dogs, and where people take them for daily walks or runs or to specially created dog parks. It is in these settings that senior dog owners make friends with others, while the dogs hook up with others as well. 

Of special interest is the increasing amount of research looking at the benefit of having pets for senior citizens.  Such reports consistently identify the emotional and physical benefits of pet ownership for geriatric patients in nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation units and independent living.  Pet owners thrive to a significantly greater extent than non-pet owners.

We have two.  We have had two for years now, because they thrive on the partnership each gives the other.  Their playfulness brings sparkle into the home.  They are more than pets, they are treasures. 

Sure some inconvenience comes with caring for them, and some expense too.  But everything that offers you joy and laughter, good times and happiness does.  Living with a pet is a choice many even choose when they have moved into their “last” home. 

Dogs, cats, fish, birds (I get a little queezy about reptiles) can give you something to do and certainly a conversation starter when you have visitors.  When you are considering your disposition, consider your having a pet to go along with assisting that disposition as well.

First we begin with “Paradise” and that would be Hawaii.  I had the good fortune of spending two summers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  Loved every moment, especially the lovely evening breezes.  I have not visited any other Hawaiian island than Oahu, but I will share with you what I have discovered about island travel all over the globe. 

I know of travelers who find their preference to always be an island destination.  Wikipedia will provide more than you will even want or need to know about Hawaii.  Wikipedia is always a super site for investigating any topic. By the way, “Wiki” is a Hawaiian word for “fast.”  Wikitravel follows suit with even more detailed information at http://wikitravel.org/en/Hawaii. 

The Island of Oahu is Hawaii all on one island and truly is the heart of Hawaii. Oahu is home to Hawaii’s State Capital, Honolulu, and often nicknamed “The Gathering Place”, attracting visitors from around the world to enjoy the unique culture, natural beauty and Aloha Spirit.  Discover the many sides of Oahu. Explore the lush, Windward Coast or take a beautiful, scenic drive to the legendary North Shore. Indulge in great shopping and dining in Waikiki and immerse yourself in the cool arts and culture scene in Hip and Historic Honolulu. 

Oahu is rich in culture and history with traditions that are alive. The warmth of her people, their traditions and a unique blend of cultures has created a place like nowhere else. Simply stated, Oahu has more to see, do and experience. Imagine your paradise and you’ll discover it’s all on the Island of Oahu, the Heart of Hawaii.  

Oahu is the third largest island in the Hawaiian chain. It is home to about three-fourths of the state’s population. Honolulu is the 11th largest U.S. metropolitan city. Waikiki, the most world-renowned site in Oahu, is the top visitor destination of the state. This manmade beach attraction encompasses 450 acres of top vacation fun, surf, hotels, shopping, dining, and entertainment. Of course there are abundant tourist attractions outside of Waikiki. The island is very geographically diverse with mountains, rainforests, volcanic craters, tropics, beaches, and much more.   There is so much to share about Hawaii that I will include more in a future blog.  Hope you enjoy your surfing.  jeb

The Access Travel Center has a site specifically designed for you called FOR SENIORS.   There is a host of resources aimed specifically for you.  Click on a few that arouse your interest and then delve into that area so see what you can learn to contribute more to the success of your trip or trip planning.

I dearly love Mexico and the Mexican people.  I have traveled to many parts of the country from the most backward areas on Medical Group Mission trips with MDs and DDSs as well as to the most popular sites and tourist attractions.  Today travel to Mexico has changed a good deal in just a couple of years and a word of caution is needed.  Flying into Cancun or the Mayan Riviera may be more safe than driving to the capital in your own car from the U.S., however caution is always necessary. This article directed to Spring Break visitors is valuable for all tourists.  Although Mexico is in the headlines almost daily due to huge drug problem, one may still travel south of the border and enjoy a safe experience with a little caution.

Life123 gives ten tips on travel safety in Mexico.  The one good tip that I agree wholeheartedly with is “Never travel alone.  Always have at least one person with you, preferably two or more, when you leave your hotel. There’s safety in numbers.”  I have continually stressed this point with all my travel groups, especially high school students.  I insist on groups of three or more, not just two persons, whenever walking away from the hotel.  Make a few friends and tag along together.  

Do you prefer to travel by yourself?  There are a few experienced voyagers who like just to do so.   If this is your case, take a look at three sites loaded with suggestions on How To Travel Safely Alone: (1) (http://www.wikihow.com/Travel-Safely-Alone),  (2) (http://www.answerbag.com/articles/How-to-Safely-Travel-Alone/59daa384-f459-4ab1-95b1-e49f055a57e7) and (3) (http://www.floweradvisor.com/lifestyle/travel/travel_vacations/920/how_to_travel_safely/).

ehow has several helpful travel safely suggestions.  I like their introduction…”travelers need to consider the quality of their efforts” – and “handling routine maintenance as well as mechanized prepping for a trip is a given.”  I could not have stated it any better.  The section on hotel safety is excellent.  “Beware of those with people wandering the hallways, or where unsecured entry-ways invite loitering.   Ask to see a room before taking it; then thoroughly examine the security in the room as well as any holes drilled through walls or artwork used to peep on guests. Take a heavy combination padlock along and use it. Sign in using a first initial and last name; single women should consider registering as Mr. and Mrs.; avoid having anyone know what room you are assigned. Make sure you receive the correct credit card back. Obtain two hotel business cards/matchbooks with the hotel name on it—-one for your room, and one to carry on yourself while sightseeing—-to know exactly where you are.  Ask for a room between the 4th and 6th floors. Rooms on higher levels can’t be reached by most fire ladders. Ask for a room away from the parking lot if staying on a ground floor; settle for one facing an interior courtyard, if it’s not available. Lodgings near elevators are considered safer; but they’re also noisier.”  Take note of these good suggestions and do your best to follow them as one must always be aware of potential dangers in any hotel.  jeb

So, let’s move on.  One of the important lessons in aging is not to put too much emphasis on subjects of health, disability, aches, pains and having a four page answer to the question, every time you are asked it, of “how are you?” 

Health is important to seniors.  Wellness is as well.  But dwelling on aches and pains and unusual bodily phenomenon does not offer pleasant opportunity for interaction and conversation.  Likely, when too much attention  and time is spent on such topics, the talker will find an absence of listeners. 

Keeping abreast of a variety of conversational topics will get you further in having friends, enjoying interaction and having persons seek you out.  Some people, however, take literally the polite question, ”How are you?”  They do not mean to spend an exorbitant amount of time listening to the rehearsal of the multitude of bodily impediments which may be yours. 

Having been a pastor, I learned a long time ago that persons will find ways to recite their hurts and pains without a lot of provocation.   While it may seem helpful to the talker, it is ultimately not a productive way to deal with health issues.  For the most part, the individual who shares his/her maladies just needs someone to talk to.  Loneliness is more likely the issue and loneliness, like most aches, needs a cure.

In such moments, the individual who is chronic in sharing the “pains”, may need to be directed to some self- help group, an organization which appeals to a particular interest, or seek out friend(s) who can help the person overcome the need to be so self-centered.

Of course, pains can be real and there may be a genuine need for the particular complaint to be addressed. The listener can be the vehicle by which the talker is transported,  perhaps even literally, to some kind of professional assistance to address the problem at hand.  True friends will listen.  But true friends with physical or medical issues need not “use” their friends beyond what is appropriate and reasonable.

So, when caught in the trap of the listener, find an appropriate and polite way to extricate  yourself.  If you are the talker, recognize what you are doing and “talk about something else.”

La Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre If you can read a little French there are 3,200 clubs in France and its territories here.  I might even join you myself as I speak French having taught the language for over 35 years.

Fitness Singles is the world’s largest online dating site for sports and fitness enthusiasts. Whether you’re looking for a “fitness date,” exercise friends or a workout partner.  Fitness Singles is a fun, private and secure environment to meet fit, active singles, who share your passion for activities, such as yoga, bodybuilding and running. Search thousands of personals of active single men and women in your area and post your own profile for FREE!

Would you like to “ramble” in Europe?  Then perhaps this group can help you do just that. The European Rambler’s Association  (ERA) was founded in Germany in 1969 and by 1971 consisted of 14 ramblers’ organisations from six countries. Today, this umbrella organisation comprises 50 ramblers’ organizations from 26 European states (+2 ramblers’ organisations from Israel and Morocco as observers). These organisations have a total of over 5 million individual members. Most of the member organisations have more than fifty years’ experience in organising and creating conditions to facilitate walking (path marking, construction of huts, viewing towers, shipyards, campsites etc.), and a number of them have been in existence for more than one hundred years (the oldest for more than 130 years).

American Volkssport Association is another “serious walker organization.”  2010 Starting Point, the Year-Round Walking Event Book is here. Your guide to more than 1850+ self-guided walking and biking trails, published by the American Volkssport Association. Listings, directions, contacts for all Year Round Events in the USA by State, then City.  Here is their Order Form

And lastly: Find walking events at http://www.ava.org/ava_search.asp

Walking Clubs and Groups:  http://www.thewalkingsite.com/clubs.html

Exploring the World on Foot: http://www.exploringtheworldonfoot.com/ExploringtheWorldonFoot/¡Bienvenidos%21.html

jeb

I am looking at my addiction to sweets as though I were a serious alcohol addict…I’m committed to not taking even one bite.  And yesterday when my mother offered me my favorite candy…that chocolate, pretzel, peanut piece that I shared recently, I said ‘no thank you’, with not one cell of my body crying ‘take one, just one, just one little piece’!  I am gaining against this weakness and it feels so good.

I have replaced a morning cup of coffee with a cup of  hot water  and freshly squeezed lemon, mixed with maple syrup and cayenne pepper.  So my sister, after reading the benefits of cayenne pepper,  asked to try it one morning this week and her response was,  “this is really quite good!”   She too is drinking a cup daily. 

I did a google search of  the benefits of  lemons,  cayenne pepper and pure Maple Syrup this past week and I would encourage anyone seriously interested in not taking blood pressure medication  to look at the impressive benefits of cayenne pepper.  I plan to  stay on it the rest of  my life and off the blood pressure meds. 

This Black Bean Salad/Dip recipe comes from my very tasty, healthy file.  My 12 year old granddaughter would possibly vote it her favorite dip.  She likes to eat it with tortilla chips.  My daughter likes it as a salad that she can make easily and quickly for a neighborhood picnic.  I like it for a colorful, tasty, side dish with any meal.  My husband doesn’t like it because of the cilantro in it.  He’s simply leaving more for the rest of us!

Rachel’s Black Bean Dip (Her mommy’s black bean salad)
2 cans black beans rinsed and drained
1 can Green Giant White Shoepeg Corn
1 small to medium red onion chopped
1 red pepper chopped
2 tsp minced garlic.  I use 2-4 cloves minced fresh garlic
1/3 cup cilantro, rinsed and chopped
8 oz Zesty Italien salad dressing
Mix all together and serve with lime tortilla chips and a splash of lime juice.  Actually, I added 1/2 a lemon juiced.

Today, we look at some other of the issues which require our attention.  

*The first is Eliminating Stuff.  This topic has been addressed before, but reminders never hurt.  Accumulations are easy to acquire and keep and allow control over you.  Before energy is dissipated or someone in the family is forced to the task, perhaps it would be wise to begin your own sorting and distributing.  All of the things someone else would enjoy can now be theirs.  All of the stuff that seemed once so important can be relegated to wherever would be appropriate.  Then, when/if you choose to live elsewhere a major part of the tedious work will have been done.  Congratulations, you are in charge again.

*Now you are in a position to begin deciding where you will live.  If you are a couple, perhaps you will want to stay in your present domicile.  If single, a variety of options can be available. Down sizing is a wise move for seniors.  Having shifted the stuff to another environment, preferably not a storage unit, you now may  think in terms of a condo, perhaps a residence with a one car garage, an apartment, a high rise complex with no lawn to maintain, and so on. The important considerations here are a reduction in responsibility, having to  provide upkeep and costs.  This is a time when reducing overhead is a real possibility.  In this economic climate, that is a very good idea.

*Keeping a regular schedule for check ups with your physician(s) is also a discipline necessary to older persons.  Avoiding a regular visit to your primary care physician and any follow ups that he/she may require will not only save you money, but enable the heading off of serious illnesses that may translate into something far more difficult to deal with.  Put nothing off, ignore no instructions or referrals.  Never hesitate to make an appointment if you have a concern.  Waiting is often a senior’s worst enemy.    

*Mobility and exercise are two other characteristics of a a healthy older person’s life.  Being able to get around is very important, offering flexibility, fun and freedom.  Keeping up a schedule which will enable the use of legs and hips, arms and full body will be the most rewarding of all the matters that need to be made before it is too late. 

There are other considerations for the attention of seniors.  As they prompt you to be aware of them, do something about them.  Putting off, waiting till its too late, thinking you probably are okay, assuming an aspirin or other short cut will address it are all ways to detour you into more and greater issues.  Pay attention to your body.  Listen to the hints.  Observe the changes.  Before it is too Late.

Tomorrow’s Topic: Enough Already!

20 travel tips from Air-Travel Insiders describes the difference between “direct” and “nonstop” flights, and always opt for the latter. Unlike nonstops, direct flights can touch down at other airports on the way to their ultimate destinations.  While stops are built in to the total travel time, the potential delays they can cause aren’t. “Whenever possible, fly nonstop.”   I did a “dumb thing” in a flight from Buenos Aires to San Paulo when my wife and I thought we had arrived in SP it was Florianopolis.  We deplaned and had difficulty getting back on the plane.  We were unaware that this was a “direct” flight and not a “nonstop..”  Twenty Tips provides advice on many issues that you may experience as you travel by air. 

Know your airport’s code.  Airport location identifiers, commonly known as airport codes, are assigned to airports throughout the world by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).  Along with airline designators and transport document accounting codes, these three-character codes are required to identify airlines, destinations, and traffic documents.  These three sets of codes are used by myriad computer systems to process passenger and cargo traffic information smoothly and efficiently from beginning to end of each flight.  I speak from experience.   As I was departing Marseille (France) for Cedar Rapids, Iowa (CID) I noted that the code tag was not correct.  It was for the Ivory Coast.  Imagine that.  My suitcase would have traveled to Africa and possibly never to be seen again.  I said in French…”No, No that is not correct.”  It was “corrected” and this time was to be sent to Mumbai, India. The neat part was that after two incorrect tags, I was upgraded to business class.  When my group members passed by me in business class they asked “What are you doing up here?” I reponded…”Don’t Ask!”  So KNOW YOUR AIRPORT CODE of your final destination and where you want your suitcase to end up.  Many have weird three letter codes.  It has been said that “Someday I hope to travel all the places where my suitcase has been.” 

It is a good idea to wrap a bright colorful and easily identifiable ribbon on your suitcase handle to make it easier to identify on the carousel.  Be present when your suitcase arrives.  I had one stolen at the airport in Brussels as I was the last one off the plane with a large group of travelers.  Two weeks in France without a suitcase…not cool!  The airline did compensate me but not nearly in the amount that I lost.  

The Traveler Insider provides full information on what to do in case your bag does not arrive or is stolen.  Know your rights.  Did you know that the airline is liable for compensation up to a maximum of $3,300 per bag (it was raised from $3,000 a few months ago).  Learn Domestic airport codes and International codes and carry a copy for each leg of your trip.

When packing place all your suitcase items and your cash in two piles.  Now take out half of your clothing and double your cash.  Now you are packed and ready to leave.   jeb

A Mayo Clinic physician says the bottom line is this: walking is good, whether the outcome measurement is blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, joint problems or mental health. “Getting out there and taking a walk is what it’s all about,” says James Levine, M.D., Ph.D., and a Mayo Clinic expert on obesity. “You don’t have to join a gym, you don’t have to check your pulse. You just have to switch off the TV, get off the sofa and go for a walk.”  Another reason to walk is because it really helps clear the mind, replenish the soul, and tones up the body.  Walking is one of your body’s most natural forms of exercise.  It’s safe, simple, doesn’t require practice, and the health benefits are many.    

Walking will help:

• Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol)
• Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol)
• Lower your blood pressure
• Reduce your risk of or manage type 2 diabetes
• Manage your weight
• Improve your mood
• Stay strong and fit

Seniors – have you ever thought about walking a marathon? If so, check out this link: http://www.marathonwalking.com/.  In a recent poll 70% of walkers surveyed stated a desire to train for and participate in a marathon or distance walking event. 18% of those polled have previously walked in a marathon, and most of those would like to do it again someday. Maybe you would like to try one but don’t know where to start. This site will encourage you and provide information to help you along the way.  

I’ll stop here and continue with the same topic for my next Senior Travel Blog as there is “more to come.”  Enjoy!  jeb

Examples are Long Term Care Insurance, Moving into a Care Facility, Working Out your Estate Plan, Eliminating Accumulated Stuff, Deciding where you can Live, Keeping Up with Annual Physicals, and Working out Issues which affect Mobility.

*Long Term Care Insuarance is very high on the list.  It is one of those things, if put off, risks rejection.  Having the necessary physical when you are at your healthiest is wise.  Your medical history will influence your acceptance, your rates, and your qualifying to be in a good position to save money in the future.  Of course, you may pay premiums longer.  But the pay off is that when you require the services that LTC  insurance covers, you will be glad you made the right choice.

Include the inflation rider.  Costs escalate annually and you will be glad that your care insurance reflects the rise in costs.  Income, at this point, will be largely, if not completely, dedicated to care and housing in a facility.  Anticipating these costs, planning for them and absorbing much of them with LTC insurance will be a smart, wise and prudent move.  Do it today.  Delay will cost you more.

*Choosing the time to move into a Care Facility is a critical move.   Again delay is your worst enemy.  Identifying a care facility which has a good reputation, is acceptable to your desires and needs is another decision requiring smart and careful consideration.  Applying for a place in a Care Facility, i.e. getting your name on the list, is a necessary decision.  Waiting until the moment one must make such a move often means no bed is available. 

Going through the process of identifying the options, determining the type care required, interviewing others who have experience will make your choice easier and wiser.  Be clear before the move in is made what the situation will be regarding the use of an automobile, if there is still one available.  Do not leave this to external forces to influence the decision.

 *Collaborating with family members, your attorney and others who may assist in wisely working out your estate plan, which should have been addressed by the time of retirement, is another critical priority.  Again, and we cannot emphasize this too much, delay will cost you and your family.  A studied approach with counsel from well prepared professionals needs to put you and your estate in a position of protection, preparedness and prudence.  This is one area which can prompt more tension, stress and difficulty than almost any other.  Head it off with well thought through choices and conclusions. 

The additional four concerns on our list will be dealt with tomorrow under the rubric:  Choosing Before Its too Late, Part 2.