Senior Lifestyles Inside... Planning for retirement
Successful ways to plan for retirement to remain in good financial standing during your golden years ........................ p. 2
Senior accessibility
Modern technology has helped with struggles to help seniors maintain a functional lifestyle at home ......... p. 4
Talk with a pharmacist
Learn the top five questions you should ask your pharmacist to help improve your health ..................... p. 7
Winter 2015
Senior Lifestyles • Winter 2015 – Page 2
Successful ways to stretch retirement savings Metro Creative
File Photo As you think about retirement, you shouldn’t have to worry about if your finances will last. Learn a few helpful hints to secure your finacial future.
Many budding retirees plan to travel, relax and enjoy the company of their spouses when they officially stop working. But such plans only are possible if men and women take steps to secure their financial futures in retirement. According to a recent survey by the personal finance education site MoneyTips.com, roughly one-third of Baby Boomers have no retirement plan. The reason some may have no plan is they have misconceptions about how much money they will need in retirement. Successful retirees understand the steps to take and how to live on a budget. • Have a plan. Many people simply fail to plan for retirement. Even men and women who invest in an employer-sponsored retirement program, such as a 401(k), should not make that the only retirement planning they do. Speak with a fi-
nancial advisor who can help you develop a plan that ensures you don’t outlive your assets. • Set reasonable goals. Retirement nest eggs do not need to be enormous. Many retirees have a net worth of less than $1 million, and many people live comfortably on less than $100,000 annually. When planning for retirement, don’t be dissuaded because you won’t be buying a vineyard or villa in Europe. Set reasonable goals for your retirement and make sure you meet those goals. • Recognize there is no magic wealth-building plan. Saving comes down to formulating a plan specific to your goals, resources, abilities, and skills. Make saving a priority and take advantage of employersponsored retirement programs if they are offered. • Don’t underestimate spending. You will need money in retirement, and it’s best that you don’t underes-
timate just how much you’re going to need. No one wants to be stuck at home during retirement, when people typically want to enjoy themselves and the freedom that comes with retirement. Speak to a financial planner to develop a reasonable estimate of your living expenses when you plan to retire. • Pay down or avoid debt while you can. Retiring with debt is a big risk. Try to eliminate all of your debts before you retire and, once you have, focus your energy on growing your investments and/or saving money for retirement. • Start early on retirement saving. It’s never too early to begin saving for retirement. Although few twenty-somethings are thinking about retirement, the earlier you begin to invest the more time you have to grow your money. Enroll in a retirement plan now so you have a larger nest egg when you reach retirement age.
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Senior Lifestyles • Winter 2015 – Page 3
Exercise tips your heart will love Brandpoint A regular exercise routine is an important component of heart health, yet less than onethird of Americans get the minimum 30 minutes of daily exercise five days a week, as recommended by the American Heart Association. Na-
tionally, as many as 250,000 deaths annually are attributable to a lack of regular physical activity. While exercise is important for everyone, regular aerobic activity can be critical to ensuring healthier outcomes for cardiovascular patients. Even a little exercise goes a long way.
“Just 5-10 minutes of daily running, even at very slow speeds, can significantly lower the risk of mortality among cardiovascular patients,” said Ed Dannemiller, a specialist pharmacist in the Express Scripts Cardiovascular Therapeutic Resource Center. “Simply getting the recommended
minimum amount of exercise can help reduce cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke by 30-40 percent.” Ed and his team counsel heart patients about the benefits of regular exercise in addition to following the medication regimen and other lifestyle changes. Regular exercise has many other benefits for your heart as well, including: strengthening the heart muscle, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, gaining better control of one’s blood sugar and maintaining bone strength. Exercise can also help heart patients lose weight and lead more active lives without chest pain. If you are considering starting an exercise regime, keep these precautions in mind to minimize your risks and prevent an adverse reaction. • If you recently had a heart surgery or procedure, experience chest pain or shortness of breath, recently had a heart attack, or have diabetes you should consult a physician before beginning any exercise regimen. • If you are on beta blockers, anti-arrhythmic drugs and calcium channel blockers, you may have a reduced heart rate and may experience lower gains in heart rates when exercising. Medications such as the decongestant pseudoephedrine, anti-depressants, and thyroid medications can increase exercise heart rate. It is important to know the right aerobic heart rate target to prevent overtraining or under-training your heart if you are on any of these medications. • If you are a cardiovascular patient, high-intensity exercises such as push-ups, situps and heavy lifting may not be recommended for you, so
it’s a good idea to first speak with your physician. • You may also need to avoid certain everyday activities that can overly affect the heart rate, such as raking, shoveling and mowing. • Walking, swimming and light jogging are good beginning exercises if you have a cardiovascular condition. But what if you’re already on a work-out schedule? Then keep these useful tips in mind: • Maintain a steady pace and rest between workouts. • Do not exercise outdoors in extremely humid, hot or cold temperatures. Extreme temps can make breathing difficult and cause chest pain. Try mall-walking instead. • In cold weather, cover your nose and mouth when exercising outside. • Stay hydrated by drinking water, even when you’re not feeling thirsty and especially on hot days. • Avoid overly cold/hot showers or sauna baths after exercise. • Avoid exercising in hilly areas because it may cause your heart to work too hard. Closely monitor your heart rate with your target rate in mind. • Stop exercising if you experience pain, dizziness, shortness of breath or excessive fatigue. Consult your physician. • Stop the activity in the event of a rapid or irregular heartbeat. Check your pulse after 15 minutes of rest and consult your physician if the rate is still higher than 100120 beats per minute. A regular exercise routine, along with adherence to the medication regimen, can put you on the path toward better health. For more information, visit lab.express-scripts. com.
Senior Lifestyles • Winter 2015 – Page 4
Skilled Rehabilitation . Look to Park Centre for short term skilled nursing & rehabilitation . Private Suites . Medicare Certified
Alex Olp/Daily News Manager Patti Hayes sits in a chair lift at Hammer Medical Supply in Newton. Chair lifts help senior citizens maintain their footing when standing up from a seated position.
Modern technology provides independence to senior citizens By Alex Olp Newton Daily News
500 First Street North Newton, Iowa 50208 www.wesleylife.org/parkcentre
To Learn more call 641-791-5000
The struggles some senior citizens face within their homes are all too real, but modern technology has helped in regards to maintaining a functional lifestyle. Area residents have been provided with medical attention from Hammer Medical Supply since 1984. Store
manager Patti Hayes said Hammer offers a wide range of services for individuals who are in need of constant medical care. “We do anything from respiratory to diabetic shoes to mastectomy fittings to helping people stay in their homes,” Hayes said. “We have a department that does anything from installing an elevator to a stair
lift, bathroom remodels, walk-in tubs, outside ramps and handrails. We are full service.” Mobility can become a struggle with age, and things such as scooters and wheelchairs can help immensely with moving place to place. However, full accessibility within a resident’s home can be a daily obstacle for senior citizens where everyday things such as bathing
Senior Lifestyles • Winter 2015 – Page 5
and climbing stairs are difficult without the right equipment. To overcome those hurdles and provide complete mobility to those who have daily medical needs, many home installments like, walk-in tubs and stair lifts, are necessary. Hayes said Hammer’s most common home setup is the stair lift, which installs directly into the homeowner’s staircase. “That gives them the ability to go from one floor to another,” Hayes said. “Some people just can’t walk down the stairs anymore, whether it’s old age or bad heart.” A lot of equipment may be highly technical, but it can be critical in order for seniors to continue a functional lifestyle within their homes. “When you talk about equipment you could be talk-
ing about anything from a pair of crutches to a wheelchair,” Hayes said. “We also have people who can’t eat so we have food for them. We have people who have (specific illnesses) so they need special supplies and equipment for that too.” Many things you don’t think of are typically the biggest challenges to people with medical needs, Hayes said. These problems exist in more households than realized, which is why it is important for seniors to weigh their options when it comes to the right accessibility technology. “Without a medical supply facility, you’re going have a higher amount of hospitals and senior facilities,” Hayes said. “These people would not be able to stay in their home if we’re not there to provide that oxygen or those
hospital beds. They would go somewhere where they could get 24-hour care.” Many senior citizens choose to live in a facility where they have access to all the necessary equipment. Park Centre is a retirement facility for area residents that helps guide senior citizens’ independence. “We focus on it being a very home-like environment, so we try to incorporate stuff that does help them just as if they had it in their home,” said Park Cntre Director of Nursing Jennifer Flake said. “It doesn’t become an obstacle; it becomes a tool for them to be successful. It aids them in their mobility to encourage as much independence as possible. So having that equipment helps them maintain their mobility longer. It’s like a tool for them to remain independent or as
an independent.” The existence of stair lifts, chair lifts and even scooters provides senior citizens with an option to regain their independence. Every day motions and activities are lim-
ited to those who struggle with their mobility. However, modern inventions and advanced equipment have helped with solving common issues that senior citizens face on a daily basis.
Alex Olp/Daily News Manager Patti Hayes uses the control on the chair lift at Hammer Medical Supply in Newton.
We’re not satisfied until your questions are answered. Medications are powerful, and because of their potential to interact with each other, it is important that we learn to manage them properly. Don’t hesitate to call one of our professional pharmacists. They are here to help you with your questions and concerns.
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Senior Lifestyles • Winter 2015 – Page 6
Understand and avoid elder financial fraud Metro Creative
Elder fraud is a financial crime that targets older men and women who are often unable to recognize they are being victimized. Elder financial fraud is a broad term that can be applied to a host of crimes, from stealing money or property directly from an individual to using an older person’s property or possessions without permission. Many seniors are targeted through telemarketing scams in which elders are scared into giving money out of fear of losing their homes. Some are exploited by people closer to home who forge
signatures or get an older person to sign over deeds or power of attorney. Criminals often see elderly men and women as easy targets. Seniors may be suffering from declining physical and/ or mental health, which compromises their ability to defend themselves or even recognize they are being taken advantage of. Seniors also may be embarrassed that they were duped and not share their experiences with others as a result. But elder fraud also can be perpetrated by family members who aim to acquire an elderly relative’s assets. Recognizing scenarios where fraud may be committed can help men and
women protect their elderly relatives from being victimized by elder fraud. • Confirm professionals are who they say they are. More than 170 designations and certifications are used within the financial industry to identify professionals. Some of them do not necessarily mean a person is qualified or can be trusted to handle an individual’s assets. Always ask a financial advisor if he is overseen by a government agency or is authorized to provide advice under the “fiduciary standard of care.” Be especially careful when dealing with advisors who try to push certain products or those who suggest shortcuts
and blending services. Such professionals are not necessarily criminals, but they may have ulterior motives in mind and not be overly concerned about you or your loved one’s financial well-being. • Pay attention to your accounts. Unusually large withdrawals from automated teller machines or cashed checks with signatures that do not match the signature on the account are both indicative of fraud. If you are monitoring a loved one’s accounts, question any surges of activity in accounts that are normally somewhat inactive. • Ask a loved one to keep you abreast of changes in their will. Abrupt changes in a will
or other financial documents should also cause concern. Family members caring for a senior should be aware of any major changes to important documents.
• Monitor a loved one’s purchases. Sudden purchases, whether it’s an updated insurance policy or unnecessary home repairs, may be indicative of elder fraud.
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Blue M Senior Lifestyles • Winter 2015 – Page 7
Questions you should ask your pharmacist Brandpoint
ask your pharmacist.
A visit to the pharmacy can be about more than just picking up prescriptions or supplies for the medicine cabinet. It can actually be an important, and convenient, time to ask your pharmacist key questions that could impact your health. Dr. Andria Fetterman, a faculty member in South University Savannah’s School of Pharmacy, encourages people to use their pharmacist as a resource for information about everything from prescription medication to lifestyle changes. Fetterman said there are five key questions you should frequently
What can I expect from this medication? Fetterman says whether you’re picking up an overthe-counter remedy or a prescription, you should feel free to ask your pharmacist what to expect from the medication. “Many medications have potential side effects that you should be aware of before you take them,” Fetterman said. “It may be something as mild as a little stomach discomfort or drowsiness, but knowing what to expect will help you handle any potential side effects. Also, knowing what to expect could keep you from
blaming any new, unrelated symptoms on your medication.” You should also ask how long it will take for your medication to make you feel better. Fetterman says most antibiotics should have you feeling better in three to five days, but an anti-depressant may need to be in your sys-
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How long should I take an over the counter medication before I call my Green Hammer Ribbon 1 doctor? Green Hammer Ribbon 1 Over-the-counter medicines can provide relief for a number of ailments, but sometimes you need to see a doctor either for a prescription or a correct diagnosis of your symptoms. Fetterman said your pharmacist Green can H Green help guide you when you’re not sure if it is time to see a doctor. “A pharmacist can give tem for three weeks before you advice on how quickly you begin to feel its effects. you should see symptom reIf a prescription medicine lief with an over-the-counter doesn’t seem to be working medication,” says Fetterman. Green Hammer Banner Hammer Banner in the properGreen time frame, you “Many times, people will treat should let your doctor know. themselves too long with overRemember that sudden dis- the-counter medicine or will continuation of some medi- switch from one product to cations, without proper pro- another looking for relief, and fessional advice, can be costly many times don’t go to a phyto your health. sician when they need to.”
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Senior Lifestyles • Winter 2015 – Page 8
Newton Village Health Care Center offers skilled Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy. “State of the Art” care center offering personalized rehabilitation for your own specific needs.
Our Physical therapists have over 70 years of combined experience.
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