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2 - Mature Lifestyles - April, 2012 - TheIntelligencer.com
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TheIntelligencer.com - April, 2012 - Mature Lifestyles - 3
For the Intelligencer
E.S.C.A.P.E. program participants on a recent tour of the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Getting out and seeing the world City-sponsored E.S.C.A.P.E. program lets seniors do just that By OLIVER WIEST owiest@edwpub.net Joan Griffin moved to Edwardsville less than a year ago, but she already has a new circle of friends thanks to the Parks and Recreation Department. A friend invited Griffin to accompany her on a February bus trip to the Fox Theater, in St. Louis, to see “West Side Story.” Now she looks forward to the monthly E.S.C.A.P.E. — Edwardsville Senior Citizens – A Perfect Experience — excursions. Griffin, who moved from Wood River, has taken bus trips sponsored by Alton Senior Services Plus and outings sponsored by banks. “Edwardsville is by far the best,” she said. “They go places I never even knew existed.” Once a month, usually on a Wednesday, a group of older people board a tour bus in Edwardsville for a day trip, lunch, and companionship. Katie Grable started the E.S.C.A.P.E. trips when she
joined the city’s Parks and Recreation Department seven years ago. The Parks Department had sponsored an annual trip to a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium for some time, but Grable decided to make it a monthly affair to include regional attractions. The trips, which can accommodate a little more than 60 people but may be limited to smaller groups depending on the destination, fill up fast and there’s usually a waiting list. On March 21, Griffin boarded the bus to St. Louis to visit the Third Degree Glass Factory, where the group saw glassblowing and other glass work. Lunch was at the Cheesecake Factory in the Galleria. The day-long outing cost $50, which Griffin said was “very reasonable.” She’s looking forward in May to the Busch Stadium tour and lunch in the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame Bar and Grill. See “E.S.C.A.P.E.” on Page 5
4 - Mature Lifestyles - April, 2012 - TheIntelligencer.com
For the Intelligencer
E.S.C.A.P.E. program participants greet a horse during a trip to Amish Country.
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E.S.C.A.P.E. Continued from Page 3 The idea is to offer outings, usually to St. Louis, to people who may not be as comfortable driving to the city as they once were, Grable said. The majority of participants are retired, since the events are mostly conducted during the day on weekdays. Grable handed off E.S.C.A.P.E. planning duties to Jaime Kersten a couple of years ago. “Jaime breathed new life into it,” Grable said, and also gave the excursion program its name. Kersten left the Park Department last month, after her husband took a job in Seattle, and Hayley McGuire, the new assistant recreation coordinator, has stepped in to guide the program. McGuire, who has a master ’s degree in sports management from the University of Tennessee, worked in programs for older people in Ballwin before returning to Edwardsville, where she did a summer internship and worked part-time in the Parks Department from 2008 to 2009. “I pick trips based on what I enjoy,” McGuire
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said, mostly to “touristy” destinations. She reasons that, “It’s nice to revisit those places that you went to when you were younger.” Some of the trips are staples, such as to Arthur and the Amish community there and a Cardinals baseball game. Coming up are St. Louis outings to the Butterfly House and Faust Park, April 18; a Busch Stadium Tour, May 16; and Cirque de Soleil at Chaifetz Arena, June 24. The cost is generally around $50, depending on the event, and includes a meal. “You never know how much fun you’re going to have until you try,” McGuire said. “Sign up and come. You’ll meet wonderful people.” McGuire said people make friends on the trips and some people wind up signing up for excursions as a group. Griffin said she has met several people on the two trips she has taken. “Everyone is so congenial,” she said. “You sit around a table and everyone is involved in the conversation.” The trips are open to anyone 55 or older. Contact the Parks and Recreation Department, 692-7538 for information.
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6 - Mature Lifestyles - April, 2012 - TheIntelligencer.com
Protect your nest egg from financial vultures (ARA) - Calling your retirement savings a “nest egg” is meaningful on many levels. Just as birds labor hard and long to create a secure roost, you and your mate work hard to provide for yourselves during your golden years. And just as crows and other invaders can come along to rob a bird’s nest, your nest egg can be at risk from predators like identity thieves and scammers. One out of every five people older than 65 - 7.3 million Americans - has been the victim of a financial swindle, according to a survey sponsored by the Investor Protection Trust. Identity theft statistics are also alarming: In 2010, more than 1 million people older than 65 were targeted by identity thieves, according to the Bureau
of Justice Statistics. Factor in everyone older than 50, and that number soars to more than 3.5 million. “Unfortunately, it’s not enough to have saved wisely for retirement,” says Ken Chaplin, senior vice president of marketing for Experian’s ProtectMyID. “Statistics show that seniors are favorite targets for identity thieves, con artists and scammers. Protecting your nest egg from being raided by crooks is every bit as important as ensuring your investments continue to pay off.” According to the FBI, seniors may be targeted because: • They are less likely to be technically savvy about online predators. • They tend to be more polite and trusting, and may be less likely to recognize a phone scam.
• They may be unaware who to report a crime to if they’ve been defrauded. • They often have large nest eggs to protect. Fortunately, you can take steps to protect your nest egg. Avoiding phone scams First, always know who you’re giving your money to. Never invest with someone who “cold calls” you on the phone claiming to have a great investment opportunity. Be especially wary of “companies” that have no physical address and operate out of a P.O. box or website. And remember, be suspicious if an investment promises amazing returns. If something sounds too good to be true, it often isn’t true at all. See “NEST EGG” on Page 7
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Nest egg Continued from Page 6 Never give your bank account, Social Security Number or credit card number to someone who calls claiming to be a bill collector. The law requires bill collectors to provide you with documentation of a debt. Request documentation and thoroughly check out any claims that you owe money. If you have any doubts about a phone call you’ve received, talk to friends or family members who know something about investing. Never trust a stranger you’ve just met on the phone more than the people in your life whom you know care about you. Guarding against identity theft In addition to being aware of investment scams, you also need to take steps to prevent identity theft. “Seniors tend to use credit less, have more available credit and are less likely to check their credit report online,� Chaplin says. “All those factors make them an appealing target for identity thieves.� The Federal Trade Commission recommends that everyone monitor their credit report regularly to detect signs of identity theft quickly. Services like
ProtectyMyID monitor your credit report on a daily basis to help you detect, protect against and resolve instances of identity theft. In addition to monitoring your credit, you can help protect your identity with these measures: • Safeguard your Social Security and Medicare cards. Never carry your Social Security card with you. Store it in a safe, locked location. Be wary of who you give the number to. If a merchant or health care provider wants it, ask why they need it and if they will accept an alternate form of identification. • Never leave out-going mail in your mailbox. If you can’t get to the post office to mail it, leave a note asking your postal carrier if he or she would be able to come to your door to pick-up your outgoing mail. • If you use paper checks, never have new checks delivered by mail to your home. Instead, have them sent to your bank, where you can pick them up. And never have your checks imprinted with your home phone number, Social Security number, driver ’s license number or birth date. • Arrange to have all income checks - Social Security, interest dividends, pension payments, 401k withdrawals, etc. - deposited directly into your bank account. Never have a check mailed to your home, where it could be stolen from your mailbox.
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8 - Mature Lifestyles - April, 2012 - TheIntelligencer.com
Associated Press
Alexis McKenzie, executive director of The Methodist Home of the District of Columbia Forest Side, an Alzheimer's assisted-living facility, walks with resident Catherine Peake, in Washington, Monday, Feb. 6, 2012.
Push made for family input to detect dementia By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Alexis McKenzie’s mother had mild dementia, but things sounded OK when she phoned home: Dad was with her, finishing his wife’s sentences as they talked about puttering through the day and a drive to the store. Then their phone service was cut off. “I mailed that check,” McKenzie’s father insisted. No, he’d mailed the phone company a bank deposit slip instead. McKenzie vis-
ited and discovered spoiling food. Dad the caregiver was in trouble, too. Dementia can sneak up on families. Its sufferers are pretty adept at covering lapses early on, and spouses are sometimes there to compensate. Doctors too frequently are fooled as well. Now specialists are pushing for the first National Alzheimer’s Plan to help overcome this barrier to early detection, urging what’s called dementia-capable primary care, more screenings for warning signs and regular checks of caregivers’ own physical and mental health. See “DEMENTIA” on Page 9
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DemeNtia Continued from Page 8 For a doctor to ask someone with brewing dementia, “How are you?� isn’t enough, says Dr. Laurel Coleman, a geriatric physician at Maine Medical Center who is part of a federal advisory council tackling the issue. “So often I hear, ‘The doctor only asks my mom how she is. She says fine and it’s over,�’ says Coleman. “That’s not dementia-capable, or dementia-aware, primary care.� Family input should be mandatory, she told a recent council meeting. It’s the only way to know if the person really is eating and taking her medicines as she claims, and not forgetting to turn off the stove. The question is how to square that input with patient confidentiality, especially if the person never filed the legal forms clearing family members to intervene, as happened with McKenzie. Plus, regularly seeking that input takes more time than the typical 15-minute visit and is poorly reimbursed, notes Coleman. But she says more primary-care physicians are starting to be trained in dementia’s challenges. More than 5 million Americans are estimated to have Alzheimer’s or similar forms of dementia, although as many as half may not be formally diagnosed. With the
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rapidly aging population, the toll is projected to reach up to 16 million by 2050. The Obama administration is drafting a national strategy to try to slow that coming avalanche — with research aiming for some effective treatments by 2025 — plus find ways for struggling families to better cope today. Step 1 is earlier detection. McKenzie directs an Alzheimer’s assisted-living facility in Washington, so she knows about dementia. Still, it took some sleuthing to determine how much her 82-year-old parents, living a few hours away in Maryland, were deteriorating. She says her father refused any assistance in caring for her mother, and together the couple put up such a good front that even their regular physician hadn’t realized their shared answers to standard check-up questions — How are you eating? Has anything changed? — simply weren’t true. “It’s almost as if they’re sharing a brain. That’s how they get through a day,� McKenzie says. Sure, dementia patients’ stories can be believable. “It happens in doctors’ offices all the time,� says Beth Kallmyer, vice president of constituent services at the Alzheimer’s Association. That’s why it’s crucial that family members are part of the screening process. The diseased brain may not be able to pull up a recent memory, but longer-term memories remain, she explains. So an intricate description of, say, cooking last night’s dinner may ring true because it was a real dinner, just not last night’s. See “DEMENTIA� on Page 10
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Dementia Continued from Page 9 And a long-married couple in a familiar routine and surroundings can appear far more normal than they really are — until something upsets that balancing act, like the caregiving spouse getting sick, adds Dr. Gary Kennedy, geriatric psychiatry chief at New York’s Montefiore Medical Center. How to get around the hidden-dementia conundrum? • Medicare’s new annual wellness visit pays for cognitive screening, simple tests that signal who should be referred for more extensive brain exams. “Even if primary-care physicians don’t consider themselves experts at evaluating for Alzheimer ’s disease, or don’t feel comfortable, they can screen,” Kallmyer says. • The government’s Alzheimer ’s advisers want doctors to steer families toward advanced-care planning, including designating a health care power of attorney, as soon as dementia is diagnosed. Montefiore’s Kennedy says early diagnosis gives patients a say in how they want to be cared for while they’re still capable of making those decisions.
• A health care proxy won’t be used until the person is quite sick. So Kallmyer advises also signing what’s called a “release of information” allowing the doctor to discuss the person’s care with whoever is named right away. Such steps are important, Kennedy says, because advancing dementia leaves people so unaware of their deficits that they can take family or doctor input “as an affront.” He always asks new patients if he can fill in their loved ones, or invite them in from the waiting room, as a way of starting that conversation. • Doctors can violate patient confidentiality if they believe the person’s decisions or behavior has become a danger, Kennedy notes. McKenzie says her father would never discuss naming a health care proxy and her parents were furious that she’d voiced concerns to their physician. She had to think up non-confrontational ways to get invited back into their doctor visits: “I’ll drive you, and then why don’t I take notes in case you have any questions later?” It turned out that McKenzie’s father had a noncancerous brain tumor causing his own gradual dementia symptoms, which started becoming apparent with the phone mix-up, unrefrigerated food and eventually delusions. Finally, she had to go to court to get her parents the care they needed in an assisted living facility near their hometown.
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TheIntelligencer.com - April, 2012 - Mature Lifestyles - 11
Communities need to prepare for aging baby boomers The need for services will skyrocket during the coming decade COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Few communities have started to think long term about how to plan and redesign services for aging baby boomers as they move out of the workforce and into retirement. Even more troubling, dwindling budgets in a tight economy have pushed communities to cut spending on delivering meals to the homebound and shuttling folks who can no longer drive to grocery stores and doctor’s offices. These cuts, advocates for older Americans say, are coming when the services are needed more than ever. And those needs will grow tremendously over the next two decades. The nation’s population of those 65
and older will double between 2000 and 2030, according to the federal Administration on Aging. That adds up to one out of every five Americans — 72.1 million people. Just eight years from now, researchers say, a quarter of all Ohio’s residents in half of the state’s counties will be 60 or older. Arizona and Pennsylvania project that one in four of its residents will be over the age of 60 by 2020. “The bottom line is, the baby boomers are hitting,” Chuck Gehring of LifeCare Alliance, an agency serving seniors in central Ohio, told The Columbus Dispatch. “Are communities prepared for this? No.” Six years ago, the National
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Association of Area Agencies on Aging said less than half of cities it surveyed at the time were preparing to deal with the needs of older folks. It said the results “should serve as a wake-up call for communities to begin planning now.” Five years later, the Washington, D.C.-based group revisited the survey and found little had changed. There was still a great need for transportation and housing for aging boomers, it said. “There are a lot of communities that recognize they need to do something but haven’t done it yet,” Sandy Markwood, the group’s chief executive officer, told The Associated Press. See “BOOMERS” on Page 13
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12 - Mature Lifestyles - April, 2012 - TheIntelligencer.com
surviving caregiving A MAP THROUGH THE MAZE
An insightful conference designed for family caregivers who wish to gain valuable knowledge and resources that will help them navigate the maze of caregiving.
Saturday, April 14, 2012 9:30 a.m.−2:30 p.m. St. John Church - Faith Hall 307 Clay Street Collinsville, IL 62234
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DAY KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS: - Caregiving & Anxiety - Navigating VA Benefits LUNCH: - Ask the Doc
ASK THE EXPERT: BREAKOUT SESSIONS (SELECT 2) - Legal & Financial - VA Benefits: Advanced Topics - Behavior and Communication
Register at www.alz.org/stl or call 800.272.3900. This conference is free, but registration is required. Box lunch included. Complimentary care will be available at St. John's Adult Day Center during the conference hours. Pre-registration for adult day care service is required. Contact Stacey Rhodes at 618.344.5008.
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TheIntelligencer.com - April, 2012 - Mature Lifestyles - 13
Associated Press
In this March 14, 2012 photo, Mary Ellen Rhodes exits the Licking County Aging Program’s van for a medical appointment at Mt. Carmel East Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. Demographic shifts have left Ohio with one of the oldest workforces in the country and too few younger workers to replace aging baby boomers as they retire.
Boomers Continued from Page 11 Some of the changes cities can make include offering training to help older people drive more safely, installing road signs that are easier to read or creating ride-share programs, said Jo Reed, who oversaw the latest survey. The biggest reason why cities have made little progress is the economy. Nearly 21,000 times last year, drivers for the Licking County Aging Program in Ohio took elderly residents in communities east of Columbus to medical appointments. The gasoline bill has more than doubled in the past four
years, topping $7,000 a month. “With federal funding for these programs very flat, the burden is on local communities,” Dave Bibler, the agency’s executive director, told The Dispatch. Transportation usually tops the list of unmet needs in local aging-agency surveys, advocates say. Public transit routes and stops sometimes aren’t flexible enough; volunteer transportation networks are popping up in a few places but remain rare. “How do we keep people involved in the community once they stop driving?” said Cindy Farson, executive director of the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging. “It’s one of those bottomless pits of need and demand. It’s going to take a lot of creative thinking.” Home and apartments will need boomer makeovers too. See “BOOMERS” on Page 14
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Boomers Continued from Page 13 Two Ohio lawmakers have proposed a tax credit to install bar handles, light switches and ramps to improve accessibility in homes. Supporters say it will save money because fall-related hospitalizations in Ohio cost $298 million a year in medical costs. Communities can do some preparations on the cheap, said Henry Cisneros, the former mayor of San Antonio and the secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Clinton administration. Cisneros, now executive chairman of Los Angelesbased CityView, an institutional investment firm geared toward urban real estate, said communities can be creative with zoning for denser housing and what he called “granny flats” next to houses. Although the task looms large, communities that address these issues now could reap benefits that reach beyond the boomer bubble. Creative planners like to envision neighborhoods that appeal to those who are young and old. Young people actually have similar tastes to seniors when looking for a place to live, coveting
walkable communities with easy access to shopping, entertainment and transit. And boomers want affordable and accessible housing, transportation, recreation options and, when the time comes, in-home care and services to help them avoid nursing homes. Edward Elberfeld, a retired art teacher, and his wife, Barbara, plan to stay in their home near downtown Columbus as long as they can. Elberfeld, 63, has been working with neighborhood residents to form a group of volunteers to help other seniors do the same. Their “aging in place” effort is based on similar projects in affluent neighborhoods of cities such as Boston and Washington, D.C., where private, nonprofit corporations formed to provide services and social activities so seniors don’t have to move. When residents are no longer able to drive, or walk down steep basement stairs, volunteers would ferry people around, check on a basement furnace, or help landscape the yard. Residents usually pay an annual membership fee, but far less than the cost of staying in a nursing-home. Minnie Figart-Braden, 63, who oversees a mealson-wheels kitchen in the city, said it’s best for people to realize that good plans and quality care might call for sacrifice. “The boomers have to learn to give,” she said. “They have to be responsible enough to give back to the community, to see what’s going on.”
TheIntelligencer.com - April, 2012 - Mature Lifestyles - 15
What to do when hearing aids just aren’t enough (ARA) - Straining to hear each day, even when using powerful advanced hearing aids? Feeling frustrated and sometimes even exhausted from listening? Whether it happens suddenly or gradually over time, hearing loss can affect physical and emotional health. Being unable to hear impacts one’s ability to socialize with friends, communicate with co-workers, and can force people to become more reliant on family members to constantly interpret for them. By age 65, one out of three people will have a hearing loss, according to the Hearing Loss Association of America. Signs of hearing loss include: • Difficulty understanding speech on the telephone • Trouble following a conversation with two or more people talking at the same time • Difficulty hearing in a noisy background • Having to strain to understand conversation • The need to ask people to repeat themselves • Misunderstanding others and responding inappropriately If you or someone you know is experiencing more than two of these signs, it could be beneficial to schedule an
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evaluation with a certified audiologist to learn if you/ your loved one has a hearing loss. For people diagnosed with severe to profound hearing loss, who no longer benefit from hearing aids, there may be a solution. Unlike a hearing aid that amplifies sound, a cochlear implant is an implantable solution designed to mimic natural hearing using sophisticated software and state-of-the art electronic components. Ann Dexheimer, a former certified American Sign Language interpreter and teacher for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program in Sonoma County, was diagnosed with hearing loss as a child. Starting at age 12, her progressive loss started to worsen. Throughout her career, Dexheimer had taken professional courses and learned about cochlear implants, a technology that is often covered by many private health insurance plans and Medicare, and may be covered by Medicaid. Because her own hearing had worsened, it dawned on her in a class one day that she should consider getting a cochlear implant herself. “For me it was a nobrainer. I’d seen the remarkable success of children with cochlear implants.”
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16 - Mature Lifestyles - April, 2012 - TheIntelligencer.com
Carol Kohler/Intelligencer
One of the dining rooms at Eden Village Retirement Community.
Eden Village offers options
CAROL KOHLER For the Intelligencer Seniors 55 and older have options galore at Eden Village Retirement Community in Glen Carbon. For starters, the Continuum Care Retirement Community (CCRC) offers three different types of quality senior living. For those who desire to live completely independent, the campus includes 40 garden homes and 82 apartments. The very popular assisted living section, presently at capacity, offers 74 apartments. And for those needing 24-hour care, the facility includes a 128-bed skilled care center, with both private and semi-private rooms. Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood, yet close enough to shopping and entertainment, the 18-acre quality care center understands the importance of offering choices. Lifestyles differ greatly, depending on age and health concerns and residents are encouraged to live as actively and independently as possible.
Eden’s daily activity calendar includes everything from morning Wii bowling and exercise classes to afternoon card playing. In between are trips for shopping and dining. “Being in a wheelchair does not exclude any of our residents from participating in our outings. We have an accessible lift that we use when needed,” said Tina Kassing-Meurer, Eden Village Administrator. By partnering with Alliance Healthcare, residents and the community alike can utilize the In/Out Patient Therapy Department. Whether a person needs physical, occupational or speech therapy, all three specialties are available. Ninety-eight-year-old Mary, who resides in a garden home, exercises six days a week. Mary’s dedication to staying healthy has made a real impact on 70-year-old Faith, who also resides at Eden Village. Faith no longer uses a walker due to her new commitment to exercising. Her doctor believes it’s as simple as
Faith getting involved on a regular basis and the positive influences of others. Retired senator Evelyn Bowles had only good things to say about living the past four-and-a-half years at the retirement center in the senior apartments. “In my opinion, it’s the best place to live. Eden Village addresses all your desires and there is always someone here to discuss your concerns with. The personnel make a real effort to do something different to challenge the residents mental capacities,” said Evelyn. The public is encouraged to visit the Fourth Annual Health Fair on the Eden Village Campus Friday April 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the atrium. There will be free refreshments and giveaways along with free blood pressure and cholesterol screenings. For more information or to schedule a tour of the facility at 200 South Station Road in Glen Carbon call 288-5014.
TheIntelligencer.com - April, 2012 - Mature Lifestyles - 17
ARA photo
Feeling younger and looking younger can be accomplished – to an extent – with exercise.
Spend 15 minutes on a younger look (ARA) - The American baby boomer generation isn’t content sitting still - they live full lives working, traveling and pursuing their favorite hobbies. Age is only a number for this determined group whose population is pushing an estimated 78 million. If you are one of the many active baby boomers, you understand your health is a priority, but that doesn’t mean you want to spend long hours each day making sure you stay well. Luckily some of the best things you can do for yourself only take a matter of minutes each day. Dr. Wendy Bazilian (wendybazilian.com), a doctor of public health, registered dietitian and author of “The SuperFoodsRx Diet: Lose Weight with the Power of SuperNutrients,” knows the importance of optimizing health for baby boomers. Simple healthy activities, when done on a daily basis, can have a huge cumulative effect on health and wellness. Here are some big-impact health activities from Dr. Bazilian that you can do in 15 minutes or less: 1. Be flexible with gentle stretches Stretching might seem like a basic physical activity, but its positive effects can be substantial. Especially for boomers, stretching for five to 15 minutes each day can help keep muscles and joints flexible, and help increase overall body
health. Plus as you age, stretching can help maintain your mobility levels and decrease the risks of falls. Try gentle stretches to get your blood flowing in the morning or before you take a walk. Want to try something different? Yoga blends stretching and strength for a wonderful workout for people of all ages. Time requirement: 15 minutes or less 2. Get an oil change - in your kitchen The right kind of oils can benefit your health and wellness, and the wrong ones can put you at risk for high cholesterol, heart disease and even cancer. Cooking healthy means stocking your pantry with the right kinds of oils so you can enjoy the foods you love the right way. Two to keep on hand are extra virgin olive oil and organic grapeseed oil. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fats which can help boost healthy HDL cholesterol while at the same time help to reduce unhealthy LDL cholesterol levels. Lower cooking temperatures or cool/room temperature usage is best. Organic grapeseed oil has a more neutral flavor and a high smoke point, allowing for higher temperature cooking while using a lighter hand in measures with this healthier cooking oil. Time requirement: five minutes or less
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Your doctor can help you with the detection and treatment of colon cancer.
Treatment options for colon cancer Early detection is an essential part of the battle
(ARA) - Colon cancer is the No. 2 cancer killer in the United States because it frequently catches people unaware, according to the National Cancer Institute. But half of the colon-cancer deaths each year could be avoided if every adult older than 50 is screened, according to the American Cancer Society. Preventative screening is an important first step in detecting colon cancer; however, it is the decisions you need to make if a screening comes back positive that can influence your future health. When caught early, colon cancer is highly treatable. Treatment for colon cancer ranges from chemotherapy to surgery. Minimally invasive - also called laparoscopic - colon cancer surgery has been made possible thanks to advances in technology. Minimally invasive surgery uses state-of-the-art technology to reduce the damage to human tissue during a procedure. In most procedures, a surgeon
makes several small 3/4-inch incisions and inserts thin tubes, or access ports, into the patient’s abdomen. A miniature camera is then placed through one of the port sites so the surgical team can view the procedure as a magnified image on video monitors in the operating room. Then, specialized instruments are placed through the other port sites to perform the procedure. Surgery for colon cancer usually entails removing the cancer, along with a section of colon on either side of the cancer spot. Finally one of the port site incisions is elongated several inches so that the specimen can be removed along with nearby lymph nodes. Minimally invasive procedures have been proven to be as effective as traditional open surgery. More than 20 million Americans have had a minimally invasive procedure. See “CANCER� on Page 19
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CaNCer Continued from Page 18 Not only do these procedures usually provide the same outcomes to open surgery, they may offer significant benefits as well: • Quicker recovery. Since a minimally invasive procedure requires smaller incisions than conventional surgery (usually about the diameter of a dime), patients may heal much faster (e.g., patients who underwent minimally invasive colectomy for colon cancer returned to work five to 26 days quicker than with a traditional procedure, according to a study conducted by the Advisory Board Company.) • Decreases the risk of acquiring infections. Laparoscopic surgery for hysterectomy, cholecystectomy (gall bladder) and appendectomy reduced the risk of hospital-acquired infections by 52 percent when compared to open surgery, according to a study published in Surgical Endoscopy. • Shorter hospital stays. Minimally invasive procedures help get patients out of the hospital (up to seven days) and back to their normal routine (average of 36.4 days) sooner than conventional open surgery, according to studies published in Surgical
Innovation and the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. • Less scarring. Most incisions are so small that it’s hard to even notice them after the incisions have healed. • Less pain. Because these procedures are less invasive than conventional open surgery, there is typically less pain involved. • Cost savings. Patients who undergo minimally invasive surgery save between $438 and $8,286 in hospital costs, compared to those who undergo conventional open surgery, according to studies published in Surgical Innovation and the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. Colon cancer can be a deadly and costly disease, but if caught early, can be treated successfully and with less invasive or costly options. Getting screened when recommended can help a person start treatment early, potentially without having ever experienced a symptom of colon cancer. If you are over 50 and have never been screened, now is the time. If you have been diagnosed with colon cancer, talk with your doctor about the potential for minimally invasive surgery treatment. For additional information, visit www.smarterpatient. com/coloncancer. This article is sponsored by Ethicon Endo-Surgery.
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20 - Mature Lifestyles - April, 2012 - TheIntelligencer.com
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Business owners need to plan ahead for retirement.
Retirement planning crucial for small business owners
(ARA) - Planning for retirement is crucial for everyone, and it is especially critical for small business owners, the business leaders many cite as the life blood of the American economy. Indeed, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small business owners employ half of all private sector employees, pay 44 percent of total U.S. private payroll, and have generated 65 percent of net new jobs over the past 17 years. The challenge before American small business owners is keeping their companies financially healthy long-term. This is so that small business owners do not over-rely on the sale of their business alone to take care of them in retirement, and so the business will continue to remain a viable employer in the communities it serves. Because small business owners and entrepreneurs are
busy every day working to keep their businesses running strong, their schedule can often interfere with planning for the future. But in this economy, planning is a must in any business strategy. Without it, business owners may be surprised to find that the ultimate sale of their business may not leave enough for them to live on. This is because the sale timing might be off, or their finances are not strong enough to cover a full retirement. “Setting a target number - or dollar figure of what is needed to live on for the rest of your life - is important, and it should be determined at least 10 years before you’re ready to retire,” says Tara Reynolds, corporate vice president with Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual). See “BUSINESS” on Page 22
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BusiNess Continued from Page 20 “And as you approach retirement, it’s also a good idea to re-calculate what the business is worth with a proper business valuation to determine how you will need to fund your non-working years, if the value has changed. Having this plan and expectation in place can help you determine the best way and time to retire from your business.” The average business owner expects to retire at age 68, according to a survey conducted by GfK Custom Research North American for MassMutual in 2011. Yet only onethird of the respondents had a sound retirement strategy to ensure income for life, having access to income when needed, managing potential health care expenses and leaving a legacy to the next generation. MassMutual financial professional Katheigh Degen of Kansas City offers the following tips to help small business owners stay financially secure during the run up to retirement. • Anticipate needs - Traditionally, most people need about 70 percent of their current annual income to live comfortably in retirement. Know what your business is worth - both as one entity, and also broken down into
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smaller parts. Only about 10 percent of business sales involve the entire business as one lump sum. • Save on the side - You’ve probably heard about diversifying your portfolio, and the same is true with diversifying your retirement plan. Put aside 20 to 25 percent of your gross income in savings outside of the business. This provides you with flexibility as you plan your exit from the business. For example, if you have an heir or employee interested in purchasing the company, they might not be able to afford it all at once, but could take over the helm with smaller payments over a period of time. Having additional savings can help you tide over in retirement while you also receive payments for the business. • Explore options - As you near retirement, selling off your business in one setting would make everything easy. But as mentioned earlier, it doesn’t always work that way. Knowing your business’ value can help you evaluate offers that come your way, so you can make an educated decision on whether to sell and live comfortably in retirement, or keep working and pursue a better offer. • Don’t wait too long to find a buyer - Within three to five years of retirement, business owners should start to find a buyer for the business. Of course, this plan demands that the owner set an expected retirement date and stick to it. By waiting too long, owners may begin to experience poor health and low energy, which could affect productivity and potentially the profitability of the company.
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