Living 50+ March 2013

LIVING 50 PLUS March 2013

A younger lifestyle for an active generation

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STAYING YOUNG

Living 50 Plus • March 2013

Don’t take anti-aging techniques too far

Introducing Caretel Inns ®

Consider lifestyle as well as your personal appearance before making any changes.

Introducing Caretel I

It may be difficult to let go of one’s youth, but the still young at heart needn’t let that struggle show.

Aging gracefully is about highlighting the positive and camouflaging the rest — accepting body changes and working with them.

Graying hair is an obvious sign of aging--one easily managed according to Debora Stefanos, owner of the Off Main Street Hair Salon in Niles.

“You can blend it,” she said. “You can cover it completely. You can highlight. You can lowlight. It all depends on what the individual person needs.”

In determining a person’s needs, Stefanos considers a person’s lifestyle as well as their physical appearance.

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By TERRI GORDON Special to Leader Publications

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We’ve all seen them: The overly

“You want to talk about upkeep of the hair,” she said. “You want to talk about skin tone. Do they wear makeup?”

A mistake people often make in coloring their hair is to try to recapture the hair color of their youth.

It’s better to stick with something closer to its current color.

Women make mistakes

when it comes to makeup too, often showing their age more than hiding it.

Metallic eye shadows, strong eyeliners, and powdered blushes are best left to the young.

“A lot of people wear too harsh an eyeliner,” said Stefanos. “So, you can soften the eyeliner with colors instead of the typical black that a lot of

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with hair E. Glenlord Rd. salon, spa, willspecializes include Penny Lane, in: • Physical gift shop, Therapy and a theatre. indoor downtown, STOP IN OR CALL FOR our ADDITIONAL INFORMATION • Occupational Therapy • Skilled Nursing Care 94 Also, a new state-of63 READY TOwith hair salon, spa, the-art 39 • Speech Therapy ST. JOSEPHOccupational •shop, Assisted and aLiving theatre.

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and Physical Therapy • Speech Caretel Therapy Inns Other services: Center! specializes in: • Physical 63 Therapy • Short-Term Rehabilitation • Occupational Therapy • Skilled Nursing Care • Memory • Speech Therapy • Out-Patient Therapy STOP IN ORCare CALL FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION • Assisted Living ®

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Living 50 Plus • March 2013 3

Shedding pounds after 50 Losing some weight is a goal for many people regardless of age. While youngsters and young adults might be able to get away with a few extra pounds without suffering any significant consequences, older adults carrying some extra weight might be putting their overall health at considerable risk.

Shedding weight after the age of 50 is not always easy. As a person ages, muscle mass tends to dwindle while body fat has a tendency to increase. Since fat burns fewer calories than muscle, weight gain as a person ages is bound to happen. But that doesn’t mean such weight gain is inevitable. Men and women willing to make changes with regard to diet and exercise can shed pounds after 50.

Diet Men and women need fewer calories as they age. For example, men and women in their 40s may need as many as 200 calories more per day than they will when they reach their 50s. Counting calories might seem difficult, so men and women in their 50s and older who don’t think they can count calories can try to eat more low-calorie foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Consuming fewer calories often requires changing dietary habits, not only with regard to what you’re eating but also how you’re eating and even how you shop for food. Men and women used to dining out for lunch every day can start bringing their own lunches so

women continue to wear.

“Once you get beyond the age of 40, you really shouldn’t be wearing shimmer colors on your eyes. It ages them tremendously. So, [you should try for] a more natural look, with a matte finish.

“On the cheeks, you’ll want to use a stick versus a powder because your skin changes. It gets dryer.”

How a person dresses makes a big difference in how young or old a person looks. The short skirts and low cut shirts that once revealed toned legs and voluptuous cleavage now show sagging skin and knobby knees.

“Somebody 50 years old shouldn’t be wearing something a 20 year old would wear,” Stefanos warned. “As we get older, we tend to put on weight, or our body shifts. It’s not the same. You should always make sure the clothing fits you. If you’re a size 10, don’t buy a size 8. Buy a size 10. It will looks ten times better.”

Of course, men are not immune to aging — though society is a bit more forgiving of their

they can gain greater control of their daily caloric intake. For those who find they’re frequently too exhausted to cook each night, they can prepare meals in advance to have healthy, homemade meals waiting instead of always ordering takeout or delivery. When shopping for food, people should avoid doing so on an empty stomach so they’re less inclined to buy unhealthy snacks.

Exercise Exercise is another essential component to shedding pounds after 50, though men and women over 50 should always consult a physician before they begin a new exercise regimen. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out that regular exercise can help older men and women prevent the onset of a host of ailments, including heart disease and diabetes. In addition, the CDC notes that regular physical activity as one ages helps muscles grow stronger, which increases the chances that an individual will be able to perform necessary daily activities without the assistance of others. Maintaining that independence into older adulthood is a goal for many men and women, and it’s a goal that’s far more realistic for men and women who exercise than it is for those who don’t.

When coupled with a healthy, lowcalorie diet, routine exercise can help men and women over 50 shed extra weight and keep the weight off.

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faults. Stefanos says a good haircut goes a long way. Like women, men can color their gray away, but Stefanos doesn’t recommend it, though a little coloring of any facial hair is okay.

“It doesn’t have to be major,” she said. “We still like to see a little gray in men’s hair.”

While these “beauty tricks” work wonders in helping a person look younger, much of aging gracefully takes place on the inside.

At Havens Retreat Day Spa in Buchanan, owner Sherrie Daniel promotes good health as a way to look younger.

“It’s important for the outside as well as the inside of your body,” she said, “because if you don’t feel good about yourself, no matter what you put on, you’re not going to feel good.”

And so, Daniel offers advice we have all heard before: practice good nutrition, stay fit, sleep well, manage stress, drink plenty of water, and don’t smoke. She also warns against spending too much time in the sun.

“Smoking makes you

look older faster,” she said. “Sun does damage to your skin, and water — which is the most important thing you can do — hydrates your skin.”

And so Daniel offers facials and massages, manicures and pedicures, and nutritional advice — all designed to encourage relaxation and detoxification.

“The largest organ in your body is the skin,” Daniel said, “ and what you put on it by way of lotions, sunscreens, all those things, have a tendency to clog your skin, so dry brushing, and different types of massage helps your body get rid of the toxins, and drinking the water helps flush everything out.”

While her approach is more from the inside out, Daniel does know a trick or two.

“One of the tricks the stars us is Preparation H under the eyes and under the chin. They tend to sag,” she said.

“And, you want to use a light touch when applying make-up.

“You want to use your ring finger. It has the least amount of pressure.

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Ethan Shelton, 109, of Berrien Center, holds the most recent addition of the Shelton family, his great-great-granddaughter, Melina Diaz, who was born on Feb. 16 to Jeremiah and Lissa Diaz, of Niles.

Living 50 Plus • March 2013

More defy age longer There’s good news in a new and cer-

tifiable global trend: More elderly people are dying of cancer and heart disease. That may not sound like good news, and in one obvious sense it isn’t.

But before you can die in old age of socalled “rich-country” ailments like these, you have to survive many decades. That so many people are doing so represents a huge achievement.

“It shows that many parts of the globe have largely overcome infectious and communicable diseases as a pervasive threat, and that people on average are living longer,” Ezekiel Emanuel, head of the department of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania, told The New York Times. The evidence comes in a new report produced by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. It offers a lot of reasons to cheer.

First, infectious diseases kill far fewer people globally today than they did just two decades ago. Diarrhea, tuberculosis, malaria and measles have all dropped in the rankings of top causes of death. Better sanitation, greater availability of medicines and wider inoculations have played crucial roles.

Malnutrition is also subsiding. As living standards rise in poor nations, ade-

quate food supplies become available to more and more people. In 1981, 70 percent of the people in developing nations lived on less than $2 a day. Now, that share of the populace in those countries is down to 43 percent. And while malnutrition in 1990 was the world’s top risk factor for deaths and years of life lost, by 2010 it had dropped to eighth.

Odd progress In the aggregate, then, children in particular are remarkably less vulnerable than they used to be. Since 1990, the death rate of kids younger than age 5 has declined by some 60 percent.

Here is an odd but definite sign of progress in the effort to reduce poverty: More people now die from obesity-related illnesses than from lack of food.

The progress has not been uniform across the globe.

Sub-Saharan Africa suffers disproportionately from childhood illnesses and le-

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Living 50 Plus • March 2013 5

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thal infections, including AIDS. But even there, the average age at death has risen by 10 years since 1970: As more children survive — other effects in a society remaining static — the average age of all its deaths rises.

In North Africa, Latin America and Asia, the increase since 1970 in the age of death has been more than 25 years. As causes of death shift from infectious

to noncommunicable diseases, AIDS is a global outlier: It may have peaked, but its effect remains steady, claiming some 1.5 million lives worldwide every year. It’s heartening to know that big, positive changes can occur in places that were sometimes seen as hopeless. The measures that have brought about this progress can be reinforced and expanded to make sure

it continues.

Poor choices But there is some bad news. Millions of people still die prematurely from diseases linked to the choices they make — on things like smoking, eating and exercising. Tobacco use alone claims 6 million lives a year. Preventing cancer, heart disease and diabetes often means persuading people to change how they live, and that’s not easy to do. Smoking is a tough habit to break. Rising incomes and cheap, tasty food have helped produce an epidemic of obesity.

There is no vaccine for aversion to exercise.

The increase in lifestylerelated diseases means that while people are living longer, many of them are also living sicker and requiring more medical treatment, which drives up costs.

That’s the unfortunate price of progress against all sorts of ailments that kill young and old alike. But the progress is real, and it’s welcome.

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Living 50 Plus • March 2013

Marathon man

Pete’s Southside Marathon offers old-school service

By CRAIG HAUPERT ning Pete’s Southside Maracraig.haupert thon in Niles since the late @leaderpub.com 1960s, waited until last week to install pay-at-the When it comes to serving pump gas dispensers at his his customers, Pete Adams South 11th Street station — is old school. something already offered Pete, who has been run- by competitors for many,

Pete Adams pumps gas for a customer at Pete’s Southside Marathon in Niles.

Leader photo/ CRAIG HAUPERT

many, many years.

“You have to get updated with the times,” he said. Pete Adams talks tires with Richard Dragomer in this “People now, they are in picture taken at Pete’s Southside Marathon in 1974. such a big (expletive) hurry and go. It’s a hurry-up — that’s important,” he — excuse my French — world anymore. It’s not said. but they are. They just want like it used to be.”

“We offer service. If you to put their credit card in Pete is one of the last — just want gas, you can go if not the very last — ser- across the street.” vice station owners in the It took about three area to pump gas for cus- weeks for the old pumps to tomers upon request. Most get replaced with the new customers don’t even have ones. to ask Pete.

During that time, Pete He knows them on sight. said his customers wanted “We take care of our to know when they’d repeople — especially the open. old people I know who’ve “They are dedicated,” he been trading with me for said. “They were calling 40-some years,” he said. and asking, ‘Where are we “We take care of them.” going to get our gas?’

If you visit Pete’s South“You take good care of side Marathon, don’t call it people, and they will be gas station. It’s a full ser- back. I don’t care what vice station, offering ev- you are doing for them, erything under the sun re- they’ll be back.”

Pete estimates he regulated to auto maintenance, from oil changes, to tire larly pumps gas for about work to transmission re- 50 customers. He enjoys it.

“I am a people person — pair. You can rent a Uyep — I like people,” he Haul there too.

“This isn’t a gas station said.

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Living 50 Plus • March 2013 7

Author brings medic experience to Rotarians Leo “Doc” Flory, author of “Transition to Duty” — a combat medic’s tour in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles” — will speak at the Dowagiac Rotarians fifth annual “Family and Friends of Rotary” dinner meeting at 6 p.m. April 11 at Elks Lodge 889, 300 Riverside Drive.

Tickets cost $20 and may be reserved by calling 7826262 by April 3. Menu choices include grilled shrimp, pork loin or vegetable mostaccioli.

Flory, a lifelong Decatur resident, will share some of the stories that capture his personal experiences of combat and saving lives during his 1969 tour of duty in Vietnam.

Col. Pierce Graney (ret.), former commander of Co B 2nd Bn 501st Infantry, Airborne, gives Flory’s book high praise when he says in the book’s foreword, “Anyone who claims to be a historian or student of this period of the war and cites studies from the ‘Pentagon Papers,’ ‘The Best and Brightest’ or Vann’s ‘Bright Shining Lie’ must also have

Pastor on the move Dowagiac man takes on new assignment

By JOHN EBY john.eby @leaderpub.com

a work like this on his shelf or he has missed the personal experiences and insights of the almost 10 percent of the ’60s generation who chose to serve the nation honorably.”

Flory wrote his book in 2011 as a result of an email message that a young woman sent to all the email addresses she found on the military website, www. b2501airborne.com. She hoped to find someone who might have information about her uncle who was killed at FSB Airborne on May 13, 1969. She wanted to piece together his military life in hopes of getting to know him.

Pastor John Kasper will be leaving Dowagiac and First United Methodist Church after seven years for a new assignment July 1 in Clare, Isabella County.

In Dowagiac, he has been especially involved with ACTION, Area Churches Together in One Network, which representatives from 10 churches formed on Jan. 7, 2009.

As a Rotarian, he was in line to follow current President Robert Wagel and next president, Prosecutor Victor Fitz, as the service club’s leader.

Kasper came to FUMC July 1, 2006, from five years at Galien and Olive

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Branch United Methodist Churches.

The latter is three miles south of the Berrien County village.

The Ionia native served Hersey United Methodist Church east of Reed City and north of Big Rapids for seven years prior to Galien.

Kasper, oldest of six sons, “fully intended to follow in my father’s footsteps in the floral business he began in Ionia,” and worked with him for 15 years, managing the store.

“After that,” he said, “God began in little ways to work on my life. All my high school training was business-oriented because I intended to go into business with Dad, then felt there was maybe another way God wanted me

to go, so I began pursuing it. It turned out God had one of my other brothers in mind for that store.”

Moving to Galien made Kasper realize “there indeed is a 51st state no one else knows about called Michiana.”

Kasper graduated from high school in 1978 in Ionia. From 1979 to 1981 he attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids before returning to work with his father.

He completed his bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership through Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids.

He and his wife, Debbi, have five children: Faith; Anika, who graduated from Buchanan High School in 2006; Caleb; Amelia; and Gabriel.

“Dowagiac was pretty much all new to me,” Kasper said. “The only real connection I had prior to this was Pastor Bill Doubblestein,” who came two years before him. “He was not only a colleague, but a good friend of mine.

I knew about Dowagiac through him.”

Doubblestein retired after being in the ministry since 1974, but like his predecessor, the Rev. R. Paul Doherty, stayed with the same congregation for 17 years.

Doubblestein, a Wayland native, started in Dowagiac July 1, 2004, from Byron Center.

The late Rev. Doherty came to Dowagiac from Constantine in 1987.

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Living 50 Plus • March 2013

Security speaks

Ivan Hammel shares stories of protecting president

By JOHN EBY john.eby @leaderpub.com Ivan Hammel, born and raised in Benton Harbor until he dropped out and entered the Army, knew Clinton from weekly coffees when the former was a bodyguard and the latter was Arkansas governor.

“I had been telling people I knew him, and everybody thought I was pulling their leg,” Hammel said.

“My job was to hold the elevators and make sure nobody got on. He (Clinton) got out of his car and said, ‘Is that you, Ivan?

When your shift’s over, come talk to me.’ ” He and Clinton shared a meal together.

“I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and did my job right and got promoted to security supervisor. In a hotel, you’re always dealing with

the public. I’ve been lucky through the years, meeting people,” he said.

Ivan’s security work for four years at Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans involved protecting President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore.

Hammel, 64, of Watervliet, would still be living in Louisiana had Hurricane Katrina not destroyed his house in 2005.

Hammel shared another story on a recent visit to Silverbrook Manor in Niles: He blocked the way for Ed “Too Tall” Jones, who played 15 years for the Dallas Cowboys.

At Super Bowl XII, when the Cowboys defeated the Denver Broncos 2710 on Jan. 15, 1978, for their second title at the Superdome, he was guarding the door at a $500-a-plate meal when Jones approached.

“You had to wear a big, pink Super Night at the Super Bowl button,” Hammel said, and Jones wasn’t.

Jones called his supervisor over.

“I wouldn’t let him in,” Hammel said. “I didn’t know the first thing about football, so I didn’t know he was a star player. Too Tall Jones thought it was funny.”

Guests also included Loretta Lynn, Paul Williams, Bernadette Peters and Redd Foxx.

As he circulated through the ballroom in his uniform, Billy Carter stopped him and wanted to try on his hat.

Then President Jimmy Carter’s brother wanted Hammel to sit down for a beer.

Hammel explained he couldn’t drink while on duty, so he had to summon his supervisor again.

“What did you do this time?” his supervisor began.

“I’ll tell you what,” Carter said. “If you don’t let him sit down and drink a beer with me, you won’t have a job come Monday because I’ll buy the damn company and he’ll be your boss.”

“So, I got paid on duty by the company to drink beer with Billy Carter,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of interesting things.”

The incident Hammel particularly remembers was the “doped-up, high” guy who broke into a doctors’ convention.

“I caught him coming out of the room, and he ran,” he recalled. “He would have outrun me, but he messed up because he didn’t know where he was going and he tried to go down an inside fire escape.

He went all the way down

Leader photo/JOHN EBY

Ivan Hammel spoke last month at Silverbrook Manor. to the laundry room. I was on the landing, so I jumped over the guardrail, landed on his back and we were fighting on the floor. He was so high, he bit me.”

Hammel extends his scarred hand.

“I had to get tested for

AIDS every six months to make sure I didn’t have it.”

Hammel is a member of the North Berrien County Military Rites Team, belongs to the American Legion in Coloma and is a National Rifle Association member.

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Living 50 Plus • March 2013 9

Oliver Winery produces in Bloomington, Ind.

Indiana Uplands becomes American Viticulture Area

By HOWARD W. HEWITT Special to Leader Publications The Indiana’s Uplands region being declared an American Viticulture Area Feb. 12 is good news for all Midwestern wineries.

The U.S. wine industry is driven by tourism. For those who take wine seriously and want to learn more about wine, hitting up AVA-designated areas assures a level of serious winemaking and even quality.

Michigan leads the way in the Midwest with four AVAs: Fennville, Leelanau Peninsula, Lake Michigan Shore and Old Mission Peninsula. Ohio has four AVAS: Lake Erie, Isle St. George, Grand River Valley and Loramie Creek. Illinois has the Shawnee Hills AVA and

shares the Upper Mississippi AVA with Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin.

The Ohio River Valley AVA is shared by Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

Kentucky has no other designated grape production area and Indiana did not until the Uplands announcement.

“It just kind of affirms what we already know that we have some excellent grape-growing regions and they’re unique here in the Midwest,” said Bruce Bordelon, a viticulture specialist at Purdue University. “The Uplands region is different than southwest Indiana. Posey County and Gibson County have different climate and soils. There really is a difference in the (grapes) that we grow and the quality that we get

between regions. It’s those little minor differences that makes vintages special and make our varietal-labeled wines special.”

Oliver Winery, near Bloomington, Ind., is one of the Midwest’s largest.

With production in the 400,000-case range, business is good. But Oliver embraced the Uplands news every bit as much as the other eight wineries in the Uplands.

“It allows us to qualify as a true viticulture area and raise the level of awareness that there is something special about this region,” said Kathleen Oliver, the winery’s executive vice president.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to capitalize on that by saying there is something really unique about these wines. We are producing great quality wines; we

are grown throughout the Midwest and excel in the Uplands region. But he also sees other wines doing well and a future for more traditional plantings.

“Late harvest Vignoles and Vidal does wonderfully,” Butler said. “We’ve been doing Chardonnel. I think we’re going to see some more viniferas (think can do it just like Napa traditional wine grapes) and Sonoma. We are something special. And it planted. It takes four years to plant a vine and then get gives us the opportunity to look for a more premi- your first crop. It’s going to be a decades-plus proum price.” cess to zero in on those The nine established varieties that are going to wineries in the Uplands give us the product that we AVA are Best Vineyards Winery, Elizabeth; Brown want.”

The 4800-square-mile County Winery, Nashville; Uplands AVA stretches Butler Winery, from the Morgan-Monroe Bloomington; Carousel County line near Winery, Bedford; French Lick Winery, West Baden Bloomington south to the Ohio River. The east-west Springs; Huber Winery, boundaries run from Jasper Starlight; Oliver Winery, Bloomington; Turtle Run in Dubois County to Knobstone Ridge near Winery, Corydon; and Starlight, overlooking the Winzerwald Winery, Ohio River Valley.

Bristow.

Jim Butler, Butler Howard W. Hewitt, Winery also near Bloomington, spent nearly Crawfordsville, Ind., writes about wine every other 10 years working to achieve the AVA designa- week for 22 newspapers in three states. You can contion. He agreed that tact him with questions or Indiana has a niche with comments at hewitthowwhite Traminette and red ard@gmail.com.

Chambourcin wines that

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Living 50 Plus • March 2013 11

and in January 2011 Maxey had a stroke, not long after she retired from a demanding job as a hospital administrator.

She has high blood pressure, which is a risk factor, but “I’m sure the job and raising the kids and the rippin’ and runnin’ had something to do with it,” she said.

After her stroke, the three oldest children moved in with their grandmother in Rockford, and Maxey focused on raising the other three, including her two grandchildren, whose mother had died of complications from childbirth.

“I guess all would be good if I was 35 and I had the energy to keep up with them,” said Maxey, 64, who decided to retire to focus on the kids. “I don’t have the energy, but I love them.”

Raising children can be taxing at any age, but it can put even more physical and emotional strain on an older person.

Poor health, in turn can make it more difficult for some grandparents to perform caregiving duties.

Some research has found that grandparent-caregivers experience depression, high blood pressure and other health problems at higher rates than their

peers who are not raising children.

“Considering the changes related to aging — hearing loss, vision impairment, gait abnormalities, cognitive decline, among many others — grandparents face significant emotional and physical challenges as they try to ‘keep up’ with toddlers, tweens, teenagers and pre-adults,” said Dr. June McKoy, a Northwestern University geriatrician.

Rising numbers Most people assume that their full-time child-rearing responsibilities will end once their children are grown and out of the house, but millions of grandparents across the country find themselves nurturing another generation.

Their numbers have risen steadily over the years.

Among the reasons: an illness, death, addiction, mental illness, incarceration or military deployment on the part of one or both of the child’s parents.

The prolonged economic downturn also has taken a toll on some families. Of course, not all grandparents wind up caring for children under such difficult circumstances.

“With some families,

what you see is shared parenting across the generations and a family adapting in a very positive way, such as helping a young parent going to school care for the child until the parent can assume more of the responsibilities,” said James Gleeson, an associate professor at the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

And some grandparents say their grandkids help them stay active. Grandparent caregiving crosses income, racial and other demographic categories, Gleeson said, though African Americans are two to three times as likely to be raised by a relative other than a parent, compared with other racial and ethnic groups. About a third of grandparents caring for grandchildren are single.

Nationwide in 2011, about 7 million grandparents lived with a grandchild younger than 18, and about 39 percent of them were primarily responsible for meeting their grandkids’ basic needs.

In Illinois, grandparents were living with their minor grandchildren in more than 270,000 households.

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Living 50 Plus • March 2013

Economic quandaries

What to do with your retirement account before the next economic downturn

A struggling economy can have both instant and longterm consequences.

When the economy is suffering, consumers tend to spend less in the short term while making financial decisions that affect them over the long haul.

One of the biggest quandaries men and women face during a recession or economic downturn is how to approach their retirement accounts, most notably a 401(k). When the economy begins to struggle, men and women may notice their 401(k) plans are struggling right along with it, losing money that most were counting for their retirements. This can induce a certain degree of panic, as account holders worry about their financial futures and how they are going to get by should the recession last and their retirement accounts continue to shrink.

But such panic might be unwarranted. According to the investment manage-

ment firm Vanguard, participant saving and investing behavior had returned to prerecession levels by 2010, and participant account balances actually rose 13 percent between 2005-2010, despite the considerable market shock that occurred during the recession of 2008-2009.

Those figures illustrate that even during a particularly bad economic swoon investors will return to their typical behavior sooner rather than later. Therefore, it pays to avoid overreacting.

While some people manage to maintain a cool head during times of economic struggles, others may lose sleep when the next recession or downturn rears its ugly head. To avoid succumbing to such stress, consider the following tips to protect your retirement accounts should the economy once again take a turn for the worse. n Pay attention to your portfolio. Young people

just beginning their professional careers are often told to enroll in a 401(k) program as soon as possible, but to avoid making any changes in the near future once the account has been set up. While no investors, young or old, should allow a knee-jerk reaction after a bad financial quarter to dictate how they manage their retirement accounts, that doesn’t mean you should ignore an account entirely. Pay attention to your portfolio, examining it at least once per year so you can make adjustments to your investments if need be. Just don’t allow a sudden reaction to a bad quarter dictate these adjustments, which should only be made after a careful examination of your retirement account’s portfolio and its performance. If you’re happy with the performance, don’t change a thing. n Reduce your risk as you age. Financial experts can often predict when the

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economy will thrive and when it will struggle. But unless you are such an expert, avoid playing with fire. As you age, reduce your risk with regard to your investments.

Young people can afford to take on more risk because they have more time to make up for a risk that doesn’t work out. Men and women age 50 and older have no such luxury and should reconfigure their retirement accounts as they age so their investments are less risky and more conservative. This strategy should be put to use even if you lost a substantial amount of money during a previous recession or downturn. It might be tempting to try to make up for lost money, but that strategy carries considerable risk, and you might end up depleting your retirement savings a second time. n Spread the money around. When contributing to a retirement account

such as a 401(k), the standard is to deposit 6 percent of each paycheck into that account. If you’re depositing more than 6 percent into your retirement account, consider decreasing your retirement contribution to the standard amount and depositing the extra money into a high-interest savings account.

The savings account won’t put your deposits at risk, and if the economy is faring well, you will still be doing well with your 401(k) while ensuring some of your money won’t suffer should the economy suddenly take a turn for the worse. n Don’t cash out too early. When the economy struggles, many investors have discovered they simply don’t have the stomach for investing. That’s perfectly understandable with certain investments, but a retirement account should not be one of them.

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Living 50 Plus • March 2013 13

Will you be able to afford a comfortable retirement?

If you’re like many Americans, you

have concerns about funding your retirement. According to a recent survey conducted by Ally Bank, retirement planning tops Americans’ financial anxieties.

Rather than take a headin-the-sand approach to your future, be proactive.

Wise investments can offer advantages like tax-free, aggressive growth. And experts say the best time to get started is now.

“The first few months of 2013 will be ideal for opening IRAs, as contributions made in this timeframe may be counted on 2012 tax returns,” advises Diane Morais, Ally Bank Product & Innovation executive.

“Existing savers looking to grow their retirement nest egg securely may want to consider a rollover

of their existing IRAs or qualified retirement plans, and it is important to shop around for the most competitive interest rate to ensure the best return on their investments.”

And the IRS announced in October 2012 that the limit on contributions to Traditional and Roth IRAs would rise for the first time since 2008, from $5,000 to $5,500.

“The increased contribution limit for 2013 makes now a prime opportunity for people of all ages to contribute meaningfully to their retirement savings,” Morais emphasizes.

Looking to boost your retirement readiness securely? Here are some important things to consider: n The most common IRA plans are Traditional, Roth and Simplified Employee Pension IRAs. Depending on age and taxable income, you could have more than one IRA plan to choose from to help you meet your goals. n Once you choose an IRA plan, you can typically select from a variety of products, from lower risk savings accounts and certificates of deposit (CD) to higher risk stocks, bonds and mutual funds. n For secure growth, consider CDs and online savings accounts. Such products are less risky than stocks.

Or roll over existing

IRAs, 401(k) or 403(b)s into one IRA with great, stable rates. n Look beyond branch banks. For example, a bank with no physical locations, such as Ally Bank, can offer competitive rates, low fees and round-the-clock, live customer support. n Be advised, there are restrictions as to how you can add money to IRAs based on age and when you can use the money you’ve saved. Your tax professional can help you determine the best plan for your needs.

Above all, look for straightforward retirement products that will help you get closer to your retirement savings goals. n Don’t be afraid to move around your retirement money to make the

Age matters

By VONDA VANTIL Social Security public affairs specialist

most of it.

A direct roll over is fairly easy and avoids the tax withholding and associated reporting requirements of a personal withdrawal transaction. n You can convert your Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Beginning in 2010, eligibility requirements based on income and marital status were eliminated.

Every day you wait is another day your retirement money isn’t growing.

Whether you’re just getting started or building on current savings, there’s no time like the present to make a contribution to your retirement account.

More information about retirement savings plans is at www.ally.com/bank/ira/.

— StatePoint

Your age at the time you start receiving Social Security retirement makes a difference in the benefit amount. The full retirement age (the age at which 100 percent of retirement benefits are payable) has been rising from 65 to age 67.

You can take “early retirement” as early as 62, but if you start collecting benefits before reaching full retirement age, your monthly payment will be reduced. Find out what your full retirement age is by referring to the convenient chart at www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/retirechart.htm You also can keep working beyond your full retirement age to take advantage of a larger payment.

TECHNOLOGY

14

Living 50 Plus • March 2013

Digital era makes aging easier Technology allows more seniors to stay in their homes

T

he digital age is making aging a whole lot easier. From talking pill dispensers to tracking devices tucked inside tennis shoes to digital medical scanners that can transmit vital signs to the doctor, today’s gadgets help seniors stay in their homes and can give relief to loved ones and caregivers.

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Living 50 Plus • March 2013 15

“It gives them peace of mind,” Ed Rockett, 83, said of his sons.

The Farmington Hills resident, a retired educator, said he doesn’t mind the pleasant digital voice from his pill dispenser that reminds him in the morning and evening that it’s time for his meds.

Nor does it bother him that his son, a three-hour drive away, is sent a short video each time the senior Rockett walks into the path of a motion-sensor activated camera in his dining area where he takes his pills.

Near Houghton Lake, an e-mail pings the smartphone of Rockett’s son, also named Ed, to let him know a new video is available.

The younger Rockett said he glances at the video to make sure his father is moving around easily: “It’s not so much about him taking his medicine.

It’s nice to see him and we joke. I can say ‘Hey, you’re wearing the same shirt as yesterday.’ We have a good time with it.”

The new gadgets — once available only to hospitals and the wealthiest consumers — are accessible now to more modest-income homes.

Helpful products Advocates say it’s best to consult with health care providers for suggestions on what to use. n Pill dispensers: Some not only dispense an allotted number of pills at pre-set times, they allow caregivers to record messages and they also send out alerts through a resident’s phone line if pills go untouched.

Southfield-based Guardian Alarm sells several types at www.guardianmedicalmonitoring.com. Guardian’s dispensers are electric, with a battery backup. --Emergency buttons: Personal Emergency Response Systems, or PERS, are provided by many home security systems, allowing seniors to call for help if they’ve fallen or are suddenly disoriented.

They can be worn as a pendant or wristband. Through Guardian, the average monthly monitoring fee is about $30; set-up or activation is usually less than $50. Newer versions offered elsewhere also contain a sort of gyroscope that senses if the wearer falls. Some emergency systems don’t require a security system to be hooked up.

Rather, a wireless signal prompts a phone to call programmed numbers such as 911 or a family member. n Stove-top sensors: Special stoves come equipped with a Safe-T-element cooking system that automatically switches off the stove top if the temperature exceeds 700 degrees, said Kevin Callahan, CEO of Ontario-based Pioneering Technology, the manufacturer. Costs vary, depending on the stove. At www.thiscaringhome.org, the burn-

ers cost $170, plus installation. For information, go to www.pioneeringtech.com. Unattended stove tops and cooking fires caused an estimated 156,400 fires and 420 deaths in 2010, according to the National Fire Protection Association. n Tele-health sensors: A number of devices can measure a person’s vital signs — weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, for example— and send the readings to doctors or caregivers. The devices are good especially for seniors who have difficulty finding transportation for frequent visits to the doctor.

The devices provide doctors with better, more-complete health monitoring. Purchasing an entire system can cost more than $1,000 but offer not only easy-to-read, touch-screen consoles that track vital sign readings but also photos, files and messages from loved ones. Caregivers log on remotely with a password. Go to www.grandcare.com. n Phones: New phones come equipped with large buttons and video screens that can make it easier for a person to keep in touch or call for emergency help. The VTech CareLine, for example, features buttons that can be fitted with loved ones’ pictures and it comes with a pendant that can be used to send an alert should a person fall or face another emergency situation. Unlike safety pendants connected to an alarm system, there is no monthly fee. Go to www.vtechphones.com.

n Movement trackers: A number of trackers are on the market for those with memory problems, but Los Angeles-based GTX, has teamed up with New Jersey-based shoe manufacturer Aetrex Worldwide to provide shoes with GPS trackers inconspicuously stitched inside. GPS trackers in cell phones, or placed in a car or purse may be left behind — but even a fading memory that can no longer recall the names of loved ones holds fast to a lifetime of routine.

“They just have to remember to put on their shoes,” said Patrick Bertagna, CEO of GTX. Go to www.navistargpsshoe.com. n Alarm systems: For loved ones in danger of wandering off at night, door and window alarms that start at less than $50 can be installed on windows and doors, alerting others in the home. Similar alarms can be placed in beds or chairs or around toilets.

Go to www.alzstore.com or www.telehealthsensors.com. n Camera-monitoring: The Virtually There Care Monitor, like others, allows loved ones to check in on seniors from miles away. Set up discreetly anywhere in the home, it can record videos at pre-set times or be programmed to allow live remote viewing through a password-protected website.

Generally, the lens is trained on commonlytraveled areas of the home: hallways, living rooms or kitchens, for example, said Laura Seriguchi, director of business development for Guardian Medical Monitoring, which provides the monitoring.

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16

Living 50 Plus • March 2013

CAREER

Boomers turn passion into new job For many years, the average 50-something American looked forward to a leisure-based retirement.

But as Americans are living longer and feeling younger, many are finding it necessary to remain professionally active beyond traditional retirement age — forging new paths that supply both money and meaning.

“Boomers are opting to stay in the game, or better, change the game by leaving a mark and making a difference,” says Marci Alboher, vice president of Encore.org, an organization helping people transition to the nonprofit world and public sector.

While moving into a

new kind of work is not always quick or easy, some experts say that middle-aged Americans are well-equipped to handle it.

“With midlife comes a newfound capacity to tap into your accumulated experience and wisdom to accomplish new things you may have been unable to do earlier,” says Alboher, whose new book “The Encore Career Handbook,” is a comprehensive guide for anyone looking to make such a shift.

Whether you’re looking to jump right in or make a plan first, here are some tips and things to consider: n Your new work may

involve a trade-off. You may trade money for meaning and flexibility.

You may trade power and influence for the chance to work more closely with people you can help. n Transitions will take longer than you think, so be patient. n Be prepared to face age discrimination. You can counter employer prejudices by ensuring your skills are up to snuff, especially when it comes to technology.

Show you understand the job market today by having a great LinkedIn profile. Consider tailoring your resume to show your strengths as an adviser and mentor.

n Don’t be discouraged by today’s tight job market. The nonprofit sector has added jobs over the past decade and our government’s need for highly skilled employees in a variety of sectors continues to grow.

Between now and 2018, experts say that there may be as many as 1.7 million jobs available at all levels of government. n Instead of jobs, think about projects. Instead of thinking about what you want to do forever, think about what you want to work on for a year or two.

Think about a series of engaging commitments with periodic gaps for a personal break, retraining or travel in between.

n Rarely can you find and craft the job opportunity you want, simply by applying to job postings.

Create your role through networking, volunteering and retooling for a new kind of work. Consider going solo as a freelancer, consultant or entrepreneur.

Don’t approach your mid-life and beyond with trepidation.

With skills, experience and care, you can launch a successful new career that combines your passion with a paycheck.

For tips on making the most of this chapter of your life and work, visit www.encore.org.

— StatePoint