Senior Spirit Online

A recent study, the results of which were published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, found that senior citizens frequently struggle when they return home after being hospitalized.  Specifically, the study showed that seniors have a problem with low cognition at the time of discharge and a lack of comprehension of discharge instructions.

The focus of the study was 200 senior citizens, 70 years of age or older, who live on their own.  The participants had no prior cognitive issues.

The study concluded that while low cognition at discharge is common among elderly patients without dementia, cognition often improves one month post-hospitalization.  The study further concluded that because seniors may not comprehend discharge instructions, patient self-management may be better taught as an outpatient following discharge rather than at the time of hospital discharge and that discharge interventions should incorporate screening of seniors for low cognition prior to hospital discharge to provide optimal transitional care.

The title of the study is “Improvements in Cognition Following Hospital Discharge of Community Dwelling Seniors.”

The governor of Kentucky has proposed legislation that would aid in the protection of seniors from abuse and exploitation.

The series of legislation would:

• Prevent people who abuse or neglect vulnerable or elderly adults from benefiting from their deaths (HB52);

• Keep a person convicted of felony abuse or exploitation of an adult from serving as that victim’s guardian, executor or power of attorney (HB 54);

• Make it easier and more efficient for adults and seniors needing a guardian when more than one state is involved. (HB 164);

• Require annual criminal background checks of staff at personal care agencies, a step beyond the pre-hiring check. (SB23);

• Require criminal background checks for all employees of nursing homes and assisted living homes, including custodians and food service workers (SB44); and

• Create an adult abuse registry (HB101 and SB 38).

There are many options for senior citizens who want to enter the dating scene. Do some research and find the dating site that is best for you. Dating sites frequently offer a trial period, which will afford you the opportunity to learn more about the site, its members, costs, etc.

The following are some dating sites you should consider.

1) Visit PerfectMatch.com. It describes itself as the “Best Online Dating Site for Senior Singles.”

2) Eharmony.com describes itself as the “first service within the online dating industry to use a scientific approach to matching highly compatible singles.” eHarmony’s matching is based on using its 29 DIMENSIONS® model to match couples based on features of compatibility found in thousands of successful relationships.

3) Are you a plus size person? Then investigate the dating site, LargeFriends.com. It’s the #1 website for plus-size singles and their admirers.

4) Interested in meeting Christian singles? Visit ChristianCafe.com to find love, romance, friends and fellowship in their virtual cafe. .

A little online research can lead you to dating sites for every interest.  The sites above are a great place to start.

Seniors citizens who reside in West Virginia long-term care facilities were recognized at the state Culture Center on January 27, 2011.

The event, which was designed to bring awareness about the needs of the elderly, included a photo exhibit telling the stories of those who reside in long-term care facilities.

The University of Kansas has hired a “brigade” of senior citizens to assure that student athletes attend class, the Wall Street Journal reported.

To check on the students, the seniors wait 15 minutes by the classroom door and then perform “spot checks,” in which they peer through windows to make sure that the athletes are still in their seats and aren’t sleeping, shopping, Googling or Facebooking on their laptops; all offenses that can get reported to academic counselors.

If one has been married for a long time, or has been in a long-term relationship, it can be difficult getting back into the dating scene. Online dating is a way to start.  Joining a senior citizen dating site is an excellent way to find friendship, love, and companionship.  An online service permits you to move at your own dating pace–allowing you to quickly or gradually enter the dating world.

Online dating can be a excellent way to meet someone.  However, caution
is the watch word.  The following tips will help you make online dating
a pleasant, safe experience:

1) Be careful about revealing personal information to strangers.
Initially, communicate using e-mail or instant messaging. Definitely
do not disclose your home address, telephone number, or other personal contact
information until you feel very comfortable doing so.

2) Watch out for people who seem to ask a lot of questions, trying to get
you to reveal information about yourself.  It’s fun to talk about yourself
and the only way that two people can get to know each other, but watch out
for those people who ask a lot of questions, yet reveal very little personal
information.

3) Never reveal information regarding your finances.  Bragging can be
tempting, but resist the urge to do so.  There are a lot of good, honest
people on senior citizen dating sites, but there are also people who are
not so nice.

4) If you choose to meet someone in person, always choose to meet them at
a public place, such as a restaurant. Never meet at your home or office.
Also, make sure that you tell a family member or friend where you’re going
and let them know when you return from the date.

5) Listen to your instincts - your gut feelings.  If something doesn’t
feel right, don’t ignore the feeling.  Immediately cut off contact with
the individual.

6) Take your time and get to know the other person.
Don’t immediately think you’ve met your soulmate.

May you find what you’re looking for:
Friendship, companionship, or the love of your life!

Highly Compatible Senior Singles on Perfectmatch.com! Click Here.

The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Takes on Alzheimer’s demonstrates that women are at the epicenter of the Alzheimer’s epidemic.  According to the Alzheimer’s Association Women and Alzheimer’s Poll unveiled in the report, women are almost two-thirds of all Americans with Alzheimer’s and comprise 60 percent of the unpaid caregivers for family members and friends with Alzheimer’s.  That means there are 10 million women who either have Alzheimer’s or are caring for someone with the disease.  The toll Alzheimer’s has on individuals and caregivers is further compounded by the financial burden felt by families and the U.S. government.

To learn more, visit The Shriver Report.

As many as 1 in 3 U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue, according to a new analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

One in 10 U.S. adults has diabetes now. The prevalence is expected to rise sharply over the next 40 years due to an aging population more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, increases in minority groups that are at high risk for type 2 diabetes, and people with diabetes living longer, according to CDC projections published in the journal Population Health Metrics. Because the study factored in aging, minority populations and lifespan, the projections are higher than previous estimates.

The report predicts that the number of new diabetes cases each year will increase from 8 per 1,000 people in 2008, to 15 per 1,000 in 2050.

The report estimates that the number of Americans with diabetes will range from 1 in 3 to 1 in 5 by 2050. That range reflects differing assumptions about how many people will develop diabetes, and how long they will live after developing the disease.

“These are alarming numbers that show how critical it is to change the course of type 2 diabetes,” said Ann Albright, PhD, RD, director of CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation. “Successful programs to improve lifestyle choices on healthy eating and physical activity must be made more widely available, because the stakes are too high and the personal toll too devastating to fail.”

Proper diet and physical activity can reduce the risk of diabetes and help to control the condition in people with diabetes. Effective prevention programs directed at groups at high risk of type 2 diabetes can considerably reduce future increases in diabetes prevalence, but will not eliminate them, the report says.

The projection that one-third of all U.S. adults will have diabetes by 2050 assumes that recent increases in new cases of diabetes will continue and people with diabetes will also live longer, which adds to the total number of people with the disease.

Projected increases in U.S. diabetes prevalence also reflect the growth in the disease internationally. An estimated 285 million people worldwide had diabetes in 2010, according to the International Diabetes Federation. The federation predicts as many as 438 million will have diabetes by 2030.

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include older age, obesity, family history, having diabetes while pregnant, a sedentary lifestyle and race/ethnicity. Groups at higher risk for the disease are African-Americans, Hispanics, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and some Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders.

CDC and its partners are working on a variety of initiatives to prevent type 2 diabetes and to reduce its complications. CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program, which launched in April, is designed to bring evidence-based programs for preventing type 2 diabetes to communities. The program supports establishing a network of lifestyle intervention programs for overweight or obese people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. These interventions emphasize dietary changes, coping skills and group support to help participants lose 5 percent to 7 percent of their body weight and get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity. The program is working with 28 sites across the United States offering group lifestyle interventions with plans to expand to additional sites in the future.

The Diabetes Prevention Program clinical trial, led by the National Institutes of Health, has shown that those measures can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent in people at higher risk of the disease.

Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in 2007, and is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults under age 75, kidney failure, and non-accident/injury leg and foot amputations among adults. People with diagnosed diabetes have medical costs that are more than twice that of those without the disease. The total costs of diabetes are an estimated $174 billion annually, including $116 billion in direct medical costs. About 24 million Americans have diabetes, and one-quarter of them do not know they have it.

For information about diabetes visit www.cdc.gov/diabetes or the National Diabetes Education Program at www.yourdiabetesinfo.org.

The Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) is FHA’s reverse mortgage program which enables you to withdraw some of the equity in your home. You choose how you want to withdraw your funds, whether in a fixed monthly amount or a line of credit or a combination of both.

You can also use a HECM to purchase a primary residence if you are able to use cash on hand to pay the difference between the HECM proceeds and the sales price plus closing costs for the property you are purchasing.

HECM counselors will discuss program eligibility requirements, financial implications and alternatives to obtaining a HECM. They will also discuss provisions for the mortgage becoming due and payable. Upon the completion of HECM counseling, you should be able to make an independent, informed decision of whether this product will meet your needs. You can search online for a HECM counselor.

You can use a reverse mortgage calculator to help you see if you qualify. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can complete a reverse mortgage application by contacting a FHA-approved lender.

Borrower Requirements

You must:

* Be 62 years of age or older

* Own the property outright or have a small mortgage balance

* Occupy the property as your principal residence

* Not be delinquent on any federal debt

* Participate in a consumer information session given by an approved HECM
counselor

Mortgage Amount Based On

* Age of the youngest borrower

* Current interest rate

* Lesser of appraised value or the HECM FHA mortgage limit or the sales price

* Initial Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP)–your choices are HECM Standard
or HECM SAVER initial MIP

Financial Requirements

* No income or employment qualifications are required of the borrower

* No repayment as long as the property is your principal residence and the
obligations of the mortgage are met

* Closing costs may be financed in the mortgage

Property Requirements

The following eligible property types must meet
all FHA property standards and flood requirements:

* Single family home or 1-4 unit home with one unit occupied by the borrower

* HUD-approved condominium

* Manufactured home that meets FHA requirements

How the Program Works

If you are a homeowner age 62 or older and have paid off your mortgage or
have only a small mortgage balance remaining, and are currently living in
the home, you are eligible to participate in FHA’s reverse mortgage program.
The program allows you to borrow against the equity in your home. You can
select from five payment plans:

* Tenure - equal monthly payments as long as at least one borrower lives
and continues to occupy the property as a principal residence.

* Term - equal monthly payments for a fixed period of months selected.

* Line of Credit - unscheduled payments or in installments, at times and
in an amount of your choosing until the line of credit is exhausted.

* Modified Tenure - combination of line of credit plus scheduled monthly
payments for as long as you remain in the home.

* Modified Term - combination of line of credit plus monthly payments for
a fixed period of months selected by the borrower.

You can change your payment options for a fee of $20.

Unlike ordinary home equity loans, a FHA reverse mortgage HECM does not require
repayment as long as the home is your principal residence and the obligations
of the mortgage are met. Lenders recover their principal, plus interest,
when the home is sold. The remaining value of the home goes to you or your
heirs.

If the sales proceeds are insufficient to pay the amount owed, FHA will pay
the lender the amount of the shortfall. FHA collects an insurance premium
from all borrowers to provide this coverage.

The amount you can borrow depends on:

* Age of the youngest borrower

* Current interest rate

* Lesser of the appraised value of your home, the HECM FHA mortgage limit
for your area or the sales price

* The initial Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP) option you choose (2% HECM
Standard option or .01% HECM Saver option).

You can borrow more with the HECM Standard option. Also, the more valuable
your home is, the older you are, and the lower the interest rate, the more
you can borrow. If there is more than one borrower, the age of the youngest
borrower is used to determine the amount you can borrow. For an estimate
of HECM cash benefits, go to HECM Home Page and select an online calculator.
There is no limit on the value of homes qualifying for a HECM. The value
of your home will be determined by an appraisal. However, the amount that
you may borrow is derived from the lower of the appraised value, sales price
or the FHA HECM mortgage limit of $625,500. You are charged an upfront insurance
premium of 2 percent of the maximum claim amount for HECM Standard and .01
percent for the HECM Saver. In addition, you will have an annual mortgage
insurance premium of 1.25%.

HECM Costs

You can pay for most of the costs of a HECM by financing them and having
them paid from the proceeds of the loan. Financing the costs means that you
do not have to pay for them out of your pocket. On the other hand, financing
the costs reduces the net loan amount available to you.

The HECM loan includes several fees, including an origination fee, closing
costs, mortgage insurance premium, interest and servicing fees.

Origination Fee

You will pay an origination fee to compensate the lender for processing your
HECM loan. A lender can charge a HECM origination fee up to $2,500 if your
home is valued at less than $125,000. If your home is valued at more than
$125,000 lenders can charge 2% of the first $200,000 of your home’s value
plus 1% of the amount over $200,000. HECM origination fees are capped at
$6,000.

Closing Costs

Closing costs from third parties can include an appraisal, title search and
insurance, surveys, inspections, recording fees, mortgage taxes, credit checks
and other fees.

Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP)

You will incur a cost for FHA HECM insurance. You can finance the mortgage
insurance premium (MIP) as part of your loan. You will be charged an initial
MIP at closing, which is either 2% (HECM Standard) or .01% (HECM Saver) of
the lesser of the appraised value of your home, the FHA HECM mortgage limit
for your area or the sales price. Over the life of the loan, you will also
be charged an annual MIP that equals 1.25% of the mortgage balance.

The HECM insurance guarantees that you will receive expected loan advances.
The insurance also guarantees that, if you or your heirs sell your home to
repay the loan, your total debt can never be greater than the value of your
home.

Servicing Fee

Lenders or their agents provide servicing throughout the life of the HECM.
Servicing includes sending you account statements, disbursing loan proceeds
and making certain that you keep up with loan requirements such as paying
taxes and insurance. HECM lenders may charge a monthly servicing fee of no
more than $30 if the loan has an annually adjusting interest rate and $35
if the interest rate adjusts monthly. At loan origination, HECM lenders set
aside the servicing fee and deduct the fee from your available funds. Each
month the monthly servicing fee is added to your loan balance.

Interest Rate

HECM borrowers can choose an adjustable interest rate or a fixed rate. If
you choose an adjustable interest rate, you may choose to have the interest
rate adjust monthly or annually. Lenders may not adjust annually adjusted
HECMs by more than 2 percentage points per year and not by more than 5 total
percentage points over the life of the loan. FHA does not require interest
rate caps on monthly adjusted HECMs.

Repaying a HECM

A HECM loan must be repaid in full when you die
or sell the home. The loan also becomes due and payable if:

* You do not pay property taxes or hazard insurance or violate other obligations.

* You permanently move to a new principal residence.

* You, or the last borrower, fail to live in the home for 12 months in a
row. An example of this situation would be if you (or the last borrower)
were to have a 12-month or longer stay in a nursing home.

* You allow the property to deteriorate and do not make necessary repairs.

For additional information visit the HECM Home Page.

Increasingly states and local municipalities are wrestling with the issue of texting while driving and other distracted driving issues.  Currently 30 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam ban texting while driving. 8 states, D.C., and the Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving. For information regarding current laws and news regarding distracted driving, including texting while driving, visit Ban Texting While Driving - www.bantextingwhiledriving.com.