Hands to Help Seniors

There are millions of baby boomers retiring each year but the sad fact is that many of them can’t afford to.  Still others fear the many hours they will have to fill throughout the day without the regular companionship that they receive from co-workers.  Nearly half of baby boomers now expect to work until age 66 or beyond, according to a recent Gallup Poll.  “Life expectancy is a good 25 years longer than it was a century ago,” 71 year-old Jackie Peterson (who is still working as a business consultant to entrepreneurs and small businesses) told The Wall Street Journal.  “As long as I’m healthy and having fun, why not continue to work at something I love and get paid for?” he asked rhetorically.  If you are facing retirement, you need to ask yourself important questions such as whether you have enough money to do so and whether you have enough hobbies and other things that will fulfill you as you ease out of the office grind.

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Tax day is almost here and there will be help from the Alliance on Aging, which is offering free tax preparation services for seniors who do not receive rental income.  The event will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Templo Rosa De Saron at 826 North Sanborn Road in Salinas. Please bring your 2013 tax returns, a photo ID, Social Security Card, W-2s and any Forms 1099 that you have received.  If you can’t make it on this day, you can schedule an appointment at other sites by going to www.allianceonaging.org or call 655-4241.

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The number of Americans remarrying is on the rise, driven by older Americans.  About 17% of the population has been married two more times, according to the U. S. Census Bureau, with about 4% being married two or more times.  Although the overall number of people marrying has declined in the U.S., many baby boomers don’t want to spend their retirement alone which is driving an increase in marriage this demographic.  Another factor which is driving this trend is that Americans are living longer, and many of those that are widows or widowers decide to give marriage a second chance.

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Reading food labels and going to other sources to try and decipher what is good for you is not an easy task.  Part of the problem is that there are different food guidelines depending on whether you are reading the dietary guidelines published by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture, or whether you are reading those on food packages which are developed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  The serving sizes listed on packages are based on survey data conducted in the late 1980’s and are not likely reflective of what most people eat in one serving (particularly given the rise in obesity in this country).  According to the government, a serving of grains is one ounce and a serving of meat is only 2 to 3 ounces.  This doesn’t’ seem realistic.  Why different government guidelines aren’t the same is not clear, and why certain changes are implemented aren’t always either.  Particularly perplexing was the announcement by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee last month which said measuring cholesterol was no longer very important.  The new “official” guidelines won’t be out until later this year, and hopefully this will provide more clarity on what is and isn’t healthy.

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CHOMP has a number of upcoming classes such as the "Live Longer, Live Stronger" one coming up for cancer patients and survivors.  It will be held on Mondays from April 20 to June 8 from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the Peninsula Wellness Center Conference Room at 2920 2^nd Avenue in Marina.  This free motivational series will help you learn strategies for living longer and stronger after a cancer diagnosis.  Expert faculty will guide you through nutrition, stress reduction and exercise for long-term, healthy survivorship.  To get more information about this free event or to register call 625-4753 or go to www.chomp.org/classes.  

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