The Age of Longevity

Here are my picks for Aging Well in 2010.  These icons who are talented in their own arenas are also great role models for Aging Well and living life to the fullest at any age:

1.  JAY LENO  -  First of all, it’s nice to have “the older guy” win out in a popularity contest.  Secondly, for his Super Bowl commercial with Oprah and Dave Letterman.  And for supporting Detroit and the auto industry when many were silent or antagonistic towards them.

2.  BRETT FAVRE  -   Okay, so he didn’t make it all the way to the Super Bowl; but he did prove that turning forty does not mean the end of the line.  And he did lead the Minnesota Vikings to a winning season.

3. DIANE SAWYER  -  This extremely popular news anchor keeps reinventing herself as a journalist beloved by all and known for her professionalism and integrity.  After a lengthy tenure working in the White House over several administrations, Ms. Sawyer is best known for her work on 60 Minutes, Primetime, and  Good Morning America. Now she is making a seamless transition to ABC’s “World News”.  We will continue to see her bring noteworthy newscasts into our homes.

4.  DON RICKLES  -  An award winning comedian known for his sarcasm,  Don Rickles has much to celebrate!  At 83 years of age Rickles has just been resigned to a multi-million dollar contract in Vegas.  He continues to make his audiences laugh while he is laughing all the way to the bank!

5.  BETTY WHITE  -  Another timeless comedian, Betty continues to land great roles in the latest movies; and she has great relationships with fellow actors of all ages.  She is respected by her peers having received a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Screen Actors’ Guild.  She is also known for her philanthropic work for the protection of  animals.  Betty will continue to be making us laugh for years to come!

6.  SOPHIA LOREN  -  with sophistication and mystery,  Sophia Loren is a great beauty blessed with acting ability.  She personifies beauty inside and out and portrays a wonderful attitude on life and aging well.  Sophia has tremendous presence.  At a recent awards show she mesmerized males in the audience of all ages.  Sophia has always been an inspiration when it comes to family and career as well.

7.  EBBY HALLIDAY  -  A new author at 98 years of age,  her motivational book is an inspiration for business professionals.  A founder of her real estate company and now Chair of the Board for Ebby Halliday Realtors, she leads a company which is one of the largest in the nation.  Ms. Halliday has received numerous awards and continues to maintain a presence throughout Texas and now throughout America.  We will see and hear much more from Ebby Halliday!

Public Health experts are telling me that they expect a new wave of the H1N1 virus to hit America soon into the New Year.  So it’s important that we don’t become complacent with the news that it has seemed to die down.  I received my H1N1 immunization at my county health department.  It was free of charge. I was able to pre-register; and there was no wait involved. 

Check with your local health department. In most cases they require pre-registration to keep the process flowing.  So don’t just show up and expect to be taken care of.  Check out your county’s website for information. Public Health officials deserve praise for the efficient manner in which they have dealt with this latest potential pandemic

CDC has received reports of fraudulent emails (phishing) referencing a CDC sponsored State Vaccination Program for H1N1. The messages request that users create a personal H1N1 (swine flu) Vaccination Profile on the CDC.gov website.

“The link provided in the email takes you to a very convincing looking imitation of a CDC web page where you are given a temporary ID and a link to your ‘vaccination profile’. The link is in fact an executable file that contains a copy of a Trojan most commonly identified as xpack or Kryptik.once installed on your PC, this Trojan will create a security-free gateway on your system and will proceed to download and install additional malware without your authorization. It also enables a remote hacker to take complete control of your computer.”

The messages are being received at a rate of 18,000 per minute, more than one million per hour.

CDC reminds users to take the following steps to reduce the risk of being a victim of a phishing attack:

* Do not open or respond to unsolicited email messages.
* Do not click links embedded in emails from unknown senders.
* Use caution when entering personal information online.
* Update anti-virus, spyware, firewall, and anti-spam software regularly.

Thanks to Lynne Weinstein McCollum, Legal Services Developer at Michigan Office of Services to the Aging, for passing along this timely information.

Photo by Kelly Kennedy

As the story goes there was a Bride named Emily. She was very anxious about her wedding, not because of her relationship with the groom. Rather, Emily was worried about her mother’s reaction to her step mom. Sure enough, the “wicked” step mom bought an identical dress to the one Mom had purchased as the Mother of the Bride. Much to Emily’s surprise, her mother said: “Don’t worry. She can wear the dress to the wedding. I’ll select another!” Out of relief and appreciation, Emily offered to return the disputed dress to the store. Her Mom replied: “Oh that won’t be necessary sweetheart. I’ll be wearing it to the rehearsal dinner.”

This story may seem extreme. Unfortunately, it is not so unusual. Ask any Family Law Judge or attorney; and they can match or best this story with many of their own. It seems that the movie “War of the Roses” starring Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas was not so fictional after all. Then there are the second and third marriages taking place in which the bride and groom assume new parenting duties. Unlike the Brady Bunch, many blended families are ill-equipped to deal with these new roles. Resentment over their parents’ divorce may cause children to sabotage the new marriage. Sometimes the parents are less mature than the children, using them as pawns in an evil game of “divorce chess”.

Today, at weddings and Bar Mitzvahs all across the country, it is the norm to have anywhere from six to eight grandparents involved as opposed to the traditional two to four seen years ago. Family trees have many more branches these days! Amidst these changing times there are families who manage to deal with relationship issues in a tasteful and loving manner. Often stepchildren and stepparents are a welcome addition to the family and an integral part of family celebrations. How do they manage this feat? Family therapists, Judges and attorneys all agree that some simple rules can help blended families treat “The Wedding” as a celebration as opposed to a nightmare. These include:

Adult children of newlyweds should be thankful that their parents have found love again and will have a partner to look out for them. Not only will your parent be happier, you will have another caregiver partner if the need arises.

Brides and grooms should have realistic expectations. If “The War of the Roses” mentality exists, don’t try to reach group consensus when it comes to wedding planning. Take charge of the process or use a wedding planner.

Everyone should remember that the wedding is the Bride and Groom’s day – their chance to be in the spotlight. Don’t upstage them with public displays or rude behavior.

In a divorce situation don’t ever denigrate your ex in front of the children. In doing so you insult them as well. Remember that they share a gene pool with that spouse.

Step-parents should defer to biological parents on this day. Wear what the bride wants and bite your tongue if necessary.

This is also the day for parents of the bride and groom. The Honorable Wendy Potts, Chief Judge of the Oakland County Circuit Court, recommends that you include your children in the ceremony. Make them part of the experience; and don’t treat them as an afterthought. She states: “The children are not just passengers for the ride. They are the ride!” Judge Potts ciated a wedding which was a second marriage for both the bride and groom. They each came into the marriage with two children. After their wedding ceremony, the new family of six walked to a nearby lake and enjoyed some private time together to celebrate becoming a family. On many occasions children of wedding couples are a part of the ceremony and symbolically unite as a family. Finally, as parents, keep in mind that you love your child more than you dislike your ex – no matter how difficult they may have been. If everyone follows these tips and truly commits to family relationships, life will be easier for all concerned. And when the strains of “Here Comes the Bride” are heard, there will be a smile on everyone’s face.

Lynn Alexander will be speaking at Village of Spring Meadows 3501 Cherry Blossom Drive Jackson, MI 49201 on Thursday, September 17th, 2009 1:00 p.m. The title of the talk will be ”Laughs with Lynn”. Call 517-788-6679 to RSVP

Debate over health care reform is taking on a new intensity as details are reported. It is proving to be a very acrimonious debate. Details emerge, rumors run rampant, and very little clarity results. As is the problem with many bills going through Congress it appears that few people have fully read what is being proposed. Often for individuals, organizations and even countries what is our greatest strength can also become our greatest weakness. America is the “great melting pot”. One of our strengths is our diversity and bringing together many different backgrounds into a democratic way of life. It does present a problem, however, when it comes to reaching consensus on issues.

AARP now has questions about what is being proposed and wants more clarity before signing on. I agree that due diligence is the order of the day. We all know that reform is needed. What I recommend is that anyone 50+ years in age be vigilant of the following wording. Pay careful attention when a clear plan is recommended and look out for the 5 R’s in any wording:

RATION, REQUIRE, REGULATE, RESTRICT, OR REDUCE

A recent Associated Press article reported a disturbing trend in light of the economic downturn in America. This report affirms anecdotal information I have received from a number of individuals. That is, Ageism abounds in corporate America.  With the downsizing of corporate America many 50+ in age individuals are  competing with a vast employee pool while facing prejudice regarding their capabilities.  Many folks report that their gray hair seems to be a disadvantage as interviewers mistakenly believe them to be behind the times and incapable of learning new tasks.  In fact, it has been noted that older workers bring experience and a tremendous work ethic to their positions.  And they are also capable of moving with the times. I find this quite ironic given that the baby boomers helped to create our ”youth culture”.  Now they are on the other side of it facing the downsides.  Boomers can lead the way in ridding our culture of Ageism.  They are well known for their capabilities of bringing about change.  From Rock and Roll to peace protests the boomers have led the way. Performers are proof positive that seniors still have it in them! Paul McCartney wrote the song, “When I’m 64″ some years ago which seemed like science fiction to us all.  Now he is at that age and still going strong!  The Rolling Stones are still in stride; and Mick Jagger can prance like never before! In fact, the Rolling Stones represent one solution to this dilemma.  Several years ago for their performance at the Super Bowl in Detroit a call went out for volunteers to help with the half-time activities.  The ad stated that only people 40 years of age or below need apply since it would be rigorous work.  A huge outcry took place with hundreds of protest e-mails and phone calls.  The host organization withdrew the age criteria in response.  So it seems that those old protest skills the boomers are so known for will come in handy as we age.  The same approach can be used with the government and with corporations.  Older Americans will soon control $3.8 trillion dollars of spending money and are one of the largest voting blocks in the history of America.  It’s time to put our mouth where our money is and where our votes are.  Let’s wipe out Ageism together!

Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Launches

Operation Medicine Cabinet

With Home Instead Senior Care to Address

Proper Disposal of Unwanted Prescription Drugs

WHAT: Operation Medicine Cabinet

WHEN: Wednesday, July 15, 3pm-6pm, Media Availability 3-4pm

WHERE: Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, 1200 N. Telegraph Rd., Building 38E, Pontiac, MI 48341

WHO: Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard, Home Instead Senior Care and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office

COST: Free

CONTACT: P: (866) 922-1400

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with Home Instead Senior Care, announces its new program aimed at addressing the problem of prescription drug abuse, Operation Medicine Cabinet. This program, ill be launched at the Sheriff’s Office, encourages youth, adult children, and seniors to properly dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs to prevent them from appearing on the streets or contaminating the environment.

Admission to Operation Medicine Cabinet’s July 15^th launch is free, and attendees may drop their unwanted medications off. Organizers of Wednesday’s event are encouraging parents to always safeguard their medications, keep track of the quantity being used, and properly dispose of any old or unused legal drugs.

Health and environmental concerns about prescription drugs are on the rise. The 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that teenagers abuse prescription drugs more than any illegal drug except for marijuana. Sex hormones, mood stabilizers, and other pharmaceuticals have also been found in the drinking supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas, including Detroit.

About Operation Medicine Cabinet

Operation Medicine Cabinet is a program to keep drugs from illegal use, theft, accidental ingestion, pollution, and identity theft from labels on prescription bottles. To become a sponsor, please contact Home Instead Senior Care at (866) 922-1400.  For more information on Operation Medicine Cabinet, please contact Home Instead Senior Care or Mandy Andrews at the Sheriff’s Office at (248) 858-1947.