The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

What should baby boomer men do about recent discussions on PSA tests for prostate cancer?

With an increasing number of articles being published questioning the results of prostate-specific antigen tests to diagnose prostate cancer, baby boomer men are facing uncertainty about how much to rely on the test results.

Paul Briand, a boomer blogger, thinks the tests may do more harm than good in his article “Baby Boomer Men: Beware the PSA.”

Briand quotes a New England Journal of Medicine report published yesterday on a study that shows the blood test to measure the PSA can result in overdiagnosis and overtreatment of prostate cancer.

John E. Niederhuber, M.D., director of the National Cancer Institute, which funded the study, said in Briand’s article that the report shows there may be some men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer and have the side-effects of treatment, such as impotence and incontinence, with little chance of benefit.

A better way of detecting prostate cancer at its earliest stages is needed, Niederhuber said, adding so is a method of determining which tumors will progress.

What are others saying about the PSA?

The new study shows that men likely to die within 10 years – whether due to age or illness – shouldn’t have a PSA, according to the article “The Prostate Cancer Screening Controversy Continues” on the Chicago Tribune.com.

That’s because the study of nearly 77,000 men found that although blood tests for PSA identify more cancers, they don’t save more men's lives in the first 10 years of follow-up. Many prostate tumors grow slowly and aren’t dangerous, so early detection isn’t as critical as for other cancers. Meanwhile, there are significant downsides to treatment, mainly incontinence and impotence.

For men in their 50s and 60s who aren't considered at high risk, the answer isn’t still clear, the article stated. The men in the study haven't been followed long enough yet offer decisive guidance. The study will continue for several years until that data is collected.

Most physicians contacted by the Tribune for its article said they would continue to recommend annual PSA testing to men 50 and older, but would use the results from the study to inform patients of the potential risks and benefits of the test and treatment.

Being aware of the concerns about the PSA and informed about the recent study will enable boomer men to discuss test results knowledgeable with their doctors so they can make sure they won’t be experiencing the side effects of prostate cancer treatment without getting benefits.

Note: CDC Charts

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Baby boomer alert: Watch out for household products that could injure or kill your child or grandchild

Each year, poisonings from consumer products found in the home kill about 30 children and result in more than two million calls to poison control centers across the nation.

More than 90 percent of the calls involve poisonings in the home. Every year an estimated 80,000 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms for unintentional poisonings.

March 15 to 21 is National Poison Prevention Week, which aims to help prevent childhood poisonings.

Children younger than age 5 account for the majority of the non-fatal poisonings. A recent review conducted by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that 70 percent of poisonings involve children 1 to 2 years of age.

Oral prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs, and supplements were involved in more than half of the incidents.

“Awareness and action are the keys to preventing unintentional poisonings,” said Nancy Nord, acting chairman of the commission. “Children act fast. So do poisons. That’s why we urge parents, grandparents, and caregivers to have layers of poison prevention protection in the home.”

The commission recommends that parents, grandparents, and caregivers immediately take these three steps.

1. Keep medicines and household chemicals in their original, child-resistant containers.
2. Store the potentially hazardous substances up and out of a child’s sight and reach
3. Keep the national toll-free poison control center telephone number, 800-222-1222, handy in case of a poison emergency.

Additional poison prevention tips to check during National Poison Prevention Week are:

• When hazardous products are in use, never let young children out of your sight, even if you must take them along when answering the phone or doorbell.

• Keep items closed and in their original containers.

• Leave the original labels on all products, and read the label before using.

• Always leave the light on when giving or taking medicine so that you can see what you’re dispensing or taking. Check the dosage every time.

• Avoid taking medicine in front of children. Refer to medicine as "medicine," not "candy."

• Clean out the medicine cabinet periodically and safely dispose of unneeded and outdated medicines.

• Don’t put decorative lamps and candles that contain lamp oil where children can reach them. Lamp oil can be very toxic if ingested by young children.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Photos of 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific-Exposition at Seattle museum are outstanding

The Museum of History and Industry in Seattle is featuring exhibits of the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific-Exposition to celebrate the centennial of the event.

One of the exhibits is a remarkable collection of photographs of the exposition.

Called “Photographing the Fair: The A-Y-P Photos of Frank H. Nowell and Others,” the exhibit is a display of photographs taken on 8 x 10 glass plates. The clarity of the photos is outstanding. The people and buildings look so real it’s as if they were recreated today for a movie set.

The photos will be on display until December 2009.

The exposition was Seattle’s first World’s Fair. Its purpose was to let the world know about Seattle.

The Klondike Gold Rush had made Seattle the leading city in the Pacific Northwest, due to its shipments of supplies to Alaska. The goal of the exposition was to show off the growth and development of the Pacific Northwest and Seattle, and to call attention to the value of trade with the Pacific Rim.

When Japan agreed to participate, the exposition became an international, multi-cultural event.

Seattle officials also hoped that the exposition would encourage people to move to the city.

The University of Washington, on Lake Washington, with a view of Mount Rainier, was the location selected for the exposition.

The Igorot, native people of the Philippines, were displayed in their loincloths in a village setting, as they were at other world’s fairs of the era. Indians and Eskimos also were also displayed in exhibits.

The exposition cost $10 million, and 3.7 million people attended.

Although the exposition brought enormous tourist dollars to the Seattle, few long-term benefits occurred, according to the essay “The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition.” There was no increase in population and trade. However, Alaska's tourism did increase. 

The exposition’s buildings were built quickly and cheaply and didn’t serve the University of Washington well for the long term. Few were usable as classrooms.

The University of Washington Libraries offers photos of the exposition with corresponding photos of how the area looks today.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Credit card companies reducing card limits, dumping customers with balances

Credit card companies, some of the same banks that received huge amounts of federal bailout money, are reducing credit card limits and charging “over-the-limit” fees, while waiting weeks to notify customers.

The companies are able to take this action without prior notification because regulations were loosened during the George W. Bush administration.

Federal Reserve rules requiring lenders to give cardholders 45 days notice before reducing a credit line to the point that it would trigger penalties won't go into effect until July 2010.

Credit card companies are worried about their profits, a program on National Public Radio’s KCRW reported today. Delinquent payments are up substantially, and the companies want to get rid of customers who may not be able to make their payments.

The companies are interested in profits, not the retention of customers, said Kelli Grant, senior consumer reporter for Smart Money.com, a guest on the To the Point program. The companies want customers who pay off their balances every month.

Citibank, Wells Fargo Bank, Wachovia Bank, American Express, and Chase Bank are among the companies engaging in the practice, said Grant. American Express is offering $300 to people who pay off their card balances.

In addition to being charged fees or having your interest rate to up when your credit card limit is reduced, your credit score could also be lowered.

Another guest on the program, Robert D. Manning, Ph.D., finance professor at Rochester Institute of Technology and author of “Credit Card Nation: The Consequences of America’s Addiction to Credit,” suggested consumers could switch their funds to credit unions, which aren’t reducing credit limits without notification and don’t charge high overdraft and other fees.

For details on the KCRW program, listen to “The Credit Card Economy Comes Home to Roost.”

For additional information on credit limit reduction, see:

“How to Blow Your Credit Limit Without Spending” – Smart Money.com

“Your Credit Card Limit Can Be Reduced Below Your Current Balance” – The Consumerist

“City Group Master Card” – Complaints Board

“New Bank Credit Card Policies Could Send Your Credit Rating Spiraling” – Wallet Pop

“American Express Kept a (Very) Watchful Eye on Charges” – The New York Times.com

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide helps consumer with recalled refrigerator

For more than year now, I've been blogging for baby boomer consumers at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide.

Recently, I decided to begin writing weekly about a recalled item. Dozens of products are recalled each week, and they receive little publicity. Most consumers aren't aware of the recalls and manufacturers usually don't notify them when a product they've purchased is recalled

PopArtDiva read my last post about 1.6 million refrigerators manufactured between 2001 and 2004 being recalled and wrote to say:

This actually helped out some friends of mine. They have a Jenn-Air that was on the recall list! Don't think they would have known had I not seen your post! Thanks.

Be sure to check my blog weekly for the featured recall. And check www.Recalls.gov at least once a week to read through the recent recalls.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide Recall of the Week: Maytag, other refrigerators

This week, the recall notices were so interesting I had a difficult time picking one to feature. I finally decided on the big one.

About 1.6 million Maytag®, Jenn-Air®, Amana®, Admiral®, Magic Chef®, Performa by Maytag®, and Crosley® brand refrigerators are being recalled due to a possible fire hazard.

Manufactured by Maytag Corp., of Newton, Iowa, the refrigerators may have a defective relay, the component that turns on the refrigerator’s compressor, and an electrical failure in the relay can cause overheating and pose a serious fire hazard, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Maytag has received 41 reports of refrigerator relay ignition, including 16 reports of property damage ranging from smoke damage to extensive kitchen damage.

The recall includes certain Maytag®, Jenn-Air®, Amana®, Admiral®, Magic Chef®, Performa by Maytag®, and Crosley® brand side by side and top freezer refrigerators. The affected refrigerators were manufactured in black, bisque, white, and stainless steel.

They have model and serial numbers printed on a label located on the top middle or left upper side of the refrigerator liner.

Refrigerators with freezers on the bottom are not included in this recall.

Manufactured in United States, the refrigerators were sold at department and appliance stores and by homebuilders nationwide from January 2001 through January 2004 for between about $350 and $1,600.

Consumers should immediately contact Maytag to determine if their refrigerator is included in the recall and to schedule a free in-home repair. Consumers should not return the refrigerator to the retailer where it was purchased.

For more information, contact Maytag toll-free at 866-533-9817 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.repair.maytag.com.

For information on other recent recalls, see www.Recalls.gov.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Twitter rapidly rolls in consumer information for baby boomers

As a baby boomer, how can Twitter help you become a better consumer?

Sign up on Twitter and look for consumer groups to follow.

That’s what I did after I found that my friends and family weren’t on Twitter yet.

I started out by following Consumer Reports, The Consumerist, and Public Citizen. When I asked what other consumer groups I should follow, I received the suggestion to follow FDA Recalls, CDC Emergency, and Food Safety.

Now, when I check Twitter several times a day, I have dozens of message of up to 140 characters on: Consumer Reports’ articles and activities; articles and reports about upset and happy consumers from The Consumerist; food recalls; and information on how to prepare for emergencies from the Centers for Disease Control.

While I like the blog ideas, the food recalls are amazing. I saw peanut butter cookies sold by my local food co-op roll by.

I'm also following a few boomers on Twitter.

What is Twitter and how does it work? See my article “Baby Boomers and Twitter,” which appeared on Boomer411 this week.

In response to my article, Going Like Sixty said he’s “having a ball on Twitter.” He also said he’s following @JaneFonda, and she writes neat tweets. “She doesn’t write like a celeb,” he said, adding he enjoys her blog, too.

Going Like Sixty said Twitter is like instant messaging, only with a party line.

My handle on Twitter is @BoomerGuide, so follow me if you’re tweeting.

Here are some other reports on Twitter and baby boomers:

“Baby Boomers on Twitter” – Boomer Café

“Baby Boomers Jump into Twitter" – Boomer Café

“How to Tackle Twitter as a Baby Boomer” – Boomer Diva Nation

“Seven Ways to Use Twitter for Profit and Fun” – The Baby Boomer Entrepreneur

To join Twitter, go to www.twitter.com. It’s free.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Baby boomers, others working together better during recession

A group or team mentality is developing across generations because of the economic downturn.

If the recession continues to worsen, the group mentality is likely to continue, according to the article “Generations Learning How to Communicate at Work” on Sun Sentinel.com.

Cam Marston, a Generation X and author of “Motivating the ‘What's in It for Me?’ Workforce,” teaches the four generations in the workplace how to communicate with one another.

The matures – 64 and up – and baby boomers – ages 45 to 63 – are workaholics. GenXers – ages 30 to 44 –  and Millennials – 29 and under – are more interested in balancing life with work.

The group mentality began with the older generations who thought they must “band together to become successful.” Younger generations, starting with Gen X, moved to a focus on the individual because that’s how they were raised, Marston says. Parents told them they were special and showered trophies on their sixth place soccer team, for example.

Some generational differences mentioned in the article:

• Millennials want to be coddled and rewarded.

• Matures want to be heard.

• Boomers and matures with younger bosses want to be treated with respect.

• Younger generations are more vocal about what they want.

• Boomers and matures like to have information delivered in person rather than by e-mail, while GenXers and Millennials prefer e-mail.
  

• GenXers and Millennials like communications to get straight to the point, with consistent and positive messages.

I liked the article's emphasis on the generations working better together because I've read so much on the Internet about intergenerational squabbling and boomer bashing. However, Marston said in the article that the more cooperative team relationships would likely diminish after the recession.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

A cleaning tip for baby boomers

You can be kind to the planet and to your wallet at the same time by using homemade cleaning products.

In a recent article, Consumer Reports offers seven environmentally friendly and less toxic products in the article “Seven Ways to Green Clean – and Cut Costs.”

The recommendations are:

• Make your own air freshener using baking soda, vinegar or lemon juice, and hot water.

• Reduce the amount of laundry detergent you need to use by adding baking soda or washing soda.

• Put vinegar and water in a spray bottle for a safe, eco-friendly window cleaner.

• Use cream of tartar to lifts stains from sinks and tubs and removes spots from aluminum pans.

• Use baking soda to clean up in the kitchen.

• Try borax, water softener and sanitizer, in the bathroom.

• Avoid splashing household cleaners on your skin or in your face, and check labels to see if respiratory masks, rubber gloves, goggles, or other protective measures are recommended.

See the article for the recipes for these homemade cleaners.

For more information on homemade cleaning products, see the Green Buying Guide on www.GreenerChoices.org, and see Consumer Reports’ new report on glass cleaner warnings.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Baby boomers and global warming

How will global warming affect baby boomers?

I thought about it a lot in the last 24 hours as I watched the snow pile up as I blogged in the library, scraped three to four inches off my car, and slogged my way to the food co-op.

Last year, when it snowed in late March, unusual for the Pacific Northwest, I wrote “Late Spring Snow Storms a Surprise.”

I wondered in the post if global warming could be causing the strange weather. It’s possible, I learned.

I found a report from the Washington State Department of Ecology that indicated recent climate modeling results indicate that “extreme” weather events may become more common. Rising average temperatures produce a more variable climate system, the report said.

For boomers, what does global warming mean?

Say, for the sake of simplicity, that boomers will live to be age 90. That means they’ll be exiting the planet between 2036 and 2054.

What changes will boomers see in that time frame?

Baby Boomer Magazine.com makes this prediction in the article “Baby Boomers Concerned About Global Warming”:

If the warming continues, we can expect catastrophic consequences. Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide. Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense, droughts and wildfires will occur more often, and the Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050. More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.

Here are some ideas on how boomers could be impacted by global warming: Boomers:

• Will need to change their consumption habits, such as buying fewer things, using less energy in their homes, driving greener cars, using public transportation, and living in walkable and other types of eco-friendly neighborhoods and communities.

• Will need to get used to erratic weather patterns and possible storm damage to their homes or in their neighborhoods or cities.

• Will become eco-activists in greater numbers.

• Face the possible collapses of living systems in their lifetimes, such as food, energy, and materials, as the world scrambles to respond to climate change and the water crises.

• Will need to use their personal, social, economic, and spiritual assets as they get older to craft ways to use their resources to respond to a changing world.

That’s a hefty list, but something to think about as the innovative Boomer Nation, who've changed every decade they've lived in, approaches the future.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist