The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

This week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival offers tips on grandparenting, job hunting, free speech, travel, scams, and food

By Rita R. Robison

Anne Maxfield of The Accidental Locavore is the host for this week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival #276.

The carnival is a collection of like-minded blogs cooperating to share their best stories of interest to the Baby Boomer Generation.

Topics on boomers’ minds this week are:

• How making ricotta ice cream is easier than making plain vanilla.

• How grandparents can build closer bonds across the generations.

• How to outsource your job search.

• What is free speech and what is hate speech.

• Travels in India.

• The latest high-tech scams.

• How making a list of what you’d do if the world were ending in three weeks is like a going through a midlife crisis on a deadline.

Boomers are leading corporations, serving as governmental officials, heading up non-profits, worrying about retirement, and experiencing layoffs at a higher rate than younger workers. They’re also reinventing themselves in trying economic times, with some looking for their dream jobs to keep them happy in retirement.

At each stage in their lives, boomers have changed things. They’re continuing to make America different as they begin entering into their retirement years.

In addition to The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide, members of the Blogging Boomer Carnival are: The Accidental Locavore, The Midlife Crisis Queen, Sightings From 60, Arabian Tales and Other Amazing Adventures, So Baby Boomer, and Silver & Grace.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

How will trends in aging, such as increasing housing costs and rates of diabetes, affect your aging?

By Rita R. Robison

The baby boomers are coming.

It’s no secret that the increasing number of boomers is changing everything about retirement.

While boomers are looking at new ways to retire and government agencies and the health care industry are struggling to get ready, some trends are worth looking at as we make plans for a workable and graceful retirement.

Today, older Americans enjoy longer lives and better physical function than did previous generations. However, for some, an increased burden in housing costs and rising obesity may compromise these gains.

These are the findings of a federal report, “Older Americans 2012: Key Indicators of Well-Being,” which tracks trends to see how older people are faring as the U.S. population grows older.

The reports points out what we already know. As boomers age, there will be many more older adults:

In 2010, 40 million people age 65 and older make up 13 percent of the population in the United States.

In 2030, the number and proportion of older Americans is expected to grow significantly – to 72 million, about 20 percent of the population.

In the report, 37 key indicators are grouped into five categories – population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care. The Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics prepared the report.

Trends in the report predict what’s in store for boomers:

• More older women work – It’s likely that more boomer women will be working in “retirement.” Some older Americans work for economic reasons. Others like the social contact, intellectual challenges, or sense of value that work provides. The report shows that the number of older women in the labor force has increased significantly over the past 40 years. In 1963, 29 percent of women aged 62-64 worked outside the home. In 2011, it increased to 45 percent. In 1963, 17 percent of women aged 65-69 were in the labor force. In 2011, it increased to 27 percent. For women 70 and older, 6 percent worked in 1963, increasing to 8 percent in 2011.

• Slight declines in poverty, increases in income for some since 1974 – Some boomers may have more money in retirement than their parents. The report indicates that older Americans are in better economic shape now than they were in 1974. Between 1974 and 2010, the proportion of older people with income below the poverty thresholds – less than $10,458 in 2010 for a person 65 and older – fell from 15 percent to 9 percent. The percentage with low income – between $10,458 and $20,916 in 2010 for people 65 and older – dropped from 35 percent to 26 percent. Gains also were seen in income over the period, as the proportion of people 65 and older with high income – $41,832 and above in 2010 – rose from 18 percent to 31 percent.

• Increased housing problems – Boomers may have problems meeting housing costs. The report shows the most significant issue for older adults is housing costs, which has been steadily increasing. In 1985, about 30 percent of households with householders or spouses age 65 and over spent more than 30 percent of their income on housing and utilities. By 2009, the proportion of older people with high housing costs reached 40 percent. For some multigenerational households, crowded housing is also fairly common.

• Rising rates of obesity – Obese boomers are likely to have more health problems and earlier deaths. The report points out that obesity, a major cause of preventable disease and premature death, is increasing among older people. In 2009-2010, 38 percent of people age 65 and over were obese, compared with 22 percent in 1988-1994. In 2009-2010, 44 percent of people age 65-74 were obese, as were 29 percent of those age 75 and older.

• More use of hospice – Boomers are more likely to be using hospice services. The report indicates the percentage of older people who received hospice care in the last 30 days of life increased from 19 percent in 1999 to 43 percent in 2009. The percentage of older Americans who died in hospitals dropped from 49 percent in 1999 to 32 percent in 2009. The percentage who died at home increased from 15 percent in 1999 to 24 percent in 2009.

So, while government agencies and the health care industry need to step up their efforts to be ready for boomers, boomers, too, need to accurately access their retirement needs and increase their efforts to be ready financially and emotionally.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

This week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival offers information on hair, travel, food, Twitter, vegetarianism, retirement bargains, and change

By Rita R. Robison

Laura Lee Carter of the Midlife Crisis Queen is this week’s host for the Blogging Boomer Carnival #269.

Carter reports on what boomer members of the carnival have been blogging about. This week it’s giving up hair dying, traveling with children and grandchildren, shopping at a pop-up supermarket, using Twitter, eating less meat, picking out a cheap place to retire, and taking risks to change your life.

Baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are America’s largest age group so far, and a dynamic group they are.

Boomers are leading corporations, serving as governmental officials, heading up non-profits, worrying about retirement, and experiencing layoffs at a higher rate than younger workers. They’re also reinventing themselves in trying economic times, with some looking for their dream jobs to keep them happy in retirement.

At each stage in their lives, boomers have changed things. They’re continuing to make America different as they begin entering into their retirement years.

In addition to The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide, members of the Blogging Boomer Carnival are: The Accidental Locavore, The Midlife Crisis Queen, Sightings at 60, Arabian Tales and Other Amazing Adventures, and Silver and Grace.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Summer’s here: It’s time to review safety steps for pools and spas to keep children safe

By Rita R. Robison

Drownings are the leading cause of injury death for children ages 1 to 4, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is continuing its work to reduce drowning deaths by launching the third year of its Pool Safely: Simple Steps Save Lives campaign.

This year, Pool Safely is focusing on those most at risk of drowning:

• Children younger than 5 years old who make up nearly 75 percent of child drowning fatalities.

• African American and Hispanic children between the ages of 5 and 14 who drown at higher rates than white children.

Data from USA Swimming shows that 70 percent of African American children and 62 percent of Hispanic children can’t swim, making them vulnerable to drowning.

"CPSC's Pool Safely campaign has worked to prevent countless drownings, and we will continue to work to save even more lives this year," Inez Tenenbaum, chairman of the commission, said in a statement.

The commission recommends that parents and families build on their current safety systems at pools and spas by adopting additional water safety steps.

Adding as many proven water safety steps listed below as possible is the best way to assure a safe and fun experience, because you can never know which one might save a child’s life – until it does, the commission says in its safety fact sheet “Simple Steps Save Lives.”

Staying close, being alert, and watching children in and around the pool

• Never leave a child unattended in a pool or spa and always watch your child when he or she is in or near water.
• Teach children basic water safety tips.
• Keep children away from pool drains, pipes, and other openings to avoid entrapments.
• Have a telephone close by when you or your family is using a pool or spa.
• Look for a missing child first in the pool or spa.
• Share safety instructions with family, friends, and neighbors.

Learning and practicing water safety skills

• Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim.
• Learn to perform CPR on children and adults, and update those skills regularly.
• Understand the basics of life saving so that you can assist in a pool emergency.
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Having the appropriate equipment for your pool or spa

• Install a four-foot or taller fence around the pool and spa and use self-closing and self-latching gates; ask your neighbors to do the same at their pools.
• Install and use a lockable safety cover on your spa.
• Install door alarms and always use them if your house serves as a fourth side of a fence around a pool. For additional protection, install window guards on windows facing pools or spas.
• Install pool and gate alarms to alert you when children go near the water.
• Ensure any pool and spa you use has compliant drain covers, and ask your pool service provider if you don’t know.
• Maintain pool and spa covers in good working order.
• Consider using a surface wave or underwater alarm.

New statistics released by the commission on drownings include:

• An annual average of 390 pool or spa-related drownings for children younger than 15 occurred from 2007 to 2009; about 75 percent or 293 of the reported fatalities involved children younger than 5.

Quick and easy recipes for Easter and Passover

Looking for new recipes for upcoming Easter and Passover celebrations? Grandparents.com offers these taste treats:

Easter

Easter Calzone (Scalcione di Cipolle)

Instructions:

For the filling:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 bunches scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1 cup chopped Kalamata or Gaeta olives
Red pepper flakes
Salt
1/4 cup chopped anchovy fillets

For the dough:

1 pound all-purpose flour
1 cup lukewarm white wine
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
Pinch salt

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add scallions, wine, tomatoes, olives, and hot pepper and salt, to taste. Saute for about 15 minutes. Remove from stove, drain, and cool completely. Set aside.

2. To make the dough, combine flour, wine, 1/4 cup olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Knead together until a dough is formed.

3. Cut the dough in half. Flatten one half into a thin, round sheet large enough to cover the bottom of a 16-inch baking pan. Apply a very thin film of olive oil to the pan. Position the dough in the pan and spread the scallion mixture uniformly on top, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Spread the anchovies over the scallions.

3. Take the other half of the dough and flatten it with the rolling pin into a round sheet that you will use to cover the scallions. Place the dough over the scallions, cutting off any excess around the edges. With a fork, seal the two sheets of dough together.

4. With your fingers, apply a thin film of olive oil over the entire surface of the scalcione. Then, with a fork, puncture the surface every 2 inches. Bake for 60 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Serves 8.

Easter bread (Gurrugulo)

Ingredients:

1 pound (slightly more than 3 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
9 large eggs, divided
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 lemon, zested
Colored sprinkles

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, 4 eggs, sugar, olive oil, baking powder, and lemon zest. Mix until it becomes a dough.

2. Cut the mix into four equal parts (one for each Gurrugulo). Reserve two thin 6-inch strips for each Gurrugulo. Take one part, divide it again into three equal parts and roll each part into a strip about 1/2 inch thick.

Two dangerous trends for kids: Battery operated cars for toddlers and the princess phenomena for girls

By Rita R. Robison

About five years ago, kids age 5 and under began driving their small battery operated cars around the loop street I live on. It was scary.

Garbage trucks barrel around this neighborhood. I asked one driver why they go so fast. He told me that if they finish their route before 5 p.m., they get to go home. I asked him to slow down for the sake of the kids. I didn’t see any of the garbage trucks going slower.

I think battery operated cars are dangerous for young kids, and parents and grandparents should avoid buying them for children.

Another troubling trend is the princess phenomena for young girls. With so much emphasis on princess movies, toys, dresses, and crowns, girls think about being and becoming princesses. They are getting unrealistic ideas about what lives as women are like.

“This princess mania, many argue, leaves girls all mixed up,” Jessica Bennett writes in The Daily Beast article “Disney Princesses and the Battle for Your Daughter’s Soul.” “While they excel in school and outpace their male peers in science and math, they also obsess about Prince Charming and who has the prettiest dress, learning –from a mix of mass marketing and media – not that girls are strong, smart, or creative, but that each is a little princess of her own, judged by the beauty of her face (and gown).”

Disney alone has 26,000 Disney princess items on the market today, part of a $4 billion-a-year franchise that is the fastest-growing brand the company has ever created, Bennett said.

I’ve been concerned about these two trends for many years. They came together in a news report on The Huffington Post: “Neveah Reynolds, 4, Saves Sister, Kazmirah, 2, From Drowning in Pond.”

It seems Neveah has been fascinated with the neighborhood pond since her dad told her that kissing the pond frogs might turn them into Prince Charming.

The girls were playing "fairy tales," riding along in a Barbie car and looking for Prince Charming. Neveah turned her back, and, when she looked around, her sister had fallen in the pond.

Fortunately, Neveah grabbed a stick and pulled her sister out of the water.

The Huffington Post article ended with: “Now neither of the girls are allowed to play near the pond and must put their quest for Prince Charming on hold.”

In my opinion, battery operated cars for young kids and letting your daughter get hooked on the princess phenomena can have bad results for your children and grandchildren.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Recall of the Week: HeathCo motion sensing wall switches due to electrical shock hazard

By Rita R. Robison

HeathCo LLC is recalling about 75,000 Heath/Zenith and WirelessCommand motion sensing wall switches. 

When the switches are in the auto mode and the light is off, a small amount of leakage current passes through the electric circuit, including the socket. If consumers fail to disconnect the power at the circuit breaker and make contact with both terminals inside the socket while replacing the bulbs, there is a risk of an electric shock.

No incidents or injuries have been reported, HeathCo and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a statement.

The recall involves Heath/Zenith and WirelessCommand motion sensing wall switches with model numbers listed here.

The wall switches replace a standard household wall switch and are designed to turn off the attached lighting load when motion is no longer detected in the room. They come in white or ivory. The brand name and model number can be found on a label located on the side of the switch.

Manufactured in China, the wall switches were sold at mass merchants, electrical distributors, hardware retailers, and online retailers from August 2007 through August 2011 for between $20 and $25.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled wall switches and contact the company for a free wall switch replacement.

For additional information, contact HeathCo at 855-704-5438 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, email hzproductnotice@heathcollc.com, or visit the company's website at www.heath-zenith.com/hzproductnotice.

For details on other recalls, see www.recalls.gov.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What were your best and worst consumer experiences this week?

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Which consumer happenings cheered you this week and which ones made you want to scream or weep?

Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week:

My best: Shopping for clothes with my granddaughter

I got lucky this week. A vacation I had planned with my daughter coincided with my granddaughter’s 11 birthday.

Usually I’m far away, so my granddaughter’s birthday is calling my daughter and asking what my granddaughter would like for a present. Then I send it in the mail.

This time, I had fun taking my granddaughter clothes shopping. She’s really growing, so we checked out the Junior Department at Kohl’s. We were lucky to find a few summer outfits in the hour we had to shop.

My worst: Low-quality customer service at Kohl’s

When my granddaughter and I arrived at the Kohl’s Junior Department, we asked a clerk what size we should look for. I held up a small in front of my granddaughter, and he said that looked good.

Since our time was limited, we grabbed about a dozen t-shirts. They were too small. Then we tried medium. Still too small. We wasted a lot of time by starting out with clothes two sized too small.

When we wanted to pick out some shorts for my granddaughter to try on, another clerk was equally unhelpful. She showed us two places where we could find the kind of shorts my granddaughter was interested in. After we spent about 10 minutes hunting around and not finding much, the clerk said, “Oh, it’s nearing the end of the season, and we’re working on our fall things now.”

In stores these days, it’s difficult to find any clerks to help you. It was my worst consumer experience of the week to have clerks to talk to, but who were extremely unhelpful.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Recall of the Week: Hamilton Beach toasters due to fire hazard

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Hamilton Beach Brands Inc. is recalling about 300,000 Hamilton Beach classic chrome 2-slice toasters.

The toaster’s heating element can remain energized indefinitely when an item is placed in the toaster. This may ignite the contents, posing a fire hazard if the toaster is near flammable items.

Hamilton Beach has received 15 reports of toasters that didn’t pop-up as intended, including three reports of minor damage to kitchen cabinets, the company and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a joint statement. There were no reports of injuries.

The Hamilton Beach recall involves model 22600 toasters with specific series codes. These series codes begin with the letters C or D, and have the format of CXXXXBI or DXXXXBI, where XXXX is a four-digit number ranging from 0190 through 5290. The model number and series code are printed on the bottom of the toaster.

The toaster has a chromed steel exterior, a front control panel with a rotary toast shade selector and function buttons arranged in an arc, a front removable crumb tray, and Hamilton Beach printed across the front of the toaster.

Manufactured in China, the toasters were sold at mass merchandisers; department, grocery, and home center stores nationwide; and online retailers from February 2008 through June 2011 for $30 to $40.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled toasters and contact the firm to receive instructions on how to obtain a free replacement toaster, Hamilton Beach and the commission advise.

For additional information, contact Hamilton Beach at 800-379-2200 anytime, or visit the firm's website at www.hamiltonbeach.com.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Long-awaited, tougher crib standards finally adopted

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Yesterday, new crib standards went into effect that will help protect children from injuries and death.

All importers, distributors, manufacturers, and retailers must offer only cribs that meet the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's new full-size and non-full-size crib standards.

Among the new rules for cribs are:

• Stopping the manufacture and sale of dangerous, traditional drop-side cribs.

• Strengthening mattress supports and crib slats.

• Requiring crib hardware to be more durable.

• Making safety testing more rigorous.

"From the start, our goal has been to prevent deaths and injuries to babies in cribs, and now the day has come where only stronger and safer cribs are available for consumers to purchase," Inez Tenenbaum, chair of the commission, said in a statement.

The commission has recalled more than 11 million dangerous cribs since 2007.

Drop-side cribs with detaching side rails were associated with at least 32 infant suffocation and strangulation deaths since 2000, according to the commission. Additional deaths have occurred due to faulty or defective crib hardware.

However, a study by the Nationwide Children’s Hospital showed 9,500 children were treated at emergency rooms each year for crib-related injuries from 1990 to 2008. More than 100 died every year.

The new standards aim to prevent these tragedies and keep children safer in their cribs.

Beginning December 28, 2012, child care facilities, including family child care homes and infant Head Start centers, as well as places of public accommodation, such as hotels and motels, and rental companies, will be required to use cribs that comply with the new crib standards.

A 2008 law required the commission to update crib standards, which haven’t undergone a major revision for 30 years.

For more information on crib safety, see the commission's crib information center at www.cpsc.gov/cribs.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist