The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Top tips for selecting a retirement community

As the number of baby boomers reaching retirement age increases dramatically, the number of retirement communities springing up to serve them also is growing.

Is moving into a retirement community a good decision for you? Selecting a retirement community is very complicated. Here are some factors to consider:

• Review your goals for retirement. Determine what your priorities are. If you need to work part time, but the retirement community is located on the edge of a big city where land is cheaper, it might not be a good location for you.

• Figure out where you want to live. If you’re planning on moving, you need to be certain that the community you’re moving to will meet your needs. One suggestion is to move to the city and rent a home or apartment before you buy a home or condo or sign up for a retirement community. See “How to Choose the Best Place to Retire” for items to consider for selecting the best community for your retirement.

• Find out about health facilities in the region and how far you’ll be from them.

• Tour the retirement communities that you’re considering and have a checklist for each. Spend time in every part of the facility. Have a meal, if meals are offered to some or all residents. Drop in unannounced for a second visit. See “Questions to Ask Series: When Selecting Active Independent Living and Retirement Communities” for a checklist to use.

• Analyze the costs thoroughly. Find out what’s included. There may be a buy-in fee or monthly homeowner’s dues. If so, find out what they cover. Ask if you have to pay extra for items such as art classes at the clubhouse.

• Check out the financial stability of the retirement community. Some don’t do a good job maintaining the buildings and grounds. Ask to see financial statements and homeowner association documents and minutes. Also ask to see licensing and inspection reports and any complaint investigations conducted. Be wary if the retirement community is under construction or is partly constructed. Some communities fail to provide the amenities promised and others go bankrupt. See the article “Searching for Security: How to Tell Whether a Continuing-Care Community Will Be Able to Keep Its Financial Promises” for information.

• Find out if the retirement community is a facility that will allow you to age in place. Check to see if it has grab bars and if it’s wheel chair accessible. You also need to consider how you’ll get around if you can no longer drive.

• Ask if there are any rules about children visiting or living with you. You may need to help an adult child with kids or a grandchild. You need to know if the rules preclude such living arrangements.

• Find out if the facility offers ways to help you keep active and what types of activities are offered in the community. Some people want amenities such as a fitness room, fitness classes, a pool, and walking trails, while others would like arts and crafts, bingo, and card games. Cultural activities, colleges that offer classes, nearby parks, and museums are pluses.

• Ask for the names of residents that you can talk with. Find out if there’ll be other residents that have the same interests as you. Also, ask about the ages of the people who live there.

• Review consumer complaints and pay attention to them.

• Don’t sign a contract until you understand pricing and have read the entire contract.

Good luck with your retirement planning and selecting a retirement community. It’s a complicated consumer decision, but using these steps will help you make the right choice for what you need.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What consumers need to know about sunscreen as more ‘fun in the sun’ days approach

The vast majority of sunscreens available to the consumer aren’t as good as most people think they are, but a handful of products rise above the rest.

Those are the findings of the Environmental Working Group, which recently released its 7th annual Sunscreen Guide that rates the safety and effectiveness of more than 1,400 sunscreens, lotions, lip products, and makeups that advertise sun protection.

The EWG researchers found that only 25 percent of products on the market in 2013 offer strong and broad UV protection and pose few safety concerns.

Protection from clothing and shade

“The best advice for concerned consumers is to use sun-protective clothing, stay in the shade to reduce intense sun exposure, and schedule regular skin examinations by a doctor,” said Sonya Lunder, senior research analyst at the EWG.

Lunder said consumers should use the EWG’s guide to find the best sunscreens for skin that isn’t protected by clothing.

“Despite an increasing awareness of the sun’s risks, rates of melanoma – the deadliest skin cancer – have tripled over the past 35 years, with an annual increase of 1.9 percent per year since 2000,” she said.

Sunscreen protection weak

Part of the reason for the increase may be the decades of deceptive marketing claims by sunscreen manufacturers, EWG researchers said. 

The EWG believes that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should require companies to stop selling high-SPF sunscreens – above 50+ – which account for one in seven products on the market. As a result of misleading and confusing marketing claims, consumers frequently misuse sunscreens and spend more time in the sun than they should, putting themselves at greater risk, according to the EWG.

In addition, until recently, sunscreens provided little protection from the sun’s ultraviolet A rays. Sunburns are caused mostly by short but intense ultraviolet B rays. Longer UVA rays, which penetrate the body more deeply, inflict more damage and may contribute to or cause cancer. 

The FDA’s current definition of “broad-spectrum” still results in inadequate UVA protection, according to the EWG.

In 2011, the FDA issued long-awaited sunscreen labeling standards promised since 1978. Under the new rules, companies are now prohibited from making misleading advertising claims such as “sunblock,” “waterproof,” and “sweat-proof.” The FDA also set the first-ever standards for sunscreens that claim to provide broad-spectrum protection.

However, the agency now allows most sunscreens on the American market to make claims that they help lower the risk of skin cancer and sun-related skin aging.

The FDA still hasn’t issued final rules on excessively high SPF claims, potentially harmful chemical ingredients, and sunscreen sprays that may be dangerous when inhaled.

The EWG’s analysis of 750 beach and sport sunscreens found that the new FDA rules haven’t led to dramatically better sunscreens than those offered in previous years.

Standards stronger in Europe

While nearly every sunscreen on the market meets the new FDA rule for broad-spectrum protection, that standard is so weak that half of the sunscreens on the American market couldn’t be sold Europe, where the safety and effectiveness rules are more stringent.

European sunscreen makers voluntarily comply with European Union recommendations that a product’s UVA protection and SPF be coordinated so that the UVA protection is at least one-third as strong as the SPF.

EWG’s top four things not to bring to the beach or pool or on vacation

• No sprays. While easy to apply, these popular spray sunscreens may pose serious inhalation risks and may not fully cover skin. About one in four sunscreens in EWG’s database is a spray.

• No super-high SPFs, above 50+. Products with high SPF values provide little additional skin protection and may contribute to consumer misperception and misuse. About one in seven sunscreens has an SPF value greater than 50+.

• No vitamin A or retinyl palmitate. Vitamin A is touted for its anti-aging effects on skin. But retinyl palmitate, a form of vitamin A added to almost one in four SPF-rated sunscreens, makeups, and moisturizers, could speed development of tumors and lesions on sun-exposed skin, according to a government study.

• No oxybenzone. Commonly used in sunscreens, oxybenzone penetrates the skin, gets into the bloodstream, and acts like estrogen in the body. It can trigger allergic reactions. Data are preliminary, but studies have found links between oxybenzone and health problems. Nearly half of all beach and sport sunscreens in EWG’s 2013 guide contain oxybenzone.

I hope your days in the sun are safe as well as fun.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Think sustainability for Mother’s Day this year

Mother’s Day is a holiday where food plays a central role as a token of appreciation or a gesture of love.

This Mother’s Day, Danielle Nierenberg and Ellen Gustafson, co-founders of the Food Tank, offer tips for how to create a better, more sustainable celebration:
 
1. Buy local.

Consider cooking your a mom meal at home instead of going out to a restaurant and trying to buy as many ingredients as possible from local farmers . 
 
A study by the Natural Resources Defense Council about the environmental impact of food transportation in California showed that importing food products into the state released nearly 250,000 tons of greenhouse gases. That’s the equivalent amount of pollution caused by about 40,000 vehicles. Also, shipping food from far away also means that it's not as fresh, or tasty, when it reaches consumers. 

Local Harvest has a search feature that allows consumers to find area farmers markets’ and farms in their communities.  
 
2. Dine responsibly.

If Mom wants to go out for dinner on her big day, do some research and find a restaurant that follow best practices for sustainability.

Use the The Green Restaurant Association’s search feature that allows diners to locate the most environmentally friendly places to eat. In addition, make sure to eat leftovers. The NRDC reports that consumers eating in restaurants leave an average of 17 percent of meals uneaten, and that more than half of that is thrown away. 

3. Learn something new.

Understanding why it’s important to eat locally and to support sustainable operations is vital. Documentaries such as Food, Inc., What’s on Your Plate, and Food Chains can provide great conversation topics for Mother’s Day dinner.
 
Also, these books are worth reading to learn more about food and agriculture: “Cooked” by Michael Pollan; “VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health . . . for Good” by Mark Bittman; “Bet the Farm: How Food Stopped Being Food” by Frederick Kaufman; “Foodopoly: The Battle Over the Future of Food and Farming in America” by Wenonah Hauter; “Behind the Kitchen Door” by Saru Jayaraman; “The Perfect Protein: The Fish Lover's Guide to Saving the Oceans and Feeding the World” by Andy Sharpless and Suzannah Evans; “Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us” by Michael Moss; and “Full Planet, Empty Plates: The New Geopolitics of Food Scarcity” by Lester R. Brown.
 
4. Make a donation.

Instead of buying another gift for Mom that she doesn’t need, find an organization that supports a food- and agriculture-related issue and make a donation in her name.
 
About 17.2 million U.S. households didn’t have enough food to eat in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In New York City, City Harvest collects food from restaurants, grocery stores, and other food businesses for donations, and also supports educational programs about nutrition in low-income communities. Oxfam America also has a gift section where you can donate a vegetable garden for a family in need.

5. Help out in the community.

The latest U.S. census report shows that 46.2 million people were living in poverty in 2011, and poverty is the leading cause of hunger. 
 
Share a meal with those less fortunate on Mother’s Day by lending a helping hand at a food bank or a soup kitchen. Food Pantries has a website to locate food pantries and soup kitchens in your area. Sharing a plot in a community garden is another great activity. For example, Chicago’s Green Network offers a map showing area community gardens and information on how to get involved. 
 
6. Buy fair trade.

Chocolate, fresh fruit, coffee, or flowers are often given as Mother’s Day presents. These are all items that can be purchased from fair trade producers. Fairtrade International helps support smaller producers and farmers who may have a difficult time covering their costs while remaining competitive in the global market. Fair Trade USA offers a global reach map that shows organizations involved in fair trade. 
 
Food Tank co-founder Ellen Gustafson recently launched the Apron Project. The first collection of aprons is handmade in Rwanda by Indego Africa, a nonprofit organization supporting women-owned businesses in Rwanda. It helps businesswomen build economic independence through access to markets and education.
 
7. Plant a garden.

Planting a vegetable garden at home is a fun Mother’s Day activity that will help make sure mom has fresh produce available throughout the summer.
 
It’s also a money saver. The National Gardening Association estimates that the average return on the investment of a home garden is $530. For the urban gardener with limited space, these tips from Inhabitat are a good place to start.

Happy Mother's Day. I hope the tips are helpful. I'll be thinking about my mom as I plant my garden this week.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Guns, living life well, parenting, health, sports, finances, and charities are topics for this week’s Best of Boomer Blogs

I’m the host for this week’s Best of Boomer Blogs #307.

As spring is finally underway and May is bringing us flowers, baby boomer bloggers are writing about what’s on their minds as summer approaches.

While on vacation, Tom Sightings, of Sightings Over Sixty, saw a billboard advertising a shooting range ... and suddenly realized “Why Men Love Guns.”

What is one off the greatest loses for American Expats? Watching an American football game. Arabian Tales Katie Foster finds an American football league in the deserts of Dubai.

Laura Lee Carter, the Midlife Crisis Queen, has been taking a week off and doing some reading for pleasure. Here is her assessment of the new Debbie Reynolds memoir: ”Unsinkable.”

 With Mother’s Day nearing, Lisa Garon Froman, of Tao Flashes, offers an honest portrayal of her time as a Helicopter Mom in “An Ode to Motherhood.” It’s a bittersweet account of her memories and regrets.

Karen D. Austin, of The Generation Above Me, describes dystextia, a new stroke symptom established by doctors. Her post examines the four documented case reports of dystextia. In most cases, the inability to text properly was the only sign of stroke.

This week, John Agno, of So Baby Boomer, gives a primer on annuities: With a typical annuity, a customer hands over her retirement nest egg to an insurance company in exchange for a promised future stream of payments. The insurer invests the money and gets to keep any earnings beyond what’s guaranteed to the policyholder. If the bets backfire and the insurance company fails, some losses may be borne by customers and state guarantee funds, which puts boomers at risk.

My tips for baby boomer consumers this week are on giving donations to help others through crowdfunding. While these websites are established to allow solicitation of money for a variety of purposes, the organizations or individuals who get the funds aren’t necessarily charities. Some contributions may not be tax deductible, the websites usually take a percentage of the donation ranging from 5 to 20 percent, and you may pay processing fees.

Be sure to check back next week to see what baby boomer bloggers are writing about.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Get rid of old, unwanted prescription drugs at today’s Take-Back Day

Today is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This is a great opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted, unused prescription drugs.

In the five previous Take-Back events, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners have collected more than two million pounds of prescription medications, removing them from circulation.

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day offers a safe, convenient, and responsible way to dispose of these drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of these medications.

Getting rid of these drugs is important so they are kept away from toddlers, who could accidentally inject them, and teens and young adults, who could abuse them.

Click here to locate a collection site near you.

There is no charge to participate and the drop-off is anonymous.

You can also call the DEA’s Call Center at 800-882-9539 if you need assistance.

For details about National Take-Back Day, visit http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/index.html.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Retailers, not importer, recall Buckyballs and Buckycubes high-powered magnet sets due to ingestion hazard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with six retailers, is announcing the voluntary recall of all Buckyballs and Buckycubes high-powered magnet sets sold by these companie.

The commission continues to warn that these products contain defects in the design, warnings, and instructions, which pose a substantial risk of injury and death to children and teenagers.

The commission has received 54 reports of children and teens ingesting this product, with 53 of these requiring medical interventions.

Imported by Maxfield & Oberton LLC, Buckyballs and Buckycubes consist of sets of numerous, small, high-powered magnets. These sets vary in the number of magnets included and come in a variety of colors. Individual magnets in the set are about 5 millimeters in diameter. Individual magnets in Buckyballs are spherical and individual magnets in Buckycubes are cube-shaped.

About three million sets of Buckyballs and Buckycubes have been sold in U.S. retail stores nationwide and online since 2010 for between $5 and $100. 

The commission is advising consumers that they should take the high-powered magnet sets and all associated individual magnets away from children and teenagers and contact the retailer from which they purchased the product to obtain instructions for a remedy:

• Barnes & Noble at 855-592-2993 or online at www.barnesandnoble.com and click on “Product Recalls.”

• Bed Bath & Beyond at 800-462-3966 or online at www.bedbathandbeyond.com and select “Safety and Recalls” under Customer Service, then click on Recall Information.

• Brookstone at 866-576-7337 or online at www.brookstone.com and click on “Recall Information” under Shop Brookstone.

• Participating Hallmark retailers at 800-425-5627 or online at http://www.hallmark.com/recall-product/.

• Marbles the Brain Store at 877-527-2460 or online at www.marblesthebrainstore.com.

• ThinkGeek, at 888-433-5788 or online at www.thinkgeek.com/buckyballs/index.shtml.

These retailers have agreed to participate because Maxfield & Oberton has refused to participate in the recall of all Buckyballs and Buckycubes, the commission said. 

In July 2012, the commission staff filed an administrative complaint against Maxfield & Oberton Holdings LLC after discussions with the company and its representatives failed to result in a voluntary recall plan that the commission staff considered to be adequate to address the serious hazard posed by these products.

This type of legal action against a company is rare, as the commission has filed only four administrative complaints in the past 11 years.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Manda Packing Co. recalls 468,000 pounds of cooked meat, poultry, and deli products due to possible bacterial contamination

Manda Packing Co. is expanding its recall to include about 468,000 pounds of roast beef, ham, turkey breast, tasso pork, ham shanks, hog head cheese, corned beef, and pastrami due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Friday.

The recall involves products from the company’s Baker, La., facility with sell dates between May 13 and July 2, 2013. Click here for a list of the products, the “sell by” dates, and the establishment number inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The products may have been sliced at retail delis, and if so won’t have this packaging information.

The products were shipped for further distribution, for sale to stores, and for sale to delis in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

If consumers purchased one of the recalled products, they can return it to the place it was purchased for a full refund.

The FSIS was alerted to the problem by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, who collected a sample of cooked roast beef at a retail store on April 5, 2013, which later was found to be positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

The recall is being expanded because more samples from additional production dates have tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

The FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses associated with eating these products.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Most kids’ meals at chain restaurants offer poor nutrition, as fried chicken fingers, burgers, fries, and soda reign

Nearly all of the meals offered to kids at America's top chain restaurants are of poor nutritional quality.

Fried chicken fingers, burgers, French fries, and sugar drinks continue to dominate the kids' meal offerings, according to a report to by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The report found 97 percent of the nearly 3,500 meal possibilities didn’t meet the center's nutrition criteria for four- to eight-year-olds.

In addition, the center said 91 percent of kids' meals at America's major chains don’t meet the nutritional standards of the National Restaurant Association’s Kids LiveWell program.

 "One out of every three American children is overweight or obese, but it's as if the chain restaurant industry didn't get the memo," Margo G. Wootan, nutrition policy director for the center, said. "Most chains seem stuck in a time warp, serving up the same old meals based on chicken nuggets, burgers, macaroni and cheese, fries, and soda."

One chain with improvements is Subway, according to the report.

All eight of Subway restaurants' Fresh Fit for Kids meal combinations met the center’s nutrition criteria. Subway is the only restaurant chain that doesn’t offer sugar drinks as an option with its kids' meals, instead including low-fat milk or bottled water along with apple slices with all of its kid-sized subs.

To meet the center's nutrition criteria, kids' meals must not exceed: (1) 430 calories, (2) more than 35 percent of calories from fat, or (3) more than 10 percent of calories from saturated plus trans fat.

Meals that meet the center’s criteria can’t have more than 35 percent added sugars by weight or more than 770 milligrams of sodium. The criteria require meals to make a positive nutritional contribution either by providing at least half a serving of fruit or vegetable, including an item that is 51 percent or more whole grain, or including specified levels of vitamins or fiber.

The center’s criteria exclude sugar drinks in favor of water, juice, or low-fat milk. The association's standards are similar, though they allow more calories.

Some of the least healthy kids' meals available at chain restaurants include:

• Applebee's Grilled Cheese on Sourdough with Fries and 2 Percent Chocolate Milk.

•  Denny's Jr. Cheeseburger and French Fries.

• Dairy Queen's Chicken Strips, Kids' Fries, Sauce, Arctic Rush (a Slushee-type frozen drink), and Dilly Bar.

At 19 chains, none of the possible combination of the items offered for children met the center's nutrition standards. At nine of the 19 chains, including McDonald's, Popeye's, Chipotle, and Hardee's, no meals met the associations Kids LiveWell standards.

At Wendy's, only 5 percent of 40 possible kids' meals met the center’s standards – most items were too high either in sodium or saturated fat; at Burger King, only 20 percent of the 15 possible kids' meals met the center’s criteria. At both of those chains, the same low percentages of possible meal combinations met the association's Kids LiveWell standards.

The center’s last review of the nutritional quality of kids' meals at chain restaurants was in 2008. Overall, chains have made little progress since then.

The center’s report recommends that companies:

• Participate in the association's Kids LiveWell program, and reformulate their kids' meals to meet those standards.  

• Offer more fruit and vegetable options, and make those, rather than French fries, the default sides.

• Offer more whole grains and remove soda or other sugar drinks from kids' menus.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Food, midlife challenges, income tax lessons, and rejuvenation are the topics for this week’s Best of Boomer Blogs

John Agno of So Baby Boomer is this week’s host for the Best of Boomer Blogs #303.

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

As April showers hit many parts of the country, baby boomer consumers are writing about food dyes in Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, midlife challenges for women, how trauma affects us, income tax lessons, and why taking the easy path may give people a chance to rejuvenate so they can be ready for the next challenge.

In addition to my blog, other members of the Best of Boomer Blogs are: The Midlife Crisis Queen, Sightings Over 60, Arabian Tales and Other Amazing Adventures, So Baby Boomer, Blue Blinds Media, and Tao Flashes.

Be sure to check back next week to see what baby boomer bloggers are thinking and writing about.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Rich Products expands recall to all products made at its Waycross, Ga. plant

Rich Products Corp., which recalled some of its Farm Rich and Market Day products last week, is expanding its recall to include all products produced at its Waycross, Ga., plant with “Best By” dates ranging from January 1, 2013 to September 29, 2014 due to possible contamination with Escherichia coli O121 bacteria.

The expanded recall is in addition to products recalled on March 28.

For a list of the products involved in the expanded recall, click here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 24 cases of E. coli 0121 in 15 states

Symptoms of the illness include mild to severe diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Blood is often seen in the stool. Usually little or no fever is present.

Although most healthy adults can recover completely within five to 10 days, some individuals can develop a complication called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, which can cause the kidneys to fail. HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition could lead to serious kidney damage and death.

Rich Products said it’s unaware of any illnesses associated with the products included in the expanded recall, but due to its safety commitment to its customers, it took the action.

Consumers should check their freezers for recalled Farm Rich brand frozen food products. They shouldn’t eat the recalled frozen food products and should dispose of any remaining products, the CDC advises.

Consumers with questions about the recall should contact the company's consumer line at 888-220-5955 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST Monday through Friday or visit the company website at www.farmrich.com.

Farm Rich said on its website it will provide consumers with a refund or replacement.

Copyright 2013, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist