Where to Retire Near St. Louis, Missouri

Many people in the mid-west have deeply established roots in the area where they currently live ... including their relatives, churches and community involvement.  While they may enjoy spending time vacationing in the warmer states to the south, they don't want to permanently stray too far from home.

Because of the strong feelings these people have about staying near their current location, I want to include retirement information on this blog about a wide variety of cities throughout the United States.  The first one of these will be the area around St. Louis, Missouri.

Climate in St. Louis

Missouri clearly has four seasons.  In January the average daily high is 42 and the average low temperature is about 21; at the other extreme, in July the average daily high is 90 and the average low temperature is 66. The temperature extremes can be even greater than is indicated by these averages.  For example, in the winter the weather can hover around 0 to 10 degrees; in the summer, you will occasionally see days when the temperature rises to nearly 100 degrees.

Missouri gets enough precipitation to remain lush and green throughout the summer.  There are a multitude of lakes and rivers in the region which makes the state very appealing for people who enjoy water sports in the summer such as fishing and boating.

Cost of Living in Missouri

The cost of living in Missouri is lower than in many locations along the east and west coasts.  The state sales tax is 4.225%, and food is only taxed at a 1.225% rate.  State income tax rates range from 1.5% to 6%.  Property taxes are typically about 1.1%.  High income Social Security recipients may have to pay state income taxes on half their benefits.  Pensions are taxed if they are greater than $6,000 a year.

Retirement Communities and Independent Living Apartments

There are at least 30 independent living communities in and around St. Louis, including some on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River.  Virtually all of them are independent living apartment complexes, which enable residents to have greater security than those who live in the general population of the city. In addition, residents of these complexes do not have to worry about dealing with snow, yardwork and home maintenance.  While you can find a fairly complete list at the website for "A Place for Mom," here is a selection of some appealing ones that are either within St. Louis or its nearby suburbs:

McCormack House at Westminster Place
Tower Grove Manor
Homer G. Phillips
Alexian Court Apartments
Pacific Place Retirement Community
Tesson Heights
Orchard Terrace
The Rockwood
Crestview Senior Living
St. Catherine Retirement Community
The Hallmark of Creve Coeur
Desmet Retirement Community
The Villa at Riverwood
Lakeview Park
Fairwinds - River's Edge
The Gatesworth
Aberdeen Heights

For those retirees who wish to live in an over-55 community that has private homes, the closest one I could find was the upscale and beautiful Heritage of Hawk Ridge, a community of privately owned homes built by Del Webb in the Lake St. Louis area.  The amenities in this community include a 10,000 square foot clubhouse, a 9-hole par 3 executive golf course, swimming pool, fitness classes, bocce ball and more.  Home prices start at around $175,000.

Another option for people who are looking for an affordable retirement community in Missouri is the Village of Boulder Creek, which is located near Cape Girardeau, about two hours south of St. Louis.  They offer the privacy of single-family, maintenance-free, 2 bedroom rental homes in an over-55 age restricted community.

For seniors who wish to age in place in the homes where they currently live in the city, St. Louis also has seven senior activity centers which offer a variety of services including exercise classes, dances and other programs designed to assist senior citizens.


Sources:

If you are interested in retiring in the St. Louis, Missouri area, you will also want to check out the information available on the websites listed in this resource section.  I've compiled this list to make it easy for you to find the information you need quickly and easily.

http://www.aplaceformom.com/independent-living/missouri/st-louis
http://www.thegatesworth.com/
http://www.retirenet.com/location/communities/122-st-louis-metro/53-all-active-retirement-communities-and-homes/
http://www.delwebb.com/retirement-communities/missouri

Book:  "Where to Retire: America's Best and Most Affordable Places" (See ad in the sidebar of this blog.)

If you are preparing to retire, you will also want to check out the tabs at the top of this page.  They contain links to hundreds of articles about where to retire in the US or overseas, financial planning, medical issues and more.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

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Are You Too Young for Retirement Planning?

When I was in my twenties, retirement was the furthest thing from my mind.  While my husband and I had a few investments and bought our first home, we only had a vague idea about creating a long range plan.  In addition, we made several poor investment decisions at that stage of our lives which we might have avoided if we had been given the right information.  Getting our advice from other people in their twenties was not the best decision.

Our behavior back then is still common today.  Most young people do not put a lot of thought into what they will be doing in another 40 years.  It just doesn't seem real to them.

Unfortunately, when young adults wait too long to start their retirement planning, it will be very difficult for them to make up for lost time.  The advantages of techniques like compounding and dollar cost averaging are more effective when investors start at a young age.

As a result, when one of our daughters graduated from college a decade ago, we gave her the Suze Orman book which is available on Amazon at "The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke."

She liked the book so much that she purchased another copy of it to give to one of our other daughters.  Both of them continue to refer to the book frequently.

You can learn more about this book from the review I recently wrote on Squidoo: 

http://books.squidoo.com/review-the-money-book-for-the-young-fabulous-broke

One of the beauties of this book is that it provides far more information than simply helping young adults make good investment decisions.  It also helps them understand their credit score and gives them tips on making major financial decisions such as buying their first home and car.

While some of the information in the book may not seem directly related to retirement, any time we make a bad investment decision we are affecting our future ability to have a successful retirement.

Whether you are a young adult yourself or you are related to one, you may want to get a copy of this book.  No adult is too young to start planning for retirement!

If you are starting to think about retirement, you will also want to use the tabs at the top of this blog to find links to hundreds of other helpful articles.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

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Are You A Retirement Planner, Procrastinator or Crasher?

When researching Continuing Care Retirement Communiites recently, I came across an interesting quote by an industry expert.  He said that most people fall into one of three groups when it comes to moving into a CCRC ... they are planners, procrastinors or crashers.

For those of you who are regular readers of this blog, I assume that most of you fall into the role of planners.  You are already thinking about your options for the near-term, as well as for the more distant future when you may need more services. 

What is the difference between the three groups?

Continuous Care Planners

These people are in acceptance of the fact that they will probably need help or extended care at some point in the future.  They also do not want to be a burden on their adult children or other members of their family.  They want to have fun and enjoy life as long as they can, while feeling comfortable that they have taken steps early to assure that they will be taken care of when the time comes and they need more help.  These are the people who explore their options early, decide where they would like to live when they are ready, and let other family members know about their decision.

Continuous Care Procrastinators

Procrastinators are similar to planners except they postpone investigating continuing care facilities as long as they possibly can.  Sometimes they later regret their procrastination, later admitting they wish they had made the decision and moved sooner.  They just didn't realize how much more fun they could have been having by moving to a community where they no longer had to worry about meal preparation, cleaning and similar day-to-day chores.

Continuing Care Crashers

These are the people who do not believe that they will ever need help.  Sometimes you may hear them say things like, "I don't expect to live that long," or "With a heart like mine, I'll probably die suddenly," or "I eat right and take care of myself so I don't think I will ever need someone to help care for me."  No matter which opinion they hold, there is a good chance that they will be wrong.  With today's modern healthcare advances, people often do end up living longer than they expect and discover that they do need assistance later in life, whether they ever thought that would happen or not.  What frequently happens with this group is that they go directly from independent living in their own home directly into a skilled nursing facility, skipping the transition period of living independently in a continuing care community.

Which Is the Right Choice for You?

There is nothing wrong with falling into any of these categories.  Of course, the managers of Continuing Care Retirement Communities would prefer that people move into their facilities when they are in their late sixties or early seventies.  However, for people who are still working or active, this may not be the right decision.  Becoming a procrastinator may be the right decision for a large percentage of people.  I know my husband, who still works, enjoys our traditional over-55 community that does not provide continuing care.  I don't think he would be happy living in a CCRC where no one else had a job.

In fact, there is a good chance that many people, like my husband, would be perfectly happy to be labeled as "Crashers."  He plans to continue to work for several more years and has no intention of moving out of our current community until he is ready for a nursing home.  Circumstances may change as we get older, but that is how he feels at the moment.

On the other hand, if I were a widow in my seventies, I would probably be perfectly happy in one of the Continuing Care Retirement Communities in our area (and there are a number of lovely ones.)  I know that I do not always prepare healthy meals for myself when I am home alone and it would be nice not to have to worry about it.  I also enjoy being around other people and would love to be in a social community where my meals are prepared and there are planned trips, outings and parties I could enjoy, as long as I also had my own, private apartment or cottage.

This is a decision that each of us has to make on our own.  The important issue is not which category you fall into.  What is important is that you make the decision consciously.  Personally I've always believed that the best inheritance we can give our children is the knowledge that they will not have to spend their senior years taking care of us when we are sick and fragile.  I am investigating various CCRC's because I want to know that regardless of the type of illness or dementia that may befall me, my children will not have to feed and care for me 24 hours a day in my later years. 

If you are interested in learning more about Continuing Care Retirement Communities, you may be interested in reading this article that I wrote last week:

Choosing a Continuing Care Retirement Community

In addition, be sure to check out the tabs at the top of this page to read more about where to retire, family relationships, medical issues and financial planning, including topics like long-term care insurance and its alternatives.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

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Healing Your Plantar Fasciitis

Now that I am in my 60's, it seems as if at least a quarter of the women and ten percent of the men I know suffer from Plantar Fasciitis.  According to the Mayo Clinic, it is the most common cause of heel pain.  It's an inflammation of the plantar fascia, which is the band of tissue that runs across the arch of your foot from your heel to your toes.  Plantar Fasciitis is the name of the condition you develop when your plantar fascia begins to tear away from the heelbone and becomes inflamed.  It can be extremely painful.

Some people only experience the pain when they first stand up in the morning.  As the plantar fascia warms up, the pain goes away.  Other people suffer from it whenever they have been seated for a long time, or if they have been standing or walking a lot.

It is a very common ailment for people who have been runners or dancers, those who have to stand up on their jobs, those who are overweight, and people who wear shoes that do not provide a lot of support.  It also becomes more common as we get older. In my case, my doctor suspected that the sandals and flats that I typically wore were probably the cause of the problem, along with the fact that I was getting older and I had worked for years at a high school where I spent a lot of time on my feet.

Once you are experiencing pain, it is possible to heal your injured foot.  However, it can take months for the pain to go away, even when you immediately begin a treatment plan.  Despite this fact, it is important that you begin treatment as quickly as possible.  If you try to ignore the pain, believing that it will eventually go away on its own, it will only get worse and you could develop foot, knee, hip and/or back problems.

Treatments vary.  In my case, my podiatrist gave me a shot in my heel to reduce the inflammation and pain.  Then, he created a mold of my foot and had custom orthotics made to fit in my shoes.  Unfortunately, even though they were custom made, I did not use the orthotics very often because I did not think they were comfortable.

When I discussed this with my internist, she said that frequently a patient just needs a change in shoes in order to heal the foot.  Both my internist and podiatrist told me that I should wear shoes that were slightly more elevated in the heal than the toe, and my podiatrist gave me the names of some shoe brands to try.

Much to my delight, I have found several attractive, stylish and comfortable brands of shoes that I am able to wear.  Best of all, I haven't felt any pain in my heal in over six months.

While I was experimenting with the different brands, I wrote a series of articles for the online magazine, Squidoo, where I am their "Retired and Loving It Contributor."  These articles were about the different brands of shoes I tried out in an attempt to find the styles that were most comfortable for me, personally.  I am including links to those articles later in this article, so that you can learn more about these brands and see photos of the shoes they offer.

Since I live in Southern California, I particularly wanted to find some flip-flops that I could comfortably wear to the beach in the summer without further inflaming my feet.  Rainbow flip-flops were the ones that worked for me, and there is an article about them below, too.  Both Rainbow flip-flops and Birkenstocks have styles that are also designed for men.

I own at least one pair of every type of shoe mentioned in the list below ... and several pair of the Easy Spirit Travelers that turned out to be the style that was most healing for me.  If you suffer from this common problem, the articles below could be very helpful to you.

Links to Articles about Shoes for Sore Feet:

Easy Spirit Shoes for Women with Sore Feet
Rainbow Sandals for Sore Feet
Comfortable Mephisto Shoes for Women with Sore Feet
Dansko Shoes for Women with Sore Feet
New Balance Walking Shoes for Women with Sore Feet 
Birkenstock Shoes for Men and Women with Sore Feet


Source of information about Plantar Fasciitis:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/plantar-fasciitis/basics/definition/con-20025664

If you are interested in information about other health problems that could affect you as you age, be sure to check out the tab on Medical Concerns at the top of this blog.  It contains links to a number of other interesting articles.  In addition, you may want to check out the tabs on great places to retire in the U.S. and abroad, financial issues, and other topics of interest to people who are retired or planning to retire.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit: www.morguefile.com

Choosing a Continuing Care Retirement Community

One retirement option that is appealing to more and more retirees as they age is the concept of moving into a Continuing Care Retirement Community.   These are a great choice for people who wish to move only once after they retire and stay in the same place for the rest of their life, without the stress of worrying about ever having to move again.

There are approximately 1,900 CCRC's in the United States.  The most popular states for them are Pennsylvania, Ohio, California, Illinois, Florida, Texas, Kansas, Indiana, Iowa and North Carolina.

Cost of Moving to a CCRC

Although they appeal to a large number of retirees, moving to a Continuing Care Retirement Community is not cheap.  Most of them require the residents to make a large upfront deposit that ranges from about $80,000 to $750,000 ... with a average of about $250,000.  In some cases, a portion of the deposit may be refunded to your heirs when you die, depending on how long you lived in the community.  While this may seem like an impossible amount of money for the average person, the majority of residents used the equity they received when they sold their home ... since they had no intention of moving back into a single family residence, again.


In addition, you will be expected to pay a monthly fee that covers your housing, meals and other amenities.  This can range from $1000 to $2700.  Again, while this may seem like a lot of money for some people, remember that it covers your rent, utilities, meals and transportation for the rest of your life.  This expense is affordable for many people who are planning to live off of their Social Security and/or pensions.  Therefore, while expensive, these communities are not as unaffordable as many people may first believe, although some people may need to supplement their Social Security or pensions with money from their retirement savings or other sources.

Types of CCRC's

Your community may be all-inclusive, taking care of nearly all your needs for the rest of your life; or they may be partially inclusive, where certain things are included and others are covered by private insurance; or they may be set up with a fee-for-service structure, where you only pay for what you use.

Continuing Care Retirement Communities vary in how they charge you for medical expenses and nursing care.  Some CCRC's include health-care costs.  In other cases, residents can use their private insurance, Medicare, and long-term care insurance to cover their medical needs and skilled nursing care. It is important to discuss this with management in advance, so you have a clear idea of how this will be handled.


Before you move in, expect the CCRC to evaluate your ability to cover your future anticipated expenses.

What to Expect in a CCRC

These communities are appealing residential communities, not old-fashioned nursing homes.  Residents live in private apartments or cottages.  Depending on the community a resident chooses, they may either have one meal a day or all of their meals served to them restaurant style.

Like other over-55 communities, the typical CCRC will have clubs, activities, entertainment, transportation, classes, swimming pools, shops, hair salons, and fitness facilities.  In addition, many of them have access to caregivers or skilled nursing care, often provided by outside contractors for an additional fee, for those who need it.  These residences also have modern amenities like cable television and Wi-Fi.

While the average age to move into a CCRC is about 80, some people do decide to move in while they are in their 60's and 70's, especially if they have have a chronic condition that makes it more difficult for them to prepare their own meals, drive their own cars, etc.  It is an ideal living situation for many senior citizens who are single, have had a heart attack or stroke, who are losing their eyesight, developing Parkinson's Disease, or have similar infirmities.  Younger adults are frequently delighted that they made this decision when they realize that they are still young enough to fully enjoy the amenities.  Older residents often say they wish they had moved in years before.

How to Find a Continuing Care Retirement Community

One way to search for a CCRC in the area where you want to live is to go to CARF.org.  This is the website of the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities ... which evaluates and accredits both rehab facilities and retirement communities.

On the CARF.org website, go to Home - Find a Provider.  Click on Advanced Search. Then enter the State and under Program scroll down until you find Continuing Care Retirement Communities.  When I entered this information for my home state of California, I found 24 CCRCs in my state that were accredited by CARF.  By clicking on the ones in the towns that interested me, I was able to learn more specific information about them.

Once you have a list of CCRCs that interest you, I highly recommend that you look at their individual websites and then go out and pay them a personal visit ... possibly more than once.

In addition to the CARF website, you may also find information on the CCRCs in your state by going on the website for the Department of Social Services in your state.  Their site should explain state regulations for these communities and answer some of your questions.  For example, in California, I learned a lot at http://www.calccrc.ca.gov, including finding a list of both non-profit and for-profit providers.  The state list was much longer and more comprehensive than the list on the website for CARF.org, which indicated to me that there are many CCRCs that are not affiliated with CARF.

Moving into a Continuing Care Retirement Community is an appealing choice for many people and one that should be explored by anyone who wants the security of knowing that they have a permanent home for the rest of their life, regardless of changes in their health.


Resources:

http://www.calccrc.ca.gov/ (from the California Department of Social Services)

"Understanding CCRCs," Where to Retire Magazine, January/February 2014.

CARF.org (website for the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities)

If you are looking for more retirement information, use the tabs at the top of this page to find links to articles about where to retire in the United States and abroad, financial planning, medical issues, family relationships and more.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  www.morguefile.com

Social Security Decisions are Complicated!

Many people assume that when they reach their early to mid-60's, they will simply quit their jobs, start collecting Social Security and the whole process will be fairly predictable.  In fact, this is actually what the vast majority of people do.  Sometimes it works out; sometimes people have regrets, especially when they learn that their friends are receiving a lot more money than they are.  Making the right choices about Social Security actually involves some of the most complex decisions you will make in your lifetime.

No one likes to make a costly and embarrassing mistake.  It is easy to do, however, when you consider that there are actually 2700 rules that will affect your benefits.  What are some of the decisions you need to make?  Should the breadwinner in your family collect as soon as they turn 62, wait until their full retirement age of 66 - 67, or postpone receiving their benefits until the maximum age of 70? At what age should the spouse, and ex-spouses, apply for their benefits?  Should you take the "file and suspend" option?  Do you even know what that is?

After reading several books on the subject, I realized that I would have to write dozens of articles on Social Security, and keep them updated, in order to even come close to providing the helpful information that is available in this book:  "Social Security Income Planning: The Baby Boomer's Guide to Maximize Your Retirement Benefits."  (Use this link to see the book on Amazon.com)

This book takes you through virtually all of the different options you have and the advantages and disadvantages of each.  It also explains how to invest your investment savings in such a way that you will minimize the income taxes you will pay on your retirement income.

Make sure you read the most recent edition of this or any other retirement book that you order.  Several significant laws changed at the beginning of 2016.  For example, the File and Suspend option is no longer available to couples ... a program that substantially increased the retirement income of many couples in the past.


After looking over the different books that have been written about Social Security, I felt that this was the most comprehensive and up-to-date book I could find.  Whether you are getting ready to retire in a few years or you are decades away, this book will help you make the decisions that are right for you.

Whether you read this book, a different one, or order all the available government brochures that explain Social Security, you owe it to yourself to thoroughly research what you want to do BEFORE you stop working and start collecting.  After that, it is really too late.

Since Social Security benefits make up the largest part of the retirement plans for the majority of people, this is not an area you want to neglect.  There are many legal tricks you can use to maximize your benefits ... and the employees of the Social Security Administration are not allowed to tell you about them.  All they will do is implement your benefits when you ask them to.

You may also want to use the tabs at the top of this blog for links to hundreds of articles about where to retire in the United States or abroad, medical issues that may come up as you age, family issues and more financial planning ideas.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  Amazon.com

Keeping Track of New IRA Rules

Are you looking forward to a retirement that includes travel, playing golf, pursuing your hobbies and feeling comfortable about your financial situation?  If so, the sooner you start your retirement planning, the better off you will be.

There are a lot of different choices, however, and at first they may seem confusing.  In addition to deciding whether you need an IRA, a Roth IRA, a 401K or a combination of several retirement plans, you also have to decide which broker to use.  Even then, your retirement account decisions will not remain static.

It seems as if IRA rules are changing constantly, and 2013 was no exception.  The company that handles your IRA or Roth IRA for you should keep you up-to-date on all the annual changes and they should also let you know how the changes could affect the amounts you are depositing in your accounts each year.

Because of all the different choices that are available, I always encourage my readers to do their own research in order to have all the information they need to make wise decisions.   Having a good investment adviser is an important part of your retirement planning strategy.  Taking the time to compare their advice to what others are saying is just smart.

If you have not yet selected a broker to handle your IRA for you, the sooner you get started, the better off you will be when you are finally ready to stop working.  One website I have found that will help you compare brokers is IRA Success.  They have put together an excellent list of popular brokers including Charles Schwab, eTrade, Fidelity, Scottrade and others.  Their chart tells you the commissions rates, account minimums and IRA fees.  Using their chart is so much easier than contacting each company on your own, so I wanted everyone to have this direct link to the IRA Broker Comparison Chart.

I am also providing a link to an IRA contribution cheat-sheet that IRA Success also provides and updates annually.  The information they give on their cheat-sheet, as well as in some of their blog posts, is quite useful in helping you decide which type of retirement savings plan will best meet your needs.

You may also want to read a good book on investment savings so that you have a better understanding of the different types of retirement savings accounts and how to best take advantage of them.  I think the two books listed below are especially helpful and you can click on their titles to be taken directly to their Amazon page.  Read an excerpt from each book and their reviews and decide if one of these books would be helpful to you in dealing with your retirement planning:

Preparing for Retirement:  A Comprehensive Guide to Financial Planning
The AARP Retirement Survival Guide

If you have gone to the trouble to save money towards your retirement, you owe it to yourself to make sure you have a plan in place for maximizing your contributions, reduced your investment costs and increasing your principle.  Using the websites and books I have mentioned here are a great way to make certain you are on the right track!

Links to Sources:

http://iracontributionlimits2010.com/ira-contribution-cheat-sheet-2012/

http://irasuccess.com/compare-ira-brokers

Retirement books from Amazon.com

You are reading from the website:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  www.morguefile.com

Using Humor to Enhance our Health

As we age, most of us are going to suffer from a variety of ailments.  Many of them will merely be inconveniences ... a bit of arthritis, tennis elbow, or sore muscles.  In other cases, we may face life-threatening illnesses such as cancer or heart disease.  In addition, we will all face periods of stress ... the death of a loved one, a distant move, or financial difficulty.   Some people will even have to endure all of those events.

How can we get through these experiences without letting discomfort, life-threatening illnesses and stressful circumstances destroy us?  Occasionally, I recommend books or articles that I find on other sites, especially if I think they will help my readers have a happier and more satisfying retirement.  In that spirit, I recently discovered a book that I that I feel many Baby Boomers will find useful in dealing with life's struggles.

According to Jan Marshall, the founder of the International Humor & Healing Institute and the author of "Dancin' Schmancin' with the Scars: Finding the Humor No Matter What," most of us will be healthier and happier if we approach all of life's complications with a sense of humor.

Ms. Marshall practices what she preaches, too.  As you read through her book, you will discover her own profound experiences with breast cancer and other difficulties.  However, after allowing herself time to cry and grieve over her personal losses, she used her own indomitable spirit and sense of humor to get herself through some of the worst trials many of us will have to face.

She concludes her book with a chapter full of tips that will help her readers find a sense of humor in their life challenges, too.

Here are two of my favorite quotes from her book:

"If we can eventually discover humor in a dire situation, we probably have defeated and survived it."


"Not a shred of evidence exists that life is serious ... "

I recently spent some time with Jan, sitting next to her a rather boring business meeting for a club in our retirement community.  I was so glad I was sitting at the back of the room, because she was such a delightful conversationalist.  She is a frequent public speaker on the topic of humor and healing and, in fact, founded the International Humor & Healing Institute in 1986. 

Once you read her book, I'm sure you will have a few favorite quotes from it, too.  Other readers who have already discovered her charming wit have given her book a 5-star rating on Amazon.com.

You can order her book directly from Amazon by using this link:

"Dancin' Schmancin' with the Scars: Finding the Humor No Matter What!

If you are in the process of planning your own happy retirement, you may also want to check out the tabs at the top of this blog to find links to other articles that may be of interest to you.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  Amazon.com
(As an Amazon affiliate, I am permitted to use Amazon photos when I write product reviews.)

Cut your Heart Attack Risk in Half

According to a special report on our local ABC News affiliate in Los Angeles on February 3, 2014, many people are not aware of the fact that heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women.  In fact, someone dies from heart disease in the United States every 90 seconds.  Unfortunately, 30% of adults are not doing anything to reduce their risk of developing heart disease.  Furthermore, according to the ABC News report, while we can't completely eliminate our heart attack risk, taking a few simple actions can cut your risk in half.

The specialists who were interviewed for the ABC report said there were five things people should do to reduce their risk of a heart attack:

* Eat right
* Get exercise
* Lower your blood pressure if it is elevated
* Stop smoking (or don't start)
* Lower your cholesterol if it is elevated

Eat Right

Reduce your sodium intake.  In particular, they mentioned that people should watch the amount of sodium in bread products.  Many bread products, including bagels, waffles, pancake mixes, bread dressing, etc., contain a lot more sodium than people realize.

People should also lower the amount of sugar and unhealthy fats that they consume.  Many people mindlessly consume far more sugar than they know, simply by having a soda and a pastry every day.  Everyone should avoid saturated fats from animal sources, as well as transfats or partially hydrogenated fats.  Replace these bad fats with reasonable amounts of healthy fats, such as olive oil and coconut oil.

Get Exercise

You don't have to become an athlete.  However, everyone should walk for at least 30 minutes three times a week.  This is a reasonable goal and will probably encourage you to walk even more frequently, for longer distances, as time goes by. 

Lower Your Blood Pressure If It is Elevated

If you follow the first three suggestions by eating right, reducing your sodium intake and getting exercise, your blood pressure may stay within the normal blood pressure range without a problem.  However, if your blood pressure remains high, you should consider taking medication for it.  High blood pressure not only contributes to heart disease, but is also a factor in strokes, kidney disease and other health issues.

Stop Smoking

Every smoker already knows that this habit contributes to a wide variety of health problems, so I will not nag you about it!

Lower Your Cholesterol If It is Elevated

Avoiding sugar, saturated fats and transfats should go a long way towards lowering your cholesterol level.  However, for some people, diet and exercise alone are not adequate.  If you are one of those people, it is important to take the appropriate medication so that plaque does not build up in your veins.

More Ideas for a Healthy Heart

The February, 2014 issue of Reader's Digest also put together their own list of easy things people can do to reduce their heart attack risk.  Some of these suggestions are so appealing that it may be worth it to pick out two or three and give them a try!

Drink three cups of tea a day 
Eat less meat
When you do eat meat, choose products with no antibiotics, hormones or additives
Eat more sardines, mackerel, anchovies, salmon and herring
Get more physical activity
Practice yoga for a few minutes a day
Love a pet
Sit in a sauna ... especially an infrared sauna
Compile a gratitude list
Have sex at least twice a week
Open your windows and let out the polluted indoor air
Clean with vinegar, lemons, baking soda and cornstarch
Get rid of your plastic food containers and use glass, ceramic or stainless steel containers instead.


If you are retired or planning to retire someday, use the tabs at the top of this page to find links to hundreds of articles that will be useful to you ... on topics ranging from where to retire in the United States or overseas, to medical concerns, retirement income, family issues, travel and more.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  www.morguefile.com

Resources for Retiring Overseas

Whether it is for financial reasons or because they want to experience something new and exciting, thousands of Americans choose to retire overseas every year.  Large enclaves of ex-patriot Americans now exist all over the world.

The longer I have written this blog, the more I have come to understand the appeal of many of these places.  While it may be very difficult for a couple to comfortably retire in some regions of the United States on $2,000 to $3,000 a month, there are many places in other parts of the world where you could comfortably retire on that amount of money and still hire a full-time housekeeper, eat out frequently and have money to do some traveling.

Using the "Retire Overseas" tab at the top of this blog, you will find links to articles about a number of popular locations to retire overseas, as well links to a few articles about the advantages and disadvantages of retiring in another country.  I highly recommend that you read these articles if you are considering making such a significant lifestyle change.  I will be adding to this list of articles on a regular basis.

In addition, you will want to check out my online Squidoo review of the book, "How To Retire Overseas: Everything You Need to Know to Live Well (For Less) Abroad."  This book has detailed information about retiring in the countries of Argentina, Belize, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Thailand and Uruguay.  The article also contains links to a couple of other helpful books about retiring overseas.

The author of "How to Retire Overseas" has lived in a number of different countries and understands what it is like to arrange a foreign move and create a new life in an unfamiliar place.  Anyone who would like to move to another country will feel much more comfortable with their decision after reading this book or one of the others mentioned in my review. 

You can check out my review at "Retirement Book Review: How to Retire Overseas."

If you are planning to retire soon, you will also want to check out the other tabs at the top of this blog to learn more about great places to retire in the United States, handling your retirement money, medical concerns, travel, family relationships and more.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

One-Third of Scam Victims are Over Age 65

None of us believe we will ever fall victim to a scam.  We are smart, educated, have common sense and we have decades of real-life experience.  There is no way that someone could fool us.  Right?  Unfortunately, professional scammers are working day and night to come up with new ways to cheat us out of our hard-earned money and, I'm sad to say, many of them have gotten really good at it.

According to the AARP and the National Council on Aging, people over age 65 comprise only about one-eighth of our population; however, they are the victims in approximately one-third of all scam cases.

If we are going to make sure our retirement savings last the rest of our lives, it's not enough to be certain that it is invested well.  We must also be sure that no one can trick us into turning some of it over to a fraudulent business.

Seven Common Scams Against Senior Citizens

Sweepstakes:  Beware of letters, emails and phone calls announcing that you have won a contest or sweepstakes, especially one that you do not remember entering.  If the contest administrators ask for money to pay them money in advance to cover taxes, insurance or other fees, it is almost certainly a fraud, since honest contests are not allowed to do this.  Call your local sheriff's office or county prosecuting attorney's office.

Online Dating:  If you put your profile on a dating site, be cautious if, after weeks or months of pleasant messages, the person you have connected with online begins to express a need for money.  They may say they want the money so they can afford to visit you or because they have a medical or personal emergency.  Frequently they will ask that you send the money in a wire transfer.  American women over the age of 50 are the most common victims of these scams.  They lost a reported $34 million in 2012, while American men lost approximately $5 million.  It is believed that many more cases go unreported because the victims are too embarrassed to tell anyone.  Each incident costs the victim an average of $10,000. 

Phony Charities:  I have repeatedly listed on this blog that people need to thoroughly vet any new charity before they make donations to it.  Never give your credit card information to someone who comes to your door or calls you with a charitable request.  Be skeptical of any charities that you have never heard of.  Check them out with the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, CharityNavigator.org, or a similar charity evaluator.  Otherwise, stick to charities that you have dealt with in the past and trust, such as your religious organization, the Red Cross, United Way and similar well-known non-profits.

Grandparents Scam:  Two personal friends of mine have fallen victim to this scam.  Both of them were intelligent women who never thought they would fall for something like this.  Both of them discussed the situation with their husbands before sending money.  One of them is married to a retired Deputy Sheriff and even he was fooled.  In this scam, a upset "grandchild" or other relative calls, desperately begging for money and sobbing at the same time, so it is hard to recognize their voice.  Think you wouldn't be fooled?  People in the United States have reported losing $110 million a year to this scam ... and many more may not have reported it!

Home Repair Scams:  These scams happen most often after a major catastrophe that damages homes in your neighborhood; however, they can happen at other times, as well.  Someone may show up at your door offering to repair your gutters, fix your driveway, replace roof shingles or make other home repairs.  They can cheat you in one of two ways: either they ask for an upfront fee and then disappear; or they make shoddy repairs and keep asking for more and more money to fix new "issues" they find (or create).  Get recommendations for contractors from your friends, neighbors or insurance company before you use anyone.  Make sure they have a contractor's license.  Never hire anyone who unexpectedly shows up at your door.

Healthcare Thieves: This has been going on for a long time, but it is expected to become worse for a while because so many people are confused about the new Affordable Care Act.  A stranger, pretending to be a consultant, may offer to help you get free medical supplies or to help you understand changes to your insurance.  What they are really trying to do, however, is steal your identity, get medical care under your name, and leave you with the bill.  A woman here in Orange County, California, where I live, was arrested a few years ago for stealing another woman's medical identity and using the other person's identity to get several elective surgeries, including cosmetic surgery!

Investment Scams:  Unfortunately, these types of crimes did not end with the arrest of Bernie Madoff.  I have known several people who have fallen for these types of smooth-talking crooks.  One elderly couple we know lost nearly all their savings and were stunned when they discovered that "the nice young man" they trusted had actually stolen from them. This scam may start with a free-lunch seminar or some other special program set up under the guise of helping seniors find "low-risk" investments. People can be wiped out before they realize there is a problem.  Once again, stick with major investment firms or those that you know very well.

If you believe you have been a victim of a thief or scammer, contact your local police department, sheriff's department or the prosecuting attorney's office.  Keep any evidence you have that will help them identify the person behind the scam.

Other scams that often target senior citizens are counterfeit drugs, funeral scams, anti-aging products, and deceitful practices involving financial services such as reverse mortgages.  Always discuss major outlays of money with other family members as well as trusted financial advisers.

Bottom line:  Be careful.  Be skeptical.  Rely on all those years of experience that have kept you safe during your younger days.  You do not want to give away your hard-earned savings to criminals.

Whether you are already retired or about to retire, you may enjoy reading some of the other articles available on this blog.  Simply use the tabs at the top of the page to find the topics of most interest to you.  The tabs contain links to hundreds of additional articles.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Source: 

http://www.ncoa.org/enhance-economic-security/economic-security-Initiative/savvy-saving-seniors/top-10-scams-targeting.html

AARP Bulletin, Fall, 2013.

Photo is courtesy of www.morguefile.com

Do You Think You Are Ready to Retire?

Retirement is your key to easy street. Right? It's not unusual for people to believe that all they need to do when they start thinking about retirement in their 60's is to decide when they want to quit their job and then do it.  It sounds simple enough.  However, if you want to save yourself time, frustration and money, there are a few things you really need to figure out BEFORE you turn in that letter of resignation.

In fact in some cases, such as deciding when to collect your Social Security or where you are going to live, making a decision too hastily can cost you thousands of dollars.  While you can change your mind regarding some issues such as where you want to live, there are other decisions, such as those you make regarding Social Security, that are permanent.  Once you have begun collecting checks, you can't go back and say "I didn't know I could have chosen another option that would have paid me more."  You are stuck with the first decision you made.

Consequently, I recently wrote an article on Squidoo called, "What You Really Need to Know Before You Retire!"

This article gives you information about the decisions you need to make before you quit your job, and it also gives you links to the best books to help you get the detailed information that you will need in order make the smartest decisions for you and your family.

Even if you are already retired, you may still want to read this article because some of the information in it can help people even after they have retired, especially if they are thinking about moving to a new location or they are trying to determine how to invest their savings in order to maximize their income.

As the official "Retired and Loving It" Contributor for the online magazine Squidoo, I frequently write articles for them on topics that I believe will also interest my readers here at Baby-Boomer-Retirement.com.  As an added benefit for my blog followers, I post links here on this blog to interesting Squidoo articles that I or my fellow contributors have written regarding topics such as retirement, aging and health issues.

Here's another link to my Squidoo article:

http://www.squidoo.com/what-you-really-need-to-know-before-you-retire


You can also find additional retirement information by checking out the tabs at the top of this blog. They contain links to hundreds of articles about where to retire in the United States and overseas, medical issues for seniors, financial planning, family relationships and more.

You are reading from the blog: http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  www.morguefile.com

Warren Buffet's Retirement Advice

There are probably very few investors in the world who are better known or more successful than Warren Buffett.  His Berkshire Hathaway fund, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, has done very well over the decades.

According to the Motley Fool investment advisers, at a shareholder's meeting in 2004, Mr. Buffett was asked by a participant how to invest their retirement savings.  Here is a summary of his comments:

*  First, he said, he and his associates never recommend that people either buy or sell shares of Berkshire-Hathaway.

*  Instead, they recommend that nearly everyone should invest their money in low-cost index funds, and spread the investment out over a ten year period of time, buying a little at a time.  According to Mr. Buffett, people who do this will be more successful than 90% of the people who try to pick individual stocks.

* According to Mr. Buffet, by spreading out your investment in an index fund out over ten years, you are also taking advantage of dollar-cost averaging, which means that your investment costs will be averaged out over years in order to have an average cost that is as low as possible.

* In this particular interview, the only company that he specifically mentioned was the Vanguard Index Funds, because they are cheap and reliable.  Vanguard has a variety of funds, including an S&P 500 ETF (exchange traded fund), a Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF, and a Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF.   If you invest in a little of each, you will have an extremely balanced investment portfolio.  According to Mr. Buffett, these actions will give you "diversification across assets and time, two very important things."

*  In addition,  he recommended that investors read books by John Bogle.  He said that any investor in funds should read them.  To aid the readers of my blog in finding them, here is a link to the correct Amazon.com page:  John Bogle's books on Amazon.com.

*  Mr. Buffett discourages investors from keeping all their money in cash.  While everyone should have some cash on hand for emergencies, according to Mr. Buffett cash will lose value over time, while the majority of businesses held by exchange-traded funds will become worth more over time.

If you are still at the stage of your life while you are saving for retirement, you may wish to read the books mentioned above, do your own research, and decide for yourself if you wish to follow Mr. Buffett's advice.  While no one investment decision is right for everyone, it is always a good idea to read the opinions of successful investors.  At the very least, Mr. Buffett's advice is likely to be far safer than some of the more risky investments that often tempt us with their promises of high (and often un-realized) returns.

Disclaimer:  I am not in the investment business; all recommendations mentioned in this blog are only presented here in attempt to present my readers with some of the options available to them.  All final investment decisions are purely the decision of my readers.

Source:

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/12/30/warren-buffetts-super-simple-retirement-advice.aspx#.UsGQybS3ikw

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Resources for Retiring in the United States

Are you trying to decide where you want to retire in the United States after you retire?  It can be a difficult decision.  Should you live near your current home, near your adult children or in an entirely new location?  Do you like winter sports, or are some empty beach chairs calling your name?

Your first step will be doing your research.  Do you know what the cost of living is in the different locations you are considering?  What is the weather like there?  Will your Social Security be taxed?  What about your other retirement income?  How much are the property taxes?

In the states that you are considering, which towns are the most affordable?  What types of sporting events, museums, golf courses and other entertainment options are available in the area?

If you are in the process of making up your mind about where you would like to live, you will want to be sure to check out the book review I wrote for the online magazine Squidoo about "Where to Retire: America's Best and Most Affordable Places."

This article also has links to a couple of other excellent books that will be useful in helping you find the perfect place to retire.  It's far easier, and cheaper, to do your research from the comfort of your current home than it is to drive all over the place or, worse, to move and realize that your new community is not what you expected.

If you are planning your retirement, you will also want to use the tabs at the top of this page to check out more articles about retiring in the United States or other countries, medical issues, financial concerns, and more.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

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Where to Retire near San Diego, California

For decades, the area around San Diego has appealed to generations of senior citizens who were looking for a pleasant place to retire with a mild climate and a wide variety of activities.  Thousands of men who were stationed in San Diego during their years in the Navy or Marine Corps chose San Diego as the one place where they wanted to live when they retired from the military.  Many other people fell in love with the city during a vacation stay.  Today, the city of San Diego and its nearby suburban communities continue to attract retirees from around the United States.  Here are some of the things you should know if you are considering moving to this part of the country.

Advantages of a San Diego Retirement

Many people believe that San Diego has the best climate in the continental United States.  It almost never freezes or snows and gets only about 12 inches of rain a year.  While you will still need to occasionally use your furnace at night in the winter, and you will want to have air-conditioning in the summer unless you live very near the ocean, you are still likely to find that your utility bills will be moderate to low compared with the bills in many other parts of the nation.  The typical temperatures in January range from a nighttime low of 47 to a daytime high of 65; in July, the average temperature range is a low of 63 and a high of 75.  Of course, when I lived in San Diego, I can remember a few occasions when the low winter temperatures in the inland areas dropped into the low 30's, and a number of occasions when the high summer temperatures would reach into the low 90's.

The mild weather is especially appealing to people who enjoy outdoor sports.  Whether you look forward to hiking, fishing, bicycling, swimming, golfing, tennis or participating in similar activities, you will find plenty of opportunities to spend time outdoors in Southern California.  There is no reason to give up winter sports, either.  During the colder months, you are only about a two hour drive to the ski resorts around Big Bear.  You can literally be walking on the beach in the morning and snow skiing that afternoon.

New residents will also find a large number of other senior citizens who are living in the area.  According to some estimates, there are over 100,000 members of senior citizen's organizations in San Diego.  In addition, the city is surrounded by a number of suburbs that are very popular with retirees, including El Cajon, Alpine, Lakeside, Oceanside, Murrieta and Temecula.

There are also a wide variety of ways to stay busy in the San Diego area, including a large selection of churches, museums, amusement parks that you and your grandchildren will enjoy, a world-class zoo, senior centers, sports teams, colleges, and all the restaurants, shops, malls, theaters and other amenities you would expect to find in a large city.  In addition, there are miles of public beaches that are, in most cases, easy to access.

Another advantage for retirees is that there is no California state income tax on Social Security and there are no sales taxes on food and drugs.  Property taxes range from 1% to 1.75% of the full value of the property.


Disadvantages of a San Diego Retirement

While San Diego may seem like an idyllic place to retire, the biggest disadvantage is the cost, especially if you wish to live near the ocean.  Home prices are estimated to be at least 40% above the national average, which makes it hard for retirees who wish to re-locate there from other parts of the country, especially if they expect to live in a home similar to what they owned in the Midwest.

Many people solve this problem in several ways.  They may decide to rent an apartment or home near the beach; they could decide to downsize to a much smaller home than the type they have previously owned; or, they might move to one of the inland suburban communities.  If they choose to live inland, there are a number of small towns and lovely retirement communities that are quite appealing.  However, if you live inland you will have to expect greater extremes in the weather ... slightly colder winters and hotter summers.  Many retirees feel that the trade-off is worth it, especially since they will still be living within an hour's drive of downtown San Diego and miles of gorgeous beaches.


Popular Locations to Retire Near San Diego

There are dozens of appealing retirement communities in the San Diego area, including elegant single-family homes, oceanside condominiums, and inland planned communities.  Here are a few neighborhoods that are particularly popular.  You will find dozens more by checking out the links in the resource section of this article.

Ocean Hills Country Club
High Country Villas
Chateau Lake San Marcos
Costa Serena in Oceanside
The Springs of Escondido or El Cajon
Pacific Regent in La Jolla
Waterford Terrace in La Mesa
Oceana in Oceanside
Chateau at Harveston in Temecula
Four Seasons at Murrieta

There are also dozens of assisted living communities and several appealing mobile home parks.  In addition there are a number of combination communities that offer both independent living apartments as well as assisted living and skilled nursing, all in the same community.  These are often referred to as Continuing Care Retirement Communities.  These facilities are perfect for couples in which one person is healthy and the other needs assistance.  With so many choices, there is sure to be an appropriate place to live, regardless of your health or financial situation.

In most cases, you will want to meet with a San Diego County Realtor to discuss your price range, whether or not you wish to live in an age restricted over-55 community or one that is open to all age groups, and the amenities that are important to you.  There are numerous communities that may work for you, so you do not want to zero in on one too soon until you have explored all your options.

You can also get more information about the places mentioned above, as well as dozens of other locations, by checking out the websites below.

Finally, you may be interested in purchasing the helpful Amazon book, "Where to Retire," which will help you find general information about popular retirement destinations around the United States.

Sources (use the links below to find more information about the communities mentioned above, as well as dozens more):

http://www.retirensdc.com/
http://www.seniorhomes.com/c/ca/san-diego/retirement-communities/
http://www.55places.com/california/area/san-diego
http://www.holidaytouch.com/Our-Communities/the-chateau-at-harveston
http://www.55places.com/california/city/murrieta


Amazon book: "Where to Retire - America's Best and Most Affordable Places" 

If you wish to get more information on places to retire in the United States and Overseas, or you are interested in information on financial planning, health concerns or family relationships as you age, use the tabs at the top of this page.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

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Resources for Dealing with Dementia and Alzheimers

As I mentioned recently, I am adding an extra post each week that will be primarily designed to provide my readers with links to resources that they will find helpful.  This is in addition to my normal weekly post.

This week's resource post will deal with dementia and Alzheimer's.  There is a contributor named Merrci with the online magazine Squidoo, who specializes in writing about these topics and I have found her articles to be very helpful and informative.  Not only does she provide useful information, but she has also included ads for some helpful books that she believes will enlighten people even more.  I am the official "Retired and Loving It" contributor on Squidoo, and I have discovered that the articles that are written by both of us appeal to similar groups of readers.

Here's a link to Merrci's most recent article:

http://www.squidoo.com/will-alzheimers-or-dementia-affect-your-family

Since my mother is suffering from advanced dementia, I know how difficult the situation can be for many families.  I am fortunate that my mother and father are currently living with my sister.  I'm not sure how long this arrangement will last.  Eventually, however, it is possible that my mother will need to be moved to a memory care facility.

Whether you are a Baby Boomer who is worried about your own declining memory, or you have aging parents who have been diagnosed with dementia, the information Merrci provides about assisted living, getting financial assistance to pay for it, etc., will be very helpful as you decide on the best way to handle this emotional situation.

Here are links to three Amazon books that you may also find helpful in dealing with this dreadful disease in your family.  Just click on the titles below to be taken directly to their Amazon page.

"A Caregiver's Guide to Alzheimer's Disease: 300 Tips For Making Life Easier"
"Alzheimer's Disease: What If There Was a Cure"
"Talking to Alzheimer's: Simple Ways to Connect When You Visit with a Family Member or Friend"


If you are a Baby Boomer or retiree who is looking for additional retirement or heath information, use the tabs at the top of this page to find links to hundreds of useful articles.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

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Should You Get Knee Surgery?

Although knee problems can occur at any age, the older we get, the more likely we are to develop stiff, painful knees.  Sometimes this is a result of arthritis and sometimes the pain is a result of an injury.  In either case, we often wonder if the only way we will find relief is to get knee surgery, which is one of the more common medical procedures for people over the age of 60.  Recently, however, researchers have begun to question how effective this surgery actually is at providing lasting relief.

Fake Knee Surgery May Work as Well as The Real Thing

According to a report in the December, 2013 New England Journal of Medicine, researchers discovered that people who had fake arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus did as well as those who had the actual surgery.  In this study, which was conducted in Finland, researchers studied 146 patients between the ages of 35 and 65 who had degenerative wear and tear of the meniscus.  The meniscus is a piece of cartilage that serves as a shock absorber between the shinbone and the thighbone.  None of the patients in this study appeared to have arthritis, which indicated that their pain was due solely to an issue with their meniscus.

Half of the patients were given an actual arthroscopic meniscectomy in which a surgeon smoothed out the rough edges of the cartilage.  The other half had a fake surgery in which the doctors made an incision but did not do anything.

After a year, both groups were checked.  There was virtually no difference in the knee pain reported by the two groups!  Two-thirds of the people in both groups said they were happy with the surgery and they would do it again.

This research is significant because approximately 700,000 arthroscopic partial meniscectomies are performed in the United States every year.

How to Postpone Knee Surgery

Some orthopedic doctors are beginning to believe that many people who suffer from knee pain might do just as well if they simply underwent physical therapy to strengthen the muscles that support the knee in order to avoid or postpone surgery.  There is also some evidence that many people could be helped by a change in the type of exercise they do.  For example, experts recommend that patients switch from jogging to swimming or biking as a way to stay in shape, since these low-impact exercises put less stress on the joints.

Patients may also benefit from taking anti-inflammatory medication or getting injections of hyaluronic acid before resorting to surgery.

What to Expect from Knee Replacement Surgery

As a last resort, some patients may eventually need to have knee replacement surgery, but only after they have tried the other options, first.  When nothing else seems to help, knee replacement may be the only alternative left, especially when there is advanced osteoarthritis and the meniscus is completely worn away.

Knee replacement surgery is usually undertaken only when people have reached the point when they can no longer perform even the most common tasks, such as walking a short distance.  In these circumstances, most people experience great relief after the surgery, since they have typically been living with tremendous pain and discomfort.

If you are considering knee replacement surgery, expect to stay in the hospital for three to five days, followed by a stay in a rehabilitation facility for another seven to ten days, and then spending an additional six weeks of physical therapy before your muscle strength is restored.  After surgery and recuperation, you should be able to engage in most normal activities, with the exception of running and jumping.

While this was not mentioned in any of the literature I read on knee replacement surgery, some of the people I have known who had the surgery have also found it difficult to kneel or squat afterwards.  In addition, patients need to know that the replacement parts will not last forever.  They may need to be replaced in fifteen to twenty years.  This is another reason why you will want to wait as long as possible before getting the surgery.  If you have the surgery in your 50's or 60's, you may have to repeat it in your 70's or 80's.  As the materials that are used continue to improve, it is possible that, in the future, new joints may last longer.

The bottom line appears to be that you should avoid getting knee surgery as long as you can by changing your activities, doing strengthening exercises, taking anti-inflammatory medications and getting shots.  Only when these options no longer work for you, should you seriously consider knee replacement surgery.

As always, you will want to discuss your options with your doctor and you may even wish to get a second opinion before deciding on any knee surgery.

Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/26/health/knee-surgery-study/index.html

http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/guide/knee-replacement-surgery

If you are interested in reading about other medical concerns as we age, click on the medical issues tab at the top of this page to find links to articles on a variety of topics.  In addition, you may want to check out the other tabs to find articles about where to retire here and abroad, family relationships, financial planning and more.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  www.morguefile.com

Help with Your 2013 Income Tax Returns

It's the time of year, again, that most of us dread ... time to file your tax returns.  As the "Retired and Loving It" contributor for the Squidoo online magazine, my bonus blog post this week provides my readers with two links that may be useful in getting your 2013 taxes completed inexpensively and, possibly, for free.

The first link is from AARP - The American Association of Retired People.  This organization operates a foundation that provides FREE tax assistance to people with low to moderate incomes, especially those who are over the age of 60.  You do NOT have to be retired to benefit from this service.  They have 5000 different locations across the United States.  In order to find the one that is closest to you, you can use this link to the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Locator.

If you do not feel that you will qualify to use the AARP free tax service, you may still be able to save money by doing your taxes yourself.  In that case, you may want to read my article, "How to File Your Own Taxes and Save Money."

In this article, you will get an overview of the different types of software available, including a direct link to the tax software page on Amazon, as well as links to some of the specific tax software programs you can buy from Amazon.  The Squidoo article also includes a list of the documents that you may need to have on hand before you see a tax preparer or use the software you select.  This article will save you time and money by helping you get everything organized before you start.

I also wanted to mention that members of my family have used a variety of tax software products, including the software from both TurboTax and H&R Block.  In general, they thought the TurboTax software was easier to use.  On the other hand, H&R Block seems to have an excellent back-up system if you need to call them to get your questions answered.  Whichever company you choose to use, you can use the links in the Squidoo article to browse through the various choices and pick the one that sounds right for you.  There are choices available for your PC or Mac, including software you can either have delivered to your home or download immediately.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit for 2005 tax form:  en.wikipedia.org/commons