Gifts for Baby Boomer Mothers

Are you trying to decide what gift to give your Baby Boomer mother for her birthday, Mother's Day or some other special occasion?  I often hear younger adults complain that they can't decide what to give their mother ... saying things like: she has everything she needs, she can go shopping anytime she wants, I never know what to pick out for her, and so on.  If you are one of those people, here are some suggestions:

Photographs

Moms love to see photos of their children and grandchildren.  You could always give a framed photo, of course.  However, you can also choose to be more creative.  Pull up a couple of dozen photos on your computer and use Snapfish or Shutterfly to create a photo album.  They'll even mail it directly to your mom for you.  You can also select from the the hundreds of items that can be imprinted with the photo of your choice ... coffee mugs, aprons, t-shirts, computer mouse pads, fleece blankets and more.  You'll bring a smile to your mom's face every time she sees your gift.

Birthstone Jewelry

Your mom may not need another piece of jewelry, but if you pick out a ring or necklace that has the birthstones for all her children or grandchildren, you will absolutely delight her.  Many jewelers, as well as online sites like Zales.com and Amazon.com, sell customized birthstone jewelry.  You just need to tell them the birth months of the children or grandchildren, and they can deliver a piece of jewelry that contains all those different birthstones.  She'll love it because, whenever she gets a compliment, she will have an excuse to talk about each of her kids or grandkids!

Things She Will Use Up

If your mother truly has everything she needs, consider getting her something that she loves and regularly consumes.  You could pick out a box of her favorite candy, perfume, face cream, lotion or another item that she may run out of from time to time.  If you are choosing perfumes and cosmetics, however, just make sure you are picking out items that she actually does like and need.

Gift Certificates

Another popular choice that most mothers will love is gift certificates from Amazon, Macy's, Starbucks or their favorite store.   They come in all denominations, so you can get a card regardless of your budget.

The Gift of Time

Perhaps no gift is more valuable to a mom or grandmother than the gift of your time.  Invite her to lunch, or take her to a restaurant.  Go to a movie, museum, theater, ball game or concert together.  Whatever the two of you do, she will especially appreciate the gift of your time.  It doesn't matter whether the activity costs you very little.  The two of you can go on a relaxing walk at a nearby nature preserve.  Whatever you do, it is your time that she will remember the most. 

When I talk with my Baby Boomer friends, their favorite stories are the times they got to spend alone with one of their adult children.  Those days are so precious and rare, they are more valuable to moms than the most valuable gemstone.

If you are looking for more information of use to Baby Boomers and their families, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional articles.

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Alcoholism after Retirement

Recently, I wrote a post about the increasing number of senior citizens who have begun spending time in gambling casinos in recent years.  While gambling addiction is a serious problem, alcohol addiction after retirement may be even more serious.

I was in a grocery store a few months ago, standing in line behind an elderly man who lifted a case of beer, several bottles of wine, a fifth of bourbon and a fifth of gin onto the counter.  The grocery checker cheerfully commented, "It looks like you're having a party."  The man became indignant and replied, "This will last me all week!"  The checker and I just looked at each other.  It was a tremendous amount of alcohol for anyone to drink in a week!

Help for Alcoholic Baby Boomers is Available!

According to the website, SeniorsInSobriety.org, the disease of alcoholism affects as many as 10% of all people over the age of 60.  They refer to alcohol abuse in the elderly as an "invisible or hidden epidemic."  Frequently, alcoholism is mistaken for other health problems, such as dementia.  It can contribute to depression, anxiety, heart disease, liver disease and cancer.  According to the SeniorsInSobriety.org website, 70% of hospitalized seniors have a problem with alcohol.  Shockingly, many doctors and hospital administrators do not even ask their patients about this. 

What is even more serious is the fact that many seniors themselves are unaware of how dangerous it can be, as they age, to continue to drink the way they did in their younger years, especially if they are combining their drinking with over-the-counter and prescription medications.  Alcohol reacts badly with at least 150 different medications.

As a resident of an over-55 retirement community, I see the effects of alcohol abuse at nearly every community party we attend.  At times I have felt as if I am attending college parties, rather than events for senior citizens.  I have seen my peers become drunk, loud, and aggressive; I have seen them stumble and fall into tables; I have seen them drop their bottles of bourbon in the parking garage.  One reason why some seniors are reluctant to move into assisted living facilities, even when they desperately need to, is because they are afraid it will be more difficult for them to obtain alcohol.

If you have an elderly relative who may be abusing alcohol, help is available.  They may need to go to a treatment center, or begin attending meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous.  The physicians who prescribe their medication should be informed of their problem with alcohol.  Don't turn a blind eye to this problem; alcohol abuse may already be shortening their life.

I already know of one neighbor who is dying from liver cancer ... yet she continues to drink champagne every evening, while undergoing chemotherapy twice a month.  It is so sad to see the consequences of her drinking problem.

You and your loved ones do not need to be the next victim of this debilitating disease.

If you are interesting in reading more about medical, financial or other issues that could affect you after retirement, use the tabs at the top of this page.  They will link you to hundreds of additional articles.

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Photo courtesy of morguefile.com

Sexism After Retirement

Many women who are retired, or soon to retire, are independent women who have spent years in the work force.  They have lead busy lives, and have earned their retirement.  Often they felt that they had been held back during their working years because of blatant sexism in the workforce.  In fact, in 2008, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that women continue to earn approximately 17% less than men in similar occupations.  Because their career is often interrupted during child rearing years, women tend to earn about 30% less than men over their lifetime.

The Retirement Effects of Lower Income for Women

The repercussions of earning less during their lifetime has a dramatic effect on the amount of retirement income they receive.  Because women earned less while they were working, they also receive lower Social Security benefits.  According to the Social Security Administration, in 2008 17% of single women over the age of 65 had an income that was below the poverty threshold of $10,326.  About 28% earned less than $12,907.

Other Types of Sexism After Retirement

A lower standard of living is not the only way that women are experiencing sexism after retirement.  After years of dealing with sexism in the workplace, many women are shocked to realize that they are still subject to social sexism after retirement.  A friend of mine, who lives here in our retirement community of Laguna Woods Village, told me about a recent incident of sexism she noticed in a club she and her husband had joined. When the club secretary resigned, the men in the club suggested that the women take turns being club secretary.  My friend said she was willing to take a turn, and do her fair share, but only if the men did, too.  She saw no reason why only the women should take over the many responsibilities of a club secretary.

Retirement was the one stage of our lives when most women did not expect to experience blatant sexism.  After all, since women tend to live longer than men, there are usually more women than men living in retirement communities.  Gradually, let's all hope the tide turns and retiring Baby Boomers will continue to promote more equitable financial and social status during the retirement years.

In researching this blog post, I was delighted to see this quote:  "You don't have to be anti-man to be pro-woman" -- Jane Galvin Lewis.  That is so true!  We all need to work together to promote a better society for everyone.

If you are interested in learning more about issues affecting your retirement, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of this article to find links to hundreds of additional articles on where to retire, financial planning, medical issues and changing family relationships.

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

Photo courtesy of www.morguefile.com.

National Take Back Medicine Day

Many Americans have unused and unneeded medications in their medicine cabinets.  These medications can be dangerous to visiting family members who take them.  For example, young children visiting grandmother may think the pills are "candy," and pop a few into their mouths; or teenage relatives may decide to steal a bottle of painkillers left over from a recent surgery and either take the pills themselves or sell them to their friends.

How NOT to Dispose of Unused Medicine

It is important that unused medications be disposed of carefully.  Some people think they are doing the right thing when they pour their unneeded medications down the drain or flush them down the toilet.  However, this method of disposal can damage our water supply.  Imagine millions of people dumping a few pills down the toilet every month.  Most methods of water filtration and purification are not designed to remove these chemicals from the water.  The impact on the environment would be enormous.  In fact, it is not usual for independent labs to find measurable amounts of birth control hormones and other medications in the water we drink.  This cannot be healthy for anyone, but particularly not for our children.

National Prescription Take-Back Day

For the past few years, the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled an annual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day to assist people in safely disposing of their unwanted and unused prescription drugs.  During the event in 2011, Americans turned in more than 377,086 pounds (or 188.5 tons) of unneeded medications.

The events are held at different times of year from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  There are 5,327 take-back sites located in all 50 states and the US territories.  To find a site near you, go to:

National Take Back Initiative Collection Site Search

The website will tell you the next available date.  You just need to enter your zip code or your county, city and state to find a take-back center near you.

When I entered my zip code, I discovered that I could turn my unused drugs into the police department offices and sheriff's department offices in my community.  A call to the non-emergency number for your local police department or sheriff's department would probably help you confirm the drug take-back location closest to you.

Other Ways to Dispose of Medications

If you have unwanted medications and you are unable to get them to a take-back center,  here are other things you could do.

* Break the pills up, mix them with dirt or garbage, leave them in the bottle and put them in the trash so that they go to a landfill.

* Call your local police department or city hall and ask if they have a place where you can properly dispose of medications.

*  Call your pharmacy or local hospital to see if you could drop off your unused drugs at one of their facilities.

Do not simply show up with your drugs someplace and assume that they will take them off your hands.  Not all communities have the proper facilities to dispose of medications.  If your community does not, you may want to contact your local city office and see if you can work with them to set up a place where people can properly dispose of their drugs.

Don't put your family and loved ones at risk by allowing dangerous medications to fall into the wrong hands.  Don't flush your pills down the toilet or wash them down the drain, where they could pollute our water supply.  Take back any medications you don't need, and allow the government to dispose of them properly.

If you are interested in additional information of use to Baby Boomers, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional articles on where to retire, medical issues, financial planning, family relationships and more.

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

Photo courtesy of photoxpress.com