I think the desire to travel and explore starts at an early age. I remember summer days getting my bike, a bag packed with a sandwich and soda, and exploring the neighborhood and woods around my house. In my Atlanta suburb, I discovered old underground railroad caves and hand-carved flint arrowheads.

 Travel is the No. 1 aspiration of the 50+.

My parents took my sister and me to Europe for the first time when we were 15. I loved every museum, church, monument and store.  My new favorite words were “saldi”or “vente” (sale in Italian and French)! I took my niece to Italy right after high school graduation a few years ago. She was dying to go to Italy because of the irresistible photos of the Venice gondolas and canals she had seen. Pizza making in Pisa and Venetian masks turned out to be her favorite experiences. We both liked eating al fresco to watch the local citizenry. My niece did have her limits on learning about the history and culture — one museum or church per day was enough — not to be confused with gelato, which she wanted constantly. This trip was arranged by a fabulous travel company. AARP has learned that their members want to share these experiences with family as well, and they are tailoring new offerings to focus on intergenerational travel.

My niece is now about to graduate from college and now travel for her is all about adventure. She wants to go white-water rafting in Australia and New Zealand with her friends. She told me going to London and Paris would be good too, but only if I could find more museums like the Ferragamo Shoe Museum at their flagship store in Florence. As for me, wandering is in my blood. I haven’t done a big trip since Italy. In 1986, I went to China on a tour. Lately I’ve been looking at tours to Cuba in 2014 as that country is still “new” for most people and seeing the country before it becomes a haven for tourists is my idea of exploring.

As our latest fact sheet on travel can attest below, I’m very much like my peers in enjoying traveling. What’s your next destination?

More on Becky: Becky is AARP’s Senior Vice President of Research & Strategic Analysis, and is focused on fostering understanding of the interests and concerns of people age 50-plus and their families. Before coming to AARP, Becky served as the Vice President of Global Market Research & Guest Satisfaction for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. In her spare time, she likes visiting her niece in Ohio, gardening and collecting American art and antiques.

Think you have the craftiest upcycling project? Share it with us in the comments section below the YouTube video for a chance to win a $50 gift card!

The reason why it is important to pay attention to our food intake is because as a community we have a propensity to acquire certain serious diseases such as diabetes and hypertension without even knowing it.

I recently read an article about how Hispanic mothers are having difficulty adapting to U.S. food culture. The article highlights that while trying to stay true to their Hispanic roots, most children’s eating habits are being heavily influenced in their schools, in the home of friends, and by what they see on TV, hear on the radio, or see on the internet. Why is this a matter of concern for Hispanic moms? Moms know that instilling good eating habits during childhood tends to follows them into adulthood.

While some people are quick to attribute most health issues to fast food places for the convenience and value offered at these restaurants, I wonder: Is this really what is causing the health risks?

Probably not. The reality is that several members within our households are sometimes working long hours to make ends meet. Trying to coordinate household schedules has become increasingly difficult, and planning a family dinner gets even more complicated as dinner time is not a set time nowadays. In between parent teacher conferences, our kid’s soccer games and after-school programs, and on top of all that, a full day’s work, we are at the point of exhaustion. Then, a fast food meal is usually a good way to go. Or so we want to think…

While the convenience factor plays a part, portion control is another important part of the equation. During Latino celebrations and festivities, home-style cooking almost always results in going for seconds. Culturally speaking, finishing off a hefty plate is considered a symbol of good health and appreciation for the cook. For Latinos, this mindset gives us permission to overindulge especially when it comes to authentic and traditional meals that are rich in carbs and fats.

Lucky for us, today we have access to many tools that can help us out in our battle with food. Celebrity chefs and mommy bloggers are sharing home-style cooking by offering up recipes with healthier ingredients, and cooking alternatives such as baked vs. fried.

At AARP, we are excited to be a part of the solution by offering recipes from our celebrity chefs for anyone who enjoys Latin cuisine. AARP en Español has launched a brand new YouTube channel, with our very own food expert, Denisse Oller. She will lead the lineup in her weekly series, Secretos de Cocina con Denisse, where she will be sharing all of her favorite cooking tips and recipes from her cocina latina available at www.aarp.org/denisse.

To get you started on cooking up healthier meal options in less than 30 minutes, I leave with you a couple of our delicious Latino recipes to savor:

Healthy Chicken Chimichangas

Instead of deep-frying, as it is traditional, these healthier chimichangas are brushed with some olive oil and baked.

INGREDIENTS:

1 can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
3/4 cup salsa, plus more for garnish
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 cup shredded light or reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions, plus more for garnish
6 flour tortillas (6 to 8 inches)
2 tbsp. olive oil
Reduced-fat or nonfat sour cream
Shredded lettuce

PREPARATION:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine broth and 1 can of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool in poaching liquid for 15 to 30 minutes. Shred chicken using two forks.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine chicken, salsa, cumin, oregano, cheese, and scallions. Divide the mixture into 6 portions. Place 1 portion filling in the center of a tortilla; fold left and right sides of tortilla over filling, then fold tops and bottoms over sides to form a square, securing with a toothpick if necessary. Repeat for remaining tortillas.

3. Place each chimichanga seam-side down on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with scallions, salsa, sour cream and lettuce.

Quick Shrimp and Tomato Stew

This shrimp and tomato stew is great for a quick mid-week meal. It’s ready in less than 30 minutes and tastes great over white rice with a slice of avocado or tostones. For the canned stewed tomatoes below, I like to use the kind that is flavored with onions, celery, and green peppers.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons sofrito
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 to 10 manzanilla olives (pimento stuffed)
• 1/4 pound smoked ham (diced)
• 1 packet sazón
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
• 1 pound raw shrimp (medium size, peeled and clean)
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. 1.   In a soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the sofrito, bay leaves, olives and ham. Sauté over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. 2.   Add the sazón, tomato sauce, and stewed tomatoes. Bring to a boil and them immediately reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
3. 3.   Add the shrimp and cook until it just turns pink – about 5 minutes.
4. 4.   Add the salt and pepper to taste and allow simmering for 1 more minute.
5. 5.   Serve hot.

Want to find more? AARP recommends that you check out 16 foods for a long and healthy life; and don’t forget to subscribe to our new YouTube channel!

Elliott Gould and Judith Roberts in “Fred Won’t Move Out.”

Over the past 40 years or so, we’ve gotten used to seeing Elliott Gould large and in charge. From the original Trapper John in M*A*S*H to Philip Marlowe in The Long Goodbye to mobster Reuben Tishkoff in the Ocean’s movies, Gould can be a pretty intimidating screen presence.
So it takes some getting used to, seeing him as the vulnerable title character in the family drama Fred Won’t Move Out, now on DVD and digital download. Although Fred was clearly once a domineering personality, as he’s grown older he has seen his world shrink considerably. His wife Susan (Judith Roberts) is drifting off into the haze of Alzheimer’s. He putters around their suburban house, trying to stay out of the way of Susan’s health care worker. And now his grown children are arranging for the couple to move into an assisted living facility in New York City.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“It’s important for people to see that we’re not alone, “ says Gould. “We all have something to share. I believe there’s nothing of value other than what we have to share. It’s one thing to share goodness and accomplishment; it’s another thing to share a problem.”
Sometimes, he added, it requires a certain amount of awareness to spot problems that are slowly unfolding—a challenge that specifically faces the grown children in Fred Won’t Move Out (Fred Melamed and Stephanie Roth Haberle).
“The second generation, the children, they’re the most difficult,” he said. “That generation is in some ways not so evolved as to stop worrying about themselves.
“Once we are willing to communicate directly, we can finally see that one of us has a problem.”

But my sisters and I are far from alone. Many of my work friends and colleagues are family caregivers too. Nearly two out of three (62%) workers aged 45 to 74-years-old currently have caregiving responsibilities for an aging or other adult relative. About one in five (20%) expect to take time off from their job in the next five years because of caregiving responsibilities.

Because I work for an organization that provides paid family leave benefits for working caregivers, and in a jurisdiction (the District of Columbia) that has a broad definition of family and requires employers to offer paid sick days as an employment benefit, I don’t have to worry about jeopardizing my job or losing a paycheck when I need to take time away from work to be there for my mom. Substantial numbers of working caregivers aren’t so lucky.

A recent AARP Public Policy Institute report shows that workplace leave policies have not kept up with the times. These policies are not available to all workers in all work settings. Middle and low-income workers, who struggle day-to-day to make ends meet and who need these workplace leave benefits the most, are the least likely to have them.

READ FULL REPORT HERE > Supporting Family Caregivers with Workplace Leave Policies

It’s been 20 years since the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was enacted; the first national law to help workers meet the dual demands of employment and family care. The FMLA gives eligible workers the right to job-protected, unpaid time off for a worker’s own health needs or to care for certain family members (child, spouse, or parent).

But what if you work for a small nonprofit or a business with fewer than 50 employees? Or, what if you are caring for a domestic partner, your brother, your grandmother, or your in-laws? If that’s the case, you are not covered under the FMLA, along with about 40% of the workforce. Even for employees who are covered by the FMLA, the law does not mandate paid leave for family or medical reasons.

Only 12 percent of U.S. workers have access to paid family leave benefits through their employers. How many of us can afford to take time off without pay? Lack of paid family leave — or any paid sick days — can especially strain the financial security and peace of mind of middle- and lower-income families.

Research shows that workplace leave policies are good for business and can improve productivity and reduce worker turnover. It’s time to update our “family-friendly” leave policies to better help today’s workplaces adapt to 21st-century workforce needs and support caregiving families. As our population ages, this is a problem worth solving for ourselves, our families and our employers.

Lynn Friss Feinberg, MSW, is a senior strategic policy adviser for the AARP Public Policy Institute.  She has conducted policy analysis and applied research on family caregiving and long-term services and supports issues for more than 30 years.

I had always assumed that by the time my brothers and I “grew up” we’d have it all figured out, including the major discussions of how best to help our parents as they age and change. But an online survey of 1,110 adults ages 40 and older, commissioned by the in-home senior care company Visiting Angels,  found that nearly three out of four (72 percent) didn’t have any sort of plan at all and that 54 percent hadn’t even broached the subject with their parents. Other surprising findings:

• Only 33 percent, consisting mostly of firstborn children, would rather have their fathers move in with them over their mothers if they had to choose. Respondents said dad is messier (70 percent) and that mom is more likely to contribute to the household (86 percent).

• More than two-thirds (70 percent) didn’t want either parent to move in with them, period, and 85 percent said that not even an increase in their inheritance would change their minds.

• Some 60 percent believe their parents would prefer to age in their own home, yet 20 percent would prefer that their parents move into an assisted living facility or nursing home.

How and when are we supposed to start these potentially sensitive family conversations?

“The conversation needs to start before a crisis,” says Larry Meigs, CEO of Visiting Angels. Otherwise, you may find that you and your siblings have very different assumptions about who should do what. And the last thing you want in dear old dad’s future is a family feud.

So while a dozen golf balls or the latest advancement in grill technology (Bluetooth lamp-radio, anyone?) may be a well-deserved token of Father’s Day love, nothing beats peace of mind.

Photo: Peter Werkman (www.peterwerkman.nl)/Flickr

Austin, Texas. Mid-1980s. I’m sitting at lunch with a casual friend, who is living with and taking care of her mom. Mom is slack-jawed, with a vacant stare, but she knows what she wants: her portion, and more, of the french fries she’s sharing with her daughter.

As mom reaches for one more fry, my friend’s hand flashes out, spearing her mom’s hand with a fork. Mom’s reaction is much quieter than it should be; my friend shoots me an embarrassed look that says, “I’ve reached my limit.” I sit back, quiet, unnerved, not quite sure what I’ve just seen. Now I know.

Which brings me to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, marked this year on June 15. I didn’t know there was such a day, did you? Beyond the platitude of “If you see something, say something,” let me honor my long-forgotten friend, and especially her mom, by sharing these seven ways you can fight elder abuse.

1. Learn what elder abuse is, even if you think you already know. Physical abuse and its obvious signs may draw attention. Sexual abuse is harder to detect, but sadly not rare. Emotional abuse may be the hardest to identify and combat. Is an elder you know becoming more withdrawn? Has a lifetime of criticism or disrespect suddenly escalated to new levels in the relationship of a long-time couple, or child and parent? Neglect and abandonment are also abuse. Find the warning signs of elder abuse at the HHS Administration on Aging.
2. Help elders in your life be smart with their money. Billions of dollars are stolen from older Americans each year, and as AARP personal finance expert Lynnette Khalfani-Cox has written, financial abuse is “more likely to come at the hands of family members and caregivers” than strangers. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, have just launched a new curriculum called “Money Smart for Older Adults,” which includes instructor and participant guides. The materials note the sad fact that seniors, because they are “trusting and polite,” may be especially vulnerable to swindlers.
3. Offer respite for friends and family who are caring for elders. Caregivers in institutional settings may become overwhelmed or exhausted, and so may family caregivers. This may be especially true when the behavior of elders is unpredictable or aggressive because of dementia or other conditions. If someone in your family is shouldering the burden of caregiving, then find ways to help. Set a schedule with friends, siblings, neighbors, and professional helpers to take the pressure off. If you’re a primary caregiver, here are some tips for managing stress.
4. Think not only outside the box, but outside the country. HelpAge USA, a group that sometimes partners with AARP on international initiatives like helping the victims of Haiti’s devastating earthquake in 2010, has launched a program to fight elder abuse in developing countries, where laws may not protect older people. Among their ideas are encouraging local volunteers to make home visits to vulnerable seniors, supporting local associations of older people and training communities to recognize the human rights of older people.
5. If you’d rather stick close to home, volunteer for a group that helps fight elder abuse in the US. AARP’s Create the Good makes it easy to volunteer, giving you a chance to enter your location and interests and see opportunities in your community. There’s a great roundup of organizations you can get involved with on the website of the National Committee to Fight Elder Abuse, including groups you may not have thought of. How about becoming an ombudsman at a senior care facility, or helping seniors organize their bills? Since 1988 a group called TRIAD, with chapters all over the country, has fostered cooperation between seniors and law enforcement, offering many opportunities to volunteer.
6. Make some noise. Elder abuse is under-reported and largely hidden from view. But we can change that. Learn about the places in your community that care for elders and find out what standards they need to meet. Are the results of inspections public? What about the posting of violations? During the next local election, ask candidates how much they know about elder abuse and what they plan to do about it. Vote for the candidate with a plan, or at least one with a clue.
7. Pick up the phone, or a pen. At AARP, we’re constantly reminding everyone that the 50+ crowd is completely onboard with modern communication, from texting to tweeting. But we also see the statistics that people 65-plus are lagging behind. If you’ve gotten out of the habit of calling and writing the older people in your life, recommit to staying in touch. Learn where your older neighbors are, too, and get a sense of how they’re doing, and how you can help. Don’t do it tomorrow; do it now.

Also of Interest

• Elder Abuse: A Hidden Epidemic Is Slowly Coming Out of the Shadows
• Is ‘The Internship’ An Equal Opportunity Offender?
• Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being

See the AARP home page for deals, savings tips, trivia and more

Just in time for the dog days of summer comes the latest scam to hit the Web: “Pet-flipping.”

Crooks are using Craigslist to sell — usually to unsuspecting new families — beloved household pets that are lost or have been stolen, sometimes from the families’ own backyards. In some cases, rightful owners see ads for their MIA mutts on that website, but scammers ignore their pleas (and rewards) for a safe return, instead seeking more profit in selling the dog to others.

There are even cases where fraudsters reply to “free-to-good-home” postings placed by owners who can no longer keep a pet. One Atlanta family spotted a “for sale” ad the day after relinquishing their dog to a pet-flipper who claimed the pooch would be a birthday present for her daughter.

What makes pet-flipping unusual? In the past, dognappers usually would steal pets and demand ransom (or claim a reward) from the rightful owners. But with this tweaked trickery, pets usually wind up who-knows-where, leaving owners with little chance of a reunion.

In addition to the obvious — keeping pets on a leash and never leaving them unattended in backyards or cars — pet owners can reduce flipping risk by having a tracking or identifying microchip implanted under the dog’s skin. (Pilfered pooches with microchips are considered by the legal system as stolen property, making a stronger case for criminal charges.)

So if your pet goes missing, check your local Craigslist posting. Scammers usually communicate solely by email — which is hard to track — but in the flipping ruse, some include a phone number for an easier sale. Police may be able to use those numbers to track down the crooks.

Regardless, it’s wise to notify police if your pet goes missing. This way, if someone subsequently says your pet has been found and requests a reward — or you spot a “for sale” ad — you’ll be on stronger ground if you decide to take legal action.

Photo: epsos.de/flickr

It just so happens that saggy pants is a passion for one Virginia dad. Gil Knowles, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and father of one (Miami TV news reporter Summer Knowles), considers the fad an opportunity to mentor instead of criticize young men who choose to show their behinds.

His book: Help Them Pull Their Pants Up: How Mentors and Communities Can Empower Young African American Men.

See also: Filmmaker Helps Nurture, Care for Orphaned Children (video)

Although he didn’t have a close relationship with his own dad, Knowles says, he’s driven to forge ties with young men who aren’t kin to him. For more than 35 years he has mentored hundreds of young people of various races and ethnicities while working at St. Augustine College in Raleigh, N.C., informally in his church and community, and as CEO of a mentoring consulting business, Knowles What to Do.

His message: “We have to not tell them to pull their pants up but teach them,” says Knowles, 58, of Haymarket, Va. “They’re doing what they know.”

The Miami native with a booming voice and commanding presence says many of the tattooed wearers of low-riding pants are really good kids who are also fragile. So he takes the time to talk to them, get to personally know and encourage them, and build their self-esteem.

His motto: “Respect to connect then correct.”

And he’s seen how taking that time can make a difference. Many of his mentees are now responsible fathers and entrepreneurs.

“Although mentors are not biological fathers, they serve as fill-in dads for those that do not have their real fathers in their lives,” Knowles says.

Knowles has an ally in “General” Larry Platt, who appeared during the ninth season of “American Idol.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Photo of saggy pants by Malingering via Flickr

Also of Interest

• Have You Had “The Talk”? New York Times Tackles a Thorny Issue
• Are Your Parents At Risk for Financial Fraud?
• Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being

See the AARP home page for deals, savings tips, trivia and more

So to help them detect and avoid all sorts of financial abuse, from identity theft to reverse mortgage fraud, a new online curriculum and guide was launched by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It’s the latest effort by regulators to curb elder financial fraud, which costs Americans as much as $2.9 billion a year.

Money Smart for Older Adults includes an instructor guide, a participant guide and Power Point slides. It can be used by adult children to teach older adults about red flags and other warnings to spot and report abuse, though officials say caregivers, bank employees, financial planners, adult protective service personnel and law enforcement officials would be the primary instructors.

“With 50 million older people in this country, and 10,000 more reaching retirement age every day, we cannot afford to tolerate financial predators or practices that victimize our elder citizens,” CFPB Director Richard Cordray said. “It is essential that we come together as a nation to protect our seniors and the money they have scraped together over a lifetime of hard work.”

Read: Can you spot investment fraud?

Older adults’ reliance on family members, caregivers and others in a position of trust may make them vulnerable to abuse, Cordray said at a news conference. Many crimes go unreported because victims are often too embarrassed or dependent on the perpetrator to report the exploitation or pursue legal action.

According to a MetLife study, women were twice as likely as men to be victims of elder financial abuse. Most were between the ages of 80 and 89, lived alone and needed help with either health care or home maintenance.

Among the topics covered in the new curriculum and guide were:

• Investment fraud, including deceptive “free lunch” seminars in which aggressive salespeople pressure adults into buying  unsuitable investment products.
• Power of Attorney abuse, which can happen when a caregiver or other trusted adult offers to help pay bills, then makes unauthorized withdrawals from accounts.
• Financial designations abuse, which is when so-called financial experts use bogus or misleading designations to dupe people into buying investments that may be inappropriate.
• Telemarketing scams, including situations in which callers use fear or pressure tactics to get adults to send money or to divulge bank account information.
• Reverse mortgage schemes, such as when brokers pressure the borrower to purchase annuities, long-term care insurance or high-risk investments with the proceeds from the reverse mortgage in order to generate commissions.

Earlier this year, the CFPB urged state law enforcement officials to issue strict guidelines and step up enforcement to prevent financial abuse of older adults by financial professionals.

Photo: Images Of Money/flickr

Also of Interest

• Seniors Get Hung Up in Health Care Scams
• Don’t Get Strong-Armed in a Moving Scam
• Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being

See the AARP home page for deals, savings tips, trivia and more