shAARP Talk: Observations from AARP

Have you heard about the new $40 million campaign in Washington, Health Care for America Now, that's pushing for health care reform and universal insurance coverage for the upcoming presidential election? On the AARP Bulletin, you can see the article, "Coalition pushes for health care reform", where it explains:

"Health Care for America Now's stated goal is 'quality, affordable health care for every American.' The coalition has set out to ensure that health care reform remains a top priority in the presidential and Congressional elections."

Sounds oddly familiar, huh? The Associated Press published an article comparing Divided We Fail and HCAN. Read the article, "Money, ads give health care top political billing," and let us know what you think.

TAGS: Health Care for America Now, Divided We Fail, AARP, health care reform, Associated Press, DWF, affordable health care, health care

The New York Times has a new blog, "The New Old Age: Caring and Coping" penned by the great Jane Gross. Here's the description:

Thanks to the marvels of medical science, our parents are living longer than ever before. Adults over age 80 are the fastest growing segment of the population, and most will spend years dependent on others for the most basic needs. That burden falls to their baby boomer children, 77 million strong, who are flummoxed by the technicalities of eldercare, turned upside down by the changed architecture of their families, struggling to balance work and caregiving, and depleting their own retirement savings in the process.

Between Gross' insight and the Times' readership, I don't doubt The New Old Age will foster some great discussion on this intergenerational struggle; make sure to check it out.

I saw this story today about a "modern day Bonnie and Clyde" who have stolen the identities of friends and neighbors in the Philadelphia area.

In a recent statement to the public, Steve Ely, Equifax's President of Personal Information Solutions (Equifax is one of the three major credit bureaus) said:

"Consumers should not wait until they have become a victim to take steps to protect themselves. A proactive approach is the best way for consumers to protect themselves and minimize damage to their credit and financial health."

He's right! and we all know how id theft seems to be running rampant - and these unscrupulous thieves are targeting...of course...the most vulnerable members of our communities. So, in the spirit of covering our bums, here are some resources and advice for protecting your nest eggs, identities and saving your good credit!

Some advice for limiting the risk of identity theft from Equifax, AARP and other credit savvy minds includes:

• Limit the number of credit cards you carry - better yet, carry only what you need in your wallet or purse.
• Protect your social security number like it's baby! Don't give it to strangers, don't give it out on the phone unless you know who you're talking to, and certainly don't carry your card with you unless it's absolutely necessary.
• When in doubt - shred it! Your local AARP office might hold shredding parties where you can bring all of your sensitive documents for safe disposal. Visit www.aarp.org. for more information.

Depending on your personal needs, you may want to consider freezing your credit report with the three major credit agencies (Equifax, TransUnion and Experion). If that sounds a bit extreme - or maybe you're house hunting or car shopping and you need regular access to your credit report - consider a credit monitoring services.

Equifax has a nifty identity theft protection product, Equifax ID Patrol. ID Patrol lets you: lock/ unlock your Equifax credit file, receive alerts if your Social Security/ credit card numbers are found on Internet trading sites, access a trained ID Theft Resolution Specialist 24/7, and receive credit monitoring and alerts within 24 hours to key changes in credit files. Learn more at www.equifax.com/idpatrol and get other great tips for protecting your identity here.

With the endless speeches, exhaustive punditry and partisan cat fights, it's easy to lose focus on what the candidates are saying about financial security and health care reform. Here's a brief snippet of some comments recently made by Senators McCain and Obama on two subjects near and dear to our hearts at Shaarpsession...

McCain: "We want a system of health care in which everyone can afford and acquire."

Obama: "I've put forward a series of proposals that will foster economic growth."

McCain: ...To keep families in their homes and businesses growing...

Obama: We can't wait to fix our health care system

McCain: We will replace...

Obama: We are going to invest...

McCain: We are approaching...

Obama: We have the chance to solve problems that we've been talking about year, after year, after year, after year...

The real question we have here at Shaarpsession is this: Is all this going to turn out to be same old empty campaign rhetoric, or do we finally have two candidates who will work to enact real change?

Call, write, email, text, tap into your latest Jedi mind tricks, but most of all, GET INVOLVED and let these folks know that the time for talk is over. What we need is action.

As someone who has to wake up at 5 AM for work, I understand good sleep is hard to come by. We are all guilty of postponing or missing sleep for various reasons, but the more research that comes out, the worse we find it is for the body to miss out on sleep. Well in an interesting twist, it may be dangerous to get too much sleep as well. Some studies seem to indicate that the risk for stroke in older women who get over 9 hours of sleep increases. These women had an even larger risk than those who caught less than 6 hours.

Via Brandweek, a new study (commissioned by TV Land) Generation Buy: A Close Look at the Boomer Consumer shows that boomers are outspending other generational cohorts by a wide, wide margin.

The study found that consumers between ages 40 and 59 spend more on themselves each month than millennials and Gen Xers. But the buck hardly stops there: Gen Buy thrives on multigenerational purchases, and spends more than twice as much as younger consumers on others. The study, fielded by OTX, included a sample of 4,000 adults ages 18-65 nationwide.

For instance, Gen Buy spent more than three times the amount of money per month on spouses ($514) than adults under 40 ($169), nearly twice as much on kids ($295 vs. $158) and three times as much on teen children ($494 vs. $136).

As we all struggle to deal with an economy that's trying to keep its head above water, another piece of bad news has come down the pipeline. Inflation has reached its highest rate in 17 years according to the Department of Labor. What that means for all of us is spending more on the common household items we use every day. That's another big hit on wallets that are already having to deal with job loss and a weak stock market. Some experts think that part of the problem is the media's portrayal of our economic woes. What do you think?

I can't tell you how thankful I am that so many are helping us demand affordable health care from political leaders. It means so much to see all of the encouragement in your posts, comments, and new friendships on the DWF community pages.

Your stories, feedback and commitment really keep us going which is why it is so exciting to celebrate a monumental achievement of reaching 650,000 signed pledges for Divided We Fail.

A number of politicians have supported the DWF initiative, but it is the commitment and support that comes from our friends on social networks that are putting the initiative into overdrive so that we reach our goal of 1,000,000 signed pledges.

So, once again, I'd just like to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who's participated in the campaign!

If you haven't had an opportunity to make your voice heard, I hope you take action now by signing the Divided We Fail pledge.

If you're looking for new ideas on how to get involved you may want to consider working with one of our state offices, joining us on Facebook or MySpace, posting a banner on your blog or site, commenting on any blog that is talking about health care and financial security, or simply starting conversations in your community about these important topics.

Keep up the great work and together, we can end partisan gridlock and realize real change.

TAGS: Divided We Fail, DWF, Facebook, MySpace, Divided We Fail pledge, blog, health care, financial security

So, we're still fired up about this idea of "de-aging" your resume.

Bulletin Today (the online version of AARP's The Bulletin) has a great article about job hunting strategies for the web. Advice ranges from the basic: don't pay for services when there are plenty of free sites out there that'll more than do the job for you. To the advanced: hunt for industry, age and location-specific sites that suits your needs.

Check it out and polish up that resume!

From the camera phone of one of our volunteers...the rally to override the President's veto is just beginning!

That's right folks, President Bush has vetoed the bipartisan Medicare bill that we've all been watching and working (and commenting on) so intently. Congress worked together to put together a bill that improved low-income, mental health and preventative health programs for people like you...your family...and your friends. The bill would help maintain the access of people in Medicare to their doctors - something every American should have!

With the state of health care already in abysmal condition and millions of Americans lacking health care - it's more important than ever that Congress overrides the presidents veto today. AARP volunteers, members and staff are up on Capitol Hill talking to our elected officials to make sure they do this. It's time for the 355 members of the House and the 69 members of the Senate to stand by their choices and finish this.

Sound off here - or give your elected official a call 1-800-795-5336.

Age should not be a determining factor in whether or not someone is fit to drive. We've already discussed the need to ensure that every driver is safe enough to be on the road, regardless of age. However, what can be done when it's time to give up the keys? Over half a million drivers over 70 stop driving each year, and this can be problematic. Older Americans who do not drive are likely to have less access to goods and services, make fewer trips to the doctor, and feel isolated from their community. A key tool in combating these issues is good public transportation, but we don't have nearly enough of it in this country. Rural and suburban neighborhoods have a significant shortage in alternatives for those who can't drive, and we need some solutions.

Oh, summertime! Ball games and hot dogs, sunshine and salty ocean air. But beware - there's a hidden danger lurking out there. It's not a shark (cue scary music)...it's swimsuit season! No matter your age, shopping for a new suit is a much dreaded annual event for most of us. But some people really know how to do it style, like AARP Bulletin reader Barbara Costa. Read her account of shopping for a suit at the young-at-heart age of 74. Barbara shows us how it's really done, Esther Williams-style!

AARP's own John Rother sat down with Dr. Val of Revolution Health to talk about all things health.

They talked about how technology is changing health care...health care reform...and how online communities can help people achieve health goals!

After reading through today's headlines, I will get this post out to you as quickly as possible. Why am I in such a rush? Well it turns out that older email users, particularly those over 70, don't want to waste time waiting for email responses. More than any group, these older emailers want prompt responses to emails they send out. This group also checks their email as much or more than other age groups. So while some demographics try to pare down their internet usage, older internet surfers are showing no sign of letting up. Sorry, to keep you all waiting!