ShAARP Session: Observations from AARP

As I discussed here earlier, I don't have a great track record when it comes to wishing living people happy birthdays. So today I'm going to try something a little different and go with celebrating the birth of Nikola Tesla who has safely been dead for over 60 years. He was born on July 10th, 1856.

Tesla was an absolute genius who eventually held over 700 patents. You might recognize one of his inventions, a little thing called electricity. He didn't invent electricity itself, but rather the idea of using alternating current which is what lets all of us use electricity without needing to live 2 miles from a power plant (take that Edison). Pretty nice contribution there.

He did have some ideas which were pretty far out there but they can't all be winners.

All of this and his name is barely recognized these days. Check out this clip for a little more info on Tesla:

It's healthy. It's easy to make. It's got it all! Could it be the perfect side dish?

This is awesome. AARP is featuring a social networking section on the site, giving folks some tips on how to dive into the social networking world, as well as some funny stories of web 2.0 overload like "Confessions of a Facebook Addict."

While a common misconception is that older adults aren't engaging social networking (or engaging online at all), that's actually far from the truth. In fact, the fastest-growing group of people joining Facebook is women over 55 years old. Take that, stereotypes!

Make sure to check it out.

I recently read this article on USAToday.com about how many older Americans fall each year because of their canes or walkers.

Safely getting around is incredibly important for everyone. Not just for health reasons, but also for connecting to others! Nearly 50,000 older Americans fall each year as a result of improperly measured/fitted canes and walkers, we have to stop and wonder what we can do to fix this problem. Simply stated - talk to your doctor or physical therapist. If you've just had knee surgery and your doctor says you need crutches, ask him/her to see that any equipment is customized for you and you're evaluated as using them properly. Or maybe your parent or loved one just got word that they need to use a walker now - do some research and go with them when they get fitted.

As always, communicating with and understanding instructions from our health care professionals is paramount to our long-term health and well-being.

So considering this is a contest relating to the flu, this post's title might seem a little ironic. It got your attention though, and that's the point. Here's another chance at free money! The Department of Health and Human Services is holding a contest for a PSA on the upcoming flu season. The winning submission will receive $2,500 in cash and the video will be on national television. Check out the rules here.

Here's HHS Secretary Sebelius on the contest:

For more information on the contest and the government's efforts to deal with the flu, check out their site devoted to the virus.

Some daring folks trying to change the urban landscape - watch it on AARP TV:

This afternoon, President Obama nominated Dr. Francis Collins to lead the National Institute of Health. You might know him from directing the ground-breaking Human Genome Project, or as a recipient of AARP's Andrus Award honoring positive social change.

Be sure to check out AARP Bulletin's fascinating interview with this "guitar-playing, motorcycle-riding geneticist"... and his interview on finding new cures on AARP TV's My Generation. We also sat down with Collins two years ago for Prime Time Radio, talking about the implications of genetic prediction of our future diseases.

So times are tough and money is tight. Maybe you've been holding off on making some purchases until the economy turns around and your portfolio is looking a little better. Well guess what kids? All that patience and frugality can finally start to pay off. If you've put off buying a new car, AARP may be able to help you out. Just take a picture of your old clunker, write a description of why you deserve a new car, and enter these into the Get Focused! Car Giveaway. You could win a brand new 2009 Ford Focus for your troubles.

If you're interested, get your act together because all submissions are due by July 13th (sorry for the short notice). Be sure to check out the official rules and good luck!

This past weekend had a lot of news regarding the how much Americans weigh these days. A new study said that we as a nation are continuing to get fatter as obesity levels increased in 23 states. Another study said that obesity rates are higher amongst adults who have lived with a romantic partner for at least two years than for those who were single or dating.

Still, there are still questions as to how directly being overweight can be tied to poor health. Though the connection may not be direct, there seems to be consensus in the health community that being overweight doesn't help your health in any way.

While we're on the subject of eating, the Nathan's hotdog eating contest took place last weekend. Joey "Jaws" Chestnut held onto the title for America, downing 68 dogs in 10 minutes for a new record. I wonder how eating like this affects your health:

While everyone is thrilled that it's finally summer, it's not as dandy as a lot of older folks will begin to fall ill from the heat. We can't forget that heat can cause serious health problems for older adults. We have some tips on how you can beat the heat:

1. Relax and put off chores and any strenuous activity.
2. Stay indoors during the hottest times of the day.
3. Close your shades to keep out the sunshine.
4. If you do not have air conditioning, stay on the lower-level in your home--heat rises.
5. Check with your local agency for cool places you can go such as libraries and public buildings, or a mall with air conditioning.
6. Wear light-weight, loose fitting clothing and protect yourself from the sun by wearing a hat, sunglasses or use an umbrella.
7. Drink plenty of water even if you are not thirsty. This helps keep your body cool.
8. Avoid alcohol or caffeinated beverages.
9. If you have a chronic medical condition, talk with your doctor about additional precautions you should take to prevent heat related illness. Some conditions and medications may place you at higher risk.
10. Neighbors, friends or family should check in on older people in their homes to make sure they are not suffering from the heat.

So get away from the blazing sun and into some healthy, heat-free summer fun!