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Top 10 Retirement Scams

Date: December 24, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Top 10 Retirement Scams

As much as you like to imagine everyone is good, there are people in the world that steal. They do this through scams. Scams can hurt anyone at any age. They can rob people of all their savings. Keep an eye for these 10 retirement scams.

Top 10 Retirement Scams

Top 10 Retirement Scams

 

According to the Federal Trade Commission data, there were 1.1 million frauds reported. 21% of the victims suffered a financial loss. It totaled $905 million, that’s an average $429 a person.

People who are close to retiring tend to lose more money than any other age group.

1. Medicare Card Scams

Right now the federal government is working on replacing all Medicare cards with new ones. This is because the old ones have Social Security numbers on them.

This makes it easy for identity theft to happen.

Everyone should have a new card by April 2019

The problem with this is that phone scammers are using this as an opportunity to defraud Medicare recipients. The FTC is getting reports that various scam tactics like callers claiming to be Medicare representatives are asking to verify personal information to people and offering to send you a new card for a fee. The real cards are paper and have no fee.

One other type is someone calls and says that your old card has a balance that needs to be put on the new one. Of course, you have to give your account and routing numbers.

2. Social Security Suspension Scams

A scam the FTC is seeing a lot are phone calls from someone claiming to be with the Social Security Administration. They tell you your Social Security number has been suspended. They can claim it’s due to possible criminal activity.

They will sound very convincing.

They will claim that all you have to do get to your SS number back is give the caller your personal info, including the details of the bank account where your benefits are being deposited.

The real SS Administration is not going to call you and say your benefits are suspended. Instead open an online account with Social Security.

3. Gift Card Scams

The National Consumers League’s site, Fraud.org, has reported a spike in fraud involving gift cards. Thieves are stealing the numbers, including the scratch off codes while they’re still hanging on the sales rack in stores.

Once the card is purchased and activated at the register, they drain it of its value by making purchases. There’s software that will help them see the balance and be alerted when the card is activated.

Only buy cards that are in secure packaging. Or buy electronic gifts cards that get delivered by email.

4. Sweepstakes Fake Check

We all dream of opening our door and there being a big check with our name on it. But, the reality is a bit rough.

See, scammers are using winning sweepstakes as a way to take your money. If you follow their instructions, it will cost you a lot of money.

Americans have reported losing $95 million to sweepstake scams.

You can get a congratulations letter in the mail with a small amount of money in it. This is supposed to be part of the check. You are supposed to deposit it and wire back some of the money to cover fees, taxes, or other expenses. Once that’s done, you’ll get the rest of your money.

What will really happen is that the check will bounce, you’ll be paying the bank fees, and any part of the deposit you already spent and any money you sent to the scammers.

Checks take a while to clear and by then the scammers are long gone.

5. Utility Bill Scams

Scammers are calling people threatening to cut off electricity, gas, or water services if bills aren’t paid immediately. They demand payment over the phone by credit card, or request unusual payment methods like gift cards, reloadable cash cards, or even cryptocurrencies.

Utility companies never work this way. Scammers are also sending mail and emails too. Make sure to keep your bills in order.

6. Fake Family Emergencies

This is also known as the grandparent scam. This is because scammers usually target the elderly late at night to cause more confusion.

Grandparents will get a phone call from someone posing as a friend of their grandchild, a police officer, or a lawyer. They will say that the grandkid needs help fast. The grandparents will also be urged not to tell the parents or anyone else.

They want money wired to them to cover hospital bills, bail, or a plane ticket home. Whatever works for the story.

A scary variation of this is a caller saying they are a kidnapper and demand ransom for the safe return of their grandchild.

How do these scammers know all these personal things about you? Social media. They can learn details about you and your family to sound more convincing.

7. Romance Scams

People get lonely. This makes them easy targets on dating sites. Scammers are pretending to love them. This scam particularly targets older people.

A common thread of romance scams is that the scammer will refuse to meet you. They can claim to be overseas on business or stationed abroad in the military.

The first request for money could be for a plane ticket to visit. Once the wire goes through though, they will make excuses not to visit. Then because they have your trust, they will make up family emergencies, accidents, or business setbacks.

8. Credit Card Skimming

Make sure to keep a close eye on any devices you are about to put your debit or credit card into. Gas pumps for example are a common target for scanners.

They will put “skimming” devices on top of the real units to steal your account information when you put in your card.

You can pay in cash or pay with a card inside to completely avoid this.

9. Phony Vacation Rentals

Many people who are retired travel, as they should, but this leaves you open to scammers. The median loss for travel related fraud, including false packages, was around $1700 in 2017.

Vacation rentals are a favorite among scammers. They will even go as far as using attractive photos and descriptions of places taken from real sites.

Sites like Airbnb.com and VRBO.com are always vigilant against scammers. These are good sites to use for travel.

10. Government Imposter Scams

This type is the biggest scam tracked by the FTC. It causes more than $328 million in losses. These usually are when a person pretends to be government official. But, there is also pretending to be friends, family, love interests, business representatives, and tech support workers.

Be on guard if anyone comes to you and asks for info or money.

Read more here.

5 Misdiagnosed Conditions in Adults

Date: December 24, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
How Ageism Hurts Seniors' Health

Weird things happen to your body as you age. Things start to not work as well as they should be. It can be hard to tell what’s happening in your body. Conditions start to blend together. Here are 5 common misdiagnosed conditions in adults.

5 Misdiagnosed Conditions in Adults

5 Misdiagnosed Conditions in Adults

 

Some of these conditions may sound familiar, but they can present themselves differently depending on your age. Also, they can get confused for each other because their symptoms can be very similar. These are often misdiagnosed or overlooked in people 50 and older.

1. Urinary Tract Infection

Symptoms of this condition share many symptoms of Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. These include confusion, agitation, and withdrawal. UTIs can make symptoms like confusion and irritability worse in people who already have dementia.

Women are more likely to get this, though it is possible for men to develop this.

2. Delirium

Delirium is commonly mistaken for dementia, though delirium is caused by some sickness or condition. Certain drugs, like benzodiazepines and older antidepressants, can increase confusion and reduce cognition. Hormonal disorders, nutritional deficiencies, anemia, infections, alcoholism, and atherosclerosis are just a handful of conditions that can cause delirium.

3. Essential Tremor

There are different reasons for shakiness besides Parkinson’s disease. High potassium levels and certain medications can cause it. Essential tremor is another common cause of shaking in older people. They affect both sides of the body and the same body parts at the same time.

This also tends to be a genetic condition.

It’s not a dangerous condition, but it will get worse as time goes by.

4. Dehydration

Dehydration may be easy to treat, but it can be dangerous when left untreated. This is very common among older people because the brain doesn’t send signals to your body. This means you don’t notice that you’re thirsty as often.

Other than thirst, other signs include dry skin and long periods of time without urinating. It can aggravate other conditions like blood pressure, rapid breathing, and sunken eyes. It can also cause confusion and irritability.

5. Fibromyalgia

Statistics show that nearly 50% of people 65 and older have been diagnosed with some form of arthritis. Many symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are similar to fibromyalgia and lupus. They cause pain, stiffness, and aching in the same way.

People with fibromyalgia don’t usually have swelling like with rheumatoid arthritis, nor do they affect the same joints.

Read more here.

AI Changing Senior Care

Date: December 16, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
How Ageism Hurts Seniors' Health

As mentioned time and time again, the elderly population is growing at an alarming rate. People have been trying to find ways to help bridge the gap between people who need care and people who can do the care. AI changing senior care is the next step in the senior care revolution.

AI Changing Senior Care

Healthcare Concerns for Seniors

 

By having a rapidly aging population, there are already social, economic, and health concerns. People have to change the way they think about providing care.

In particular, healthcare is a key concern. Many chronic diseases like osteoporosis, obesity, diabetes, dementia, and more need constant care.

What are medical professionals supposed to do? The US will face a shortage of between 40,800 and 104,900 physicians by 2030.

AI Changing Senior Care

 

Healthcare providers are hoping to give AI certain tasks when it comes to care. AI can be found in many steps of the care pathway, like intelligent tracking of biometric information to early diagnosis.

AI is more efficient than human doctors.

At Home Health Monitoring

There is a huge need for someone to be around to help with elderly people. Biotricity, a medical diagnostic and consumer healthcare technology company, is dedicated to delivering biometric remote monitoring solutions.

CarePredict is using AI to continuously detect changes in activity and behavior patterns to catch any health issues.

Smart Devices Help with Everyday Tasks

Apple and Fitbit have made smart wearable biometric trackers for everyone, including seniors. Seniors can use the built in AI to check inconsistencies in their biometric data.

These inconsistencies can detect a significant fall and sound an alarm.

AiCare claims to use machine learning analytics and wearable sensors to personalize care for each senior.

Smart Device Deducts Falls

A fall can cause a snowball effect of medical conditions. Xsens, Kardian, and Qventus have built AI powered fall detectors.

Virtual Companions

Loneliness is a real problem among seniors. They also need help with small tasks everyday. This has given rise to robotic caregivers. There are robots like Catalia Health’s Mabu, Intuition Robotics’ ElliQ, CT Asia Robotics’ Dinsow, and more are virtual home assistants for seniors.

They each have their own individual skills and perks.

Anti Aging Research

This may be the biggest impact of AI, helping further research. It helps anti-aging researchers develop methods to delay the process. It can explore different paths to prevent age related diseases.

Read more here.

10 Cheapest Places in America to Retire

Date: December 16, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Everything You Need to Know About Reverse Mortgages

Retirement is a big deal. It can be overwhelming to think about. You want to be in a place that you love, maybe near family, and be able to live comfortably. Here are the 10 cheapest places in America to retire.

10 Cheapest Places in America to Retire

10 Cheapest Places in America to Retire

 

GO BankingRates studied 3 different indexes from Numbeo. It’s a data driven website that follows the cost of living.

Just because these places are cheap, doesn’t mean they aren’t lovely to live in.

1. Kanas City, Mo.

This city is right smack in the middle of the country. This can be good if you have family in the Mid-West.

It also has great transportation and it won’t take too much of your money.

  • Annual expenditures: $40,984
  • Annual amount spent on rent: $7,366
  • Annual amount spent on groceries: $3,045

2. Rochester, N.Y.

Even though this state is known for being expensive to live in, Social Security and public pensions aren’t taxed. Income from private pensions and retirement accounts is deductible up to $20,000.

It’s also just a beautiful place to live. It has the 4 seasons and is usually not too hot or cold.

  • Annual expenditures: $40,586
  • Annual amount spend on rent: $7,421
  • Annual amount spent on groceries: $3,067

3. Salt Lake City

This city is 4,300 feet above sea level. It even has ski parks at 7 to 8 thousand feet. This is a great city that family will want to come visit.

  • Annual expenditures: $40,529
  • Annual amount spent on rent: $7,619
  • Annual amount spent on groceries: $3,066

4. Omaha, NE

Omaha has a low cost of living and small grocery costs because it taxed pretty heavily on older people. There is even an inheritance tax.

Still, it’s a wonderful place to live.

  • Annual expenditures: $40,008
  • Annual amount spent on rent: $7,461
  • Annual amount spent on groceries: 3,046

5. Albuquerque, N.M.

This place has an average of 68.8 degrees Fahrenheit and has sunshine 310 days of the year. This is a snow hater’s dream.

The city also has a lot of fun outdoor activities as well.

  • Annual expenditures: $39,641
  • Annual amount spent on rent: $6,929
  • Annual amount spent on groceries: $2,909

6. Mobile, Ala.

If you like rain, you will like this city. It’s the rainest place in the country. It also has Southern hospitality and Mardi Gras celebrations.

  • Annual expenditures: $39,566
  • Annual amount spent on rent: $6,816
  • Annual amount spent on groceries: $3,031

7. Tucson, AZ

This is a great place to settle down if you are looking a simple life. It’s an hour away from Mexico and is surrounded by wilderness.

Social Security is not taxed in this state.

  • Annual expenditures: $39,402
  • Annual amount spent on rent: $6,755
  • Annual amount spent on groceries: $3,052

8. Oklahoma City, OK

This is a city that’s easy on the wallet and easy to stay active. The state exempts Social Security from taxation and offers deductions on other types of retirement income.

  • Annual expenditures: $39,248
  • Annual amount spent on rent: $7,282
  • Annual amount spent on groceries: $3,109

9. San Antonio, TX

There is no state tax on Social Security in this state. The warm weather and low cost of living make this a popular place for retirees.

Plus, there is so much to do here.

  • Annual expenditures: $38,210
  • Annual amount spent on rent: $7,729
  • Annual amount spent on groceries: $2,873

10. Athens, GA

Georgia is a great place for seniors because there is no Social Security, inheritance, or estate tax. Property taxes and sales are low as well.

  • Annual expenditures: $36,999
  • Annual amount spent on rent: $6,781
  • Annual amount spent on groceries: $2,633

Read more here.

Everything You Need to Know About Hospice Care

Date: December 16, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Everything You Need to Know About Hospice Care

What do you know about hospice care? Do you think that it’s only for the end of someone’s life? That if your loved one needs it, it means they will pass soon? Is it a death sentence?

https://www.nextavenue.org/right-time-hospice-care/?fbclid=IwAR1lV7apmO18KjyoeN2OmQZ9MNRFoUCDXRksw_UjNOvq23PkWSYRT8ZLSNE

Everything You Need to Know About Hospice Care

 

It’s not a death sentence. In fact, according to the CDC, hospice care has more than 1.3 million patients and 4,000 agencies. Though what hospice can offer is often discovered too late.

What Hospice Actually Is

 

Hospice is for those who are terminally ill or have a life expectancy of 6 months or less. While that sounds short and only for the end of life, people can live for a couple days or several years.

It’s a different style of care. Medicare defines hospice care as a “specially trained team of professionals and caregivers providing care for the ‘whole person,’ including physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs.”

Probably not what you were expecting huh?

Hospice is all about making a person as comfortable as possible and not directly treating an illness. It’s good for when all other options have been used, and you know that the end is coming but is not necessarily here.

It’s particularly good for those who wouldn’t be able to handle anymore treatments like chemotherapy. This is because you don’t have to stop treatments when you go on hospice, they just won’t do any extreme measures.

People Choosing This Line of Care Too Late

 

The biggest problem with hospice is that most people choose it too late. Relieving pain, the center of palliative care, should be considered earlier rather than later. You don’t need to be terminally ill to use it.

Read more here.

9 Signs of Caregiver Stress

Date: December 10, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
9 Signs of Caregiver Stress

Being a caregiver is hard. It’s emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausting. There are a lot of ways stress can sneak up on you. If you or someone you know is a caregiver, look for these 9 signs of caregiver stress.

9 Signs of Caregiver Stress

9 Signs of Caregiver Stress

 

It can be particularly hard if you are caring for someone who has cognitive impairments. You’ll find yourself repeating yourself often, getting frustrated, and wanting to snap. It’s hard to remind yourself that they aren’t doing this on purpose.

No matter what type of caregiving you do, it’s good to be aware of these signs.

1. Exhaustion

If you are always feeling tired, even after sleeping, then you have a problem. Another part of exhaustion is not being able to do basic daily tasks. If you find that getting up in the morning, making a meal, or showering takes too much energy, you could be suffering from exhaustion.

2. Change in Sleeping and Eating Patterns

Sleeping and eating are key functions that your body needs to survive. Stress can cause a change in your eating and sleeping patterns. If you notice that you are either sleeping or eating too much or not enough, that’s an obvious sign of stress.

3. Anger or Irritation

When you’re stressed out, your fuse gets shorter. If you notice you’re snapping more lately or even fully losing your temper, it could be due stress. Especially if it’s at your loved ones. This is because you are so run down and stretched thin that every little things seems to be an annoyance.

4. Anxiety

It’s easy to cross the line from worry into anxiety. If you start to obsess over every little concern or worry, then you are now in the anxiety arena. No worry should make you feel like you are stuck in place with no options. That’s the difference between worry and anxiety.

5. Depression

If you are feeling overwhelmingly sad, hopeless, and are crying all the time, then you may be suffering from depression. This can get bad enough that it interferes with your daily life.

6. Lack of Concentration

There’s a problem if you aren’t able to focus on anything and have a hard time finishing tasks. Things become overwhelming very quickly and you start to forget things.

7. Social Withdrawal

This when you don’t go out with friends and family anymore. You’d rather stay home and be alone. You eventually isolate yourself to the point of not leaving your house for days on end.

8. Denial

This is when you refuse to believe that your loved one is reaching the end of their life. You think things will be better, as if it’s getting over the Flu.

You may not even believe there’s a problem. This can cause you to not take the proper steps to care for your loved ones.

9. Health Problems

Stress wears your body out and makes it easier for you to get sick. If you can’t remember the last time you felt good, you should go to the doctor.

Read more here.

How Language Affects Medical Trials

Date: December 10, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips

Medical trials are the key to any kind of progress. The problem is that depending on the trial, there aren’t enough participants. Participants that speak different languages aren’t able to join the trials, due to translation issues.

How Language Affects Medical Trials

How Language Affects Medical Trials

 

Medical trials have a problem finding people because they can be risky and there isn’t a guarantee that it will help. But trials are the only way to know if medications or procedures are safe.

There are millions of immigrants that could be part of trials, but very few studies have translators.

This can be because some doctors are concerned about interpreters. There could be some key things that get lost in translation that can negatively affect the study.

Particularly Difficult in Alzheimer’s Trials

 

In particular, Alzheimer’s studies don’t include translators. These barriers are really noticeable by the amount of Spanish speaking people in the country. There are almost 6 million American seniors, 2.2 million are Spanish speaking and not good with English.

This will only get worse as the years go on. This is because the Hispanic population is growing.

Different ethnicities can be a scientific goldmine. It’s not know that all medicine will work on people of different ethnicities.

Read more here.

5 Steps to Have a Good Day

Date: December 10, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
5 Steps to Have a Good Day

Sometimes it seems it’s impossible to have a good day. It gets to the point where the whole world seems to be against you. You may want to call the day done, but there are ways to improve your day.

5 Steps to Have a Good Day

5 Steps to Have a Good Day

 

These steps are from Caroline Webb author of How to Have a Good Day: Harness the Power of Behavioral Science to Transform Your Working Life. While these are geared more to working people, you can use them while working, while being retired, or in any other situation.

Webb’s definition of a good day doesn’t include a day free of distractions, stresses, or challenges. It’s when you can say yes to these 3 questions:

  • Did you spend your time and attention on things that matter?
  • Do you feel that you did a good job and had the support of others?
  • Did the day leave you feeling more energized than depleted?

1. Set Intentions for Your Day

Have you noticed that when you are shopping, everything can catch your attention? A short trip to Target suddenly takes hours? This is because your brain can only consciously perceive part of what’s going on around you at all times. You notice whatever matches things that are already on your mind.

By setting your intentions for looking for positive things for the day, you will see more positive than negative. If you are more focused on negative, then everything will seem much worse than it is. Your day will doomed from the start.

2. Practice Distancing

No matter how much of a positive outlook you have, things happen. It can be hard to not let it bring you down. Distancing is a simple technique that helps gain perspective when things go wrong.

There are a 2 different techniques to use. First, ask yourself “What will I think about this a month or a year from now?” It’s a pretty powerful question that can help shift your thinking when you are frustrated.

The other option is to pretend you are advising a friend. It’s usually is easier to help a friend solve a problem than your own. Even if it’s the same problem. So ask yourself, “What would I say if I were giving advice on this same situation to a friend?”

3. Plan Downtime

Research shows that you make better decisions when you give your brain a break. While that seems counterproductive, you will be more productive when you give yourself small breaks.

Ideally, you will take a break every 90 minutes.

4. Do One Task at a Time

Research has shown that multitasking makes us less productive. When we juggle multiple projects we mess up more.

5. Practice Gratitude

Mindset is the key to a good day. When you make a point to see good, your brain will start to look for positive things instinctively.

At the beginning of each day, try to notice 3 good things. Then at the end of the day, do the same thing.

Read more here.

Preventing Memory Loss in the Digital Age

Date: December 2, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Government is Taking on Robocalls

Many people are concerned that with the digital age, comes more memory loss. After all, we have so many tools now to help us remember, our brains don’t need to exercise memory. There is now a rise of memory athletes, those who can retain hundreds of numbers in seconds. Is this a new way of preventing memory loss?

Preventing Memory Loss in the Digital Age

Preventing Memory Loss in the Digital Age

 

Memory athletes compete to remember the most in the shortest time. They remember things like card sequences, names, faces, and dates of historical events.

They memorize these categories within seconds.

These athletes are causing people to wonder about memory in a world of digital databases. If we rely on them too much, are we losing our ability to remember?

All About the Brain

 

The brain is malleable. A study in 2000 showed that the hippocampus was larger in London cab drivers than in the wider public. The hippocampus is the area of the brain that plays a significant role in memory. The drivers may have a bigger hippocampus due to having to learn and remember the quickest routes through the city.

Scientists believe that the internet hasn’t been an integral part of our lives long enough to understand its long term effect on people’s brains fully.

Is Memory Training Helpful?

 

There is proof that memory training is beneficial and strengthens neural pathways.

It is possible that the more we rely on machines, the less efficient our memory processes become. It is believed that memory needs to be exercised just like our muscles.

Though we aren’t necessarily losing our memories as much as we are having a hard time finding them, this is because we don’t try to, or exercise, our brains as much.

Memories are also malleable because it helps us make sense of the world. So we can easily create false memories.

Not all is lost, though. We can strengthen our brains and memories with regular exercise just like with our muscles. You can do this by becoming a memory athlete yourself.

Read more about these memory athletes here.

Assisted Living: 4 Questions to Ask

Date: December 2, 2018
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
How the Aging Baby Boomers are Going to Change 2020

There is a lot to think about before deciding whether assisted living is the path for you or your loved one. It will be huge change for you and them. While at home care, like Seniors Helping Seniors NH, is a great way to live at home, sometimes that just isn’t an option.

Assisted Living: 4 Questions to Ask

Assisted Living: 4 Questions to Ask

 

It can hard to think of what to ask when it comes to assisted living. There are so many aspects that are important, but you may only have so much time. Try to ask these 4 questions to start.

1. What Kind of Help Will Your Loved One Need?

This is a question you need to ask yourself.

Each community is different and have different amenities, services, and levels of care. They help residents with daily living activities like bathing, dressing, and taking medications. Some may not have a licensed nurse on staff, others will have some specialities.

You need to make sure to get a medical evaluation from a doctor so you know what’s going with them.

2. How Good is the Care?

Check to see if the community you are interested in provides assisted living. Then look closely at its inspection record. Depending on where you live and how complete the records are, you can find the inspection record.

You can also call your state’s long term care ombudsman and ask if the community has any complaints. Most common complaints include understaffing and delays in response to resident’s calls for assistance.

A lot of staff at assisted living communities are low paid, making only minimum wage. They aren’t really trained as well. You should ask how they would handle various situations like a fall or a complaint of pain or illness. See if you can talk to residents or their loved ones.

3. How Much Will It Cost?

Assisted living is costly and most is paid out of pocket. It can cost thousands of dollars a month. Dementia care costs even more.

Medicare doesn’t cover long term care. Medicare coverage varies depending on the state, but Medicaid requires you to run out of money before you get help.

Make sure to read the fine print of any community that you are interested. Some will offer packages for a fair price, others will offer a base amount with additional services you can get separately.

Ask what circumstances would cause the cost to rise.

4. Can Your Loved One Get Kicked Out?

Yes, that can happen. It is actually one of most common complaints. The most common reasons are lack of payment and that “care needs exceed the facility’s capacity to provide services.”

Again, read the contract carefully. Do not take verbal promises at face value.

Read more here.