Week Three Question: What is an ageing society? - Growing Old Around The Globe Discussion Question

Week Three Question: What is an ageing society?

DISCUSSION

I work as an intern in a free clinic in rural southwestern Virgina.  I provide mental health counseling services.  Before I returned to school for my Masters of Mental Health Counseling, I was an insurance agent.  I had over 600 clients in this area of the state.  Now, at the clinic, I have 30 clients.

While working as an insurance agent, I sold multiple types of insurance - including long-term care products, annuities, and life insurance.  This is a rural area, and there are many in poverty and/or who have little education.  I saw both a lack of adequate financial planning to account for the span of a lifetime and I saw people who were sold products which were not appropriate.  

Since working at the free clinic, I see many people who are elderly through accumulation of years or who are elderly through physical changes from disease, lack of health care, or from many years of physical labor.  Not having financial resources to take care of their basic needs is frightening to them.  Looking at a future of limited health, increasing disability, and lack of resources is terrifying to them.

So, when I compare what I know about insurance with the understanding that so many of my community have not enough money to put food on the table and to keep the lights on, I find a huge disconnect.  Yes, my people worry about the future - what will happen to them as they age further.  However, that is a distant concern when the immediate need is figuring out how to buy groceries or to have enough gas to drive to a food pantry.... or how to find transportation to the pantry as there is NOT enough money for car, gas, or aught else.

What solution might exist, I am not wise enough to know.  However, I am very certain there is immediate and severe need for this discussion.

ARTICLE:  Long Term Care

http://www.asaging.org/blog/costs-rising-consumers-remain-ignorant-about-long-term-care

Costs Rising, Consumers remain ignorant about long term care

By Laura Weber Rossman

As the need for long-term care grows with the number of aging baby boomers, options for covering its cost remain in flux.

These three national situations may affect the way people pay for long-term care services in the future:

1. January 2013 saw the repeal of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act because it was deemed fiscally unsustainable. CLASS was a federal solution to establish a public long-term care insurance program as part of the healthcare reform act. Such insurance would have been available through employers with no medical underwriting.
   After the law’s repeal, a 15-member commission was created to recommend a “plan for the establishment, implementation and financing of a comprehensive, coordinated and high quality system that ensures the availability of long-term care services and supports for individuals in need of such services and supports.” The commission is set to begin work June 27 and its report is due at the end of September.
   
2. Qualifying for and procuring long-term care insurance will become more difficult and expensive for some, as insurance companies providing long-term care insurance have begun to ask more medical questions and require more tests during the application process.
   Also, companies have begun using gender rating. Single women will see prices rise 20 percent to 40 percent (this only impacts new policies, not those already in force), because long-term care insurers are experiencing higher payouts for women, who live longer than men.
   One long-term care insurance company, Genworth, announced its gender rating for new policies last April. And in May it said it was stopping new sales of the AARP-branded long-term care insurance products, which leaves AARP without a long-term care insurance product for its members.
   
3. As both public policy and private industry search for solutions to the high cost of long-term care, consumers remain in a state of denial. A recent study by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that two-thirds of people ages 40 and older say they have done little or no planning for long-term care.
   Not surprisingly, three out of 10 people surveyed didn’t even want to think about getting older, and of those who had thought about future long-term care needs, only a quarter predicted they would need long-term care help in the future. Also, as we have seen in many surveys before, many respondents mistakenly thought Medicare would pay for nursing home or home health care.
   Such uncertainty and changes come at a time when the cost of long-term care continues to rise, to an average of $83,950 per year for a nursing home, according to Genworth’s 2013 Cost of Care Survey.

Amid all the changes in the marketplace, one constant is the need for consumers to understand and plan for long-term care…for their parents and themselves. So while there is unrest in the market, we need to remain vigilant in educating people about the importance of planning for their future long-term care needs.

---

Laura Weber Rossman is Chief Customer Officer at Longevity Alliance. Longevity Alliance is a national service that helps people find the right Medicare, long-term care and life insurance plans by listening to their needs and comparing plans from leading insurance companies. Rossman is past Chair of the Business Forum on Aging and a former member of the ASA Board of Directors.

This article was brought to you by the editorial committee of ASA’s Business Forum on Aging (BFA).

Choices.

Regarding Excuses for not exercising:  I don't have enough time.

"What you are really saying is that you're not willing to make time.  You aren't assigning enough importance to the increased fitness, well-being, and improved control over anxiety you could gain from exercise.  The problem is not a matter of time but one of priorities."  p. 115, The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, 5th Ed., Edmund J. Bourne.

Regarding ANY health habit:  I don't feel like it.  I forgot.  I am not having fun.

Well - no one ever promised you would only have to do the fun stuff.  As a child, I was not fond of brushing my teeth, going to church, or having to clean my room.  However, not taking care of body, soul, and environment was NEVER a choice.  Now, I am overweight (to call it like it is - obese in medical terms, fat in societal terms).  I can lose weight or I can die early.  I can understand how important balance is to my soul and grow, or I can neglect this consideration and continue to tell myself negative things.  I can walk a bit, consume less, and help out the environment, or I can continue to be a drain on more resources than is my share.

The truth is we do what we tell ourselves we deserve.  We do what we value.

The question is - what am I going to do today.  With this moment.  With this choice...

Comments on my personal FB page to this post - names and links removed to protect privacy.  It seems I did not explain myself well at all.

• its not always that easy tho.x

  
  
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  Laura A Collins nope. I am really struggling with weight. However, it is a mindset - the results may not follow in the way I want, but the actions are certainly under my control.

  
  
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  Laura A Collins I will never be skinny. But, I can be healthier. And, to do that, I can do tiny steps each day to improve health. And I can value doing those steps.

  
  
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  Some may not consider fear usually as an excuse. That was my excuse until recently. Great post Laura and exercise does help with anxiety and several other issues. Make priorities in the proper manner for overall health!!

  
  

  
  

  
  
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  Laura A Collins Thanks. And important to note - the results ARE NOT under control. Just the decisions to do the actions that each person is individually capable of.

  
  
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   my fatigue and back pain stop me exercising

  
  

  
  
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  Laura A Collins For me, nerve damage in my back stops me from many types of exercise - but there are still many types I can do. Right now I am managing about 15 minutes in a day of stretches. Next week, I will add one more minute to the 15 and do 16 minutes. With Fibro, taking it in tiny, tiny stages means I can achieve that stage. But it is not just exercise. Health is multiple dimensions interacting with each other. So, making better choices when I eat. Taking time out for meditation. Planning down time so that I do not burn out from counseling clients during internship. I may not be out running marathons - but then that is not the goal. For me it is what tiny improvement can I make today

  
  
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   it idnt easy. with my health problems- i have to start over and over and over again. but i keep at it and some day i will win. never loose hope and never beat up yourself.

  
  

  
  
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  not easy but still do it

  
  

  
  
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  Laura A Collins yep. make the choice and go forward without regret or guilt.

  
  
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  yup

  
  

  
  
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  Sounds like things are going well for you Laura A Collins . You are determined and focused! We are all different. What works for you may work for others but not for the rest of us. That doesn't mean that we are failures we just need to find what works for us. I never want to tell someone they just need to "suck it up" and everything will be ok as it simply isn't true. If we could we would. I'm sure you will agree with that. We all have our different sets of pain and energy to deal with daily.

  
  

  
  
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  Laura A Collins certainly not to suck it up. That is too close to the "no pain, no gain" damaging nonsense people used to spout. We each have different goals, different values, different capabilities. Instead of trying to match something that is not real and honest for our own lives, I would instead simply focus on what my goals are and instead of damaging that choice, follow the actions of that choice with pure and simple dedication.
  
  Instead to focus on the things we can each do in our own lives. It is not a comparison to others. Instead, it is simply to decide what we want to do in our own personal lives. There are always who are out there who can do more or can do less than we can. It is more about deciding what is important to you, inside your own skin, and valuing yourself to do that thing. I will never be completely low carb, but I can chose to eat better choices. I will never be able to run a marathon - but I should over the next year or so, gain enough endurance to be able to hike up a bit of an incline. And if not, then I will be able to walk that which is flat but for a bit longer. It is much more about deciding to do what CAN be done, without guilt over what cannot be done, without excuses to avoid.... simple choice and then moving forward.

  
  
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  Laura A Collins And no, things are not so much going well as becoming clearer. It is still a struggle. And I would very much like to slide back into my comfort zone. But, I am choosing to try to do what I see as being healthier for me (albeit NOT physically, mentally, or otherwise overextending and damaging).

  
  
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  Very well said, Laura. Good for you and I hope others will read this and do something for themselves!

  
  

  
  

Exercise. It is not a matter of time. It is a matter of Priorities.

Concept for the day - Reading Anxiety and Phobia workbook by Bourne.  Regarding exercise:  Saying you don't have time to exercise is truly saying you do not value health and wellness enough to schedule in the time to take care of your body.  It is not a matter of time.  It is a matter of priorities.

Thought - Well.  Darn. The author is right.  So, guessing I am going to have to get real about exercising and schedule it.  And do it.

So - Started today.  Did 15 minutes of stretches.  Tomorrow - 5 minutes of walking and 15 minutes of stretches.

Recipe: YAY - Meatloaf - Corn-free, gluten-free, wheat-free

2 eggs
2 pounds very lean ground meat
1 cup homemade "bread" crumbs (see previous recipe posted a couple weeks back for cf, gf, wf bread)
1 cup homemade ketchup (tomato sauce, cinnamon, honey, vinegar, allspice, chili powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, onion powder, paprika)
1 large carrot
3/4 cup diced bell pepper
1/2 medium onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder

In a blender add ketchup, carrot, pepper, onion, powders, and eggs.  Blend on high until smooth.  (Could also use a food processor - I just use my Ninja cause it is convenient)

Put meat into large bowl.  Add blended mixture.  Mix until completely combined.

On cake pan or cookie sheet, line with HEAVY DUTY FOIL.  Oil the foil so meatloaf will not stick.  Form meat mixture into TWO loaves.

Bake at 400 for 50 minutes.

Take out of oven.  Top with a couple spoonfuls of homemade ketchup.  Put back into oven for another 10 minutes.


Just guessing on the homemade ketchup
about 1 cup of tomato sauce (or 2/3 cup tomato paste and 1/3 cup of water).
1 teaspoon each - cinnamon, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika, chili powder, cinnamon, and allspice.
about 2 teaspoons Cane vinegar (Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar is also ok, but I am reactive to apples)
About 1 or 2 tablespoons of honey.

Put it all in a HEAVY sauce pan.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Heat for about an hour until thickens to a thickness you like.  Stir frequently.

My Personal Adaptations for Chronic Illness - Some of my Facebook Posts

• Laura A Collins Hiking poles - when out walking on uneven ground. 20 bucks for 2 of them at wal-mart. 
  
  face mask - stops the asthma. (side benefit... for the warped sense of humor people - can make toddlers scream! and worries the heck out of walmart managers) 
  
  VERY little in purse - or a purse that is a back pack. For trips, a waist bag - so maybe I look like I am pregnant (overweight with a bag hanging off my belly/side)... but it does NOT hurt my shoulders, arms or back AND can carry 2 waterbottles. 
  
  Little step stool for shower days when standing is difficult. Sit on it and since it is plastic, dries easily. Also -TMI warning - use it for a foot prop to prop up feet when on toilet (reduces incidence of hemorrhoids)
  
  Re-arrange cabinets - often used stuff in standing height - no reaching required. Re-arrange closets, drawers, etc... Either you can WORK to fit your environment or you can make your environment WORK TO FIT YOU!
  
  Slip on shoes (Birkenstocks) - drop and slide in feet, no stooping needed. Bras that can be fastened before putting on and then pulled over head. Pants that are stretchy so can just pull them up (even when they are zipped so no need to struggle with fingers in the morning).

  10 minutes ago · Like
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  Laura A Collins Necklaces with toggle clasps - so no need to struggle with little fasteners when hands are stiff. 
  
  Pens with extra large barrels - reduces stress on the wrist. 
  
  Split keyboard - reduces stress on wrists when typing.
  
  Place to prop up feet when at desk, better ergonomics for body. Chair that fits body - prob sat in 40 or so before I found "the right one".

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  Laura A Collins Lots of tote bags that have shoulder straps. I RARELY carry things in my arms. Instead, I put them in the tote bags and make a couple trips. No large packing of ANY type. Heavy hurts.
  
  Memory foam topper for my very firm mattress - the best of support and no poking places - soft enough for sensitive joints.
  
  Shampoo (I make my own) in easy to use flip top container - no messing with tiny lids when still half asleep.
  
  Meds in week long keepers - set up a month in advance. (4 keepers). Last one a different color - so when get to that one, call in the refill. Pick up before the end of the week.

  4 minutes ago · Like
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  Laura A Collins One set of migraine meds in a container that FEELS different - so I can get my meds even if I cannot see properly.
  
  Extra epipens and meds in multiple locations (work, travel bag, bedroom, bathroom). Never know when anaphylaxis will hit. Got to be prepared.
  
  Portable nebulizer (battery operated). Take care of asthma where-ever I may be - including hiking or on the road.
  
  List of all meds and medical info in car, at work, in medic alert account, and medic alert bracelet. ESPECIALLY ALLERGIES.
  
  wrist strap on cell phone, recorder I use at internship, and camera. Tendency to drop things is fixed when they are ATTACHED to the body.
  
  Keys on a carabiner. Attaches to purse strap WHERE I can see them - so do not lose them as often.
  
  Calendar on Door of bedroom - so I always see my appointments - every morning before I get dressed, every night before bed. No forgetting. Color code the calendar so it is OBVIOUS even when my brain is half gone from fatigue what is happening the next day.

A Question - What do you think? Please post comments and responses. Thanks!!!

Question - asked to me by someone:

 How can you feel connected to the world when other people talk about "hurting" or about "not being able to do what they used to" and you are looking at them do things YOU can only dream about doing?  For example, a couple talks about it being harder on them to do their garden.  You watch them carry a bucket from one side of the large garden to the other.  And, you are thinking - I could not even WALK across the garden...

Another example:  You are limited in your foods due to physical causes (allergies, medical conditions, etc.), and when you see others talk about "a game" of picking 5 or 6 foods and living on those - you think "This is real to me, not a game."

A third example:  You have a hidden disability.  When people see you, they assume you should be able to do just what they can do.  Or, you have a visible disability.  When people see you, they assume your physical condition is impacting your intelligence... and so they talk louder and slower.

When things like that happen - how do you find a way to live your life with grace and comfort?  How do you connect to people who do not even understand your reality?  Do you address the prejudice and bias?  How do you overcome your own prejudices and biases?

I have been searching for an answer for this person - or even just a direction to suggest, and find my answers are very much not ones that will likely work for the person.  Any suggestions?

Trial 2 with face mask (RZ mask)

Trial 2 with face mask (RZ mask)

Already asthmatic (took a road trip on blue ridge parkway, had windows down, pollen was all over - smelled lovely, but lungs were not happy last night and still are grouchy today!!)... soooo, going to go to a couple stores (in town - 5 min from home) and see if the mask keeps things from getting worse. If not, will be sucking on neb machine every couple hours for the rest of the day and then every 4 hours for the rest of the week. But, if it works, then WOOOHOOO, I have some "normal" back and will be able to go shopping. YAY!

Results:

Walmart (my anaphyalaxis central), Michaels (ana-lite), big lots, Staples, Kroger, PetSmart, Ross, and pumping gas - STILL BREATHING - mask is sweaty as can be. Started to get itchies on exposed skin from airborne exposure, so taking some benedryl and a shower. But, I was able to be out and able to breathe.

30 Minutes later:

Now I feel like ants are trying to carry off my skin (itching from the inside)... but hoping the benedryl and wash off with peroxide (skipped a shower) will fix that in 20 or 30 minutes... BUT STILL NO ASTHMA!!  I am thinking that this will give me a little bit of "normal" back...  Seems like I can go shopping again.  Probably will need to wear long sleeves and long pants to limit skin exposure - at least for longer times of being out.  But, I CAN SHOP AGAIN!  Totally Psyched about that!!