Joan’s Boomer Blog

Today’s guest post is by Lauren Bailey and the topic is sex, baby boomers and healthy aging.

Anti-aging facial creams and a nutritious diet may help keep the wrinkles away and help keep your body in shape, but according to health experts, the real secret behind the fountain of youth may be found in the boudoir.

According to recent study conducted by HealthyWomen, a national independent organization that is dedicated to women empowerment and education, having sex at least four times a week can make couples appear 10 years younger than their actual age. Of course, the problem remains at the fact that most women have sex out of obligatory duty not pleasure, and thus don’t want have sex as often. But intercourse four times a week has many health advantages that can keep you looking younger and living longer.

Why is this exactly? Health experts say that sex causes you to release adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine-three chemicals that work to fight against aging factors such as depression and stress. They also activate the production of a special growth hormone that is specifically designed to block the absorption of free radicals in the air such as pollution and smoke that can cause deep wrinkles.

Lastly the three chemicals released during sex have also been linked to help ward of cardiovascular diseases, fight high blood pressure and improve renal function-all factors that can contribute to a longer, healthier life. But if you are not married and choose to use “casual sex” as an age-stopper, don’t forget about the importance of protection.

According to another study, there is an alarming number of baby boomers who do not engage in safe sex practices-especially among Caucasians. The study, which was commissioned by Indiana University, surveyed the sexual habits of 5, 865 people ranging between the ages of 14 to 94 and concluded that a majority of those over the age of 50 had unprotected casual sex-91% of men did not use condoms when having intercourse with a casual acquaintance, and 70% didn’t use condoms when having sex with someone they’d just met. While women on the other hand were a bit more careful, a good chunk still did not use protection.

Experts say that this behavior can partly be contributed to the fact that most baby boomers dive-into the dating market after years of having unprotected sex with a spouse and thus think that having unprotected sex with others is safe. But remember: no matter how old you are, sexually transmitted diseases are still a serious issue.

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for accredited online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99 @gmail.com.

Today I have a guest post by James Garvin, co-Founder of FiGuide.com, a free daily email that provides short actionable strategies to help you achieve a successful, worry-free retirement. The topic, How to Build Wealth During a Recession, is a very important one for anyone who is retired or wants to be.

There is no longer a debate about “if” the U.S. economy is in another recession. We have all fallen victim to the “Lost Decade” of investing where investor returns were flat, incomes relative to inflation decreased, and unemployment sky rocketed. While the politicians and Wall St. can argue all they want about how to fix the “lost decade”, what’s more important is to understand how you keep building your own wealth so that you achieve your retirement goals.

Given the harsh realities, you may be wondering what you can do to continue to build your wealth and move closer to your retirement dreams. Below are 3 strategies you can (and should) employ to boost your wealth today during these recessionary times:

1.) Save your savings – whenever you’ve landed a great bargain (say 40% off), rather than keeping those 40% savings in your checking account, where you’ll likely spend it on something else, transfer that 40% into your savings or investment account. This way, your savings are well, truly “saved”.

2.) Find alternative investments - It’s becoming harder and harder to truly diversify your investments, so instead of stocks and bonds, look at adding alternative investments. Peer to peer lending is becoming a popular alternative strategy to investing excess cash. This allows you to lend money to other consumers. It’s a win: win situation because you earn higher returns on your cash and borrowers can borrow at lower rates than by going to the banks. Two reputable peer to peer lending companies are Prosper.com and LendingClub.com.

3.) Take advantage of today’s low tax rates by converting your investments to a Roth IRA. By historical standards, tax rates are very generous today and odds are they’ll only go up from here. A Roth IRA allows you to withdraw money tax-free once you reach retirement age. That means if tax rates go up 10% by the time you retire, you would have saved as much as 10% on your retirement income and allows you to retire knowing your money is really your money; you’ll owe nothing to Uncle Sam.

These are unusual times for those nearing retirement over the next decade or two and unusual times call for unique savings and investing strategies that allow you to continue to make forward progress toward your ultimate goal for retirement.

James Garvin is the co-Founder of FiGuide.com a free daily email that provides short actionable strategies to help you achieve a successful, worry-free retirement. Sign-up for the free daily retirement tip

Also read How to Turn Your Hobby into Retirement Income

Continuing our series on Medicare, guest author and Medicare expert Ross Blair, President and CEO of Plan Prescriber, Inc.,discusses how you can save money and maximize benefits when choosing among the many prescription drug plans available.

Mining for Cost Savings in a Maze of Medicare Plans

In 2011, approximately one-third (33%) of the Federal government’s annual budget is committed to spending on Medicare and Social Security.

Recent debate over the nation’s debt limit and the upcoming deliberations of the Congressionally-appointed twelve person deficit reduction committee should have the close attention of all Medicare recipients and Baby Boomers who plans to enroll in Medicare as they turn 65.

Although the tenets of various plans and proposals are hotly debated, the likely outcomes are not. The fact is the growth rate at which America spends money on Medicare will likely be reduced. And, if the government reduces expenses, you’ll probably have to do more to maximize your own Medicare coverage.

The good news is that the average Medicare beneficiary can do a lot to maximize their benefits including:

1. Enrolling in a Medicare prescription drug plan.

2. Taking your prescribed medication, which can improve health and reduce health care costs.

3. Optimizing your prescription drug coverage each year.

Below we’ve mapped out some very important steps seniors should take this year as they consider their Medicare options and look for ways to save.

Enrolling in a Medicare prescription drug plan

Medicare recipients can enroll in a stand-alone drug plan or a Medicare Advantage plan that has the drug benefit bundled into it. In most parts of the country there are Medicare Advantage plans with a prescription drug benefit that cost nothing each month for the enrollee, beyond what they already pay for Medicare Part B. And, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced that the average premium for a 2012 drug plan will be around $30 per month – slightly cheaper than in 2011. This is good news for people managing their budgets.

Taking the drugs as prescribed by your physician

Two different studies confirm that patients who take their medication are healthier and save the health care system money. The first study, published in 2009 by the New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI), found that patients who don’t take their prescribed medications cost the U.S.A. $290 billion a year. And the second, published in the July 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that non-drug-related health care costs have been reduced for older patients who gained better prescription drug coverage under the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit.

Optimizing your prescription drug coverage each year

Costs are critical for many people receiving Medicare. Half of all single people on Medicare had incomes below $21,660 in 2010. They would welcome any and all ideas for how to save on health care costs without harming the quality of their care.

One proven strategy is to optimize your prescription drug coverage each year during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. But, according to a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study last year, only about 10 percent of people on Medicare changed their plan despite the potential for savings.

In August, my company published a report that looked at 25,000 user sessions from PlanPrescriber.com during the 2011 Medicare Annual Enrollment period (between November 15, 2010 and December 31, 2010), where customers entered their zip code, the name of their existing Medicare prescription drug plan or Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan, and the names, dosages and frequency of any prescription drugs they were taking, if any. The prescription drug plan comparison tool compares a user’s existing plan to other plans available in their area and found that, on average, a user could save over $500 per year – over $40 per month – by reviewing their options and changing their prescription drug plan.

It may seem counter-intuitive to change a plan each year, but there are a lot of Medicare drug plans and they may change their prescription drug benefits, costs and listing of covered drugs each year. For example, they may move more expensive drugs off of their plans or charge more for them from one year to the next. This is why some participants may see their drug costs rise dramatically each January.

Getting ahead

These changes in plans and benefits are precisely why Medicare offers an Annual Enrollment Period – the time of year when anyone on Medicare has the option to review and switch their prescription drug or Medicare Advantage plan. In 2011, the Annual Enrollment Period starts on October 15 and ends on December 7 – new dates you should write down if you’re on Medicare. This time should be used to review new plans, understand what may be changing in an existing plan and maybe save a little money by making a change.

Most of us never buy our own health insurance until we turn 65. Then, at 65 we’ve suddenly got the option to buy supplemental Medicare health insurance on our own and face a multitude of options where plans can change every year, potentially affecting what we pay out-of-pocket. There is free, no obligation help available to you at places like PlanPrescriber.com, Medicare.gov and elsewhere.

It’s advisable to talk to a licensed agent who can help you pick a plan. But, these free, no obligation internet tools can help you see all the options you have available so you’ve got some information before you get on the phone with an agent. The internet gives you more insight into your health care choices, which means we all win.

Guest author Ross Blair is President and CEO of Plan Prescriber, Inc., a leading provider of comparison tools and educational materials for Medicare-related insurance products.

Medicare is a very important subject for baby boomers and retirees. Since I’m not an expert in this field, I turned to expert Ross Blair is President and CEO of Plan Prescriber, Inc., a leading provider of comparison tools and educational materials for Medicare-related insurance products.

Here Ross presents tips to help you avoid paying too much for your prescription medications.

Is the donut hole closing fast enough for all Medicare beneficiaries?

In 2011, many Medicare recipients could hit the Medicare prescription drug donut hole faster, and pay more out-of-pocket on their way to the donut hole if they don’t have the right Medicare prescription drug benefit.

Why? The average cost of brand-name prescription drugs increased by the highest percent in 11 years according to an analysis by Barclays Capital.   Prices for some drugs increased by more than 10%. Popular drugs like blood-pressure pill Benicar® (29.3% increase), blood thinner Plavix® (13.2% increase), and cholesterol drug Lipitor (12.4% increase) all saw double-digit increases.

Last year 3.8 million Medicare beneficiaries got $250 rebate checks hitting the donut hole. In 2011 a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs is available. But, price increases in the cost of branded drugs can negate some of the savings from that discount. And, drug prices may increase more as drug manufacturers try to maximize last-minute profits on popular drugs like Lipitor®, Lexapro®, Seroquel®, and Plavix® that go generic in 2011 and 2012.

What does this mean for people on Medicare? It means that you could hit the Medicare prescription drug donut hole faster, pay more out-of-pocket on your way to the donut hole, and while you’re in the donut hole if you don’t have the right Medicare prescription drug benefit.

The Medicare prescription drug coverage gap - the donut hole - begins when the customer and insurer spend a combined total $2,830 on medications. That number includes the co-pays and deductibles paid by the customer. Once the customer reaches the donut hole, they pay for pay for their own drugs but receive a 50% discount on brand drugs and a 7% discount on generic drugs. The donut hole continues until the customer has used $4,550 worth of branded and prescription drugs. This year the customer only pays 50% of the price for a brand-name drug, but the entire price of the drug counts as out-of-pocket spending, which gets them out of the donut hole faster. Once you’re through the donut hole, you reach the catastrophic coverage level. At this point,  your drug plan steps back in to cover almost all your remaining drug costs for the rest of 2011.

Here’s where it gets complicated. All Medicare prescription drug plans are not the same. If the medication you’re taking isn’t covered by your prescription drug plan, you’ll have higher co-pays, and pay more out of your own pocket before you reach the Medicare prescription drug donut hole, while you’re in the donut hole, and once you reach the catastrophic coverage level.

Here are four tips to help you avoid paying too much on prescription drugs:

1.       Take advantage of available discounts on prescription drug costs: By enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan with Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (MAPD) or a Medicare prescription drug plan (PDP), you get the benefit of these 50% rebates on Medicare prescription drugs when you hit the donut hole.  An analysis of 337,000 user sessions between January 1, and March 31, 2010 on PlanPrescriber.com estimated that PDP enrollees would save an average of $586 by switching to a lower cost plan.  Actual savings on prescription medications depends on a variety of factors like geographic location, the actual plan selected and other factors. Benefits and coverage may vary between plans; the average savings examines only plans presented by PlanPrescriber that offer only prescription drug coverage.

2.       First-time enrollees be sure to choose the right plan: Medicare prescription drug plans do not have to cover the same drugs in the same quantities or for the same price. Medicare only requires Medicare PDPs to cover two drugs in each therapeutic class. If your drug isn’t on the plan you choose, expect to pay more. There are several PDP comparison tools available online like PlanPrescriber.com and eHealthMedicare.com. A good online tool can point you to the lowest cost plan based on the specific drugs you take.

3.       With an existing Medicare prescription drug plan, talk to your doctor about alternatives: Outside of the annual enrollment period, most people cannot switch drug plans. If you’re one of those people, and you feel you are paying too much for your drugs, talk to your doctor about other possible copayment/coinsurance exceptions and medications that may be available to treat you. Then, use a plan comparison tool to see if any of those alternatives are covered by your existing plan. If so, your doctor may be able to switch your prescription to save you money.

4.       Talk to an expert if you have questions: Advice from a licensed agent doesn’t cost you any additional money. The price of the plan you choose must - by law - be the same, no matter how you enroll in it. You can contact a PlanPrescriber agent at no cost by phone at 800-404-6968 or call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). SHIPs receive federal funding to counsel people with Medicare questions. The federal government has created 1-800-MEDICARE to provide information about Medicare coverage.

Ross Blair is President and CEO of Plan Prescriber, Inc., a leading provider of comparison tools and educational materials for Medicare-related insurance products.

I love signing up for free newsletters and ebooks. I’ve gotten lots of great information on retirement and simplifying and enjoying life from them. Here is a list of some of my favorite ebooks relating to enjoying our retirement years. I know there are others and I’ll post them as I find them.

You will probably also enjoy the blogs which offer these free ebooks as well.

From Love Being Retired - Navigating the Retirement Jungle

Dave at Love Being Retired has written a terrific free ebook that covers lots of the issues faced by those approaching retirement. Some of the topics include evaluating when we can afford to retire, identifying and pursuing our passions in retirement, health, finances, travel, frugal retirement living and more. Dave’s blog and ebook have a very friendly, readable style and give you lots to think about.

The Positivity Blog offers a free ebook The 7 Timeless Habits of Happiness

You would think that the words “happiness” and “retirement” would be synonymous. Often, however, that is not the case. Our retirement years bring many challenges, health problems or physical limitations, worrying about our children or our finances, losing that zest for life we had when we were young, just slowing down generally. In other words, although the challenges are different than when we were young, retirement still brings it’s own share of cares and worries. The real challenge in retirement, as in any part of life, is how to be happy no matter what life throws at you.

The Seven Timeless habits of Happiness gives you sound tips on being happy, no matter what your age. Don’t put off being happy until some vague, distant time when your life is perfect, choose happiness now.

If you stop and think about it, if you don’t choose happiness in your retirement years, when will you do it?

The 437 Best Things Ever Said about Retirement by Ernie Zelinski

Ernie Zelinski, the author of How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free, offers free ebook download of the ebook listed above and The 1001 Best Things Ever Said about Work, plus excerpts of other books he’s written.

This ebook is full of great quotes about retirement and getting older. It’s a quick, fun read.

For those of you interested building retirement income from your passion in life, get Rich German’s free ebook Monetize Your Passion. This 234 page ebook is packed with great information on how to identify your passion, build a business and make money from it.

If you choose to make a donation to Rich for this ebook, he is giving all proceeds to programs to help homeless children in the USA. He’s managed to raise thousands of dollars with this project to donate back.

Zen Habits Guide to Simpifying Your Life

This isn’t exactly an ebook but the Zen Habits website offers a complete list of links to their articles on simplifying and decluttering your life. Many retirees have “been there and done that” in regards to big houses, lots of possessions and buying the next new thing. They long for peace and simplicity in their retirement. Zen Habits offers lots of great tips in this area.

If you’d like a source for free ebooks on any topic imaginable, check out Free-ebooks.net. Just register and download ebooks on hundreds of topics.

If you’ve downloaded any good free ebooks lately in the areas of retirement, simplifying your life or finding happiness, please let me know or post it in the comment section.

I always laugh when I hear about people who have a million dollars saved for retirement and want to know if that’s enough! I suppose there are people out there who have millions saved, but I don’t know any personally. Money is undoubtedly important in planning for retirement, especially for us non-millionaires, but retirement is also a time for reassessing your life and deciding what things are most important to you in the second half of life.

Some questions to ask yourself when you’re facing retirement in the coming years:

1.  How do I see myself spending my days?

If you are working and choose a retirement date, what do you see yourself doing on day 1 or day 2 of retirement? How about day 352? If you retire with no plan in mind for how you will spend your time, you may just end up being one of those old guys or gals who sits on the front porch in a rocking chair. There’s nothing wrong with relaxing but you’ll soon get bored if that’s all you do.

Chances are, if you are working still, your days are busy and purposeful, even if the purpose is collecting a paycheck so you can put some away for the long-awaited retirement. To be successful in retirement, you will still need a purpose for getting out of bed. What will your purpose be?

When your days stretch endlessly before you, it’s important to have a plan for how you will use them.

2.  Ask yourself what your interests and hobbies are right now.

Do you have interests and hobbies beyond working and paying bills. I have to tell you, these aren’t really classified in the hobby section. If you don’t have any interests that excite you and are fun to do, maybe you should acquire some before retiring to help you pass the time later on.

If money is an issue it might be better not to take up a hobby like knitting (you should see my yarn stash!), collecting old cars or golf. These type of hobbies and interests can get expensive. If you are interested in these things anyway, figure out how to turn a profit from your hobby. Teach classes, write a blog or ebook to support your hobby.

Some interests don’t have to cost money, or at least not much. Interested in Civil War history? Visit Civil War battlefields, research battles on the internet or volunteer at a local museum. Do you love miniature railroads? Find a miniature railroad museum which needs help. Volunteering is a wonderful way to share your interest or hobby with others and still feel you are giving a valuable service.

Some hobbies or interests are free to do and might make you a buck or two. Write that great American novel you’ve always wanted to write or take up hiking, which is great exercise too.

3. Am I healthy and if not, what can I do about it?

The pursuit of good Health can be very time-consuming and retirement is a great place to put your mind to being healthier. Take up walking daily or join the local Y and take classes. You can make friends or join social groups at the Y or at Senior centers too.

Grow a garden so you have plenty of fresh veggies to eat. I have a friend who gets free cuttings for berry plants and other perrenials for his garden. You can also trade seeds or get heirloom seeds so you can save them from year to year if money is an issue. If you life in the city, you can still grow lots of food in containers.

In retirement you can spend some time reading about any health issues you may have and what you can do about them. Many doctors shove a pill at you and head out the door, partly because they don’t feel that patients will follow their advice anyway about what else they can do to improve the situation.

if you need to lose weight, retirement is a great time to put your mind to this health issue. You now have time to keep a food journal, get out and exercise and read up on healthy eating.

4.  Have I made time to cultivate friendships to last through retirement?

When you retire, it’s important to have friends to spend your time with. If you don’t have a few good friends now to have lunch or coffee with, plan on where you’ll look for some when you are retired. Joining a hobby or volunteer group, seeking out the local senior center or Y, or taking a class are good places to begin.

5.  What do I still want to accomplish in my life, now that I have some time?

Maybe at one time in your life, you thought when you retired you’d read every Shakespeare play ever written but do you still want to do that? Goals change over time and when you’re facing retirement it’s a good time to reassess goals. What is important is that you have goals! Choose a top 10 list of things you want to do in retirement - and I don’t mean fixing that hinge that’s been squeaking for the past year. Think bigger. What have you always wanted to do but never had time for?

I used to do a lot of beadwork and when I didn’t have time for it anymore, I thought of just selling my bead stash, books, etc. My mom talked me out of it because she said, “You never know if you might want to take it up again when you have time.” So I kept everything and “when I have time” beadwork is there if I want to do it.

My mom used to sew for us as we grew up and when she retired and had time, she took up quilting. She turned out the most beautiful quilts and we were all able to benefit from her hobby.

I’m sure there are many more important questions you can ask yourself when preparing to retire that have nothing to do with money. What are some of the things you’ve considered?

About a month ago, my husband and I started taking a Tai Chi class for beginners. For baby boomers Tai Chi is the perfect form of exercise because it builds muscles, keeps joints flexible, reduces stress, helps you sleep soundly at night and improves balance - all through breathing and a series of slow, smooth flowing movements that are easy on your body.

Tai chi is an ancient art, often described as meditation in motion. The focus is on practicing the precise movements which flow one into another without pause, in coordination with the breath. Besides these postures or forms, there are also many exercises to help move the chi, or life force energy, throughout your body, creating good physical and mental health.

I’ve always wanted to try tai chi and our first series of classes was in the Qigong, which, I think is less precise in the movements than other forms of Tai Chi. We learned some wonderful meditations in this class too, which focus on clearing chakras, or energy centers in the body, and bringing chi to the various organs of the body.

I found another Tai chi class for beginners at the local Y where I also take yoga. This is Tai Chi in the Yang style which is extremely precise and really makes you feel like a klutz at first. I can do the arm movements and the foot movements pretty well but do them at the same time will take some practice!

What I’ve found in learning tai chi is that this is a journey which has no ending. Many spend months on just one movement to perfect it. One of the important benefits of Tai Chi is that besides being a physical journey, it’s also a spiritual journey and you learn some surprising things about yourself along the way.

If you haven’t tried Tai Chi, or you are a beginner, you may see it being performed and think “How could Tai Chi really be good exercise?” Let me tell you, you definitely feel it in every muscle but the body moves as one piece so there is never strain put on any one muscle or joint. Along the way, you also focus on deep breathing.

After a few classes, you find you’re standing straighter, breathing deeper, feeling stronger and more energetic. I’ve been sleeping better than I have in years.

Besides taking a Tai Chi class for beginners, you can also learn the basics of Tai Chi and receive the benefits from Tai Chi DVD’s. Here are some that we’ve collected and use daily:

Qigong Beginning Practice -A 2 cd set featuring instructors Francesco and Daisy Lee-Garripoli. One cd is a PBS special on Francesco’s journey to China and his discovery of the QiGong exercises in his video. Done with voice over before a beautiful lake, the exercises are easy to follow and perform. You definitely feel the benefits of this Qugong work out. We’ve been doing this one twice a week but you could certainly do it daily for more benefits.

We have two Tai Chi dvd’s by David Dorian Ross:

A.M. and P.M. T’ai Chi With David-Dorian Ross and CJ McPhee

T’ai Chi Beginning Practice

David Dorian Ross is a wonderful instructor and between these two Dvd’s we have several practices for daily use. The AM/PM dvd also has a great option for morning when your body needs waking up, and evening, when you need calming for good sleep.

We don’t yet own Energy Boost for Seniors With Chi but it’s next on our shopping list.

One thing about Tai Chi for beginners is that your practice becomes about perfecting the moves and making them second nature so you never really get tired of any one dvd or workout.

Tai Chi is one form of exercise that you could do well into your elder years.

Read more about how lack of sleep can make you obese and forgetful!

Read more about the benefits of Tai Chi for stress management.

I just discovered a terrific website where you can find out, not only what happened in your birth year, but in the decade of your birth. I was born in 1950. All About Eve won best picture, Judy Holliday won best actress for Born Yesterday and Jose Ferrer won best actor for Cyrano de Bergerac.

Beat the Clock and Jack Benny were on TV and the song Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy topped the music charts in my birth year.

The credit card was invented the year I was born too. In the 1950’s people mostly lived on the cash they had, which wasn’t always much but they weren’t in debt either.

In 1950, Snoopy the cartoon character, Jay Leno and Stevie Wonder were born the same year as I was too.

There is some info about the decade of the 50’s too when the economy was on the upswing and the Cold War and Anti-Communism consumed the news.

Reading about what happened in the year and decade I was born brought back some great memories! Not the Cold War part, of course, but looking back, even the Cold War seems kind of tame compared to terrorism. At least we knew who the “enemy” was then.

I look at the 1950’s as the last time of innocence for young people. I was a teen in the 60’s and by the end of that era, there was the Viet Nam War, drugs and a social revolution going on that forever changed that youthful naivete we used to have.

What happened the year you were born? Just click here and type in the year you’d like to revisit.

You may have several senior citizens on your gift list and you want something special for Grandma or Great aunt Mary. Gift ideas for seniors can be challenging to come up with but the best idea is to make your gift personal. Does your elderly relative or friend have health issues or are they living in an assisted living setting? Even if they are living on their own, most seniors want a gift they can actually use and which shows some special thought.

Here are some gift ideas for seniors to get you started:

• Photo frames with family photos – While most seniors no longer want knick knacks sitting around, they will love a nice framed picture. Consider a new digital photo frame. This Pandigital PAN7000DW 7-Inch Digital Picture Frame is a mid-priced gift and you can personalize it by adding a file of family photos.

• Homemade treats from your kitchen. Be sure to check to see if your gift recipient has any dietary restrictions. Here are some tasty gift ideas to make in your own kitchen.

• Deliver a holiday meal if you live close enough. If you don’t, and your gift recipient does their own cooking, consider something like this New England Breakfast Gift Basket

• Holiday decorations - Make this idea even better by giving some of your own time to put them up!

• Plan a special outing with your senior relative. Take them to lunch with the family, to a movie or maybe to do some holiday shopping.

• Run errands for them. If the elderly person you know lives at home, offer to mow the lawn, cook a meal or go get groceries for them. If they live in assisted living, you can still offer to bring in special food, do some laundry or ask them what they need.

• Candy you ate as a kid® Wax Lips, Candy Buttons, Wax Bottles, Candy Cigarettes and more fresh candies from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. This retro candy will bring back great memories for seniors on your gift list.

• Large print books or audio books. Make sure they have a device to play the books if you get audio.

• Warm blankets, afghans, slippers and robes are always appreciated.

• DVD’s or videos of old movies or TV shows

• Audios of old radio shows like this one CBS’s 60 Greatest Old-Time Radio Shows

Remember for many seniors on your gift list, the gift of time is the most appreciated. Either the time you spent choosing that special gift or time spent with them.  Think about them, what they like to do, listen to their memories. What old TV shows or radio shows did they love? What foods are their favorites? Is there any special restaurant they’d like to eat at or movie they’d like to see? The greatest gift idea for seniors is knowing you put a lot of thought into choosing just the perfect thing for them.

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