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Serving Seniors and Caregivers with Information to Improve the Best Time of Life… TODAY!
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NewswsMarch 2015March 2015
Vol. 27, Issue 3Copyright 2015, Senior News, P.O. Box 23307, Waco, TX 76702
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Seniorifi c.comSeniorifi c.comAre You Safe From a New Class Are You Safe From a New Class of Coffee Shop Hackers? of Coffee Shop Hackers?
Hackers may be able to see what you’re Hackers may be able to see what you’re doing just by analyzing the low-power doing just by analyzing the low-power electronic signals your laptop emits even electronic signals your laptop emits even when it’s not connected to the Internet. when it’s not connected to the Internet.
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More than just annoying: More than just annoying: The link between snoring The link between snoring and heart disease and heart disease
Did you know that loud, excessive Did you know that loud, excessive snoring is often a sign of obstructive snoring is often a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that – if sleep apnea, a condition that – if left untreated – can cause you left untreated – can cause you to be five times more likely to to be five times more likely to die from heart disease? die from heart disease?
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Using Facebook Using Facebook Privacy Settings Privacy Settings
Setting up privacy settings on Facebook Setting up privacy settings on Facebook is important so you know what other is important so you know what other people can access on your account.people can access on your account.
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Medicare’s rising cost of longer livesTricia Neuman, Juliette Cubanski, Jennifer Huang,
and Anthony Damico … KFF.org
In 2011, overall Medicare per capita spending increased with age, peaked at age 96, and then
declined gradually for the relatively small number of benefi ciaries at older ages. Average Medicare per capita spending in 2011 more than doubled be-tween age 70 ($7,566) and age 96 ($16,145).
Th e increase in Medicare per capita spending as benefi ciaries age can be partially, but not com-pletely, explained by the high cost of end-of-life care. Medicare per capita spending among survi-vors in 2011 (excluding benefi ciaries who died dur-ing the year) also rises with age and peaks at age 96 ($14,278) before falling.
Th e pattern of Medicare per capita spending for benefi ciaries who died in 2011 is markedly dif-ferent; it declined steadily with age, falling from $43,000 among 70-year-olds to under $20,000 among centenarians. Yet because of higher death rates among older benefi ciaries, average per capi-ta spending among benefi ciaries who die at older ages has a greater infl uence on the estimates.
Between 2000 and 2011, Medicare per capita spending peaked at older ages, and was higher at the peak age in 2011 than in 2000, after controlling for infl ation. Medicare per capita spending peaked at age 92 in 2000 ($9,557 in infl ation-adjusted 2011
dollars), rising to age 96 by 2011 ($15,015 exclud-ing Part D spending and $16,145 including Part D spending).
Th e diff erence in Medicare per capita spending between benefi ciaries ages 80 and older and young-er benefi ciaries has widened. In 2011, Medicare per capita spending was 2.5 times greater for 85-year-olds ($13,466) and 3 times greater for 95-year-olds ($15,732) than for 66-year-olds ($5,562).
Between 2000 and 2011, Medicare per capita spending grew faster for benefi ciaries ages 90 and older than for younger benefi ciaries over age 65, both including and excluding spending on the Part D prescription drug benefi t beginning in 2006. In-cluding Part D spending, per capita spending grew at an average annual rate of 5.8% for benefi ciaries ages 66 to 69 over these years, rising to 7.3% among benefi ciaries ages 90 and older.
As the U.S. population ages, the increase in the number of people on Medicare and the aging of the Medicare population are expected to increase both total and per capita Medicare spending. Th e increase in per capita spending by age not only af-fects Medicare, but other payers as well. In fact, other studies have documented increases in both Medicaid and out-of-pocket spending by age, pri-marily attributable to the cost of long-term services and supports that are not covered by Medicare.
Further work is needed to better understand the social, medical, and long-term care needs of older Americans and how best to address those needs. Focusing on ways to improve the management and coordination of care for high-need, high-cost pa-tients, many of whom are among Medicare’s oldest benefi ciaries, will be essential to meet the needs of an aging population.
Dallas
Seniorific News / March 2015 / 2 www.Seniorifi c.com
Paramedics may be fi rst line of treatment
for strokeNational Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke
There is no time to waste when it comes to stroke. Th e more time
that passes between stroke onset and treatment, the worse the outcome is for the patient. A study designed to test the benefi ts of early administra-tion of magnesium sulfate suggests that stroke patients may not have to wait until they get to the hospital for treatment — paramedics may be able to start therapy as soon as stroke is suspected.
Although the drug did not im-prove outcome in stroke patients, the study demonstrated the feasibility of early therapy in the ambulance. Th e results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and the study was funded by the National In-stitute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health.
“Th is study shows that it is pos-sible to get treatments to stroke pa-tients even before they arrive at a hospital. Because a blocked blood vessel causes brain damage over minutes to hours this pre-hospital approach to treatment is sure to be adopted and refi ned in future clini-cal research studies. Ultra-early brain salvage in stroke patients will someday surely reduce the tre-mendous burden of disability and death due to stroke,” said Walter Koroshetz, M.D., acting director of NINDS.
Jeff rey Saver, M.D., director of the University of California, Los Ange-les (UCLA) Comprehensive Stroke Center, and his colleagues developed a novel approach to conducting a stroke clinical trial. Th ey wanted to know if it was possible to shorten the time between stroke onset and treatment by having paramedics ad-minister stroke therapies as soon as stroke is suspected. In most stroke trials, patients tend to receive initial treatment after undergoing tests at a hospital, which may be hours after the stroke began.
Th e Field Administration of Stroke Th erapy-Magnesium (FAST-MAG) Phase 3 Trial was a multi-center, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study. In this study, 1,700 pa-tients who were suspected of having had a stroke were given magnesium sulfate or a placebo by paramedics within two hours of stroke onset.
Paramedics used a version of the Los Angeles Prehospital Stroke
Screen developed by the Investiga-tors to rapidly and accurately iden-tify potential stroke patients. Para-medics then contacted a neurologist via cellphone to further determine if a patient should be included in the study. After this contact, the pa-tients or their representatives pro-vided permission to the study doc-tor to participate in the trial.
Th is study indicated that patients were able to receive a study drug faster than in other stroke trials. Analysis revealed that 74.3 percent of patients received a study inter-vention within 60 minutes of stroke onset.
“Th e most important fi nding of this study was that medication could be delivered within the ‘golden hour’ of fi rst onset of stroke symptoms when there is the greatest amount of brain to save. Th at means the pre-hospital paramedic delivery of drug system that was developed in FAST-MAG could become a platform for testing additional drugs and devices in the future,” said Dr. Saver, lead au-thor of the study.
In addition to testing the new pro-tocol, the researchers wanted to see if a particular drug, magnesium sul-fate, helped improve outcomes in patients 90 days after stroke. Mag-nesium sulfate has been shown to exhibit neuroprotective eff ects in animal models of stroke.
When the researchers analyzed the drug results, they found that magnesium sulfate was not better than placebo at reducing disability following stroke.
“Unfortunately the drug we tested turned out to be ineff ective, but now there are many promising drugs and devices in the pipeline that can be tried with this novel protocol and the study has opened up a new win-dow in which the interventions are most likely to be eff ective. Th ere are several trials underway that are tak-ing elements of the FASTMAG plat-form and applying it to test promis-ing agents for neuroprotection,” said Dr. Saver.
“We believe this study represents a paradigm shift in the treatment of stroke and potentially numerous other neurological conditions,” said co-principal investigator Dr. Sidney Starkman, co-director of the UCLA Stroke Center and professor of emergency medicine and neurology at the David Geff en School of Medi-cine at UCLA.
to DFW
direct to DFW International Airport.
Have measles immunity? Check with doctor
Baylor College of Medicine
With the current measles out-break in the U.S., many adults
may be wondering about their own immunity to the disease.
Measles is a highly infectious respi-ratory illness that causes a very high fever, runny nose, cough and red, wa-tery eyes. A few days later the typical red, splotchy rash of measles devel-ops, explains Dr. Camille Leugers, as-sistant professor of family and com-munity medicine at Baylor.
Th e measles virus is one of the most contagious germs known, and while most people recover fully with-in two to three weeks, as many as 3 in 10 people with measles will develop a complication, which can be serious and even life-threatening.
Children under 5 years of age and adults over 20 are more prone to severe complications, even death, Leugers said. Th ese can range from ear infection to pneumonia and in-fl ammation of the brain, known as encephalitis.
“Fortunately, a highly eff ective vac-cine was developed in the 1960s. Th is vaccine has been part of the routine childhood immunization ever since,”
Leugers said. “Th e two recommend-ed measles vaccines are about 97 percent eff ective in preventing mea-sles in people exposed to this virus and have proven to be safe.”
Th e measles vaccine is part of a vaccine that also protects against mumps and German measles (rubel-la), and is referred to as MMR. Th is vaccine is typically given to babies at 12 to 15 months of age, and a booster dose of vaccine is given around age 4.
Adults born before 1957 are pre-sumed to be immune to measles due to childhood exposure. Most adults born after 1958 have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
“For those adults who do not have their immunization records or who have questions about their immunity to the measles virus, blood tests can help determine if they are immune,” Leugers said. “Adults who have not received one dose of MMR or a blood test documenting immunity, should receive at least one dose of MMR.”
Leugers cautions that not every adult is a candidate for MMR, so consultation with a physician is rec-ommended.
Seniorific News / March 2015 / 4 www.Seniorifi c.com
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From Techboomers.com
Have you ever wondered what your childhood friends are do-
ing for a living now? Are you looking for people with whom you can dis-cuss your interests, whether they’re just on the other side of town or half-way around the world? Or do you just want to stay in touch with chil-dren or grandchildren who might not live so close to home anymore? With Facebook, you can do all of these things and more!
Facebook is the most popular “so-cial network” on the Internet today. Basically, a “social network” is (usu-ally) a website on the Internet where you can connect with people and things that you know and like. Each social network does this in diff erent ways, but Facebook has the most features in this re-gard.
When you sign up for Facebook, it will help you fi nd people you know who already use Facebook so that you can connect with them. Maybe you send emails back and forth with them frequently. Maybe they lived in the same neighbourhood that you did when you were a kid. Maybe they went to the same school(s) that you did. Maybe you used to be cowork-ers at the same job. Whatever the link is, Facebook can fi nd it for you. In addition to connecting with peo-ple whom you know personally, you can also connect with brands and ce-lebrities you like, or groups of people who are interested in the same kinds of things that you are.
Once you’re connected with peo-ple, you can share “status updates” with them, and they can do the same for you. Status updates can contain all sorts of diff erent things: what you’re thinking, where you are, who you’re with, what you’re doing, a picture that you like, a link to a cool website, and more! If you’ve got a hi-larious joke, pictures of your grand-kids to show off to your friends, or
a link to a funny video that would make somebody’s day, Facebook lets you share them all! You can even share things that other people post on Facebook, and you can also com-ment on them and “like” them to show your appreciation!
And there’s even more to Face-book! Customize your own personal “profi le” page to let people know a little bit about you, or keep the stuff that you post private so that only cer-tain people can see it.
You can also create “events” and send invitations to your friends... or-ganizing anything from a lunch date to a card game night has never been easier!
If any of this sounds like something that would be use-ful to you, head over to Tech-boomers at www.techboomers.com/facebook. Th ere, you’ll fi nd
step-by-step video and text tutori-als on how to use Facebook from top to bottom, from creating an account to controlling who sees your posts to things like chatting and sending messages. Plus, Facebook is just one website that they can teach you how to use -- check them out!
Video tutorials and lessons online at news.seniorifi c.com/tech
Understanding Facebook
Laughing Matters
ADAM AND EVEAdam said to his wife, “Eve, I wear
the plants in this family.”ANTIQUE
An antique is an object that has made a round-trip to the garage and back.
AFTERTHOUGHTAfterthought is the tardy sense of
prudence that prompts one to try to shut his mouth about the time he has put his foot in it.
To contact Seniorifi c News - call 1-800-736-7350 5 / March 2015 / Seniorific News
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Social Security to expand fi eld offi ce hours nationwide
Social Security Administration
Social Security announces as a re-sult of Congress’ approval of the
fi scal year 2015 budget, the agency will expand its hours nationwide and offi ces will be open to the public for an additional hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Th ursdays and Fridays, ef-fective March 16, 2015. A fi eld offi ce that is usually open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. will remain open until 4:00 p.m. Offi ces will continue to close to the public at noon every Wednesday
so employees have time to complete current work and reduce backlogs.
“Th is expansion of offi ce hours re-affi rms our commitment to provid-ing the people we serve the option of top-notch, face-to-face assistance in fi eld offi ces even as we work to ex-pand online services for those who prefer that fl exibility,” said Carolyn W. Colvin, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “Th e public expects and deserves world-class customer service and thanks to approved fund-
ing, I am pleased we will continue our tradition of exceptional service.”
In recent years, Social Security reduced public offi ce hours due to congressional budget cuts, grow-ing backlogs and staffi ng losses. Th e agency began recovery in fi scal year 2014 by replacing some fi eld offi ce staffi ng losses and providing over-time support to process critical work. With the commitment of resources in fi scal year 2015, the agency is able to restore some service hours to the public.
Most Social Security business does not require a visit to a local fi eld of-fi ce. Many services, including ap-plying for retirement, disability and Medicare benefi ts, creating a my Social Security account, replacing a Medicare card, or reporting a change of address or telephone number are conveniently available anytime at www.socialsecurity.gov. Social Secu-rity also off ers assistance via a toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213 (Voice) and 1-800-325-0778 (TTY). Rep-resentatives are available from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Laughing MattersRemember Hollywood
Squares?Q. Do female frogs croak?A. Paul Lynde: If you hold their
little heads underwater long enough. Q. If you’re going to make a para-
chute jump, at least how high should you be.
A. Charley Weaver: Th ree days of steady drinking should do it.
Q. According to Cosmopolitan, if you meet a stranger at a party and you think that he is attractive, is it okay to come out and ask him if he’s married?
A. Rose Marie: No wait until morn-ing.
Q. Which of your fi ve senses tends to diminish as you get older?
A. Charley Weaver: My sense of decency.
Q. What are ‘Do It,’ ‘I Can Help,’ and ‘I Can’t Get Enough’?
A. George Gobel: I don’t know, but it’s coming from the next apartment.
Q. As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hands while talking?
A. Rose Marie: You ask me one more growing old question Peter,
and I’ll give you a gesture you’ll nev-er forget.
Q. In bowling, what’s a per-fect score?
A. Rose Marie: Ralph, the pin boy. Q. During a tornado, are you safer
in the bedroom or in the closet?A. Rose Marie: Unfortunately Pe-
ter, I’m always safe in the bedroom. Q. When you pat a dog on its head
he will wag his tail. What will a goose do?
A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark? Q. If you were pregnant for two
years, what would you give birth to?A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it
would never be afraid of the dark.Q. Back in the old days, when
Great Grandpa put horseradish on his head, what was he trying to do?
A. George Gobel: Get it in his mouth.
Q. Jackie Gleason recently re-vealed that he fi rmly believes in them and has seen actually seen them on the least two occasions. What are they?
A. Charley Weaver: His feet.
Seniorific News / March 2015 / 6 www.Seniorifi c.com
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To contact Seniorifi c News - call 1-800-736-7350 7 / March 2015 / Seniorific News
Medicare now paying primary care doctors to coordinate seniors’
chronic careBy LAURAN NEERGAARD
AP Medical Writer
Adjusting medications before someone gets sick enough to
visit the doctor. Updating outside specialists so one doctor’s prescrip-tion doesn’t interfere with another’s.
Starting this in January, Medi-care will pay primary care doctors a monthly fee to better coordinate care for the most vulnerable seniors — those with multiple chronic ill-nesses — even if they don’t have a face-to-face exam.
Th e goal is to help patients stay healthier between doctor visits, and avoid pricey hospitals and nursing homes.
“We all need care coordination. Medicare patients need it more than ever,” said Sean Cavanaugh, deputy administrator at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
About two-thirds of Medicare benefi ciaries have two or more chronic conditions, such as diabe-tes, heart disease or kidney disease. Th eir care is infamously fragmented. Th ey tend to visit numerous doctors for diff erent illnesses.
Too often, no one oversees their overall health — making sure multi-ple treatments don’t mix badly, that X-rays and other tests aren’t repeat-ed just because one doctor didn’t know another already had ordered them, and that nothing falls between the cracks.
Medicare’s new fee, which is about $40 a month per qualifi ed patient, marks a big policy shift. Usually, the program pays for services in the doctor’s offi ce.
Hoping to Spur Change“We’re hoping to spur change, get-
ting physicians to be much more willing to spend time working on the needs of these patients without necessitating the patient to come into the offi ce,” Cavanaugh told Th e Associated Press.
To earn the new fee, doctors must come up with a care plan for quali-fi ed patients, and spend time each month on such activities as coordi-nating their care with other health providers and monitoring their medications. Also, patients must have a way to reach someone with the care team who can access their health records 24 hours a day, for proper evaluation of an after-hours
complaint.Many primary care physicians al-
ready do some of that.“Quite honestly, I just didn’t get
paid for it,” said Dr. Robert Wergin, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Wergin estimates he spends about two hours a day doing such things as calling elderly patients who have a hard time visiting his offi ce in rural Milford, Nebraska.
Say someone with heart failure re-ports a little weight gain, a possible sign of fl uid buildup but not enough to make the patient call for an ap-pointment. Wergin might adjust the medication dose over the phone, and urge an in-person exam in a few days if that doesn’t solve the prob-lem.
Th e new fee could enable physi-cians to hire extra nurses or care managers to do more of that pre-ventive work, Wergin said. Patients must agree to care coordination; the fee is subject to Medicare’s standard deductible and coinsurance. Wergin plans to explain it as, “Th is is how we’re going to hopefully manage your illnesses better at home.”
Requires More WorkBut for some patients, care coordi-
nation can require a lot more work.It’s like being a quarterback, Dr.
Matthew Press wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine last summer in describing the 80 days between diagnosing a man’s liver cancer and his surgery. Th e inter-nist, while at Weill Cornell Medi-cal College, sent 32 emails and had eight phone calls with the patient’s 11 other physicians. Th at’s some-thing CMS’ Cavanaugh said a doctor in private practice would fi nd hard to squeeze in.
Th e chronic care management fee is one of multiple projects Medicare has underway in hopes of strength-ening primary care, and in turn save money. For example, about 500 practices in a demonstration project involving Medicare and pri-vate insurers are receiving monthly payments, averaging $20 a patient, to improve care management and coordination for everyone, not just those at high risk.
Stay tuned: Medicare is tracking data on quality and costs to see if the experiment is working.
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Set strong passwords. Make sure all passwords, most importantly your passwords for online banking, social media accounts and emails are diffi cult to guess.
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Seniorific News / March 2015 / 8 www.Seniorifi c.com
Could gut bacteria that help us digest beer &
bread fi ght disease, too?University of Michigan Health System
Bacteria that have evolved to help us digest the yeast that give beer
and bread their bubbles could sup-port the development of new treat-ments to help people fi ght off yeast infections and autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease, researchers report.
Th e study shows how microbes in our digestive tract have learned to unravel the diffi cult to break down complex carbohydrates that make up the yeast cell wall. It’s published by scientists from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom and the Uni-versity of Michigan Medical School.
Evolving over the 7,000 years that we have been eating fermented food and drink, the ability of a common gut bacterium called Bacteroides thetaiotomicron to degrade yeasts is almost exclusively found in the hu-man gut.
Publishing their fi ndings in Nature, the international research team says the discovery of this process could accelerate the development of prebi-otic medicines to help people suff er-ing from bowel problems and auto-immune diseases.
Th e study, led by Harry Gilbert, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry at Newcastle University; Eric Martens, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan’s Department of Microbiology and Im-munology, and Wade Abbott, Ph.D., research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, has identifi ed the complex machinery that targets yeast carbohydrates.
Unique Intestinal BacteriaTh e new fi ndings provide a better
understanding of how our unique intestinal soup of bacteria — termed the microbiome — has the capacity to obtain nutrients from our high-ly varied diet. Th e results suggest yeast has health benefi ts possibly by increasing the Bacteroides growth in the microbiome.
Involving an international team of scientists from the United King-dom, Australia, Canada, United States and Belgium, the research has unraveled the mechanism by which B. thetaiotaomicron has learned to feast upon diffi cult to break down complex carbohydrates called yeast mannans.
Mannans, derived from the yeast cell wall, are a component in our diet from fermented foods includ-ing bread, beer, wine and soy sauce,
as well as yeasts that call the micro-biome home and are in some cases thought to be harmful.
“One of the big surprises in this study was that B. thetaiotaomicron is so specifi cally tuned to recognize the complex carbohydrates pres-ent in yeasts, such as those present in beer, wine and bread,” says Mar-tens, assistant professor in the U-M Medical School’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology.
Researchers believed this mecha-nism emanated from the ability of common gut bacteria to recycle chemically similar carbohydrates present on intestinal cells, which are constantly being shed and renewed to keep the intestinal lining healthy.
Smarter Bacteria“However, these bacteria turned
out to be smarter than we thought: they recognize and degrade both groups of carbohydrates, but have entirely separate strategies to do so despite the substantial chemi-cal similarity between the host and yeast carbohydrates,” Martens says. “Even the relatively small amounts of yeast that we commonly con-sume in foods are enough to impact the physiology of our friendly gut bacteria.”
Th e U-M team tested this idea by feeding mice studied at U-M labo-ratories a diet consisting of 50 per-cent yeast leavened bread baked at the nationally known Zingerman’s Bakehouse in Ann Arbor. Bake-house bread crumbs were used to create a customized mouse food. By working with an artisanal bakery, researchers were able to confi rm the quantity of yeast consumed.
“People are very interested in developing dietary regimes where good bacteria are of benefi t,” says Gilbert, senior study author. “When you have certain bacteria dominant in the gut these microorganisms can produce molecules which have health-promoting eff ects.
Developing Probiotics“Th e more you understand about
how complex glycans are degraded the more you can think about devel-oping sophisticated prebiotics that target the growth of specifi c benefi -cial bacteria,” he says.
It is hoped the research could aid a better understanding of how to provide nutrients to specifi c organ-isms in the microbiome.
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Infections most
common cause of
readmissions after surgery
By LINDSEY TANNERAP Medical Writer
New research says the most com-mon reason why many surgery
patients go back to the hospital is in-fections around the incision.
Symptoms typically show up sev-eral days after patients go home.
Th e study of almost 350 hospitals also found that readmission rates vary widely by surgery.
Th e highest unexpected readmis-sion rate in the study was almost 15%, for artery disease patients who had surgery to reroute blood fl ow in the legs.
Th e study’s lead author says to avoid re-hospitalization and danger-ous complications, patients should seek treatment at the earliest sign of an infection. Th at may include red-ness or swelling.
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To contact Seniorifi c News - call 1-800-736-7350 9 / March 2015 / Seniorific News
IRS taking steps to try to protect against identity theft
By CAROLE FELDMANAssociated Press
Rejected.A notice from the Internal
Revenue Service saying your return won’t be accepted might be your fi rst clue that your identity has been sto-len.
“Th e IRS recognizes the fi rst re-turn submitted under a Social Secu-rity number, and usually the identity theft is identifi ed when the second return is fi led” under that same num-ber, said Mark Luscombe, principal federal tax analyst for Wolters Klu-wer Tax & Accounting, US.
Another clue might be an IRS no-tice saying you have unreported in-come. Th at could happen if someone steals your Social Security number and gives it to an employer to avoid being taxed on earned wages. You get the tax bill instead.
Identity theft could lead to long de-lays in getting your refund or bigger tax bills for unreported income.
“Tax refund fraud associated with identity theft (IDT) continues to be an evolving threat, one that imposes a serious fi nancial and emotional toll on honest taxpayers and threatens the integrity of the tax administra-tion system,” the Government Ac-countability Offi ce said in a report in August.
More than 236,000 tax returns processed last year were deemed fraudulent because of identity theft, and nearly $1.2 billion in refunds from those fraudulent returns were blocked, according to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Adminis-tration.
Th e number of identity-theft re-turns is down signifi cantly from 2012, and the IG said in a report last fall that new fi lters the IRS put in place to identify the crime may be re-sponsible.
“Th e IRS is investing in that area,” said Bob Meighan, vice president of consumer advocacy for TurboTax.
“People have to have confi dence that the returns that they fi le are pro-tected and secure,” he said.
Th e IRS is providing identity-theft victims with a personal identifi cation number to prove who they are when fi ling tax returns.
In 2014, more than 1.2 million of these identity-protection PINs were issued by the agency, up from 770,000 the previous year.
Th e agency also has more than doubled the number of workers as-signed to identity-theft cases since
2011, to about 3,000 in 2014, accord-ing to the GAO.
Beginning this year, the number of refunds direct-deposited to a single account is limited to three, another attempt to reduce identity theft. “Th e fourth and subsequent refunds auto-matically will convert to a paper re-fund check and be mailed to the tax-payer,” the IRS said.
National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson wants the agency to do more.
She has called identity theft “an invasive crime that can have a trau-matic emotional impact.” She said early last year that she has called on the IRS to designate a single point of contact, someone who can provide “sensitive, holistic assistance” to an identity-theft victim.
Kathy Pickering, executive director of the Tax Institute at H&R Block, says prevention is the best defense. Don’t give out your Social Security number or your date of birth, she says.
Th e IRS also advises people to pro-tect their personal computers and Internet accounts, check their credit reports and avoid giving out personal information over the phone, espe-
Carrying the heavy weight of
a nameSave Texas History Program
March 15, 1856. Fort Mason. An Army court-martial has con-
vened to consider charges against Captain Charles Edward Travis, the son of Alamo defender William Bar-ret Travis.
Since the Alamo, Charles has struggled to escape his father’s leg-end. He briefl y served in the legisla-ture, and then joined the cavalry in 1855.
After bragging about beating another offi cer at cards, Travis is charged with slander and arrested. At the trial, many testify including fort commander Robert E. Lee.
A month later, Travis is convicted and discharged. He dies in 1860 at age 31.
Charles Travis faced dishonor 159 years ago, this month in Texas his-tory.
Learn more at savetexashistory.org or call 800-998-4GLO.
cially if you didn’t initiate the call.And beware of phishing attempts
— online or over the phone — that seek access to your personal infor-mation.
“Th e IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or fi nancial information,” the agency said. “Th is includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social me-dia channels.”
If you get a notice from the IRS that leads you to believe you are an identity-theft victim, the IRS says you should respond immediately. Th e fi rst step, the agency says, is to complete an Identity Th eft Aff adavit, Form 14039. It’s available at www.irs.gov, and should be fi lled out and mailed or faxed according to the in-structions provided.
If the issue remains unresolved, taxpayers should contact the Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1-800-908-4490.
Online:IRS Identity Th eft Page: http://
www.irs.gov/uac/Taxpayer-Guide-to-Identity-Th eft
Seniorific News / March 2015 / 10 www.Seniorifi c.com
Happy th birthdayBy Bob Moos
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
The day you thought would never come is almost here. Your 65th
birthday approaches. Wasn’t it just yesterday you were listening to your transistor radio and wondering what to do with your life?
But this is no time for reminisc-ing. For the moment, you need to fo-cus on your future. In particular, you need to think about your health care and how you’ll pay for it.
You’re probably aware that you qualify for Medicare at 65. But, to be honest, you have lots of questions about how it works, right? Let’s start by going over 10 essential facts about Medicare.
If you don’t already get Social Se-curity, you’ll have to apply for Medi-care benefi ts. You can sign up from about three months before you turn 65 until about three months after-ward. Social Security will help you enroll – including online, if you’d like. Visit socialsecurity.gov or call 1-800-772-1213.
Meet your enrollment deadline or pay a penalty. Sign up at 65 if you don’t have insurance from your or your spouse’s current employer. Af-ter 65, you should enroll within eight months of quitting work. Otherwise, you could be penalized in the form of permanently higher premiums when you do sign up.
Medicare isn’t free; it comes with costs. Like other insurance, you pay premiums each month and then a deductible, plus co-payments or co-insurance, when you receive care. You may be able to avoid some of those costs if you qualify for a low-income program or purchase supple-mental insurance.
Medicare doesn’t cover everything. Th ere are some services Medicare won’t help pay for, such as routine dental or eye care, dentures and hearing aids. Also, some people mis-takenly believe that Medicare covers long-term custodial care in a nurs-ing home or assisted-living center. It doesn’t.
Poor health won’t aff ect your Medicare coverage. You can’t be de-
nied health care coverage or charged higher premiums because of a cur-rent or previous health condition. If you’re eligible for Medicare, you re-ceive full benefi ts regardless of any medical problems -- and at the same cost as everyone else.
You may qualify for help with your drug expenses. If you’re on a tight budget, you may get help paying for the premiums, deductible and co-payments in your Medicare drug plan. Visit socialsecurity.gov or call 1-800-772-1213. Also, ask whether you qualify for help with other Medi-care costs.
You can buy private insurance to bolster your Medicare coverage. Because Medicare usually pays for most, but not all, of your health care costs, you may want to shop for ad-ditional coverage sold by private in-surers. You can join a Medicare Ad-vantage plan or buy supplemental “Medigap” coverage.
Higher-income Americans pay higher Medicare premiums. Most people with Medicare pay $104.90 per month for their Part B medical insurance, but individuals with annu-al incomes higher than $85,000 (and married couples with yearly incomes above $170,000) will pay a surcharge on top of that amount.
Medicare is emphasizing preven-tive care. Medicare now covers a number of screenings and preven-tive services, like mammograms and colonoscopies, at no cost to you. You’re also entitled to a “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit your fi rst year and an annual wellness visit af-ter that – again, at no cost.
You have a right to appeal. If you disagree with a coverage or payment decision made by Medicare or a Medicare health plan, you can fi le an appeal. If you think your health may be hurt by waiting for a ruling, you can ask for a fast decision. To learn more about the process, visit medi-care.gov/appeals.
All 10 of these essential facts about Medicare are described in more de-tail in the “Medicare and You 2105” handbook. You can download a free copy at medicare.gov or request one by calling 1-800-633-4227.
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Bed rest research aims to prevent muscle loss
Brain recalls old memories via new pathways
Texas A&M University Newswire
Staying in bed for a few days sounds like a vacation for most; for hospi-
tal patients, though, extended stays in bed can be problematic and even dangerous. But thanks to volunteers at Texas A&M University who stayed in bed for 10 days straight, research-ers may fi nd ways to make bed rest safer.
Th e study, conducted at Texas A&M’s Center for Translational Research in Aging and Longevity (CTRAL), required participants Lin-da Salitros and Don Burns to lie fl at in hospital-like beds — no standing, no sitting, no getting up even to go to the bathroom (they were taken by wheelchair).
CTRAL is a program that engages in ongoing, collaborative translation-al research on nutrition, exercise and metabolism related to aging and the common diseases associated with ag-ing.
In the bed rest study, CTRAL re-searchers are studying what happens to the bodies of older adults who face extended time in bed, similar to what may happen after surgery or injury.
According to center director Dr.
National Institute of Mental Health
People with anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD), often experience prolonged and exaggerated fearfulness. Now, an animal study suggests that this might involve disruption of a gradual shift-ing of brain circuitry for retrieving fear memories. Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have dis-covered in rats that an old fear memory is recalled by a separate brain pathway from the one originally used to recall it when it was fresh.
After rats were conditioned to fear a tone associated with a mild shock, their overt behavior remained unchanged over time, but the pathway engaged in remembering the traumatic event took a detour, perhaps increasing its staying power.
“While our memories feel constant across time, the neural pathways sup-porting them actually change with time,” explained Gregory Quirk, Ph.D., of the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, in San Juan, a grantee of NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). “Uncovering new path-ways for old memories could change
Nicolaas Deutz, this research is de-signed to see what types of treat-ments can be made available to pre-vent muscle loss.
Th e human frame was made for upright movement against the earth’s gravity, Deutz explains, and when muscles aren’t used, they begin to grow weak. As a result, atrophy — the wasting away of cells that forms muscles — takes place.
Deutz says strength can decrease around 25% after only a week of bed rest. Th e process to build muscle back to previous levels can take longer than the wasting away, he says, mak-ing bodies prone to falls and injury.
“If we can stop the muscle loss in older adults during a stay at the hos-pital or when you are sick at home with specifi c nutritional supple-ments, you will be healthy sooner,” Deutz says.
During the 10-day stay, a strict menu was upheld and the partici-pants were weighed every third day. Compression hoses were placed on their legs to prevent blood clots.
Both participants say they hope their time in CTRAL will help make the lives of older adults better.
scientists’ view of post-traumatic stress disorder, in which fearful events occur months or years prior to the onset of symptoms.”
A research team led by Quirk and Fa-bricio Do-Monte, D.V.M., Ph.D., report-ed on their fi ndings January 19, 2015, in the journal Nature.
Immediately after fear conditioning, a circuit running from the prefrontal cortex, the executive hub, to part of the amygdala, the fear hub, was engaged to retrieve the memory. But several days later, Quirk and colleagues discovered that retrieval had migrated to a diff er-ent circuit — from the prefrontal cortex to an area in the thalamus, called the paraventricular region (PVT). Th e PVT, in turn, communicates with a diff erent central part of the amygdala that or-chestrates fear learning and expression.
Th e Quirk team spotted the moving memory using a genetic/laser technique called optogenetics, which can activate or silence specifi c pathways to tease apart their workings.
Th e researchers say that the PVT may serve to integrate fear with other adap-tive responses, such as stress, thereby strengthening the fear memory.
To contact Seniorifi c News - call 1-800-736-7350 11 / March 2015 / Seniorific News
Updated reverse mortgage guide: two things you should know
By Nora Dowd EisenhowerConsumer Financial Protection Bureau
More and more homeowners are considering tapping their home
equity as they approach retirement age. Getting a reverse mortgage is one way that some older homeowners can do that.
Reverse mortgages are a special type of home equity loan sold to home-owners aged 62 years and older, which are repaid when the borrowers sell the home, move out, or die. It’s a compli-cated type of loan that works best for homeowners who carefully consider all of their options.
On March 2, some rules for reverse mortgages will change.
Things to consider
Before borrowing, seniors and their families should consider:
Th e cost of homeowners’ insurance and taxes
Plans for staying in the home or leaving it to family members
Plans for dependents or others liv-ing in the home
Alternatives to reverse mortgages
Because some important things about reverse mortgages have changed recently, we’ve updated our guide to reverse mortgages.
First-year payout limits
One of these changes limits the amount of money you can draw from your loan in the fi rst year. Borrow-ers often get into trouble by taking a lump-sum payment early on. It may feel great to get a big payment up front, but borrowers can outlive this money – which spells fi nancial trouble for borrowers who live longer lives.
Th is limit encourages borrowers to make their money last longer. Borrow-ers can still take out lump-sum single payments – but this is still a risky choice. Borrowers should strongly consider the monthly payment or line of credit options before choosing to get a lump-sum. Th ese options pro-vide more long-term security than lump-sum payments.
Protections for non-borrowing spouses
Another important change is for couples considering a reverse mort-gage. In the past, couples who took out a reverse mortgage loan in the name of only one spouse ran into trouble when the borrowing spouse passed away. When a borrower died, the “non-bor-rowing spouse” had to pay back the re-verse mortgage or move out.
Many surviving spouses were sur-prised to learn this, and lost their homes. With recent changes, a non-borrowing spouse may be able con-tinue to live in the home under certain conditions, even after the spouse who signed the loan passes away. However, the non-borrowing spouse will still stop receiving money from the reverse mortgage after his or her spouse dies.
For couples considering a reverse mortgage, borrowing together makes more sense. If both spouses sign the reverse mortgage, then the surviv-ing spouse can continue to receive monthly payments or use an existing line of credit. It also ensures that a surviving spouse may live in the home
after his or her spouse (co-borrower) dies.
Th ese changes help protect reverse mortgage borrowers, but make no mistake—reverse mortgages are still not right for everyone and can be risky and expensive. If you’re considering a reverse mortgage, get the information you need to make an informed deci-
sion and give yourself time to weigh your options.
Check out our guide to reverse mortgages for older homeowners and their families.
http://news.seniorific.com/rever-seguide
Do You Have Tingling, Burning, Numbness in Your Feet or Hands? Loss of Balance? Restless Legs?
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Thinking About Change?
ApartmentsApartments__2100 Memorial, Houston__2100 Memorial, Houston
__Aspens at Central Park, Grand Prairie __Aspens at Central Park, Grand Prairie
__Bridgemoor at Denton, Denton__Bridgemoor at Denton, Denton
__Buena Vista, Cleburne__Buena Vista, Cleburne
__Camden Royal Oaks, Houston__Camden Royal Oaks, Houston
__Carver Plaza, Abilene__Carver Plaza, Abilene
__Casa, Fort Worth__Casa, Fort Worth
__Casa, Stephenville__Casa, Stephenville
__Casa de Oro, Corpus Christi__Casa de Oro, Corpus Christi
__Catherine Booth, Fort Worth__Catherine Booth, Fort Worth
__Cimmaron, Corpus Christi__Cimmaron, Corpus Christi
__Cobblestone Manor, Fort Worth__Cobblestone Manor, Fort Worth
__Deer Springs, Humble__Deer Springs, Humble
__Fairfi eld Creek Estates, Cypress__Fairfi eld Creek Estates, Cypress
__Fountainview, Waco__Fountainview, Waco
__French Quarter, Austin__French Quarter, Austin
__Gatewood, Dallas__Gatewood, Dallas
__Greenfi eld Residences, Arlington__Greenfi eld Residences, Arlington
__Hamptons at Green Ridge, Tyler__Hamptons at Green Ridge, Tyler
__Hometowne, Missouri City__Hometowne, Missouri City
__Hometowne, Garland__Hometowne, Garland
__Hometowne at Tomba ll, Tomball__Hometowne at Tomba ll, Tomball
__Hometowne on Bellfort, Houston__Hometowne on Bellfort, Houston
__Hudson Manor, Hudson (Lufkin)__Hudson Manor, Hudson (Lufkin)
__Knightsbridge, Humble__Knightsbridge, Humble
__Lake Haven, Kemah (Houston)__Lake Haven, Kemah (Houston)
__Lake View, Tyler__Lake View, Tyler
__La Vista, San Marcos__La Vista, San Marcos
__Lodge at Silverdale, Conroe__Lodge at Silverdale, Conroe
__Lovett Manor, Houston__Lovett Manor, Houston
__Meadows Place, Staff ord__Meadows Place, Staff ord
__McDermott Crossing, Plano__McDermott Crossing, Plano
__Midcrown Pavilion, San Antonio__Midcrown Pavilion, San Antonio
__Nuestro Hogar, Arlington__Nuestro Hogar, Arlington
__Oak Haven, The Woodlands__Oak Haven, The Woodlands
__Oak Timbers, White Settlement__Oak Timbers, White Settlement
__Palms,Harlingen__Palms,Harlingen
__Park Manor, Irving__Park Manor, Irving
__Park Shadows, Houston__Park Shadows, Houston
__Parkway Senior, Pasadena__Parkway Senior, Pasadena
__Pepper Tree Manor, Houston__Pepper Tree Manor, Houston
__Regency in the Forest, Woodlands__Regency in the Forest, Woodlands
__Shady Creek, Baytown__Shady Creek, Baytown
__Sol, San Antonio__Sol, San Antonio
__Spring Creek Village, Spring__Spring Creek Village, Spring
__Sterling Court, Houston__Sterling Court, Houston
__Stone Brook, San Marcos__Stone Brook, San Marcos
__Stone Ranch, Killeen__Stone Ranch, Killeen
__Sunningdale,Shenandoah/Woodlands__Sunningdale,Shenandoah/Woodlands
__Tremont, Killeen__Tremont, Killeen
__Veranda, Killeen__Veranda, Killeen
__Village at Collinwood, Austin__Village at Collinwood, Austin
__Wildfl ower Terrace, Austin__Wildfl ower Terrace, Austin
__William Booth, Tyler__William Booth, Tyler
__William Booth, Waco__William Booth, Waco
__Woodside Manor, Conroe__Woodside Manor, Conroe
Retirement Retirement CommunitiesCommunities
__Arabella, Athens, Kilgore, __Arabella, Athens, Kilgore, Longview, TylerLongview, Tyler
__Brook Ridge, Pharr__Brook Ridge, Pharr
__Carriage Inn, Conroe__Carriage Inn, Conroe
__Carriage Inn, Huntsville__Carriage Inn, Huntsville
__Carriage Inn, Katy__Carriage Inn, Katy
__Carriage Inn, Lake Jackson__Carriage Inn, Lake Jackson
__Christian Care Centers, Mesquite__Christian Care Centers, Mesquite
__Clairmont, Austin__Clairmont, Austin
__Continental, Austin__Continental, Austin
__Cottonwood Estates, Plano__Cottonwood Estates, Plano
__Country Club Retirement, Whitney__Country Club Retirement, Whitney
__El Dorado, Richardson__El Dorado, Richardson
__Grand Parkway, Katy__Grand Parkway, Katy
__Heritage Village, McAllen__Heritage Village, McAllen
__Heritage Village Residences, Hurst__Heritage Village Residences, Hurst
__Harbor Place, Corpus Christi__Harbor Place, Corpus Christi
__Lakewood Village, Fort Worth__Lakewood Village, Fort Worth
__Lindberg Parc, Fort Worth__Lindberg Parc, Fort Worth
__Newforest Estates, San Antonio__Newforest Estates, San Antonio
__Oyster Creek Manor, Missouri City__Oyster Creek Manor, Missouri City
__Palms, Harlingen__Palms, Harlingen
__Parkwood, Bedford__Parkwood, Bedford
__Providence Park, Waco__Providence Park, Waco
__Providence Place, Katy__Providence Place, Katy
__Stilwell, Waco__Stilwell, Waco
__Stonegate, Lewisville__Stonegate, Lewisville
__Village on the Heights, Houston__Village on the Heights, Houston
__Village on the Park, Austin__Village on the Park, Austin
__Village on the Park, Friendswood__Village on the Park, Friendswood
__Village on the Park, Houston__Village on the Park, Houston
__Watercrest at Kingwood, Kingwood__Watercrest at Kingwood, Kingwood
__Watercrest at SugarLand, SugarLand__Watercrest at SugarLand, SugarLand
Single Family HomesSingle Family Homes__Del Webb Sun City, Georgetown__Del Webb Sun City, Georgetown
Manufactured Manufactured HousingHousing
__Oak Ranch, Del Valle (Austin)__Oak Ranch, Del Valle (Austin)
Assisted Living & Memory Care
__Alameda Oaks, Corpus Christi__Alameda Oaks, Corpus Christi
__Brookdale Lohmans Crossing, Austin__Brookdale Lohmans Crossing, Austin
__Cinco Ranch, Katy (Houston)__Cinco Ranch, Katy (Houston)
__Cornerstone Gardens, Temple__Cornerstone Gardens, Temple
__Gardens at Brook Ridge, Pharr__Gardens at Brook Ridge, Pharr
__Hacienda Oaks, New Braunfels__Hacienda Oaks, New Braunfels
__Hamptons, Tyler__Hamptons, Tyler
__Heartis, Cleburne & Fort Worth & Keller__Heartis, Cleburne & Fort Worth & Keller
__Hidden Hills, Georgetown__Hidden Hills, Georgetown
__Luvida Memory Care, Belton__Luvida Memory Care, Belton
__Oxford Glen, Grand Prairie & Sachse__Oxford Glen, Grand Prairie & Sachse
__Pathway, Houston__Pathway, Houston
__Pelican Bay, Beaumont__Pelican Bay, Beaumont
__Providence Park, Waco__Providence Park, Waco
__Round Rock Assisted Living,Round Rock__Round Rock Assisted Living,Round Rock
__Srs Assisted Living Locator, DFW__Srs Assisted Living Locator, DFW
__Spring Creek Village., Cypress__Spring Creek Village., Cypress
__Stoney Brook, Hewitt__Stoney Brook, Hewitt
__Treviso, Longview__Treviso, Longview
__US Memory Care, Colleyville__US Memory Care, Colleyville
__Valley Mills Nursing, Valley Mills__Valley Mills Nursing, Valley Mills
Home Care__Kingsbrook Senior Care, Fort Worth__Kingsbrook Senior Care, Fort Worth
__Preferred Care at Home, Austin, __Preferred Care at Home, Austin,
__Providence, Waco__Providence, Waco
__Rescare, Fort Worth & DFW Midcities__Rescare, Fort Worth & DFW Midcities
__Visiting Angels, New Braunfels__Visiting Angels, New Braunfels
Home Improvement__Alamo Handyman, San Antonio__Alamo Handyman, San Antonio
__FDR Custom Enclosures, San Antono__FDR Custom Enclosures, San Antono
If you would like more information concerning any of these options across Texas, just check the ones you need and send it to SENIORifi c NEWS. We will have those communities contact you.
Mail it to P.O.Box 23307, Waco, Tx 76702, or e-mail your request to Thinking@Seniorifi c.com
If you would like more information concerning any
of these options across Texas, just check the ones you need
and send it to SENIORifi c NEWS. We will have those communities contact you.
Mail it to P.O.Box 23307, Waco, Tx 76702,
or e-mail your request to Thinking@Seniorifi c.com
Include name, address and phone number for
quicker response.
To contact Seniorifi c News - call 1-800-736-7350 13 / March 2015 / Seniorific News
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Apartments__2100 Memorial, Houston
__Aspens at Central Park, Grand Prairie
__Bridgemoor at Denton, Denton
__Buena Vista, Cleburne
__Camden Royal Oaks, Houston
__Carver Plaza, Abilene
__Casa, Fort Worth
__Casa, Stephenville
__Casa de Oro, Corpus Christi
__Catherine Booth, Fort Worth
__Cimmaron, Corpus Christi
__Cobblestone Manor, Fort Worth
__Deer Springs, Humble
__Fairfi eld Creek Estates, Cypress
__Fountainview, Waco
__French Quarter, Austin
__Gatewood, Dallas
__Greenfi eld Residences, Arlington
__Hamptons at Green Ridge, Tyler
__Hometowne, Missouri City
__Hometowne, Garland
__Hometowne at Tomba ll, Tomball
__Hometowne on Bellfort, Houston
__Hudson Manor, Hudson (Lufkin)
__Knightsbridge, Humble
__Lake Haven, Kemah (Houston)
__Lake View, Tyler
__La Vista, San Marcos
__Lodge at Silverdale, Conroe
__Lovett Manor, Houston
__Meadows Place, Staff ord
__McDermott Crossing, Plano
__Midcrown Pavilion, San Antonio
__Nuestro Hogar, Arlington
__Oak Haven, The Woodlands
__Oak Timbers, White Settlement
__Palms,Harlingen
__Park Manor, Irving
__Park Shadows, Houston
__Parkway Senior, Pasadena
__Pepper Tree Manor, Houston
__Regency in the Forest, Woodlands
__Shady Creek, Baytown
__Sol, San Antonio
__Spring Creek Village, Spring
__Sterling Court, Houston
__Stone Brook, San Marcos
__Stone Ranch, Killeen
__Sunningdale,Shenandoah/Woodlands
__Tremont, Killeen
__Veranda, Killeen
__Village at Collinwood, Austin
__Wildfl ower Terrace, Austin
__William Booth, Tyler
__William Booth, Waco
__Woodside Manor, Conroe
Retirement Communities
__Arabella, Athens, Kilgore, Longview, Tyler
__Brook Ridge, Pharr
__Carriage Inn, Conroe
__Carriage Inn, Huntsville
__Carriage Inn, Katy
__Carriage Inn, Lake Jackson
__Christian Care Centers, Mesquite
__Clairmont, Austin
__Continental, Austin
__Cottonwood Estates, Plano
__Country Club Retirement, Whitney
__El Dorado, Richardson
__Grand Parkway, Katy
__Heritage Village, McAllen
__Heritage Village Residences, Hurst
__Harbor Place, Corpus Christi
__Lakewood Village, Fort Worth
__Lindberg Parc, Fort Worth
__Newforest Estates, San Antonio
__Oyster Creek Manor, Missouri City
__Palms, Harlingen
__Parkwood, Bedford
__Providence Park, Waco
__Providence Place, Katy
__Stilwell, Waco
__Stonegate, Lewisville
__Village on the Heights, Houston
__Village on the Park, Austin
__Village on the Park, Friendswood
__Village on the Park, Houston
__Watercrest at Kingwood, Kingwood
__Watercrest at SugarLand, SugarLand
Single Family Homes__Del Webb Sun City, Georgetown
Manufactured Housing
__Oak Ranch, Del Valle (Austin)
__Alameda Oaks, Corpus Christi
__Brookdale Lohmans Crossing, Austin
__Cinco Ranch, Katy (Houston)
__Cornerstone Gardens, Temple
__Gardens at Brook Ridge, Pharr
__Hacienda Oaks, New Braunfels
__Hamptons, Tyler
__Heartis, Cleburne & Fort Worth & Keller
__Hidden Hills, Georgetown
__Luvida Memory Care, Belton
__Oxford Glen, Grand Prairie & Sachse
__Pathway, Houston
__Pelican Bay, Beaumont
__Providence Park, Waco
__Round Rock Assisted Living,Round Rock
__Srs Assisted Living Locator, DFW
__Spring Creek Village., Cypress
__Stoney Brook, Hewitt
__Treviso, Longview
__US Memory Care, Colleyville
__Valley Mills Nursing, Valley Mills
__Kingsbrook Senior Care, Fort Worth
__Preferred Care at Home, Austin,
__Providence, Waco
__Rescare, Fort Worth & DFW Midcities
__Visiting Angels, New Braunfels
__Alamo Handyman, San Antonio
__FDR Custom Enclosures, San Antono
Seniorific News / March 2015 / 14 www.Seniorifi c.com
Laughing MattersChurch bulletin bloopers
from a reader• Your attendance is needed at
the Council Meeting fi ght after the church service.
• In November, Mr. Parks passed out and explained the budget for the upcoming year.
• We invite everyone to our church, no matter what their demo-nination.
• Th e Church will assist by serving a luncheon for the families of church members who died immediately fol-lowing the funeral.
• Th e minister asks that a group be organized to wash the church wid-ows.
• Come join us in our 3rd Annual Goof Outing.
• When parking on the north side of the church, please remember to park on an angel.
• Child Care provided with reser-vations.
• Proceeds of the Church Charity Drive will go to disable Veterans.
• Would the congregation please note that the bowl in the back of the church labeled “For the Sick” is for monetary donations only.
• Volunteers are needed to spit up food for distribution following the Restaurant Supply Show at the Expo Center.
Better outcomes for treating deadly heart-
related illnessBaylor College of Medicine
The illness known as non-valvu-lar atrial fi brillation has seri-
ous consequences but these can be managed. However, for years, the only treatments to reduce the risk of stroke, had side eff ects such as intra-cranial and/or gastrointestinal bleed-ing. Novel drugs are now being used and showing safer outcomes.
A group of researchers, including some from Baylor College of Medi-cine, reviewed more than 27,000 pa-tients’ outcomes after being treated with this drug, providing additional supportive and valuable safety data on major bleeding and related out-comes in routine clinical practice.
Th e fi ndings appear in Clinical Cardiology.
Non-valvular atrial fi brillation is the most common cardiac arrhyth-mia. It can cause heart failure, stroke, poor mental health, reduced quality of life and death.
“Non-valvular atrial fi brillation can have severe outcomes, and the lim-ited treatments we had contain their own set of side eff ects that can also be deadly,” said Dr. W. Frank Pea-cock, professor of emergency medi-cine and research director at Ben Taub Hospital. “We were basically trading a probable outcome of stroke or death for a less certain outcome of death due to internal bleeding. Th e newer drugs we are using to treat this disorder have been shown to be safer,
but still have similar side eff ects albe-it at lower rates, so we need to keep evaluating to fi nd the most eff ective use.”
Peacock and his colleagues re-viewed 27,467 patient records from the U.S. Department of Defense who had received rivaroxaban. Th ey found that less 2 percent of people experienced major bleeding events with the majority of those being gas-trointestinal and not the more seri-ous intracranial type. Out of those who did suff er major bleeding, less than 3 percent ended in death. With past treatments such as warfarin, much higher numbers of patients would have suff ered intracranial bleeding with a higher chance of dy-ing.
“Overall, there was a low rate of bleeding events Th e majority of bleeding events were gastrointesti-nal, which is less deadly than intra-cranial bleeding, therefore the mor-tality rate was low,” Peacock said.
Peacock added that with past drugs there were also lifestyle restrictions that are not needed when taking ri-varoxaban.
Peacock added that these results were consistent with past studies but continued review of patient out-comes helps doctors weigh the ben-efi ts of certain types of treatments, learn who is most at risk for side ef-fects, and allows them to educate the patient on all options.
Booths Available!Call 817-312-4503
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10th Annual Spring Job
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Blood transfusions during heart surgery increase
risk of pneumoniaUniversity of Michigan Health System
Patients who receive red blood cell transfusions during coronary ar-
tery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery are at an increased risk of developing pneumonia, according to an abstract released at the 51st Annual Meeting of Th e Society of Th oracic Surgeons.
“Pneumonia is a known risk fol-lowing CABG surgery, and develop-ing it has been shown to signifi cantly increase a patient’s risk of morbid-ity and mortality,” says study leader Donald S. Likosky, Ph.D. “Previous research has shown that one in every 20 CABG patients develop a major infection, with pneumonia being the most common type of infection.”
“Patients should receive red blood cell transfusions based on clinical need,” Likosky adds. “Surgical teams may have opportunities to reduce the need for transfusions among pa-tients, thereby reducing the risk of secondary complications.”
Likosky and colleagues examined data on 16,182 patients who under-went CABG surgery between 2011 and 2013 at any of the 33 hospitals
participating in the Michigan Society of Th oracic and Cardiovascular Sur-geons Quality Collaborative.
Among participants in the study group, 6,451 (39.9%) received red blood cell transfusions and 576 (3.6%) developed pneumonia.
Results showed that patients re-ceiving one or two units of red blood cells had double the odds of develop-ing pneumonia compared to patients not receiving transfusion, while those who received six units or more of red blood cells had 14-fold increased odds of developing pneumonia. Th e dose-dependent relationship was consistent across clinical subgroups and was not aff ected by other blood products, such as platelets.
“Th e ability to store and transfuse blood is one of medicine’s greatest accomplishments, but we are con-tinuing to see that receiving a blood transfusion may alter a patient’s abil-ity to fi ght infection,” says James R. Edgerton, M.D., medical director of the Heart Arrythmia Center at Bay-lor Healthcare System, who was not affi liated with the study.
To contact Seniorifi c News - call 1-800-736-7350 15 / March 2015 / Seniorific News
Every year BBB off ers thousands of tips for consumers to help
them fi nd a business they can trust.With more than 30 million busi-
nesses operating in the U.S. and Can-ada, people are overwhelmed with choices. BBB helps people fi nd and recommend business, brands and charities they can trust.
Consumer TipsDo your research. Always check
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Keep your computer safe. If you haven’t already done so, install anti-virus software on your computer and check regularly for software and op-erating system updates and patches. Don’t open attachments or click on links in emails unless you can con-fi rm the email came from someone you trust. Always log out of Internet sites you are not using.
Give wisely. Most philanthropists give year-round. To ensure your time, treasure and talents are going
Laughing MattersRemember these from back then?
From a reader1. After the Lone Ranger saved the
day and rode off into the sunset, the grateful citizens would ask, “Who was that masked man?” Invariably, someone would answer,
“I don’t know, but he left this behind.” What did he leave be-hind?________________.”
2. When the Beatles fi rst came to the U.S. .In early 1964, we all watched them on Th e ______Show.
3’ Get your kicks, ______’
4. ‘Th e story you are about to see is true. Th e names have been changed to ______’
5. In the jungle, the mighty jungle, ______’
6. After the Twist, Th e Mashed Potato, and the Watusi, we ‘danced’ under a stick that was lowered as low as we could go in a dance called the ‘______’
7. Nestle’s makes the very best … ______’
8.. Satchmo was America ‘s ‘Am-bassador of Goodwill.’
Our parents shared this great jazz trumpet player with us. His name was ______
9. What takes a licking and keeps on ticking? ______
10. Red Skeleton’s hobo character was named ______and Red always ended his television show by saying, ‘Good Night, and ‘______’
11. Some Americans who protest-ed the Vietnam War did so by burn-ing their ______
12. Th e cute little car with the en-gine in the back and the trunk in the front was called the VW. What other names did it go by? ______ or ______.
13. In 1971, singer Don MacLean sang a song about, ‘the day the mu-sic died.’
Th is was a tribute to ______
14. We can remember the fi rst sat-ellite placed into orbit. Th e Russians did it.
It was called ______
15. One of the big fads of the late 50’s and 60’s was a large plastic ring that we twirled around our waist. It was called the ______
ANSWERS :01. A silver bullet.02. Th e Ed Sullivan Show03. On Route 6604. To protect the innocent.05. Th e Lion Sleeps Tonight06. Th e limbo07. Chocolate08. Louis Armstrong09.Th e Timex watch10. Freddy, Th e Freeloader and
‘Good Night and God Bless.’11. Draft cards (Bras were also
burned.)12. Beetle or Bug13. Buddy Holly14. Sputnik15. Hoola-hoop
Better Business Bureau’s top consumer tips for
to the cause you’re looking to sup-port, research all charities at give.org to check their BBB charity review and to see how their monetary dona-tions are distributed.
Get everything in writing. Don’t just take a company’s word for it. Get every agreement in writing to limit miscommunication and misunder-standings between what you expect and what the business delivers.
Limit information shared on social media pages. Scammers use social media sites to gather information on potential victims. Avoid sharing
too much personal information and check your privacy settings. Addi-tionally, never announce through a social media site that you are going out of town, or won’t be home for a specifi ed amount of time.
Never wire money to someone you don’t know. Many scams require money to be wired back to the scam-mers. Tracking money sent via a money-wiring service is almost im-possible.
Let your BBB help. If you have an issue with a business or feel you have been scammed, fi le a complaint with your BBB.
Study looks at eff ect of diet on prostate cancerBaylor College of Medicine
Recent studies suggest that nu-trients found primarily in veg-
etables and fruits can help lower the risk of prostate cancer and possibly slow its development, and those diets higher in these foods and lower in fat and meat may provide some protec-tive benefi t against the disease or its progression.
A clinical study called MEAL (Th e Men’s Eating and Living (MEAL) Study: A Randomized Trial of Diet to Alter Disease) is assessing whether a diet-based intervention to increase vegetable and fruit consumption can slow disease progression, and im-prove the quality of life for men with low-grade prostate cancer who are under active surveillance. Men are typically off ered the option to un-dergo active surveillance if they meet very specifi c criteria, including the presence of a small low-grade tumor in their prostate.
If there is a larger tumor in the prostate and/or the disease is of higher grade, then these men will likely be off ered active treatment with surgery or radiation.
Th e active surveillance approach
involves careful and close monitor-ing, and can postpone the side eff ects of active treatment, or even avoid those undesirable side eff ects. Th at is achieved by regular prostate exams and blood tests, and periodic biop-sies.
With this approach, active treat-ment is not begun until the disease shows signs of growth or progres-sion, and still allows the doctors and their teams to treat the disease while it is still in an early curative state.
Patients who enroll in the MEAL study are randomized either to a group that receives telephone-based dietary counseling and structured di-etary education, or to a control group who receives a booklet on nutrition, exercise, and prostate cancer, but no ongoing dietary counseling.
Men randomized to the interven-tion group on the MEAL study re-ceive structured, individualized, one-on-one counseling achieved via half-hour telephone calls over a period of 24 months. Th e goal is to help them change their dietary patterns and to incorporate at least seven servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit daily.
Seniorific News / March 2015 / 16 www.Seniorifi c.com
March isEye Wellness
Month
Call to schedule an appointmentto improve your vision
