Meet Our CSA Spotlight – Alan Wyngarden
With a passion for serving the senior community, Alan Wyngarden’s ideas turned into reality, with the opening of two memory-care assisted living homes and co-founding Universal Senior Living, a senior-based web resource for seniors and their families. Read his story.

http://www.csa.us/email/spirit/ssarticles/0612CSASpotlight.html

I think what drew me to want to serve the senior community was when I started thinking about how the end of my father’s life played out and the fact that my mom was aging through the process as well. When I began to think of the specific needs and requests of my father as his time drew nearer to the end, and the needs of my mom both during and after his passing, I decided to start exploring the senior market to see where I might be able to fit in and help.

About 24 months ago I took a deep look into the market and laid out plans to open a small boutique memory care assisted living home called Applewood Our House, which is located in Golden, Colorado. I had no idea at the time that it would become so meaningful and that it would impact everyone, staff and family alike, at such a heart felt level. I am in the process now of opening a second one in Lakewood.

At the end of 2011 with plans already in the work for Applewood we also began the journey into developing a web based resource for seniors and their families so that they could have a “one stop shop” to go to as a resource to help them navigate through the challenges associated with aging – which is www.UniversalSeniorLiving.com.

We wanted seniors to be able to go through the changes of aging while being able to maintain their dignity, and to give families a resource to help put them at ease when they entered a time when all of the “knowns” about their loved ones had suddenly become “unknowns”. We also wanted to provide a way to give other small businesses who serve seniors a way to get infront of them, so there is an aspect to the site that also helps these small business owners.

Getting our CSA designations and the knowledge gained through their course has been extremely valuable. I know that our relationship with the CSA organization itself as well as with individual CSA’s across the country will be invaluable as I continue to try and find ways to serve this very special population of people.

Oldest Couple on Record to Marry
Getting married in their 90s, this couple finds true love and sets a world record. Read their story.

http://www.csa.us/email/spirit/ssarticles/0612SeniorSpotlight.html

A 98-year-old retired Brooklyn veterinarian, Allan Marks, and his 95-year-old girlfriend, Lillian Hartley, appear to have set a new record as the oldest couple to marry.

They were dressed casually for the ceremony at a California county clerk’s office, but both were very happy.

“I love you,” Marks told his bride as they embraced.

Hartley responded with the same sentiment, but it’s not clear if her new husband could actually hear her because his hearing aid was on the blink.

After the quick two-minute wedding ceremony, they had lunch at a nearby International House of Pancakes. The newlyweds then returned to their Palm Springs condo where the new bride helped her groom adjust his hearing aid.

“I don’t know what will happen,” Lillian told The Desert Sun newspaper in Palm Springs. “I want to be together for all eternity, and I’m not taking any chances. We’re the Romeo and Juliet of senior citizens.”

“We celebrate every day,” she said. “I might go to Swiss Donut and have one of the nice donuts.”

Although it still needs to be verified, their marriage appears to have broken the Guinness World Record for oldest combined age of a couple on their wedding day, the paper reported. The Marks’ have lived a combined 193 years, eight months and five days. That would break a record previously held by a French couple – he was 96, she was 94 – who married in 2002. When told their marriage could be a record-breaker, Lillian laughed once more. “Oh, I’m impressed with myself,” she said.

A Boston widow, Lillian said she fell for the smooth-talking widower 18 years ago when he complimented her dress after a Yom Kippur service at a Palm Springs synagogue.

Lillian said she told him it was “just an old rag.” But she knew then that “he got me.” “I’m not deeply religious, but I just think it was meant to be,” she said. “I didn’t want a relationship. I enjoyed my freedom.”

But after that fateful day, the couple began “living together in sin,” she said with a grin. Together, they made regular trips to Cancun, tuned in to watch Los Angeles Lakers games and continued attending temple.

“We’re not what you would call couch potatoes,” Lillian told The Desert Sun.

Between them, the Marks’ have seven adult children, 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

And by getting married on February 29 during a leap year, they’ve managed to thumb their noses at time – their first wedding anniversary isn’t until 2016.

Adapted from an article in the New York Daily News.

Guinness World Records: “Oldest Living Yoga Teacher” and “Oldest Living Female Competitive BodyBuilder”
Age really is nothing but a number! Guinness World Records proves that statement to be nothing but true, by the recent rewarding of two extraordinary senior women, 93-year-old Tao Porchon-Lynch and 77-year-old Edith Wilma Connor. Check these two amazing women out!

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2012/5/celebrating-two-awe-inspiring-women-in-honor-of-mothers-day-41628/

GWR Recognizes Mother’s Day With the Oldest Female Competitive Bodybuilder and Oldest Living Yoga Teacher

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2012/5/celebrating-two-awe-inspiring-women-in-honor-of-mothers-day-41628/

Proving that age is nothing but a number, two remarkable women have been recognized by Guinness World Records for their amazing feats.

77-year-old Edith Wilma Connor from Denver, Colorado is the Oldest Female Competitive Bodybuilder, while 93-year-old Tao Porchon-Lynch from White Plains, NY is the Oldest Living Yoga Teacher.
Great-grandmother Edith Wilma Connor started pursuing fitness in her late sixties.

Along with her husband, she ran a data entry company where the ten-hour days stuck stagnant at her desk began to severely deplete her of energy.

Edith then decided to begin a gym routine along with her eldest son, in which she described the euphoric feeling of bodybuilding as her “salvation”.
She entered her first competition on her 65th birthday when she won first place at the Grand Masters in Las Vegas. The win motivated her to pursue a career as a certified personal trainer with emphasis on training the mature body.
Edith works out a minimum of three times per week and does not strictly “diet” but prefers to follow nutritional guidelines that she’s developed over time for her body.

Her advice to other mature women interested in weight training: “Start with setting reasonable goals and educating yourself on what foods cause an increase in body fat. Remove the word ‘diet’ from your vocabulary.”
While her husband of 57 years passed last year, he lived long enough to see Edith pursue her Guinness World Records title.

Weight training now runs in her family. As the mother of three sons, grandmother of seven, and great-grandmother of six, Edith has encouraged the entire brood  live a health conscious life.
On the other end of the spectrum, the new Oldest Living Yoga Instructor, Tao Porchon-Lynch has 400 students she considers her own children.
Her interest in yoga stems from her childhood. At eight years old, she observed a group of young boys practicing yoga on the beach in her hometown of Pondicherry (a French colony on India on the Bay of Bengal).

“As a child with a zest for physical activity, I wanted to do the amazing things that they were doing with their bodies,” she explains.
Initially working as a cabaret dancer in London during the war, she became a model in Paris after winning the contest for the ‘best legs in Europe.’

Lever Brothers eventually sponsored her travel to the US. In 1950, she worked at MGM as a starlet and later pursued an acting career, followed by script-writing and documentary producing.
At age 73, she embraced her passion for yoga, making it her primary career after the death of her husband, Bill Lynch.

She currently teaches yoga classes four days a week at the JCC midWestchester in New York where she briefs her students on everything from vinyasanas to meditation exercises to vegetarianism.
Her other hobbies include ballroom dancing, writing (both yoga articles and her autobiography) and leading wine travel tours in Southern New York.
Commenting on her unique talent, Tao says: “I believe that we can always reach just a little bit further. I’m inspired to bring yoga into others’ lives along with helping people unearth new talents”.

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2012/5/celebrating-two-awe-inspiring-women-in-honor-of-mothers-day-41628/

Brain Exercises Reduce Senior Drivers’ Crash Risk
Seniors are a statistical risk for accidents on the road because of physical limitations. However, they can also reduce their accident-risk rate by 50 percent from brain stimulation and enhanced knowledge about the road. Click here to view article.

http://www.csa.us/email/spirit/ssarticles/0612Lifestyle.html

By the year 2020, it’s estimated there will be 40 million drivers age 65 and over on roads in the United States, which is triple the number of drivers in that age group today (www.aaa.com). As people age, they tend to change their driving habits as physical capabilities are compromised. The senior may avoid highways and drive when the roads are less busy. Even so, statistics show that seniors are still at an increased risk for being involved in a multi-vehicle accident, most often at intersections. However, reputable organizations offer driving-skill assessments for seniors and provide educational programs that can help seniors hone their driving abilities, activate their brains, and keep them safer and on the roads for longer.

Why seniors are at risk for driving dangerously

Signs that a senior driver needs some exposure to safer driving techniques include multiple close calls, tickets or collisions; difficulty in noticing peripheral objects like pedestrians, signage or other vehicles; and a noticeable decline in physical abilities. Because seniors tend to be on more medications, they need to be aware of medications that can impair their driving. Some medications cause drowsiness or decrease the ability to react to and focus on what is on the road.

Also, the body becomes less flexible as it ages, so turning the head and neck can become increasingly difficult with age, making lane changes that much harder. Vision acuity is also affected and decreases with age. Eyes do not focus as quickly to changing circumstances on the road. Peripheral vision narrows with age, making the senior less able to see the entire scope of the roadway. Overall response times to events on the road are not as quick as they used to be.

Because seniors have been driving for many decades, they may resist the notion that they need to be educated on driving. However, a lot has changed since they learned to drive. Cars are more automated and computerized, road signs that did not exist before may be confusing to the driver, and roadways themselves are wider and faster. These updates can all provide opportunities for distraction. Combine that with the physical limitations the senior is experiencing, and accidents are more likely to occur. Even seniors who have not shown signs of being at risk can benefit from becoming more familiar with the new aspects of driving.

The link between brain stimulation and better driving

Brain-stimulating activities have proven to greatly reduce the likelihood that seniors will have an accident, by as much as 50 percent. Software programs and simulators can help seniors assess their abilities and work toward improving their skills for safer driving.

DriveSharp is a software program that is clinically proven to cut crash risk in half. The program helps drivers exercise their brains, and the goal each session is to quicken the response time to what they see on the road. DriveSharp measures the participant’s current crash risk and then provides the user with guidance about how to improve. Experts recommend doing the DriveSharp exercises for at least 10 hours to receive the most beneficial brainpower-boosting results and the most significant crash-reduction risk. The program is offered through a partnership with the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and Posit Science.

Driver safety course for seniors

Seniors who participate in safe driving courses can also reduce the risk of being involved in an accident. Seniors may be eligible for reduced insurance premiums upon completion of a safe driving course. Check with the insurance company for details. While many courses exist through state agencies, universities and private companies, it is useful to know that AARP and AAA offer quality programs as well.

AARP offers a driver safety course that teaches the rules of the road, defensive driving, dealing with your vehicle in today’s challenging driving environment, and managing age-related changes in vision, hearing and reaction time.

The curriculum includes:

• How to minimize the effects of dangerous blind spots
• How to maintain the proper following distance behind another car
• The safest ways to change lanes and make turns at busy intersections
• Proper use of safety belts, air bags, anti-lock brakes and new technologies used in cars
• Ways to monitor your own and others’ driving skills and capabilities
• The effects of medications on driving
• The importance of eliminating distractions such as eating, smoking and cell-phone use

After completing the course, participants receive a certificate of completion that can be presented to auto insurance companies for a possible reduction in auto insurance premiums. The AARP Driver Safety website is a great resource for senior drivers.

AAA has devoted an entire website to senior driving. It is loaded with information and tools for seniors and caregivers who have concerns or questions about senior driving issues. Another AAA offering is the Senior Driver Expo, sponsored by local AAA clubs. It tours the country to help seniors and their adult children deal with senior driving and mobility challenges. The Senior Driver Expo will offer a hands-on opportunity to sample AAA’s suite of research-based senior driver resources.

Attendees have access to tools that can help assess and improve driving skills, reduce driving risks and foster dialogue between adult children and their senior parents about driving issues. Families can take a test drive of several AAA senior driver safety products and tools on display, including:

• AAA Roadwise Review – A computer-based screening tool that allows users to measure the functional abilities scientifically linked to crash risk among older drivers.
• CarFit – A community-based program that offers older adults the opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles “fit” them for maximum comfort and safety.
• Smart Features for Mature Drivers – A guide that identifies vehicle features that can assist drivers with the visual, physical and mental changes that are frequently encountered as they age.

For information on upcoming events, contact your local AAA Club.

Seniors have the opportunity to greatly diminish their chances of having an accident by voluntarily getting educated about new driving issues and strengthening their bodies and their minds. Programs that evaluate and educate the senior driver are readily available, both online and in a classroom through reputable organizations. Ultimately, seniors will be able to keep their keys in hand and remain independent longer if their driving skills are safe and their knowledge is up-to-date about the roadways.

Seven Tips for Senior Driver Safety

Source: Mayo Clinic

1. Stay physically active – Physical activity improves strength and flexibility, enhancing the ability to turn the head and look for traffic, and to react in driving situations.
2. Schedule regular vision and hearing tests – Impaired vision and hearing can be a concern for older drivers. Doctors can help remedy compromises in vision and hearing that will keep the senior safer on the road.
3. Manage any chronic conditions – Chronic conditions, such as diabetes or seizures, can be a deterrent to safe driving. A doctor can give instructions for managing the condition and staying safer while driving.
4. Understand limitations – Consider physical limitations and make any necessary adjustments. Make changes to your automobile, or purchase a vehicle with special features such as larger mirrors, automatic windows and simpler dashboards.
5. Drive under optimal conditions – Drive during the daytime, in good weather, on quiet roads and in familiar areas. Also, be sure to get behind the wheel when you are fully alert and not tired or distracted.
6. Plan ahead / know the route to the destination – Call ahead for directions if necessary.
7. Update your driving skills – Consider taking a refresher course for older drivers to become a safer driver.

Optimize Your Social Security Benefits
While the future of Social Security itself is in question, individuals can still find ways to make the most of the benefits they receive. Consider these methods of increasing Social Security benefits. Click here to view article.

http://www.csa.us/email/spirit/ssarticles/0612Money.html

No doubt, Social Security gets a lot of press, and much of it can lead people to believe that the future of the program is out of their hands. While that may be true in some respects, individuals do actually have some control when it comes to making decisions that determine how to get the most from the Social Security check they will receive.

Why Social Security will feel the pinch

The Social Security program pays benefits for retirement income, disability income, and death and survivorship in the sum of hundreds of billions of dollars per year (www.ssa.gov). The amount of income a person receives from Social Security is based on the average income earned over the person’s lifetime. Spouses who had limited employment income, or none at all, are also eligible for benefits through their working spouse.

The payroll taxes collected from a person’s paycheck funds the program. The federal government and the Federal Reserve Board manage the money that is put into the Social Security Trust Fund. Payments made to beneficiaries today are made from monies collected by the people in the workforce today. Therefore, one of the threats that Social Security faces is when the number of retirees exceeds the number of people in the workforce, because not as much money will accumulate in the fund. The amount of money available may not be enough to pay Social Security benefits.

This will occur as the baby-boomer generation continues to age into the Social Security window of eligibility, which is age 62 to 67. The generation that follows the baby-boomer generation is fewer in number, yet it will be supporting the baby boomer’s Social Security benefits. Longer life expectancies also play a part in this. People are living longer and therefore remaining on Social Security longer than previous generations. This situation will diminish the fund as well.

Taking action to optimize Social Security benefits

Politicians will continue to determine how to manage the situation created by the discrepancy between the number of people in the workforce versus the number of retirees. However, individuals do have some decision-making power as to how Social Security will best support them during retirement and how to get the most out of the program. The U.S. Social Security Administration is the source of thorough information about Social Security. Their website, www.ssa.gov, offers information about the program and an avenue for applying online.

• Earn as much as you can. Social Security benefits are determined from a person’s 35 highest-earning years. That figure is then used to calculate a primary insurance amount, which is what an individual gets if benefits are initiated at the normal retirement age. Normal retirement age is shown in the Social Security Administration’s chart below.

  Normal Retirement Age

  Year of birth
  Age

  1937 & prior
  65

  1938
  65 and 2 months

  1939
  65 and 4 months

  1940
  65 and 6 months

  1941
  65 and 8 months

  1942
  65 and 10 months

  1943-54
  66

  1955
  66 and 2 months

  1956
  66 and 4 months

  1657
  66 and 6 months

  1958
  66 and 6 months

  1959
  66 and 10 months

  1960 and later
  67

  Source: U.S. Social Security Administration

• Delay taking Social Security benefits. The U.S. Social Security Administration’s chart shows how benefit rates are affected by waiting to take benefits. Benefits are increased if a person delays retirement beyond normal retirement age.

  
  Source: U.S. Social Security Administration

  Generally, Social Security uses a formula based on the primary insurance amount, or PIA. If you wait to start receiving Social Security until your full retirement age (FRA), you get 100 percent of your PIA. If you take it at 62, when you first become eligible, you get only 75 percent. But if you wait until age 70, you get 132 percent of the PIA.

  It is important to note that while a person may not choose to apply for Social Security benefits until after age 65, he or she must still enroll in Medicare. Medicare is a separate program, and penalties can be assessed if a person does not enroll at age 65.

• Review the spousal benefit option. If one spouse files for Social Security, the other receives the spousal benefit amount. The spouse who receives the spousal benefit amount delays filing for their own Social Security benefit for as long as possible, and therefore the amount of that benefit is greater once it is taken.
• Pay attention to the work rules. A person can be employed and also receive Social Security. If a person is younger than full retirement age and earns more than $14,640 for all of 2012, $1 is deducted from the benefit for each $2 earned above the $14,640. If a person is full retirement age or older, he or she may keep all of the benefits regardless of how much is earned.

  www.Reuters.com and Steve Goss, chief actuary of the Social Security Administration, say, “Social Security is not in imminent danger of running out of money, but it faces a financial crunch a bit further out – around 2035. That is when Social Security’s Trust Fund is projected to be exhausted due to the drawdown of benefits by the baby-boom generation. At that point, the program would have sufficient tax revenue to pay only about 76 percent of promised benefits.” Therefore, while the future of Social Security appears to be steady but also in decline, individuals of any age can start planning and implementing a plan for garnering the most out of their Social Security benefits.