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Entry bubble When Grandma's in Charge

By: Nancy | September 04, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

This Sunday is the 30th annual National Grandparents Day. I kind of figured it was a holiday invented by the greeting card companies and florists. But to my shame, it's real. It was started by a West Virginia lady named Marian McQuade, who wanted to draw the younger and older generations closer together.

As I was looking into what government resources there were online for grandparents, I was shocked by a set of statistics from the US Census Bureau: 2.4 million grandparents are their grandchildren's main caregivers and providers. And a majority of those grandparents are under the age of 55. If you're involved in raising or caring for your grandkids or other young relatives in your home, the government has lots of information to help.

grandma

You know from bringing up your own children: kids are expensive! If you're financially responsible for your grandkids, check out these tips for making the most of the tax credits you're entitled to if your grandchildren are your dependents. Find out how to pay for their health care and how to be sure they're properly immunized.

If you have young grandkids in your home, childproofing's a must, as is making sure, when you go out, that car seats are the right size and are installed correctly.

USA.gov's Grandparents Raising Grandchildren section is full of even more links from around the government and other sources you can trust, like AARP, for help on everything from finding childcare options to making sure the toys you give your grandkids are safe to helping them as they adjust to moving in with you or your moving in with them.

Got a minute to get sentimental? I'd love to hear some stories about your grandparents or your grandkids. Brag on them a little—what makes your "grands" so grand to you?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [3] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: children   grandparents   health   insurance   money   nancy  

 

Entry bubble Ragweed Allergy Season – Achoo!

By: Joanne | August 19, 2008 | Category: Health

a mid adult man sneezing into tissue

It’s mid-August and my nose is running. Once again I face my nemesis…ragweed. Ambrosia trifida L., also known as great ragweed, is the species of ragweed that grows (abundantly) near me in Pennsylvania. It’s estimated that one ragweed plant can produce up to 1 billion pollen grains each wafting on the breeze directly towards my nose.

Apart from poison ivy, I’m lucky to be a person that doesn’t suffer from many allergies. But I’m allergic to ragweed, and every year my reaction seems a bit worse than the last. There are a few things you can do to minimize your suffering like stay indoors with the windows closed and the air conditioning on, but those types of solutions never appeal to me so I’ve been looking for other ways to manage my allergy symptoms.

Last year I was dependent on an over-the-counter allergy medication for the entire ragweed season. I didn’t like that. This year I’m trying nasal irrigation, which is simply a method of rinsing away the pollen in your sinuses. It feels like a strange thing to do, but I’ve found that it’s so effective that I’m now devoted to my neti pot. As ragweed season progresses we’ll see how my experiment goes. Yesterday I was working in the garden, clearing away big ragweed plants and I had to take some allergy medication, but I’m hoping that on normal days I’ll be able to do without.

If you have ragweed, there are a few things you can do to control the growth, but they say that the pollen can travel over 100 miles on the air, so it’s almost impossible for many of us to eliminate our exposure.

I’m really going to ask for one of those garden flame throwers for Christmas. I think it’s my only hope! Anyone have additional advice for allergy sufferers?

| View Comments [2] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: allergy   health   joanne   ragweed  

 

Entry bubble Time for a Physical

By: Jim | July 07, 2008 | Category: Health

Doctor and Patient

Why is it so many us take better care of our cars than our own bodies? My birthday is  coming up, which got me thinking that I'm long overdue for a physical, at least according to the NIH's guidelines. I realize that part of the reason I've been putting off a visit to the doctor is because I'm convinced he's going to tell me to make some lifestyle changes. Another part of it is my denial about my cancer risk. Considering my family history, I can't continue to ignore my risk any longer.

Determined to face my fear of Dr. Goldfinger and the dreaded DRE, I've started researching men's health-related information on USA.gov to get ready for my visit. A search of "men's health" came up with quite a bit of information, some a little surprising. For example, a quarter of men older than 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. I also found an easy to use checklist that outlines some of the screening tests folks should get when they get a physical.

As the owner of a bathroom scale that gets used once in a blue moon, a not so surprising fact surfaced when I used the body mass indicator on the CDC's website. It revealed that I'm nearing the obese range. Obesity is another risk factor for cancer and contributes to other health issues.

I realize that I can't necessarily control whatever potential genetic predisposition I may have for getting cancer. However, I can do something about my weight and my diet. As a guy who can be labeled borderline lazy, does anybody out there have any tips on how I can work some physical activity into my routine, without having to sign up for a gym membership which I probably wouldn't use?

| View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cancer   health   jim   obesity   physical  

 

Entry bubble Girl Power!

By: Nancy | June 26, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

I'm sitting here eyeing the last couple Thin Mints left from the three boxes of Girl Scout cookies I bought from my eight-year-old friend, Alyssa. I know, three boxes? But hey, I was a Girl Scout back in the day and I wanted to pass along to Alyssa that sense of accomplishment I used to feel when people bought an armload of boxes from me.

If you have a special girl in your life, here are some links to self esteem-building web sites for girls from Kids.gov and around the web.

girls around computer

From the US Department of Health and Human Services, GirlsHealth.gov features physical and mental health information for girls 10-16 year old to help them understand what they're physically and emotionally going through during this time of change in their lives. There's information on everything from the maturing process to getting in shape in a safe way to managing family relationships.

Being strong physically starts with building strong bones. The "Powerful Bones. Powerful Girls." campaign shows girls in a fun way why mom always says "Drink your milk!" and "Go outside and play!"

GirlPower.gov may have that 'old school website' look, but it also has a variety of helpful resources for girls including activity books and sections on more serious issues, like understanding eating disorders and coping with a parent's drinking problems.

Engineer Girl from the National Academy of Engineering introduces girls to the creative world of engineering through stories of discoveries and achievements by women working in the areas of space, medicine, the environment and communications.

The "Campaign for Real Beauty's" girls section offers lots of opportunities for girls to discover the beauty of being unique and real. One very striking part of this site is the interactive photo quiz. Can you tell which glamour shots have been retouched and which are real?

And circling back to those purveyors of Thin Mints, the Girl Scouts have activity sites for five to twelve year olds and for 11 to 17 year olds. They're full of games, lifestyle tips and feature stories any girl—a scout or not—would enjoy.

Let’s swap links. What are you daughter’s, granddaughter’s, niece’s or neighbor’s favorite websites for kids?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [10] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: daughter   girls   health   nancy   scouts  

 

Entry bubble Resources for Seniors and Caregivers

By: Nancy | May 29, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

May is Older Americans Month. And while there are just a couple more days left in the month, as far as I'm concerned, people age 65 or better are worth honoring every day.

If you or someone you care about is in this age group, the information in USA.gov's Senior Citizens' Resources section can help make your life--and your loved one's--a little easier.

seniors picnickingAs time goes by, everybody thinks more about health. The Health for Seniors section is full of great resources to help in understanding Medicare's prescription drug coverage plan; dealing with changes in sleeping habits as you get older; and recognizing and managing depression. You can also use the drug interaction lookup page to find out how your medications, food and alcohol affect one another.

Money's important--especially when you’re on a fixed income. The Money and Taxes for Seniors section can help you with everything from creating or updating your will and estate plan to checking to see if, as a Social Security recipient, you're entitled to an economic stimulus payment this year.

Most people want to stay in their homes as long as possible as they age. See the Housing for Seniors section to find out how to make safety and other lifestyle modifications and to learn how to prevent falls around the house.

Seniors are common targets for scams. The Consumer Protection for Seniors section links to important resources like the Consumer Action Website to help you avoid getting swindled and learn how to fight for your rights as a consumer, and the Administration on Aging's Elder Rights and Resources page to help with legal assistance and advice.

Use the Education, Jobs and Volunteering for Seniors section to find out how using your years of experience and wisdom can help change your community or the world as you volunteer locally with Senior Corps, internationally with the Peace Corps or as you work for a company that values mature workers.

And if you're helping a senior family member or friend, use the Caregivers' Resources section to find out about respite and home health care agency options. Learn about providing long distance caregiving and getting support for yourself as you care for your loved one.

As a senior or a caregiver, what are some of the best resources you’ve found online to make your life easier?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [2] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: health   money   nancy   safety   senior   taxes  

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