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Odds & Ends for Senior Citizens
Gov. Palin May Want to Reconsider Dividing U.S. into
Good and Bad: Red States Lead in Suicide and Murder
Can’t divide good and bad by senior citizen
populations – 2004 reds dominate large and small states
Oct. 21, 2008 - Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican
vice presidential nominee, may be shocked to learn that of the ten
states with the highest suicide rates, nine are red states that
supported President George Bush in 2004. This list even includes her
home state of Alaska and Sen. John McCain’s home state of Arizona. She
may want to rethink her suggestion that some parts of the nation are
less American than others after seeing these facts.
Read more...
How to Deal with Cranky Senior Citizens is Topic of
Online Discussion
Be aware that many things in society are not easy for
elderly citizens, says wikihow.com
By Tucker Sutherland,
editor & publisher
Sept.
8, 2008 – Just to get your blood pumping, we want to provide you a link
to a Website that is trying to educate their readers on “How to Deal
with a Cranky Senior Citizen.” They also have a discussion going on the
topic and we thought many of our readers may want to join in.
Read more...
Odds & Ends for Senior Citizens
Obesity and Depression May be Chicken-or-Egg
Conundrum
The treatment of depression and obesity should be
integrated
June 3, 2008 – Millions of older Americans battle
obesity and depression but new research suggest it is one of those
chicken-or-egg type of things - or, maybe more like a Catch 22. People who are obese appear to be more
likely to become depressed, and people who are depressed are more likely
to become obese.
Read more...
Memory Tip for Senior Citizens: Convert it to Fewer
Syllables
Prices
remembered more easily if they have
fewer syllables, study finds
June 22, 2006 – Most senior citizens wrestle with
their memory and worry about losing it. Now some researchers have come
up with an idea that may just help – reduce the syllables in what you
want to remember. Read more...
Lung Cancer Surgery No More Dangerous for Senior
Citizens Than Others
March 21, 2006 - Lung cancer patients should not be
denied surgery based on their age, concluded UAB researchers Robert J.
Cerfolio, M.D., and Ayesha S. Bryant, M.D., in a study of 726 patients with
non-small cell lung cancer.
Researchers compared morbidity, mortality and long-term
survival rates among different age groups, including patients younger than
age 70, those between 70 and 74, 75 and 79, and 80 and older.
They found no significant difference in hospital length
of stay, major morbidity or death rates during surgery between the elderly
groups and the younger control groups. “Short-term risks and long-term
survival are similar to younger patients,” Bryant said. The award winning
study was presented at the 2006 Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ meeting in
Chicago.
Three Millions Seniors Seek Food Assistance
Feb. 23, 2006 – There are three million senior citizens
among more than 25 million Americans --including nearly 9 million children –
that receive emergency food assistance each year from America's Second
Harvest -- The Nation's Food Bank Network of charitable agencies. This is an
8 percent increase since 2001, according to a report released today.
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Maybe Senior
Memories Not That Bad
A new study by Ipsos Insight says
those past retirement age are better at identifying brand names than
younger Americans, despite the marketing focus on Baby Boomers. |
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Hunger in America 2006, based on 52,000 face-to-face
interviews with people seeking emergency food assistance and more than
30,000 agency surveys, is the largest, most-comprehensive study ever
conducted on domestic hunger. The study was commissioned by the America's
Second Harvest Network and sponsored by Altria.
About 70 percent of the clients seeking emergency food
assistance are living below the federal poverty line, and nearly 40 percent
have at least one adult working in their household. Seventy percent of
clients are living in food insecure households-not knowing where they will
find their next meal-and 33 percent of those clients reported experiencing
hunger - that is, being completely without a source of food. About 39
percent are white; 38 percent are black; and 17 percent are Hispanic.
For more information on Hunger in America 2006, please
visit
http://www.hungerinamerica.org.
Pennsylvania Seniors No Longer Receive Reduced
Unemployment Pay
Dec. 17, 2005 – As senior citizens live longer
healthier lives and struggle to keep up with the cost of health care and
energy, more are going back to work. It is making big changes in this
country as demonstrated clearly by a law signed yesterday by
Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell that changes unemployment
compensation rules to now longer deduct Social Security from the
unemployment checks paid to senior citizens.
Read more...
Spirits High at Irish Nursing Home that Provides a
Pub
Nov. 17, 2005 – An Irish hospital may have moved a
big step forward in reducing the dread many senior citizens have about
moving into a nursing home. St. Mary’s Hospital in County Monaghan
provides a bar for its elderly patients and their guests. It helps
attract more visitors for the residents, too.
Go to the rest of the
story for link to interview with the Irish nurse...
Lucky Senior, 92, Wins Multi-Million Jackpot - Twice
Sept. 16, 2005 - Early Thursday evening, Elmer Sherwin,
92, eyed a Megabucks machine at the Cannery Casino & Hotel in North Las
Vegas with a feeling it might be lucky. It was. It paid off in a way few can
imagine when he became the first person in the history of Megabucks to win
the top award twice. The $21,147,947 jackpot comes 16 years after his first
Megabucks top jackpot of $4.6 million at the Mirage in 1989.
With this jackpot, Sherwin will make a second donation
to the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and continue to share with his
family, including his son and daughter-in-law in Las Vegas. The lucky winner
just could not resist surprising his family with the win. He planned to let
them hear of his jackpot on the news. "I want to see the looks on their
faces when they hear," said Sherwin.
Couple
Who Parted on Wrong Assumption, To Marry After 60 Years
Sept. 6,
2005 – Sometimes you just should not jump to conclusions. A couple who
thought each had stood the other up on a date did not meet again for 58
years but now they are about to marry.
George
Thompson and Beryl Brace, both aged 76, first met when they were 18.
Following a
series of dates they agreed to meet at the cinema - but there was a mix-up
over which cinema they were supposed to go to and they both ended up
thinking they had been stood up.
The pair
met again in April 2005 when they moved into their new sheltered
accommodation at Bridge Court in Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, U.K.
Although
George didn’t recognize Beryl at first, they hit it off again decided that
they weren’t going to miss out a second time and agreed to marry.
The happy
couple is going to be married on September 24 at Wolverhampton Registry
Office.
Lung Cancer Different in
Men and Women
Aug. 11, 2005 – Lung cancer, the number one killer of
both men and women, but the disease is different in the sexes. It is
important to note these differences says the Society for Women’s Health
Research.
“Nonsmoking women are more likely than nonsmoking men
to develop lung cancer. Environmental factors other than smoke play a role
in the development of lung cancer in nonsmoking women. The small amount of
research available suggests that, when exposed to an environmental
carcinogen, nonsmoking women are more susceptible to DNA damage than
nonsmoking men. We clearly need more research into these differences so that
we can reduce the cancer rate and some day find a cure,” say Sherry Marts of
the Society.
The Society is at the forefront of encouraging expanded
research on lung cancer, which develops differently in women and men.
Current research is insufficient to understand the extent and nature of
those differences or apply them to improved care for all patients.
A 2003 Society meeting identified important sex
differences in the genetics and basic biology of lung cancer; described sex
differences in response to environmental and chemical toxins that can lead
to lung cancer; and distinguished sex differences in smoking-related
behaviors and the implication of those differences for prevention and
treatment of lung cancer. A report on the meeting, “Sex Differences in Lung
Cancer: From Genes to Behavior,” is available on the Society’s Web site –
Click Here.
The Society’s Web site also features extensive
information on health differences between women and men in lung cancer and
smoking –
Click for lung cancer or
Click for smoking.
A June 2005 public opinion survey commissioned by the
Society showed that breast cancer is the disease that women most fear,
despite the fact that lung cancer kills more women. More information on the
survey is available by
clicking here.
Heart Bypass Surgery 82.5
Higher in U.S. Than in Canada
July 11, 2005 – Now let’s see – you can have coronary
bypass graft surgery in the U.S. or you can have it in Canada. The outcomes
are the same, but, it cost you 82.5 percent more to have it done in the U.S.
The cost? An average of $20,673 in the U.S. vs. $10,373 in Canada.
The difference in total in-hospital costs is almost
equally attributable to differences in direct and overhead costs between the
Canadian and U.S. hospitals. This cost differential primarily reflects
higher resource prices for products and labor and higher overhead costs in
the United States, resulting from a non-socialized medical system, say
authors of the new study.
However, U.S. hospitals also appear to streamline
services better to reduce hospitalization. The authors say it is a strategy
Canadian hospitals might emulate. In Canada, hospitalization is 16.8 percent
longer than in the United States.
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of illness
and death in both countries, with an estimated direct cost in the U.S. of
$209.3 billion in 2003, including $94.1 billion in in-hospital costs alone.
The report is in the July 11 issue of Archives of
Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
What Is The Deadliest
Disease In The World?
June 27, 2005 - According to the estimates in The World
Health Report 2004, by the UN’s World Health Organization, there were 57
million deaths in the world in 2002. The broad category of all "noncommunicable
diseases" killed 33.5 million people; communicable diseases, maternal and
perinatal conditions, and nutritional conditions killed 18.3 million people
worldwide; and external causes of injuries killed 5.2 million people.
The results of ranking the leading causes of death are
subject to the “cause categories” used. The broader the cause categories
used, the more likely they will rank among the top leading causes of death.
When broken apart, the following are the leading causes
of death:
No. |
Cause |
Deaths (in millions) |
% of deaths |
1 |
Ischaemic heart disease |
7.2 |
12.6 |
2 |
Cerebrovascular disease (blood
vessels to brain) |
5.5 |
9.7 |
3 |
Lower respiratory infections
|
3.9 |
6.8 |
4 |
HIV/AIDS |
2.8 |
4.9 |
5 |
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
|
2.7 |
4.8 |
6 |
Perinatal conditions (near
childbirth) |
2.5 |
4.3 |
7 |
Diarrhoeal diseases |
1.8 |
3.2 |
8 |
Tuberculosis |
1.6 |
2.7 |
9 |
Malaria |
1.3 |
2.2 |
10 |
Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers
|
1.2 |
2.2 |
11 |
Road traffic accidents |
1.2 |
2.1 |
12 |
Diabetes mellitus |
1 |
1.7 |
Not a Happy Father’s Day in Spain: New Law Says Men Must Do Housework
Spanish men who refuse to lift a finger around the
house are facing new legal sanctions. MPs in Spain have drawn up a marriage
contract for use in civil ceremonies which obliges men to share household
chores and the care of children and elderly family members.
The new law, which will be introduced this summer in
Spain, promises a revolution in a country where nearly half of all men admit
to doing no housework at all.
One man said, "I am getting married this autumn so I am
learning things I've never done before: ironing, cleaning floors and doing
the washing up. The contract he will sign at his civil wedding ceremony this
September will oblige him - by law - to share domestic responsibilities with
his partner. Failure to do so will affect the terms of any divorce
settlement.
A study five years ago concluded that Spanish fathers
spent an average of 13 minutes a day looking after their children. And only
19% of Spanish men thought it was right for mothers of school age children
to have a full-time job.
Margarita Uria is the MP who set up the new law, which
the Spanish parliament unanimously.
"Older generations will never change. Old Spanish
machos are set in their ways," says Maria, a shopkeeper. "The younger
generations probably will change eventually but because society is evolving,
not because of this law."
A number of women's rights groups in Spain say they
oppose the housework law because it belittles the issue of sexual equality.
More at BBC News -
Click
Wine is Good for Your Health? No, Wine Drinkers Just
Healthier!
May 31, 2005 – The battle never seems to end – is wine
good for your health or does it seem this way because wine drinkers are just
healthier people. The latest shot is new research showing that wine drinkers
simply live healthier lifestyles than beer drinkers, liquor drinkers or
non-drinkers.
Wine drinkers exercise more, eat healthier diets, smoke
less and have more normal body mass than people whose preference is beer or
mixed drinks, according to research from the Prevention Research Center.
Wine drinkers are more likely to be vegetarians, and they also have higher
education levels, which has been associated with better health. Wine
drinkers also don't drink as much as other drinkers, and so they have fewer
alcohol-related problems than people whose preference is beer or liquor. In
several health categories, such as body mass, diet and exercise, wine
drinkers are healthier than people who don't drink at all, says the study in
the publication Drug and Alcohol Dependence. It was funded by the National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Incidentally, if you feel you have a problem with
alcohol use or curious about how your drinking behavior might be affecting
your health, visit
AlcoholScreening.org. It is a free service of Join Together, a project
of the Boston University School of Public Health. The site launched in April
2001, and has since had more than 550,000 visitors and screened nearly
300,000 people.
An Idea! Government
Mandates Senior Discounts in Philippines
May 27, 2005 – Now this may be an idea worth pursuing.
In the Philippines the government has mandated a five percent senior citizen
discount on 15 basic commodities. The Manila Bulletin reported today the
government is urging seniors to lodge complaints against establishments that
do not give them the discount.
The government, which mandated 20 percent discounts by
drugstores, hospitals and restaurants for seniors in 2003, recently
implemented the five percent discount for senior citizens on basic
commodities such as canned sardines, canned tuna, coffee, powdered filled
milk, bread, white and brown sugar, cooking oil, instant noodles, luncheon
meat, meatloaf, corned beef, preserved or ready-to-cook pork, beef, and
chicken, and powder or bar laundry soap.
Bladder Does Not Shrink As People Age
May 24, 2005 - The idea that your bladder shrinks as
you get older may be nothing more than an old wives' tale according to a
University of Pittsburgh study of adult women. The feeling may, however,
signal a treatable underlying condition.
"Many of us, after reaching a certain age, notice that
we have to urinate more frequently and with more urgency. The standard
assumption, that seems to have become part of our folklore, is that your
bladder shrinks as you get older. We found that this may not be the case,"
said Neil Resnick, M.D., professor and chief, division of geriatric
medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
The researchers found that while bladder and urethral
function deteriorate throughout adult life, bladder capacity rarely changes.
Women with normally aging bladders had weaker bladder
sensation; while women who experienced increased bladder sensation actually
had an underlying condition called detrusor overactivity (DO). DO is a
common condition, often referred to as overactive bladder, where the
detrusor muscle that controls the emptying of the bladder contracts
involuntarily, creating a strong, sometimes uncontrollable urge to empty the
bladder.
"The good news is that DO is treatable, so that any
woman experiencing urgency or incontinence should see her doctor," Dr.
Resnick told the American Urological Association (AUA) at their annual
meeting in San Antonio.
Overactive Bladder:
Where to Stop Travel Guide for Older Americans
May 20, 2005 - Anxiety may replace anticipation when
traveling for the one out of six adults over age 40 with a condition called
overactive bladder (OAB). To help people with OAB avoid embarrassment when
they head outside their homes, world-renowned travel expert Arthur Frommer
has partnered with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation to develop Where to
Stop & Where to Go: A Guide to Traveling with Overactive Bladder in the
United States.
Available free, the guide is the centerpiece of a new
educational campaign designed to help the more than 33 million people with
OAB in the United States build confidence about traveling. The
first-of-its-kind 75-page guide highlights key restaurants, museums, and
other tourist attractions in 19 U.S. cities and four national parks,
providing an easy-to-follow list of restroom locations. To obtain a free
copy of Where to Stop & Where to Go, consumers can call toll-free
1-877-STOP-GO-5 (1-877-786-7465) or log onto
http://www.WheretoStopWheretoGo.com.
Elderly Who Commit Suicide Most Likely Hospitalized
in Last Two Years
May 12, 2005 - A study in the May edition of the
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society indicates that suicide in persons
age 80 and older is more prevalent among those who have been hospitalized
than in those who have not.
A review of data on nearly 1.8 million people age 52
and older revealed that about two-thirds of the oldest subjects who
committed suicide had been hospitalized for an illness in the previous two
years.
Although further data show that increased frequency of
illness with age could explain part of this suicide risk, especially in
women, the researchers conclude that hospitalization may be a factor in
suicidal tendencies in older people.
Nude Calendars Now Have
Their Own Web Page
May
10, 2005 - It was female senior citizens that started the craze, now nude
calendars have proliferated so that there is a Web page just to keep up with
the latest editions.
Good News, Bad News for Moderate Drinkers
April 26, 2005 – Many senior citizens consider
themselves “moderate” drinkers and SeniorJournal.com has high readership of
stories on the benefits. A new study released today has both good and bad
news. The good news is the habit seems to produce new nerve cells in the
brain, which are important for memory and learning. The bad news – this can
also lead to alcohol addiction.
“We believe that the increased production of new nerve
cells during moderate alcohol consumption can be important for the
development of alcohol addiction and other long-term effects of alcohol on
the brain,” says associate professor Stefan Brené.
They say the effect of moderate alcohol consumption
that leads to the formation of new brain cells is much same as with
antidepressive drugs.”
The study was done at Karolinska Institutet, one of
Europe's largest medical universities and Sweden´s largest center for
medical training and research
The study, which was carried out on mice, examined
alcohol consumption corresponding to that found in normal social situations.
The results show that moderate drinking over a relatively long period
enhances the formation of new cells in the adult brain. The cells survive
and develop into nerve cells in the normal manner. No increase in neuronal
atrophy, however, could be demonstrated.
The number of new cells formed is governed by a number
of factors such as stress, depression, physical activity and
antidepressants. The new cells could prove important in the development of
alcohol dependency and other long-term effects of alcohol on the brain.
Profile America: Vitamin C Isolated in 1932 by Dr.
C.C. King
April 5, 2005 - Yesterday, we each should have raised a
toast of orange juice to Dr. C. C. King of the University of Pittsburgh. It
was this day in 1932 that he isolated vitamin C. Before then, people knew
that eating citrus fruit and fresh greens warded off certain diseases, such
as scurvy, but didn't know why.
Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C is one of the
things required for life. One study has suggested that people with high
levels of vitamin C in their blood live up to six years longer than others.
Usually associated with fruit, vitamin C is also found in potatoes which is
good, because the average American consumes 22 pounds of citrus fruit a year
and 45 pounds of potatoes. You can find these and more facts about America
from the U.S. Census Bureau on the Web at
http://www.census.gov .
Philanthropist Gives
$5 Million for Aging Research at Harvard
March 11,
2005 - Seeking to accelerate the pace of research into the molecular
mechanisms that govern aging, philanthropist Paul F. Glenn, an alumnus of
Harvard Law School and founder of the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research
in Santa Barbara, California, has committed $5 million to Harvard Medical
School over five years to launch the Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for the
Biological Mechanisms of Aging. The new resources will serve as a magnet to
attract additional support for the potential creation of a larger Institute
for Aging Research at Harvard Medical School.
For more
than 70 years, a calorie restricted diet has been known to increase the
lifespan of mice and rats 40 percent by preventing them from getting
diseases of aging such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and even
cataracts. The hypothesis is that within each of our cells lies an
evolutionarily ancient defense program that can be activated by so-called
“longevity genes” which ameliorate the cellular damage that causes death and
disease. Activation of these genes in genetically altered worms and flies
has been shown to produce healthier, longer lives.
Buoyed by
calorie restriction animal tests, research teams in this small field have
been pursuing the molecular pathways that mimic calorie restriction.
Glenn Foundation for Medical Research was founded in 1965 by Paul F.
Glenn with the mission to extend the healthy, productive years of life
through research in the biological mechanisms of aging.
Most Seniors Who Qualify for Help With Heating Bill
Don’t Enroll
March 9, 2005 – About 300 senior citizens will die this
year from hypothermia and for many it may be because they cannot afford the
cost of heating. Many may not know they qualify for government assistance
programs – about 60 percent who qualify are not enrolled.
Finding out whether you qualify for programs such as
the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), is easy
thanks to The National Council on the Aging’s (NCOA) free and confidential
online service BenefitsCheckUp at
www.benefitscheckup.org.
Those seeking help can also contact the National Energy
Assistance Referral at 1-866-674-6327 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. or e-mail
energyassistance@ncat.org. The Campaign for Home Energy Assistance is
another good resource. For information, visit
http://www.liheap.org/assistance.html.
BenefitsCheckUp can also help seniors find health care
programs, prescription drug assistance, in-home services, financial
assistance, legal services, housing assistance, property tax programs,
nutrition programs, as well as volunteer and training opportunities and
education programs. Since the service was launched in 2001, more than 1.4
million eligibility reports identifying benefits programs have been
completed.
Don't Let Your Spouse Become Your Caregiver
Feb. 27, 2005 - According to a recent study, older
adults providing home care to their spouses may be more inclined to act in
ways that could harm the impaired partner.
Related Story |
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Seniors Agree Spouse Will Care for Them, But Women
Not Sure Men Can
Nov. 17, 2004 – Who is going to take care of us in
old age? A new study says men are just as likely as women to expect to
be the caregiver for their spouse. Women are more likely than men to view their spouse
as unprepared to take care of finances and to manage health issues
should their spouse/partner predecease them.
More... 11/17/04*
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The study, published in the Journal of the American
Geriatrics Society, found that potentially harmful caregiver behavior
was more likely in spouse caregiving situations. Clinical depression was
also seen as a factor.
"Depressed older spouses who occupy the caregiving role
may be particularly appropriate targets for screening and intervention
efforts," according to researchers. Caregiving itself has been associated
with "compromised mental and physical health and increased risk for
mortality." In these situations, both caregiver and recipients can be at
risk for long-term negative outcomes.
The article states that potentially harmful caregiver
behavior can be an early warning sign of even greater elderly abuse or
neglect. Surprisingly, previous research has shown that abusive caregivers
are quite willing to admit to their behavior in interviews.
Elderly Receiving Inappropriate Prescriptions From Their
Doctor
Feb. 27, 2005 - A large review of data linked to over
175,000 older adults enrolled in HMOs indicates that potentially
inappropriate medications are being prescribed in substantial numbers.
Related Story |
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Doctors Must Be More Aware of Medications Dangerous
to Elderly, Say Researchers
1997 Beers Criteria was revised in 2003 to list
potentially dangerous drugs for elderly
Jan. 6, 2005 –
Researchers who found as many as 70 percent of the doctors in their
study had prescribed a potentially inappropriate medication for elderly
patients are urging physicians to be more aware of medications that are
inappropriate for the elderly.
More... 1/6/05*
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In 2000-01, according to researchers, more than 28% of
elderly individuals received at least one of 33 medications deemed
potentially inappropriate by medical experts, while 5% received one of 11
drugs that had been classified as inappropriate in all older patients.
Data showed that overall rates of use of any of the 33
potentially inappropriate medications were greater in women than in men.
However, recently reported information from medical offices shows that
prescriptions of these medications for elderly people has not decreased.
"The use of potentially inappropriate medications in
the elderly continues to be pervasive throughout the United States despite
more than a decade of research and media coverage of this issue," the
authors write, calling their work indicative of "the need to understand more
fully the rationale behind the continued use of these medications."
An association between potentially inappropriate
medications and negative outcomes would support the position that errors
like these are common among the elderly outpatient population. Questions
still remain as to whether identifying these inappropriate drugs will likely
lead to improved use of medications.
The findings are published in the February Journal
of the American Geriatrics Society.
Seniors Line Up for Free Calls Anywhere in the World
Dec. 24, 2004 - For the 25th consecutive year, Merrill
Lynch (NYSE: MER) today welcomed senior citizens to its offices in New York
City for free use of the firm's telephones to call loved ones anywhere in
the world. In addition, the firm opened offices in many cities across the
United States and overseas to enable senior citizens to make similar calls.
Created in 1980, the Merrill Lynch Christmas Calls
Program is a company-wide initiative that has reached more than 250,000
senior citizens globally.
"The Christmas Calls Program has long been a favorite
tradition at Merrill Lynch," said Ahmass Fakahany, executive vice president
and chief financial officer of Merrill Lynch. "Now in its 25th year, it is a
special day for thousands of employees and volunteers who take time from
their holiday celebrations to support the seniors."
Mr. Fakahany was among the more than 300 Merrill Lynch
employees and others welcoming seniors visiting the company's 222 Broadway
office in New York. Approximately 1,100 senior citizens began arriving at
8:00 a.m. to place their calls worldwide. The seniors are from 29 New York
City Department for the Aging senior centers.
Woman Cremated at 105 With Her Cigarettes in Hand
Dec.
15, 2004 – A woman who smoked nearly 500,000 cigarettes, was buried
yesterday at the age of 105, according to a report in The Sun of London.
Marie Ellis, who died from heart failure
caused by old age, had puffed 15 a day since she was 15-years-old, according
to the Sun
The ex-typist was cremated
clutching a packet of her favorite Benson & Hedges with flowers in the shape
of a cigarette laid on top of her coffin.
Staff and residents from the nursing home
she had lived in for the past 15 years sent her off with a rousing version
of the song Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.
Maria Kallis, matron of Eaton Lodge in
Westgate, Kent, said: “We all remember Marie for smoking, so we are getting
a concrete ashtray out in the garden as a memorial to her.
“She smoked right up to the end, having
her last cigarette just two days before her death.” Marie, who never married
or had kids, also delighted in an unhealthy diet.
She always had three sugars in her coffee,
loved a drop of sherry and scoffed sweets and cakes — often refusing to eat
savory food.
But Marie remained incredibly healthy.
She had all her teeth and never even
suffered as much as a smoker’s cough from her “ciggies.”
Eaton Lodge nursing home in Westgate, Kent, is erecting
a concrete ashtray in the garden as a memorial, which staff can use during
smoking breaks. Matron Maria Kallis said: "She smoked right to the end."
For the complete story in The Sun, with photos –
Click Here
72-Year-Old Preacher Implicated in Baby Slaying
Dec. 6, 2004 – A stepfather says teachings of
72-year-old preacher, Doyle Davidson, played a role in Dena Scholosser
killing her baby by cutting off her arms, according to an Associated Press
story by Lisa Falkenberg.
Mike Macaulay told the AP he believes his stepdaughter,
who told her husband she wanted to give her children to God, is mentally ill
but was dangerously consumed by the self-described prophet and his church.
Schlosser was charged with capital murder after police
found the 35-year-old mother on Nov. 22 covered in blood in her living room,
still holding a knife.
Macaulay said Davidson used violent imagery and told
women they possessed a rebellious "Jezebel" spirit, and that they should
submit to their husbands.
"I'm an apostle and I'm a prophet," Davidson said. "I
only teach what's in the Bible and that's what makes them mad."
Davidson, a former veterinarian, said God told him to
start Water of Life Ministries in the early 1980s. His sermons, based on
literal interpretations of the Bible, are available on his Web site and
broadcast on TV and radio in several states.
Davidson doesn't deny his teachings are unconventional.
He said he avoids violent imagery, but he does teach that women are weaker
and should submit to their husbands.
In September, Davidson was arrested on a public
intoxication charge after a couple, longtime members of his church, called
911, alleging the minister attacked them at their home. Davidson said he was
only trying to cast the devil out of the wife, who had become rebellious and
rejected his teachings.
Macaulay said Schlosser started using prayer instead of
antibiotics when her children were sick and was convinced Davidson could
cure her mother of Parkinson's. Schlosser's husband, John, also supported
the minister. His personal Web site contains several Bible passages and a
link to Davidson's Web site.
Click
here to full AP story.
Click here to latest story in Plano Star Courier
Great-Grandmother Heading to Iraq as Volunteer
Nov. 24, 2004 - Lena Haddix, a 72-year-old
great-grandmother, is heading to Iraq as a U.S. volunteer worker. Watch the
AP’s video story.
Click Here
Seniors Only Change Doctors if
Forced
Nov. 17, 2004 - When my father was
near death because his doctor had delayed in discovering his illness, I
begged with my mother to change doctors and she adamantly refused. So, I'm
not surprised by new research sayings nine of ten seniors who switched
physicians did so only because they were forced.
Analyzing survey data from nearly 800 patients 65 and
older, researchers found that 14 percent of seniors changed physicians in a
single year. Of those, almost nine out of 10 changed their physicians
involuntarily. Insurance-related reasons accounted for 44 percent of the
switches. Forty percent of the patients sought new physicians because their
former doctors had moved, retired, or died.
That's the finding of research published in the
November edition of The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice.
78-Year-Old Cashes in 1,407,550
Pennies
Nov. 16, 2004 – Gene Sukie,
78-year-young retired glass-factory supervisor, cashed in his pennies today,
1,407,550 pennies, worth $14,075.50, accumulated over 34 years, according to
USA Today..
"I didn't set out to set a record,
but they add up," Sukie said. "It was something I could save without hurting
our household," he told the newspaper.
Pennies saved from his childhood
paper route paid for a $45 Schwinn bicycle in 1939. "Top of the line," he
said.
He
cashed in his entire collection of 40,000 pennies in 1970 to pay for a
daughter's wedding. After the ceremony, he started fresh with an empty cigar
box.
Read more of USAToday news story
Great-Grandmother, 59, About to Take Title for
Oldest to Deliver Twins
Nov. 11, 2004 –
Aleta St. James
may not hold the title long as the oldest American to give birth to
twins. St. James delivered her babies on Wednesday, three days before
turning 57. Now the Associated Press is reporting a 59-year-old
great-grandmother is set to give birth to twins next month.
Read
the St. James story
Frances Harris of rural Sylvester, Ga., says she wasn't
trying to get pregnant. She didn't even know she was carrying a child - let
alone two- until she visited a doctor in August while trying to figure out
some unusual weight gain over the summer, reports the AP.
For this mother of five, grandmother of 14 and
great-grandmother of six, the news of her pregnancy was even more shocking
considering she had her tubes tied after the birth of her last child - 33
years ago.
"They came untied," she said, matter-of-factly.
Read the AP story from Tampa Bay Online
“Catwoman” Julie Newmar, 71, Accused of Harassment
Nov. 11, 2004 – Julie Newmar, now 71, gained fame as
the villianess Catwoman in the 1960’s Batman TV series but she may not have
given up her mischievous ways, according to a suit against her by actor Jim
Belushi who says his next-door neighbor is spying on him, destroying his
property and calling him names behind his back, according to a report by
Reuters.
He has filed a $1 million harassment, saying he will
not let her drive him out of the neighborhood.
Newmar's agent, Fred Wostbrock, declined to discuss the
allegations with Reuters except to say: "You've got to be kidding. The only
person Catwoman would hassle is Batman -- (actor) Adam West."
Belushi says Newmar has destroyed a fence and
landscaping, spied on his family and directed loud music into his backyard –
all in an effort to get him to move.
The star of the ABC sitcom "According to Jim" also
accuses Newmar of spreading defamatory statements about him by calling him a
"Peeping Tom," a "voyeur" and "sick." He is suing for $1 million.
Newmar was involved in a highly publicized dispute with
neighbors several years ago over the din created by gardeners using
gas-powered leaf blowers, says Reuters
Read the complete story by Reuters.
Elderly Woman, 92, Murdered in Detroit Home
Nov. 8, 2004 – A
92-year-old Detroit woman was shot and killed Sunday in what appears to be a
burglary gone bad, police told Amber Hunt Martin of the
Detroit Free Press.
The woman, Della Dudley,
was found dead from a gunshot to her head at 3:10 p.m. in her home in the
13100 block of 14th Street. Police said Dudley was licensed in Detroit as a
cosmetologist in the 1960s, according to state records.
Police Officer Benard
Beck-O'Steen said a strong box in the woman's home had been pried open. It
wasn't yet known what, if anything, was taken. Beck-O'Steen said the woman
lived with her 21-year-old grandson, who wasn't home when police arrived.
People with information
are asked to call 313-596-2260.
Senior Odds & Ends
81-Year-Old Nun Poisoned By Jealous Male
Roommate
Nov.4, 2004 – A 29-year-old man will be
arraigned today for attempted murder in Gallup, N.M., on a complaint
that he poisoned an 81-year-old Catholic nun to get her out of the house
they both shared with a Catholic priest, Reverend Thomas Maikowski. More...
11/04/04*
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Eva Longoria on
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“Women can still be hot, even passed the
18-34 demographic”
Nov. 3,
2004 – Being over 34 is not exactly a senior citizen – the folks this
Website targets - but even senior women should find interesting the success
of the TV show “Desperate Housewives” and other changes in the perception of
older women. Joanna Weiss has written an interesting article on this new
trend for the Boston Globe, and says it show women can be “hot,” even if
over 34.
Weiss
sees the trend to glamorous older women taking hold in several television
shows and in marketing by retailers.
More... 11/03/04*
Senior Woman Found in Freezer; Put There by Male
Caretaker
Oct. 28,
2004 – It was a simple question that led police to discover the body of a
57-year-old woman in a freezer. Her male “caretaker,” asked Spokane,
Washington, police what he should do about the woman in the freezer.
The woman's 59-year-old friend said he came home to
find her dead and decided to put her in a freezer rather than have her body
mutilated by an autopsy.
"His underlying motivation, at least what he told us,
was he wanted to preserve her dignity," Capt. Bruce Roberts told The
Spokesman-Review. "It's unique and unusual, but at this point there is
nothing criminal."
For a video report –
Click Here
Kids Think 74-Year-Old Golf Pro is Another Clubhouse
Attendant
Oct. 27, 2004 - Ernie Burgess is living proof of two
things: Age doesn't matter in golf, and kids should respect their elders.
Especially when their elders are 74 years old and can shoot their age.
Most kids don't believe it when they're told that the
old guy who picks up the range balls can help them with their swings. To
them, he's just the rigid clubhouse attendant who takes their money and
reminds them to replace their divots, according to a story in the Kalamazoo
Gazette.
He works from sunup to sundown seven days a week at
Lawton Golf Club and hasn't had a day off since March.
Why? "Just being around golf, I guess," he said. "I
need money to eat. When they cut my face back in '94 or '95, that took up
all of my money, so I have to work to eat."
He was got cancer of the mouth from pesticides picked
up by golf balls. "They cut my mouth in half. Maybe it was '93, because I
had just missed Medicare by six months."
"My age," Burgess said. "You get to a certain age,
who's going to hire me now? They want some young guy, which is only right.
They're not always looking for knowledge."
"He's one of those old pros who just likes to swing,"
said Lawton high school head coach Barry Shanley, whose team will travel to
the state finals this week for the third straight season. "Having a guy like
that teach our kids keeps them inspired to want to keep playing."
Not only did he qualify for the Hartford Open as an
amateur 15 straight years, he also qualified for seven PGA Tour Events in
one season during the '60s.
Read the complete story at Kalamazoo Gazette
Zsa Zsa Gabor, 80-Something, Makes B-Movie Hall of Fame
Zsa
Zsa Gabor - 84, 85 or 86 - the glamorous, funny, sex-symbol, has been
selected for induction into the B-Movie Hall of Fame.
Zsa Zsa Gabor was born in Budapest, Hungary somewhere
between 1917 and 1919, and became was Miss Hungary in 1936. She followed her
sister Eva to Hollywood.
Married nine times, she kept fans laughing about her
man-hungry ways. She is more famous for her humor and celebrity status than
as an actress. Although, she did win the Golden Globe in 1957
Her credits include the campy Queen of Outer Space
(1958), Moulin Rouge (the 1951 version, not Nicole Kidman's 2001
version), and a small role as a nightclub manager in the Orson Welles
classic Touch of Evil (1959). She played the villainess Minerva in
the final episode of the 1960s TV series Batman. Zsa Zsa is the
mother of actress Francesca Hilton, her daughter with her ex-husband Conrad
Hilton.
Her sister, Eva, is best known for her part in the 60s
TV series Green Acres.
82-Year-Old Refuses to
Leave Hospital, Insurance Won’t Pay – Where is King Solomon?
Oct. 24, 2004 – It may
take the wisdom of King Solomon to sort this one out. Sarah Nome, 82, was
given discharge papers by her doctors in January, but she refuses to leave
the hospital and her health plan refuses to pay, according to a report in
the Marion (CA) Independent Journal.
The dispute between Nome, who has refused to leave
Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Terra Linda, and officials with the
health plan is slated to be settled in a trial next month.
Her discharge papers were signed by doctors on Jan. 29,
but the elderly woman claims she cannot leave her bed at Kaiser because she
has two broken knees and that the health care plan has not presented her
with alternative placement.
Frustrated Kaiser officials have filed a civil lawsuit
seeking her eviction in Marin Superior Court and are arguing she no longer
needs acute care. They say they are willing to help her find an alternative
setting.
"Her condition is good and she has been ready to be
discharged for eight months," Carol Harris, a Kaiser spokeswoman, told
Nancy Isles Nation, reporter for the newspaper.
A patient who does not leave the hospital after being
discharged is no longer covered by the Kaiser plan because there is no
medical need. If the patient opts for what is called "custodial care," he or
she is provided room, board and assistance at a daily rate. In Nome's case,
the rate is $3,200 a day.
Custodial care is not covered by Medicare, universal
health guidelines or Kaiser, Harris said.
Nome has been known for three decades in Marin as a
political watchdog, says the local newspaper.
Read more in the Independent Journal…
Taxi Driver Gives Elderly Couple Free Ride – For 500
Miles
Oct. 20, 2004 – An elderly couple, suspected of having
Alzheimer’s, flagged a taxi in El Paso and asked for a ride to their home –
500 miles away. Taxi driver Ismael Baeza said they didn't appear to have any
money but he took them there anyway, reports to Associated Press
Baeza, 24, picked up an elderly couple Monday who
wanted to go to their hometown in Bandera, west of San Antonio. "About
halfway through the trip, I found out that they didn't have the money to pay
for the trip," Baeza said in a report in Wednesday's El Paso Times. "It was
either drop them off at the next town or keep going. Something told me to
just keep going. I couldn't leave them off in one of those little towns."
The trip took 10 hours and covered 500 miles from El
Paso to Bandera and would have been a $1,200 fare for Baeza. Baeza's father,
Sam, accompanied him and bought food and drinks for the couple along the
way.
Read the rest of the story…
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