Family

Team Building – 7 Steps to Success

“We are going to build a team”. Replace the word “team” with the word “house” – or any other noun that can be built and will take more than just a few minutes – and most sensible people will want to adopt a structured approach.
Plans will be drawn up and approved. People will receive copies of the plan and efforts will be made to ensure everyone understands it. Progress will be monitored against the plan. Lessons will be learned along the way that will be used to improve the next phase. Anything less will lead at best to mediocrity and underachievement.
So why is team building so often treated in an ad hoc manner? You wouldn’t take bricks and mortar out, show them a good time and expect them to rearrange themselves into something better just because they had a nice break. So why expect a group of people to do any better?
The only answer to that question with any merit is that bricks can’t think and people can. Which sounds like management by abdication. Or perhaps management by trusting to luck. It certainly doesn’t sound like a structured approach.
So if taking people off for some fun is not team building – what is it?
Traditional away day options are team bonding exercises – and that is different. Take a group quad-biking, paint-balling etc and it will help bond the participants through a shared experience. You can even justify its use of some of the training budget if you like by claiming it has helped them develop as a team. Just don’t believe it – or you’ll be disappointed to discover that while the group is closer it is no more effective.
No – if you want to build a team rather than just bond the individuals closer, you need a structured process. You need to decide before you start what improvements you want and can realistically expect the team to achieve. Next you can decide how long it will take to achieve those results.
Often, fun remains a key objective for such a session. If it is the only one – or is only combined with a desire to get the team to become closer – organising a team bonding session is an ideal solution. If, however, your expectations are set higher than that – then you need something more structured.
So what are the key characteristics of a genuine team building session? I suggest the following 7 steps will lead to success:
1) Have definite session and longer-term goals and know how the session goals lead to the longer term ones.
2) Use an engaging and varied base activity that involves each participant in something that he or she enjoys doing.
3) Use an activity that achieves that engagement while having genuine parallels to the workplace and has relevance with the session goals.
4) Select an activity that requires the same kind of skill sets and team approaches that are needed at work – albeit one that is removed from the work itself.
5) Consider using an independent (internal or external) facilitator – to allow all levels to join in as equals and to avoid it feeling like a “sermon from above”.
6) Debrief using a predefined process that highlights the workplace parallels and allows the participants to extract their own learning rather than be preached to.
7) Use a proven mechanism to transfer the learning back to the workplace, ideally integrated within the debriefing process itself.
If none of these seem important, you are probably looking at a pure fun bonding session. Whether that is a trip to the nearest (or furthest!) bar or something that offers the group an experience that all of its members will enjoy doesn’t matter too much.
But if any of them do seem important, then I’d suggest that they all are. If one or more are missing then your team building session will be compromised. And that’s a word that sits well alongside mediocrity and underachievement.
Copyright 2005 Sandstone Limited

Alan is Managing Director of Sandstone, a leading UK team building company. He enjoys creating innovative activities that combine fun with genuine team development. In his spare time, he does voluntary work for the RNIB.

http://www.sandstone.co.uk

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Inventors Create Wheelchair Innovations for Safety, Affordability and Mobility

The prolonged use of a wheelchair is a reality for over 100 million people across the globe due to disabilities brought about by illness, accident or advanced age. Among the challenges faced by this large and diverse group are; lack of access to adequate wheelchairs due to poverty, the risk of serious and even life threatening injury due to wheelchair roll-away or wheel pinning, and impediments to travel caused by the cumbersome nature of standard wheelchairs.

Fortunately, there are innovators at work who have in recent years addressed these issues through some truly amazing wheelchair inventions.

Don Schoendorfer, a mechanical engineer from Orange County, California, was aware that many of the poorest people around the world live on less than $2 a day, and that when they were needed, standard wheelchairs were financially out of reach at several hundred dollars per unit. Schoendorfer had a goal; to create the world’s cheapest wheelchair for the benefit of poor people with disabilities.

Tinkering for three hours every morning in his garage workshop, Schoendorfer struggled to create a design for a wheelchair that would measure up to harsh terrains and climates at a fraction of the cost of standard wheelchairs. Finally inspiration came in the form of the ubiquitous white plastic lawn chair. The inventor used this low cost item as the centerpiece of his design, equipping his inexpensive chair with two sturdy bike tires and a custom designed chassis.

The result? A durable, low cost wheelchair that can be shipped anywhere in the world for under fifty dollars. Schoendorfer’s nonprofit group, Free Wheelchair Mission, has delivered more than 75,000 to people in Angola, India, Peru, and Iraq. His mission? According to Schoendorfer, “I have a small goal. Twenty million chairs given away free by 2010.”

In Minnesota, farmer turned inventor – Jerry Ford, was approached by his son Zack who worked in a nursing home and had noticed the dangers of elderly residents forgetting to set the brakes on their manual wheelchairs before attempting to stand. The result was often a bad fall as the wheelchair would roll-away from the resident as they applied weight to the chairÂ’s arms when attempting to rise. A problem encountered by elders in other areas as well, especially among those who suffer from senility, Alzheimer’s disease or just forgetfulness.

U.S. Congressman Gil Gutknecht of Minnesota has drawn attention to the problem, pointing out that a fall of this kind is “dangerous for the elderly, especially those in nursing homes, who are often fragile. Just one fall can be a painful death sentence.”

Ford set to work almost immediately and in just a few hours, and with just $19 worth of spare parts, turned a mental picture of a new wheelchair automatic braking system into a reality. FordÂ’s invention is a revolutionary wheelchair safety system that allows the wheelchair to move when a patient is onboard, but which auto-sets a brake as soon as the user rises. The system does not compromise patient comfort or safety by causing pressure points and allows the wheelchair to operate normally including normal folding.

According to Ford, “our automatic wheelchair brakes and wheel locks help prevent falls, free up staff and improve quality of life… and that’s gotta make a guy feel good.”

On the other side of the world in Australia, Nick Morris is also innovating with an eye toward reducing wheelchair related injuries. His invention, the Vulcan Wheel, is an ergonomically designed one-piece extruded aluminum wheelchair wheel for use in general travel and sport. The unique Vulcan design has streamlined both the push rim and wheel rim of a conventional wheelchair wheel and provides the user with increased surface area to propel the wheelchair.

Morris was injured in a motorcycle accident at age 16 and credits his involvement in sport as the key to his rehabilitation. Nick’s passion for sport led him to design an improvement on the conventional wheelchair wheel, in conjunction with co-inventor David Goding.

Conventional wheelchair wheels have a base construction made up of wheel rim, a push rim and a number of adjoining pieces connecting the rims together. In order to apply force to move a wheelchair, the user grips the push or wheel rim to propel the wheelchair forward. The wheel rim and push rim are joined together by five joins around the wheel causing a vast potential for hands to get caught or jammed in the gaps. This causes trauma and injury to the hands and fingers, often resulting in friction burns, dislocation of the fingers, and skin abrasions. It is also not uncommon for parts of clothing, or objects such as sticks and debris, to get caught in the gap. Secondly, there is insufficient room for placing the palms of the hand on the push rim, as there is not enough surface area between the wheel rim and push rim.

Morris and GodingÂ’s ergonomic design compliments the use of palm and fingers and reduces the risk of trauma to the hand as there is no area for fingers, thumbs or external objects to get jammed in between the two rims.

The new wheel also weighs less due to a decreased number of components, and is less likely to break down. Its one-piece structure also provides the push rim with an additional degree of stability, making it less likely to buckle and flex when pressure is exerted during pushing, making it ideal for wheelchair sports.

Elsewhere the needs of those who travel with wheelchairs have been reviewed with an eye toward innovation. An Augusta Georgia firm offers a “wheelchair in a bag” that folds and unfolds in seconds and weighs in at just 17 lbs. The lightweight chair is made possible due to the use of aircraft aluminum, which provides the necessary strength with a fraction of the weight of steel. These compact chairs can be bagged and carried with a handle or shoulder strap and include features such as flip back armrests, folding footrests and adjustable wheel locks. Everything you would expect in a full weight chair.

Don Schoendorfer, Jerry Ford, Nick Morris and David Goding have made significant contributions through their inventions, which have improved access, efficiency and safety for wheelchair users throughout the United State and across the globe. And with the 21st Century still in its infancy there is every reason to believe there are more wheelchair innovations in store.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Jerry Ford is the Founder and CEO of a Minnesota based company specializing in automatic wheelchair brakes and wheel locks for manual wheelchairs.

Hearing Impaired? Hearing Aids? Advice for “Deafies” and those who put up with us

I have always had a hearing impairment. I was born with a 70% hearing loss in both ears. While I had a mother who was sensitive to my disability, I never believed there was anything wrong wth me. As a child, I refused to wear hearing aids.

When, at 19 years-of-age, I bought one hearing aid, it was as if someone turned the sound up. I felt even more invincible. By the time I was 30, I knew I needed aids in both ears. It was not for 25 more years that I would learn that hearing aids alone were not enough.

Granted, most persons who donÂ’t hear very well do need hearing aids. If they think they will look stupid wearing aids, these people have no idea how stupid they appear to others without them. When one gives crazy answers to sane questions ~ and misunderstands what others say ~ they donÂ’t appear to be very bright. Amplification normally helps a great deal, even if perfect hearing is not attainable for many of us.

Consider this: Use of hearing aids might prevent you from being diagnosed as senile when you get older or loose the understanding companion who has always made allowances for you.

Yet, even with good hearing aids, I have only now come come to understand that it is my responsibility to not do those things which irritate normal hearing people ~ when I can control those very things.

If I am in another room, I have no business asking questions ~ or initiating conversations ~ which I will likely not hear right. To do so can only cause a person with normal hearing to take on unearned aggravation.

If I wish to engage in a conversation, I should make certain that the other person is close enough for me to have the best chance of hearing. And when others speak to me, ask that they do so in a hearing environment where I will understand ~ “Because I don’t want to ask you repeat yourself.” I expect the same courtesy of others that they should reasonably expect of me.

When I enter a room and see some people cocking their heads, looking at the ceiling confused, I should be sensitive enough to realize that my hearing aids are probably on too loud without someone asking, “What’s that noise?” Yes, often in an effort to hear better, I have cranked my hearing aids up to a point of “Feedback” which ~ although I can not hear it ~ many people do. Frustrated, associates have screamed, “You’re beeping!” Perhaps, my right to hear should be restricted to the point where other people’s sanity endures?

I have great difficulty communicating on the telephone. It was not uncommon for me to already be on the phone and to request assistance of the closest person to me to be my ears ~ for just a moment. I expected that person to drop everything and help me. How unfair? I have sense learned to say, “In a few minutes, I need to make a call. When you are free, would you mind being my ears if I need some?” I no longer expect everyone to allow me to interrupt them just because ~ through my lack of planning ~ I need help “Now!”

While I am on the subject, we who require special effort on otherÂ’s part to engage in conversation with us, need to learn not to begin talking to them if they are engaged in an activity which will necessitate their relocation to accommodate us, allow us to see their lips, etc.

Hopefully, IÂ’ve learned I donÂ’t have to talk all of the time. All of my life, I had attempted to masquerade as a normal person. The fact is, if you canÂ’t hear ~ you are not normal! While really not wanting my captive audience to talk ~ because I knew that I would not be able to hear what they said ~ it was much easier to talk than to listen.

Now, I tell the truth. “I can’t hear what you are saying. It is not your fault, but my poor hearing. Please speak more loudly to me. And if I give you an inappropriate response, I will not be offended if you tell me that you don’t think that I understood what you said. In fact, I’d really appreciate it.”

My best advice to persons who can’t hear: Don’t try to “Fake it.” Maybe, you will get away with making like you understand the conversations? Yet, more than likely ~ and more often than you will ever know ~ others will think that you really didn’t care what they had to say.

Being hearing impaired is hard ~ not just on we “Deafies” ~ but those who put up with us too.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Russ Miles is author of the novel, For Sale By Owners:FSBO. A “Seasoned Real Estate NAR® Broker,” disabled by Multiple Sclerosis, Russ writes books & articles on varied subjects. His passion is helping people.

FOR SALE BY OWNERS:FSBO ISBN 0-595-28703-4,in trade paperback, is available by phone or Internet:1-800-Authors to order direct! Adobe e-book & hard cover editions also available at Amazon.com at Barnes and Noble and other fine booksellers.

Comments: MilesRuss@Gmail.com. Please visit Russ Miles’s website MilesBooks.com for other informative features and information of interest.

Elder Care Services – Determining Your Level of Care

The condition of the person seeking nursing care is the key factor in your choice of a long-term care facility. All skilled/intermediate care nursing facilities provide personal care and residential services including rooms, meals, planned activities and programming to meet social and spiritual needs. The levels of nursing and therapy services offered vary quite widely, and these should be carefully matched to the individualÂ’s needs. The residentÂ’s physician is involved regularly in the direction of a residentÂ’s care. The nursing staff works with and keeps the residentÂ’s physician updated on any changes in the resident.

Sheltered Care

People who are functionally independent but need some assistance in daily living, require the care of a sheltered care facility (SC).

Sheltered care facilities emphasize the social needs of the individual rather than the medical needs. Dietary and housekeeping services, medication monitoring, and leisure activities are primary functions of these facilities.

Assisted Living

People who are mobile but may need assistance with one or two activities of daily living, may require the services of an assisted living facility.

An assisted living facility is a congregate residential setting that provides or coordinates personal services, 24-hour supervision and (scheduled and unscheduled) assistance, activities, and health-related services; is designed to minimize the need to move; is designed to accommodate individual residents’ changing needs and preferences; is designed to maximize residents’ dignity, autonomy, privacy, independence, choice, and safety; and is designed to encourage family and community involvement.

Intermediate Care

People who need 24-hour nursing care by licensed nurses as prescribed by a physician, require the care of an intermediate care facility (ICF).

Rehabilitative programs, social services and daily activities for persons not capable of full independent living, (such as persons who are convalescing or persons with chronic conditions which are not critical) are provided. Physical, occupational and other therapies are also provided. This type of facility may be certified to participate in the Medicare and/or Medicaid program. Check with each facility.

Skilled Nursing Care

People who need 24-hour care require the care of a skilled nursing facility (SNF).

Registered Nurses (RN), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN), and Certified Nurse Assistants (CNA) provide care and services prescribed by physicians with heavy emphasis on medical nursing care. Social services, as well as physical, occupational and other therapies are provided. This type of facility may be certified to participate in the Medicare and/or Medicaid program. Check with each facility.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

M. Sanders is a long term care insurance marketing specialist. She is appointed throughout the United States as a long term care insurance representative with several major insurance carriers. Her website, About Long Term Care and LTC Insurance, contains information and articles pertaining to long term care, insurance and other related senior topics. It is her goal to inform the public about these increasingly important topics.

Making the Nursing Home Choice

While placing a loved one in a nursing home is a difficult decision, there may come a time when it is the right one. It will help if you do your homework and trust your instincts.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the nationÂ’s nursing homes provide care to over 1.5 million people. Over 90% of these residents are over age 65. Most of the residents are frail and require round-the-clock supervision due to dementia.

Things You Need to Know

A nursing home is a residence that provides room, meals, nursing and rehabilitative care, medical services and protective supervision to its residents. While someone coming from the hospital may require the services of many long-term care professionals such as nurses, therapists and social workers, a nursing home is not a hospital (acute care) setting. The goal at a nursing home is to help people maintain as much of their independent functioning as possible in a supportive environment.

Choosing a Facility

One of the first things to consider when making a nursing home choice is the needs of the individual for whom you’re providing care, suggest experts at the MetLife Mature Market Institute®. Make a list of the special care they need, such as dementia care or various types of therapy.

If the person is hospitalized, the discharge planner and/or social workers can assist you in assessing the needs of the individual and locating the appropriate facility.

If you are choosing a nursing facility for someone who is presently at home, ask for referrals from your physician, Area Agency on Aging, friends, and family.

Other factors such as location, cost, the quality of care, services, size, religious and cultural preferences, and accommodations for special care need to be considered.

When youÂ’ve located a few facilities that youÂ’d like to consider more thoroughly, plan on visiting each one, both with scheduled and unscheduled visits, and at different times and on different days of the week.

As you are walking around, take note of what you hear and donÂ’t hear. Is it silent? Is there activity? How clean does it look? Are the residents dressed appropriately for the season? Most importantly, find out the ratio of nurses to residents is and what is the staff turnover rate?

Helpful Hints

When youÂ’ve finally decided on a facility, you should know your rights and those of your family member. Before you or the resident sign the admissions agreement, understand what youÂ’re signing, and do not sign any paperwork unless everything has been fully explained.

The admissions contract should, at a minimum, contain the daily room rate, reasons for discharge and transfer from the nursing home, and the policy regarding payment of the daily room rate if the resident goes to the hospital or the family brings the resident home for a short period of time.

You may question if youÂ’re really making the right decision to place your loved one in a facility at all. Remember, you can do no more than your best, and if youÂ’ve done that, neither you nor your family member can ask any more of you.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

M. Sanders is a long term care insurance marketing specialist. She is appointed throughout the United States as a long term care insurance representative with several major insurance carriers. Her website, About Long Term Care and LTC Insurance, contains information and articles pertaining to long term care, insurance and other related senior topics. It is her goal to inform the public about these increasingly important topics.

Why Everyone Over 50 Should be Training for the Senior Games

by Phil Campbell, M.S., M.A., FACHE

Senior Games participant and author of

Ready, Set, GO! Synergy Fitness – 2nd Edition

New biomedical research proves why everyone over age 50 should be training for the Senior Games.

Research discoveries in 2002 show that we can unleash the most powerful body fat-cutting, muscle-toning, anti-aging substance known to science, naturally, with specific types of exercise, and the workouts necessary in training for many of the Senior Games events do the job.

The American Heart Association recently cited research showing that high-intensity exercise can significantly lower the risk of heart disease. Simply, as exercise intensity goes up, the risk of heart disease goes down.

The researchers compared the impact of different levels of exercise intensity on men with an average age of 66. The subjects in the high-intensity exercise group produced a 31 percent risk reduction for heart disease, which was 14 percent better than those who performed less intense exercise.

“The harder one exercises … the lower the risk of heart disease,” says lead researcher Dr. I-Min Lee, associate professor Harvard Medical School.

Anti-aging exercise

Anaerobic exercise (as contrasted with aerobic exercise) involves short, high-intensity sprint training, rather than endurance training.

Researchers show that high-intensity anaerobic workouts that include the short-burst get-you-out-of-breath sprinting types of exercise make your body release significant amounts of growth hormone (Impact of acute exercise intensity on pulsatile growth hormone release in men, 2000, Pritzlaff).

As children, growth hormone (HGH) makes us grow taller, but when we reach our full height, this hormone actually changes roles. When we’re adults, increasing HGH reduces body fat and trims inches. Growth hormone actually becomes the “fitness hormone” for middle-aged and older adults.

New studies show that HGH can be increased by as much as 530 percent with the anaerobic exercise of sprinting, (The time course of the human growth hormone response to a 6s and a 30s cycle ergometer sprint, 2002, Stokes).

Anaerobic sprint workouts can be involve many sports, including running, swimming, cycling, cross-country skiing, and all these are Senior Games events.

Whatever you do, don’t do this!

Don’t jump in, ease in to anaerobic exercise. Anaerobic fitness training is clearly the most productive, but it’s also the most dangerous. Hamstring pulls are a painful potential injury, so flexibility training is essential to every fitness plan.

Everyone, especially those with heart conditions or medical problems, should get physician clearance before performing anaerobic exercise. Even young athletes should progressively ease into high-intensity anaerobic workouts.

Older adults get results with less effort

When you see an 80-year-old participant running a 10-K or working out in the gym, don’t think that it’s unfortunate that she can’t run as fast or lift as much as her 60-year-old counterparts. It’s easier for her to reach higher intensities.

The American Heart Association study proves that exercise intensity is relative to a person’s age and fitness level. In other words, an older person can reach high-intensity levels with an effort level that might be considered low-intensity for a young athlete.

The new study confirms the need for higher intensities, but it also shows that beginners and older adults reach the more productive levels of exercise intensity with less effort than a triathlete, for example.

Newcomers to high-intensity exercise may initially get great results by performing the anaerobic training with power walking, but a fine-tuned triathlete may need more work for the same results.

If you’re over age 50, get physician clearance first, select a Senior Games event or two and get started with a gradual buildup training program.

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Free Newsletter on this topic at www.readysetgofitness.com

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RESEARCH SUMMARIES CITED:

The American Heart Association Release
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3008814

National Library of Medicine:

“the GH secretory response to exercise is related to exercise intensity in a linear dose-response pattern.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11960957&dopt=Abstract

“It would appear that the duration of a bout of maximal sprint exercise determines the magnitude of the HGH” response…” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12137178&dopt=Abstract

“GH secretory response to exercise is related to exercise intensity” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10444604&dopt=Abstract

Additional support studies:

“We conclude that a positive relationship exists between exercise intensity and both CHO(carbohydrates) expenditure during exercise and fat expenditure during recovery and that the increase in fat expenditure during recovery with higher exercise intensities is related to GH release.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10956336&dopt=Abstract

“GH accelerates body fat loss, exerts anabolic effects and improves GH secretion.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11706505&dopt=Abstrac

“exercise is a robust stimulus of GH secretion” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12457419&dopt=Abstract

“Total carbohydrate oxidation (exercise plus post exercise period) was significantly higher for HIE (high intensity)”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9100214&dopt=Abstract

“. A minimum duration of 10 min, high intensity exercise consistently increased circulating GH in adult males.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1619005&dopt=Abstract

If you’ve seen a fitness magazine lately like Physical Magazine, Fitness RX for Women, Great Life, Muscle Mag, Experience Life, and others, you may have seen Phil Campbell quoted as a fitness expert and an authority on exercise-induced growth hormone. You may have seen him on the cover of Personal Fitness Professional.

Phil Campbell, age 51, holds two advanced degrees, and he is board certified by ACHE. He applies his training in Health Services and his experience in the development of Ready, Set, Go! Synergy Fitness. He spent 20 years in hospital administration where it was his responsibility to take the medical disciplines of surgery, pathology, radiology, pediatrics, physical rehabilitation, physical therapy, pharmacology, and other health disciplines and operationalize diverse medical services into a comprehensive healthcare delivery system that improved the lives of others. And he has taken that same approach in the presentation of information to readers.

Guided by mainstream research

Phil Campbell uses 300 photo-illustrations and cites over 200 mainstream research studies in the biomedical disciplines of endocrinology, exercise science, medicine and fitness training for specific age groups to present a research-supported system that will help improve the lives of others.

He is an expert at taking complex medical subjects and making them understandable and practical. And he shows readers step-by-step how to improve fitness, increase energy, and lose, cut, and tone.

Phil Campbell has a gift for taking complex medical subjects and making them understandable and practical. He shows readers step-by-step how to improve fitness, increase energy, lose, cut, and tone in the most efficient way possible. Phil Campbell wrote his first fitness training manual over 30 years ago. While in college, he managed health clubs and performed personal training … 20 years before it was called personal training.

His inspiration to help improve the health status of large populations was sparked by his Health Services advanced degree advisor, Dr. Ed Cavanaugh, a former division administrator with the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. Mainstream biomedical research is the basis for all of Phil Campbell’s writing, and over 160 research studies are cited in his book.

As a masters athlete, Phil Campbell holds several USA Track and Field Masters titles including first place in the 100-meter sprint, Southeastern US Championships for his age group in 2000. In 2003, he won the 200-meter sprint and the discus throw, placed second in the 100 meters, and he set the meet record in the javelin during the USA Masters Track & Field Tennessee Championships. Nationally, he has placed third in USA Track and Field Masters Nationals in his age group in the javelin, and fifth in discus. In his late 40s, he won a 40-yard dash competition in 4.69 seconds. He teaches athletes how to improve speed, agility and quickness during his Speed Camps – www.readysetgofitness.com/speed.shtml. He holds a black belt in Isshinryu Karate and has competed and won first place in martial arts and weightlifting competitions.

Thousands of people across the US have been inspired by Phil Campbell’s motivational presentation “Fitness for a Lifetime.” If you’ll let him, Phil Campbell will show you how to have the most successful and lasting fitness improvement experience of your life.

Pristine Publishers Inc.

Should You Join AARP?

The AARP used to be the American Association of Retired Persons.

The AARP is known for representing and speaking on behalf of aging populations based in the United States.

It is involved in all kinds of activities such as:

negotiating reduced rates for prescriptions, housing, tourist attractions, automobile rentalsm motels and hotels.

It is at present involved politically with the Medicare Prescription Drug Program.

The AARP was founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus and hopes to have 70 million members in the next ten years due to the increasing age of the US population.

It is interesting that the AARP is fighting the proposed changes to Social Security.

The AARP has changed its role over the last few decades so as to reflect current living standards and the way in which we now approach age with dignity and purpose.

On its website discounted trips to Hawaii and Alaska are advertised as well as news specifically geared to seniors, such as employment news, legal advice, health and fitness information and other interesting items.

At present some of the hot button items the AARP is working with are:

Prescription Drugs;

Prescription Drugs over the last 5 years have increased much more rapidly in costs than the rate of inflation and as such are a heavy burden on Seniors.

The AARP makes available the results of studies of changes in manufacturers’ prescription drug list prices for 200 brand name and 75 generic drugs most widely used by Americans age 50 and over.

Social Security;

President Bush seems to think that there will not be enough money in the future to pay for Social Security benefits for Seniors at today’s level.

His private accounts plan would allow workers to invest up to one third of their payroll contributions in the Stock Market.

Based on Stock Market results for the time President Bush has been in office this would have resulted in a loss for the average Senior taking inflation into account.

And the indexing plan that Bush embraced at his April 28 press conference would preserve the present defined-benefit approach only for low-wage workers—those currently earning less than about $20,000. For everyone else, 70 percent of workers, the system would be flipped upside down—so that the more you earn and pay in, the more your benefits are cut.

Consumer alerts;

Last year Americans spent more than $20 billion on anti-aging products of which a sizeable amount was for so called “snake oil” products such as “human growth hormone ” pills which sold for $80 per bottle per month and promised to cure anything that ails you. The US Food and Drug Administration does’nt regulate over-the-counter products so it is buyer beware.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

J Shipper is very interested in Social issues affecting Seniors and Health in general. Check out these interesting sites for more information: www.aarp-now.info
www.life-extension-now.com
www.youwillquit.com

Scaling Down (Almost) Painlessly

Moving to a smaller house or apartment in a retirement community almost always involves a certain degree of trauma, both for the elder who’s moving and for family members. However, by planning ahead you can reduce the discomfort involved and turn what might well become a nightmare into a pleasant event.

Begin by Planning for the Move

Where is the elder moving? Go to the actual house or apartment with tape measure, pad and pencil and write down measurements. Floor space is important, but don’t forget about ceilings. Many elders own large pieces of furniture that may not fit into rooms with low ceilings. Your work here will determine which pieces can move with your elder.

And while you’re at the actual location, talk to several other elders who already live there. What is their life style? Do they go outside the property on frequent trips? How do they dress? Casual lifestyles will require an entirely different style of dress than more formal ones.

Gather Supplies and Contact Helpers

Having all the supplies you will need in one place will speed your task. You’ll want a number of storage bins; five or six should be sufficient to hold sorted items. Plastic bags can be used for discarded belongings and as a container for articles to be donated to charities. Packing boxes and supplies such as padding materials and wide sealing tape are must-haves. Labels and dark marking pens are essential to ensure that boxes go to their intended location.

While you’re in the gathering stage, begin to contact helpers you’ll need. Among these may be:

• estate sale professionals

• certified appraisers

• moving companies

• house cleaners

• repair specialists (electricians, plumbers, carpenters, painters)

Ask friends, relatives, and senior real estate specialists for recommendations. Also, check with the Better Business Bureau to ascertain whether problems have been reported about particular companies or individuals.

Approach Your Task One Room at a Time

Who should help? The elder and one family member should assume responsibility for sorting all items and some packing. Do not include everyone in the family if you want to make the job quick and easy because distractions increase in geometric proportion to the number of persons doing the sorting.

Sort all the items in one single room at once, beginning and ending in the kitchen. Why start there? Because kitchens in small houses and apartments typically are short on storage space, and the elder needs time and experience to determine which items are true necessities, and which may never be used. If you reduce kitchen items to a bare minimum at the beginning, your elder can determine what’s needed and what’s not by living with them ahead of time. After living with fewer items, your elder may find that items once thought essential may not be needed. Complete work in the kitchen at the very end of your tasks.

Even though you intend to stay in only one room, distractions will occur. Resist them by stacking items that belong in another room at the door. A bin or box placed just inside the door can contain all the items that have homes elsewhere.

Make your motto One Thing at a Time; One Time for each Thing. Once you’ve picked up an item, decide then and there what its fate should be. Place it in one of the bins you’ve labeled:

• Discards

• Donations

• Distribution to Relatives

• Keepers

• Uncertainties

Large collections of books may require their own bins. You might have bins for Collectors’ editions, books to be stored, books to be sold to book dealers.

When you have finished categorizing all the items in the room, start the packing process. Items in the Uncertainties bin can be packed for storage.

If an unbreakable item is to be moved only a short distance, don’t waste time on elaborate packing and padding. Items like crystal and china, however, require excellent packing, regardless of the distance they will be moved. If you can’t do a great job, leave packing fragile items to professionals.

Mark boxes as you go.

Mark boxes as you go.

Mark boxes as you go.

Nothing is more frustrating than finding that you’ve shipped your elder’s bed linens to Aunt Minnie and kept a silver salver you meant to send your nephew.

Don’t try to do everything at once. Do only one room on any given day, and take the time to enjoy reminiscing as you sort items.

This is also the perfect time to have a certified appraiser come in to appraise items that may be of significant value. Very expensive items may be auctioned at an auction house such as Christy’s or Sotheby’s. Less expensive items can be sold to local antiques dealers. By having an idea of their value before going to dealers, you reduce the chance that dealers can scam you.

You could also consider selling items through an on-line auction. If you do so, remember that you will be responsible for shipping items and ensuring their condition to successful bidders.

Distribute Items to the Intended Recipients

Schedule a single day for distribution of items. In-town relatives can come to pick up items intended for them; they may also be helpful by taking bags to charities, books to resellers, boxes to storage, and trash to dumps.

Use this day for shipping as well. Small items can be shipped via UPS or FedEx; large pieces of furniture and antiques may require special handling by movers. Once you’ve finished distribution, you should have a considerably reduced pile of boxes and furniture. These boxes should contain only items to be moved to the elder’s new residence or to storage. Remaining items should be those to be sold in an estate sale.

Move the Elder to His New Residence

Will the mover actually show up on time? Will the mover actually show up at all? Increase the probability of a good outcome for the move by contacting the mover to confirm arrangement a week ahead and the day before the actual move is scheduled. Of course, missed appointments may still occur, but if you’ve checked out the company with the Better Business Bureau and reminded the company of your appointment, the chances are good that the move will go as planned.

Accompany your elder to his new residence and help him with the moving-in process. Even if not all boxes can be emptied in a single day, he will feel more comfortable if a few items that are meaningful to him are unpacked and placed where he can find them.

Hold an Estate Sale

Once the movers have left the premises, the estate sale professionals should come in to evaluate and price items for the estate sale. Give them a key to the house, and then get out of their way. If you have chosen well, these professionals can do a great job of pricing items to sell and clearing the house of whatever remains. They will take a percentage of the sale receipts as compensation.

The days of the sale are good days to keep your elder busy elsewhere. A tearful elder does nothing to help sales.

Schedule a professional cleaning service to clean the house once the estate sale is over. When that has been completed to your satisfaction, turn the keys over to your senior real estate professional and give yourself a big pat on the back. You’re done!

Click here for a checklist to help you through this process. Or copy this address into your browser address bar.

http://www.thebestisyet.net/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/pando19/start.cgi/movechecklist.htm

About The Author

Phyllis Staff, Ph.D. – Phyllis Staff is an experimental psychologist and the CEO of The Best Is Yet.Net, an internet company that helps seniors and caregivers find trustworthy residential care. She is the author of How to Find Great Senior Housing: A Roadmap for Elders and Those Who Love Them. She is also the daughter of a victim of Alzheimer’s disease. Visit the author’s web site at http://www.thebestisyet.net

pando19@thebestisyet.net

If Using The Stairs Has Become A Daily Struggle, A Stair lift Could Change Your Life

Using stairs is an everyday nightmare for many people. As we grow older the stairs in our home can become more of a struggle due to mobility problems associated with old age, an accident or illness. Often when out shopping or in a public place an alternative can be found such as a lift or escalator, but the stairs at home can become a daily challenge. Many people who experience difficulty climbing the stairs come to dread having to use them. For people whose bathroom or toilet is upstairs it can be even more of an issue.

When faced with the challenges that limited mobility brings to the home, there are several options. An expensive and disruptive choice is to move into a bungalow, which can be very stressful, especially if the move is away from family and friends. Some people are forced simply to live downstairs. This can lead to a fall in their standard of living, from lack of space and privacy. Another option is to extend the living space downstairs, which can be costly and disruptive and may not be worth the effort when it comes to selling the house. Other people do nothing at all and continue to struggle on a daily basis, increasing their risk of injury from falling.

But there is really no need to continue to live in dread of the stairs or make drastic decisions such as to move. Having a stair lift installed has made life easier for thousands of people with limited mobility. Buying a stair lift can really improve quality of life for someone who wants to stay independent in their own home. The initial cost may be daunting but that needs to be weighed up against the alternative costs and inconvenience of moving to a bungalow or extending the downstairs.

There are many advantages of choosing a stair lift. Out of all the options mentioned above, having a stair lift installed causes the least disruption. In fact, after an initial visit from a representative of the stair lift company to take measurements of the staircase, a stairlift can be installed within a day. The color and upholstery can be chosen especially to blend in or compliment the existing décor. Stair lifts are safe and very easy to operate. And above all for a person with limited mobility a stair lift can give them some freedom and allow them to remain in their own home.

Caroline Smith is a successful freelance writer who has written many articles for http://www.1-stair-lift.com the leading information resource for stair lifts online.

Massage Therapy for Senior Citizens

Massage therapy can offer senior citizens a number of benefits that will greatly improve their sense of health and wellbeing. As the population continues to age, it is important to consider ways that we can work to improve the lives of those affected by the passing of time. A number of studies have shown that massage therapy can have a direct impact in managing the effects of aging. It has also shown promise in bringing comfort to those suffering from arthritis and other physical ailments.

As people age, they naturally become less active. This lack of physical activity can lead to the onset of other conditions which, if not dealt with, can greatly reduce their quality of life. The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) has been promoting the use of massage therapy for some time now. According to a recent study, there is a general awareness of massage therapy but a lack of understanding of its direct benefits.

In the case of senior citizens, there are a number of benefits that be derived from therapeutic massage. According to the Touch Research Institute, it is extremely useful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s patients, as it can facilitate relaxation and communication. In the case of arthritis sufferers, it can greatly assist in pain management and help increase range of motion. It also triggers natural joint lubrication, which is extremely important for those suffering from arthritis.

Massage therapy has also shown promise by helping to increase strength and muscle coordination. It can also greatly improve one’s posture by reducing muscle tension, which has the added benefit of assisting seniors with a higher quality of rest. Massage has also been known to boost one’s natural energy levels, along with their mental awareness. Study after study has shown that there is a place for massage therapy within the health care community.

More and more people are becoming aware of the benefits of massage therapy. In an age where the common approach to pain management has been dominated by the interests of the pharmaceutical industry, massage therapy has shown to be an effective and natural solution to the ailments associated with process of aging. If you or a loved one are interested in learning more about the benefits of therapeutic massage, please visit the website mentioned below.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Stephanie Macintosh is a certified massage therapist based in Portland. When she is not busy with her growing practice, she writes for massagetherapy101.com – an insightful website with information about the benefits of Massage Therapy, Massage Techniques, Massage Equipment and more.