02 May 2012

Diabetes On-The-Go

By Ginny Grimsley
Growing Industry Helps Diabetics Maintain Active Lifestyles

A whole industry has grown up around freeing diabetics to lead less restricted lives. New on the market, or on the verge of being introduced, are three "firsts": tubeless insulin pumps, a needleless blood-glucose monitoring system, and diabetic-friendly frozen foods.

With the number of diabetics growing worldwide - 246 million at last count, according to the World Health Organization - businesses are motivated. In 2011, diabetes therapeutic products were a $23.7 billion dollar industry feeding a growing population that's starving for a better quality of life, says Chef Robert Lewis, "The Happy Diabetic," author of two cookbooks for people with the metabolic disorder.

"It wasn't long ago that Type 1 diabetics had to be sure they packed ample sterile syringes and insulin, whether they were going to work for the day or on a road trip," he says. "Monitoring blood sugar levels, which is crucial to keeping vital organs healthy, was painful, primitive and hit-or-miss.

"And food? That's been the hardest. A diabetes diagnosis can feel like a life sentence of bland eating."

Among the "firsts" Lewis says diabetics can look forward to:

• The first tubeless insulin pump. Thirty years ago, people with insulin-dependent diabetes had to give themselves shots around the clock to control their blood sugar levels. In some cases, diabetics were hospitalized to ensure they got the insulin necessary to prevent ketoacidosis, a condition that can lead to coma and death. In 1983, the insulin pump was introduced. It attaches to the body and provides continuous insulin injections. But while it was a major breakthrough, it can be bulky and awkward, with a dangling catheter. The most recent innovation is a streamlined version called the OmniPad. It has no tubes, it's smaller and it attaches anywhere on the body with adhesive. It also has a built-in glucose-monitoring system.

• The first needleless glucometer. The Symphony tCGM System uses ultrasound to monitor blood-sugar levels, which will free people from the painful pricks needed to get a small blood sample for testing multiple times a day. The device, which attaches with adhesive to the body, continuously tracks glucose levels day and night and can send the readings to your smart phone. Under development for more than a decade, Symphony is undergoing the studies necessary to win regulatory approval.

• The first diabetic-friendly frozen meals. Meals-in-a-Bun (www.lifestylechefs.net) will arrive in Northeast U.S. grocery stores beginning in July and roll out across the country through the end of the year. They're low on the glycemic index, low in sugar and carbs, high in soluble fiber, low in trans fat, high in lean protein and low in sodium, Lewis says. "And the best thing is, they are delicious."  The five varieties - two vegan and three vegetarian - include selections like Thai Satay, mushrooms, broccoli and tofu in whole-wheat flax bun. "This is particularly exciting because, while there have been advances in equipment that makes life easier for diabetics, there haven't been for convenient, packaged foods."

Diabetics who do not watch what they eat may wind up suffering kidney damage, stomach problems, heart disease, pneumonia, gum disease, blindness, stroke, nerve damage, complications during pregnancy, loss of limb and other health problems, according to the CDC.

But many Americans are trending toward healthier diets, eating less meat, gluten, salt and sugar, Lewis says. Tasty foods developed for diabetics will be excellent choices for them, too.

"What's good for diabetics is good for everyone," he says. "And you don't have to give up one teaspoon of flavor.

"There's a reason why I am called 'The Happy Diabetic'; I have discovered the joy of nutrition-rich food."

About Lifestyle Chefs

Lifestyle Chefs is a Santa Clara, Calif., company specializing in creating meals inspired by world cuisines and using only natural, healthy and nutritious ingredients. Lifestyle Chefs' products are all vegetarian and diabetic-friendly, perfect for families who want fast, convenient meals that are low in calories, high in nutrition and robust in flavor. Chef Robert Lewis, "The Happy Diabetic," was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1998. He specializes in flavorful recipes that won't spike a diabetic's blood sugar.

01 May 2012

U.S. Paying Needlessly High Cost for Crime, Expert Says

By Ginny Grimsley
Urges Renewed Focus on Rehabilitation

States are spending $52 billion a year on corrections, with one U.S. adult in 31 either incarcerated, on probation, or on parole, according to the Pew Foundation.

The U.S. incarceration rate is by far the highest in the world. Spending on corrections is now the second fastest-growing item in state budgets after Medicaid. It has quadrupled in the past two decades, many say because of a "get tough on crime" approach.

A steady stream of recidivists - returning offenders - is one major drain. As shrinking state budgets demand legislatures to do more with less, scrutiny of the judicial system is increasing.

"It's high time we start attacking this costly problem at its root, rather than issuing petty punitive sentences for small-time, non-violent crimes," says advocate Adam Young, founder of CommunityServiceHelp.com. His organization partners with charities to help people fulfill community service sentences by taking classes instead of picking up litter.

"Here is the question: Do we want to punish small-time crimes, or should we offer rehabilitation for people who are caught in this costly cycle?"

In the mid-1970s there was more emphasis on rehabilitation, he says. Less than a decade before that, California introduced the concept of community service to the United States. It has since been widely accepted throughout the nation as a space-saving, cost-cutting solution. It's time to make community service sentencing more effective, Young says.

"If states really want to save money, they should address recidivism through programs that include education," he says. "It is better for all of us, for both economic and public safety reasons, to help educate people so they can get and maintain jobs."

He cites New Jersey's Female Offender Reentry Group Effort, or FORGE, which became mandatory in Essex County for female parolees in 2006. The program emphasizes legal, job and emotional support, which is particularly helpful for women, experts say.

A four-year study by Rutgers University compared recidivism rates for female parolees who did not experience the program to those who went through FORGE and an additional monthly support group. Only 28 percent of the FORGE graduates returned to prison; nearly half the non-graduates became repeat offenders.

"Citizens become prisoners because they have had trouble integrating with society from the very beginning," Young says. "Prison without rehab and associated educational programs teaches inmates how to deal with hardened criminals, psychopaths, drug addicts and the mentally ill, but not how to be a productive member of society."

States with the most recidivism could each save about $470 million a year by reducing rates by just 10 percent, he says.

There is a nationwide push to privatize prisons, which cuts off state funding for various rehabilitation programs that are understood to generally reduce recidivism, Young says. In addition, crowding in prisons is leading to more attention being paid to simply controlling the population, and less to rehabilitation efforts.

About Adam Young

Adam Young is a longtime internet marketing professional who launched his educational community service alternative in January 2011. He was inspired by a minor brush with the law when he was an 18-year-old; the community service hours he received cost him his job and nearly caused him to drop out of college. Through his website (www.CommunityServiceHelp.com), offenders have logged more than 300,000 hours of self-scheduled schooling that allows them to remain employed while completing service hours. Young advocates education as the most cost-effective tool for rehabilitating offenders.

01 May 2012

Poverty On the Plains

By Ginny Grimsley

Report finds poverty in rural areas higher than urban centers

 

Lyons, Nebraska - Today, the Center for Rural Affairs released a report that challenges many conventional assumptions about where poverty and food insecurity exists in the central United States. The report concludes that rural counties in the Midwest and Great Plains are experiencing higher incidence of poverty as well as greater rates of food insecurity, especially among children, than urban centers in the region. These findings challenge conventional thought and policy debates which often conclude, directly or implicitly, that poverty and food insecurity are primarily urban issues.

"Rural poverty continues to be a serious issue in many parts of the Great Plains region, affecting scores of rural households and families," said Jon Bailey, Director of Research and Analysis at the Center for Rural Affairs and co-author of the report.  "The poverty rates among rural children are most alarming, both in the immediate term and for their long-term development."

The report, Poverty on the Great Plains, is the third in a series of briefs examining data from the 2010 Census. The analysis covers a 10 state region that includes North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa and selected counties in Colorado, Montana, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

A full copy of the report can be downloaded at: http://files.cfra.org/pdf/census-brief3-poverty.pdf

According to the report, 414,331 people in rural areas (or 13.3% of the regional rural population) were living in poverty in 2010. And that same year 145,065 or 16.4% of rural children in the region lived in poverty compared to 15.6% of children in micropolitan counties and 14.1% in metropolitan counties.

While portions of metropolitan areas of the region are likely to have among the highest poverty rates in the region, the data presented here is county level data that in many cases contains both high poverty and low poverty areas within a county or metropolitan area.

Additionally, Bailey points out that another sign of living in poverty is food insecurity. Food Insecurity is defined as USDA's measure of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members or limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods.

Bailey's report finds that rural people who were food insecure accounted for 12.7% of the population in 2010. And rural children who were food insecure accounted for 23.8%. It is critical for the future of rural residents that the issue of food insecurity be addressed. Solving childhood poverty and food insecurity is particularly important as the physical and intellectual development of children is affected by poverty and a lack of access to healthy food.

"A food insecure household may not experience insecurity throughout the entire year," continued Bailey. "Any time one has to make a choice between adequate food and other expenses, such as medical bills, a household is considered to be food insecure."

A previous report also authored by Bailey found that although rural grocery stores play a crucial role in our rural communities, providing vital sources of nutrition, jobs and tax revenue that support the community, they are slowly disappearing across the nation. In Iowa, for example, the number of grocery stores with employees dropped by almost half from 1995 to 2005, from about 1,400 stores in 1995 to slightly over 700 just 10 years later. Meanwhile, "supercenter" grocery stores (Wal-Mart and Target, for example) increased by 175 percent in the 10-year period.

"The growing phenomena of rural 'food deserts' - the lack of outlets for purchasing food - is impacting residents in many rural areas of the nation, no matter their age or income," Bailey explained. "And combined with increased rural poverty rates, especially among rural children, food insecurity among rural families is on the rise."

"In order to reverse these trends in rural America, it is crucial for rural communities and public policy to find new, innovative ways to create rural economic opportunities and revitalize rural economies," said Bailey.

A 2007 Center for Rural Affairs analysis demonstrated that USDA and Congress have severely over-subsidized the biggest and most powerful farms while consistently under-investing in rural economic development, spending twice as much on subsidizing the 20 largest farms in each of 13 leading farm states as it invested in rural development programs to create economic opportunity for millions of people in thousands of towns in the 20 rural counties with the most out-migration in each respective state - (the full report - An Analysis of USDA Farm Program Payments and Rural Development Funding In Low Population Growth Rural Counties, a.k.a. Oversubsidizing and Underinvesting... can be viewed or downloaded at: http://www.cfra.org/node/603).

According to Bailey, federal contributions to rural development have been plummeting for years - almost one-third of the USDA Rural Development budget has been cut since 2003. And Congress is currently considering making even further cuts to already bare-boned rural development programs. For example, funds for the popular Value Added Producer Grant are in jeopardy and all the money for the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program is currently on the chopping block. The USDA only uses about 1.7 percent of its budget for rural development.

"Addressing poverty and food insecurity, especially among rural children, requires setting profoundly different priorities than are evidenced in the iteration of the Farm Bill currently being debated in Congress," concluded Bailey.

30 Apr 2012

Think You Know World Word II?

By Ginny Grimsley
The Unknown Brutality & Savagery

In 10 countries, men, women and children are being killed as part of systematic "genocide, 'politicide' or mass atrocities," according to Genocide Watch's recently updated list.

In Syria, pro-democracy protesters and civilian bystanders are being bombed, shot and starved by their government's security forces; in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 3 to 5 million civilians, mostly women and girls, have been raped and murdered; and in North Korea, labor camps house 500,000 domestic and political prisoners, and non-party members are starved and undergo forced abortions.

"Many people don't realize that genocide is occurring every day all over the world," says Renata Reinhart, author of In the Course of My Life (www.rexvita.com), an account of the little-known Soviet genocide of 2 million Eastern Germans in 1945, committed with the complicity of England and the United States.

"It's something we should all be deeply concerned about - any of us can become the next victims," Reinhart says.

One hallmark of genocide is that the perpetrators deny it, says Dr. Gregory Stanton, president of Genocide Watch and the International Association of Genocide Scholars. They use tactics such as questioning and minimizing the statistics; blaming renegade forces; claiming self-defense; and/or claiming deaths were inadvertent and not intentional.

Allowing the killers to deny the massacres ensures future slaughters, Stanton says.

"Studies by genocide scholars prove that the single best predictor of future genocide is denial of a past genocide coupled with impunity for its perpetrators," he says. "Genocide deniers are three times more likely to commit genocide again than other governments."

In the case of the 1945 ethnic cleansing of Eastern Germany, Russian soldiers were given license to launch a "Revenge without Mercy" on the civilian populations of East Prussia, Silesia, Pomerania and other parts of Eastern Europe, Reinhart says.

"It's documented; it's just been ignored, concealed and forgotten," she says, noting Nobel Prize-winner Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, a captain in the Red Army who witnessed the atrocities and recounted them in his poem, "Prussian Nights." A survivor of the slaughter, Margot Serowy, tells her story in paintings at MargotSoweryFineArt.com.

Anticipating Germany's defeat in World War II, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin considered the territories he would eventually claim and decided they should be cleared of all Germans, Reinhart says. Soldiers in the Red Army were encouraged to burn, loot, pillage, rape and kill to drive the Germans out of those areas beginning in January 1945.

"England's prime minister, Winston Churchill, was informed of the plan and referred to it - approvingly - in 1944 as 'these population transferences,' '' Reinhart says.  "Churchill personally ordered the massive bombing and destruction of East Prussia's capital Konigsberg for no justifiable strategic reason and a few months later, the British bombed and leveled Dresden, killing 30.000 to 40.000 civilians. These attacks helped pave the way for Stalin's genocide."

The "revenge" soldiers, she added, were supplied with food, trucks, Jeeps and other vehicles by the United States.

"Because the victims were German, it was all right to rape children and murder women. No one tried to stop it," Reinhart says. "And, apparently, it's all right to kill men, women and children in  Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Burma - the rest of the countries on the Genocide Watch list.

"We need to hold the perpetrators accountable. That's the first step to stopping these atrocities."

About Renata Reinhart

Renata Reinhart is the pen name of the author, a scholar of World War II history who spent years researching the Red Army's march across Eastern Europe in 1945. While the book is fictionalized as a memoir, the historical elements are accurate and based on numerous documented sources.

30 Apr 2012

'Wall Street Whiz Kid' Says Best Financial Guide is the Oldest One

By Ginny Grimsley
Money Expert Shares the Advice He Follows

Financial how-to books come and go - they're published by the hundreds every year. But Peter Grandich, dubbed "The Wall Street Whiz Kid" by Good Morning America's Steve Crowley, says the one he relies on has been around for nearly 2,000 years.

"I get my financial guidance from the Bible," says Grandich, author of Confessions of a Wall Street Whiz Kid (www.confessionsofawallstreetwhizkid.com). "Money and possessions are the second most referenced topic in the Bible - money is mentioned more than 800 times - and the message is clear: Nowhere in Scripture is debt viewed in a positive way."

Grandich, who says his years as a highly successful Wall Street stockbroker left him spiritually depleted and clinically depressed, says the Bible is an excellent financial adviser, whether or not you're religious.

"The writers of the Bible anticipated the problems we would have with money and possessions; there are more than 2,000 references," he says. "Our whole culture now is built on the premise that we have to have more money and more stuff to feel happy and secure. Public storage is the poster child for what's wrong with America. We have too much stuff because we've bought into the myth fabricated by Wall Street and Madison Avenue that more stuff equals more happiness."  He adds, "That's the total opposite of the truth, and the opposite of what it says in The Bible."

What's Grandich's No. 1 most important biblical rule of finance? "God owns everything. You may have bought that house, but He gave you the money to buy it, so it's His."

Some other lessons from the ultimate financial guide?

• Do put money aside for investing: "One of the most revealing parables is Jesus' story about a wealthy master who left three servants in charge of his financial affairs when he went away on a long journey," Grandich says. "When he returned, two of the servants had multiplied the coins for which they were responsible. The third buried his to keep it safe." That last servant ended up out on his ear. The story is a lesson: We must invest our money - and invest wisely.

• Debt's not prohibited, but it should be avoided: The Bible clearly warns that the borrower will be a servant to the lender, but it also instructs us to lend money. That suggests that there are times when it's OK to borrow, but it should not become a way of life. The Bible also instructs us to repay what we've borrowed.

• The more you make, the more you should give. This is a hard one for people caught up in buying bigger and better things, but there are numerous references to charitable giving. The Bible says that it's quite all right to buy the bigger house - but the more you make and spend on yourself, the more you need to give to others. That doesn't include tithing, another very clear demand: God expects you to give 10 percent of your wealth to your place of worship.

• Don't focus on acquiring possessions. There are many, many warnings that accumulating stuff is dangerous. Material things are fleeting and they'll do you no good in the long run. What you put your effort into, that's where your heart will be, Grandich says.

About Peter Grandich

Peter Grandich became renowned in the financial industry when he predicted market crashes and rebounds in The Grandich Letter, a newsletter he created in 1984. It's currently a blog featuring his commentary on the world's economies and financial markets as well as social and political topics. Grandich is co-founder, with former New York Giants player Lee Rouson, of Trinity Financial Sports & Entertainment Management Co., a firm that specializes in offering guidance from a Christian perspective to professional athletes and celebrities.

25 Apr 2012

Partners in Love and Business Travel Road to Success

By Ginny Grimsley
Couple Offers Tips for Love and Happiness
(Hint: Fun Matters)

Barack and Michelle do it. Brad and Angelina do it. John and Yoko did it. How?

As the divorce rate hovers near an estimated 50 percent in the United States, many blame career stress as a major cause of separations. But somehow some couples grow stronger, especially when they work together.

One couple who have worked together for nearly a decade in the stressful world of theater, producing Off-Broadway plays, has decided to share their secrets.

"In part, it is because we work together that our bond has strengthened after 10 years of marriage," says Jamillah Lamb, co-author along with her husband, David, of Perfect Combination: Seven Key Ingredients to Happily Living & Loving Together (www.acoupleoflambs.com).

The couple has worked together professionally in their stage company, Between The Lines Productions, Inc., for nine years. But the Lambs say even couples who aren't business partners are working together every day; because being in any relationship requires negotiating, compromising, and decision-making. Just think about the last time you had to decide whose mother's house you were going to for Christmas or where you were going to go for vacation or even which movie you were going to see last weekend.

"We get more opportunity to grow together because, between home and work, we're making 100 decisions a day instead of 10," Jamillah says.

The couple live by their guiding rule, "Love like kids, act like adults."

"That means to love freely and completely, without a fortress around your heart, and behave responsibly," David says.

A crucial ingredient for any successful marriage is friendship, the Lambs say. Here are some of their tips:

• Enjoy life: Some couples won't go to theme parks until they have children. But letting one's inner child out to play with their partner's inner child strengthens a relationship's bond.

• Forgive the small stuff: No one is always right, and no one wants to be around someone who always needs to be right.

• Appreciate individuality: Everyone needs to have their own identity, including those in a long-term relationship and couples who work together. David enjoys his comic book collection, while Jamillah keeps a library of romance novels.

• Do not misdirect anger: In psychology, it's called transference; dumping your bad day on someone else. It is poison for any relationship.

• Remember your love: Couples may fight, but guard what you say. There's no need for ugliness even when you disagree.

Couples need to remember relationships take work, but they can also be a blast of fun, David says.

"Love is worth the sacrifice," they agree. "Today, with stories of celebrity couples walking away after only days of marriage and even more people living as though sacrifice is nearly a curse word, we say: 'It's worth the sacrifice.' For us, it means that we are willing to give up something that we thought was valuable or important for something even more important: love and our happiness."

Love is, in part, the acknowledgement and deep appreciation for another human being, Jamillah says.

"Couples should never take each other for granted," she advises. "In love, as in business, everyone wants to be appreciated. The simplest gesture can go a long way to help your significant other feel like they are making a significant contribution to your life, your family, or your business."

About David & Jamillah Lamb

David and Jamillah Lamb have been married for 10 years. They founded and have run Between The Lines Productions, Inc. since 2003. Born and raised in Queens, N.Y., David attended the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and New York University School of Law. He is the playwright of "Platanos y Collard Greens." Jamillah Lamb grew up in the same Chicago neighborhood as first lady Michelle Obama. She earned her master's degree in public policy at Harvard. Together they wrote Perfect Combination: Seven Key Ingredients to Happily Living & Loving to share what they have learned as successful partners in love and in business.They live in Brooklyn with their daughter.

25 Apr 2012

Make a Fresh Start Playing by Your Rules

By Ginny Grimsley
Expert Offers Tips for Living True to Yourself

What is the No. 1 regret of hospice patients in their dying days?

"They wished they would have lived life the way they wanted to, not the way others wanted them to," says Kathie Truitt, author of The Hillbilly Debutante Café (www.hillbillydebutante.blogspot.com), quoting an article by former palliative care worker Bronnie Ware.

Truitt changed her life by necessity after a devastating series of events led to the loss of her home and career. Like many Americans who lost it all in the recent recession, Truitt decided to go about things differently the second time around.

"I got rid of the socialite sweater sets, the business suits and pumps, which were not me, and went to what is me - vintage dresses and cowboy boots," she says. "I live in the Washington, D.C., area because I have too. But I don't have to conform to how other people look, dress and behave here. I surround myself with the things I like; I have a country-style house, I drive a pickup, and, once a month, I take a ride out to one of the places featured in Southern Living magazine."

You don't have to have a lot of money to live a life truer to your spirit. Truitt offers some suggestions:

• Make location a state of mind. Does your heart yearn to be somewhere else? You're in Kansas, but you long to live on the beach, or you're in the city but you're a country person, like Truitt. If you can't follow your heart, bring that place to you. If you love all things Paris, for instance, decorate a room or your whole home Parisian style. Instead of going to the grocery store once a week, find a market and stop in every day for fresh food, the way the French do. Ride a bicycle; put a picture of the Eiffel Tower on your desk at work; eat lunch al fresco. Take a French class and maybe you'll meet some like-minded friends.

• Turn your passion into a career. You don't have to give up your day job to pursue a career doing what gratifies and satisfies you. If you love playing music, set aside time to practice and write songs. Pursue opportunities to play at local events; create video recordings and upload them to YouTube (it worked for Justin Bieber!); offer to perform at your place of worship. Whether you dream of writing a novel, designing jewelry or being a race car driver, working at it even part-time will help you feel fulfilled.

• Take the plunge and start your own business. In 2011, entrepreneurs started 543,000 new businesses each month, on average, among the highest startup rates in 16 years, according to the most recent Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity. With all the tax breaks and incentives being offered to small businesses now, it's a good time to open that restaurant you always wanted, or launch that graphics design studio. You'll never know until you try!

As for Truitt, she would love to be back home in El Dorado Springs, Mo. Since she can't be there, she wrote a novel set in the small, southern town, which is struggling financially. She hopes to fan interest in tourists visiting the town to meet the business owners described in her book, and see the sights. To that end, she's also organizing an Antique & Book Festival there on April 14, preceded by a Hillbilly Debutante ball - featuring vintage prom dresses and plaid tuxes - the night before.

"There are many ways to live your dreams," Truitt says. "You're limited only by your imagination. I don't want to be that person looking back on my life and regretting that I lived it by someone else's rules."

About Kathie Truitt

Kathie Truitt is a former radio personality and speaker in the South, where she was crowned Mrs. Missouri America. She's the author of False Victim, a memoir about the nightmare of events that forced her from her home. She sells vintage-style clothing, accessories and jewelry at www.hillbillydebutante.blogspot.com.

20 Apr 2012

Planning for Long-Term Health Care?

By Ginny Grimsley
Tips for Selecting Insurance Options

Thanks to Baby Boomers and modern medical marvels, more Americans than ever are heading into their senior years, and they're expected to live longer than ever, too. Barely 50 years ago, our average life expectancy was 62.5 years; today that number has risen to 78.2 years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

That means that more Americans than ever will also soon be deciding how to handle their eldercare. Steve Casto, Retirement Income Specialist and author of Is Your Retirement Headed in the Right Direction?, (www.stevecasto.com), says there are important questions and answers to consider before making that critical decision.

"The key thing to balance is the difference between what you think you'll need and what you can afford between your liquid assets and insurance coverage," Casto said. "If you don't start by asking yourself the right questions, you'll never get to the answers that will lead to a successful long-term care plan."

Here are some questions - and their answers:

Q. Should I opt for nursing-home or in-home care insurance?
A. When selecting insurance plans, protect against your worst risk first. In-home care is more about maintenance, while care outside the home is focused on crises. Home care is good for when a person needs help getting around. If he has a stroke, he'd need to be cared for outside the home initially, so there is a need for both.

Q. What should I select as my daily allowance?
A. If your health deteriorates, a daily allowance of $100 per day could cover all your care outside the home, but only a third of the care inside the home. Your home-care costs could rocket to more than $400 or more per day, so plan for the worst.

Q. What is an elimination period?
A. Sometimes referred to as the "waiting" or "qualifying" period, this refers to the length of time between the beginning of an injury or illness and receiving benefit payments from an insurer. With long-term care, the typical elimination period is 90 days, which means you are responsible for covering the first 90 days of care on your own. Most people believe that Medicare covers the first 90 days, which is dead wrong. It only covers it under certain conditions, and not all patients meet those conditions, which include :

o A nursing home stay that follows a three-day hospital stay
o Admission to a nursing home within 30 days of hospital discharge
o A Medicare-certified nursing home
o Physician-certified need for skilled care on a daily basis

Your best bet is to be insured through a long-term care policy for that first 90 days.

"These are just a few of the issues," Casto says. "A good starting point for those planning early is to completely discount the idea of getting a dime from Medicare. Even if it is still around when you need long-term care, the restrictions on Medicare are tightening. You'll be lucky to get the program to pay for 10 percent of a nursing home stay.

"The real answer is to get a solid long-term care insurance policy that is based on a sound plan."

About Steve Casto

Steve Casto is founder and president of Strategic Wealth Solutions, Inc. an Omaha, Neb.-based financial firm that manages money for investors in the Midwest. Steve helps clients reduce their tax bill, minimize their risk, and ensure they don't outlive their money. He's the author of Is Your Retirement Heading in the Right Direction? and offers presentations on how to increase income while reducing taxes.

20 Apr 2012

Communal Living Attracting More Baby Boomer Women

By Ginny Grimsley
Baby Boomer Women
Women are Choosing to Age with the Support of Friends

Some say the '60s hippies are going back to the commune. Others call the growing number of female Baby Boomers rooming together "'The Golden Girls' phenomenon."

Author Martha Nelson, who at 65 is on the leading edge of a tsunami of retiring Boomers, says it's really all about choosing the company of friends.

"As a group, we've been empowered more than past generations of women," says Nelson, whose debut novel, Black Chokeberry (www.BlackChokeberryTheBook.com), is the story of three disparate older women who unexpectedly end up sharing a home. "We're more worldly, stronger, financially savvy and healthier than our ancestors - through no fault of their own - and we know what we want."

Increasingly, what they want is to actively age with the camaraderie, laughter, understanding and support of other women who share their ideas of healthy lifestyles, good food from their own gardens, green living, and myriad activities on a moment's notice.

In 2010, 480,000 Baby Boom women lived with a least one unrelated female, according to an AARP analysis. The growing number of U.S. HomeShare programs, which help connect people interested in sharing a house, say their numbers have been steadily rising since the economy belly-flopped.

"This concept is really trending on the East and West Coasts and is very big in Europe," says Ryan Cowmeadow, vice president of the National Shared Housing Resource Center, an all-volunteer clearinghouse of HomeShare programs.

"Our numbers are up about 15 percent since 2007, and about 75 percent of applicants are female," he says.

"We're hoping to see a real surge with the Boomers entering retirement age now. They're the ones who didn't take 'no' for an answer. Home-sharing just makes sense."

Nelson notes that there are several reasons why women more than men are gravitating to communal living as an alternative lifestyle.

"Women typically live longer than men, and men are more likely to remarry quickly after a divorce or the death of a spouse," she says.

"And fundamentally I think it's as much about the special bonds women share. We form these wonderful, supportive, 'tell the truth' friendships, which survive the demands of husbands, children and careers. Whether living alone or with a spouse or partner, women cling to their friendships. When a woman considers living alone as she ages, it's a natural progression to seek the company of her best friends."

That's what happened to Nelson, a former journalist and educator, whose long marriage ended in divorce when she was in her 50s. In regaining her balance as a single woman, she sought time alone to heal, then turned to her trusted friends as she stepped back into life. Her happiest moments came from long conversations over coffee, laughter over meals and movies, and, occasionally, indulgent tears she felt safe to shed.

"I came to fully understand the importance of women friends in my life," she says. "They are the gold standard and as we age, they are critical to happiness, regardless if one is married or in a committed relationship."

The movement for cohousing - where residents have private living spaces but share common areas, such as dining rooms, and tasks, such as cooking -- started in Denmark and is catching on in the United States. There are model programs in Boulder, Colo., and other communities, including three cohousing projects being planned in the greater Nashville area, where Nelson lives.

Practical considerations of creating close living communities include health and safety, care in times of an accident or medical emergency, and saving money, a concern for many women who find themselves single or widowed after long marriages, Nelson says.

But Boomers are renowned for demanding more than creature comforts from life, she adds.

"We want to be happy; we're healthy, active and we want to enjoy ourselves as we age. We want to travel, go to a movie with a neighbor or housemate, cook a meal, share a garden, and feel that we are contributing to our communities.

"What started with Rosie the Riveter has brought us to this," says Nelson who is happily married again, but fascinated by the new movement of cohousing.

"We're strong women and we can choose to live the way we want as we get older. Very often, that will mean with other women in close knit communities."

About Martha Nelson

Martha Nelson is an award-winning former investigative reporter, columnist and editor at two New York newspapers. She also is a former educational and nonprofit executive, consultant, and chef. She retired in 2010 and settled in to write Black Chokeberry, a coming-of-age novel about three women confronting crisis and change on the other side of 50.

19 Apr 2012

6 Ways to Cut Your Insurance Costs

By Ginny Grimsley
Financial Planner Offers Premium Solutions to Gas Price Pain

There is nothing that makes your wallet squeal louder today than pulling into the gas station and dropping $50. Gasoline prices have risen more than 12 percent over the past 12 months, and some experts are predicting they'll reach $5 per gallon in the next six months.

The average household now spends $50 per month more on gasoline than last year, notes financial planner Rick Rodgers, author of The New Three-Legged Stool: A Tax Efficient Approach To Retirement Planning (www.TheNewThreeLeggedStool.com).

"But that's not the whole picture," Rodgers says. "Higher fuel prices affect a lot of other expenses in the family budget, from heating to food. The government estimates the average household is spending $150 per month more this year because of higher oil prices."

You can try to ease the pain at the pump by using your car less, but you should also look for other places to offset that extra $150. Car insurance is a good place to start.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, the national average auto insurance premium is $850 per year. Can you reduce that? Rodgers says you probably can. He offers six ways:

• Shop around regularly. Your insurance agent doesn't have a lot of incentive to reduce your premiums.  I recently met a consumer who told me he had been with the same agent for 15 years. After he shopped his insurance with another agent, he saved $1,600 on his premiums for all his coverage. The internet makes it easy compare costs for the same coverage, or you can get an independent insurance agent to shop for you. Contact the Independent Agents Association at (800) 221-7917. (Be sure the company you go with has a good credit rating and claims-paying history.)

• Bundle your coverage. Bundling is combining different types of policies (auto, homeowners, liability, etc.) with the same company. The theory is that the company will discount the premiums if they have all of your business. The most common combination is packaging your auto insurance and homeowner's policies together.  Or, find companies that will bundle auto insurance with renter's or tenant's insurance.  Bundled packages usually result in a 10 to 15 percent savings.

• Ask for discounts. You may qualify for discounts, but you won't know until you ask. They're commonly offered for good driving records, anti-theft devices, vehicle safety features (anti-lock brakes, air bags, automatic seatbelts), low annual mileage and insuring more than one car. The spunky Flo from Progressive claims discounts are also available for buying your policy online, paying in full up front, and being a loyal customer.

• Take a defensive driving class. Even if you've been driving for years, you can learn a lot from driver education and most insurance companies recognize the value of a refresher course, which can help you avoid accidents. The amount of discount varies by insurance company and from state to state, although most insurers offer a 10 percent discount on your premium for three years.  AARP offers a driver safety program for those over age 50, and it's available online.

• Increase your deductible. Do your auto and homeowners policies have low deductibles?  If so, you may be able to reduce your premiums 15 to 30 percent by raising the deductible on your collision and comprehensive coverage.  Make sure you have an emergency fund set aside to cover the cost of repairs before you make the change. But your homeowners policy may be the first place to consider raising the deductible, since statistics show the average homeowner files a claim only once every nine years. Be sure to check with your mortgage holder first; some specify maximums.

• Change Cars. This is probably the most difficult savings tip to implement but may have the largest impact on your premium.  Used cars are cheaper to insure than new ones (excluding antiques); sports cars are more expensive to insure than minivans. Insurance companies like cars with safety features and low repair costs.  Insure.com surveyed 900 vehicles in the 2012 model year and lists the rankings from the most expensive to least expensive on their website.  Six of the 10 cheapest were minivans.

About Rick Rodgers

Certified Financial Planner Rick Rodgers is president of Rodgers & Associates, "The Retirement Specialists," in Lancaster, Pa. He's a Certified Retirement Counselor and member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisers. Rodgers has been featured on national radio and TV shows, including "FOX Business News" and "The 700 Club," and is available to speak at conferences and corporate events (www.rodgersspeaks.com).

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