Assitive devices for special needs, stress urinary incontinence, SeniorSSuperStoreS Keeping in Touch newlsetter for baby boomers, seniors, senior citizens and the elderly

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This issue of Keeping in Touch deals with several matters of interest to Prime Time Surfers:

1.) Will you outlive your retirement savings?
2.) Consumers should beware of phony Firestone Rebate Scam
3.) Assitive devices for special needs
4.) Just how HOT is it?
5.) Stress urinary incontinence: millions of women suffer in silence
6.) Do you suffer from stress urinary incontinence?
7.) Your Subscription Details

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1.) Will You Outlive Your Retirement Savings?

We asked the creator of a new product available on the Web to send us some information about a subject very dear to many of our readers: How can you be sure you don't outlive your retirement savings after you retire. Here are some excerpts from his article, and you can read the entire content, as well as learn more about this unique product, in the Financial Resources section of our Community Room, or simply click RETIREMENTCALCULATOR.

Managing Spending From Today's Self Directed Retirement Accounts
By Robert J. Phillips
Vice President Retirement Calculator, Inc.

Approximately 40 million American Baby Boomers will be retiring over the next 28 years. Unlike their parents and grandparents, boomers will not likely be able to rely on a company pension or the government to fund their retirement. More companies are eliminating sponsored pension plans and the future of social security is in doubt. As a result, baby boomers and many current retirees will be the first generation that will have to fund their own retirement from monies saved in self directed 401k's and IRA's.

What this means is that the risk of managing these withdrawals falls directly on the retiree and not a corporate pension fund or the government. Questions that must be addressed directly by the retiree include:

1. Will my money last for a lifetime?
2. What rate of return can I expect from my investments?
3. How do volatile markets impact my ability to withdraw money?
4. How much money can be withdrawn safely?
5. How do withdrawals in bad markets affect my long-term returns?
6. How does asset allocation affect my return?

In other words, the retiree will have to deal with a whole host of financial issues that his or her parents never had to face. It will become critical for current and future retirees to address these issues. Data indicates that they have not saved as much as they need and as a result must optimize these investments to provide an adequate lifestyle during retirement.

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2.) Consumers Should Beware of Phony Firestone Rebate Scam
(Identity Theft is the real target!)

(We want to thank our local Better Business Bureau for making us aware of this current scam, directed at many senior citizens.)

A new scam has been identified in which consumers are advised by phone that they are eligible for a refund under the Firestone tire recall program. Consumers are told they are qualified for refunds from $200 to $286.

The reported calls have been received by consumers in several states (Indiana, Louisiana, California, Connecticut, New York, Alabama, New Hampshire, Georgia and North Carolina) and have used a variety of ruses to obtain personal information on consumers. None of the consumers contacted owned recalled tires or had requested a refund, but all were asked for personal information such as confirmation of their address, Social Security numbers, birth date, and bank account numbers and in one instance the address where her husband worked.

"We do not contact customers by phone to tell them they qualified for a refund" assures Larry Perdue, Manager of Bridgestone Firestone Customer Retention Services. He went on to say, "If they submitted a refund request or reconsideration request under the Agreed Final Judgment with their state attorney general, they are notified in writing."

Protecting your personal identifying information is more important than ever and you need to be wary of anyone asking for your social security number, credit card or bank account numbers or even a birth date.

One of the most devastating abuses of personal information is identity theft, which occurs when someone steals personal identifying information - like a Social Security number, birth date or mother's maiden name - to open new charge accounts, order merchandise or borrow money.

If consumers are contacted under these circumstances or have questions about their rebates, they should contact Bridgestone Firestone Consumer Affairs at 1-800-367-3872.

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3.) Assitive Devices for Special Needs

So, you've broken or sprained your ankle, or a wrist, or some other bone in your body. Or, you've been in a car accident, or undergone surgery and are feeling lousy. You are going to have wear a cast or splint for perhaps several weeks. It's going to completely ruin all your plans for the next couple of months, you think. "I'm not going to be able to get around my house; just going to the toilet is going to be hard with that blasted cast. What about that vacation that we'd planned? It obviously will have to be canceled."

Temporary disabilities can be very painful, and they are inconvenient, but all that can be done while recovering will surprise you. Although your illness or injury may have temporarily disabled you to some extent, there are literally thousands of people out there with permanent disabilities who live completely full and active lives. Their secret? They have assistive devices to aid them in their daily living activities.

Common problems that we face as we age are stiff joints, arthritis, rheumatism or other ailments that restrict our movement. Our lifestyle can be greatly hindered, whether it be bathing, getting dressed, using the phone or computer, using the toilet, eating, cooking, cleaning the house, or something as simple as turning on a light switch or turning a key.

These special needs call for special products. Are you aware that we have an extensive line-up of assistive products in our Assistive Devices department? While all of our over 500 products have been carefully selected to enhance the lifestyle of baby boomers and older, many of them are especially useful for anyone in need of special assistance - regardless of age!

We have recently added a number of these special needs products to a number of our departments, so please come by and take a look, especially, at our Assistive Devices department.

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4.) Just How Hot Is It?

Well, summer is now here in the Northern Hemisphere, and if you don't believe it, just go outside for awhile! But, how hot is it really?

Here in the southern U.S., we're accustomed to the term "Heat Index," which is a combination of temperature and humidity. But, now the folks at AccuWeather have created what they call the RealFeel Temperature Index, which takes into consideration not just the temperature and the humidity, but also wind, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation and elevation on the human body--everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels.

For example, as provided by AccuWeather, on a steamy July day without a breath of wind, with the noon sun beating down, the official temperature (which is measured in the shade) may be 92 degrees. But when you stand outside in the scorching sun, it may feel like 118 degrees. In contrast, when the official temperature is 92 degrees with a nice breeze blowing and low humidity, with bright sunshine but late in the day so the sun intensity is not as strong, it may feel like 86 degrees.

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5.) Stress Urinary Incontinence: Millions of Women Suffer In Silence

National Survey Shows Lack of Knowledge and Communication Forces Women To Live With Discomfort and Embarrassment

(Courtesy of our friends at PRNewswire)

A recent survey of more than 1,000 American women conducted by HarrisInteractive for the National Association For Continence (NAFC) found significant misconceptions and low awareness about stress urinary incontinence.

The number of sufferers of stress incontinence - the involuntary leakage of urine brought on by abdominal "stress" or pressure as a result of laughing, coughing, sneezing and physical activity -- is difficult to quantify because most women do not seek treatment. The NAFC national survey showed that the problem affects nearly one third of American women over the age of 18.

The NAFC survey examined current attitudes and awareness of stress incontinence among sufferers as well as women in general. NAFC found that very few women recognize stress incontinence as a legitimate medical condition. Eight out of 10 women mistakenly thought that the symptoms were a normal part of aging. In reality, urine leakage is not normal.

Unfortunately, because the onset of symptoms is often gradual, many women learn to adjust and only wait until their symptoms become truly unbearable before seeking any help.

Stress urinary incontinence is the most common form of urinary incontinence. It is a condition that primarily affects women. One quarter of the women surveyed, age 18 and older, reported experiencing leakage symptoms at least once per month. Previous research suggested that the prevalence might be as high as one third of American women over the age of eighteen.

Other key findings are:

* Women mistakenly indicated that having too much sex and drinking too much water puts them at risk for developing these symptoms;
* Over half believe that stress incontinence symptoms affect only women over 50;
* 40% of women with the condition reported that they began experiencing symptoms before age 40;
* One in three women are not aware that the primary cause of stress incontinence is childbirth.

Pregnancy and childbirth are the leading causes of stress urinary incontinence. Other causes of stress incontinence include nerve and muscle damage, pelvic and abdominal surgery, and general loss of pelvic muscle tone. Additionally, obesity, smoking, constipation, menopause and lung disease can contribute to or put a woman at risk for the onset of stress incontinence.

NAFC found that many women affected by the condition have never talked with a physician about the problem or have waited more than a year before consulting a doctor. Further, many of these women are not even talking to their family and friends. The majority of women simply learn to tolerate their symptoms because they think this is something that is supposed to happen to them.

Women's lives have been totally disrupted by stress incontinence -- it affects careers, relationships and a woman's overall sense of herself. Sufferers tend to isolate themselves because they're afraid of going out and having an accident in public. Many cope with the symptoms by always wearing sanitary pads and avoiding favorite activities, like exercising, gardening or picking up a child.

Research demonstrates that the large majority of women can be helped if they are properly diagnosed and seek treatment. Ignorance about options lies at the heart of so many millions avoiding corrective action. New insights into how the central nervous system functions are leading to discoveries -- both in medical devices and pharmaceuticals for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence. The most important thing a woman can do is take initiative to get educated, seek preventive steps and explore new advances in treatment as they are proven clinically and become commercially available.

For more information about stress urinary incontinence, women can call 1-800-BLADDER (1-800-252-3337) or visit the National Association For Continence web site at www.nafc.org

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6.) Do you suffer from stress urinary incontinence?

Are you aware that we feature one of the most popular and cost-effective products available to both men and women who are bothered by this condition? We feature incontinence panties and briefs in our Incontinence Products department.

These products wear like a brief or panty, not a diaper. They are completely washable, no pads to add, and save up to $1000 a year over disposables! Made of the highest quality materials and construction, they will withstand 300 washes and more!

If you or a loved one are one of the millions of people who suffer from incontinence and it's preventing you from enjoying a well deserved social life, then this is the answer you are looking for. These incontinence briefs and panties offer you complete protection with the look, feel and care of regular underwear.

These 100% cotton undergarments are an environmentally friendly and cost-saving alternative to disposables. Get the comfort of reusable with the absorbency of a disposable. They are quality garments that look and feel like the undergarments men and women have worn all their lives, not an adult version of a diaper.

So, learn more about the features of the HealthDri(r) incontinence panties and briefs in our Incontinence Products department. And, we have quite competitive prices, as well!

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7.) Your Subscription Details

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