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Traveling – Snow and ice make getting around dangerous. When walking make sure to stay in the sidewalk whenever possible. If you do need to step into the road stay as close to the edge as possible. Slippery driving conditions can make it hard for cars to avoid pedestrians. Remember that snow can muffle the sound of oncoming traffic. Also be careful of ice and snow on the sidewalk. Early in the morning and late at night are when ice is most common. Wear non-slip shoes and avoid carrying large packages.

Hypothermia is when the temperature of the body drops below 95° F and can be deadly. 50% of hypothermia deaths are people over the age of 75. Seniors are more susceptible to the condition because of compromised circulatory systems. Symptoms of hypothermia include shivering; cold, pale, ashy skin; tiredness or weakness; problems walking or slowed breathing. If you or a loved one is experiencing these symptoms you should seek medical attention and wrap the person in a warm blanket while awaiting medical attention.

Frostbite is another very serious cold-related condition. Frostbite is the actual freezing of the body tissue. This happens most frequently on the extremities, such as fingers, toes, ears and nose, because of the decreased blood circulation to these areas. Early symptoms of frostbite are loss of feeling and whiteness in the affected areas. Caught early, frostbite can be reversed leaving little lasting damage. Seek medical attention quickly. In the mean time try and warm the affected person starting with the body and not the extremities. Warming the extremities first can cause cold blood to flow to the heart, damaging it.

Fires – Space heaters are a leading cause of fires in the winter. Approximately 300 people die a year from fires related to space heaters. Seniors are also three times more likely to be injured in fires than younger people. If you or a loved one will be using a space heater this winter, make sure to give it space. Don’t leave it too close to furniture or flammable objects such as magazines, blankets or curtains. Make sure to have a fire extinguisher handy and check yearly that it’s working.

If your loved one served in a lesser-known area of the military, you should review the list below. In addition to active duty veterans from the armed services, these lesser-known groups also meet the active duty qualification for VA benefits. If you or your loved one belong to any of these groups and received a discharge by the Secretary of Defense, your service meets the active duty service requirement for benefits:

• Recipients of the Medal of Honor
• Honorably discharged veterans, surviving spouses, or children of any military, naval or air service
• Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAACs)
• Merchant Marines from WWII (Ocean-going service)
• U.S. civilians of the American Field Service
• Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs)
• WWI Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit
• WWI Engineer Field Clerks
• Female clerical employees of the Quartermaster Corps serving with the American Expeditionary Forces in WWI
• Civilian employees of Pacific naval air bases who actively participated in defense of Wake Island during WWII
• Reconstruction aides and dietitians of WWI
• Male civilian ferry pilots
• Wake Island defenders from Guam
• Civilian personnel assigned to OSS secret intelligence
• Guam Combat Patrol – Quartermaster Corps members of the Keswick crew on Corregidor during WWII
• U.S. civilians who participated in the defense of Bataan
• U.S. merchant seamen who served on block ships in support of Operation Mulberry in the WWII invasion of Normandy
• American merchant marines in oceangoing service during WWII
• Civilian Navy IFF radar technicians who served in combat areas of the Pacific during WWI
• U.S. civilians of the American Field Service who served overseas under U.S. armies and U.S. army groups in WWII
• U.S. civilian employees of American Airlines who served overseas in contract with the Air Transport Command between 12/14/41 and 8/14/45
• Civilian crewmen of certain U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey vessels between 12/7/41 and 8/15/45
• Members of the American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) who served between 12/7/41 and 8/14/45
• U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support of TWA who served overseas between 12/14/41 and 8/14/45
• U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support of Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp. who served overseas between 12/14/41 and 8/14/45
• Honorably discharged members of the American Volunteer Guard, Eritrea Service Command, between 6/21/42 and 3/31/45
• U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support of Northwest Airlines who served overseas between 12/14/41 and 8/14/45
• U.S. civilian female employees of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps who served in the defense of Bataan and Corregidor from 1/2/42 to 2/3/45
• U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support of Braniff Airways who served overseas in the North Atlantic between 2/26/42 to 8/14/45
• Chamorro and Carolina former native police who received military training in the Donnal area of central Saipan and were placed under command of Lt. Casino of the 6th Provisional Military Police Battalion to accompany U.S. Marines on active, combat patrol from 8/19/45 to 9/2/45
• The operational Analysis Group of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, Office of Emergency Management, which served overseas with the U.S. Army Air Corps from 12/7/41 through 8/15/45
• Honorably discharged members of the Alaska Territorial Guard during WWII Just remember your loved one must have served in active duty for 90 consecutive days, at least one day of which was during a period of war. However, this doesn’t mean they had to have served overseas… they just had to serve, either at home or abroad, during the time frame.

For more information regarding your VA benefits eligibility, call Mindy Felinton, Felinton Elder Law, at (301) 610-0055.

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• Exercise: Regardless of age, having a regular exercise program can improve your balance and flexibility. Consult your senior’s health care provider about the best exercise program.
• Home Accesability: Remove floor obstacles such as ottomans and throw rugs. Make sure to not let clutter build up under foot, especially near stairs. Install grab bars in areas that need a lot of flexibility such the bathroom or bedroom.
• Lighting: It becomes harder to see as we get older, so make sure that there is sufficient lighting in all areas of the house.
• Side Effects: Some medicines can cause side effects that contribute to falling. Check with your senior’s healthcare provider to see if any of their medications, including over-the-counter, can cause dizziness, drowsiness or disorientation.
• In-Home Care: In-home caregivers can help your senior with activities that put them more at risk to fall, such as reaching high shelves or getting in and out of the bathroom. It is also a peace of mind for you and your senior to know that if they fall, a caregiver will be there to assist and call 911.

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You will own your home. The bank does not get the title to your home as part of a reverse mortgage. It remains in your name.

The bank can’t foreclose on your home. No monthly payments are required for a reverse mortgage loan, so you can’t lose your home to foreclosure.

You can get a reverse mortgage even if you have existing mortgages. As long as your home equity can pay off your existing mortgages, you can quality for a reverse mortgage.

The amount of debt incurred from the mortgage can’t exceed the worth of the house. There are government regulations in place to prevent neither you nor your heirs from having to pay more than the worth of your house.

There are no restrictions on how the money can be used. You can use the money for anything, such as at-home care.

Reverse mortgages are not just for those in need. Anyone, rich or poor, can use a reverse mortgage as a financial planning tool in their retirement years.

There is no income/credit qualifications to qualify. Even people who have filed for bankruptcy can apply.

Adapted from Gloria Cohan, a reverse mortgage specialist with Retirement Life Funding, LLC. She can be reached at 703-749-0466 or 301-320-6270 or by email at gcohan@reversemort.com.

Social Security used to provide as much as half of a retiring American’s salary, however that number is dropping to 25% post Baby Boomers. Most of Social Security’s surplus revenue is expected to run out in 2041. At that point the program will have trouble paying out all of its scheduled benefits. This means that you should be careful about counting on Social Security to supplement your retirement.

So what should you do instead?

• Work longer. The longer you work the more better the Social Security check you do get is going to be. Working longer also helps you save more money and earn more interest on what you do have.
• Save more. The more money you put away now, the more you’ll have when you’re funding your retirement.
• Consume less. If you live on less when you retire, you can go futher on your savings. Start building good habits now by tightening your budget and spending less.
• Insure well. Good healthcare will prevent illness, expected and sudden, from hurting your retirement savings.

Unfortunately, you probably can’t count on Social Security for much, if any, of your retirement. You’re going to have to take steps now to ensure that you’re going to be able to retire comfortably. Save, save, save! It will take some discipline, but you can do it.

Once activated, you can log onto Comfort Zone Check In’s website anytime to view on a map the exact location of the phone or tracking device. Some features include Scheduled Find. This let’s you set specific times that you want Comfort Zone to check on your senior’s location, such as when they’re expected home each day to make sure they got there. You can also set up notifications based on certian criteria to recieve by email or text message.

Comfort Zone Check In is a great service from The Alzheimer’s Association that can be a huge peace of mind for families that have a loved one with Alzheimer’s. One of the most devestating parts of the disease is the loss of one’s freedom. Comfort Zone Check In helps give that back.