The Jitterbug J - Cell Phones for Seniors

The Jitterbug from Great Call was billed as the original "keep it simple" cell phone for seniors.  An easy to use no frills phone for those whose hearing and sight might not be quite what it was 20 years ago. Last spring Great Call rolled out their latest incarnation of the Jitterbug known as the Jitterbug J. Made by Samsung, the newest version keeps all of the features which made the original immensely popular while adding a few extras for those who desire just a bit more.

As with the original, the Jitterbug features a bright color screen with a large font size, a large easy to use keypad, soft hearing aid friendly earpad, simple "yes" or "no" prompts, and a powerful speaker.  A 24 hour live operator is available for directory assistance or to help in connecting calls by simply dialing "0". The "J" model adds simple text messaging availability and Bluetooth compatability (great for wireless headsets).  The phone is also caller ID and speakerphone enabled.

The phone (as of this writing) is priced at $99 and is available in several colors.  No service contracts are required and basic services include nationwide calls with no long distance or roaming fees.  Great Call offers a large number of monthly pricing plans which are dependent on use. The least expensive plan is $14.99 per month for 50 minutes of use.  In addition  a number of extra services such as 24/7 access to a registered nurse, medication reminder calls, and "check-in" calls are available. A  Daily Health Tips text message and MyCalendar feature are free with the service.

The Jitterbug J remains an excellent cell phone choice for seniors who simply want to keep in touch without the hassles of long term contracts or prepaid plans. To learn more about the Jitterbug,click here.

Social Security - The Check is Not in the Mail

Since passage of the Debt Collection Improvement Act in 1996 the government has been working toward electronic delivery of all government checks. Plans have now been finalized for the phasing out of paper checks to social security recipients. It is expected that the changes will save Social Security over $1 billion dollars over the next ten years.

Under the plan, those applying for benefits on or after May 1, 2011 will be required to receive electronic payments through direct deposit. Those that don't have a bank account or prefer using a credit card have the option of using a prepaid Direct Express Debit MasterCard account which is issued by Comerica Bank. Acccording to government sources the account is structured in such a way that it may be used at no cost to the recipient.

Those currently enrolled will need to switch to an electronic payment option by March1, 2013. Current check receiving recipients over the age of 90 are exempt from the requirement and may continue receiving paper checks if they choose.

In a related rule, the Treasury Department is expected in 2011 to protect benefit payments from garnishment after they are electronically deposited.

To promote the new rules and ease in the transition the government has set up a website at: http://www.godirect.org/

Eye Exercises to Improve Vision in Older Adults

Over the years it has been the claim of many natural health practitioners that eyesight could be improved through the use of "eye exercises". A recent study by University of California Riverside researchers G. John Andersen, Rui Ni, Jeffrey D. Bower; and Boston University professor Takeo Watanabe have proven that they just might be on to something.

In a study funded by a $3.5 million grant from the National Institute on Aging the researchers conducted a series of experiments to determine whether repeated performance of certain visual tasks could result in an improvement in the vision of older adults. The subjects, all age 65 and older, were given a series of visual perception tests that were at the limits of what one can see.

The results were somewhat startling.

According to researcher G. John Anderson,"We found that with just two days of training in one-hour sessions with difficult stimuli resulted in older subjects seeing as well as younger college-age subjects."

The improvements were well documented and were found to last for a period of at least three months. The researchers determined that the results show a high degree of brain plasticity among the elderly and suggest that this technique is useful for recovering from declines in vision due to normal aging.

Age related changes in vision such as contrast sensitivity, dark adaptation, visual acuity, spatial vision, orientation, depth perception and motion perception have been well documented in many past studies. This is the first study of its kind to demonstrate that perception training (eye exercises) can in fact be a useful tool for improving vision in the older population. The results offer great potential for millions of seniors with declining eyesight to improve their vision.

The entire study, titled "Perceptual learning, aging, and improved visual performance in early stages of visual processing" was published in the online Journal of Vision.

Social Security Tax Breaks - Beginning of the End?

The Obama tax cut legislation signed on December 17th not only provides windfall profits for the very rich but endangers the social safety net for millions in our society who most need it. Under the plan, social security taxes will decrease 2%, lowering the tax paid by workers from the current 6.2% to 4.2%. The government is in essence cutting the revenue stream for social security by about $120 millon dollars. The tax break is in effect for one year with the government making up the shortfall from the general fund.

While this will put a few dollars in the pockets of the working class, it will hardly make a dent in our our rapidly faltering economy. As for only being in effect for one year - well, we all know how that goes. After any tax break has been in place for a period of time an attempt to repeal or deny extension tends to appear as a tax increase to the general public. Not very popular politically.

Social security since its inception has largely been a pay as you go system, with one generation paying out benefits to the previous generation. It has never been a federal budgetary issue. The huge danger in this legislation is that social security (which contrary to some views is in fact solvent) must now rely to some degree on the general fund. As such the program must compete politically with hundreds of other programs also financed from the general fund. This opens the door wide for future benefit cuts to make up any social security deficit.

To quote Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, "You're talking about the beginning of the end for Social Security."