The holiday season is here, but this year might be different; maybe you’re alone for the first time in a long time. Maybe your children or relatives are around, but not really there for you, or perhaps this is your first season without a partner because you are newly divorced or widowed. It can be difficult, but also the opportunity for a new beginning.

You probably don’t know what to expect. You know life will be different, but instead of being the victim of a death, divorce or other potentially lonely circumstances, take charge of the change. Write your own holiday.

Look outside the box: who else is in the same situation facing their first holiday season without a partner? Who has relatives who won’t be in town or an adult child not available? This is no time to focus on the negative; connecting with others in new ways can bring joy to them and to you. There a number of ways you can rethink your holiday season. Think about seeking opportunities in your community to help brighten the lives of those less fortunate. And as you’re giving presents to others, be sure to add one more person to the list: you!

• Treat yourself; gift yourself. This is especially hard to do if you’re a woman. It’s so easy to get trapped with your guilt and/or grief then overspend on your children and grandchildren. You’re so used to meeting other people’s needs that you forget your own. It’s OK to buy yourself a present!
• Give yourself the gift of time. Loss can never be recovered, but time can help ease the pain.
• Give yourself the gift of patience. Life is different but not necessarily unbearable. Like the gift of time, you won’t immediately become the “new you.” Understand and accept that; take mini steps into your new life.
• Give yourself the gift of spontaneity. You’ll miss wonderful opportunities to enrich your life if you aren’t willing to take advantage of unexpected situations.
• Give yourself the gift of flexibility. Remember YOU are in charge of writing your own holiday, and this means change.
• Finally, if you’re a person of faith, renew in yourself that gift of faith.

The holidays may be a lonely or depressing time. To “keep your chin up” is not merely to endure, but to “step up and out.” It can be a real opportunity to start the rest of your life and make your remaining days and years ones of growth and joy.

For those of us projecting what our financial picture might look like upon retirement, funds from Social Security are almost always factored into the equation.

Today, Social Security seems like a given, although questions about the program’s sustainability are part of an ongoing conversation about aging and the economy. For the millions of American who have been paying into it for all of our working lives, there is an expectation that these resources will be, well, part of our security. We hope when the time comes, to be able to join the nearly 57.5 million (18%) of Americans receiving Social Security benefits. Understanding the complexities of the program can be a challenge. Fortunately, the U.S. Social Security Administration website offers a wealth of information.

In order to understand how and why Social Security has evolved, it’s important to remember that this resource hasn’t always been available, although it seems like it. In truth, Social Security is getting up there—80 years and counting on August 14. It was on that day in 1935 that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Social Security Bill into law. The program has changed over time, and to have a more complete understanding, a look back at the program’s history is helpful.

The Social Security Administration provides a step back in time with in-depth information, as well as little known facts like these:

• The first person to receive Social Security benefits was a man named Ernest Ackerman, who received a lump sum payment of 17 cents in January 1937.

• Regular monthly benefits were not distributed until January 1940.

• The first person to receive regular monthly Social Security benefits was Ida May Fuller.

• Social Security numbers were first issued in November of 1963.

• To date, 453.7 million different Social Security numbers have been issued.

Click here for more information about the history of Social Security.

Yes, driving as a Centenarian might be in your future!

The U.S. has the largest Centenarian population, with 53,364 recorded in the 2010 census, and that number is expected to grow. If your goals are staying independent and connected as you age, the place to start is preparing a phased Driving Retirement.

Borrowing from retirement planning, Driving Retirement is defined as a strategy to build a customized plan for senior drivers to maintain their freedom by improving their driving skills and identifying transportation options. Building a customized plan requires attention to your health, mapping our your activities and identifying alternative transportation solutions should the need arise.

Driver Health: First, take inventory of your driving readiness during your healthcare visits.

• Maintain your ability to stay safe behind the wheel with a yearly visit to your vision care provider. Changes in eye health can often go undetected. A yearly visit will enable you to identify any changes to your eyesight and seek early treatment.
• Visit your pharmacist for a medication review. Their expertise can identify medications or interactions that can impair your driving.
• Enroll in strength and balance classes to maintain your ability to easily maneuver in and out of a car. Join a gentle stretch or yoga class to maintain the flexibility needed when turning your head to change lanes in traffic or reverse from a parking space.

Know where you’re going!

• Using a calendar, smartphone or datebook take 10 minutes to make a list of your daily activities. This list includes: business appointments, classes, community meetings, social organizations, shopping, volunteering, worship, and time with friends.
•  After making the list, spend another 10 minutes adding brief notes next to each activity on who you travel with and how you get there.

• Begin asking and researching what transportation resources are available through community and senior centers, perhaps creating an informal carpools with others who attend classes or places of worship, enlist help from family members, friends, and neighbors. If you’re smartphone savvy Lyft and Uber or similar services can extend your network.

Researchers say seniors drivers are safer compared to other age groups, since they reduce risk of injury by wearing safety belts, obeying speed limits, and not drinking and driving. Be a safer senior driver now and in the future by beginning a plan now. Your goals of staying independent and connected, depend on driving safely longer and knowing your transportation options.

Judi Bonilla is an aging expert, gerontologist, and creator of Brain Fit Now: Boost Your Brain Health Today and We Get Around: Freedom, Fun, and Alternatives To Driving and Come Back Cupid: Love & Sex Tips For Dating Online After 65 and Encorepreneur 101 The Community For Entrepreneurs 50+.

This weekend Americans celebrate the birth of our nation and the freedom from being under British authority. It is a wonderful time to be grateful for the innumerable freedoms we enjoy that simply do not exist in other nations in our global economy.

This Independence Day many individuals and families are grappling with independence in a different context: the desire to age in place and on one’s own terms. Most older Americans are very certain about the desire to live in their own homes and maintain their autonomy as long as possible. All of us who care about a loved one with cognitive, dexterity, hearing, mobility or vision limitations are familiar with the challenge of fostering independence.

My first exposure to this was in Patricia Malik, Ph.D.’s 1989 undergraduate Recreation for Special Populations class. Dr. Malik was patient and unrelenting in providing ‘real world’ experience, albeit temporary. She taught us how to navigate the world in a way most of us had not yet considered, a world with some type of physical limitation.

We simulated blindness, low vision, and loss of dexterity, hearing and mobility. After I took the test to identify words through hearing aids, I was humbled and called my Grandpa Ralph to apologize for hounding him to get hearing aids. He just chuckled.

July 26th marks the 25th anniversary of passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). You may think that passage of this legislation didn’t really impact you, but if you have ever pushed a stroller over a curb cut or used an elevator, ramp or automatic door that was mandated by this law, you have benefited from these physical accessibility enhancements.

During the last quarter century, technology has increasingly enabled people living with temporary and permanent vision, hearing, dexterity and mobility issues to function more autonomously. Those of us using portable devices (i.e. smart phones and tablets) may notice a menu items labeled ‘accessibility’ without understanding what that term means.

Accessibility refers to the design of products, devices, services or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both direct access (i.e. unassisted) and indirect access, meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology, for example, computer screen readers.

The Oasis Institute is proud to announce our newest Connections technology class, Mobile Accessibility: A guide to seeing and hearing smart phones and tablets better. Generous support from AT&T and the Consumer Electronics Association Foundation make it possible for anyone to download a complimentary student handbook. Assistive technology can benefit anyone and we are excited to hear how the book helped you make accessibility features work for you. The book concludes with a survey or you can send comments to me.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Every year it’s estimated that older Americans lose billions of dollars to financial exploitation. It is very important that you not only be proactive in protecting yourself but also your family and friends. The following are some tips you can use to do just that.

Protect Yourself:

• Ensure you have an emergency contact in place with your financial institutions.
• Have these important documents and let a trusted person know where to find them:
  Will
  Durable Power of Attorney
  Health Care Power of Attorney
  Living Will
  Revocable Living Trust
• Change account numbers, phone numbers, credit/debit card numbers and passwords if your information is compromised.
• Review account statements and bills carefully for any unusual activity or charges.
• Send duplicate statements to a trusted person for review.
• Contact your local state Adult Protective Services agency if you suspect or experience exploitation or abuse (See resources section).

Protect Others – Watch for these warnings signs:

• Social behavioral and physical changes
• Older individual is fearful or distressed
• Older individual becomes excessively distrusting or suspicious
• Change in appearance or decline in personal hygiene
• Older person accompanied by caregiver who is overly protective
• New “best friends” or “sweethearts”

Know the risk factors:

• Social isolation (of an older person and/or caregiver)
• Grief
• Dependence on another to provide care
• Spouse, adult child or grandchild is financially dependent on elder
• Depression, mental illness, alcohol or drug abuse
• Problems understanding or remembering financial information
• An overly trusting personality or a temperament susceptible to manipulation

Be aware of money management changes:

• Sudden, unusual, or unexplained withdrawals, money movement, account transfers, or other changes in financial situation
• Changes in investment style
• Signatures seem suspicious or forged
• Abrupt or unexplained changes in wills, trusts, POAs, or beneficiary designations
• Accounts placed in joint name, or changes to transfer on death (TOD) instructions or beneficiary designations, in a manner that is unexplained or inconsistent with prior estate plan.
• Sudden reluctance to discuss financial matters which previously was a matter of course
• Older individual is denied access to his or her own funds or account statements

Everyone can take these simple preventive steps to protect their assets:

• Have conversations with family and trusted persons regarding the older person’s financial plans and important documents.
• Know the financial institutions that have accounts with the older individual.
• Review account statements and bills carefully for any unusual activity or charges.
• Consider an identity theft protection plan.
• Ensure documents are up-to-date and copies available.
• Receive or request duplicate statements for review.
• Contact your local state Adult Protective Services agency if you suspect or experience exploitation or abuse.

Now that you know what to look for, you can use these great resources to continue to educate yourself and others. Oasis has a wonderful course on preventing fraud called “Fighting Fraud: Stopping Scammers in Their Tracks” which uses information from the Federal Trade Commission and Hands on Banking from Wells Fargo. If you need local resources use the Eldercare Locator at www.eldercare.gov or call their toll free number at 1-800-677-1116. We all need to do our part to eliminate this growing trend of financial exploitation and continue to promote healthy financial aging.

Provided courtesy of Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

Tobie Steele is Vice President – Wells Fargo Advisors, Compliance, Regulatory Affairs. She reports to the Director of Regulatory Affairs and Elder Client Initiatives in the Compliance Department of Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. In this role, she works with key business and support units to foster substantial engagement in industry groups and awareness of the changing regulatory and legislative environment. As part of her role, Tobie leads the Elder Financial Abuse Working Group and is a member of the Wells Fargo Advisors Preventing Elder Financial Abuse (PEFA) Task Force. She is a committee member with the St. Louis NSCP Compliance Roundtable and SIFMA C&L Society. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, she attended Buena Vista University where she obtained her B.A. in Political Science and B.S.W. in Social Work. She received her J.D. from Hamline University School of Law.

Laura Moreno, 68, finds herself serving as the unofficial translator almost everywhere she goes in her Spanish-speaking community—church, the rec center, even the Grauwyler Park Library in Dallas, where she takes Oasis Connections classes to stay up to speed with technology.

The hands-on, step-by-step instructions helped Laura get comfortable using Microsoft Word, the Internet and email, but she knows most of her fellow Connections learners need an additional barrier removed to experience the same kind of success. They need the information in their own language—Spanish– content that is now available for nine courses. Additionally, two courses are currently translated to Korean.

“I’m happy to help if I can, but everyone has a better experience learning something new if they can understand the instructions,” says Laura, whose own quality of life has changed dramatically as a result of her new-found tech savvy.

Laura worked in a beauty shop for 40 years and had no need to use computers, but when the shop burned down, she quickly discovered that most other shops required basic technology skills that she didn’t have. She opted for retirement, but was determined to change with the times anyway.

“Learning to use the computer has impacted every aspect of my life,” she says. “Since I don’t drive, I have easy access to my lab results from my doctor, and even Bible study is better, because I can get emails and reading assignments. I will definitely keep taking classes. There is always more to learn.”

Connections Impact

• More than 90,000 students have enrolled in 170+ sites.

• More than 30 courses are offered.

Download a summary of the program

Laura Moreno is featured in the 2014 Oasis Annual Report. 

If you have been a patient or participated as a caregiver for someone, you most likely have become very familiar with the Electronic Health Record (EHR). The EHR is steadily becoming the primary and required tool used for the delivery of health care services.

The adoption of the EHR in various health care settings is primarily due to regulatory initiatives and incentives. One particular initiative is the Meaningful Use Regulation, which includes the requirement of patient portals. Patient portals provide the opportunity to engage patients with management of their health care. Studies support that empowerment of patients to access, review, and manage their personal health information, will facilitate improvement of their health outcomes.

What is a patient portal?

• Secure web-based communication tool that allows sharing of health information between doctors and patients remotely

• 24/7 access

• Can be provided through a stand-alone website, the hospital’s existing website or your provider’s EHR system

What is the purpose of a patient portal?

• Enhance patient access to communicate with your healthcare providers

• Increase administrative efficiency and productivity

• Patient access to your own health data

• Improve timely response to your health care needs

• Improve quality of care and outcomes

• Promote patient engagement to manage healthcare

How does the provider use the portal?

• Send/receive messages to patients

• Send medication request to pharmacy

• Secure message communication

• Lab and imaging results

• Appointment reminder

• Billing information

• Patient education materials

How can patients use the portal?

• Patient Pre-registration for appointments remotely

• View lab results and other specific records or results

• Secure communicate with doctors via email

• Update patient profile

• Request prescription refills

• Check, request, confirm appointments

• View patient education materials

• View account status and make payments

If you have interest to use patient portal, ask your doctor office or hospital about how to get signed up for access to their patient portal. Each hospital has a special name for their patient portal.

Securing Your Privacy

Some information will be restricted from patient access or require additional patient authorization due to state and government regulations in addition to health organization policies. For example, behavioral health, protected minor visits, research records, business records and other sensitive records might be limited.

It’s important to know that all patient portals are developed according to federal requirements to protect privacy and security. Currently, participation in using a patient portal is optional.

There are steps you can take to handle your privacy and security concerns.

• Be informed about privacy and security practice.

• Ask your health care provider how the patient portal is protected.

• Review the organizations Notice of Privacy Practice.

• Decline to use if you have concerns you think prevail over the benefit.

• Create strong passwords; follow the patient portal guidelines for creating strong passwords with your username.

• Keep user name and password in a safe place if written down.

• Do not share your user name and password with another person that is not authorized to access patient portal as your proxy.

• Change your password at least every six months.

• Verify that your email address is valid and correct for patient portal communication.

• In general, consistently monitor and manage your password and health information content in the same manner you monitor your banking accounts and bills; routinely check your information.

• Report any inaccurate information to your provider’s office or Health Information Department of the hospital used for your patient care.

Patient portals are definitely here to stay for the positive benefits to your healthcare. They will continue to be adopted and enhanced with the constantly emerging technologies. Some platforms are already beginning to add the ability for virtual visit with the doctor via the webcam video technology.

The Blue Button Initiative also allows patients to view and download personal health information as well as share with their providers. If you want to find out if your provider is a participant in the Blue Button initiative, look for the “button” displayed on their websites. The role of Blue Button and virtual video visits are topics for another blog. Stay tuned!

Deborah Collier, RHI is Senior Consultant – Primeau Consulting Group and President-Elect of the California Health Information Association. She is an educator with more than 30 years of experience in health care industry with expertise in health information management (HIM), quality improvement and electronic health record.

If you have been a patient or participated as a caregiver for someone, you most likely have become very familiar with the Electronic Health Record (EHR). The EHR is steadily becoming the primary and required tool used for the delivery of health care services.

The adoption of the EHR in various health care settings is primarily due to regulatory initiatives and incentives. One particular initiative is the Meaningful Use Regulation, which includes the requirement of patient portals. Patient portals provide the opportunity to engage patients with management of their health care. Studies support that empowerment of patients to access, review, and manage their personal health information, will facilitate improvement of their health outcomes.

What is a patient portal?

• Secure web-based communication tool that allows sharing of health information between doctors and patients remotely

• 24/7 access

• Can be provided through a stand-alone website, the hospital’s existing website or your provider’s EHR system

What is the purpose of a patient portal?

• Enhance patient access to communicate with your healthcare providers

• Increase administrative efficiency and productivity

• Patient access to your own health data

• Improve timely response to your health care needs

• Improve quality of care and outcomes

• Promote patient engagement to manage healthcare

How does the provider use the portal?

• Send/receive messages to patients

• Send medication request to pharmacy

• Secure message communication

• Lab and imaging results

• Appointment reminder

• Billing information

• Patient education materials

How can patients use the portal?

• Patient Pre-registration for appointments remotely

• View lab results and other specific records or results

• Secure communicate with doctors via email

• Update patient profile

• Request prescription refills

• Check, request, confirm appointments

• View patient education materials

• View account status and make payments

If you have interest to use patient portal, ask your doctor office or hospital about how to get signed up for access to their patient portal. Each hospital has a special name for their patient portal.

Securing Your Privacy

Some information will be restricted from patient access or require additional patient authorization due to state and government regulations in addition to health organization policies. For example, behavioral health, protected minor visits, research records, business records and other sensitive records might be limited.

It’s important to know that all patient portals are developed according to federal requirements to protect privacy and security. Currently, participation in using a patient portal is optional.

There are steps you can take to handle your privacy and security concerns.

• Be informed about privacy and security practice.

• Ask your health care provider how the patient portal is protected.

• Review the organizations Notice of Privacy Practice.

• Decline to use if you have concerns you think prevail over the benefit.

• Create strong passwords; follow the patient portal guidelines for creating strong passwords with your username.

• Keep user name and password in a safe place if written down.

• Do not share your user name and password with another person that is not authorized to access patient portal as your proxy.

• Change your password at least every six months.

• Verify that your email address is valid and correct for patient portal communication.

• In general, consistently monitor and manage your password and health information content in the same manner you monitor your banking accounts and bills; routinely check your information.

• Report any inaccurate information to your provider’s office or Health Information Department of the hospital used for your patient care.

Patient portals are definitely here to stay for the positive benefits to your healthcare. They will continue to be adopted and enhanced with the constantly emerging technologies. Some platforms are already beginning to add the ability for virtual visit with the doctor via the webcam video technology.

The Blue Button Initiative also allows patients to view and download personal health information as well as share with their providers. If you want to find out if your provider is a participant in the Blue Button initiative, look for the “button” displayed on their websites. The role of Blue Button and virtual video visits are topics for another blog. Stay tuned!

Deborah Collier, RHI is Senior Consultant – Primeau Consulting Group and President-Elect of the California Health Information Association. She is an educator with more than 30 years of experience in health care industry with expertise in health information management (HIM), quality improvement and electronic health record.

Last month I had a third basal cell carcinoma cut from my skin. This time, it was from my scalp. It was smack dab in the middle of my part.

That skin on my head had a long relationship with the sun that went back to summers in Miami Beach when I was as a child, sun bathing at the pool as a teenager, and summers at Cape Cod with my family. Although I get a body check from my dermatologist every six months, I found this one, and the previous two, myself.

Skin cancer is an abnormal growth of skin cells and most often develops on areas of the skin exposed to the sun’s rays, including the scalp. Skin cancer affects people of all colors and races. Click here to see what skin cancer can look like.

It is possible to find skin cancer early because skin cancer begins where you can see it. One of the first signs may be a slowly growing bump, a changing mole, or a dry and scaly rough patch. Most skin cancers can be cured when they are detected early and treated before they have spread. Even malignant melanoma, which can spread quickly, is curable when treated early. The key to finding skin cancer early is to know your skin. It is important to check your own skin monthly to learn the pattern of moles, blemishes, freckles and other marks, so that you will notice any changes or anything new. If you notice a spot or lump that is growing, bleeding or changing, make an appointment to see a dermatologist.

A skin self-exam is best done in a well-lit room in front of a full-length mirror. You will need to use a hand-held mirror to look at areas that are hard to see, such as the backs of your thighs. Examine all areas of your skin, including your palms and soles, scalp, ears, nails, and your back (in men, about 1 of every 3 melanomas occurs on the back). Friends and family members might need to help you with these exams, especially for those hard-to-see areas, such as your scalp and back. For more information on how to do a skin self-exam, go to Skin Cancer Prevention and Early Detection.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. It is estimated that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime – with one in 50 developing melanoma. More than 3.5 million cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma) are diagnosed in more than 2 million people in the United States every year. Caucasians and men older than age 50 are at a higher risk of developing melanoma and the incidence of melanoma in men ages 80 and older is three times higher than women of the same age. According to The Skin Cancer Foundation, one person dies of melanoma every 57 minutes.

Exposure to natural and artificial ultraviolet (UV) light is a major risk factor for all types of skin cancer and avoiding this risk factor could prevent more than 3 million cases of skin cancer every year. Both UVA and UVB penetrate the atmosphere and cause premature skin aging, eye damage (including cataracts), and skin cancers. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization have identified UV light as a proven human carcinogen. Excessive exposure to UV radiation damages the skin’s cellular DNA causing genetic mutations that lead to skin cancer. UV radiation is considered the main cause of nonmelanoma skin cancers and causes about 86 percent of melanomas.

According to the American Academy of Dermatologists, the following tips can help prevent skin cancer:

• Never use a tanning bed or sun lamp. Exposure to tanning beds increases the risk of melanoma by up to 75 percent, especially in women age 45 and younger. More people develop skin cancer because of tanning in tanning beds than develop lung cancer because of smoking.

• Use sunscreen, lip balm, and wear clothes that protect you from UV rays every day. Because exposure to UV light is the most preventable risk factor for all skin cancers, everyone should protect their skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays by seeking shade, wearing protective clothing (any clothing that you can hold up to bright light and not see through), including a 3”- wide brimmed hat, and generously using sunscreen. Every day, before going outside, apply sunscreen to all skin that will be bare (face, ears, hands, neck, etc.).

• Choose the right sunscreen. It should protect against UVA and UVB rays and have sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30. Generously apply the sunscreen every 2 hours, even on cloudy days, and after swimming or sweating.

• Consider sun-protective clothing. There are companies that make clothing which protects against UV exposure even when wet. It tends to be more tightly woven, and some have special coatings that help absorb UV rays. Look for sun-protective clothes that have a label listing the UV protection factor (UPF) value (the level of protection the garment provides from the sun’s UV rays, on a scale from 15 to 50+). The higher the UPF, the higher your protection from UV rays. Follow this link to see a list of clothing and other products that have The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation. I do not go to the beach or pool without my Land’s End swim tee rash guard!

• Wear sunglasses that offer UV protection every day. UV blocking sunglasses help shield the sensitive skin on your head, neck, and around the eyes – areas that usually sustain a lot of sun damage. It can also help prevent the development of melanoma in your eyes.

• Minimize sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. This period of time is when the sun is strongest. Because severe sunburns during childhood may increase risk of melanoma, children should be especially protected from the sun. Be aware of bright surfaces, such as sand, water, and snow, which reflect UV and can increase exposure to UV rays.

The odds of developing skin cancer increase as you age. Many older adults think that there is no point in protecting themselves from the sun’s UV rays since the damage has already been done, but it’s never too late to prevent further damage and lower your risk of skin cancer. My days of “laying out” in the sun are over. Take care of your skin and your health. Use sunscreen generously, wear protective clothing and sunglasses – and teach your children and grandchildren to do the same. Become familiar with your skin and receive body checks yearly from a dermatologist. Be sun safe!

For additional information, Watch a video of dermatologists’ top tips for preventing skin cancer or go see the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Prevention Guidelines.