|
SENIOR
"HOT-OFF THE PRESS" NEWS
Remember
that U.S. first class postage increased to 42 cents 5/12/08
***********************************************************************
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT STROKES?
***********************************************************************
May 13, 2008 Doctors know
that a stroke can happen to a person at any age. Even a child can have
a stroke. But, let's face it, the vast majority of the 750,000
Americans who suffer a stroke each year are seniors.
Annually, May is National Stroke
Awareness Month. This is a time to raise awareness of stroke risk
factors, warning signs and prevention measures, especially in the
senior population. Stroke prevention is the key element in reducing
the number of strokes in this country, and timely stroke care is
essential in preventing serious disability.
A stroke occurs when blood flow to the
brain is interrupted by a blood clot or a broken blood vessel. Lack of
blood and oxygen kills brain cells in the area of the blockage or
break, leading to symptoms that may include blindness, loss of speech
and paralysis.
In order to minimize the numbers of
brain cells killed, it is vital to be aware of stroke symptoms and get
treatment immediately. There is treatment, using thrombolytics, or
"clot busters," that can improve the outcome of a patient with stroke,
but it must be given within three hours of the onset of stroke
symptoms.
Stroke is a "brain attack" and
"time is brain," so it is important to recognize the symptoms of
stroke and call 911 immediately.
Stroke is a medical emergency;
know the symptoms:
-
Sudden
numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg _ especially on one
side of the body;
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking
or understanding;
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or
both eyes;
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness,
loss of balance or coordination; or
-
Sudden
severe headache with no known cause.
OLDER VOTERS
TURNING OUT IN TWICE THE NUMBERS AS THOSE UNDER 30
***********************************************************************
May 9, 2008 While
organizers and the media have made much of record turnout among young
voters in recent months, the San Francisco Chronicle reports that
older Americans remain the most reliable and consistent group of
voters. According to exit polls, at least one-third of all voters in
most of the 2008 Presidential primaries have been over age 60, with
the number rising to over 40% in states like Massachusetts, Ohio and
California. Senior voters have generally turned out in twice the
numbers as people under 30. Candidates recognize the importance of the
"grey vote" and are expected to campaign hard for this demographic in
part because young people have not yet established voting as a habit.
Those under 30 are also more likely to face problems with residency
requirements when they do go to fill out a ballot - they move much
more frequently than seniors and may not have properly updated
registration information, and college students must frequently vote by
mail when they attend universities out of state.
SEEKING HELP FROM THE
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION REQUIRES PATIENCE
***********************************************************************
May 6, 2008 Every day this
year, about 10,000 baby boomers turn 62. Many will have questions
about their Social Security benefits, but few will likely get answers
-- at least not quickly. The Social Security Administration's has
reduced its staffing by more than 5 percent since 2003, to about
60,000. That means seniors such as Early L. Graham of Raleigh, N.C.
have dealt with long hold times and promises of call backs that never
come. "I had to call three different numbers before I got anyone on
the phone," one caller reports.
CONGRESSMAN CALLS FOR
CPI TO BE ADJUSTED TO MORE ACCURATELY REFLECT SENIOR EXPENSES, AND
THUS THE SOCIAL SECURITY COLA
***********************************************************************
***A
CALL TO ACTION FOR OUR READERS ***
May 1, 2008
Standing outside the Social Security
office, U.S. Rep. John Hall (D-NY19) announced legislation he is
pushing to help fixed income seniors cope with the rising prices of
food, gasoline, prescription drugs, housing and health care costs.
H.R. 2032, the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act, would
change the way the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for
seniors' Social Security benefits is calculated. The bill, which Hall
is co-sponsoring, would establish a COLA specifically for the elderly.
"This year's Social Security COLA is
negligible compared to the skyrocketing prices of health care,
prescription drugs, energy, and housing," said Hall.
"The Social Security system is not going
to keep up with seniors’ basic necessities unless it factors in their
unique purchasing needs," said Hall.
Read entire article, AND CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSMAN.
Also see:
Latest Health News , Latest
Medicare News , Latest
Social Security News
|