Reverse mortgages are becoming more popular in America, for senior homeowners.
HUD, via FHA, offers The Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) which enables a homeowner to withdraw some equity from their home. The funds can we withdrawn with a fixed monthly amount or a line of credit, or both. So, if you need a monthly source of income, or a larger one-time amount to do home improvement, you have several options to choose from.
To borrow with HECM, you must be 62 years of age or older, own your property outright or have a small mortgage balance, occupy the property as your principal residence, not be delinquent on any federal debt, and participate in a consumer information session given by an approved HECM counselor.
The amount you can borrow depends on 1) the age of the youngest borrower, 2) current interest rate, 3) lesser of the appraised value of your home or the HECM FHA mortgage limit for your area or the sales price and the initial Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP) option you choose. Basically, the more valuable your home is, the older you are and the lower the interest rate, the more you can borrow.
Unlike ordinary home equity loans, FHA reverse mortgage HECM does not require repayment as long as the home is your principal residence and the obligations of the mortgage are met. Lenders recover their principal, plus interest, when the home is sold. The remaining value of the home goes to you or your heirs.
If the sales proceeds are insufficient to pay the amount owed, FHA will pay the lender the amount of the shortfall. FHA collects an insurance premium form all borrowers to provide this coverage.
Of course as with all loans, there is a cost associated with the loan, and those can be rolled into the mortgage.
Many companies offer reverse mortgages, which means there are also scammers trying to steal hard earned money. HUD offers a Lender List that can help you to find a viable reverse mortgage lender. Also, if you or a anyone you know is a victim of homeownership fraud, contact HUD.
HUD Homeownership Center & FHA Resource Center can be reached at info@fhaoutreach.com or call 800-225-5342.
Source: http://www.hud.gov/buying/rvrsmort.cfm
Friday, September 30, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
OSTOMY: Some Good Ideas From Here and There
Via Fox Valley Ostomy News and Ostomy Association of Metro Denver, Inc.
Avoid "vacuum lock" in your pouch by keeping a little air in it. This is a big reason that people with new ostomies have "leaks". This is especially true for the urostomates when hooking up to your night drainage bag. Always be sure to leave a little urine in your day-bag as a "prime" for the night drainage bag.
Parsley is an excellent natural internal deodorant, therefore eat some parsley.
If you want medicines to work quickly, drown them. They dissolve and absorb faster with plenty of water to wash them down.
Vitamins should be taken on a full stomach; otherwise, they irritate the lining of the stomach and produce the sensation of being full.
Never wait until you have used your last pouching system before ordering a new supply. Always keep a list of your supplies with you on a small piece of paper complete with order numbers, size and manufacturers.
Don't be afraid to try something new, you may find something better than you are presently using.
Of course if you ever have questions about your ostomy products, or if you want to know about NEW products, our customer service experts are happy to help!
Avoid "vacuum lock" in your pouch by keeping a little air in it. This is a big reason that people with new ostomies have "leaks". This is especially true for the urostomates when hooking up to your night drainage bag. Always be sure to leave a little urine in your day-bag as a "prime" for the night drainage bag.
Parsley is an excellent natural internal deodorant, therefore eat some parsley.
If you want medicines to work quickly, drown them. They dissolve and absorb faster with plenty of water to wash them down.
Vitamins should be taken on a full stomach; otherwise, they irritate the lining of the stomach and produce the sensation of being full.
Never wait until you have used your last pouching system before ordering a new supply. Always keep a list of your supplies with you on a small piece of paper complete with order numbers, size and manufacturers.
Don't be afraid to try something new, you may find something better than you are presently using.
Of course if you ever have questions about your ostomy products, or if you want to know about NEW products, our customer service experts are happy to help!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Fall is Here!
Look closely and you will see the spider web this fuzzy little-big guy created between our two patio chairs! I swear he/she curled up into a little ball thinking "she cant see me if I do this".
Its that time of year when spiders and creepy crawly things like to come inside for the winter. I want to note that this weekend I went and bought some of that home-defense insect barrier stuff. The little-big guy is more than welcome to live in my yard, and even on patio, but come in my house and, well, you wont live to tell about it, my friend.
Happy Autumn, everyone!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Adult Day Care & Respite Care
Adult day care normally offers organized daily activities in a community-based setting along with personal care services.
Adult day cares and respite centers are designed to provide social stimulation and health services to seniors who require supervised care. Caregivers often utilize them to take respite from their normal care-giving responsibilities. Adult day cares usually offer transportation to and from the center, social activities, meals and snacks, and assistance with activities of daily living. Centers typically operate during normal business hours and are open five days a week.
The cost of an adult day care such as Seniors' Resource Center Adult Day & Respite Services in Denver, CO, usually ranges between $25 and $100 per day.
To find a location near you, visit www.caring.com
Adult day cares and respite centers are designed to provide social stimulation and health services to seniors who require supervised care. Caregivers often utilize them to take respite from their normal care-giving responsibilities. Adult day cares usually offer transportation to and from the center, social activities, meals and snacks, and assistance with activities of daily living. Centers typically operate during normal business hours and are open five days a week.
The cost of an adult day care such as Seniors' Resource Center Adult Day & Respite Services in Denver, CO, usually ranges between $25 and $100 per day.
To find a location near you, visit www.caring.com
Friday, September 9, 2011
Not All Incontinence Products are Created Equal
Not all incontinence products are created equal, so we have tried to always carry the most economical, yet effective products on the market!
Here is a basic rundown of personal incontinence products:
Adult Diapers with Tapes or Hooks are similar to diapers for infants and provide the best coverage and absorbancy. They have tape or hook fasteners on the sides to provide a more custom fit. These are best for heavier incontinence in a more active person, or for those who are less mobile or bed-ridden.
Adult Pull Up Diapers are more like regular underwear, providing dignity and discretion. These can be used for moderate to heavy protection.
Pads and Liners are absorbent pads usually with an adhesive strip that you attach to your regular underwear. These are for light to moderate urinary incontinence.
Pants are either reusable or disposable and are designed to hold your pads or liners in place, or can provide additional waterproof protection.
Cleansing Products are an integral part of keeping skin healthy, so be sure to keep them on hand! From creams, ointments, wipes and more, we have it all.
We usually have free in-store samples, so stop by today and we will be happy you find the right product!
Shop for Incontinence Products Here
Here is a basic rundown of personal incontinence products:
Adult Diapers with Tapes or Hooks are similar to diapers for infants and provide the best coverage and absorbancy. They have tape or hook fasteners on the sides to provide a more custom fit. These are best for heavier incontinence in a more active person, or for those who are less mobile or bed-ridden.
Adult Pull Up Diapers are more like regular underwear, providing dignity and discretion. These can be used for moderate to heavy protection.
Pads and Liners are absorbent pads usually with an adhesive strip that you attach to your regular underwear. These are for light to moderate urinary incontinence.
Pants are either reusable or disposable and are designed to hold your pads or liners in place, or can provide additional waterproof protection.
Cleansing Products are an integral part of keeping skin healthy, so be sure to keep them on hand! From creams, ointments, wipes and more, we have it all.
We usually have free in-store samples, so stop by today and we will be happy you find the right product!
Shop for Incontinence Products Here
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Labor Day Checklist
Here is my Labor Day weekend checklist:
Had an extra day off from work - check! Labor day is one of the rare weekends that our stores are closed!
Moved furniture - check!
Did some yard work - check!
Slept in - check!
Did some shopping - check!
Visited with friends - check!
Had a nice meal - check and check! (we had not one, but two!)
Spent some time with family - check!
Enjoyed the weather before it gets chilly - check!
Watched a movie - check! (The Bourne Identity for about the 5th time!)
What did you do over Labor Day weekend?
Had an extra day off from work - check! Labor day is one of the rare weekends that our stores are closed!
Moved furniture - check!
Did some yard work - check!
Slept in - check!
Did some shopping - check!
Visited with friends - check!
Had a nice meal - check and check! (we had not one, but two!)
Spent some time with family - check!
Enjoyed the weather before it gets chilly - check!
Watched a movie - check! (The Bourne Identity for about the 5th time!)
What did you do over Labor Day weekend?
Friday, September 2, 2011
Labor Day
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.
Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."
But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.
The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.
Source: http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.
Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."
But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.
The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.
Source: http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Never Too Old to Find New Friends
By: Mary Mohler, From AARP
April 1, 2011
Now that you’ve reached a new stage of life, and maybe have relocated or retired, making new acquaintances can be a little trickier.
Not only do you have fewer opportunities to meet new people, but “there’s also a little more resistance to forming new relationships later in life, and your skills can get a bit rusty,” says Marla Paul, author of The Friendship Crisis: Finding, Making and Keeping Friends When You’re Not a Kid Anymore.
Still, it’s important to make the effort. Close relationships with others are vital to your health - physical, mental and emotional - your self-esteem and even your longevity, according to recent research. So if watching Grey’s Anatomy is the highlight of your week, or you find yourself enthusiastically chatting with telemarketers, you probably need to make some new connections. Here are a few things that can help you.
1. Get over the idea that everybody else your age already has all the friends they need. There are a lot of people out there in the same boat.
2. Accept Invitations. Just getting out increases the chances of meeting new people - and friends are sometimes found in unlikely places.
3. Many colleges allow older adults to audit regular classes for free, and some have programs specifically for seniors.
4. Senior centers have a variety of classes, activities and even trips. Stop by and ask for a schedule.
5. Take a part time job, even for just a few hours a week. It will expose you to new people and give you a little extra money.
6. Pursue your interests and attend consistently so that you build relationships naturally.
7. Set up a page on Facebook to connect with old friends and friends of friends.
8. Invite a few of your neighbors for dinner. Cook if you like to, or organize a potluck, if you don't.
9. Get a dog and you will be surprised how conversations develop while on walks.
10. Work out at a nearby gym and join a class so you see the same people every week.
11. Don’t put too much pressure on a new friendship because it can scare people away.
12. Churches often make a point of welcoming newbies and introducing them around.
13. Volunteer in your community. Try createthegood.org or volunteersofamerica.org.
14. Be willing to take a risk. When you meet someone you like, take the initiative and ask for an email address or phone number.
April 1, 2011
Now that you’ve reached a new stage of life, and maybe have relocated or retired, making new acquaintances can be a little trickier.
Not only do you have fewer opportunities to meet new people, but “there’s also a little more resistance to forming new relationships later in life, and your skills can get a bit rusty,” says Marla Paul, author of The Friendship Crisis: Finding, Making and Keeping Friends When You’re Not a Kid Anymore.
Still, it’s important to make the effort. Close relationships with others are vital to your health - physical, mental and emotional - your self-esteem and even your longevity, according to recent research. So if watching Grey’s Anatomy is the highlight of your week, or you find yourself enthusiastically chatting with telemarketers, you probably need to make some new connections. Here are a few things that can help you.
1. Get over the idea that everybody else your age already has all the friends they need. There are a lot of people out there in the same boat.
2. Accept Invitations. Just getting out increases the chances of meeting new people - and friends are sometimes found in unlikely places.
3. Many colleges allow older adults to audit regular classes for free, and some have programs specifically for seniors.
4. Senior centers have a variety of classes, activities and even trips. Stop by and ask for a schedule.
5. Take a part time job, even for just a few hours a week. It will expose you to new people and give you a little extra money.
6. Pursue your interests and attend consistently so that you build relationships naturally.
7. Set up a page on Facebook to connect with old friends and friends of friends.
8. Invite a few of your neighbors for dinner. Cook if you like to, or organize a potluck, if you don't.
9. Get a dog and you will be surprised how conversations develop while on walks.
10. Work out at a nearby gym and join a class so you see the same people every week.
11. Don’t put too much pressure on a new friendship because it can scare people away.
12. Churches often make a point of welcoming newbies and introducing them around.
13. Volunteer in your community. Try createthegood.org or volunteersofamerica.org.
14. Be willing to take a risk. When you meet someone you like, take the initiative and ask for an email address or phone number.
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