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Alzheimer's disease can be scary because there is no sure way to avoid it. According to a study in the Archives of General Psychiatry, however, there may be a way to keep it at bay. Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago say that having a higher purpose in life has the effect of reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's. Things like setting goals, working towards them and searching for a meaning to your life can help prevent cognitive decline. This was based on a study of 950 elderly participants.

I retired last October and sometimes I feel like this has been one long weekend. I get up in the morning when I want to. I put on my sweats, make some tea and then read for as long as I feel like. So far so good. The day stretches out before me and I usually have no idea what I’m going to do. There are the daily chores like cleaning and laundry and sometimes we need to go shopping. I can take a swim or go to the recreation center and work out. Maybe read some more in the afternoon and take a nap. The problem is, it’s going to be one hell of a long weekend. Shouldn’t I be doing something else, something more meaningful, perhaps?

Throughout my life, the weekends have been respite and recovery from the week. I guess I could make the case that retirement is rest and recovery from a life time of doing what others wanted me to do. I started school at age 5 and since that time I’ve either been in school, been in the Army or have been working. So now at the age of 62 I can do pretty much whatever I want. But after all the doing for others, much of the time I don’t know what I want. Well, here’s what I’ve figured out so far, “Make your best guess and then go for it.”

I’ve dreamed of being a writer for many years. I used to imagine myself traveling the world as a merchant seaman like Joseph Conrad or Jack London. Working on the ship all day and at night when the others are drinking and playing cards, I’d be lying on my bunk writing novels. Or like Aldous Huxley or Herman Hesse, going to my villa in the mountains of Italy, writing all morning and then strolling down into the village for a drink, maybe visit with the locals. I could give many more examples of the romance of the writers life because I have read about many great authors. But what I’ve discovered is I want to live like a famous author, I just don’t want to have to write.

One of my elderly clients was a writer and a filmmaker of some success. I often talked to him about writing and my struggles with it. One day he asked me, “Do you know what the definition of a writer is?” I thought I knew the answer, but played into his little game. “No what?” He answered, “It’s a person who writes.” Yogi Berra couldn’t have said it any better. Sometimes the truth is very simple and at the same time very profound.

So one of the activities of meaning I am going to engage in during this long weekend is writing. Not for fame or fortune, but so that I can honestly answer the question “What do you do?” with the response, “I’m a writer.”

Have you missed us? We've been away for a while but we're back again. So lets get going. According to a study at UCLA, the cost of health care for many seniors who live alone has outpaced their incomes. The study which looked at every county in California reported that the average yearly income was about $17,000. At the same time these seniors had medical expenses that exceed their incomes by $320 on average. The report concluded that of the 1 million seniors who live alone in California about 50% won't be able to afford their required medical care. This is a said commentary on the state of the medical system in the United States. We must be able to do a better job than this. With the health care debate going on in Washington, hopefully a alternative will emerge that will provide all seniors and others the opportunity to get the medical care they need without it being cost prohibitive. I urge all seniors to educate themselves on this topic and make sure their voices are heard.

Already it's starting to show the signs of the cooler seasons getting into their stride. With Fall leaves turning and the end of daylight savings time close by on November 2, it's a good time to think about how you're going to get around this winter. Many seniors are reluctant to drive or walk when the chilly season approaches and no one could blame them. With icy roads and chill winds being the order of the day, staying indoors seems and indeed most probably is the most sensible option. If you'd rather not venture out, you need to prepare yourself to minimize the number of trips you need to make. That means thinking about stocking up not just on food supplies to reduce those runs to the store when it's bad outside, but on any regular medications you cannot do without. As Sally Lewis, a Maryland RN points out, "it is also a good idea for seniors on Medicare to check with their specific plan to see if a prescription mail order is an option."

No one likes to think they'd be caught up in a medical emergency situation, either as the victim or a bystander but it happens every day to millions of people around the world. Would you know how to deal with someone that collapsed with a heart attack or shock right in front of your eyes? Too many of us don't. In addition to RetirementWeb.com there are other resources online such as this http://health.yahoo.com/emergency-emergencycare/dealing-with-emergencies/healthwise--emerg.html emergency care list from Yahoo! Health. When the moment comes though, you're hardly likely to be in a position to start scouring the net for answers. Being proactive by educating yourself on such things today rather than putting it off until it's too late to be of use to you could mean the difference between life or death. The extensive care list gives instructions on how to deal with common emergencies like cuts, head injuries, poisoning, heart attacks, stroke and choking. It also details how to give CPR, courtesy of the American Heart Association. Occasionally the fear of a lawsuit can override the feeling of wanting to help, especially if it's a stranger. It's sad but a sign of the times we have to even consider that. Yahoo! Health offers reassurance to quell such concerns. They advise, "Most states have a Good Samaritan law to protect people who help in an emergency. You cannot be sued for giving first aid unless it can be shown that you are guilty of gross negligence."

While extra income is always welcomed with open arms, it's understandable if you don't get too excited about the new Social Security rate for 2009. Trumpeted as the largest adjustment for inflation since the the early 1980's, the 5.8 per cent rise will put roughly $63 in the average senior's pocket monthly. However given the current economic turmoil, how much of a help that will be is debatable. A comment from a Chicago Tribune article on the announcement sums up how many are feeling: "Right now many senior citizens are feeling depressed because things seem out of control. They feel like they are in a boat being whipped around by rough seas," said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at the Smith School of Business at California State University. "Their purchasing power has been going down because of higher prices for food and energy and a lot of other things while their savings have taken a hit because of what is happening in the markets." Still, 50 million people have a little more coming their way from January 2009 to look forward to, which is better than nothing.

Drop by the University of New Hampshire next time you're looking for some sage advice on nutrition. They point out we should be reducing our calorific intake by 6% between the ages of 51-75, and an additional 6% after 74. Seniors apparently just don't need as many calories as they did in the preceding years. The University recommends we should consider eating more of what they call the nutrient dense foods. This means food that are of a low calorific content but have high nutritional levels. These superfoods for seniors will aid your system to function at its optimal best. On their list of these dietary wonders are: skim milk whole-grain and high fiber breads and cereals collard greens kale spinach sweet potatoes calcium-fortified orange juice canned salmon canned sardines. For more information,why not visit their newsletters page and read their Smart Choices for Seniors series.

After hospitalization, the risk of suffering a fracture is elevated in elderly men and women and increases the more often you're in hospital, confirms a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine Vol. 168 No. 15, Aug 11/25, 2008. Given that hospitalization may result in the loss of bone density and muscle strength, the study set forth to ascertain what the risk of fracture following hospitalization actually was. Prior to this, it was unknown. To do so, the researchers involved followed 3075 men and women between the ages of 70 and 79 , beginning in the late 1990's. They subsequently found upon reviewing this group around six and a half years later, 66% had been hospitalized, of which over a quarter (26%) had been in three times or more. 285 had had a fracture, with 74 of them being hip related. They reported that after taking age, gender and race into account, the study revealed there was double the risk of a fracture if you'd been hospitalized in any way, with a heightened hip fracture risk level. Go in twice, and your risk increases by almost two and a half times (2.4 fold) that you'll suffer a fracture, with increased likelihood it will be a hip one. If you're hospitalized three times or more, the risk gets even higher at 3.66 fold. The conclusion drawn by the Department of Medicine and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco researchers was clear. "Hospitalizations, particularly multiple admissions, are very common in elderly individuals and are strongly associated with an increased risk of hip and other types of fracture." The report does say also that the hospitalization itself provides an opportunity for reducing the risk.

Are the Olympics inspiring you to get into better shape and enjoy a healthier retirement? As this story reports , 41 year old Olympic swimmer and winner of multiple medals Dara Torres is doing just that for a number of older women. Torres is being held up as an example to us all that age needn't be a barrier to a healthier, happier you. Don't think that having spent years away from exercising is a valid reason not to do so either! Dana Torres had officially retired from the competitive circuit eight years ago and is a perfect example of how it really is never too late to make the right choices. While we don't expect you to be standing on the podium when the next Olympics rolls around, it's always good to remember even small changes like an evening walk can improve your health. Stay fit!

If you ever needed a reason to keep those lunch dates with friends and join in group activities, here it is. Being more social may slow down the advancement of memory loss in our golden years, announced the findings in the American Journal of Public Health. The higher your levels of social integration, the less likely you would be to experience age related memory loss as opposed to those who preferred their own company. Anyone who has grandkids that visit often knows this of course. There's nothing like trying to answer the questions of a four year old to keep your mind sharp and on the ball! Still, it's good to see it in black and white. Even if you don't have visitors knocking on your door, that's no reason not to socialize with others and make new friends. There's many hobby and special interest groups out there you can join that are always delighted to see new members. So are senior centers! Why not find out about one today and keep those precious memories intact a little while longer? You might even enjoy the experience.