COVID-19 Treatment, Vaccines Update

As Americans long for a return to normalcy in the wake of the pandemic, a variety of treatment and vaccine candidates for the coronavirus are showing promise.

We all yearn to go to restaurants again, to work out at the gym, to go to a concert or get together with friends without thinking about an imaginary six-foot ring. Some states are starting to reopen, but nobody will be able to rest easy until a reliable vaccine is developed or at least an effective treatment can allow us to avoid thinking the worst. New information seems to come out daily, but where are we really? 

Treatments

Farther along than you might think, it turns out. Let’s start with treatments for COVID-19. Fortunately, a handful of drugs that have been developed to ameliorate the symptoms produced by other diseases are finding initial success against the coronavirus. Some may be familiar to you, others not so much.

• Remdesivir. The drug continues to look promising after several small studies. Allowed on a “compassionate use” program that fast-tracks likely treatments, the majority of a 53-person trial “demonstrated clinical improvement and no new safety signals were identified,” according to maker Gilead Sciences. While more studies need to be done, the company is ramping up production to treat more than half a million patients by October and twice that by December.
• Kevzara. Currently approved to treat immune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, Kevzara may reduce COVID-19’s damage to lungs by stifling the body’s overreaction to the virus. Suppressing the immune system may allow some individuals to avoid ventilation and recover faster. A partnership between Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi, the drug is currently in U.S. trials that were anticipated to include as many as 400 patients.
• Baricitinib. Another immunosuppressant drug, baricitinib is currently under study with hospitalized patients in the U.S. Maker Eli Lilly hopes its anti-inflammatory properties could ease symptoms. The study will expand abroad, with results anticipated at the end of June. 
• Famotidine. A common medication for heartburn, famotidine is in a trial with 200 patients receiving a daily dose nine times the amount used to treat heartburn in common over-the-counter medications like Pepcid. COVID-19 patients receive the drug intravenously, rather than by mouth. Conducted by Northwell Health at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, the trial is only one of several underway at the hospital, which is also looking at remdesivir and sarilumab, another drug approved to treat arthritis.
• Chloroquine, derivative hydroxychloroquine. Anti-malaria drug chloroquine and sister drug hydroxychloroquine were among the first to be touted as a possible treatments for the coronavirus, but a recent study in Brazil was cut short after several patients developed irregular heartbeats and more than 20 died after taking daily doses. The findings serve as a cautionary tale after the drug was upheld by the president as a potential “game changer” before adequate testing. While it is approved to treat auto-immune diseases such as Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, serious side effects include arrhythmia and muscle weakness, and the drug is toxic at high doses.
• Lopinavir and ritonavir. Part of what the World Health Organization (WHO) terms a “solidarity study,” these drugs and some of those mentioned above are involved in studies in 90 countries around the world. These two (used together) inhibit an enzyme that the coronavirus needs to survive. So far, results are not promising.

Antibody Tests Not Ready Anyone who’s had the virus is anxious to get a coronavirus “passport” signifying that he or she is cleared to go anywhere, anytime, and around anyone. The theory is that once you’ve had the disease, antibodies circulating in your body will keep you protected against exposure to positive individuals for some time, perhaps years. And since you can’t get the coronavirus, you won’t be passing it along to anyone, either. Not so fast. For one thing, there isn’t yet a test available that is reliable enough to use. While companies are working toward one that gives proven results, experts warn that current tests “may give a false reading and put you, your family or others at risk,” according to John Newton, the UK’s testing coordinator. He adds. “As soon as we have found a test that works for this purpose, we will be in a position to roll them out across the country as a back-to-work test.” A study of 12 antibody tests in the U.S. performed by the COVID-19 Testing Project showed that one gave false positives more than 15% of the time, and three others gave false positives more than 10% of the time. “That’s terrible. That’s really terrible.” says Dr. Caryn Bern, one of the study authors. She notes that while no test is perfect, an acceptable rate must be less than 5%, and preferably under 2%.

Vaccines

 

The world is waiting for a vaccine, possibly followed by a booster dose, that will eliminate fear of the coronavirus for anyone who gets immunized. But scientists actually think a variety of vaccines will be created to battle the virus. 

“Ultimately, there will be more than one vaccine,” according to Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, where he is working on a COVID-19 vaccine. “There could be several vaccines that have different uses. Some vaccines might be used for older Americans at risk of disease or those with underlying comorbid conditions like diabetes or obesity. There might be some use for younger adults. Maybe some for health-care workers. Same with the other technologies that we’re talking about, like remdesivir, there may be a prophylactic use for it as well. All of this is being accelerated through a lot of studies in parallel and we’ll have to see how the target product profiles will look.”

As the coronavirus destroys economies and livelihoods, laboratories around the world are hard at work to get products out in record time. Here are several leading candidates, followed by some lesser-known contenders.

• Oxford University shocked many medical professionals when it announced it may have a vaccine that will be “widely available” by September. Researchers there had already been working on a vaccine for a similar virus, so they were able to pivot quickly to COVID-19. “Well personally I have a high degree of confidence about this vaccine, because it’s technology that I’ve used before,” says Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at the university. It’s already been found effective in animal trials and is currently being tested in humans. Before that study is complete, millions of doses will be produced in hopes of success.
• Johnson & Johnson has announced that it, too, is about to begin production of a its vaccine on an “at risk” basis, i.e. before it’s proven to work. It will be made at a facility in the Netherlands and here in the U.S. J&J partnered with subsidiary Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V. back in January, working with a drug platform that had been developed for Ebola, Zika and influenza.
• Moderna biotech has a vaccine candidate that recently was approved for further testing. Phase 2 will begin in the second quarter to evaluate safety, adverse reactions and efficacy of two vaccinations given 28 days apart. It will involve about 600 healthy adults and older adults. A third phase could start in the fall. 
• Dynavax Technologies Corporation is making its adjuvant technology available to other companies. The tech boosts immune response to a vaccine. In addition, Dynavax has partnered with the University of Queensland, Australia, on a coronavirus vaccine of its own.
• GlaxoSmithKline is also allowing access of its vaccine adjuvant platform technology, which strengthens the response to a vaccine and decreases the amount needed per dose.
• Heat Biologics, in partnership with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is in the preclinical stage of vaccine development.
• Inovio Pharmaceuticals is in a Phase 1 trial of its DNA-based vaccine that is backed by a $5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It has launched human trials in the U.S., China and South Korea with 3,000 doses of the vaccine. It expects to have 1 million doses ready for further testing or emergency use by year’s end.
• Novavax has developed several vaccine candidates. The preclinical biotech expects at least one Phase 1 trial to start this month, with results to begin coming out in July. 
• Vaxart announced plans to work on a vaccine back in January, and it’s developing an oral vaccine in the form of a room-temperature stable pill. Such a product would offer enormous advantages over injectables, which are normally refrigerated.

Whether or not a vaccine is available by the fall, it may be longer until it’s in widespread use. “Our vaccine could be ready by the fall as well,” says Dr. Hotez. “We’ll have up to 200,000 doses. But unless you’ve shown that it actually works and unless you’ve shown that it’s safe, you’re not going to do that (make it widely available). Without having the efficacy and safety data, I think you have to be really careful about bold statements (about having a vaccine ready this year). As I often like to say, these nucleic acid vaccines have been around for 30 years and offer great promise, they work in laboratory animals, but, historically, they have not worked well in people. Maybe now there’s been modifications to improve that. Let’s wait and see.”

So, the jury’s still out on both treatments and vaccines for now. But scientists are working around the clock to treat and prevent the coronavirus. That’s good news for a weary world that is looking for hope and a return to socializing with friends. It may not come this summer, but the future is looking brighter all the time.

Click below for the other articles in the May 2020 Senior Spirit

Money – Financial Help During COVID-19

Lifestyle – Free Healing Is a Benefit of Nature

Technology – Trike Enables Many to Ditch Wheelchair, Walker

Coffee Break – Program Offers Jobs, Help for Older Adults

Famous and 65 – May 2020

Sources:

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/28/stock-market-futures-open-to-close-news.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.apple.UIKit.activity.Mail

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/modernas-coronavirus-vaccine-candidate-advances-to-next-stage-of-testing-2020-04-27

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/04/what-to-expect-from-the-race-to-develop-coronavirus-vaccines.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52335210

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/18/the-stock-market-is-rising-on-hope-for-a-pharma-solution-to-coronavirus-heres-how-close-we-are.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.apple.UIKit.activity.Mail

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jj-coronavirus-vaccine-we-plan-to-begin-production-at-risk-imminently-210204457.html

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-vaccine-oxford-university-scientists-september/

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/coronavirus-latest-updates-2020-04-29/

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/28/heartburn-drug-trial-shows-reasonable-confidence-famotidine-could-help-treat-coronavirus-hospital-ceo-says-.html?__twitter_impression=true&recirc=taboolainternal 

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Financial Help During COVID-19

Many older adults need some extra help during these trying times. Here’s where to get it.

Retirement insecurity is a thing. As recently as 2019, a quarter of all older adults in the U.S. had less than $9,650 in savings, and about one out of ten had none at all. Even for those who have much more, the recent fall in stock prices has likely been a disconcerting blow. Retirees who depend on dividends have watched as many companies, worried about the economy, cut theirs. And many older adults continue to work in “retirement.”

Last year, one out of five older adults were still working. Some are supporting children and grandchildren or stretching a Social Security check for rent and food. Research shows that older adults have a harder time getting back in the workforce after losing a job or may simply give up looking for work. Many have lost a position in retail work or find their Uber income has vaporized as customers disappear. 

Negotiating with Creditors Many types of monthly payments can be negotiated if your income has taken a hit during the pandemic. Mortgages, home equity lines of credit, auto loans, personal loans and credit card debt are prime examples. Some companies have set up relief programs - but you have to contact them to take advantage. How should you approach the call? Take stock of your situation, says Bruce McClary, vice president of communications for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Research terms you may not understand, and check on current lending rates, for example. Write out the basics of what you need to say to keep the call professional: how the coronavirus affected your income, and that you would like to work something out on payments. You may want to politely refuse the first offer. If one customer service representative is unhelpful, call back on another day, says McClary. Ask if you can speak to a manager or the customer loyalty department. Ask what discounts and promotions are available, and what other callers have been offered. Remain calm, polite, and businesslike to have the greatest chance of success.  Get the agreement in writing and ask about a negative report on your credit rating. Don’t agree to a balloon payment; instead, negotiate installment payments, or ask to have current payments tacked on to the end of the loan.

Older adults who never thought they would have to ask for a little help are realizing that the world has changed. Luckily, there are things you can do to get by. We’ve gathered a list to help retirees all over the country make it through the COVID-19 season, however long it lasts.

• You may qualify for a $1,200 stimulus payment from the federal government. If you get Social Security or file a tax return and earn less than $75,000 (single), $112,500 (head of household) or $150,000 for a married couple, the full amount should be available. There have been glitches reported in the system, which is not surprising considering the archaic hardware and rushed nature of the payments, but most people who expect the funds are getting them. Those who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) should see the cash by early May, as should those collecting Veterans Affairs benefits. People who do not get their Social Security or tax refunds direct deposited, but instead count on getting a check in the mail, will have to wait longest: up to five months. You can track where your payment is at the government Get My Payment page. 

• If you are having trouble making house payments, contact your mortgage servicer (whoever you pay your mortgage to) immediately. Don’t wait until you are months behind. You have options, such as suspending payments for a while or reducing your payment. Options may vary with loan types and your personal situation. Prepare for the call by gathering your loan number, the reason for your hardship, all income and contributing sources for the mortgage, and assets. Contact the Homeowners HOPE Hotline at 1-888-995-4673 for help avoiding foreclosure or get housing counseling using HUD’s online locator tool. 

• You can find general resources available in your community by dialing 211. It will connect you to a hotline that can give you information about a local food bank, clothing bank, shelters, rent assistance and help paying utilities. Remember that you should make the call for any resources. If someone calls you, it may be a scam.

• If you need meals, contact Meals on Wheels and Feeding America to find help available in your community.

• Need help with utility payments, prescription drug charges, and more? Find options available in your state at Benefits CheckUp. 

• Getting around may be harder now, too. Find help with transportation at Eldercare Locator. 

• If Medicare problems are getting you down, there is a trio of helpful services. Get help from the Senior Medicare Patrol, medicare.gov or from you local State Health Insurance Assistance Program. 

• Finally, you are not alone if you are worried and in distress. Talk to someone any time at the National Suicide Prevention Hotline or the Disaster Distress Hotline. 

One thing older adults have going for them is experience. We have been through a lot before and survived. But this time, ingenuity and a good work ethic may not be enough. It is alright to ask for help. The pandemic won’t last forever, even though it seems endless right now. Reach out for yourself or a loved one or neighbor who needs a boost. We’ll all get through this, together. 

Click below for the other articles in the May 2020 Senior Spirit

Health – COVID-19 Treatment, Vaccines Update

Lifestyle – Free Healing Is a Benefit of Nature

Technology – Trike Enables Many to Ditch Wheelchair, Walker

Coffee Break – Program Offers Jobs, Help for Older Adults

Famous and 65 – May 2020

Sources:

https://www.ncoa.org/blog/tips-for-homeowners-facing-hardship/

https://www.ncoa.org/blog/pandemic-threat-to-older-workers/

https://www.ncoa.org/covid-19/covid-19-resources-for-older-adults/

https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-policy-watch/retirement-insecurity-in-time-of-covid-19-next-shoe-to-drop/

https://www.fool.com/retirement/2020/04/28/still-waiting-on-your-stimulus-check-heres-when-th.aspx

https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/track-your-coronavirus-stimulus-check-status-through-irs-get-my-payment-app/

https://www.wsj.com/articles/if-you-must-negotiate-your-bills-heres-how-11588078800

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Free Healing Is a Benefit of Nature

Research shows that getting outside is not just a nice break from the office or home. Your body gets remarkable health benefits from nature.

A recent study done by the European Centre for Environment & Human Health at the University of Exeter found that people who spent a minimum of two hours every week outdoors in a natural environment were much more likely to say they had good health and psychological well-being than their counterparts who did not. And spending less time outside, whether in parks or other natural environments, didn’t just have a lesser effect; it had no benefit at all. 

The study included 20,000 people from all walks of life, including those from different ethnic groups, with varying income levels, and those with chronic illnesses and disabilities. The effect held true across the board. Although scientists knew that getting outside was a boost for health, they hadn’t known how much time was enough. While the study showed a hard minimum, it didn’t matter whether the time per week was achieved with several shorter sessions or one two-hour chunk.

Scientific Benefits of Being Outdoors  There are many ways that going outside can benefit health. Research supports all of the following statements about the upsides of stepping into nature. At least for children, outdoor activity protects the eyes and reduces the risk of developing nearsightedness.  Walks in green environments improve mood and self-esteem, especially among the mentally ill.  Time outdoors lowers blood pressure.  Going outside improves your attention span and ability to focus. New studies suggest it may help kids with ADHD.  Creativity spikes after time outside.  Preliminary studies suggest forest exposure may stimulate the production of anti-cancer proteins.  There is a strong positive correlation between green space and health for urban residents.  Getting outside in sunlight gives people vitamin D, which many lack.  Outside exposure can lessen the effects of seasonal affective disorder.  Being outdoors boosts energy. Lyme disease even from gardening? One caution in the outdoors comes from the prevalence of Lyme disease, a potentially disabling infection of the nervous system and joints. It is caused by the blacklegged tick, which can spread the disease when it bites. They are active in temperatures down to the mid-30s, so be aware the ticks are out now. Three-fourths of cases take place not in the deep woods, but in backyards. Ticks prefer wet, cool places with abundant shade. Stone walls, wood piles and brushy areas are favorite hideouts. Ornamental vegetation and lawns are the least likely to contain ticks. Create a tick-resistant garden by using a three-foot barrier of wood chips or rock between the lawn and brushy areas. Keep wood piles away from the house or put them atop a wood chip barrier. Remove leaf litter and keep lawns mowed. Locate play sets in open, sunny areas. Prune surrounding trees if needed. Since deer are a host, erect an 8-foot-high fence around the garden or plant deer-resistant perennials to discourage their presence.

Time Outdoors Gaining Research Momentum

“When I wrote 'Last Child in the Woods' in 2005, this wasn’t a hot topic,” said Richard Louv, a journalist in San Diego whose book is largely credited with triggering a naturist movement and who first used the term Nature Deficit Disorder. “This subject was virtually ignored by the academic world. I could find 60 studies that were good studies. Now it’s approaching and about to pass 1,000 studies, and they point in one direction: Nature is not only nice to have, but it’s a have-to-have for physical health and cognitive functioning.”

Increasingly, researchers are studying the topic and using it for urban planning. “We have entered the urban century, with two-thirds of humanity projected to be living in cities by 2050,” said Gretchen Daily, director of the Natural Capital Project at Stanford University. “There is an awakening underway today to many of the values of nature and the risks and costs of its loss. This new work can help inform investments in livability and sustainability of the world’s cities.”

The Children & Nature Network, founded by Louv and others, tracks much of this research but lists summaries of abstracts on its website. Scandinavian “forest schools” have found a home in the U.S. as more education takes place outdoors … an increase of 500 percent since 2012, according to Louv. 

Even health care providers have begun prescribing the back-to-nature paradigm. One organization, Park RX America, founded by Robert Zarr of Unity Healthcare in Washington, D.C., has a mission “to decrease the burden of chronic disease, increase health and happiness, and foster environmental stewardship, by virtue of prescribing Nature during the routine delivery of healthcare by a diverse group of health care professionals.”

The Trust for Public Lands recently completed a multi-year project to map parks in the U.S. with the goal of finding places that lack parkland. “We’ve mapped 14,000 communities, 86 percent of the nation, and looked at who does and doesn’t live within a 10-minute walk of a park,” said Adrian Benepe, a senior vice president of the organization. The Trust has a Ten Minute Walk initiative involving mayors across the U.S. to ensure everyone has access to a park within a short walk from where they live.

Businesses are taking note as well. They have become aware that attracting good employees requires more than a competitive salary, and are designing offices with large windows and access to trees and open space. “It’s needed to attract a skilled work force,” says Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix. “Young people are demanding high-quality outdoor experiences.”

More Than a Visual Experience

What makes time in the natural world restorative versus time spent elsewhere? Rachel and Stephen Kaplan have been studying this question since the 1970s, and they’ve come up with Attention Restoration Theory. While bustling city environments, work spaces and the like require effortful attention, they theorize that natural environments let people focus more broadly and with less effort, leading to a more relaxed body and mind. 

The Japanese have long advocated “forest bathing,” or walking in the woods. Researchers believe that smelling natural aerosols in the trees elevates levels of Natural Killer cells in the immune system that battle tumors and infections. One study showed that exposing people to essential cedar oil while they slept in a hotel room also caused a spike in the same cells.

In an age where climate change is causing significant anxiety, the antidote may be, in part, to go out in nature. 

Click below for the other articles in the May 2020 Senior Spirit

Health – COVID-19 Treatment, Vaccines Update

Money – Financial Help During COVID-19

Technology – Trike Enables Many to Ditch Wheelchair, Walker

Coffee Break – Program Offers Jobs, Help for Older Adults

Famous and 65 – May 2020

Sources:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/how-immersing-yourself-in-nature-benefits-your-health 

https://www.businessinsider.com/why-spending-more-time-outside-is-healthy-2017-7

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/70548/11-scientific-benefits-being-outdoors

https://extension.psu.edu/programs/master-gardener/counties/pike/news/2017/creating-a-tick-resistant-garden

https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/benefits-sunlight 

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Trike Enables Many to Ditch Wheelchair, Walker

image source: https://www.straight.com/life/692536/bc-inventor-barbara-alink-aims-erase-stigma-around-disability

The Alinker walking bike enables older adults and people with a range of disabilities to get around faster and easier — and look cool doing it.

“I used the Alinker today to take my dog to a nature preserve park I haven’t been able to get to for over two years,” writes a user in Oregon. A 67-year-old with leg braces writes, “Now my wife has trouble keeping up with me.” A Canadian woman, 70, says, “We went to a park at Lake Ontario yesterday and I rode the trails for four miles.” And a son says that his father, formerly in a wheelchair, “has become very eager” to walk and has taken up traveling again at the age of 96.

Alinker Walking Bike

What has changed the lives of all these people and many more around the world? The Alinker walking bike is designed for how people want to live. The yellow bike allows users, including amputees, to use their legs to move. With a “footprint” smaller than a wheelchair, the Alinker is welcome in grocery stores, museums and malls, as well as outdoors. The user sits upright at a level nearly as tall as standing height, allowing for easy social interaction. 

“Over my dead body will I use one of those!” Barbara Alink’s mother was expressing her distaste for that all-too-common device used by older adults to get around: the walker. She didn’t like the stigma associated with the device; she wanted to stay more active. Luckily, her daughter is an engineer and took heed of the need for a walking assist that would allow movement and be perceived as cool. 

Who Is It For?

Now, it’s not just older adults who are using the bike. Landmine victims, amputees, people with multiple sclerosis and other degenerative diseases, those with back pain, and many for whom walking is painful use the Alinker. More than 60% of people who use a wheelchair can still move their legs and potentially ride the Alinker. Users like that it doesn’t look like a medical device.

“You’re perceived completely differently. You’re standing up. You’re at eye level,” says Ceilidh Corcoran, 40. Diagnosed with a hip condition four years ago, after two surgeries she started limping. Soon after, the pain of walking drove her to a wheelchair. She negotiated life with a scooter, wheelchair and crutches, then saw an Instagram post from actor Selma Blair, who has MS. It featured a photo of Blair on her Alinker, and text that read, “I got places to go! Sometimes I can’t do it on my own two feet.” Blair enthused about her bike, and Corcoran longed for one for herself.

After a crowdfunding campaign and some financial help from Blair, Corcoran is loving her new bike. “I used to get sympathy smiles. Now I get genuine smiles,” she says. “I’m really hurting this week because I did so much last week. You totally overdo it (at first), but it’s such a great feeling.”

Advantages

The Alinker has five distinct advantages:

• Users sit upright, at about the same eye level as those standing.
• Lower body stress is minimal because the seat takes the user’s weight.
• Feet are on the ground, not pedals, for stability and safety.
• Handlebars provide support and stability.
• It is perceived as a bike, not a disability device.

Users also give it kudos for its portability. The 26-pound bike folds up easily for transport in the smallest car. “I always have a smile on my face when I’m on it, and it’s such a great feeling!” enthuses one Vancouver user. “Instead of sitting in the wheelchair and feeling a lot more disabled, this makes me feel like I’m on my way to becoming healthy again. I can just take it anywhere.”

When walking becomes difficult, the natural tendency is to sit more often, leaving muscles weaker and further reducing the ability to walk. The Alinker encourages leg movement by taking the weight off of the lower limbs. It’s also a heck of a lot of fun. (There is a warning about racing downhill on the website, which I would guess has been ignored by many able-bodied individuals taking a test ride.) In fact, they can be ridden in bike lanes as well as on the sidewalk. 

Downside

The company encourages potential purchasers to speak to their insurance company about the benefits of the bike, including preventing loss of muscle mass and mobility. Clearly, it has many health benefits for users and is likely to reduce doctor visits and complications. But will your insurance company cover the cost? Some insurance companies cover walking aids — but the Alinker is not yet a standard item that most will pay for.

More Innovations Coming

So, what’s not to like? The bike’s hefty price tag of just under $2,000 is a barrier for many. Crowdfunding campaigns and a rent-to-own program help solve the problem. And while many of the bikes are so loved that they get named by their owner, they are not particularly custom. They come in three sizes, but the color choice is limited to yellow, yellow or yellow. However, that will be changing and company founder Alink welcomes suggestions for a future fleet of multi-hued bikes. Also, the company is working on a bike seat that is specifically made for the unique walking movement of users to improve comfort. 

Finally, although older adults are a large target market, there are many children who could benefit by having the bike. The company is working on smaller sizes that would make it possible for kids to ride, as well as adults. 

People with disabilities and older adults with reduced mobility have an alternative to walkers and wheelchairs. One that allows them to remain active and encourages socializing by being portable and keeping users at eye-contact height. As lifespans increase, so should the span of active lifestyles. Alinker bikes will prove to be the bridge for many.

Click below for the other articles in the May 2020 Senior Spirit

Health – COVID-19 Treatment, Vaccines Update

Money – Financial Help During COVID-19

Lifestyle – Free Healing Is a Benefit of Nature

Coffee Break – Program Offers Jobs, Help for Older Adults

Famous and 65 – May 2020

Sources:

Program Offers Jobs, Help for Older Adults

If you are looking for a job (or a caregiver), this company that hires older adults could be the answer.

It is unusual to find a business that is both hiring and helping older adults. Both aspects are particularly needed in these trying times. Seniors Helping Seniors® is a company that hires able older adults as at-home caregivers. With so many people out of work and/or sheltering in place due to the COVID-19 epidemic, it is a rare job opportunity that will likely persist in the changed economy.

"Seniors are one of the most high-risk demographics in the COVID-19 pandemic, and the mandatory quarantine guidelines can take a toll on their mental health and wellbeing," said Daniel Jan, Vice President of Operations for Seniors Helping Seniors®. "Plus, with nursing homes presenting a major risk if an outbreak occurs, more people are moving their senior loved ones into an in-home setting to minimize exposure and ensure safety." 

Founders Rooted in Charity

The company was founded by a husband and wife team, Kiran and Philip Yocum. Kiran grew up in India. She admired the work Mother Theresa was doing and donated her allowance to The Sisters of Charity for many years before joining the Catholic nun in her work to help India’s poorest of the poor. She came to the U.S. in 1995, got married, and the two started Seniors Helping Seniors® a few years later. 

"The senior community needs our help, now more than ever. We are very fortunate to be able to continue to provide our services through loving and compassionate care to seniors and offer job opportunities for those that have lost work due to the impact of this pandemic," says Kiran. But she stresses that the relationship between caregiver and career they strive to create is not just about chores, but one of love and compassion. 

Company Needs Workers

Currently, the company is advertising for 1,500 older adults to join their ranks as caregivers. A flexible schedule is one of the benefits, and caregivers are matched according to needs, personality, and preferences. Part of the job is developing a warm, caring relationship with the person in need. Caregivers may assist by cleaning, cooking, running errands, gardening, mowing and more. 

For more information go to the Seniors Helping Seniors® website or for more information about being a caregiver, check out this short video from Johns Hopkins Medicine.

While Seniors Helping Seniors® is unique in searching out older adults to act as caregivers for their clients, many other businesses serving older adults welcome people of any age to work for them in a caregiving capacity. To find opportunities near you, search for “caregiving jobs.”

Click below for the other articles in the May 2020 Senior Spirit

Health – COVID-19 Treatment, Vaccines Update

Money – Financial Help During COVID-19

Lifestyle – Free Healing Is a Benefit of Nature

Technology – Trike Enables Many to Ditch Wheelchair, Walker

Famous and 65 – May 2020

Sources:

https://www.delcotimes.com/seniors-helping-seniors-sees-increased-interest-in-its-services-looks-to-hire-1-500-caregivers/article_7efd3af0-7e98-529e-88b1-20ac6668ea01.html

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Famous and 65

Look who's turning 65 this month

Find out which celebrities are turning 65 this month!

Image Source: Wikipedia

May 2 - Donatella Versace, fashion designer

The dyed blonde hair, the face that has been snipped and stitched a time or two: haute couture maven Versace is instantly recognizable in any photo, usually standing next to young models sporting her iconic brand. The fashion icon was born in Italy to a salesman father and a seamstress mother - great prep for a life in the fashion industry. 

Her older brother Gianni was the first to study knitwear design. Donatella thought she could help with public relations, but she wound up serving as his “muse and critic” (her words). It was a good partnership; Gianni promoted a perfume created in her honor, Blonde, and bestowed her with her own label, Versus. 

Giani died in 1997 (he was famously murdered), and a year later found his sister continuing his custom of mounting the runway over the pool at their haute couture show in the Hotel Ritz Paris. Her collection was well received, and she proved a PR powerhouse as she brought in names such as Madonna, Lady Gaga and Jennifer Love to promote her line. Her fame popped with the design of Jennifer Lopez’ green “jungle dress” for the 2000 Grammy Awards. 

Versace has kicked a heavy smoking and drug habit from the mid-nineties and has made multiple cameo appearances as herself. If imitation is the best form of flattery, Versace has a bevy of sycophants. She is still active on the social scene.

Image Source: Google

May 16 - Debra Winger, actress

You’ll remember Winger from her roles in An Officer and a Gentleman, Terms of Endearment and other iconic film roles. Today, you can catch her on Netflix in The Ranch. Hard to believe she started life as an Orthodox Jew in Ohio. Her decision to become an actor was made in the long hours she spent in a hospital bed recovering from a fearsome auto accident that left her blind and partially paralyzed for nearly a year. 

Winger took the traditional route and moved to L.A. Her role in Urban Cowboy opposite John Travolta in 1980 propelled her to fame. But by 1995 Winger was tired of show biz. “I wanted out for years. I got sick of hearing myself say I wanted to quit,” she remembers. “ It’s like opening an interview with ‘I hate interviews!’” 

She returned six years later to star in a film written by her husband, and also to begin producing films. Winger has diverged from film for projects such as a television musical performance that benefitted the Children’s Defense Fund. Winger is currently married to actor/director Arliss Howard.

Image Source: Wikipedia

May 16 - Olga Korbut, Soviet gymnast

The 4’ 11” “Sparrow from Minsk” revolutionized women’s gymnastics with her performance at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games. Previously a somewhat staid sport with an emphasis on ballet and precision, the tiny17-year-old showed off riskier feats of daring that required a honed athleticism not previously seen. 

Korbut’s charm played a role in catapulting the sport into one of the most popular at the Games. She started training at age 8, and quickly moved to a Belarusian sports school at the age of 9 to concentrate on the sport. Her coach there found her “lazy and capricious” at times, but with a supple spine and charisma to flare. 

A favorite for the all-around after wowing crowds at the Munich Olympics, Korbut lost to teammate Ludmilla Tourischeva after missing her mount on the uneven bars three times. Nevertheless, she became ABC’s Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year. Four years later at the Montreal Summer Olympics, Korbut was tapped to best Romanian prodigy Nadia Comaneci, but she was injured and didn’t perform well.

Today, Korbut lives in Scottsdale Arizona, where she teaches private pupils and does motivational speaking. 

Image Source: Wikipedia

May 24 - Rosanne Cash, Country singer

The oldest daughter of country music legend Johnny Cash, Rosanne draws on a variety of genres for her writing, recording, and performing career. She has been a prolific artist with 11 No. 1 country hit singles and a multitude of Top 40 hits. She also transitioned into a writing career, with three books and essays published in The New York Times and Rolling Stone to her credit.

You may remember her album The River & the Thread, which won three Grammys in 2015. Born in Memphis, her family moved to California just a few years before her mother and Cash divorced. Raised by her mom, Cash toured with her father’s road show for a couple of years after high school before studying at Vanderbilt. 

Cash got a contract with Columbia Records in 1978 and released Right or Wrong in 1980. It produced three Top 25 singles, including No Memories Hangin’ Around. Cash has been a huge commercial success while managing to raise a family. In 1990, she released a “brutally dark take on intimate relationships” with the immensely personal Interiors. A year later, she moved to New York City and divorced. 

Cash remarried, became pregnant, and found out she had a polyp on her vocal cords. Since she couldn’t sing, she wrote a children’s book, Penelope Jane: A Fairy’s Tale. Cash had brain surgery in 2007 and has since fully recovered. She supports a range of charitable organizations, and is often a guest teacher at several institutions, including New York University.

Click below for the other articles in the May 2020 Senior Spirit

Health – COVID-19 Treatment, Vaccines Update

Money – Financial Help During COVID-19

Lifestyle – Free Healing Is a Benefit of Nature

Technology – Trike Enables Many to Ditch Wheelchair, Walker

Coffee Break – Program Offers Jobs, Help for Older Adults

Sources:

https://www.wikipedia.org

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Financial Options Designed for Seniors to Remember During a Time of Crisis

The Coronavirus outbreak has had a significant impact on the bottom line for seniors across the country. People have watched the stock market drop, wiping out a substantial percentage of their holdings and income. But it is important at times like these to not “panic-sell” and lock in your losses. This situation is fluid and unfolding at a rapid pace. Markets are waiting to see how fiscal policy is implemented from Washington, D.C., and that could bring about stabilization and then recovery in the not too distant future.

Chris Orestis, CSA

But in the meantime, there are still safety nets and even financial opportunities that can help seniors in particular. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid payments remain unchanged. Income from annuities remain guaranteed and unchanged. Money in banks is protected by the FDIC which guarantees $250,000 per depositor. Disability income from SSDI or disability insurance incomes remain unchanged. And financial opportunities for seniors, particularly those with impaired health and need for care, exist that should be considered.

Veterans could be eligible for the Veteran’s Aide and Attendance Benefit which can provide up to $2,000 a month towards long-term care support and services for the veteran and/or their spouse. A HECM (reverse mortgage) line of credit can be taken out by anyone age 62 and older to establish a credit line against the equity of the home. The credit line can be drawn only as and when needed, and there are no monthly payment obligations as long as the borrower is living in the home. With the Fed reducing rates to historic lows, now is the time to look at re-financing your mortgage to reduce your monthly obligation. For the owners of life insurance, there are a couple of options to get liquidity from this asset. If the owner wants to keep the policy in-force, they can take out a policy loan for upwards of 90% of the cash surrender value. If the policy owner does not want to continue paying premiums to keep the policy in-force, they could use a Life Settlement to sell the policy under tax-favorable conditions for a percentage of their death benefit today (and be relieved of paying anymore premiums).

Also, don’t forget that the tax deadline has been extended from April to July 15!

About the Author

Chris Orestis, CSA is President of LCX Life and RetirementGenius.com. He is a nationally recognized senior care advocate and expert in specialty senior-living funding solutions. The author of two books, numerous published papers and articles, and a frequent industry speaker; he is the innovator that brought the LTC-Life Settlement into the market over a decade ago.