The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Liquid laundry detergent pods are potentially life threatening for older adults with dementia

Liquid laundry detergent pods can pose a lethal threat to adults with dementia who may think they’re edible, said Consumer Reports, a not-for-profit consumer organization. The packets are considered a danger to young children.

An 87-year-old woman with dementia, living with her son and daughter-in-law, in Texas was rushed to the hospital after being found slumped over and unresponsive at home. She had eaten two liquid laundry detergent packets. She died two days later.

Consumer Reports filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and found there had been eight deaths related to ingesting laundry pods in the United States between 2012 and early 2017 –including six adults with dementia and two young children.

Design of senior housing doesn’t cause depression, but access to the outdoors is needed, study finds

The physical environment in assisted living facilities is unlikely to negatively affect the mood of residents, but poor access to gardens and outdoor spaces could.

Procedural, staffing, and physical barriers can prevent older people from using outdoor spaces and that access to the outdoors is significantly associated with depressive symptoms, researchers at Warwick Medical School and WMG at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom found.

The researchers studied the physical environment of 50 assisted living facilities in Coventry, Warwickshire, and Northeast London and looked for any link with the depressive symptoms of 510 residents in the facilities. They also interviewed some residents living in the facilities to find out what they thought about the design of the facilities they lived in.

Scam alert: Fraudsters sending emails saying they’re from the FTC

Some people have gotten an email that claims to be from Maureen Ohlhausen, the Federal Trade Commission’s acting chair. It’s a fake.

The email asks you to give your bank account information – so, it says, you can get money from the government’s settlement with Western Union.

The email is a scam to steal your financial information. It’s the latest variation of an imposter scam. In 2016, consumers reported more complaints about imposter scams to the FTC than any other fraud.

Boomer bloggers enjoying travel and summer

Although I just got back from a month-long trip to Spain, I was jealous when I received the emails from members of our blogging group describing their travel adventures. Israel and the shore. I’d like to be at either one rather than spending hours and hours doing yard work. But, the yard is starting to look good, and we’ll have vegetables soon.

Meryl Baer of Six Decades and Counting tells us travel is organized, anticipated, finally launched – and then it is over. Baer’s Israel adventure concludes – almost. It’s hard to believe that following months of planning and expectation followed by long, exhausting days touring the country with family, her adventure winds down. Baer summarizes activities experienced and places visited in “An Israel Adventure Almost Over.”

Tom Sightings of Sightings Over Sixty has been doing what retirees do best... taking a vacation from vacation. Find out where he is and what he's doing at “Weekend at the Shore.”

Laura Lee Carter of the Adventures of the New Old Farts is focusing on the positive this week. She writes about making good choices as we age and being pleased with the outcomes in “It’s Not Where You Start, It’s How You Finish” and “Three Years Later in Rural Colorado…”.

Carol Cassara, who blogs at Heart•Mind•Soul, tells us her dog, Riley, wants to make sure your pets have a peaceful, anxiety-free Independence Day. Riley offers his advice at “Riley Recommends: Your Pet and July 4.”

This is the Best of Boomer Blogs #502. Click on the links above to read the articles by our great boomer bloggers. And, be sure to enter into the conversations. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.

Copyright 2017, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Leggett & Platt recalls office chairs due to fall hazard

Leggett & Platt Office Components is recalling about 47,900 office chairs in the United Stated and about 1,000 in Canada.

The seat slider bolts and push nuts can disconnect and fall out, which could cause the seat to detach from the chair, posing a fall hazard to consumers.

No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves office chairs with a Leggett & Platt Office Components LP01 synchro slider mechanism. The slider mechanism allows the user to adjust the seat depth. The sliders were sold on five brands of office chairs: Hon, Hugg, JSI, Sitmatic, and Via Seating.

Education Department delays rules designed to protect students from predatory for-profit colleges

The U.S. Department of Education is delaying new rules that would have protected student loan borrowers from predatory and deceptive practices by higher education institutions.

The decision is deeply troubling, said Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson.

“As Washington’s chief law enforcement officer, I have worked tirelessly to protect student loan borrowers, and I strongly support the revised rules that were set to take effect on July 1,” Ferguson said Wednesday.

Happy Father’s Day

As you experience this special day to recognize fathers, I hope that you are receiving much joy and happiness.

Father’s Day gives us the opportunity to make memories or share memories with those we love.

Father’s are very important figures in our lives, as I said in my post about my Father.

My Father passed away in 1990. I miss him very much. I thinking about him on Father’s Day and the contributions he made to my life.

I hope you’re having a wonderful Father’s Day. It’s important to take the time to celebrate the significant work fathers do in contributing to families, which are the backbone of our communities.

Copyright 2017, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Facts and figures for Father’s Day 2017

Father’s Day is a day to recognize the contribution American fathers make to their families and communities.

Spending

Americans are expected to spend a record amount on gifts for Father’s Day this year with the biggest share going to special outings such as a ballgame, concert, or dinner, according to a survey conducted for the National Retail Federation.

Father’s Day shoppers are expected to spend an average $135 for the holiday, up from last year’s $126. With 77 percent of consumers surveyed celebrating, total spending is expected to reach $15.5 billion. That’s the highest number in the survey’s 15-year history, topping last year’s previous record of $14.3 billion.

Best wishes on Flag Day

Today is Flag Day, which commemorates the adoption of the American flag.

As a person who loves red, white, and blue and stars and stripes, I’ve been known to have Flag Day parties.

I wish that on Flag Day the country could focus on democracy, liberty, and freedom. We have a nation that is often great, but more and more American consumers are feeling its shortcomings, as corporate power is getting stronger and richer.

What happens to lost garden tools?

Three or more years ago, I lost a hand pruner. I hoped for a long time that it would turn up. It’s a useful tool, especially in my yard where I have 40 rhododendrons and about a dozen azaleas to prune every year. I never found it.

So this spring, I bought another one at the Co-op. I choose the one for about $20, not the $75 one that the sales associate said you could repair. I thought, if I lose it, I wouldn’t be out as much money.

Then, darn. The pruning sheers disappeared. All I have left is the empty package.