I can't believe how long its been since a new post has been done here, it seems like only yesterday that this last post was done. As you can imagine there is not a lot to say about final expense insurance, and having been out of the mainstream for a little while I am looking for new content to submit. I found this article informative: Funeral Insurance – The Pre-Need Funeral Plan BY MELANIE WALTERS If you have been considering funeral insurance, you may be confused about which type of policy or plan is best for you. There are policies and plans which can cover everything from total final expenses to just the cost of the funeral, and wading through the mass of information, prices, and suppliers is no easy feat, especially with such a sensitive subject. We’ve designed this article to simplify the process, showing you the differences between and the benefits of both Pre-Need and Final Expense Funeral Insurance. Pre-need funeral insurance plans were developed to assist families in funding funerals before the actual need arises. Pre-need funeral insurance allows people to select services and merchandise they might require in the future at today’s prices, while eliminating some of the burden that surviving family members may be placed under. No one enjoys considering the type of coffin they’ll be buried in, or other details of their impending funeral, but forethought and planning ahead for these realities can save money and alleviate the load of our loved ones when we pass. Funeral costs are constantly on the rise, and pre-need funeral insurance can somewhat freeze the effect of inflation by providing us with a guaranteed price for the major services that will be provided at the time. Usually the only exclusions of the guarantee are for minor items such as flowers and selected graveside services. Considering that the average funeral today costs between $6,000 and $10,000, freezing that cost via a pre-need funeral insurance plan is a worthwhile consideration. Another benefit of pre- need funeral insurance is that you can plan every detail of your funeral to ensure the arrangements meet your own personal requirements. This is of immense help to surviving family members as well, as they would normally need to start planning the funeral themselves within twenty four hours of your passing, an emotionally exhausting task at such a sensitive time. Basically, pre-need insurance is a form of life insurance in which the Funeral Home is the beneficiary of the policy, and premiums are paid as with other insurance policies. It can be purchased from funeral directors who are licensed to sell funeral insurance, and though they receive commissions, they deal with the claim themselves, thus further lightening the load of the surviving family members. Final Expense Funeral Insurance commonly known simply as funeral insurance, a final expense plan is similarly a type of life insurance, but rather than being purchased from a funeral home, it is bought from an insurance company. The advantage of final expense funeral insurance is that it can be taken out for any amount that the insured can afford (though the monies must be used for funeral expenses only), and they can name a beneficiary of their own choosing. The two major types of final expense policies are permanent life (provides lifetime coverage) and term life insurance, which covers only a selected period of time. There is a further division within both types of these funeral insurance polices; "simplified issue" types and "guaranteed issue" types. The difference in the two is that; although a medical examination is required for neither, a simplified issue policy will require the applicant to answer particular health related questions. If a person is found to have serious health issues, their funeral insurance policy may contain a "graded death benefit", simply meaning that the premiums of said funeral insurance will increase over time, and the full value of the policy matures only after a designated period of time has passed. The pre-planning and funding of your funeral expenses through funeral insurance can lighten both the financial and emotional burden your loved ones may otherwise bear at your time of death. Assess which type of funeral insurance may best suit your needs by discussing the various option with an insurance company or a reputable funeral director who is licensed to sell funeral insurance.

Pre-Planning Your Funeral

I was going through some brochures recently and found one from Healing Help that really has some excellent points, it was presented by Kelly Baltzell M.A. & Karin Baltzell, Ph.D. Here are some excerpts from this wonderful brochure. These authors are associated with www.beyondindigo.com should you want additional information.
Death is not a concept embraced warmly in our culture. In fact, if at all possible, most of us try not to think about our death. Pre-Planning your funeral can be an act of caring for your friends and family members. They will know exactly what you want for your final ceremony and will not have to make decisions when they are grieving. Pre-Planning, most especially, gives you peace of mind and a sense of control. Pre-Planning does not have to be overwhelming or scary. Here are some things to keep in mind.
1. Speak Up: It is your funeral. Make sure you write down and talk to friends and family about what you wish for your funeral including cremation or burial, type if casket, memorial stones, or urn you wish to use.
2. Write Down Your Thoughts: A new concept for letting family and friends know your thought is called an Ethical Will. An Ethical Will gives your thoughts for people you have cared about during your life.
3. Make Decisions: Make decisions on who receives your assets before you are gone. These decisions create a precious way to pass on memories and stories to your family before you die.
After you have planned your final ceremony and you have decided you want to set aside funds to cover the costs, make sure you understand your options for Pre-Paying as well as the terminology used. Here are some things to know:
1. Direct Pay: You can pay the funeral home directly, it then places the money in a "funeral trust" at the bank. The trust builds interest in hopes that it will keep pace with inflation between the time the money is deposited and the time it is needed.
2. Time Payments: Some funeral homes make arrangements for you to pay them over time, (very few are doing this today) most would prefer you take out an insurance policy.
3. Know the Insurance Company: Many companies offer preneed insurance, like many companies offer car insurance, be sure you understand the difference offered by each like price, and type of coverage. Also, be sure you know the growth rate in combination with the death benefit will it be enough to satisfy the funeral cost at time of need.
4. Understand the Payment Plans: Pre-need insurance usually is offered with different plan options. One payment plan may fit your financial needs more than other plans.
5. Find The Right Plan: Talk to your Funeral Director or Prearrangement Consultant about your funeral plan. Make sure he or she knows whether you might move away from where the funeral home is located, have special burial plans in a cemetery out of town, or future financial concerns.

Pre-planning your funeral might seem overwhelming. However if you think of it as a way to pass on cherished memories and wishes, planning could become a rewarding experience that can offer great peace of mind.

Tips for Buying Preneed and Final Expense Insurance

As you can probably tell from my previous posts I am a firm believer of preplanning, whether it is your or a loved ones funeral. Planning for the future is just another way to have a little hedge on inflation and it makes good sense financial and otherwise.
I suppose my reasoning comes from being in and around funeral business for so many years and have seen what a funeral and its expense, at a very vulnerable time, can do to a family, sometimes things are purchased that are really not needed only done to make the arranger feel they have done the right thing.
I am a big supporter of the preplan process. You don't have to prepay, altho' it makes good sense, but let your wishes be known. Don't leave the decisions to a son or daughter that is in enough pain having to deal with a death, but knowing what you would have wanted takes some of the stress away and allows the family to handle the other processes with a little more dignity, not having to ask another family member for help.

Some tips for those considering preneed insurance.

Find out your state laws on preneed insurance.
Before buying a funeral policy, discuss your options with your family and lawyer to make sure it's consistent with your will and estate plan.
Verify the insurance license of the funeral director or preplanner.
Take advantage of any "free look" laws your state might have to review your policy before you are locked in.
The FTC's "Funeral Rule" requires funeral homes to give you a written price list of available goods and services.
Find out if your funeral director provides price guarantees. If not, the money you pay today may not cover the cost of your future funeral.
Do not accept any documents that have not been completely filled in and signed in your presence.
Make sure the funeral arrangements can be moved to any funeral home at any time. This is important, especially if you move after buying the "preneed" plan.
Check all of the arrangements, services and products sold as part of the "preneed" plan, and make sure those details are spelled out in writing.
Make sure you receive at least one statement each year detailing the status of your account.
Know what happens if you stop paying premiums on your preneed insurance policy.
Find out if you can cancel your preneed insurance policy.

A traditional funeral including a casket and vault, costs about $6000, according to the FTC and additions such as obituary notices, flowers and limousines easily run up to total over $10,000.

There are plenty of reasons to preplan and prepay your final arrangements long before the need arises.

One being inflation,another letting your wishes be known, and a third peace of mind. However, be sure you do your homework and follow the tips above and work with a reputable and "family owned" funeral home. I suggest family owned as they usually have your best interest as heart. They are not usually only interested in the bottom line and they have a reputation to uphold.

Be prepared, your loved ones will thank you for it.

Consumer Tips for Preneed Arrangmements

Here are some consumer tips for making preneed plans for your or your loved ones funeral.
•Be certain the funeral home, mortuary, cemetery, or licensed insurance producer is licensed with state as a preneed contract seller.
•Ask a family member to accompany you while making the preneed funeral arrangements.
•Ask the preneed seller for a detailed price list of services and merchandise before you select anything.
•Before signing a preneed contract, read it carefully and understand all the provisions. Ask questions.
•If you purchase a preneed funeral arrangement, you should receive a copy of the contact that explains your rights and obligations, along with a written statement of all service and merchandise that you have purchased and the price.
•The contact must clearly state how it is funded (life insurance or trust-funded) and the perms of payment.
•If you are purchasing a trust-funded product, ask how your funds are secured.
•The written contact must state under what terms you may cancel your preneed contract ad how much you will be refunded.
•The written contract is required to include to what extent the preneed seller or general provider is guaranteeing the prices of the merchandise and services you select. If the prices are not guaranteed, the preneed seller should explain who is responsible for paying additional monies that may be due at the time of the funeral.
•Thoroughly consider before accepting an irrevocable agreement (a contract that cannot be canceled). Irrevocable agreements may limit your flexibility.
•Keep a copy of your plan in a safe place. Tell a close family member or a friend that you made arrangements and where the documents are kept.

These are some ideas you should be aware of when purchasing or researching preneed arrangments for yourself or a loved one.

What to know about financing funerals....

Here is the final part of our discussion on Pre-Arranging your or your loved ones death.

Financing Funerals

There are a number of options for financing funerals, and when you pre-plan your funeral, you can take advantage of the best program for you. Options include preneed insurance policies, bank or funeral trusts, life insurance, and annuities. But which one's right for you?

How to Pay for a Funeral
Today, the cost of dying is at an all-time high. Average cost of a funeral is approximately $6,000. But there are ways to beat the high costs. How to Pay for a Funeral

I'm not afraid of death. I just don't want to be there when it happens-Woody Allen

Like it or not, death will visit even those who don't want to be there when it happens. And like it or not, death is a costly affair. To beat the high cost of dying, more people are starting to consider preplanning and prepaying.
It is estimated that more than a million people will consider making prearrangements. It takes away the guesswork.
When you prearrange, you have control of the decisions relating to your death--the disposition of your body, the funeral or memorial services, what you want your obituary to say about your life, and a reasonable budget which will ease the financial burden for your surviving members.
If you wait until the last minute, it's too stressful, for you're at the worst day of your life to make decisions. But preplanning is simply making arrangements ahead of time. Preneed means prepaying, and preneed programs are actively sold by mail, by telephone and in homes.
In fact, billions are invested in all kinds of prearrangement contracts.

Funerals as a Consumer Product
Funerals rank among the most expensive purchases many consumers will ever make. Here are some things to think about. Funerals rank among the most expensive purchases many consumers will ever make. A traditional funeral, including a casket and vault, costs about $6,000, although extras like flowers, obituary notices, acknowledgment cards, or limousines can add thousands of dollars to the bottom line.
Many funerals run well over $10,000.
Yet even if you're the kind of person who might haggle with a dozen dealers to get the best price on a new car, you're likely to feel uncomfortable comparing prices or negotiating over the details and cost of a funeral, preneed or at need.
Compounding this discomfort is the fact that some people "overspend" on a funeral or burial because they think of it as a reflection of their feelings for the deceased.

Funeral Costs
Funeral costs include a basic services fee for the funeral director and staff, charges for other services and merchandise, and cash advances. Funeral costs include:
1. Basic services fee for the funeral director and staff
The Funeral Rule allows funeral providers to charge a basic services fee that customers cannot decline to pay. The basic services fee includes services that are common to all funerals, regardless of the specific arrangement. These include funeral planning, securing the necessary permits and copies of death certificates, preparing the notices, sheltering the remains, and coordinating the arrangements with the cemetery, crematory or other third parties. The fee does not include charges for optional services or merchandise.
2. Charges for other services and merchandise
These are costs for optional goods and services such as transporting the remains; embalming and other preparation; use of the funeral home for the viewing, ceremony or memorial service; use of equipment and staff for a graveside service; use of a hearse or limousine; a casket, outer burial container or alternate container; and cremation or interment.
3. Cash advances
These are fees charged by the funeral home for goods and services it buys from outside vendors on your behalf, including flowers, obituary notices, pallbearers, officiating clergy, and organists and soloists. Some funeral providers charge you their cost for the items they buy on your behalf. Others add a service fee to their cost. The Funeral Rule requires those who charge an extra fee to disclose that fact in writing, although it doesn't require them to specify the amount of their markup. The Rule also requires funeral providers to tell you if there are refunds, discounts, or rebates from the supplier on any cash advance item.

Calculating Funeral Costs
The funeral provider must give you an itemized statement of the total cost of the funeral goods and services you have selected when you are making the arrangements. The funeral provider must give you an itemized statement of the total cost of the funeral goods and services you have selected when you are making the arrangements. If the funeral provider doesn't know the cost of the cash advance items at the time, he or she is required to give you a written "good faith estimate."
This statement also must disclose any legal, cemetery, or crematory requirements regarding specific funeral goods or services.
The Funeral Rule does not require any specific format for this information. Funeral providers may include it in any document they give you at the end of your discussion about funeral arrangements.

The Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule and You

from the Federal Trade Commission
Most funeral providers are professionals who strive to serve their clients' needs and best interests. But some aren't. They may take advantage of their clients through inflated prices, overcharges, double charges, or unnecessary services. Fortunately, there's a federal law that makes it easier for you to choose only those goods and services you want or need and to pay only for those you select, whether you are making arrangements preneed or at need.
The Funeral Rule, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, requires funeral directors to give you itemized prices in person and, if you ask, over the phone. The Rule also requires funeral directors to give you other information about their goods and services.
For example, if you ask about funeral arrangements in person, the funeral home must give you a written price list to keep that shows the goods and services the home offers. If you want to buy a casket or outer burial container, the funeral provider must show you descriptions of the available selections and the prices before actually showing you the caskets.
Many funeral providers offer various "packages" of commonly selected goods and services that make up a funeral. But when you arrange for a funeral, you have the right to buy individual goods and services. That is, you do not have to accept a package that may include items you do not want.
According to the Funeral Rule:
• you have the right to choose the funeral goods and services you want (with some exceptions).
• the funeral provider must state this right in writing on the general price list.
• if state or local law requires you to buy any particular item, the funeral provider must disclose it on the price list, with a reference to the specific law.
• the funeral provider may not refuse, or charge a fee, to handle a casket you bought elsewhere.
• a funeral provider that offers cremations must make alternative containers available.



Preneed Funeral Planning
No one likes to think about death, let alone plan for it. But, to help relieve their families of some of these decisions, an increasing number of people are planning their own funerals.

Financing a Funeral or Memorial Service
Inflation will increase these costs over time; in fact, average funeral prices have tripled in the last 15 years. Find out how to protect your investment.

Why Pre-Fund a Funeral?
"Cost of living increases--my income can't keep up; now my funeral cost will remain the same."

Financing a Funeral or Memorial Service

Cemetery charges and the cost of a monument or marker are extra charges, over and above the cost of the funeral. Inflation will increase these costs over time; in fact, average funeral prices have tripled in the last 15 years.

A funeral is an essential expenditure, and a little planning will eliminate the uncertainty of costs and payment. If you don't plan for funeral expenses, you run the risk of your family having to ask friends and relatives to share an unexpected financial burden, which can put everyone in an embarrassing and uncomfortable position. And if you borrow money, it has to be repaid.

Why Should I Pre-Plan? Part 3

Funeral Planning Step by Step

"To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die."--Ecclesiastes 3:1-2.
No one wants to talk about death and funerals. Too depressing. Too macabre. Better to gather friends and talk about fun things, like popular TV shows, the latest items I the news or even the gossipy stuff. Unfortunately, death is a fact of life and there simply is no way to avoid it. For indeed there is a "time to be born and a time to die." When someone dies, we hold a funeral, a word related to a Sanskrit term meaning smoke, which refers to an ancient custom of cremating the dead.
Today we also cremate our dead, but the most common disposition is to hold a funeral or ceremony and bury our dead under or above ground. Through a funeral, we pay our last respects and celebrate the life of a departed loved one.
But the cost and the details involved in a funeral can be overwhelming. So planning ahead gives one peace of mind and eases the emotional and financial strain of those left behind. What to do?
How to Choose a Funeral Service Provider

Many people don't realize that they are not legally required to use a funeral home to plan and conduct a funeral. However, because they have little experience with the many details and legal requirements involved and may be emotionally distraught when it's time to make the plans, many people find the services of a professional funeral home to be a comfort.
Consumers often select a funeral home or cemetery because it's close to home, has served the family in the past, or has been recommended by someone they trust. But people who limit their search to just one funeral home may risk paying more than necessary for the funeral or narrowing their choice of goods and services.
Comparison shopping need not be difficult, especially if it's done before the need for a funeral arises. If you visit a funeral home in person, the funeral provider is required by law to give you a general price list itemizing the cost of the products and services the home offers. If the general price list does not include specific prices of caskets or outer burial containers, the law requires the funeral director to show you the price lists for those items before showing you the items.
Sometimes it's more convenient and less stressful to "price shop" funeral homes by telephone. The Funeral Rule requires funeral directors to provide price information over the phone to any caller who asks for it. In addition, many funeral homes are happy to mail you their price lists, although that is not required by law.
When comparing prices, be sure to consider the total cost of all the items together, in addition to the cost of individual items. Every funeral home should have price lists that include all the items essential for the different types of arrangements it offers. Many funeral homes offer package funerals that may cost less than purchasing individual items or services. Offering package funerals is permitted by law, as long as an itemized price list is also provided. But only by using the price lists can you accurately compare total costs.
Preneed Funeral Planning Checklist

Our preneed checklist shows you how many decisions must be made by a family member at the time of your death. This does not include choosing a casket or urn and outer burial container, notifying relatives, preparing a family history for the obituary, arranging for floral displays, etc.
By taking time now to consider the items below, you can make your wishes known to your family. You might even consider formalizing your preneed arrangements with a funeral director, which would allow you to complete all of your arrangements now.
• Name of church (if service to be held)
• Clergy to preside over service (name)
• Music? Vocal? Instrumental?
• Special musical selections?
• Would you like to have a visitation?
• Open casket? Closed casket?
• Funeral home preference?
• Obituary?
• Names of pallbearers
• Memorial contributions
• If veteran, flag on casket? Folded?
• Clothing
• Glasses
• Jewelry
• Location of cemetery property and deed
• Type of property: burial space/lawn crypt/mausoleum/niche
• Other instructions

Life Insurance versus Pre-Arrangement Insurance

Life insurance -Way of providing a legacy – a plan under which regular payments are made to a company during somebody’s lifetime, and in return the company pays a specific sum to the person’s beneficiaries after the person’s death. Encarta Dictionary
Pre-Arrangement Insurance - Way of providing your loved ones with a plan for the disposition of your body upon death. In this case as in the life insurance plan you are providing a legacy, but one that is specific in its use, it is to be used for funeral expenses and final disposition of remains. Set-up with a local funeral home or cemetery with them as the assignee of the policy upon the death of the insured.
A life insurance policy and a prearrangement policy are very similar in nature as they are paid for in payments (premiums) or at once, depending on the affluence of the owner of the policy, but most policies are paid for at regular intervals, being monthly, annually or at some other pre-determined rate. However, a life insurance is for the beneficiary to use to continue with life and the prearrangement policy is used for the final expenses of the insured.
Pre-planning is a very sound and thoughtful decision to make for your loved ones. It not only makes your wishes known, but it also prepares you for the inevitable and relieves the burden from other members of your family at a time when they are most vulnerable and stressed.

PreArrangments - Are They for Me?

Now we continue our journey into prearranged funeral planning...here is part two of our discussion. Family Owned Funeral Homes.

Why Work with a Family-Owned Funeral Home?

What's in a name? In the funeral industry, name recognition means a lot. People tend to trust names they recognize and that are well regarded in the community. When conglomerates acquire some of these small, family-owned funeral homes, they keep the original name because it's a selling point. It's the ticket, if you will. People do choose funeral homes that they're familiar with and are likely to return to one that has provided them with good service in the past.Your first call, when death occurs in the family, is to your neighborhood funeral home. It's natural for people to call on familiar names. Angela Patterson of Anderson-Patterson Cremation & Funeral Services, Fort Myers and Lehigh Acres, FL., says "doing business with a family owned and operated funeral home is essential in this current time, it gives the family the confidence and sense of ease that is needed in these very difficult situations. We do our best to make each and every family feel at home in our funeral homes as well as try to provide a homey setting so they can feel at ease and at home." Mr. Anderson, also with Anderson-Patterson has been in the funeral business for nearly 40 years and also feels that neighborhood and family are very important when dealing with the death of a loved one. It seems that the small family-owned funeral homes will continue to do well and are here for the long haul. Acquisition groups, which are buying cemeteries and funeral homes, have not obliterated them. Their commitment to the family and to personalized service will keep them in the game-even if the big guys can continue charging less by buying caskets and other funeral products at volume discount. Not a worry for Daryn Patterson "It's not like going to Wal-mart to buy a dress," he offers. "But we do give affordable, personal service and provide a funeral experience for the living."

Family-Owned Funeral Homes--What's So Special about Them? Why choose a family-owned funeral home? Family-owned funeral homes are locally owned and operated, independent funeral homes. Many families have been in funeral service for generations. They have a personal relationship with the community and are actively involved in the communities they serve. With family-owned funeral homes, everything they do reflects their on-going commitment to provide affordable, quality services to the community. Customer trust is built slowly over time. Family-owned funeral homes are usually staffed by family members, members of the community, and graduates from local colleges. Conglomerates (corporations) buy funeral homes from all over the country. When purchased by a conglomerate, some families continue to run and maintain the funeral home. From outward appearances, you cannot tell whether a funeral home is family or corporate owned. To find a family-owned funeral home in your area, take the time to make some phone calls or talk to others in your community or even your church, most pastors know who is family owned and who is corporate owned.

Why Should I Know About Pre-Arranging My Funeral?

Why should I pre-plan my funeral? What if I should get struck down by an act of God or Mother Nature, would my family know what my wishes are? Would they be able to fund a funeral for me or even a basic disposition without putting themselves in a financial bind? Do you have the answers to these basic quesitons? I will try to explain these things here for you and show you how important it is to pre-plan for the inevitable.


Pre-Planning a Funeral or Memorial Service--Preneed Funeral Planning or Pre-arrangement Funeral Planning

No one likes to think about death, let alone plan for it. In many families, discussing one's mortality is an extremely uncomfortable topic.
By pre-planning your funeral, you relieve your family of having to make important financial decisions during a period of great stress and grief.
This section contains everything you need to know about pre-planning a funeral; your local family-owned funeral director can help you make the actual arrangements.


Pre Need--The Basics of Pre-Planning Funerals

Pre-planning a funeral is also known as "preneed" planning. Preneed refers to prearranging and pre-funding your own funeral. A preneed insurance policy covers the cost of the funeral at the time of death.Every year, millions of North Americans arrange their funerals in advance. They explore their options for a ceremony, they discuss costs, and they set up a plan with the professionals in their community to ensure they'll have the funeral they choose.

Why is Preneed Funeral Planning Important?

No one likes to think about death, let alone plan for it. In many families, discussing one's mortality is an extremely uncomfortable topic. But it is a topic that should be discussed and planned for well in advance of your death.
By pre-planning your funeral, you relieve your family of having to make important financial decisions during a period of great stress and grief-a time when people aren't thinking very clearly and may not know what to do because you never made your wishes known.
It's easy to say, "Don't make a fuss. I don't want a ceremony. Just bury me and be done with it." But it is important to realize that the ritual of a funeral and/or memorial service isn't for the deceased but for the living. It is a time when friends and family can gather together to grieve openly and to provide support for one another.

Pre-planning your funeral can be very informal, and as simple as following our pre-planning checklist and sharing your wishes with a family member. More formal arrangements in the form of a preneed contract can be set up with a funeral director or pre-arranger and pre-funded through life insurance, bank trust agreement, or another method.
Pre-planning, when done properly, can give you peace of mind because you know that your arrangements are ready and pre-funded. Meet with your funeral director or pre-arranger to discuss pre-planning.
By pre-planning your funeral, you can:
• make all the arrangements during a time of peace and not leave them to your family during their time of grief;
• make your wishes known;
• control the cost of your funeral and protect from inflation;
• ensure that personal records are organized and easy for your survivors to locate;
• protect your insurance so that it provides for your survivors and not for funeral expenses; and
• provide protection in case the need arises before it is expected;

excerpts from Funeral Plan.com

Thursday is a good day...

Thursday is always a good day in the life of me...I get to hang out at home and work on blogger, do some housework, yuk...and get some needed computer work done.

Do You Communicate With Aging Parents?

.........as a baby boomer, between 46 and 64, you are part of 78.2 million that have considerable power in determining the fabric of American culture. Our parents, born between 1901 and 1945, who are members of the GI Generation or the Silent Generation are looking to us for their quality of life. Almost 30% of all baby boomers are currently helping their aging parents manage their lives in some way.

Sometimes the relative success adult children have with helping their aging parents is explained in different values, personal qualities, and behaviors that each generation demonstrates. There certainly can be a "generation gap" in communication between the parent and the adult child, mainly due to the fact that they act and think in quite a different way. To create a rapport and help parents as they age, it would help boomers to understand the differences between the generations. One way is to start a dialog with parents about important issues before an event or crisis creating the boomer's involvement.

First, the members of the GI Generation who were born in 1901-1924 are the oldest of the matures in our population and they total about 2.5 million. They are civic-minded and laid the foundation of 20th century America with sheer guts, determination and native intellignce. They are loyal, hard-working, duty-oriented people who preferred to conform to the norm. They have great faith in the institutions of government and conservative values about money.

The youngest members of this generation are in their early 80's, and the oldest are becoming our centenarians. Their adult children may be turning 60 or already facing 70's-80's. Boomers trying to relate to this geriatric population should expect some resistance to help or about institutional care, because their desire is to be self reliant. If they have fincancial means they may be more receptive to help in any form, as long as they can pay their own way.

The Silent Generation shares similar characteristics, born in the 1925-1945 era, they total about 35 million today, and conformed to the values of their parents. The oldest entered the workforce after WWII and became the establishment. The youngest are approaching retirement age and this generation is traditioal, disciplined, self-reliant, experienced, respectful of authority and willing to sacrifice.

The Silent Generation would rather have quality over efficiency. The most wealthy generation, they are also generous by nature, and have spent considerable income to provide the best for their boomer babies. Oldest members of this genertion tend to keep their personal affairs to themselves and may not be very receptive to family discussions about aging topics. They are, however, adaptive and will compromise when necessary.

In come the boomers, they love self-expression! Boomer's desire to communicate with aging parents about aging issues and older life issues are bound to be met with some degree of resistance. These aging parents thrived on taking responsibility for themselves and others. Many will receive the boomer's interest as intrusion, unless the subject is approached with true respect and concern.

Educated and savvy consumer boomers may want to take control of a parents' decision making, leading to a non-working situation with mature generations. Boomers and aging parents having a close relationship will have an easier time with these conversations and it will be easier to address the concerns about aging. Some families rely on one sibling to talk to the parents because of a special relationship they have with one another.

Boomers and their parents need to be ready for the unexpected, when boomers need to step-in and help manage affairs on a temporary or permanent basis.

Some ideas for starting these conversations are to mention a friend or family who may have a medical or financial problem right now they are dealing with. Discuss a situation in an article or TV show where these issues are being addressed at this time. Provide parents with a list of questions to be discussed at a later date. The best time to have these discussions is when the parent is well and rested. Concerns should be expressed in the form of questions, to learn what parents think about the situation. If they are not ready to talk, leave the subject alone for another time. This is an on-going process.

Hopefully, this will help, some of the topics that need to be addressed general needs, wishes and fears of parents. Eldercare preferences, medical status, legal documents and funeral and burial arrangements.

I hope this has answered some questions about communicating with aging parents, it can be difficult but we are educated and savvy and can handle these trying times with our parents with a cool head and a warm heart.

Are You a Boomer?

Are you a baby boomer? Most of my friends are and if you are, your friends probably are too. Do you have parents or grandparents that you are responsible for? Do you know where to look for the right person to sit with them or the right place for them to get the medication they so desperately need? Well, I have some answers to those questions. First of all "breath". This is going to be a bumpy ride, but you are the one who can do it, you've taken the first step, 'cause you have stepped up to the plate and are the caregiver or the inspiration behind it all. You are going to be fine and you are going to do a GREAT job.

One place to look for someone to sit with an aged parent or grandparent is your church, the senior center where you live or more importantly where they live, some churches offer senior daycare, these can be good places for seniors to go, there is interaction with others of their own age and also someone to look after them while you are at work or even while you are running your errands. Another place, look at the grocery store, this may sound funny, but most stores have bulletin boards with all kinds of info for sitters, etc. The medication part is a little more complicated, but check with the church, they may offer a program for seniors, check with the drug company that makes the meds, sometimes they offer plans for seniors, also the senior center is a good avenue for information. It may take some leg-work, but it will be worth it.

One of the places you may want to look for answers to other questions you may have is @boomerauthority, ask your questions from Twitter and get answers. The other one is BabyBoomerKnowledgeCenter.com, search on something and get a list of links and places to go to get answers. These are some great resources for Boomers to get information or just get knowledge....that is important in our lives today as well.

Boomers are one of the largest age groups today, keep up with all of it, check out all your resources and don't get left behind. WikipediA describes the baby-boomers as the post World War II baby boom. We are the Beatlemania, anti-VietNam war movement, Howdy-Doody, StarTrek, and Mission Impossible TV shows, and then there's Woodstock. One of the unique features of Boomers is that they tend to think of themselves as a special generation, very different from those that had come before. In the 1960s, as the relatively large numbers of young people became teenagers and young adults, they, and those around them, created a very specific rhetoric around their cohort, and the change they were bringing about. So if you are in this group you are a Boomer...Enjoy IT...

Pink Satin....

I was looking for articles on the internet recently and found this little item...

In an article by Insure.com on MSN Money recently…..

Don’t want to go to your grave in pink satin? Then consider buying a burial policy that allows you to choose and pay for everything ahead from the casket or urn to the flowers at the service.

Have you ever imagined what your funeral would be like? What kind of service there would be? Or even what kind of coffin you would prefer?

Morbid? Perhaps. Unreasonable, Not at all. There are plenty of reasons to pre-plan and, if possible, prepay your final arrangements long before the need arises. In fact, a product called “preneed” insurance, also known as burial or funeral insurance, is intended for just that purpose.

If you would like any additional information contact me at: kathi.oshaughnessy@gmail.com. I would like to answer any questions you have.

Can I Help?

I am a baby boomer and many of my friends are as well. In groups so many times our conversations turn to the friend that isn't there because they are having a hard time right now.....their parent has recently been diagnosed with ---(it can be anything that would make it difficult to function and have a normal life) and he/she is going to have to step up and help out. What would you do if that conversation were in your circle of friends?
I have a few suggestions...
1. Offer moral support.
2. Call and see what you can do to help.
3. Pick up things at the store, walk the dog, anything that would help out....
4. Watch children.
These are just a few suggestions, I am sure you can come up with so many more.
Your friend needs all the help and support at this very difficult time....step up, you can do it and it will make you feel so good....

Diets really don't work!!!

Diets really don't work.....

Diets Don't Work...

I have learned over the years that diets DO NOT work...and now I have found someone else who will agree with me.....they don't work. The best and healthiest way to loose weight is eat proper portions, stay away from sugary sodas and soft drinks, go easy on the alcohol, get some exercise and drink water...here is an article by Mark Idzik that makes my point exactly....

Diets Don't Work

Any doctor worth their salt will tell you diets don't work. Plain and simple. Surprised?

Well you might be. You can't get away from all the talk about South Beach, Atkins, Low Carb, Zone ... you name it, they're talking about it. It's on TV, in magazines... everywhere you look.

And of course there are the pills, drugs and other expensive methods to lose weight. While they may be appropriate in certain cases, by and large they aren't necessary. Some can actually be dangerous to your health.

What does work, what's been proven to work time and time again is something very simple... a lifestyle change. You may not want to hear it, but it's true.

You can't eat thousands of calories, rich desserts, sugary snacks, excess fat and tons of carbs, get little or no activity and expect to lose weight with a pill!

You'll be surprised to know that you don't need to stop eating or have to exercise for hours every day to lose weight. Just a few simple lifestyle changes added daily can turn your life around quickly. You will start to lose weight within days and feel better as well.

Here are 4 tips you can use to get started today:

- Drink water.

Drinking lots of water is probably the single most important thing you can do for your health. Water delivers nutrients throughout your body, flushes toxins out of your system and aids in digestion. When you get up in the morning, start with a full glass of water before you start your day (add a little lemon if you like). Then get at least 10-12 additional glasses of water in throughout the day.

- Eat slowly.

Chew your food 10-12 times before swallowing. Your saliva starts the digestion process, and if you don't chew enough, your stomach has to work twice as hard and many times you don't get much out of the foods you eat -- except maybe some indigestion :).

- Split your entree.

When eating out, split your entree with your dining companion. Most restaurants now serve portions that are up to 8 times the recommended serving size. Supplement with a salad, soup or vegetable to complete your meal.

- Avoid sodas.

Did you know that an average soda has 14 teaspoons of sugar? Not only are these empty calories and carbs that take you on a blood sugar roller coaster and adds pounds, the sugar also can also cripple your immune system for up to 5 hours leaving your body working overtime and open to infections, viruses and the effects of stress.

Drinking one soda a day alone can pack on 16 lbs of unwanted weight! Skip that soda and watch the weight go away.

Additionally, recent studies have linked increased soda consumption with certain cancers and a loss of essential minerals from our bodies.

Mark Idzik is a health coach with a national clientele who helps his clients lose weight and make better health choices. His new report, Permanent Weight Loss Now, offers a proven way to lose weight naturally, safely and effectively. You can get more information at: http://www.Everyday-Weight-Loss.com Receive 37 Free Weight Loss Tips by sending email to: 37tips@everyday-weight-loss.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Idzik

Six Weight Loss Mistakes

Six Weight Loss Mistakes
By Kate MacKinnon

Six Weight Loss Mistakes to Avoid Many dieters make mistakes when attempting to lose weight. But being aware of these mistakes - and making small physical and mental changes - will help you lose the weight and keep it off for good.

Slow is Better
The first mistake dieters make is having unrealistic goals. It has been shown that individuals who rapidly lose weight often times are more likely to gain it back. So if you’ve lost a few pounds this month, that GREAT!!! Don’t be discouraged because you see someone on T.V. losing 15 pounds in two weeks.

Everyone is Different
Some people lose a lot of weight in the first few weeks, others may not, you may not lose for a few weeks. This can be frustrating when you’re doing everything right, it’s not a reason to give up. Some folks it may take a little while longer to see the results on your scale. Eating right and exercising regularly have positive impacts on your health, many of more energy, less stress, better sleep, and reduced risk of many diseases. You’ll receive those benefits—despite the number on the scale.

Weight Loss is Rarely Constant Week to Week
A lot of people lose in the first few weeks, and then the weight loss slows down considerably. It’s completely normal to have weeks when you lose more and weeks when your weight remains the same regardless of your efforts. Our bodies don’t always know the estimates as to how much we should expect to be loosing. People rarely lose a consistent number of pounds each week. Measuring weight loss on a monthly basis can be a more accurate gauge of how well you are doing.

Weight Loss is Not Immediate
Cutting calories today (with diet and exercise) will probably not show up on your scale at the end of the day or even by tomorrow. Most people’s weight will fluctuate from day-to-day for reasons that have nothing to do with diet and exercise. Much of this fluctuation is due to water and food intake. While your scale may show changes throughout the day, fluctuations that could be due to food & water alone are not permanent weight losses or gains. Weighing yourself after wearing a “sweat” suit, getting into a sauna, or finishing an intense workout might (or might not) show a loss on the scale. But that is temporary water loss that will come back after you rehydrate yourself. Remember—you’re trying to lose fat, not “weight” or water weight. This is a good reason to only weigh yourself no more than once a week. The Fitness Resource Center has several articles that expand on this idea, including Body Composition Measures Results and Measure Progress Without the Scale. Setbacks Are Normal You can expect to hit some bumps in the road, no matter how hard you’re working. The important thing is not to let those bumps get you totally off track, but to learn from them and move on.

Eating Less Isn’t Always Better
A lot of people assume that the less you eat, the faster you will lose. One of the biggest mistakes dieters make is not eating enough. Your calorie range is based on your current weight, goal weight, how aggressive your goal is and how much exercise you are doing. Your recommended calorie range might seem like a lot of food—especially if you are accustomed to fad, restrictive diets. But if your body is not getting enough nutrients and calories your metabolism will slow down. This is called “starvation mode” because your body thinks it is experiencing a famine, so it starts holding onto every calorie you give it, making weight loss much slower or impossible, and weight gain more likely. That’s why it’s so important to eat within your calorie range. If you aren’t, you could be doing more harm than good. Hopefully these tips will help you avoid many of the common pitfalls dieters face, and deal with the ups and downs of weight loss more easily.

Hang in there! It’s not always easy, but you can do it!

Kate MacKinnon writes articles related to Weight Loss and other health and woman issues. You can read my blog Weight Loss http://www.katesplace.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kate_MacKinnon

First Step to Weight Loss!!!

The First Step to Weight Loss
By James Penn Platinum Quality Author


Do you think you need to lose weight? If so, by mere thinking of losing weight will not help much. What you need is action. Now where to begin action is a primary question. You just cannot randomly get hold of any weight loss product or program that comes to your mind, or take some advice your friends or relatives offer on the basis of their experience, however good their intentions are or however successful their experience has been. That advice may or may not be suitable for you. It may or may not work in your case despite the successes that they or others have had.

There are numerous programs or products for weight loss. There is a huge variety of temptations to adopt a quick-fix solution to your weight problem. Occupying a very prominent place among most of these is diet. Food, as you know very well, was the culprit that increased your weight in the first place. You realize you have indulged in overeating, or in eating the wrong type of food, long enough to be loaded with excess fat in the body, resulting in being overweight. You know you have a craving for sugar-rich ice creams and other sweets, foods replete with fats and oils, fast food, processed food and such things. You also know you have the habit of munching some or the other junk food all the time. Controlling or curbing this craving, this habit of overeating or eating food that you like but is not good for your weight is difficult, of course, but not impossible, if you try hard enough.

You may have heard of several diets that help weight loss. Low-fat diets, low-calorie diets, low-carb diets, formula diets recommended by expert dieticians and doctors specializing in nutrition and weight loss, negative-calorie diets and so on have flooded the market. These are supposed to have the backing of scientific studies and successful experiences of others. Then there are herbal and chemical dietary supplements, which have appetite-suppressing qualities. When you consume them in the recommended doses, they reduce or stifle your craving for food, and as a result, you eat less than usual. Thereby you lose weight. That sounds very good in theory. However, one would wish it to be as simple as it appears.

Not that there is no truth at all in the case for the right diet. What is important is you have to find out what works for you. You have to decide perhaps to change your eating habits. You may have to eat what you need to eat for weight loss rather than eat what you want to eat because of your innate liking for certain types of food.

Although food is a very important factor in weight loss, there are other things like regular physical exercise and activity-filled life that contribute equally well to achieving your ideal weight. For this, you may have to bring about lifestyle changes and stick to them on a consistent basis.

Your very first step towards losing your weight is, therefore, to consult your health care professional about the right diet, the right exercise, the lifestyle changes you have to make and, once you get the right advice that suits you, follow it with an iron-clad determination and commitment.

Download your free report today and discover the SHOCKINGLY simple secrets that will shed pounds from your stomach & transform your flabby belly into firm & flat six pack abs. Visit http://www.firmupyourabs.com to download your free copy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Penn

Weight Loss Supplements

Weight Loss Supplements
By Jeff Toll
I am personally an overweight person, I am 205 pounds when I should be about 175 pounds. I have tried many name brand “clinically proven” diet pills and programs and have not had any good results from any of them. Most pills just cut your water weight without ever actually helping you when your main problem is – too much fat. The other products I have tried made me so sick to my stomach that I was just throwing up- so yea I guess they could work for getting you to lose weight, just not a safe way!

I’ll admit, working out is probably the best way to cut fatty weight down, but let’s face it; a lot of us just don’t have the time for it. America has the highest percentage of overweight people then any other country in the world. Why are we also so overweight? The main reason is because Americans work so hard, most people don’t get to work that nice 40 hour week and are caught up at work for 60+ hours a week. I myself am always kept late at the office and by the time I get home all I want to do is relax.

The fat pill that I have found to be most successful is Proactol. Proactol is as the other are- “clinically proven” but for the 1st time out of all of the pills I took, this one actually has started to work. I haven’t lost any significant weight yet but the results are very positive, about 5 pound within the last 2 weeks of taking proactol. Proactol is a clinically proven "fat binder". It absorbs the fat in foods and allows it to be passed directly through the body therefore avoiding the harmful build up of fatty deposits.

So for those of us who are too busy to work out every day and weight loss supplements are the best option, I would check out Proactol and see for yourself how nice the results can be.

You can read more about Proactol at a weight loss blog that I subscribed to- http://dropthefat.org/?p=4 This is where I originally found out about proactol.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Toll

Saturday, June 2, 2007 - Welcome to Hurricane Season

Today is the second day of hurricane season, for those of us who have lived in Southern Florida most of our lives it is just another day to keep track of the weather. On day 1 of hurricane season we were presented with Tropical Storm Barry, we are off to a great start. At least the recent drought may be diminished some, the fire in the middle of Lake Okeechobee will be knocked down and the smell of smoke will be lessened it will bring back to life some of the areas that are so dry and brown they look quite depressing.