January SANG meeting highlights. Karl Hoffman, Director of Driver Rehabilitation Services, presented an informational forum about issues involving seniors and driving at the first SANG meeting of 2012. Below are highlights of his talk via his PowerPoint presentation.

Great Discounts for Seniors - A List of More that 100 Places that Offer Sizable Discounts

Are you a baby boomer reaching or at retirement age? If yes, here is a list of retailers featuring new and improved discounts exclusively for the 50 and older crowd comppsed by Don Redinius, Author, The New Era of Financial Success.  The list is ordered by category and then alphabetically.  Since many senior discounts are not advertised to the public, Don's advice if you are over 55 is to ALWAYS ask a sales associate if that store provides a senior discount. That way, you can be sure to get the most bang for your buck.  

Restaurants 

Applebee’s:  15% off  with Golden Apple Card (60+)

Arby’s:  10% off (55+)

Ben & Jerry’s: 10% off (60+)

Bennigan’s:  discount varies by location

Bob’s Big Boy: discount varies by location (60+)

Boston Market: 10% off (65+)

Burger King: 10% off (60+)

Captain D’s Seafood: discount varies on location (62+)

Chick-Fil-A:  10% off or free small drink or coffee (55+)

Chili’s:  10% off (55+)

CiCi’s Pizza: 10% off (60+)

Culver’s:  10% off (60+)

Denny’s:  10% off, 20% off for AARP members (55+)

Dunkin’ Donuts: 10% off or free coffee (55+)

Einstein’s  Bagels: 10% off baker’s dozen of bagels (60+)

Fuddrucker’s:  10% off any senior platter (55+)

Gatti’s Pizza:  10% off (60+)

Golden Corral: 10% off (60+)

Hardee’s:  $0.33 beverages everyday  (65+)

IHOP:  10% off (55+)

Jack in the Box: up to 20% off (55+)

KFC:  free small drink with any meal (55+)

Krispy Kreme: 10% off (50+)

Long John Silver’s: various discounts at participating locations  (55+)

McDonald’s:  discounts on coffee everyday (55+)

Mrs. Fields: 10% off at participating locations (60+)

Shoney’s:  10% off

Sonic:  10% off or free beverage (60+)

Steak ‘n Shake: 10% off every Monday & Tuesday (50+)

Subway:  10% off (60+)

Sweet Tomatoes: 10% off (62+)

Taco Bell: 5% off; free beverages for seniors (65+)

TCBY:  10% off (55+)

Tea Room Cafe: 10% off (50+)

Village Inn: 10% off (60+)

Waffle House: 10% off every Monday (60+)

Wendy’s:  10% off (55+)

White Castle:  10% off (62+)  

Retail and Apparel

Banana  Republic: 10% off (50+)

Bealls:  20% off first Tuesday of each month (50+)

Belk’s:  15% off first Tuesday of every month (55+)

Big Lots: 10% off

Bon-Ton Department Stores: 15% off on senior discount days (55+)

C.J. Banks: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)

Clarks:  10% off (62+)

Dress Barn: 10% off (55+)

Goodwill:  10% off one day a week (date varies by location)

Hallmark:  10% off one day a week (date varies by location)

Kohl’s:  15% off  (60+)

Modell’s Sporting Goods: 10% off

Rite Aid: 10% off on Tuesdays & 10% off prescriptions

Ross Stores: 10% off every Tuesday (55+)

The Salvation Army Thrift Stores: up to 50% off (55+)

Stein Mart: 20% off red dot/clearance items first Monday of every  month (55+)

Grocery

Albertson’s:  10% off first Wednesday of each month (55+)

American Discount Stores: 10% off every Monday (50+)

Compare Foods Supermarket: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)

DeCicco Family Markets: 5% off every Wednesday (60+)

Food Lion: 6% off every Monday (60+)

Fry’s Supermarket: free Fry’s VIP Club Membership & 10% off every Monday (55+)

Farm Fresh 5% every Tuesday and ThursdaysGreat

Valu Food Store: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)

Gristedes Supermarket: 10% off every Tuesday (60+)

Harris Teeter: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)

Hy-Vee:  5% off one day a week (date varies by location)

Kroger:  10% off (date varies by location)

Morton Williams Supermarket: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)

The Plant Shed: 10% off every Tuesday (50+)

Publix:  5% off every Wednesday (55+)

Rogers Marketplace: 5% off every Thursday (60+)

Uncle Guiseppe’s Marketplace: 5% off (62+)

Travel

Alaska Airlines: 10% off (65+)

Alamo:  up to 25% off for AARP members

American Airlines: various discounts for 65 and up (call before booking for discount) Amtrak: 15% off (62+)

Avis:  up to 25% off for AARP members

Best Western: 10% off (55+)

Budget Rental Cars: 10% off; up to 20% off for AARP members (50+)  Cambria Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)

Clarion:  20%-30% off (60+)

Comfort Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)

Comfort Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)

Continental Airlines: no initiation fee for Continental Presidents Club  & special fares for select destinations  Dollar Rent-A-Car: 10% off (50+)

Econo Lodge: 20%-30% off (60+)

Enterprise Rent-A-Car: 5% off for AARP members

Greyhound:  5% off (62+)

Hampton Inns & Suites: 10% off when booked 72 hours in advance

Hertz:  up to 25% off for AARP members

Holiday Inn: 10%-30% off depending on location (62+)

Hyatt Hotels: 25%-50% off (62+)

InterContinental Hotels Group: various discounts at all hotels (65+)

Mainstay Suites: 10% off with Mature Traveler’s Discount (50+);  20%-30% off (60+)

Marriott Hotels: 15% off (62+)

Motel 6: 10% off (60+)

Myrtle Beach Resort: 10% off (55+)

National Rent-A-Car: up to 30% off for AARP members

Quality Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)

Rodeway Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)

Sleep Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)

Southwest Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)

Trailways Transportation System: various discounts for ages 50 and up

United Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before  booking for discount)

U.S. Airways: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before  booking for discount)

Activities & Entertainment

AMC Theaters: up to 30% off (55+)

Bally Total Fitness: up to $100 off memberships (62+)

Busch Gardens Tampa: $3 off one-day tickets (50+)

Carmike Cinemas: 35% off (65+)

Cinemark/Century Theaters: up to 35% off

U.S. National Parks: $10 lifetime pass; 50% off additional services including camping (62+)

Regal Cinemas: 30% off

Ripley’s Believe it or Not: @ off one-day ticket (55+)

SeaWorld Orlando: $3 off one-day tickets (50+) 

Cell Phone Discounts

AT&T:  Special Senior Nation 200 Plan $29.99/month (65+)

Jitterbug:  $10/month cell phone service (50+)

Verizon Wireless: Verizon Nationwide 65 Plus Plan $29.99/month (65+) 

Miscellaneous

Great Clips: $3 off haircuts (60+)

Super Cuts: $2 off haircuts (60+)  

 

Mental Health Issues are more common in older adults than most realize.  Many things can contribute to this including major life changes such death of a spouse, moving from a long-term home, medication mismanagement and other factors.  

Marsha Ombreski, Executive Director of the Pavillion Place at Williamsburg, spoke to the Senior Advocate Network Group in September about, "Myths about Mental Health Issues in Older Adults."

Click here to view her PowerPoint presentation.

Click here to read a review of her talk in the Virginian Gazette Newspaper.

Bill Massey, CEO, Peninsula Agency on Aging presented, "The Future of Senior Services: A Snapshot from Inside the Beltway" at the August Senior Advocate Network Group (SANG.)  The talk focused on information gathered at the National Association of the Areas Agencies and how the current debt crisis may affect senior services in the near future. 

Click here to get highlights from Bill's power point presentation.

Assisted living communities need to pay better attention to their senior population as the number of older men are increasing in relation to the overall population.  To read more, follow this link at Senior Housing News.

Dr. Dan Longo, Director of Colonial Behavioral Health, presented, "Aging Well: The Importance of Optimism and Happiness" at the June Senior Advocate Network Group (SANG.)  For those of you who missed it, click here to get highlights from his presentation that were published in the Virginia Gazette.

Sue Moniak, Executive Director of the Chamberlin, presented, "Trends in Senior Living Housing" at the July Senior Advocate Network Group (SANG.)  For those of you who missed it, click here to get her highlights from her Power Point presentation.

"At 12:01 AM on January 1, 2011, the Baby Boom generation, those aged 7-65 in 2011, started turning 65 around the world.  Between then and December 31st, 2029, about 10,000 people will reach age 65 every day in the United States alone."

- The Global Impact of an Aging World.  The Nielsen Company, February 8, 2011

Boomers continue to redefine each life stage as they arrive at it.  They utilized technology and social media to communicate with each other, their children and grandchildren.

Learn more by checking out the pdf presentation link, shared courtesy of Open Door Communications in Kilmarnock, Virginia.  For additional information, contact Susan McFadden at 804-435-8980.

The University of Virginia School of Medicine recently launched Memory Commons website (www.memorycommons.org), an interactive, first-of-its-kind educational website for physicians and health care professionals, people with dementia and their caregivers.  It focuses specifically on Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

The U.Va. Institute on Aging, the U.Va. School of Nursing, the Alzheimer's Association, the University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Gerontology also developed this program

More than 35 million people in the United States are over 65 years old; that number is expected to more than double through the year 2050. The risk of Alzheimer's disease increases dramatically with age, and with the existing growth of the aging population, Alzheimer's disease is already a major public health challenge.

The Memory Commons site is designed to provide the latest clinical and research advances in the diagnosis and management of people with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Through a variety of links, Memory Commons will add to the significant body of information the Alzheimer's Association already provides to patients, families and caregivers.

Memory Commons employs multiple educational formats to encourage learning and update health care providers on advances in dementia and Alzheimer's disease care, as well as improve quality of care and access to the latest treatment guidelines. Learning methods include tutorials, interactive case discussions, open case consults, blogs and an innovative interactive simulation of outpatient clinic encounters using a computer-gaming platform.

Commenting on the collaboration, the Alzheimer's Association Central and Western Virginia Chapter addressed the importance of collaboration: "The association realizes the value and importance of collaboration to meet our goal of providing quality medical information on Alzheimer's disease, diagnosis and treatment to physicians and health professionals. Memory Commons is designed to meet this growing need through a convenient and accessible format. The website will also include valuable links to the Alzheimer's Association, providing current information of benefit to those with the disease, their caregivers and the general public."

Universal Design - General Contractor BuilderFish tips on improving your home's convenience and visitability.

Is Your Home Livable?

Would you like some ideas and a tax rebate to improve your home's convenience and visitability?
First, you can find a wealth of ideas by viewing the slide shows and videos of the category winners of AARP's 2010 Livable Communities Awards. The first house in particular, winner in the newly built 2,500 square foot category, is a fine example of how universally designed features and green building techniques work together without being noticeable or costing a fortune. We hope to enter a house in the 2011 competition so maybe your project can be it!
 
And how about free money? General Assembly HB 1950 is among 94 bills being reviewed by the Finance Committee. The Livable Home Tax Credit already exists and has been appropriated for 2011 but HB 1950 seeks to increase the credit from $2,000 to $5,000 to encourage more participation and to include developers and builders. Remember, a tax deduction merely lowers your amount of taxable income (reduces the size pie that the IRS chomps) whereas a tax credit is essentially a dollar-for-dollar rebate, free cash so to speak.
 
For more information on Universal Design, contact BuilderFish at www.BuilderFish.com or 434-299-8633.