Life After 50 Expo

PROVIDING DISABILITY BENEFITS FOR 60 YEARS

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 By Blanca Taylor

Social Security Public Affairs Specialist

 

August 1, 2016, marked the 60th anniversary of the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program, signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956. Originally, the program was limited to individuals who were age 50 or older. It also had a six-month waiting period, and there were no benefits payable to spouses or children.

The disability program has undergone many changes to become the program it is today. Now, people who receive Social Security disability benefits can also receive Medicare coverage after 24 months, and their dependents may be eligible to receive benefits on their earnings records. There are also work incentives in place to help people with disabilities go back to work.

As of June 2016, there are more than 10 million disabled workers and dependents receiving a portion of the more than $11 billion that is sent each month in Social Security disability payments. It can happen to anyone: studies show that a 20-year-old worker has a 1-in-4 chance of becoming disabled before reaching their full retirement age.

To meet the challenges of providing benefits to so many, the agency has evolved, using technology to operate more efficiently.

Access to online applications for disability benefits, reconsiderations, and hearings have given applicants more service options when applying for benefits. Our health IT initiative allows Social Security to access electronic medical records, including those from the U.S. Department of Defense, which reduces administrative costs, streamlines operations, and speeds up service to veterans.

Social Security is committed to securing today and tomorrow for our millions of disabled workers. For more information about the disability program, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityssi.

 

 

Pilates as a healthy option !

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How to Get Started with Pilates

One of the best parts about Pilates is that it is good for just about anyone no matter if you are someone that likes to sit around or if you are a health nut.

In fact Pilates has gained a lot of attention these days and there are new classes available.

You can find that many of the YMCA’s and fitness centers offer Pilates and most are done with the mat.

There are some Pilates instructors that offer private classes.  They may be bought either one class at a time or in blocks.

These classes may be combined with mat and machine work.  If your health club has Pilates machines there for your use, make certain that you get supervision from a qualified Pilates instructor.

Just like anything, there are good and bad ways of doing things.  Pilates has to be done the right way.

The fact is that Pilates is very popular today and classes are coming available all the time.  You may be getting the wrong type of instructions if you are not using a good source.

With any type of exercise, you can hurt yourself especially if you have a health condition or do not know the right way to do something.

Some gyms think that if they send their personal trainer to a weekend course, they are qualified to begin teaching Pilates.  This is not true and can lead to injuries.

You want to have an instructor that is certified by a group that approves of rigorous training.  This type of program needs to consist of several hundred hours of being instructed in Pilates only.

They have to have the education to modify the exercises so that a new person can teach them well and not hurt themselves.

7 Tips for healthy daily living !

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Here are 7- count em- 7 tips for living daily.  Well, you ask, “ What is the alternative to Living daily?” Simply put- the alternative is leaving this world sooner than you desire.  If we came with an owners manual  this would be included.

1-     Exercise at least 30 minutes per day. Walking is great and it’s the activity of choice. More stringent forms may be used. A little  stretching wouldn’t hurt!

2-     Brush and floss those teeth. Yes it will help you keep them. It’s good for your

what ails you.  Good oral hygiene just makes sense.

3-     Drink plenty of water.  Green tea makes a fine addition, also. Let’s flush out those

toxins.

4-     Pop those pills!  Some supplements are good, some are necessary.  Do your own

research to find what works for you. But here are some starters.  Get in the habit

of taking omega 3’s or substitute a bunch of walnuts and non-fried fish.  A baby   aspirin is recommended along with co-q-10.

5-   Meditate at least 5 minutes each day. Take time out of the loud, clanging day to

find the sound of silence- at least within your mind.

6-   Get a good night’s sleep.  7 or 8 hours is best.  Be sure you have a good bed with

comfortable covers. A little end of day meditation and deep breathing and you

off to a great night’s rest.

7-     Be gentle with yourself.  Everything doesn’t get done every day.  Don’t beat

yourself  up when things don’t go as planned.  This is a daily plan.  Another

day will come. Do your best each day.

Aerobics for Seniors !

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Everyone wants to get healthier, and everyone knows what when it comes right down to it, doing aerobic exercise on a regular basis is something that can really take you from a point of being unhealthy, and bring you to a place where you can be healthy and you can enjoy all that life has to offer you. This goes for everyone, but there are certain groups of people who have to design their aerobic exercise very carefully to avoid hurting themselves.

Seniors are in one of these groups of people. When it comes to aerobic exercise for seniors, there are several things that you have to take into account before you begin. Remember that for everyone, aerobic exercise is something that you are going to want to build up to. You will need to start small, and where you start is going to depend a lot on how healthy you are to begin with. If you want to get healthier, you have to go from where you are and work up. This goes for seniors as well.

Seniors are going to have to take inventory of all of their health before they begin to have aerobic exercise on a daily basis. This is because seniors are more prone to health problems in general, so they should see their doctor before they begin doing aerobic exercise and they should consult a doctor before making any major changes to the way that they get exercise.

However, after they have seen a doctor, seniors can begin a regiment of aerobic exercise in just the same was as people of any age. Unless their doctor has suggested that they don’t do aerobics for whatever reason, a senior should begin with a short work out, and gradually work their way up to longer work outs. This is the same way that others should start an aerobic exercise program. If seniors follow these instructions, and if they don’t do anything that they feel their body can’t handle, they should have the same results with aerobic exercise as anyone else.

It all depends on how healthy you are to begin with, and how far you want to take the exercise. As long as you don’t overdo it, an aerobics workout is going to be very helpful for you. Remember though, like anyone else, you should discuss your plans with your doctor, even if you feel that you are completely healthy. Your doctor will have more information about what type of exercise is going to be best for you.