Low Vision Awareness

February is Low Vision Awareness Month.

Glaucoma causes loss of sight by damaging the optic nerve. Once lost, vision cannot be restored. More than 2.2 million Americans have the most common form of glaucoma; half don't even know they have it.

Risk factors include:
- Age - The American Academy of Opthalmology has warned that everyone over the age of 60 is at risk for developing glaucoma.
- Race - The National Eye Institute says glaucoma is five times more likely to occur in blacks than in whites, and blacks are four times more likely to become blind from it. After age 60, Hispanics are more likely to develop glaucoma than any other group.
- Family History - If you have a parent or sibling who has glaucoma, you are more likely to develop the disease.
- Diabetes - People with diabetes have a 40% higher risk of developing glaucoma.
- Nearsightedness - Very nearsighted people are at greater risk of developing the disease.
- Eye Injury or Surgery - People who have had eye surgery or eye injuries may develop secondary glaucoma.
- Steroid Medication - Steroid use, over extended periods of time, may increase the risk of glaucoma.

Regular eye examinations are vital to preventing this "sneak thief of sight".

Assisted Living

Make assisted living arrangements before you need them. If you wait until you need assisted living, you may have a long waiting list ahead of you. Average wait is three years.

Medicaid Planning

It's never too early to plan for Medicaid -- but it may be too late.

Hooray for Pets!

People who own pets live linger, have less stress and fewer heart attacks.

Help with Prescription Costs

If you are having trouble paying for your prescription medications, the pharmaceutical companies may have a program to help you.

I wonder ...

Why do natural/organic products that are grown without chemical fertilizers & insecticides cost three times more than those products that are grown using chemical fertilizers & insecticides?Seems to me they should cost less.

Everybody's in Survival Mode

I went grocery shopping today. It was nuts! I guess they heard about the big storm down in D.C. Here in New England, at the sign of the first snowflake, everyone goes into survival mode. They clean out the grocery stores and start laying in emergency provisions.

National Wear Red Day

Today is National Wear Red Day. Wearing red is a way to draw attention to heart disease, the #1 killer of women in America. Over 430,000 women die each year from cardiovascular disease. Please join in making a statement against heart disease by wearing red today.

While man is trying to figure it out -- God has already worked it out.

Scam Alert for Craigslist Users

Craigslist is warning users of a scam, involving an official-looking email with a link to a fake craigslist login page, designed to steal your username and password.

No matter how legitimate an email looks, the safest way to get to a website is to log-in directly to the website from your browser and avoid links in emails.. Only click on attachments from senders you trust.

To be sure you are actually on craigslist's log-in page, be sure the web address is http://accounts.craigslist.org/.

Money Saving Tip

Make a list before heading to the supermarket -- and stick to it. According to Real Simple, people who do not use a list spend up to 23 percent more on groceries. I'll carry that a bit further and recommend using a list for any shopping trips.