Yikes! I don’t know about you but I am WAY behind this month. Between Sandwich Generation senior home care giving and grandparenting and writing and errands and travel and everything else I have to do, I stay totally busy. Throw anything extra into my schedule and I go into overload. Christmas must count as at least THREE extra things so I am in quadruple overload right now! I have found a couple of ways to prepare for Christmas that do help a busy Sandwich Generation caregiver and grandmother and I’ll be sharing them here and there over the next few days, starting today. Number one on my list is unique and attractive gifts for the elderly parents and relatives in my life. How about you?  :)

I got the nicest letter from Kathleen LeRoy at WalkerWonder. She sent me some interesting updates about her company and I thought you’d enjoy hearing about them too:

“I thought you might be interested to know about some exciting developments at WalkerWonder. Since we've launched, many customers have said they want an attractive, durable, convenient walker bag, so we are proud to introduce our new WalkerWonder Bag! These can be used with or without our unique walker banners.

Five reasons we think this unique new design is the best:

1. More affordable! The WalkerWonder Bag is under $25, less expensive and better value than others
2. More secure! Roomy bag (6"x10") has five pockets overall, two large ones with handy zippers
3. More stylish! Many other bags are plain.  We believe in lively colors: 12 in all, with matching banners too
4. Only bag with a holder for your water bottle! Bring your comforts with you wherever you go
5. No more 'leg bumping'! Compact and structured, this bag won't flop around or hang low to hit your knees

We've also heard our customers ask that Walker Banners be more affordable.  This Holiday Season, all our fun Walker/ Rollator banners are now only $29.95 each, a savings of over 40% for a gift that's unique and affordable. Personalized banners reduced too (now under $50 each). In addition, if customers purchase three of the banners they receive our new WalkerWonder Bag for FREE.”

Very nice changes that are practical, useful, and more affordable. Kudos to Kathleen and WalkerWonder! They would make great Christmas gifts for the special aging parents or relatives in our families. They also offer gift certificates. And the best part is that you can do all the shopping for these at home, online. That’s turning out to be one of my best ways to save money and time this year! What are your favorite ideas?

P.S. If you, too, love shopping at home, but prefer shopping from Amazon, they also have some great looking walker bags for gift for the elderly parents and relatives, along with one of my ever-favorite gift for everyone – gift cards!  

Kaye

SandwichINK has a couple of interesting current events just for you! First, as members of the Baby Boomer Generation of caregivers, we need to stay as healthy as possible. When we get sick, who helps our aging parents and/or grandkids? For the most part, we still do, no matter how miserable we are. In worst case scenarios, we get so sick, we have the added headache of helping our beloveds get help. Neither option is fun.

If you’re like me, you do everything you can to stay healthy, and when you do get sick you work hard to get well. Some of you may have done this by using various Zicam nasal cold remedy products. I know I’ve seen them and considered them, though I haven’t yet tried them. Turns out my procrastination was a good thing! And if you didn’t procrastinate and have some in your cupboard, please check this list as soon as possible. If any of them are on it, you need to know that “the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has advised consumers to stop using three products marketed over-the-counter as cold remedies because they are associated with the loss of sense of smell (anosmia). Anosmia may be long-lasting or permanent!” NOT GOOD!

Per the FDA,  the three products that have received over 130 reports of smell loss include:

• Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel;
• Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs;
• Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, kids

That means we also need to let our kids and our grandkids know about this possible problem. WOW! The last medicine I used that had major problems was Entex. I had used it and loved it for years for congestion and sinus infection. Then they discovered it caused people to die! Losing your sense of smell is better than dying, but still. I’m glad I never gave it a try. This is definitely a good reminder to all of us to research the over the counter AND prescription medications we take, as well as those our aging parents have. And even then, there are no guarantees.

Another more personal piece of news is that SandwichINK is once again participating in the EldercareABC Blog Carnival. You can find a link to my article, Flying Practice for Baby Boomer Generation and Senior Citizens, in excellent company. They have some useful and interesting articles including:

• I Won a WalkerWonder – Yup, that’s by Mary, who won SandwichINK’s WalkerWonder contest 
• How to pick the best car for yourself and your aging parents
• Fixed annuities
• Easing caregiver stress
• And more…

I think you’ll find it to be an excellent resource for caregivers. I know I did. 

News of interest to you in the Sandwich Generation: Caregivers, Grandparents, Baby Boomer generation, and more. That’s what Thursday’s SandwichINK tends to focus on and this Thursday is no exception.

But today’s news is special. Rather than pulling a news story from the headlines, SandwichINK is making its own headlines. As you may recall, we had our first ever contest, featuring a WalkerWonder banner for aging parents and others who use walkers or rolling walkers. I want to thank everyone for participating! AND I want to thank Kathleen LeRoy and WalkerWonder for this high quality and special walker banner for dads! The contest is over and the winner has won!

And now the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Drum roll please!

The winner is:

Mary from EldercareABC

CONGRATULATIONS MARY!

I will be collecting contact information from Mary and mailing off her banner by this weekend. Once again, thank you to all who participated! We appreciate you ALL! 

Boomers & Seniors: Alzheimer’s Awareness, Aging Parents In Crisis, Keeping Healthy in Body & Mind, and More!

Welcome to the Boomers & Seniors Blog Carnival at SandwichINK! This week’s edition has plenty of great info to inform, encourage, and entertain you.  You’ll find interesting articles covering such topics as restoring hope for caregivers, staying younger longer, Cheat Sheets for healthy living, financial advice, and so much more!

Starting off with yours truly, SandwichINK , we present articles covering two primary aspects of the Sandwich Generation.

How to Perk Up Your Aging Parent’s Day by Spiffing Up Their Walker is a review of the WalkerWonder, a stylish, practical product for your aging parent’s walker or rollator, giving it a sense of personality. We even have one to give away! Just head on over to get the full details.

For fellow grandparents, SandwichINK presents See How Easily You Can Make Your Grandkids Smile Even When They’re Sick , with fun tales and details about Paper Airplane designs and games. Your grandkids and you will have a blast! If they are part of a home schooling program, these make great summer projects.

Caregiving / Elderly Care

Alzheimer’s Disease Takes the National Stage , at Seniors For Living , gives a behind-the-scenes look at the Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing. “During this hearing hundreds of Alzheimer advocates met with their individual members of Congress, seeking their support on three priority policy issues. It was truly a banner week in terms of awareness, media coverage, and attention from legislators and the public, including Maria Shriver, on all things Alzheimer’s…”

Dale Carter of Transition Aging Parents presents My Top 5 List – Things I Wish I Had Known . “The key things I wish I had known about before my mother went into crisis a year ago.  Learn from my experience!  Do not wait until your aging parent goes into crisis."

Traits of a Hope-full Family Caregiver by Denise Brown of Caregiving explores seven traits for caregivers, along with great suggestions on how to build them into their lives, that can help bring hope back into their hearts.

Baby Boomer Generation & Senior Health And Wellness

Ready for some good news? Read about a new study that has found a simple way to stay and feel young at heart — just get involved with helping young people. Seniors Tutor Kids Through the Experience Corps , at Seniors For Living , is a fascinating article detailing how helping others can also help you!

Catherine Eagleson has a fun article appropriately titled, Have Fun and Keep Your Brain Active With Crosswords for Fun Codewords! posted at  Crosswords For Fun , saying, "Codewords are really great for giving your brain a workout, and provide you with a real sense of achievement when you solve the puzzle."

Verna Morris presents 25 Bookmark-worthy Cheat Sheets for Healthy Living posted at Assistant Guides . I am definitely going to be bookmarking many of them! They include resources on the subjects of nutrition, news, medicines, and sports and exercise. My favorite was “Unhealthy Chinese Food Choices.” My favorite foods passed! 

Vital information for all ages, Kirsten Fallon presents, Interview with Dr. Peter McCullough on the PLAC Test, posted at Blisstree. "Great Questions and Answers on detecting hidden risk for heart attack and ischemic stroke."

Colin Timberlake presents Training Log: The 2009 Arnold Classic 5K Pump and Run- Day 21 posted at colintimberlake . "Colin Timberlake uses amazing senior citizen marathoner Ed Whitlock (now 78 years young) as inspiration for a day of heavy training." Wow! Next time I don’t want to exercise, I’m going to think of Mr. Whitlock!

Heartstrong presents  A Fresh Look at Organic Produce , posted at Healthy Hearts with Heartstrong . “Which is better for you-an organic tomato or one that’s grown through conventional methods? The answer might not be as obvious as it seems.”

Financial Info for the Baby Boomer Generation & the Senior Caregiver

"Financial well being is just as important as physical well being,” writes Patricia Grace at Aging with Grace CareConnection . Read her interesting article, Does the Buck Stop Here? “If your parent’s money is disappearing, you need to intervene.”

Jeff Rose presents an informative article at GoodFinancialCents explaining why The Economic Stimulus Tax Cut is Misleading for Retirees . “If your retirement check got bigger in April, don’t start celebrating because you did not qualify for the tax credit….The net result is that although you are taking home more money each month, you will pay it back when you file your 2009 taxes…So what should you do?”

ConsumerBoomer has some fascinating facts in Where are Baby Boomers Cutting Their Spending? , presented by Jeff Rose. Have you been wondering if you are the only one cutting back on movies or eating out? Nope! Not only that, they’ve got nine items Boomers have been cutting back on! You might find new ways to save.

Did you take an early retirement in the last couple of years, or are you considering it? Be sure to check out what Super Saver Writes about Surviving Early Retirement During the Financial Crisis .

"Boomers that have multiple retirement accounts should consider consolidating,” writes Jeff Rose, in IRA Consolidation: The “Super IRA” Strategy presented at GoodFinancialCents.

Tips for the Baby Boomer Generation

Should You Buy or Rent a Home for Retirement ? An excellent question posed by Mr. ToughMoneyLove at Go To Retirement. “Many boomers considering retirement housing assume that owning is better than renting. That is no longer the case…”

“These are unprecedented times…for Sandwiched Boomers, many of whom are financially responsible for their growing children and aging parents, they’re scared as they watch their dreams of a comfortable retirement disappear.” Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D. and Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D. of Nourishing Relationships address those fears in  Five Ways Sandwiched Boomers Can Think Positive in Tough Times .

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Boomers & Seniors: News You Can Use by using our carnival submission form . Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page . The next edition is due out on June 9th, with article submissions due by June 4th! We’d love to see YOUR article in the next Boomers & Seniors: News You Can Use!

When my dad’s Parkinson’s Disease started to progress more dramatically, his doctor finally told him he needed to use a walker rollator to protect him from falls. We were able to get him a very nice looking red walker on wheels and he continued to enjoy his mall walks pushing his walker ahead of him, and sitting on its little seat when he needed to rest. It was very practical and spiffy, though not necessarily the most stylish thing in the mall. When I broke a leg and was stuck on crutches for several weeks I bought a really cute little tote bag that stuck on to my crutches through the use of small patches of Velcro. The goal was to give me something to carry the different things I needed to tote around with me without having to use my hands, while looking at least a little stylish. It looked cute but, sadly, didn’t work very well. It just kept falling off, which drove me nuts, and eventually I gave up on it. WalkerWonder has come up with a stylish, practical product for a walker or walker rollator that takes the best of both those products and makes them much better. The company was founded with the desire to brighten the lives of those who depend on mobility aids, and from the looks of the sample they sent me, along with a close look at their website, I would say they are doing a great job at it.

When I opened their box, I discovered a well-made, sturdy, brightly colored, heavy fabric banner that is custom made to fit snugly on the front of a walker, whether the traditional lifting type, or the more contemporary rolling style (the walker rollator). In addition, there are four “bumpers” that fit on each of the legs of the traditional, non-wheeled walker to add even more color. All of these products use very secure Velcro to stay put. They even tuck in a sheet of cute stickers to add even more opportunity for your aging parent to customize their “wheels.” I asked if you could use these banners on walkers with baskets. Kathleen LeRoy, President of WalkerWonder, wrote, “if a person wants to use a basket in conjunction with the banner, it depends on the configuration of the walker or rollator.  Our website lists the brands of walkers and rollators that the banners will work with and it also provides diagrams to show how the banners fit.” Not only that, they also offer a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee if you find that you order a product that does not fit to your satisfaction. As a matter of fact, their goal is your 100% satisfaction.  “Within 30 days of your purchase you may return your WalkerWonder product for any reason whatsoever.  You can choose either a refund or a replacement.” In addition, their products also come with a one-year warranty. That’s better than half the products in my house!

The banners have all sorts of cute sayings, from Christian Bible verses, such as “With God, all things are possible,” to cute sayings like my dad and I always enjoyed, “The Cat’s Meow,” to special greetings for parents on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, to patriotic flag styles. That would have been my dad’s first choice! If your elderly parents love to show off photos of the grandkids, they have a banner for that. If they prefer a personalized one with their own name, they’ve got that too!

When I reviewed their website, I discovered that they’re not just good looking and sturdy, they are also practical. The banners and bumpers have been pre-treated for stain resistance. They are hand washable, and line dryable, though if your washer has a delicate setting, they say you can use that as well, though carefully and rarely. Walkers are wonderful blessings to our aging parents,when they need them, but they are not the most attractive items. Even my dad’s, which I thought looked quite spiffy, still looked like a walker. WalkerWonders gives them a nice sense of personality. As someone who loves the occasional bumper sticker to give my car that touch of personality, I really like that. Particularly with the more sterile-looking traditional silver walkers. These would make a terrific gift for grandma and grandpa on each of their birthdays, Mother’s and Father’s Day, or Christmas. At a base price of $59 (even less for the walker rollator cover as they don’t use the bumpers), they would make a great gift for all the grandkids to chip in on. If your senior parents are like mine, they are often saying, “I have no room for more presents.” These would not only not take up more room, they’d brighten your parents’ room! You can order the banners yourself or get a gift certificate so your elderly parent can pick out their own style. You can learn more about these spiffy looking walker banners at WalkerWonder . They have complete assembly directions for both walkers and rollators, and even an interesting blog. I think you’ll find them a delightful gift to share with an aging parent to help them enjoy their walker in a more personal way. Now I have a very fun announcement to make. WalkerWonder is sponsoring a fun giveaway for SandwichINK readers, offering one lucky reader a special "One in a Million" banner set for someone's special Senior Father! This is coming just in time for a special Father’s Day gift or as a delightful gift for any birthday.

It’s also a great way to inaugurate my brand new email service! I have just started using Feedblitz and, in exchange for celebrating that milestone with me, YOU get a chance to win this terrific gift for that special Senior in your life. In order to be entered in the random drawing, just sign up to receive SandwichINK free in your email each day. You can fill out the form below or up in the top right corner. They both work the same.    Then leave me a comment below and be sure to include your email or other contact information so I can notify you if your name is drawn. The recipient of this special giveaway will be picked in a random drawing. If you’d like more ways to enter to win this special Father’s WalkerWonder, in addition to signing up for the free email subscription to SandwichINK which must be the first step, they can include:

• Signing up for SandwichINK's RSS feed (in addition to the email subscription)
• Blogging about it on your blog
• Adding SandwichINK to your blogroll or linking to SandwichINK on your blog
• Tweeting about SandwichINK and the contest on Twitter
• Telling friends at Facebook

For each of the above items, you must leave a separate comment with the link to the item (a link is not necessary for the RSS feed). If you are already doing one or more of these, just leave a separate comment for each explaining that and leaving the link (again, a link is not necessary for the RSS feed). Each comment counts as one entry. Please note that you must continue the subscription for the entire length of the giveaway. Please see SandwichINK’s Policies Page for complete rules and more information. The giveway for this walker / walker rollator banner will end at midnight May 29, 2009 . Have fun