Physical activity can relieve pain of arthritis in adults

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 07 July 2009 14:17

ArthritisPhoto.jpg Studies have shown aquatic-based exercise helps to restore and maintain muscle strength, relieve pain and stiffness and provide a community support system for people with arthritis.

More than 46 million people of all ages in the United States have arthritis. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that arthritis is the nation’s most common disability.

The same CDC study showed that the number of people who report arthritis as their primary cause of disability has grown by more than 3 million since 1999.

What’s more alarming—with the aging of baby boomers—the prevalence of arthritis is expected to increase 40 percent by the year 2030.

Given the pervasiveness of...

Read more: Physical activity can relieve pain of arthritis in adults

Using direct deposit can ease financial stress for caregivers

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 07 July 2009 14:16

SeniorsDirectDeposit.jpg Direct deposit can also protect people from serious financial crimes like check theft and fraud. The last thing caregivers should have to worry about is a lost or stolen check.

Half of American caregivers make health-related decisions for a loved one, and a new government survey finds an equal number are now helping to manage the finances of a parent, friend or other person needing their care—adding to caregivers’ levels of stress and anxiety.

Yet, surprisingly, only 52 percent of caregivers receiving Social Security payments on behalf of the person they care for say they use direct deposit, a decades-old time-saving tool that is safer and more reliable than paper checks.

According to the nationwide...

Read more: Using direct deposit can ease financial stress for caregivers

Healthy Geezer: Be smart when spending time out in the summer sun (Part 1)

Written by Fred Cicetti Tuesday, 07 July 2009 14:14

Editor’s note: This is the first of two columns about sun exposure. The next column will appear in our August special section.



Q There are lots of sunblocks out there with SPF numbers on them. What exactly do these numbers mean?



A Sun exposure is an extensive and important subject that is worth two columns. This is the first one.

Sunblocks—or sunscreens—work to prevent the damage of ultraviolet (UV) rays, an invisible component of sunlight. There are three types of UV rays: UVA, UVB and UVC.

UVA is the most abundant of the three ultraviolet rays at the earth’s surface. These rays penetrate through the outer skin.

Many of the UVB rays are absorbed by the stratospheric ozone layer, so there aren’t as many of these at...

Read more: Healthy Geezer: Be smart when spending time out in the summer sun (Part 1)

County offers escrow program to ease payment pain

Written by Patty Decker Tuesday, 23 June 2009 09:28

REAL-ESTATEESCROW06.24.jpg “We have had this escrow program for many years, but recently the county purchased software that automates everything,” said Jeannine Bateman, Marion County treasurer. Patty Decker /Free Press

Homeowners who either have paid off their house or are electing not to pay taxes with a mortgage could benefit from an escrow program offered by the Marion County Treasurer’s office.

The program is set up so that property taxes due twice a year can be paid into an account on a monthly basis. When the bill is due, the money is moved from the escrow account to the treasurer’s office, where it is processed. The escrow starts over for the next six months.

“We have had this escrow program for many years, but...

Read more: County offers escrow program to ease payment pain