• HOME

• DECOR

• GARDEN

• FOOD & DRINK
  • Restaurant Reviews

• ARTS

• LIFESTYLE
  • Fashion
  • Health
  • Travel
  • Holiday

• HOME SHOW
  • Spring
  • Fall

• BLOGS
  • Editor
  • Michael Cullen

• NEWS
  • Stories
  • Press Releases
  • Community Releases
  • Community Events

• PUBLICATIONS
  • Students
  • Weddings
  • PDF Edition

• CONTACT US

News for Boomers

Summer 2010 |

Are you a boomer? In Canada, a baby boomer is someone born between 1947 to 1966. Canada's boomers account for close to one-third of the country's 32 million people. The number of Canadians who are aged 55 to 64 jumped by 28 percent in the past five years to 3.7 million.

Gramps no luddite
Survey results from Yahoo! Canada and Leger Marketing show that while the vast majority of Canadian baby boomers are using e-mail and going online for news and information about everything from their health to their retirement portfolios, an advanced boomer breed of Web 2.0 aficionados is now emerging and discovering online video, music, games, and social networks. Eighty-nine percent of boomers say the internet allows them to share information with their loved ones more easily than in the past, with one-third (31 percent) saying the first picture they saw of their grandkids or a newborn relative was on their computer.
Boomers are going online to stay in touch, with 72 percent saying they definitely feel more connected with family and friends.  More than half (57 percent) of boomers have more contacts on their computer than in their paper address book and 64 percent say they email friends and family more often than telephoning them.
While female boomers are slightly more likely than male boomers (50 percent versus 45 percent) to be online social networkers, among both male and female boomers, the most popular social networking activities are communicating with friends (79 percent), and posting pictures (68 percent).

Wanna bet?
The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) Jon Kelly estimates 2.1 percent of Ontario adults 55 and older have a gambling problem. While the incidence of problem gambling for adults 55 plus is actually lower than the general population, boomer gambling problems could have a far-reaching impact simply due to the sheer numbers in this cohort.
In fact, the council estimates that by 2020-if the incidence of problem gambling among adults 55 and older remains consistent- close to 100,000 Ontario seniors and their families could be affected by gambling problems, an increase of 42 percent over today's number of almost 67,000 older adults with a gambling problem.
The council encourages boomers to think about their gambling habits.
Understand the risks: During a time of  transition, like retirement, it's easy to lose one's bearings or feel out of place , and gambling can fill a void. Be aware of how much time is spent gambling and the more frequently one gambles, the greater the risk of developing a problem. Plan ahead: Take advantage of the extra time that comes with retirement: plan activities, hobbies or small business ideas to keep life active and interesting. Keep it low-risk: Set limits and stick to them; don't gamble when upset, stressed or depressed; don't use money earmarked for other purposes, and don't borrow money to gamble.

Those last 10 pounds
Dr. Sanford Siegal, an American weight-loss expert, confirms the widely held suspicion among dieters the most challenging weight to lose is the last 10 pounds.
"It's more accurate to say the next pound is harder to lose than the previous one because, like it or not, the Law of Diminishing Returns applies to weight loss. The more you lose, the harder it is to lose more," he says.
In his book, Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet Book, he explains, "One of the great ironies in losing weight is that your own weight helps you lose it. A person who weighs 250 pounds burns many more calories performing the same activity as one who weighs 150 pounds."

Not ready for home yet! A new survey says seniors want to live independently for as long as possible and avoid planning for moving into a nursing home or extended care facility. The study reveals that the majority of people aged 65 to 85 will do whatever it takes to avoid moving into a nursing home.
In its second annual Living for Today - Ready for Tomorrow survey conducted by Ipsos-Reid, Bayshore Home Health talked to older  Canadians aged 65-85 as well as people aged 40-64 who have at least one parent living.
The majority, 97 percent,  say they are trying to be pro-active about their health. Less than half (46 percent) have researched ways to live independently at home and just four out of 10 have made modifications to their home to ensure it's a safe environment. A mere three per cent say they are on a waiting list for an assisted living facility.