Your Personal Health Plan Begins with a Change

With members of the House on their August recess and Senators soon to follow, politicians are returning home to hear the opinions of the American people on the proposed national health care plan.

Because one-half of the funding for the trillion-dollar plan is set to come from reductions in the Medicare program, senior citizens are worried about losing their physicians, their benefits and their medical autonomy. Employees are worried about losing their private insurance as employers consider dropping private plans and moving to the public option. Small business owners are worried about how to pay for insurance for part-time workers or let them go. On the other hand, the unemployed and uninsured are worried about how they will pay their medical bills if they don't have a government plan. And we're all worried about the increasing national debt and the likelihood of higher taxes.

What to do with all this worry? Educate yourself about the plan - learn what it will mean to you and your family. Then you can express your opinions to your representatives. Let them know your thoughts, be they pro or con.

And, in the meantime, develop your own personal health plan to help deal with the challenges you face everyday in nourishing yourself and your family-in-flux. All this week you'll find video tips on our blog giving you suggestions for improving your coping skills and your health - mental and physical. Try them out and let us know what works for you.



It's always hard to get started in making a change, even one that will help you take better care of yourself. If you want to give yourself a jump-start, click on the post title. It links you to our website, HerMentorCenter.com and our article there, Sandwiched Boomers: 7 Tips on Fighting Inertia.

Sandwiched Boomers and Multi-generational Housing

The stimulus package is growing larger by the day in the Senate, where the addition of a new tax break for homebuyers sent the price tag well past $900 billion. "It is time to fix housing first" said the Republican Senator from Georgia Wednesday night as the Senate agreed without controversy to add the new tax break to the stimulus measure, at an estimated cost of nearly $19 billion.

The tax break was the most notable attempt to date to add help for the crippled housing industry. In the meantime, Multi-generational households are making a comeback for Sandwiched Boomers – especially with the rise in unemployment for new college graduates and the financial pinch felt by aging parents who are seeing their retirement income dwindle. Don’t be disappointed if you were dreaming about the empty nest. This new living arrangement can reduce stress, with more family members sharing household responsibilities, financial expenses and emotional support – as long as guidelines are clearly set and upheld.

Let us know if you're living with grown children, grandchildren or parents and how it's working out.