Help! I Woke Up a Senior Citizen and Don't Know What To Do

SOCIAL SECURITY

How right you are, Oscar. Ask any one living on Social Security, and very little else. It is an economic and emotional lifeline for the millions who depend on it. Rest assured that despite all the Congressional debate and posturing about what to do about Social Security, it 'ain't' going away. It's the one issue that unites all current beneficiaries and those who expect to live long enough to collect social security. Changes may be made, but the basic philosophy and need for it, remains. Meanwhile, here is some basic information you need to know.

Getting Social Security is not automatic. You must apply!

Applicants are urged to apply at least 3 months before becoming eligible for benefits, at which time the Agency reviews the exact requirements for entitlement.

You can receive benefits at age 62, 63, 64, or 65. But weigh that decision carefully. We're living longer. With inflation and rising health costs, we need more money as the years go by. When my wife elected to apply for benefits at age 62, we were swayed by the three additional years she would receive benefits. Three years later, we could have used that higher benefit. Consider-

So, unless you have a big nest egg or a substantial pension to fall back on, hold out for age 65, if you can. Another thing to think about. The age for retirement will be extended to 67, and applies right now for those born in 1960 or after.

Yes, Hippocrates, father of modern medicine, said it way back then, about 2400 years ago (although not that concisely). If you don't stay physically active, your body will run down. Incidentally, Hippocrates practiced what he preached. He lived to the ripe old age of 83 which, for his day, was practically as old as Methusaleh.

Medical Thinking Has Changed

Time was when sufferers of arthritis, asthma, high blood pressure, stroke and heart attacks, were told to limit their activity and get used to a sedentary lifestyle. Now, exercise is routinely prescribed for these people. Today, the medical profession believes:

• Exercise is necessary for maintaining good health
• All things being equal, exercise can slow down the aging process

• Exercise can improve your mental well-being
• You're never too old to start

Consider -

• The man in his fifties who took up walking, then running, then doing marathons into his nineties.
• The woman who took up dancing at age 70, still swinging and swaying at age 95.

• The number of Seniors doing exercise walking, runs into the millions, and increases every year.