Kind and Caring Gaze Not Soon Forgotten 

By: Bill Steinberg 

On September 23 last year, I had a doctor appointment.  Because I had my right leg amputated above the knee, I get around in a power chair.  As I rolled through the front door, I noticed a young woman and two young girls to my right.  The older of the children was watching me very closely.  As I pulled even with them, the older of the two then stepped forward and asked me, ever so timidly, "What did you do with your other leg?"

The look on that child's face has etched itself into my mind.  I'm not sure I can describe it adequately.  It was so tender and caring, so genuine and sweet.  She was curious and she sincerely wanted to know "what I had done with my other leg?"  Concern was mirrored all over that innocent little face.

Her mother's immediate response was one of complete surprise.  She gently admonished the child, saying, "Shush, honey, that's rude," and softly pulled her back toward her seat.  At that point, my 20 plus years of teaching re-surfaced, and I said to the mother, "I'm not offended.  Please don't fuss at her.  She's a very observant, curious child and shouldn't be blamed for that.  If you have no objections, I'll try and explain it to her."  Being a great-grandfather sure helps at a time like this.  With a nod from the mother, I explained as simply as I could why my leg had to be removed and that doing so had saved my life.  I also talked about asking questions if she saw things she didn't understand about people.  As long as she did it politely and respectfully, it was all right.

If I could bottle the loving tenderness that I saw in that little girl's eyes, I could solve many of society's ills.  I'd give it away as fast as I could!  I know I'll never forget her; and if you read this I hope you won't either!  

THE PATIOS AND THE BACK YARD AT SUNSHINE GARDENS

By: Laddie John  

Have you, the residents who reside at Sunshine Gardens, taken the time to really stop and look at the Patios and the Back Yard?

Besides the flower tubs, located at the front entrance, the tubs on the Patios have very beautiful flowers.   There is also a gazebo located just off the Sunshine Room. One Patio also has a "Bird Feeder," that is always surrounded by small birds. There is also a "Bird Bath." These are also surrounded by beautiful flowers. This Patio is also used by residents to set out in the sunshine.

Now for the "Back Yard."   As you step out into the back yard, through the door off the hall of the Sundance Suites. The first thing you will see are the Pink Flamingos. Then off to your left you will see two beautiful hanging pots filled with flowers.   The flamingo replaced the sheep that used to inhabit the yard. They, the sheep, now reside next to the wall on the west, behind the colorful geraniums. Above the geraniums there are three hanging baskets that contain silk flowers.   On your right is the Sunshine Community Garden. This was planted by: Leva, Ben, Laddie, under the direction of our Activity Director, Heather. The garden includes, Cherry and Romaine tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, green beans, carrots, cucumbers, and of course beautiful Marigolds. The tomatoes, green beans, peppers, and cucumbers have been productive.

The following story contains a picture tour which is included in the print version of this newsletter. 

How Boomers, Seniors are Using the Internet      

Thanks to: Casey Dowd, The Boomer, FOXBusiness, Published 8/2/12   

"The Boomer" is a column written for adults nearing retirement age and those already in their "golden years." It will also promote reader interaction by posting e-mail responses and answering reader questions. E-mail your questions or topic ideas to thefoxboomer@gmail.com. 

It was 1986 when I was first introduced to a computer. I was working at a brokerage firm in New York City when they purchased four computers for the floor and trained us how to check stocks. Today, our cell phones can do more than what those computers could handle.

The baby boomer generation was around for the birth of the Internet and the multi-billion dollar technology explosion that followed-but it's the later generations that grew up with texting over calling, emailing instead of visiting and updating Facebook. But that doesn't mean we aren't keeping up with the latest technology and online trends.

I had a chance to speak to Mary Madden, senior research specialist at the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project, (www.pewinternet.org) who co-authored its survey on how older adults' use of the Internet, to discuss the findings and what it means for boomers and the older generations.

Boomer:  Why do you think that the use of social media has grown so dramatically in recent years among the 50+  age group?

Madden: Social networking and other social media tools can help older adults stay connected to friends, family and co-workers at a time in their lives when they are likely to be experiencing major changes and transitions-whether that's entering retirement, starting a second career or managing health issues.

Our research and research from AARP has shown that many older adults are encouraged to start using social media by their family members--there's a sort of "trickle up" effect from younger members using the networks and nudging their parents and grandparents to join.  Similarly, when we ask adults about their biggest motivations for using social networking sites, we find that for adults ages 50 and older, staying in touch with family is the number one reason they use social media. By contrast, for adults under age 50, staying in touch with friends is a more important driving force.

However, it should be said that the "older adult" population is not a monolith, and there is great variation between someone who is 55 and 75. From an analytical perspective, it can be helpful to get a general perspective of patterns among those ages 50+ when compared with younger adults, but as more older adults have come online (and we're able to talk with more internet users 65+, for instance), we have tried to include more detailed analysis to illustrate these differences.

Boomer: Which networking tools are boomers and seniors embracing?

Madden: Among those who have actually created a profile on a social networking site, Facebook continues to be the most popular social media site for all age groups--by a large margin. LinkedIn is a very distant second, but is more popular with boomers than any other age group.

There are many other niche sites that have been developed with older adults in mind, but none of them have the traction that Facebook has right now.

Boomer: Did the survey find boomers/seniors increasing gadget ownership?

Madden: Cell phone ownership has been increasing at an especially rapid clip for older adults. Nine in 10 adults ages 50-64 now own a mobile phone. Among seniors, the vast majority now have a cell phone; 69% of adults ages 65 and older have a mobile phone, and that's up from 57% in May 2010. Even among those who are currently 76 and older, 56% report owning a cell phone of some kind, up from 47% of this generation in 2010. However, it's still more common for older adults to own a basic cell phone, rather than a feature-rich smartphone. Just over one in ten adults ages 65 and older say they have a smartphone.

Another interesting area of growth for older adults is e-book readers like Kindles and Nooks. Almost four times as many seniors own e-book readers now as did just two years ago; 11% reported owning them in the most recent survey, compared with just 3% in 2010. Tablet ownership is also modest, but growing; 8% of seniors have them, up from 1% in 2010.

Boomer: What is the top way boomers and seniors are using the internet?

Madden: Email is still the centerpiece of older adults' communications routines, but search, and news gathering are also core activities for the average older adult on a typical day.

Social media is not yet as deeply integrated into daily life for older adults, but there's a big difference in adoption between those who are 50-64 versus those who are 65 and older. While close to one in three online adults use social networking sites on a typical day, just 18% of those ages 65 and older use the sites that often.