Health & Wellbeing

During the busy holiday season, family caregivers – over 268,000 right here in New Hampshire – already feel overwhelmed with daily responsibilities, leaving them vulnerable when the stress of the holidays arrive. Turning to unhealthy behaviors – drinking more eggnog, eating more sweets, getting fewer hours of shut-eye, and forgoing exercise – is not the answer.

Most drivers know drowsy driving is risky, yet too many still do it. Of course we cannot always get enough sleep as easily as we can avoid alcohol and drugs, but we must try, because drowsiness can be every bit as dangerous. It causes 100,000+ crashes nationally every year, killing over 1,500 of us and injuring at least 40,000 more. And those are conservative estimates, because drowsiness is so difficult to quantify and track. According to AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety research, 28% of motorists reported struggling to keep their eyes open while driving in the previous month, more than a third have fallen asleep behind the wheel at least once, and more than one in ten has done so in the past year.

Across Vermont unsung heroes care for parents, spouses, aunts, uncles, friends, and other loved ones – helping them stay at home, with dignity, as they age. This silent army helps with bathing and dressing, transportation, meal preparation, and even complicated medical tasks like wound care and medication management. They are family caregivers.

Get the Facts:

Today, AARP released a new survey that says more than half of working Americans over age 50 (55%) don’t think they’ll have enough money for health care as they reach the age they expect to retire. While Medicare only covers about half of health costs, four in ten (38%) say they haven’t saved anything at all for such expenses even though multiple studies show that these costs often reach more than $200,000 for a retired couple. AARP also found that among 50+ workers, most (57%) say they plan to work past the age of 65.

The U.S. DEA is working with local police agencies to hold a medication take-back on Saturday, September 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is a great chance for you to get rid of old medications that are either expired or that you no longer need.

Please join us:

It's time to put down the cell phone....at least when you're behind the wheel. On October 1 st a new handheld device law goes into effect impacting all drivers on Vermont roads. It is already illegal for any driver to text while driving or to use a portable electronic or computing device in a work zone, and for drivers under age 18 to use a handheld device anywhere. But on October 1, that ban will be extended to all drivers everywhere in Vermont. Here’s what you need to know:

One of the Biggest Events of the Year...Vermont's First Ciclovia!

The AARP Smart Driver® Program, a classroom driver refresher course, is offered regularly throughout Vermont. Program content addresses the changes that occur in vision, hearing, and reaction time as we age and provides useful driving safety tips for handling these changes. The course also reviews how changes in vehicles and roadways affect driving safety featuring new research-based content and information regarding Vermont motor vehicle laws. Updated content includes discussion of health and mental acuity as well as approaches to limit the need to drive in order to accomplish necessary tasks. A complete list of Vermont classes as well as other driver safety information can be found on the internet at www.VTdrivers.org.