Second Meeting - Aging Gracefully

The second meeting of Aging Gracefully was held on Tuesday, May 2nd at the Senior Activity Centre in West Vancouver, BC.

Paula Cline opened the meeting with a synopsis of the previous meeting and the purpose of Aging Gracefully. She then introduced our speaker – Jeff Palmer – former WVPD Member, now retired, and current Block Watch Coordinator, emphasizing his breadth of knowledge and wealth of experience in dealing with all kinds of fraud and scams.

Although the attendance numbers were low (5 total), Jeff was very gracious and proceeded to give an excellent and comprehensive presentation, which we all appreciated. This also gave us the opportunity to discuss matters in depth, and all attendees had many questions and input.

Given the proliferation and scope of scams, particularly targeting the elderly, there are too many to go into specifics here.  Jeff said he would send a link to Paula (posted below), which he highly recommended, as it would cover many specifics.

General themes in the presentation were:

• After retirement many people lose touch with resources they had through work. As well,  in general, many older people can become more isolated, leaving them at higher risk of becoming targets of scams.
• Ways to counteract:  Connection with community; knowledge-sharing,  and being proactive. Be aware that at some point some retirees may need support in decision-making.
• Today, scammers are more callous, sophisticated and opportunistic than ever.  If you are in doubt about any situation, take that extra step and consult a friend,  a neighbour, your bank, or take time to do some research BEFORE ACTING. Don’t let anyone rush you into a decision.
• Knowledge and support are key to avoiding getting caught up in these scams. 

…

Below is the link to the Booklet entitled “The Little Black Book of Scams” 

https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/competition-bureau-canada/sites/default/files/attachments/2022/CB-LBBS2-EN.pdf

This is a fascinating quick read which covers everything from identity theft to romance scams. It shows you how to recognize scams so that you can avoid them and emphasizes that you can and should report any suspected scams you encounter. 

 

If you want more information, Jeff can be reached at t: 604-925-7363 | c: 604-785-2446 

www.westvancouverblockwatch.com.

The topic for the  next meeting on June 6th at the Senior Activity Centre will  be - MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying). We have experts who will explain how this process works in British Columbia. 

When Aging Successfully starts back up in September, we have a Financial Advisor from VanCity who will talk us about how our financial strategies may evolve through various stages of retirement.

Ambleside Ambiguities

When I moved to Ambleside in 2015 from another Vancouver suburb, I was intrigued by many seemingly odd real estate situations. For instance, in an area that was screaming loudly for more affordable housing, many units in my building, which is and was always affordable, had remained empty for many years. In doing my research I found that some of these empty units had not been put on the market within the past five years. Why would someone willingly pay taxes and maintenance, often amounting to around three percent of the unit value, and continue to pay this amount year after year on an asset that had not maintained its value. 

One answer to this question may be found in Matthew Soules book entitled "Icebergs, Zombies and the Ultra Thin".  His thesis is that since the 1980's, there has been a movement toward "financialization" of real estate. Previous to this, people bought homes primarily to live in or to receive rents from. If real estate values increased in time that was simply a bonus. Since the 80's, people started buying real estate expecting it to act like a stock market commodity. It appears to be a safer way to preserve capital over time. With increasingly unstable areas of the world, many people from other countries have sunk their capital into real estate in safe countries like Canada resulting in many empty homes in my neighbouhood.

Ambleside has a very low tax rate compared to similar communities in the U.S. and Canada. As a result, real estate sales have become the predominant industry in this area. It will be interesting to see how recent legislation such as the empty home tax and restrictions on foreign buyers plays out over time.

Jet Lagged

Eleventh Day Home and Still Jet Lagged

There is a nine hour time zone difference between Spain and Vancouver. I conquered jet lag within three days of arriving in Spain. Since coming home over ten days ago, my body clock is still refusing to adjust back to this time zone. It thinks it is time to get up at 4 a.m. and it is constantly on fatigue/lethargy mode. At least the headaches, muscle spasms and joint pain have declined somewhat in the last few days. 

Getting out of doors, later in the day or early in the morning, does not seem to be helping. It is hard to tell what Melatonin is doing. I am certainly not staying asleep at night; although it is very easy to fall asleep.

Here is what Dr. Google tells me:

The body naturally produces the hormone melatonin, but among older people levels of the hormone are on the decline. 

Factors that increase the likelihood you'll experience jet lag include:

• Number of time zones crossed. The more time zones you cross, the more likely you are to feel jet lag.

• Flying east. You may find it harder to fly east, when you "lose" time, than to fly west, when you "gain" time.

• Being an older adult. Older adults may need more time to recover from jet lag.

Is this is one more aspect of aging that, as older adults, we need to plan for longer recovery times or are there other solutions to reset circadian rhythms? 

Yet, why was it easier to adjust on the east bound trip when I ‘lost’ nine hours and it is supposed to be harder on your body to lose hours. Could it have been that I flew ‘overnight’ going to Spain and returned ‘during the day’, departing 8:30 a.m. - arriving 4 p.m. (including 3 hours in Frankfurt). 

On my next trip, I will fly east through three time zones. I wonder what jet lag issues that will bring.

Back Home Again

I did it! - and almost all by myself. I am home again after a spectacular twenty-two day vacation in Spain. I now feel confident that I am still able to travel. 

In the past I often travelled alone. But since missing an Air Canada check-in by five minutes in San Francisco a while back and stumbling through some of the Arrive Canada restrictions during Covid, I had lost my confidence, particularly with air travel. 

This time, with the help of my daughter on the flight out and by finding a reliable travel agent, my confidence is back. I was able to manage getting home from Madrid successfully on my own this time.

Ambleside lost at least two travel agencies over the past couple of years and any that may have still been in operation were missing in action while I was trying to book a tour for this vacation a few months ago. 

I was lucky to find John Cave in Dunderave, a semi-retired travel advisor, who was able to book a Trafalgar tour and my flight home quickly and efficiently. He not only responded to my many emails; but he also provided a door to door free-of-charge airport drive both coming and going. He even offered to stop at a grocery store on the way home if I needed to pick up a few things. 

John can be reached at: 

                 

takeoffnow.com cruise and travel

John Cave, President

 a member agency of TL NETWORK 

WORLD WIDE RIVER & OCEAN CRUISE SPECIALISTS

A division of Take Off Eh! Cruise and Travel Corp.  

5530 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, BC Canada V7W 2R5

TEL: (604) 922-8760 (604)  CELL: (604) 715-4359

The SIM Card Learning Curve

Of things to know before you go:

When you travel, if you buy a SIM card for your current phone...

• You can no longer verify who you are by getting a code sent to your phone.
• Your phone may no longer sync with your computer, watch or ipad.
• You have a new number and your friends may not answer a strange number. 
• Your phone only works in specific countries. 
• You cannot use roaming feature as there is no method to pay for this service. 
• The only time you can use your phone in a different country is to connect with a wifi service which will only give you internet service. 

If you do not buy a SIM Card, you may be paying exorbitant cell phone fees when you return home. 

Solution: Next time bring two phones. Use your current phone only when you absolutely must. 

Moral of the Story: Don't become dependent on your phone.

BTW:  SIM means 'subscriber identity module. It is a smart card that stores information that can pinpoint a smartphone to a specific network. 

 

Into Africa

Marrakesh City Hall

My introduction to Africa started with fleas from the carpet on the ferry biting my ankles. It did get better; Morocco is a lovely place. However, it is a third world country and you must be on your guard most of the time.  From a couple of days in Fez we are moving on to Marrakesh for a few days before making our way back to Spain along the coast. I am thankful for being on a controlled Trafalgar tour as I know I could not do this on my own.

My Indispensable Phone

 At one time, before setting out on a holiday, BCAA would provide you with maps and books on the places you planned to go. They would even draw out a route for you to follow. The books contained information on hotels and restaurants and described tourist attractions. You always needed a phrase book in foreign language countries. Later there was Lonely Planet and other guide books to carry with you. 

Today, you only need a smart phone to travel and I wonder if anyone could travel well without one. In some restaurants the only menu available is by way of a scan with your phone. Since the possibility of spreading Covid germs became an issue, full size menus are rare. One-use paper copies of menus are available but are not good for the environment. 

In foreign countries, Google Translate and the Google Lens apps are indispensable. Google Maps, another vital app, will even guide you on walking to destinations with narrow crowded streets and lanes where street names are hard to find or understand. If I hold my phone in my hand, and have mapped my route, it lets me know when I have made a wrong turn.

Note to self: Next trip bring at least three power cord adaptors.

With phones, laptops, ipads, noise cancelling earphones, watches, sleeping devices, electric tooth brushes, there is always something that needs charging.