By Rita R. Robison, Blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Piles of snow. Torrents of rain. Freezing cold winter. Wind. Mudslides. Freezing rain. Sleet. Power outages.

When I wrote on Dec. 10 about preparing for winter , I thought it was a bit late in the season. But with severe winter storms unleashing their fury throughout the nation in January and February, my article was timely.

How are you doing in the winter weather? If you were caught in a snowstorm, did you have an emergency kit in your car? If the power went out, did you have enough supplies to keep you going for several days?

If you’re not prepared for an emergency, see the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s “Are You Ready? Assemble a Disaster Supplies Kit” for information on organizing supplies for your home and car and at work.

Kiplinger’s “Your Essential Emergency Kit” offers these nine steps to protect you and your loved ones against natural and personal disaster:

1. Build your emergency fund.

2. Cover your assets.

3. Protect your livelihood.

4. Make your wishes known.

5. Safeguard important documents.

6. Have a grab-and-go survival kit.

7. Keep your car tuned – and gassed – up.

8. Stock up.

9. Get your family organized.

See the article for details.

Let me know how you’re doing in the winter storms. Leave a comment in the Comment section below.

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By Rita R. Robison, Blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Now that lead is banned in products for children, the makers of cheap children’s jewelry are substituting another toxic chemical – cadmium.

An investigation by the Associated Press reported high cadmium levels in items including bracelet charms from Wal-Mart and Claire’s stores. Lab tests conducted for the AP on 103 pieces of low-priced children’s jewelry, nearly all exported from China, found 12 items with cadmium content above 10 percent of the total weight.

Several of those shed very high amounts of the metal when analyzed for how much of the toxin a child might be exposed to after swallowing the item.

Like lead, cadmium can hinder brain development in young children, according to recent research. It also causes cancer.

Writing in a blog post, Inez Tenenbaum, chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, said:

Now we hear about cadmium in jewelry. This is unacceptable. Just this week, I sent a clear message warning manufacturers against the use of heavy metals, ‘especially cadmium,’ in a keynote speech that was delivered Tuesday at the APEC Toy Safety Initiative/Dialogue in Hong Kong.

Because of these recent developments, I have a message for parents, grandparents and caregivers: Do not allow young children to be given or to play with cheap metal jewelry, especially when they are unsupervised.

We have proof that lead in children’s jewelry is dangerous and was pervasive in the marketplace. To prevent young children from possibly being exposed to lead, cadmium or any other hazardous heavy metal, take the jewelry away.

Tenenbaum said the commission is moving swiftly to stop the replacement of lead with cadmium and other hazardous heavy metals in children’s products imported from China.

We are also actively investigating the jewelry cited in the recent AP story and will inform parents and consumers quickly of any actions we take as a result of our efforts. Our investigation is squarely focused on ensuring the safety of children.

Tenenbaum added:

It is very difficult for a parent to determine if an item contains harmful levels of a metal in a specific item except by checking recalls listed on the CPSC Web site. Parents should know that swallowing, sucking on, or chewing a metal charm or necklace could result in exposure to lead, cadmium or other heavy metals, which are known to be toxic at certain levels of exposure.

We are working to take decisive action at CPSC, using the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, a law aimed at keeping kids safe from toxic chemicals and metals.

Tenenbaum said a tragic incident occurred in March 2006, which had a significant impact on the CPSC. Jarnell Brown, a 4-year old boy from Minneapolis, Minn., swallowed a metal charm that was nearly pure lead. He died four days later.

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By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist, Blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Are you baby boomers traveling with your adult children this holiday season?

If so, what did you decide about who’s invited and who pays what bills?

One family I know debated about whether to invite the unmarried boyfriends and girlfriends of their kids.

In “Negotiating Vacations With Adult Children” on Uptake Vacations Blog, Laura Charon writes that she and her husband decided to pay the airfare for their two adult children for a vacation to Hawaii, but not the airfares for their significant others.

The parents would pay for the condo and groceries for the meals cooked there, one fancy dinner, one rental car, and one activity they could do as a family. The kids would pay for activities, a second rental car, if needed, shopping, eating out, and other expenses that came up.

What are your travel plans this holiday season? Did you invite your kids to vacation with you and work out the financial arrangement successfully?

Have you tried vacationing with your adult children in the past? Did it work out well? Or, was it a disaster, with fights about money?

Leave me a comment below and let me know your experiences.

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By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist, Blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

The baby boomers “are coming”; boomers are going to get older. And as they age, they’ll want health care workers to help them in their homes. 

Baby boomers will put unprecedented demands on the nation’s long-term care resources, and policy makers should act now to prepare for what appears to be an uncertain future, said Howard Gleckman, senior research associate at the Urban Institute, speaking at a long-term care symposium this week. 

Pay is a problem; 19 percent of home care aides and 16 percent of nursing home aides are compensated at a level insufficient for them to rise above the poverty line, Gleckman said. 

But as salaries for home care aides go up, it’s more difficult for older Americans and their families to afford the care. 

The symposium emphasized the need for a national long-term care strategy including funding, education, and support for the caregiver as part of health care reform. It also highlighted the numerous legislative proposals in support of caregivers aimed at helping to solve the nation’s long-term care challenges. 

See the article “Home Health Aide Shortage Looms, Experts Warn” on ConsumerAffairs.com for details.

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By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist, Blogging at The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

The Washington Toxics Coalition and the Michigan-based Ecology Center are releasing new chemical test data for more than 900 everyday products, including back-to-school products and pet toys, on a new website www.HealthyStuff.org.

The site offers information on more than 15,000 test results on about 5,000 common consumer items.

The site alerts consumers to the dangers of lead, cadmium, mercury, PVC, flame retardants, and other hazardous chemicals found in school supplies, pet toys, cars, and many other everyday consumer products.

I recommend baby boomer consumers make use of this information.

I took some toys, a plastic storage container, and a pair flip flops to a testing day offered by the coalition last year. All of the items I had tested contained PVC or a hazardous chemical.

It’s especially important to find out about possible toxins in children’s toys because children often chew on them.

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