Good morning and welcome to agebuzz… Headlining today’s topics:

-Gone Phishing: Don’t Fall For This Amazon Scam

-Watering Hole: A Primer On Dehydration By Dr. Kernisan

-Wish List: Suggested Books For Your Holiday Gift Giving

-Smoke Signals: The Risks Continue For Older Smokers

-Tune In: The Benefits Of Technology For The Over 80 Set

-Photo Op: Portraits Of Incarcerated Seniors

-The Last Word

Gone Phishing: Don’t Fall For This Amazon Scam: Internet shopping has become a way of life for so many of us- especially if our time, or mobility, is limited. The array of items available, especially during the holiday season, is limitless on sites like Amazon. And those who would like to trick you into revealing your personal info know that all too well. There’s a new scam brewing to trick those of us who shop on Amazon, and it’s all too easy to fall prey. Of course, the key is to NEVER click on through in an e-mail that is from an unknown entity- but this scam appears to be the real deal from Amazon, which is why it’s so much more dangerous.  So don’t be fooled, or foolish: Read about this new scam Here.

Watering Hole: A Primer On Dehydration By Dr. Kernisan: By now you know we regularly sing the praises of geriatrician Leslie Kernisan, whose website, Better Health While Aging, is a source of wisdom and practical guidance. Recently, Dr. Kernisan wrote an in-depth piece about dehydration in seniors: it’s more than just being thirsty and it’s a problem beyond the hot summer season. The causes, physical signs and real consequences for seniors are all important to understand, especially for caregivers of older individuals.  There are clear do’s and don’ts and lots of practical wisdom to be learned. So pour yourself a glass of water, and Read Here. 

Wish List: Suggested Books For Your Holiday Gift Giving: This time of year there are innumerable “best of” lists floating around. So here’s one that you might find a bit unusual: “Best Books For People of a Certain Age.” The list includes memoirs and mini-histories, with some self-help and humor thrown in. Looking for a little distraction for yourself or a unique gift for a loved one? Read no further: Look Here. And as you prepare for the coming new year, you may want to take a look at retirement guru Nancy Collamer’s list of books for a great “semi-retirement” Here.

Smoke Signals: The Risks Continue For Older Smokers: We all know that smoking is terrible for our health. Some smokers, however,  justify it by assuming that limited smoking as we get older will mitigate the real risks.  In fact, that is not the case. In a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers looking at smokers age 59-82 confirmed that even light smokers (fewer than 10 cigarettes per day) still had a higher risk of death than those who don’t smoke or those who have quit. For “low intensity” smokers, the risk declines the longer you go without cigarettes. Read more about this study Here. And just to confirm it’s never too late to help yourself by giving up smoking, read about another new study that substantiates the benefit of quitting in your 60’s Here.

Tune In: The Benefits Of Technology For The Over 80 Set: As people live longer and the over 80 segment of the population grows larger, researchers are beginning to focus on how to improve the lives of these very senior citizens. Scientists at Stanford recently published a piece in the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences that highlights the real value that information and communication technology can have for people over 80. As people age, they tend to prioritize meaningful interaction with family and friends over other activities. But due to geography or physical limitations, those interactions are challenging for many.  Enter social technology, which can allow for intimacy and sharing, despite distance and disability. Read more about this study Here. And for an inspirational story about how one grandfather discovered Instagram as a way to connect with his grandchildren, Read Here.

Photo Op: Portraits Of Incarcerated Seniors: It’s hard enough getting older. Imagine growing older, with all of its attendant limitations, while serving a sentence behind bars. Your life is severely restricted and your options to maintain a quality of life are few. For photographer Jessica Earnshaw, the subject of aging prisoners became a passion and a project. Through her work, “The Aging in Prison Photo Project,” the real lives, and limitations, of this select group of seniors becomes reality for the uninitiated. Photographing both men and women in the Maine prison population, and recording their words and stories, Earnshaw has created a humane and authentic portrait of what it’s like to live out your days while living in a cell. Read more about Jessica Earnshaw’s project Here, and find her own website Here.

THE LAST WORD: “One of the benefits of being old is that you remember when it was worse…way, way, way worse.” Gloria Steinem, being interviewed on The Takeaway radio show, November 9, 2016