They said it

There’s no doubt about it: Taxes are tricky. And making a mistake can cost you big—in penalties, paying more than you need to, or by raising a red flag and prompting the IRS to audit you.

"Mistakes on your tax return often come from simply being confused,” says Jackie Perlman, principal tax research analyst with The Tax Institute at H&R Block. But there is help available. Through their Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program — "elderly" sounds alarmingly old, but it means age 60 and older in this case — the IRS offers free tax help with volunteers who specialize in questions about pensions and retirement issues unique to seniors. And if you earn $50,000 or less you might qualify for free tax return preparation through the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA).

Even if you hire a professional tax preparer, mistakes can still happen if you don’t give your preparer the right information. "If your kids or grandkids moved in with you, if you got married or divorced, or sold property, be sure to tell your preparer everything—and provide records and receipts—as life changes can influence your tax return,” says Cindy Hockenberry, EA, a tax expert and the Tax Knowledge Center Manager with the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP).

If you’re filing your own return, double check it against this checklist from the IRS. Meanwhile, read on to find out how to avoid some of the most common mistakes made on federal tax returns.

1) Filing a paper tax return. It’s easy to botch basic math or forget to sign your name when you file your taxes on paper. But you don’t have to shell out a lot of money for a fancy tax software program or hire a tax preparer to up your chances for a filing a flawless return. Simply efile on the IRS website. "The computer program eliminates math errors, makes easy to include additional forms, and won’t let you file without putting in a PIN signature,” says Hockenberry. Click here to access the IRS Free File to file federal taxes for free.

2) Using the wrong name(s) and number(s). "Simple mistakes are easily avoidable if you take your time and double check your return,” says Perlman. Be sure that the names and Social Security numbers for you, your spouse, and any dependents (such as your grandkids if they live with you) are included on the return exactly as they appear on their Social Security cards. Cross your Ts, dot your Is, and make sure the basics are correct—or risk the IRS not accepting your return.

3) Picking the wrong filing status. There are five filing statuses: Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, Head of Household and Qualifying Widow(er) with Dependent Child. Your filing status is used to determine your standard deduction, eligibility for certain credits, and ultimately your correct tax. "But more than one filing status can apply to you and that can be confusing,” says Hockenberry. What if you’re separated, but still legally married? Or if you became a widow or widower last year? And how do you know if you are the head of household? If you aren’t sure about your filing status, don’t leave it to chance—or a kick-backed return. Take a quick interview on the IRS website to determine your correct filing status.

4) Not paying tax on Social Security Income. If you’re collecting Social Security benefits along with a pension or investment income, or continue to work either full-time or part-time, your Social Security is taxable, says Perlman. "If you don’t pay your taxes, the IRS can assess interest and penalties and even prosecute you,” adds Hockenberry. Even if you don’t have the money to pay the taxes you owe, be sure to still file, as not filing your return comes with even more penalties. Her advice: Sign up for voluntary tax withholding on your Social Security benefits to avoid the complicated mess next year.

5) Waiting for a paper check. If you wait for the government to mail you your refund check, it could take up to six weeks. Even worse, it could get lost or stolen in the mail. So sign up for direct deposit so you can get your return about two weeks after you file. "You can even have the IRS divide your return between several different accounts,” says Hockenberry. If you don’t know the correct numbers for your bank account or routing, call your bank.

6) Being too aggressive with deductions. For most taxpayers, the big three deductions are related to mortgage interest, charitable contributions or medical expenses. "But too often, people listen to what other people or friends are claiming and they think they can do the same,” says Hockenberry. Bottom line: You are not allowed deductions without substantiation. "If you don’t have proper receipts and records, you run the risk of the IRS auditing you, and then ending up with an additional tax liability,” says Hockenberry. Always seek professional assistance when in doubt if a deduction is legitimate, or if you need help determining whether you should itemize or take the standard deduction.

7) Filing late. Don’t think you’re going to make the April 15 deadline? Get ready to pony up more money. If you file late and owe tax, you will get hit with penalties and interest. For failure-to-file, the penalty is 5 percent for each month your tax return is late, up to a total maximum penalty of 25 percent. The failure-to-pay penalty is 0.5 percent of the amount of tax you owe for each month the tax is not paid in full. And you’ll also have to pay interest (currently 4 percent per year) for every month you don’t pay in full. Definitely due a refund? "There are no penalties for a late tax filing if you are due a refund,” says Hockenberry. Still, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Avoid late filing penalties and fees by filing for an extension. Just be aware that an extension of time to file is not an extension of time to pay.

Protect Your Knees

Courtesy of Handprint Creations

Apple Tree Fingerprints  Courtesy of Momma on the Move

Courtesy of Homemade Mamas

Flamingo with Clothespins

What kid doesn’t love googly eyes? Gather some clothespins, trace your grandchild’s hand onto cardstock, and turn it into a flamingo with this how-to from Homemade Mamas. Glue a magnet to the back and display it on the fridge when you’re finished.

Supplies: Hot pink cardstock, 3 clothespins, pink acrylic paint, paintbrush, orange pipe cleaners, googly eye, glue, pencil/pen, scissors

 

Courtesy of Meet the Dubiens

Handprint Ballerina Tutu

This craft is for the grandparent who’s a little more artistic. Use cardstock, two painted handprints, and a ribbon to create a ballerina. Don’t forget to have the artist sign the masterpiece! See the how-to at Meet the Dubiens.

Supplies: Canvas or paper, 2 shades of pink paint, paint brush, pink cardstock, scissors, glue, pink ribbon

 

Courtesy of Naptime Decorator

 

Family Handprint Tree

The entire family can have fun with this craft. Give family trees a creative spin by putting family members’ handprints on the branches. Frame the tree when you’re finished. Get the instructions from the Naptime Decorator.

Supplies: White poster board paper, pencil, paint markers (to draw tree trunk), scissors, glue, acrylic paints in various colors, frame (optional)

Courtesy of Preschool Playbook

 

Monster Handprints

Kids will get a kick out of transforming their handprints into a little monster. Get the instructions from Preschool Playbook.

Supplies: Green paint or stamp pad, googly eyes, glue, scissors, white construction paper or cardstock, red construction paper or cardstock

 

 

Courtesy of Family Crafts

 

Paper Plate Sun

Handprints become rays of sunshine when they’re attached to a paper plate. Kids can color the sun using paint, markers, or crayons depending on the age. Hang it on the wall when you’re finished, or attach a popsicle stick and use it as a puppet. Get the instructions from Family Crafts.

Supplies: Paper plate; construction paper; crayons, markers, or paint; craft glue; scissors

 

Courtesy of The Trendy Treehouse

Handprint Bouquet of Flowers

Flowers are nice, but flowers made of handprints are even better! This craft works well for one grandkid or several grandkids working together. Get the how-to from The Trendy Treehouse.

Supplies: Paper, paint colors of your choice, paintbrush

 

Courtesy of Simply Kierste

 

Handprint Apron

This project is perfect for crafting with several grandchildren at once. Using heat transfers to add names is optional; if you want a low-maintenance version, write the names with a paint pen instead. Get the how-to from Simply Kierste.

Supplies: Canvas apron, washable fabric paint, fabric and matching thread (optional), heat transfer (optional) or paint pen

 

Courtesy of Michaels

Handprint in Clay

This classic handprint craft is simple: knead the clay, roll it out, and plant your grandchild’s hand into the clay. Paint the handprint, let the clay dry, and voila! – an instant keepsake. Kids love playing with squishy clay, so you may want to pick up extra so they can explore other shapes. Get the how-to from Michaels.

Supplies: Crayola® Model Magic® in Terra Cotta, Craft Smart® Paint Brush, FolkArt® Acrylic Paint in Sunny Yellow, Wood Rolling Pin (all available at Michaels stores)

 

On the one hand, it was so simple. There was a new baby, Isabelle Eva, and there was nothing to do except love her. That was the one hand. The other hand, belonging to her parents, held all the cards. I soon learned that I could love my granddaughter fiercely, but I had no say — in anything. She was mine, but not mine. Although this is perfectly natural and should not have shocked me, it did. (Okay, I admit that on occasion the word bossy has been used to describe my behavior. Still.) For many parents used to being in charge, deferring to the rules and wishes of our adult children and their partners is humbling. I ended up editing a book on the subject to help me get a handle on my new role. Here are a few guidelines that — so far — have kept me out of hot water.

1. Seal your lips. Even if you’re an expert who has written 13 bestsellers on parenthood, your adult sons and daughters will assume you know nothing about childrearing. Your advice and opinions will not be welcome, unless directly solicited. (Even then, it’s iffy as to whether the new parents really want to hear your answer.) Tread lightly. As Anne Roiphe laments in Eye of My Heart, "Ah, my poor tongue is sore from being bitten."

2. You may love thy grandchild as thine own — but never forget that he or she is not thine own. I was confused about this in the beginning. I was at the hospital when Isabelle was born and I thought we were all one big happy family. Not. I had to win over her parents. They loved me — I knew that — but did they trust me? In the early days I felt as if I were auditioning for the part of grandparent. Did I hold Isabelle properly? Didn’t I know that you never put a newborn down on her stomach? It took me a few blunders to secure their trust — which must be renewed every so often, like a driver’s license.

3. Abide by the rules of the new parents. The dos and don'ts of childrearing change with every generation. If I had listened to my mother, I would have held my son only while feeding him (every four hours) — and not one second longer, lest he turn into a "mama’s boy." These days, with the crush of childrearing information online, most new parents are up to speed — and beyond — but we grandparents most definitely are not. Baby slings? The Mutsy Slider Stroller? Who knows what these things are, or how to operate them?

4. Accept your role. If you’re the mother of the new father, you may not have the same access to your grandchild as the maternal grandmother, at least in the beginning. In most families, new mothers are the primary caretakers of babies and they tend to lean on their mothers for support. This is not a problem — unless you think it is. Your grandchild will love you too. Anyhow, all grandparents — whether on the maternal or paternal side — are at risk of being shut out if they fail to observe any of these commandments. Try to think of yourself as a relief pitcher in a baseball game: You're on the bench until your adult children call you up — and then you must do as they say if you want to stay in the game. (We've already covered this, but I think it's key.)

5. Don’t be surprised if old issues get triggered when your child has a child. For many people, feelings of competition with their grandchild's other grandparents provoke traumatic flashbacks to junior high school. This is especially true now, given the proliferation of divorce and stepfamilies. Not only that, some grandparents are able to lavish the kids with expensive gifts, while others live much closer to the children than their counterparts. Still, a little goodwill goes a long way. The heart is a generous muscle capable of loving many people at once, and most of us are able to get past the initial rush of jealousy to find our special place in the new order. (Yes, of course we still secretly hope that our grandchildren will love us more than those other people. We are, after all, human.)

6. Get a life. Sometimes I’ve become overly embroiled in my concern for my son and his family; at other times my desire to be an integral part of their lives has taken precedence over things I needed to do to maintain my own sense of well-being — and I’ve paid the price. Hence, my mantra: "I have my life, they have theirs.” We are close and connected, yet separate. Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries.

7. Let go of all expectations. When Isabelle Eva was born she was living around the corner from us, but when she was two months old her parents moved her overseas. Not only was I heartbroken, my expectations about my involvement in her life were turned upside down. Yet, once I was able to let go of my agenda — which took some doing — I found that I still felt deeply connected to Isabelle and vice-versa. Now my husband and I visit her as often as we can and, in between visits, we Skype and talk on the phone. There are bound to be unpredictable plot twists in every family narrative, but, unless you are raising your grandchildren, your adult children are writing their own story. (See No. 4: Relief pitcher, on the bench.) Who knew that grandparenthood would offer so many new opportunities for personal growth?

Ultimately, the good news about becoming a grandparent, and not being in charge anymore, is that nothing is your fault, either. As Roxana Robinson writes in Eye of My Heart, "It's like being told you no longer have to eat vegetables, only dessert — and really only the icing."

Barbara Graham, a Grandparents.com columnist, is the editor of the anthology, Eye of My Heart: 27 Writers Reveal the Hidden Pleasures and Perils of Being a Grandmother (Harper), which tells "the whole crazy, complicated truth about being a grandmother in today's world."

How to Afford Healthcare?

On February 13, 2011, CBS-TV reporter Serene Branson shocked Grammy Award viewers when she appeared to experience a stroke (the interruption of blood flow to the brain) on air. After Branson began to speak gibberish, paramedics on the scene checked her out and released her. She had a colleague drive her home.

Fortunately, it reportedly turned out to be a complex migraine – because if it had been a stroke, "she did exactly the wrong thing by waiting and then going home. She should have gone straight to a hospital. Time saved is brain saved,” says Larry B. Goldstein, MD, spokesperson for the American Stroke Association, and director, Duke Stroke Center, Durham, NC. He adds that even though the paramedics "cleared her,” she still should have gone to the hospital immediately. (To be fair, the paramedics may have recommended that but they can’t force someone.)

Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States, according to the American Stroke Association (ASA). There are two kinds of strokes: ischemic, which accounts for 87% and happens when a blood clot stops up a brain blood vessel or artery to the brain; and hemorrhagic, which is caused when a brain blood vessel breaks and results in bleeding inside or over the brain.

Major symptoms:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, or trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Less frequent symptoms (but occur often in women):

• Sudden onset of nausea, and vomiting
• Brief loss of consciousness or fainting, confusion or convulsions
• Sudden hiccups
• Sudden face and limb pain
• Sudden shortness of breath and chest pain

3 Easy Tests to Assess Symptoms:

1. Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
2. Ask the person to raise his arms. Does one arm drift downward?
3. Ask the person to say a simple sentence. Watch for garbled words and slurred speech.

If you think you or someone with you is having a stroke, here’s what to do:

• Call 9-1-1 right away. Do not "wait and see” if the symptoms subside. The sooner the patient gets medical attention, the better the outcome. "If you have a choice, wait for the paramedics rather than driving the patient yourself. Patients who are transported by EMS are evaluated much quicker than people who are driven in,” says Dr. Goldstein. (And, of course, do not drive if you are the one with the possible stroke!)
• Call even if symptoms disappear. In a transient ischemic attack (TIA), symptoms usually only last a few minutes but it is a warning that a major stroke may be coming. "The best way to treat a stroke is to never have it to begin with. This is an opportunity to try to prevent one,” says Dr. Goldstein.
• Note the time when symptoms appeared and let the paramedics know. There are time frames after which certain drugs can’t be used.
• Do not give the patient aspirin. "A stroke is a brain event, not a heart attack,” explains Dr. Goldstein. "You can’t tell what kind of stroke the person is having. If it’s hemorrhagic, aspirin will make the brain bleed worse.”

There’s an app for that! Download the American Stroke Association’s free "Spot a Stroke FAST” app to your iPhone or iPad -- it lists stroke symptoms and locates appropriate hospitals. It’s good to have around as a reminder in a crisis. (Android version coming soon.)

This article has been provided by our editorial partners at Techlicious, the website that makes tech simple with practical tips for saving money, saving time, and getting more out of the technology in your life.

Facebook now has a billion users, with more than half of those people signing on every month. Unfortunately, crooks and scammers are also part of the social network’s population—they figure at least a certain percentage of users will fall for their shenanigans.

According to Chester Wisniewski, senior security advisor at the security firm Sophos, the number of Facebook scams in play seems to be holding steady. And while Facebook is trying to tackle the problem, the scammers don't give up easily when they can profit off unsuspecting people.

How do you spot a Facebook scam? Be wary of unlikely promises, Wisniewski says.

"No one is giving away an iPad to every person who fills out a survey and you aren't likely the specially chosen winner of the Nokia, Microsoft or Coca-Cola lottery, because there isn't one,” he says. "The best practice is to avoid clicking links on Facebook at all. It is generally safe to click links from trusted pages of companies, bands and groups you like, but avoid clicking links from your friends' walls and chat messages.”

Here are popular Facebook scams you should watch out for.

1) Change Your Facebook Profile Color

This "color changer v1.3” is actually a survey scam application, and you definitely don’t want to give it access to your Facebook account. It promises to let you change your Facebook profile color to something other than blue. If you click on the link, it asks you to "like” the app before it even does anything for you, and if you click on "continue” you’ll land at an app permission page. If you authorize the app to access your Facebook account it will send spam messages to all your friends. Not only that, if you actually click to install the app, it won’t give it to you until you fill out a survey.

2) Support a Wounded Soldier

Sophos recently reported that a popular post making its way through Facebook that purports to support wounded soldiers is, in fact, a hoax. The text of the post is a variation of the following:

When filling out your Christmas cards this year, take ONE CARD and SEND it to this address: A Recovering American Soldier, c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20307-5001. If we pass this on and everyone sends one card, think of how many cards these soldiers could get to bring up their spirits! Feel free to repost. This is a wonderful thing to do !!

While idea seems like a good one, any cards sent in this manner will never reach an American soldier. According to hoax-busting site Snopes.com, the U.S. Mail will not deliver any letters or packages addressed to "Any soldier" or "Any wounded soldier" at Walter Reed, especially since Walter Reed closed its doors in 2011.

If you really want to send holiday mail to an unnamed service member, use the legitimate service provided by the American Red Cross:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

3) Free Gift Card or Voucher

If somebody on Facebook tells you Costco, McDonald's, Starbucks or any other company is giving away vouchers or gift cards if only you invite your friends to the offer or click on a link—don’t believe it. If you do, you’ll end up spamming all your contacts with bogus messages about the fake offer, be asked to participate in surveys or prodded to complete "reward offers” in which you may be asked for personal information. If you supply your name, address, phone number or other things to these dishonest marketers, they can sell your data to others as well as harass you via non-Facebook media.

4) Copyright and Privacy Rights Protection Hoax

Recently there’s been a meme floating around Facebook that tells users that posting a particular legal notice to their Facebook wall allows them to retain the copyright of any content they post on the site as well as protect their rights to privacy. About this hoax Facebook says:

"There is a rumor circulating that Facebook is making a change related to ownership of users' information or the content they post to the site. This is false. Anyone who uses Facebook owns and controls the content and information they post, as stated in our terms. They control how that content and information is shared. That is our policy, and it always has been."

5) See Who’s Viewing Your Profile

This one claims to be able to tell you who is looking at your Facebook information, or as the scammers put it, "spying at your profile.” If you click on the link, you first have to "like” the app, which, again, only encourages your friends to click on the same bad link. From there, you’ll be asked to give the app permission to access your Facebook account. If you do so, not only will everyone on your friend list get a spam message from you, you’ll also be prompted to take various surveys—all without ever receiving information about who’s been spying on you.

Here’s what Facebook itself says about this popular scam:

Facebook does not provide a functionality that enables you to track who is viewing your timeline, or parts of your timeline, such as your photos. Third party applications also cannot provide this functionality. Applications that claim to give you this ability will be removed from Facebook for violating policy. You can report applications that provide untrustworthy experiences.

6) Enticing Videos or Photos

This one can come through a Facebook post or email message. Either way, if someone invites you to check out a photo or video of something you just won’t believe—know that there’s most likely something nefarious waiting for you on the other side the link.

For instance, people who click on a link titled "Look what this girl wore at the beach in front of thousands of people!” will actually end up at what looks like a video feed, but if you click on it you’ll get a message saying you need to update your YouTube player. People who choose to install it actually are downloading malware to their computers. At the same time, hidden code will cause a Facebook "like” to appear on your Timeline, which will only encourage your friends who see it to also click on the bad video or photo lure.

A variation on this scam sends what looks like a Facebook notification to your email account, telling you that one of your friends tagged you in a new photo. If you’re curious and click on the attached ZIP file you will effectively unleash malware that will give hackers the keys to your Windows computer.

What to Do If You Get Suckered

If, for some reason, you fall for one if these scams, make sure to remove any references to it from your profile and delete any bad app that has attached itself to your Facebook account. To do that:

• Go to the small gear on the top right of your Facebook screen.
• Then select Account Settings.
• In the left menu, click Apps.
• Once you're on the Apps page, you can click the "x" to the right of any App to delete it.
• Also, check whether you may have unknowingly "Liked" bogus sites or pages by going to your Timeline and clicking your "Likes" icon at the top of the page. Any Likes you don't recognize? Unlike them.)

For more information about the various ways you can get scammed on Facebook, visit the social network’s scam page.

When Melody Brooke, 57, of Richardson, Texas, divorced her husband 30 years ago, she didn’t just lose her spouse, she also lost her best friend: her mother-in-law. "She stopped calling and stopped talking to me," she says. "She stopped supporting me in any way."

The sudden absence of her mother-in-law wasn’t exactly a surprise since the divorce had been Brooke's idea. Even then, Brooke, who is also a family therapist, understood how hard it must have been for her mother-in-law to stay close to her when her loyalties were with her son. "It’s really hard to make that shift especially when you need to be there for your child," she says. "I understood it, but it still hurt." Over time, Brooke and former mother-in-law became friendly again, but were never as close as they were.

Divorce isn’t easy on anyone in the family, and grandparents are no exception. The hurt feelings, sadness and anger that erupt can threaten—and potentially destroy—even the most harmonious and loving family relationships.

Put Hurt Feelings Aside After the Breakup

But staying in touch is important, not just because you cherish your former daughter- or son-in-law, but because you need to be there for the grandchildren. "The most important factor is your grandchildren," says Tina B. Tessina, PhD, a psychotherapist and author of Money, Sex and Kids: Stop Fighting about the Three Things That Can Ruin Your Marriage. "Even though your son or daughter is divorced from the other parent, they will still always be connected through the children, and your connection is important, too."

That connection may become especially important if your child or former in-law gets remarried, and circumstances change. "You’ll want to maintain the connection with the kids because they’ll need someone safe in their lives," Brooke says. "But in order to maintain that connection, you need to keep connected to their parents."

Extend Your Friendship for the Grandkids

Keeping the relationship friendly with a former son- or daughter-in-law may not be easy. "He or she may not trust you and may be projecting hurt or anger onto you," Brooke says. "Often, ex-spouses have the sense that the former in-laws are no longer in their corner, and that prevents them from feeling safe enough to ask for help or support."

That’s why the onus may fall on the grandparent to reach out. Here’s how you can create a more harmonious relationship:

• Start by checking in with your child. Ask your son or daughter if it’s okay that you contact the former spouse. If there was a serious betrayal involved, you may jeopardize the relationship with your child by becoming too friendly with his ex, says Debra Castaldo, PhD, a therapist in Englewood, NJ and author of Relationship Reboot. "Balance your child’s needs with the need for your grandchildren to see a healthy relationship between the grandparent and both their parents," Castaldo says.
• Make the first move. Regardless of who might be at fault or who initiated the divorce, the dissolution of a marriage is painful for everyone involved. A loving phone call, a kind email or even a good cry over a cup of coffee will go a long way toward setting the stage for future relations with your ex daughter- or son-in-law. "Call the future ex in-law and let her know how sorry you are that things didn't work out, and that your heart is also breaking," Brooke says. "If you don't feel comfortable calling, reach out by snail mail and write a hand written note."
• Be reassuring of her role. "Let her know that you’re not blaming her and that you respect her as the parent of your grandchild," Brooke says. "Making sure that she knows you are available, and want to be there for her as a supportive grandparent to their child, can help her feel safer.
• Provide practical help. Life is never easy for a single parent, so if you can, offer to prepare a meal or take the kids, so your ex in-law can get a reprieve. The kindness can help pave the way for a better relationship.
• Be patient. It’s not unusual for the former in-law to harbor angry feelings toward you. Give her some time to come around, and don’t be afraid to offer your help several times.
• Be empathetic. Try and view difficult situations from the perspective of your child and your in-law, Tessina says. "Try not to be critical of one parent to the other, and definitely not to the grandchildren," she says.
• Talk to safe people. When your ex-in-law or child does something that upsets you, talk to other grandparents, a therapist, or friends—not to either of them. "Let off steam to 'safe' people, so your children and grandchildren don't experience your anger and frustration," Tessina says.

"And if you can find other grandparents who have succeeded in overcoming their children’s divorce and stayed in touch with the former in-law and the grandchildren, find out how they did it."

Too Shy to Talk to Your Doctor?

Bernie Schallehn was in the shower and about to rinse soap out of his eyes when he slipped and fell backwards. He landed outside the tub, but not before hitting his head on the bathroom counter. The 61-year-old grandfather wound up with two bumps on his head, but it could have been much worse.

"I think there was soap and shampoo residue in the tub that caused me to slip," says Schallehn, 61, a writer and grandfather in Voorheesville, New York. "I was also rushing. If I had it to do over again, I'd go slower and put my focus on maintaining good footing."

Although he and his wife talked about installing a bar in the shower, they never did. "However, now I usually wipe the floor of the tub before I shower to make sure it's not slick with shampoo, soap or other products," Schallehn says.

When it comes to making our homes safe, we typically think of replacing batteries in fire alarms, installing carbon monoxide detectors, and stowing away hazardous chemicals. But in reality, the biggest health hazard in our homes may be our feet – when they trip or slip.

A Potentially Lethal Life-Changer
Every year, more than 2.3 million older adults turn up in hospital emergency rooms for fall-related injuries, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Schallehn was lucky he only got some bumps—falls also result in 650,000 hospitalizations and more than 20,000 deaths every year.

"Falls are a huge issue, and the No. 1 life changer I see," says Sharon Brangman, MD, a geriatrician and professor of medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York.

A hip fracture can result in premature death, while head trauma can lead to blood clots in the brain. That’s what recently happened to Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton when she became dehydrated, fainted, fell, and hit her head.

While adults of all ages are vulnerable to falling, the impact is more severe on those who are older. "Sometimes the fall isn’t the worst of it," Brangman says. "It’s being on the floor for a period of time, and they can’t get to a phone. They might experience severe dehydration or a significant muscle problem from lying on floor for a long time."

How to Stay Safe at Home
Because most falls occur in the home, it’s important to keep your environment safe. It’s also important to practice being aware of your surroundings and your potential for a fall, Brangman says. 

Negotiate Your Way to Savings

Are You At Risk?

If you don’t know the "Big Five" signs that you are at heightened risk for a heart attack, here is a refresher: Diabetes, smoking, family history, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. "Those are powerful and very predictive. Each one by itself will double your risk, if not more, for coronary disease and events,” says Vincent Bufalino, MD, cardiologist and spokesperson for the American Heart Association. But those five are not the end of the story. Here are seven other hear disease indicators you need to know about>>

1. Eating on the run

If you are always just choking food down, you are missing out on the protective de-stressing factor that we all need which goes along with sitting down to enjoy and savor a meal with family or friends. You are also probably eating unbalanced meals full of unhealthy processed foods loaded with sodium, sugar and fat that can lead to coronary heart disease.

2. Sexual dysfunction (men)

Early erectile problems are usually related inadequate blood flow to pelvic organs due to vascular disease. "That’s someone who should get a vascular workup because they also may have silent heart disease,” warns Dr. Bufalino.

3. Menopause

Postmenopausal women have a heightened risk for heart disease. Fifty percent of American of women have high blood pressure by age 60, two-thirds by age 70. Dr. Bufalino reports that there is a spike in coronary heart disease-related deaths in women after menopause, with more women dying of the disease than men. "We don’t know what causes this but we do know that estrogen replacement doesn’t seem to alter the risk,” says Dr. Bufalino. All the more reason to keep exercising and eating right, no matter how old you are.

4. Sleep apnea

Pauses in breathing while sleeping, sleep apnea is frequently connected to atrial fibrillation (AF or A-fib), an irregular heartbeat. "If untreated, people with AF will develop a stroke over the course of five years.,” warns Dr. Bufalino. If you think you have sleep apnea, see a sleep medicine physician for assessment and treatment. You can find one in your area at American Academy of Sleep Medicine

5. High triglycerides count

e tend to focus on LDL/HDL level when we check cholesterol. But triglycerides levels are also a key component in heart health. Triglycerides in your blood are positively linked to a atherosclerosis, heart disease and stoke. Lower the count by reducing your intake of carbohydrates (sugar and starches) and boost consumption of Omega IIIs (cold water fish, nuts, flax seed, spinach, brussel sprouts.

6. Low good HDL

Speaking of cholesterol, we strive for a low overall number. HDL (high-density lipoproteins), however, actually takes out cholesterol from your system and brings it to your liver, which breaks it down. Increasing it is beneficial -- It’s like having a protective oil covering your arteries. You can boost it with the usual: exercise, avoid foods with saturated fats, quit smoking, drink alcohol moderately, eat more fiber and Omega IIIs, and reduce to a healthy weight.