Savvy Senior, The: The Ultimate Guide to Health, Family, and Finances For Senior Citizens (Paperback)

by Jim Miller (Author) "DID YOU KNOW THAT IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY, SOMEONE TURNS 50 every seven seconds, and over the next 25 years, the senior population in..." (more)
Key Phrases: monthly loan advances, local aging agency, savvy senior, Social Security, United States, Eldercare Locator (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Those interested in making plans for their own retirement years or concerned about a parent's retirement will find many of their questions answered here. The author writes the syndicated column "The Savvy Senior," which is published in 400 newspapers, and he bases his book on the thousands of questions he receives on social security issues, Medicare, estate and retirement planning, health issues, caregiving, grandparenting and more. Miller's writing style is a mixture of "just the facts, please" and light humor, allowing him to establish himself as a credible and knowledgeable expert. Numerous checklists, resources and charts make it easy to learn about such mundane topics as Medicare and living trusts, while "savvy notes" interspersed between paragraphs enlighten with odd factoids. Baby boomers caring for elderly parents will want to pay special attention to the section on avoiding telemarketing scams to seniors, who are the number one target for this type of criminal activity. And seniors on a fixed income will find the section on "Cost-Cutting Tips on Prescription Drugs" helpful as they learn how to apply for free prescription drugs from the pharmaceutical companies.
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Review
"A good, important column that is full of information and resources." -- Patricia St. Louis, The Fountain Valley News, Fountain, Colorado

"People feel like they're getting their information from a friend, as opposed to getting it from a faceless entity." -- Wayne Frazer, Spencer County Journal Democrat, Rockport, Indiana

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (June 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401307493
• ISBN-13: 978-1401307493
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #137,116 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #21 in	Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Sociology > Aging
  #28 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Aging > Eldercare
  #53 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Aging Parents > Aging

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seniors don't know how many free services they are missing., June 15, 2004

By	Gertrude Hills (Wichita, KS) - See all my reviews

After watching the savvy senior expert Jim Miller on the Today Show, I went to a bookstore to look over his book. On TV, it sounded too good to be true, but after reading some of the book I liked it so well I bought a copy for me and another one for a friend.

The book covers the typical topics like social security, medicare and other health related subjects, but it does it in an informative manner that keeps your attention. What I liked were the many other subjects discussed like grandparenting, gadgets for seniors to make life easier, financial tips,taxes,genealogy and computers for seniors. Jim writes in such an easy to read style and I love the humor and helpful websites and organizations to contact. I especially liked the "Savvy Notes" that highlight and summarize the main points.

The granddaddy of all is how to find through a central website, where to find out all the benefits available to seniors and how to apply. It's like beingspoonfed the information insead of having to go on a scavenger hunt for it. I loved the book and it lived up to everything the Today Show said and more. I'd give it 10 STARS if I could.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Puts It All Together - Outstanding and Thank You, June 9, 2004

By	Jeanne Coffman (A Kansas Senior Citizen) - See all my reviews

Amazing and incredible!!! The Savvy Senior book is not only easy to read, but also packs a wealth of extremely useful and valuable information on a wide variety of subjects in a simple and understandable manner. There are websites and phone numbers to get help for your own personal situation. I like the sense of humor that makes the book fun to read and keeps boring and dull subjects interesting. This book is a MUST for all senior citizens and their caregivers.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A single source resource for seniors, October 10, 2004

By	Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

More of a resource book than anything else; The Savvy Senior provides advice for seniors in a wide variety of areas. The layout for most of the sections is pretty similar. The author describes the problem, related problems, things you can do, and resources to help. For example if you have vision troubles then you might consider talking clocks, timers, or thermometers, talking blood-pressure monitors, voice-activated phone dialers, etc. The problem is where would you acquire these things since they are often not available in most stores. The resources section has the answers with web sites and phone numbers. This is just one of the many areas the book addresses. Other common problems and areas of concern for seniors that are addressed include: driving and transportation, utility assistance, telemarketing fraud, identity theft, grandparenting, money management, travel, fall prevention, retirement communities, choosing a nursing home, various medical concerns, Medicare, and Social Security. The two most valuable features of this book are the fact that it provides somewhat of a checklist of things you need to consider as you plan for aging and it points you in the right direction to get credible, quality help when you need it. The Savvy Senior is recommended for seniors and those making plans for their retirement years.