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LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Evidence is mounting that seniors are cutting everyday expenses to keep up with the economic downturn and, as a result, are putting themselves at risk. From skipping medications and meals to falling for financial scams and cancelling social outings, local eldercare experts warn families to be on alert and make sure seniors aren’t cutting too deeply.

Nearly 60 percent of seniors 65 and older surveyed in a recent AARP study said they found it more difficult to pay for essential items such as food, gas, and medicine. In the May report titled, “The Economic Slowdown’s Impact on Middle-Aged and Older Americans,” nearly half (47 percent) said they found it more difficult to pay for utilities such as heating, cooling, or phone service. Forty-six percent have reduced the number of times they eat out and 45 percent cut back spending on entertainment.

“Cuts of essential items such as food and medication should be of immediate concern to seniors’ families,” said Chris Irons, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office in Lafayette serving seniors in Clinton, Montgomery, Tippecanoe and White counties.

“Other reductions in spending can lead to less obvious issues,” he said. “One of the biggest problems that we see is senior isolation, which has been magnified with the high price of gas.”

When seniors’ families live a distance from their loved ones, or when Boomer children are busy trying to make ends meet themselves, an older adult can get in trouble very quickly, said Irons.

“That’s why it’s so important that someone look out for the well-being of seniors to ensure they are safe in their homes and eating properly, taking their medications, and able to maintain their appointments and social life,” he said.

Falling interest rates, fixed incomes, and seniors’ fears of past hardships can influence how they react to the current economic slowdown, according to certified financial planner Sheryl Garrett, author of Personal Finance Workbook For Dummies and several other books on financial planning.

“Some seniors may be running short on money, but for others there’s always that fear of running out because they lived through the Depression,” said Garrett. “They know how ugly it can get.”

It’s important also for seniors to guard against fraud and too-good-to-be-true offers, Garrett advises.

“Seniors want to get the best that they can from their investments without falling for scams or overselling tactics,” she said. “Older adults also should beware of CDs and fixed annuities that can promise higher interest rates but force seniors to lock in their money for longer time periods, putting their investments at risk. Always get a second opinion.”

Seniors at all income levels may be facing choices they haven’t had to make in the past, Home Instead Senior Care’s Irons said. “They should know where to go for help before they put themselves or their health at risk,” he said.

Area Agencies on Aging, for instance, offer both food and gas assistance, so seniors should contact their local offices if they can’t make ends meet. And senior care and companionship companies such as Home Instead Senior Care can provide transportation assistance and help around the home, and serve as a second set of eyes for seniors’ families, he said.

Families also can play an important role monitoring seniors who have decided to scale back because of the economy, said Irons.

“Even seemingly innocent decisions, like cutting back a little on groceries or air conditioning, can have a damaging impact,” he said.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Good money management is an essential life skill. That’s why Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union (PEFCU) partnered with Purdue Athletes Life Success Program (PALS) to provide financial literacy content and activities during this year’s camp.

“Whether we like it or not, economics has become the foundation of our entire culture,” said Bill Harper, PALS director. “Kids typically are not exposed to the complications of handling money or differentiating between wants and needs. This is an opportunity to introduce kids to the reality of life in an informal setting.”

On the final day of the four-week camp, the children applied the money management knowledge they had gained over the previous two days to age-based life-skills activities. The younger campers each received a $100 “paycheck,” which they had to deposit into the “credit union”. Then they used a checkbook register to balance their “checking accounts” according to choices they made individually between low-priced, mid-priced and high-priced vehicles, food and pets as well as unexpected emergencies.

The older campers took this activity to the next level using a computer-based program. Based on their individual interests and chosen level of education, the computer generated a career and salary for each camper. Then they chose to purchase insurance, homes, vehicles, meals and so on at different price levels. They also had to “visit” their financial institution in order to pay off debts like mortgages, credit cards and student loans. During the game, each camper could see his/her monthly income as well as balances on savings and debts.

“This [computer] game is fun and I’d like to play it,” said Jill Freeland, PALS counselor. “The kids have already learned so much about savings and they’ve told me how they’re going to save at home. They’re very excited about all they can do with money.”

In addition to its partnership with PALS, PEFCU works with local schools and organizations to teach money management skills to area youth throughout the year. “By teaching and helping children develop healthy financial habits now, they will be better prepared for the future,” said Carolyn Barrett, PEFCU financial literacy coordinator.

For more information about ways PEFCU helps organizations or schools meet financial literacy goals, please contact Carolyn Barrett at 765.497.7409.

EVANSTON, Ill. — More than 1,900 additional winners of National Merit Scholarships
financed by colleges and universities have been announced by National Merit Scholarship
Corporation (NMSC). These Merit Scholar designees join over 2,800 other college-sponsored
award recipients who were announced in late May.

Of the 1,900 additional winners, 3 were from Lafayette-West Lafayette:

• Andrew J. West, Jefferson HS, Lafayette
• Joe D. Drummond, West Lafayette HS, West Lafayette
• Andrew S. Pfaff, Harrison HS, West Lafayette

Officials of each sponsor college selected their winners from among Finalists in the
National Merit Scholarship Program who will attend their institution. College-sponsored awards
provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the
institution financing the scholarship.

This year 194 colleges and universities are sponsoring some 4,700 Merit Scholarship
awards. Sponsor colleges, located in 43 states and the District of Columbia, include 115 private
and 79 public institutions.

This final group of winners brings the number of 2008 National Merit Scholars to
approximately 8,300. These distinguished high school graduates will receive scholarships for
undergraduate study worth a total of approximately $36 million. In addition to college-sponsored
awards, two other types of National Merit Scholarships were offered—2,500 National Merit
$2500 Scholarships for which all Finalists competed and about 1,100 corporate-sponsored Merit
Scholarship awards for Finalists who met criteria specified by their grantor organizations.

2008 National Merit Scholarship Competition

This year’s competition for National Merit Scholarships began when more than 1.4 million
juniors in over 21,000 high schools took the 2006 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship
Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. In
September 2007, some 16,000 Semifinalists were named on a state representational basis, in numbers
proportional to each state’s percentage of the national total of high school graduating seniors.
Semifinalists were the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represented less than one
percent of a state’s seniors.

To advance to the Finalist level of the competition, Semifinalists had to meet additional
requirements. In addition to submitting a detailed scholarship application, which included an
essay describing activities, interests, and goals, they had to have an outstanding academic
record, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, and earn SAT scores that
confirmed the qualifying test performance. About 15,000 Semifinalists attained Finalist
standing, and more than half of this group were chosen to receive National Merit Scholarships.

Established in 1955 to conduct the National Merit Program, NMSC is a not-for-profit
corporation that operates without government assistance. Over the past 53 years, more than
259,000 outstanding young men and women have won National Merit Scholarships worth over
$898 million. The majority of awards offered each year are underwritten by approximately 500
independent corporate organizations and higher education institutions that support NMSC’s efforts
to recognize scholastically talented youth and encourage the pursuit of academic excellence.

WASHINGTON, DC — The Internal Revenue Service cautions taxpayers to be on the lookout for a new wave of scams using the IRS name in identity theft e-mails, or phishing, that have circulated during the last two months.

In May and June alone, taxpayers reported almost 700 separate phishing incidents to the IRS. In 2008 so far, taxpayers have reported about 1,600 phishing incidents to the IRS.

“Taxpayers should take steps to keep their personal information out of the hands of identity thieves,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. “That includes not falling for any of the phony e-mails or faxes now in circulation pretending to come from the IRS.”

The most common scams involve tax refunds and, this year, economic stimulus payments.

Although most of these scams consist of e-mails requesting detailed personal information, the IRS generally does not send e-mails to taxpayers, does not discuss tax account matters with taxpayers in e-mails, and does not request security-related personal information, such as PIN numbers, from taxpayers.

Refund e-Mail Scam

There are several variations of the refund scam, in which an e-mail claiming to come from the IRS falsely informs the recipient that he or she is eligible for a tax refund for a specific amount. The bogus e-mail instructs the recipient to click on a link to access a refund claim form. The form requests personal information that the scammers can use to access the e-mail recipient’s bank or credit card account.

This notification is phony. The IRS does not send unsolicited e-mail about tax account matters to taxpayers.

Filing a tax return is the only way to apply for a tax refund; there is no separate application form. Taxpayers who wish to find out if they are due a refund from their last annual tax return filing may use the “Where’s My Refund?” interactive application on the IRS Web site at IRS.gov, the only official IRS Web site.

Economic Stimulus Payments Scam

In this scam, a taxpayer receives an e-mail pretending to come from the IRS which tells the recipient he or she is eligible for an economic stimulus payment. The message recommends direct deposit into the taxpayer’s checking or savings account. To receive the payment, recipients must click on a link to complete and submit an online form by a certain date; otherwise, the e-mail warns, payment may be delayed. The form requests personal and financial data, including checking or savings account numbers that the scammers can use to gain access to the accounts.

In reality, the way members of the public receive their economic stimulus payment is to file a tax return with the IRS, not a special form. Additionally, the IRS does not request personal or financial information via e-mail.

Information on how to obtain an economic stimulus payment may be found in the Economic Stimulus Payment Information Center on the IRS Web site (www.irs.gov). For more information on stimulus-related scams, see IR-2008-11.

Substitute Form 1040 Fax Scam

This scam consists of a cover letter and form that are faxed, rather than e-mailed. The cover letter is addressed “Dear Valued Tax Payer (sic)” and appears to be signed by an IRS employee. The letter says that the IRS is updating its files and that recipients who supply the requested information will receive a nominal tax refund. It also states that those who fail to immediately return the completed form risk additional tax and withholding. The attached form is labeled a substitute Form 1040 and is titled “Certificate of Current Status of Beneficial Owner For United States Tax Recertification & Withholding.” It requests a large amount of detailed personal and financial information, such as mother’s maiden name (often used in security screening), bank account numbers, estimated assets and more. It asks the recipient to sign and fax back the completed form, as well as a copy of the recipient’s driver’s license and passport.

The letter, signature and form are all fraudulent. Moreover, the IRS does not send unsolicited faxes to taxpayers and does not request such detailed personal and financial information.

This is a variant of earlier scams. For more information, see news releases IR-2004-104 and IR-2004-75.

Company Report Scam

This e-mail appears to come from an IRS.gov e-mail address, addresses recipients by name and references the company the recipient works for. These personalized details may convince the recipient that the e-mail is legitimate. The e-mail says that the IRS has a report on the company and asks the recipient to review a copy by clicking on a link to download the report. However, when the link is clicked, malware is downloaded to the recipient’s computer.

There are various types of malware, which can hijack a victim’s computer hard drive to give someone remote access to the computer, search for passwords and other information and send them to the scammer, or cause other types of identity theft or damage.

The IRS does not compile reports on companies or send e-mails to company staff asking them to review a report. Generally, the IRS does not send unsolicited e-mails to taxpayers.

Tax Court Scam

In this scam, an e-mail that appears to come from the U.S. Tax Court contains a petition involving a court case between the IRS and the recipient. The document instructs the recipient to download other files. The downloads transfer malware, or malicious code, to the recipient’s computer.

There are various types of malware, which, for example, can hijack a victim’s computer hard drive to give someone remote access to the computer, or can search for passwords and other information and send them to the scammer.

The truth is that the Tax Court is not e-mailing notices to anyone who currently has a case before the court. Visit the court’s Web site at http://www.ustaxcourt.gov/ for more information. Recipients are advised to avoid clicking on any links in the e-mail and to delete the e-mail.

How Scams Work

To lure their victims, phishing scams use the name of a known institution, such as the IRS, to either offer a reward for taking a simple action, such as providing information, or threaten or imply an unpleasant consequence, such as losing a refund, for failing to take the requested action.

The goal of the scams is to trick people into revealing personal and financial information, such as Social Security, bank account or credit card numbers, which the scammers can use to commit identity theft.

Typically, identity thieves use a victim’s personal and financial data to empty the victim’s financial accounts, run up charges on the victim’s existing credit cards, apply for new loans, credit cards, services or benefits in the victim’s name, file fraudulent tax returns or even commit crimes. Most of these fraudulent activities can be committed electronically from a remote location, including overseas. Committing these activities in cyberspace allows scammers to act quickly and cover their tracks before the victim becomes aware of the theft.

People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years — and their hard-earned money — cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their reputations and credit records. In the meantime, victims may lose job opportunities or may be refused loans, education, housing or cars.

What to Do

Anyone wishing to access the IRS Web site should type www.irs.gov into their Internet address window, rather than clicking on a link in an e-mail or opening an attachment, either of which may download malicious code or send the recipient to a phony Web site.

Those who have received a questionable e-mail claiming to come from the IRS may forward it to the following address: phishing@irs.gov. Use the instructions contained in an article on IRS.gov titled “How to Protect Yourself from Suspicious E-Mails or Phishing Schemes.” Following the instructions will help the IRS track the suspicious e-mail to its origins and shut down the scam. Find the article by visiting IRS.gov and entering the words “suspicious e-mails” into the search box in the upper right corner of the front page.

Those who have received a questionable telephone call that claims to come from the IRS may also use the phishing@irs.gov mailbox to notify the IRS.

The IRS has issued previous warnings on scams that use the IRS name to lend the scam legitimacy. More information on identity theft, phishing and telephone scams using the IRS name, logo or spoofed (copied) Web site is available on the IRS Web site at IRS.gov. Enter the terms “phishing,” “identity theft” or “e-mail scams” into the search box in the upper right corner of the front page.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Unity Healthcare announces the opening of Miracles Rehabilitation, a comprehensive Physical and Occupational Therapy Service provider. The facility is located at 917 Sagamore Parkway West in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Located within the Miracles Fitness complex, Miracles Rehabilitation is the only facility in Indiana to have two clinicians with expertise in applied functional science (the study of authentic human movement). The office is staffed by David Cobb, Amy Cobb and Brandon Biggs. They are available Monday through Friday from 8am- 6pm.

New patients are currently being accepted. To schedule an appointment, call 765.463.2200. For more information visit www.unityhc.com

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama’s Wednesday (July 16) visit to Purdue University will require traffic rerouting on campus.

Some areas near the Purdue Memorial Union will be shut down for security purposes, said Purdue police Capt. Tim Potts. The service drive just north of the Union will be closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic. The left lane of Grant Street between State Street and Northwestern Avenue will be closed to create parking space for media satellite trucks. Visitors to campus for the event are encouraged to use the Grant Street Parking Garage.

The Purdue Students for Barack Obama chapter is sponsoring Obama’s visit as part of an invitation-only roundtable discussion on national security.

Obama is scheduled to arrive at the Purdue Airport around 10:30 a.m. and then proceed to the Purdue Memorial Union North Ballroom where the summit will take place from noon to 2 p.m. Topics for the discussion, “Confronting 21st Century Threats,” will include issues related to nuclear nonproliferation, bioterrorism, cybersecurity and emerging national security threats.

The Students for Barack Obama chapter, which has about 150 active members, helped arrange the visit, said organization Vice President Ashley Rozier.

“By choosing to visit Purdue, Sen. Obama shows that he and his campaign are really taking Indiana seriously,” she said. “The topics of the discussion are very relevant to the community, state, nation and world.”

According to a news release on the Obama campaign Web site, Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh and former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn will take part in the national security discussion. The panel also will include two experts on biosecurity, Tara O’Toole of Center for Bio Security at the University of Pittsburgh and Dr. David Relman of Stanford University Medical School, and cybersecurity experts Paul Kurtz, a former senior member on the National Security Council and Homeland Security Council, and Alan Wade, former chief information officer for the CIA.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — CityBus officials are considering changes to a bus route and are asking for help from riders and the public. Public meetings are scheduled to discuss proposed changes to route “5 Happy Hollow,” which serves University Farm, Bar Barry Heights, Soldiers Home Rd., Happy Hollow Rd., River Rd. and the Purdue campus.

The proposal is available for review here: http://www.gocitybus.com/planning/happyhollow2008change/proposal1.htm

“We are proposing the changes in response to customer comments, and to improve performance efficiencies,” said John Metzinger, Manager of Development. The proposal provides a more direct return trip to the Soldiers Home Rd. area while bypassing areas served by other bus routes.

Route changes are expected to have the following results:

1. Better service for residents along Soldiers Home Rd. by providing a direct return trip.
2. Service along Salisbury & Barlow will be discontinued.
3. Service along S. Grant and Wood St. will be discontinued.
4. Service along Catherwood will be discontinued.
5. Weekday reduction in service of 1 hour 22 minutes.

Public meetings are scheduled for Monday, July 21st at 2:00PM and 5:00PM. Both meetings will be held at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 211 Knox Dr., West Lafayette, in Gathering Room 3. This location is served by the Happy Hollow bus.

CityBus operates a fleet of 73, including four hybrid buses. It logged nearly 4.7 million passenger trips in 2007, including more than 340,000 on the free downtown/Purdue trolley.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. and THESSALONIKI, Greece — John Edwards, athletic trainer and physical therapist, is traveling with the USA wrestling team while competing in Thessaloniki, Greece, for the 8th World University Wrestling Championships. The competition was held July 9-13.

Edwards is currently a staff athletic trainer and physical therapist at Lafayette Rehabilitation Services (LRS), a Unity Healthcare partner, in Lafayette. He is also Director of Unity Sportsmedicine. Since 1995, Edwards has provided outpatient physical therapy care at LRS for athletes at all levels of sports competition. Working with the physicians at Lafayette Orthopaedic Clinic, he also provides athletic training coverage for area high school football and basketball teams.

Edwards also served as a volunteer athletic trainer for the 7th FINA World Championships in 2004 and the FIBA World Basketball Championships in 2002. Both events were held in Indianapolis. Edwards additionally provided volunteer medical services at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in 2001.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — CityBus announces that the Riehle Plaza Downtown Transfer Center will be closed Friday evening, July 18, through Sunday, July 20th. CityBus’s customer service office will be closed during this time. The city is replacing carpet inside the facility.

On Saturday, July 19, Riehle Plaza will be closed due to “Dancing in the Streets.” Buses will meet for transfers on Third St. between Ferry and Cincinnati streets.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Greater Lafayette Breast Feeding Coalition will sponsor a lactation station at this year’s Tippecanoe County Fair.

The lactation station will be located in the first aid booth and will be a special place for moms to go and nurse their babies in private. The booth will have rocking chairs, fans and breast feeding information.

The station will be staffed by staff members from St. Elizabeth Regional Health, WIC (Women, Infants and Children) and other members of the Greater Lafayette Breast Feeding Coalition. In addition to sponsorship from St. Elizabeth Regional Health and WIC, other groups involved with the lactation station include the Kathryn Weil Center for Education, La Leche League, Greater Lafayette Doulas, Healthy Families, Purdue Work Life, Purdue Cooperative Extension Services, Tippecanoe Community Health Clinic, Healthy Families and Babies Talk Lactation Services. The Tippecanoe County 4-H Exhibit Association is donating the space for the Lactation Station.

Many mothers and babies used the space during the 2007 fair. Volunteers from the various groups received numerous positive comments, ranging from the wonderful service, the cleanliness and coziness of the facility to information about breastfeeding. This year information will be provided on the new Indiana lactation law.

“With the new Lactation in the Workplace Act now in place, we hope that this service will be a great example for companies to accommodate their breastfeeding employees,” said Jennifer Fultz, BS, IBCLC of the Tippecanoe County WIC Program.

“Last year was our first year offering this service and facility for fairgoers. The response was overwhelmingly positive so we are again providing a special place for breastfeeding moms,” said Jackie Bahler, R.N. and division director of the Kathryn Weil Center for Education. “This demonstrates our commitment to families and breastfeeding.”

The lactation station will be available for use during this year’s fair from July 19 to July 26, 2008.