AARP Bulletin - June 2010

55 Percentage of Americans who say becoming a family burden is their biggest concern in the event they could no longer care for themselves.

Protecting Benefits
From Garnishment
Now Hear This
The Treasury Department and other agencies have issued pro- posed rules to enforce protection of federal benefit payments
from garnishment. ; Although a federal statute prohibits garnish-
eeing Social Security, Supplemental Security Income and veter-
ans benefits, many banks still freeze accounts
when they receive a court-issued garnishment
order. Banking industry officials have said they
are required to honor the order and have no way
to determine which accounts receive federal
benefits and which do not. ; Julie Nepveu of
AARP Foundation Litigation says the new regu-
lations will “end bank practices of freezing ex-
empt benefits, which can cause overdraft fees,
and prohibit steep garnishment fees from being
charged to these accounts.” ; To comment on
the proposed rules by June 18, go to www.regul
ations.gov. —Angela Bryant Starke

Pickup Pickleball
Are you in a pickle about exercise? Try
pickleball, a hybrid of badminton and
tennis that is all the rage at retirement
communities and state Senior Games.
“It’s good exercise, easy to learn and
fun,” says David Johnson, media relations chair for the
USA Pickleball Association. “It can be played indoors or
outdoors, singles or doubles, is easy for beginners to learn
but can develop into a fast-paced, competitive game for
experienced players.” The game, played with a whiffle
ball and large paddles, will be celebrated June 1-7 during
International Pickleball Week. The sport is named for a
co-inventor’s dog.

Take a Seat
Spirit Airlines is the latest airline to
join the trend of “pre-reclined,” non-
adjustable seats aboard its aircraft.
Allegiant Airlines and Air France al-
ready are using the stationary seats.
Although touted as lighter, fuel-sav-
ing wonders, the seats could prove
troublesome for fliers, especially
those with back problems. “Passen-
gers over 50 may have less core body
strength that allows the body to flex forward at the waist. This
will make it more difficult for seniors to rise from the seat at the
end of the flight or to get about the cabin,” says Robert A. Hayden,
spokesman for the American Chiropractic Association. Hayden
recommends passengers facing long flights take a walk to the
restroom every hour, “even if they don’t go in.”
A Nun at Last
She is one of the newest nuns at All Saints Greek Ortho-
dox Monastery in Calverton, N. Y., and, at 92, the oldest.
Chrystalla Petropoulou recently received her black hab-
it, fulfilling a longtime dream that had been delayed by
life challenges and health problems. Her new religious
name: Sister Patience. “She can’t do physical work,” Ab-
bess Soteini, head of the monastery, says of her charge,
who sat in a wheelchair during the induction ceremony.
“But what she offers is to spend days in prayer and reading
the Bible and hymns of the church. In that way, she offers
something to God and to us.” —Mike Tucker