Our fifth annual Seniors Quiz, which ran July 12, was a big hit.
Today I'll review the quiz questions that drew the most response from readers.
The notion that researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago would trip seniors on purpose, tripped up - if you'll pardon the pun - a number of readers.
Participants were strapped in safety gear and motion sensors while walking on a treadmill that occasionally skipped, training them to avoid falling. The result: a 50 per cent reduction in the fall rate up to a year later.
Are there really more than 300 million people in the world whose bodies contain significant artificial replacement parts? Yes. Hip and knee replacements, dental implants and heart pacemakers are old hat now. What's truly exciting are new technologies that might soon allow us to grow organs like hearts, brains and pancreases to replace those that are damaged or removed.
Is babysitting your grandkids bad for your health? The correct answer is no. The response from one reader: It depends on the grandkids. Take your pick.
What is it with celebrities and their pets? Leona Helmsley, the hotelier, left $12 million to her pooch, although the court later knocked that amount down to $2 million. The late British singer Dusty Springfield stipulated her cat Nicholas was to eat only American baby food, live in a sevenfoot indoor tree house and eventually marry an English blue breed cat owned by a friend. Oprah Winfrey, who is still with us, has put away $30 million to take care of her beloved dogs after she is gone.
Do your ears hang low? They might. The cartilage in your ears keeps growing as we age and we get shorter. Between the ages of 30 and 70, men can lose an inch of height and women can lose two inches. After the age of 80, both can lose more.
When it comes to the best place to live in our community people, especially the callers from West Vancouver, need to just calm down. In Money Sense Magazine's 10th annual ranking of the Best Places to Live in Canada the District of North Vancouver placed ninth and West Vancouver placed 11th. That's the magazine's take. Not mine. Are we friends again? By the way, Boucherville, Que., topped the list.
Following a complaint from a neighbour, police issued a $148 ticket to a 91-year-old woman in Saguenay, Que., for making too much noise with her rocking chair. The ticket was later cancelled. It's reminiscent of a case a few years ago in which a Michigan man whose house was scheduled for demolition swapped his house number with a neighbour leading the demolition company to bulldoze the wrong house. The lesson here: try to get along with your neighbours.
Do people tend to drink more alcohol when they retire? Yes. Is that a good idea? No.
Does retirement last about twice as long today as it did in the 1960s? Yes. In the '60s people were retired on average for eight years. Today the number is 16.
Scotland's oldest woman, 109, attributes her longevity to fitness, porridge and steering clear of men. She's 109! You can question her methods but not the result.
Do most retirees want to live closer to their children? Sorry kids but the answer is a resounding no. Most surveys suggest that only approximately one in three persons said they wanted to move closer to their children when they retired.
Disappointed with your quiz score?
Don't worry. There's always next year.
Tom Carney is the former executive director of the Lionsview Seniors' Planning Society. Ideas for future columns are welcome. [email protected]
