Irene is retired, she loves to work in her garden. Because she has always spent hours outside, she thinks the heat and humidity of Midwestern summers don't bother her. Then last year an unusual heat wave hit her area. Every day the temperature was over 100° F, and the humidity was at least 90%. Five days into the heat wave, her daughter Kim came over because Irene sounded confused on the phone. Kim found her mom passed out on the kitchen floor. The ambulance came quickly when called, but Irene almost died. She had heat stroke, the most serious form of hyperthermia.

Whether you're young or old, male or female, single or with a family--this booklet is for you and about you. That's because Social Security has programs that affect everybody.

Chances are you're either paying Social Security taxes or getting Social Security benefits--or you're related to somebody who is.

When your spouse dies, your world changes. You are in mourning-feeling grief and sorrow at the loss. You may feel numb, shocked, and fearful. You may feel guilty for being the one who is still alive. If your spouse died in a nursing home, you may wish that you had been able to care for him or her at home. At some point, you may even feel angry at your spouse for leaving you. All these feelings are normal. There are no rules about how you should feel. There is no right or wrong way to mourn.

A simple fall can change your life. Just ask any of the thousands of older men and women who fall each year and break (sometimes called fracture) a bone.

Many older people have trouble eating well for a variety of reasons. Reading food labels for nutritional information is one way to eat well. But sometimes there are problems that interfere with eating well.