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Welcome to Our Generation USA!
Senior Living
provides activities and programs for those who are retired, including pension plans and other retirement savings and income (including Social Security), health and exercise (through Medicare), senior housing, age-related diseases and other topics.
American Association for Retired Persons (AARP.Org):
YouTube Video: What are the Benefits of being an AARP Member?
Pictured: AARP Magazine, February/March, 2016 Issue.
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) The AARP was founded in 1958 by a retired teacher, Ethel Percy Andrus, with the goal of helping older Americans remain physically and intellectually active by serving others.
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, social welfare organization with a membership of nearly 38 million that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families — such as health care, employment and income security, and protection from financial abuse.
Click on the following for Member Benefits
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, social welfare organization with a membership of nearly 38 million that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families — such as health care, employment and income security, and protection from financial abuse.
Click on the following for Member Benefits
AARP: Best Places to Retire, even Retire to a Good Life for Less
YouTube Video: Best Places to Retire: Deltona/Daytona | AARP
Pictured: The Daytona Boardwalk Amusement Area and Pier offers games and indoor and outdoor rides. — David A. Land.
Whether you're looking for a retirement destination or just seeking new surroundings, our Best Places lists will give you some great ideas. Who knows? You just might find the perfect new place to call home.
Want to retire on $30,000 a year? Or just want to know you could if you had to? We found the 10 most livable, low-cost cities in the U.S. — places where you can retire in comfort no matter how big (or small) your savings account.
Want to retire on $30,000 a year? Or just want to know you could if you had to? We found the 10 most livable, low-cost cities in the U.S. — places where you can retire in comfort no matter how big (or small) your savings account.
U.S. News & World Report: The 10 Best Places to Retire on Social Security Alone
U.S.News and World Report October 14, 2014: "If you don't have a traditional pension through your job and haven't been saving a significant amount in a 401(k) or individual retirement account, Social Security is likely to be your largest source of retirement income. Almost all retirees (86 percent) receive Social Security payments, and for over a third (36 percent) of retirees, Social Security accounts for 90 percent or more of their retirement income. The type of lifestyle Social Security alone will provide largely depends on how much you have earned in Social Security benefits and where you live.
The average Social Security benefit for retired workers was $1,294 per month at the end of 2013. A couple who each brought in this amount would have $31,056 in annual Social Security benefits, which will also be adjusted for inflation each year. U.S. News analyzed Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics data to determine where a retired couple age 65 or older could cover their basic expenses, including typical costs for housing, food, utilities, transportation and health care, on this amount.
It’s important to note that in most places, Social Security alone barely covered these basic expenses. After paying for those five major costs, retirees living on Social Security alone likely won’t have much cash left over for recreation, hobbies, clothing, consumer goods or travel. “If they are highly dependent on Social Security, it is not an easy life,” says John Palmer, a Syracuse University professor and former public trustee for the Medicare and Social Security programs. “If they own their own home and don’t have high medical expenses, they can probably get by....”
[See: 10 Places to Retire on Social Security Alone.]
For full Article click here.
The average Social Security benefit for retired workers was $1,294 per month at the end of 2013. A couple who each brought in this amount would have $31,056 in annual Social Security benefits, which will also be adjusted for inflation each year. U.S. News analyzed Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics data to determine where a retired couple age 65 or older could cover their basic expenses, including typical costs for housing, food, utilities, transportation and health care, on this amount.
It’s important to note that in most places, Social Security alone barely covered these basic expenses. After paying for those five major costs, retirees living on Social Security alone likely won’t have much cash left over for recreation, hobbies, clothing, consumer goods or travel. “If they are highly dependent on Social Security, it is not an easy life,” says John Palmer, a Syracuse University professor and former public trustee for the Medicare and Social Security programs. “If they own their own home and don’t have high medical expenses, they can probably get by....”
[See: 10 Places to Retire on Social Security Alone.]
For full Article click here.
Federal Assistance for Old Age including the Social Security Administration.
YouTube Video about the SSA
About the Social Security Administration:
The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits. To qualify for most of these benefits, most workers pay Social Security taxes on their earnings; the claimant's benefits are based on the wage earner's contributions. Otherwise benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are given based on need.
The Social Security Administration was established by a law codified at 42 U.S.C. § 901.
SSA is headquartered in Woodlawn, Maryland, just to the west of Baltimore, at what is known as Central Office. The agency includes 10 regional offices, 8 processing centers, approximately 1300 field offices, and 37 Teleservice Centers. As of 2007, about 62,000 people were employed by SSA.
Headquarters non-supervisory employees of SSA are represented by American Federation of Government Employees Local 1923. Social Security is the largest social welfare program in the United States. For the year 2014, the net cost of social security was 906.4 billion dollars which accounted for 21% of government expenditure. It has been named the 6th best place to work in the federal government.
The OASDI program—which for most Americans means Social Security—is the largest income-maintenance program in the United States. Based on social insurance principles, the program provides monthly benefits designed to replace, in part, the loss of income due to retirement, disability, or death.
Coverage is nearly universal: About 96% of the jobs in the United States are covered. Workers finance the program through a payroll tax that is levied under the Federal Insurance and Self-Employment Contribution Acts (FICA and SECA). The revenues are deposited in two trust funds (the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund), which pay benefits and the operating expenses of the program.
(Click Here to read total PDF article from the Social Security Administration)
SilverSneakers Fitness Benefits For Retirees
YouTube Video of Planet Fitness (gym) (Your Webhost's SilverSneakers Provider)
HealthWays SilverSneaker Fitness (see link above) is but one Medicare Insurance Provider offering free access to Gyms across the country for eligible seniors. Link provides access to database of gyms offering this Program in your area.
Available for some retirees depending on their Medicare Insurance Provider.
You can choose from more than 13,000 locations.
You can use as many facilities as you like! Work out with cardio and weight equipment, access pools or take group exercise classes taught by instructors trained specifically in senior fitness.
Available for some retirees depending on their Medicare Insurance Provider.
You can choose from more than 13,000 locations.
You can use as many facilities as you like! Work out with cardio and weight equipment, access pools or take group exercise classes taught by instructors trained specifically in senior fitness.
Health and Exercise to Live a Longer Life
YouTube Video: Dance Along Workout for Seniors and Elderly - Low Impact Dance Exercise on Chairs
Pictured: Two forms of exercise for Seniors
Do you want to add years to your life? Or life to your years?
Feeling your best boosts your zeal for life!
The American Heart Association recommends at least 150-minutes of moderate activity each week. An easy way to remember this is 30 minutes at least 5 days a week, but three 10-minute periods of activity are as beneficial to your overall fitness as one 30-minute session. This is achievable! Physical activity may also help encourage you to spend some time outdoors.
Here are some reasons why physical activity is proven to improve both mental and physical health.
Physical activity boosts mental wellness. Regular physical activity can relieve tension, anxiety, depression and anger. You may notice a "feel good sensation" immediately following your physical activity, and most people also note an improvement in general well-being over time as physical activity becomes a part of their routine.
Physical activity improves physical wellness.
Reduced Risk Factors
Too much sitting and other sedentary activities can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. One study showed that adults who watch more than 4 hours of television a day had a 46% increased risk of death from any cause and an 80% increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
Becoming more active can help lower your blood pressure and also boost your levels of good cholesterol.
Physical activity prolongs your optimal health.Without regular physical activity, the body slowly loses its strength, stamina and ability to function well. People who are physically active and at a healthy weight live about 7 years longer than those who are not active and are obese.
(Click Here to See Rest of Article)
Feeling your best boosts your zeal for life!
The American Heart Association recommends at least 150-minutes of moderate activity each week. An easy way to remember this is 30 minutes at least 5 days a week, but three 10-minute periods of activity are as beneficial to your overall fitness as one 30-minute session. This is achievable! Physical activity may also help encourage you to spend some time outdoors.
Here are some reasons why physical activity is proven to improve both mental and physical health.
Physical activity boosts mental wellness. Regular physical activity can relieve tension, anxiety, depression and anger. You may notice a "feel good sensation" immediately following your physical activity, and most people also note an improvement in general well-being over time as physical activity becomes a part of their routine.
Physical activity improves physical wellness.
Reduced Risk Factors
Too much sitting and other sedentary activities can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. One study showed that adults who watch more than 4 hours of television a day had a 46% increased risk of death from any cause and an 80% increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
Becoming more active can help lower your blood pressure and also boost your levels of good cholesterol.
Physical activity prolongs your optimal health.Without regular physical activity, the body slowly loses its strength, stamina and ability to function well. People who are physically active and at a healthy weight live about 7 years longer than those who are not active and are obese.
(Click Here to See Rest of Article)
Public employee pension plans in the United States
YouTube Video: Basics of Pension Funds & other Investing Strategies & Investing Options.
In the United States, public sector pensions are offered by federal, state and local levels of government. They are available to most, but not all, public sector employees.
These employer contributions to these plans typically vest after some period of time. These plans may be defined-benefit or defined-contribution pension plans, but the former have been most widely used by public agencies in the U.S. throughout the late twentieth century. Some local governments do not offer defined-benefit pensions but may offer a defined contribution plan. In many states, public employee pension plans are known as Public Employee Retirement Systems (PERS).
Unlike the private sector, in the public sector once an employee is hired their pension benefit terms cannot be changed. Retirement age in the public sector is usually lower than in the private sector. Public pension plan managers in the United States take higher risks investing the funds than ones outside the United States or those in the private sector.
Federal Employees Retirement System - covers approximately 2.44 million full-time civilian employees (as of Dec 2005
Each of the 50 US states has at least one retirement system for its employees. There are 3.68 million full-time and 1.39 million part-time state-level-government civilian employees as of 2002.
At the local level, Many U.S. cities are allowed to participate in the pension plans of their states; some of the largest have their own pension plans. The total number of local government employees in the United States as of 2002 is 13.2 million. There are 10.15 million full-time and 3.13 million part-time local-government civilian employees as of 2002.
These employer contributions to these plans typically vest after some period of time. These plans may be defined-benefit or defined-contribution pension plans, but the former have been most widely used by public agencies in the U.S. throughout the late twentieth century. Some local governments do not offer defined-benefit pensions but may offer a defined contribution plan. In many states, public employee pension plans are known as Public Employee Retirement Systems (PERS).
Unlike the private sector, in the public sector once an employee is hired their pension benefit terms cannot be changed. Retirement age in the public sector is usually lower than in the private sector. Public pension plan managers in the United States take higher risks investing the funds than ones outside the United States or those in the private sector.
Federal Employees Retirement System - covers approximately 2.44 million full-time civilian employees (as of Dec 2005
Each of the 50 US states has at least one retirement system for its employees. There are 3.68 million full-time and 1.39 million part-time state-level-government civilian employees as of 2002.
At the local level, Many U.S. cities are allowed to participate in the pension plans of their states; some of the largest have their own pension plans. The total number of local government employees in the United States as of 2002 is 13.2 million. There are 10.15 million full-time and 3.13 million part-time local-government civilian employees as of 2002.
Retirement Communities including Continuing Care Retirement Communities in the United States
YouTube Video of Florida Retirement communities - LAKE ASHTON ACTIVITIES
Pictured: Courtesy of The Hermitage at Cedarfield, a retirement community designed for active older adults aged 62 or better. Located in western Henrico County, a suburban area of Richmond, Virginia.
A retirement community is a housing complex designed for older adults who are generally able to care for themselves; however, assistance from home care agencies is allowed in some communities, and activities and socialization opportunities are often provided.
Some of the characteristics typically are: the community must be age-restricted or age-qualified, residents must be partially or fully retired, and the community offers shared services or amenities.
Additionally, there are different types of retirement communities older adults can choose from including:
New types of retirement communities are being developed as the population ages including elder co-housing, which is defined later in this article. Retirement communities are often built in warm climates, and are common in Arizona, California, Florida and Texas but are increasingly being built in and around major cities throughout the United States.
Youngtown, Arizona, established in 1954, was the first age-restricted community. Del Webb opened Sun City, Arizona, with the active adult concept, in 1960.
In 2011, The Villages, Florida is the largest of these communities.
While new retirement communities have developed in various areas of the United States, they are largely marketed to older adults who are financially secure. Lower income retirement communities are rare except for government subsidized housing, which neglects a large proportion of older adults who have fewer financial resources.
Some of the characteristics typically are: the community must be age-restricted or age-qualified, residents must be partially or fully retired, and the community offers shared services or amenities.
Additionally, there are different types of retirement communities older adults can choose from including:
- Independent living communities, which offer no personal care services.
- Congregate housing, which includes at least one shared meal per day with other residents.
- Mobile homes or RV's for active adults.
- Subsidized housing for lower income older adults.
- Leisure or lifestyle oriented communities or LORCs, which include various amenities.
- Assisted Living Communities: Assisted Living and Memory Care assisted living provide all the daily services seniors need in an apartment or condo style environment. Everything from housekeeping, nursing, dining, wellness,activities, and usually in a locked and secured building.
- Continuing Care Retirement Communities, which are further defined below.
New types of retirement communities are being developed as the population ages including elder co-housing, which is defined later in this article. Retirement communities are often built in warm climates, and are common in Arizona, California, Florida and Texas but are increasingly being built in and around major cities throughout the United States.
Youngtown, Arizona, established in 1954, was the first age-restricted community. Del Webb opened Sun City, Arizona, with the active adult concept, in 1960.
In 2011, The Villages, Florida is the largest of these communities.
While new retirement communities have developed in various areas of the United States, they are largely marketed to older adults who are financially secure. Lower income retirement communities are rare except for government subsidized housing, which neglects a large proportion of older adults who have fewer financial resources.
Retirement Plans in the United States
YouTube Video: How to Plan for Retirement (USA.gov)
A retirement plan is a financial arrangement designed to replace employment income upon retirement. These plans may be set up by employers, insurance companies, trade unions, the government, or other institutions.
Congress has expressed a desire to encourage responsible retirement planning by granting favorable tax treatment to a wide variety of plans. Federal tax aspects of retirement plans in the United States are based on provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and the plans are regulated by the Department of Labor under the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
Retirement plans are classified as either defined benefit plans or defined contribution plans, depending on how benefits are determined.In a defined benefit (or pension) plan, benefits are calculated using a fixed formula that typically factors in final pay and service with an employer, and payments are made from a trust fund specifically dedicated to the plan. Separate accounts for each participant do not exist.
By contrast, in a defined contribution plan, each participant has an account, and the benefit for the participant is dependent upon both the amount of money contributed into the account and the performance of the investments purchased with the funds contributed to the account.
Some types of retirement plans, such as cash balance plans, combine features of both defined benefit and defined contribution schemes.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for further amplification:
- Types of retirement plans
- Contrasting types of retirement plans
- Portability and valuation
- Tax advantages
- History of pensions in the United States
- See also:
- Retirement plan
- Individual retirement account (IRA)
- Public employee pension plans in the United States
- 401(k)
- 403(b) - Similar to the 401(k), but for educational, religious, public healthcare, or non-profit workers
- 401(a) and 457 plans - For employees of state and local governments and certain tax-exempt entities
- Roth IRA - Similar to the IRA, but funded with after-tax dollars, with distributions being tax-free
- Roth 401(k) - Introduced in 2006; a 401(k) plan with the tax features of a Roth IRA
Senior Citizen Retirement Benefits for Veterans
Available from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
YouTube Video Provided by the VA about VA Programs
From the Above Web Site: Services and other Programs Extended to Senior Veterans
Geriatrics and Extended Care Services (GEC): is committed to optimizing the health and well-being of Veterans with multiple chronic conditions, life-limiting illness, frailty or disability associated with chronic disease, aging or injury.
The Guide is a complete resource for Veterans and their caregivers. We encourage you to try the shared decision making approach – where Veterans involve their caregivers, social workers and health care providers to make decisions and choices about their current and future health needs.
Geriatrics and Extended Care Services (GEC): is committed to optimizing the health and well-being of Veterans with multiple chronic conditions, life-limiting illness, frailty or disability associated with chronic disease, aging or injury.
The Guide is a complete resource for Veterans and their caregivers. We encourage you to try the shared decision making approach – where Veterans involve their caregivers, social workers and health care providers to make decisions and choices about their current and future health needs.
Senior Citizen Housing (Federal Housing of Urban Development -- HUD)
YouTube Video: HUD Offers Housing Assistance Grant for Seniors, Disabled
Looking for Information for Senior Citizens looking for housing options for yourself, an aging parent, relative, or friend?
Do some research first to determine what kind of assistance or living arrangement you need; what your health insurance might cover; and what you can afford. Then check here for financial assistance resources and guides for making the right choice. Talk to a HUD-approved housing counselor if you have questions about your situation.
Stay in Your Home
Find an Apartment
- Units for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities
- Find affordable rents
- Public housing
- Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)
- Rural rental help
Protect Yourself
HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes; utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination, and transform the way HUD does business.
Sporting Activities for Seniors
From HelpGuide.org: "A trusted non-profit guide to mental health and well-being"
YouTube Video: 15 Min Senior Workout - HASfit Exercise for Elderly - Seniors Exercises for Elderly - Seniors
Exercise and Fitness as You Age: Exercise Tips to Get Fit and Stay Fit as You Grow Older
From The Website: "As you grow older, an active lifestyle is more important than ever. Regular exercise can help boost energy, maintain your independence, and manage symptoms of illness or pain. Exercise can even reverse some of the symptoms of aging. And not only is exercise good for your body, it’s also good for your mind, mood, and memory. Whether you are generally healthy or are managing an illness, there are plenty of ways to get more active, improve confidence, and boost your fitness.
Exercise is the key to healthy aging
Starting or maintaining a regular exercise routine can be a challenge as you get older. You may feel discouraged by illness, ongoing health problems, or concerns about injuries or falls. Or, if you've never exercised before, you may not know where to begin. Or perhaps you think you're too old or frail, or that exercise is boring or simply not for you.
While these may seem like good reasons to slow down and take it easy as you age, they're actually even better reasons to get moving. Exercise can energize your mood, relieve stress, help you manage symptoms of illness and pain, and improve your overall sense of well-being. In fact, exercise is the key to staying strong, energetic, and healthy as you get older. And it can even be fun, too, especially if you find like-minded people to exercise with.
No matter your age or your current physical condition, you can benefit from exercise. Reaping the rewards of exercise doesn’t have to involve strenuous workouts or trips to the gym. It’s about adding more movement and activity to your life, even in small ways. Whether you are generally healthy or are managing an illness—even if you’re housebound—there are many easy ways to get your body moving and improve your health and outlook..."
(For Rest of Article, Click Here)
From The Website: "As you grow older, an active lifestyle is more important than ever. Regular exercise can help boost energy, maintain your independence, and manage symptoms of illness or pain. Exercise can even reverse some of the symptoms of aging. And not only is exercise good for your body, it’s also good for your mind, mood, and memory. Whether you are generally healthy or are managing an illness, there are plenty of ways to get more active, improve confidence, and boost your fitness.
Exercise is the key to healthy aging
Starting or maintaining a regular exercise routine can be a challenge as you get older. You may feel discouraged by illness, ongoing health problems, or concerns about injuries or falls. Or, if you've never exercised before, you may not know where to begin. Or perhaps you think you're too old or frail, or that exercise is boring or simply not for you.
While these may seem like good reasons to slow down and take it easy as you age, they're actually even better reasons to get moving. Exercise can energize your mood, relieve stress, help you manage symptoms of illness and pain, and improve your overall sense of well-being. In fact, exercise is the key to staying strong, energetic, and healthy as you get older. And it can even be fun, too, especially if you find like-minded people to exercise with.
No matter your age or your current physical condition, you can benefit from exercise. Reaping the rewards of exercise doesn’t have to involve strenuous workouts or trips to the gym. It’s about adding more movement and activity to your life, even in small ways. Whether you are generally healthy or are managing an illness—even if you’re housebound—there are many easy ways to get your body moving and improve your health and outlook..."
(For Rest of Article, Click Here)
Maximize Your Social Security Benefits
YouTube Video: Social Security Benefits Calculator
Expert answers to your most common Social Security questions by Jane Bryant Quinn, AARP Bulletin, July/August 2015
"Are you wringing all the money you can out of Social Security? Based on my reader mail, I worry that some of you are losing out. Here are quick answers to the questions I get the most.
What can you apply for?
Retirement benefits, based on your own lifetime earnings. Spousal benefits, based on a living spouse's lifetime earnings. Survivor's benefits, payable after a spouse's death.
You can effectively collect only one of these benefits at a time. Social Security automatically gives you the largest check you're entitled to. Children might get benefits, too.
What's the best age to claim?
This varies a lot. In general, your check is always reduced for life if you file for any benefit before what Social Security calls your "normal retirement age." That's 66 for people born from 1943 to 1954 and rises gradually for every birth year through 1959.
For those born in 1960 or later, normal retirement age is 67. There's a fat bonus for collecting your benefits late: Social Security pays you an extra 8 percent for every year past "normal" that you delay your claim, up to age 70.
Can you claim a benefit as a spouse and later switch to benefits based on your own earnings record?
Yes, provided you wait to file for spousal benefits until you reach "normal" (or "full") retirement age. You might collect a spousal benefit check from, say, age 66 to 70, then put in for your personal retirement benefit, which will have grown.
This strategy does not work, however, if you file before you reach your normal retirement age. Early filers receive a benefit amount equal to the spousal benefit or their own retirement benefit, whichever is higher. Never both.
Does it ever pay to collect benefits early?
For many married couples, yes. A wife, for example, might retire early on a reduced benefit.
When her husband reaches normal retirement age, he can file for spousal benefits on her account. When he reaches 70, he can switch to his own, larger retirement account. How well this strategy works will depend on your ages and which of you is the higher earner.
What if you're divorced?
You can claim spousal and survivor's benefits on your ex's earnings record if you were married for at least 10 years and are not currently married. (Exception: You can keep the survivor's benefits if you remarry after you pass 60.) Your ex has to be eligible for Social Security, even if he or she has not yet retired.
What if your spouse dies?
If you've been collecting a spousal benefit, you can step up to the larger survivor's benefit. To get the maximum amount, consider putting off your claim until you reach normal retirement age.
You might make a different choice, however, if you have a substantial Social Security earnings record of your own. You might take the survivor's benefit early, then switch to your own, larger benefit at a later age. Play with the numbers until you get it right.
Helpful resources
Jane Bryant Quinn is a personal finance expert and author of Making the Most of Your Money NOW. She writes regularly for the Bulletin.
"Are you wringing all the money you can out of Social Security? Based on my reader mail, I worry that some of you are losing out. Here are quick answers to the questions I get the most.
What can you apply for?
Retirement benefits, based on your own lifetime earnings. Spousal benefits, based on a living spouse's lifetime earnings. Survivor's benefits, payable after a spouse's death.
You can effectively collect only one of these benefits at a time. Social Security automatically gives you the largest check you're entitled to. Children might get benefits, too.
What's the best age to claim?
This varies a lot. In general, your check is always reduced for life if you file for any benefit before what Social Security calls your "normal retirement age." That's 66 for people born from 1943 to 1954 and rises gradually for every birth year through 1959.
For those born in 1960 or later, normal retirement age is 67. There's a fat bonus for collecting your benefits late: Social Security pays you an extra 8 percent for every year past "normal" that you delay your claim, up to age 70.
Can you claim a benefit as a spouse and later switch to benefits based on your own earnings record?
Yes, provided you wait to file for spousal benefits until you reach "normal" (or "full") retirement age. You might collect a spousal benefit check from, say, age 66 to 70, then put in for your personal retirement benefit, which will have grown.
This strategy does not work, however, if you file before you reach your normal retirement age. Early filers receive a benefit amount equal to the spousal benefit or their own retirement benefit, whichever is higher. Never both.
Does it ever pay to collect benefits early?
For many married couples, yes. A wife, for example, might retire early on a reduced benefit.
When her husband reaches normal retirement age, he can file for spousal benefits on her account. When he reaches 70, he can switch to his own, larger retirement account. How well this strategy works will depend on your ages and which of you is the higher earner.
What if you're divorced?
You can claim spousal and survivor's benefits on your ex's earnings record if you were married for at least 10 years and are not currently married. (Exception: You can keep the survivor's benefits if you remarry after you pass 60.) Your ex has to be eligible for Social Security, even if he or she has not yet retired.
What if your spouse dies?
If you've been collecting a spousal benefit, you can step up to the larger survivor's benefit. To get the maximum amount, consider putting off your claim until you reach normal retirement age.
You might make a different choice, however, if you have a substantial Social Security earnings record of your own. You might take the survivor's benefit early, then switch to your own, larger benefit at a later age. Play with the numbers until you get it right.
Helpful resources
- AARP: Social Security Calculator
- Government: Social Security Administration, ssa.gov, 800-772-1213, or any Social Security office
- Commercial services: SocialSecurityChoices.com, SocialSecuritySolutions.com, and Maximize My Social Security's website.
- New books: Get What's Yours: The Secrets to Maxing Out Your Social Security, by Laurence J. Kotlikoff, Philip Moeller and Paul Solman; Personal Finance for Seniors for Dummies, by Eric Tyson and Bob Carlson; Social Security for Dummies (Second Edition), by Jonathan Peterson
Jane Bryant Quinn is a personal finance expert and author of Making the Most of Your Money NOW. She writes regularly for the Bulletin.
Medicare in the United States including MedigapPictured: A sample Medicare card. There are separate lines for basic Part A and Part B's supplementary medical coverage, each with its own date. There are no lines for Part C or D, which are additional supplemental policies for which a separate card is issued.
In the United States, Medicare is a national social insurance program, administered by the U.S. federal government since 1966, currently using about 30 private insurance companies across the United States.
Medicare provides health insurance for Americans aged 65 and older who have worked and paid into the system. It also provides health insurance to younger people with disabilities, end stage renal disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
In 2010, Medicare provided health insurance to 48 million Americans—40 million people age 65 and older and eight million younger people with disabilities. It was the primary payer for an estimated 15.3 million inpatient stays in 2011, representing 47.2 percent ($182.7 billion) of total aggregate inpatient hospital costs in the United States.
Medicare serves a large population of elderly and disabled individuals. On average, Medicare covers about half (48 percent) of the health care charges for those enrolled. The enrollees must then cover the remaining approved charges either with supplemental insurance or with another form of out-of-pocket coverage.
Out-of-pocket costs can vary depending on the amount of health care a Medicare enrollee needs. They might include uncovered services—such as long-term, dental, hearing, and vision care—and the supplemental insurance.
The Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee (or Relative Value Update Committee; RUC), composed of physicians associated with the American Medical Association, advises the government about pay standards for Medicare patient procedures, according to news reports.
Click on any of the following hyperlinks for amplification:
Medigap (also Medicare supplement insurance or Medicare supplemental insurance) refers to various private health insurance plans sold to supplement Medicare in the United States.
Medigap insurance provides coverage for many of the co-pays and some of the co-insurance related to Medicare-covered hospital, skilled nursing facility, home health care, ambulance, durable medical equipment, and doctor charges.
Medigap's name is derived from the notion that it exists to cover the difference or "gap" between the expenses reimbursed to providers by Medicare Parts A and B for the preceding named services and the total amount allowed to be charged for those services by the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
As of 2006, 18% of Medicare beneficiaries were covered by a Medigap policy. Public-option Part C Medicare Advantage health plans and private employee retiree insurance provides a similar supplemental role for almost all other Medicare beneficiaries not dual eligible for Medicaid.
Medicare eligibility starts for most Americans when they turn 65 years old. Those who have been on Social Security eligibility for 24 months can also qualify for Medicare Part A and Part B. A person must be enrolled in part A and B of Medicare before they can enroll in a Medigap plan.
When a person turns 65—or if they are older and new to Medicare Part B—they become eligible for Medigap open enrollment. This period starts on the first day of the month you turn 65 and lasts for 6 months. During this period, a person can buy any Medigap plan regardless of their health.
This is different than if someone is losing group coverage or retiring. When this occurs, the person is eligible to exercise his or her "Guarantee Issue" right. With a Medigap guarantee issue right, a person can buy a Medigap Plan A, B, C, F, K, or L that's sold by any insurance company in their state.
In addition, the insurance company cannot deny or raise the premium due to past or current health conditions. Also, the insurance company must cover any pre-existing conditions.
Instead of exercising the guarantee issue right, a person can opt to go through the underwriting process in order to buy a plan G or N. Once a person is outside their open enrollment period and or guarantee issue, they can change their Medigap plan, but they will be subject to health underwriting by the insurance company they are applying with.
It is also important to know that monthly premiums apply, and plans may not be cancelled by the insurer for any reason other than non-payment of premiums/membership dues.
Furthermore, a single Medigap plan may cover only one person. Finally, Medigap insurance is not compatible with a Medicare Advantage plan. You cannot have both a Medicare supplement and a Medicare Advantage plan at the same time. You can only have a Medigap plan if you are still on Medicare Part A and Part B and have not replaced your coverage with a Medicare Advantage Part C coverage.
Medicare recipients under age 65:
Recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits or patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are entitled to Medicare coverage regardless of age, but are not automatically entitled to purchase Medigap policies unless they are at least 65.
Under federal law, insurers are not required to sell Medigap policies to people under 65, and even if they do, they may use medical screening. However, a slight majority of states require insurers to offer at least one kind of Medigap policy to at least some Medicare recipients in that age group.
Of these states, 25 require that Medigap policies be offered to all Medicare recipients. In California, Massachusetts, and Vermont, Medigap policies are not available to end-stage ESRD patients. Part D deductible will go up for about 20% of Americans to over $150.00 a year. That's close to a 50% increase in 2016.
Products Available:
Medigap offerings have been standardized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) into ten different plans, labeled A through N, sold and administered by private companies.
Each Medigap plan offers a different combination of benefits. The coverage provided is roughly proportional to the premium paid. However, many older Medigap plans (these 'older' plans are no longer marketed) offering minimal benefits will cost more than current plans offering full benefits. The reason behind this is that older plans have an older average age per person enrolled in the plan, causing more claims within the group and raising the premium for all members within the group.
Since Medigap is private insurance and not government sponsored, the rules governing the sale and offerings of a Medigap insurance policy can vary from state to state. Some states such as Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin require Medigap insurance to provide additional coverage than what is defined in the standardized Medigap plans.
Some employers may provide Medigap coverage as a benefit to their retirees. While Medigap offerings have been standardized since 1992, some seniors who had Medigap plans prior to 1992 are still on non-standard plans. Those plans are no longer eligible for new policies.
Over the years, new laws have brought many changes to Medigap Policies. For example, marketing for plans E, H, I, and J has been stopped as of May 31, 2010. But, if you were already covered by plan E, H, I, or J before June 1, 2010, you can keep that plan. Medigap plans M and N took effect on June 1, 2010, bringing the number of offered plans down to ten from twelve.
Congress passed the bill H.R. 2 on April 14, 2015, which will eliminate plans that cover the part B deductible for new Medicare beneficiaries starting Jan. 1st, 2020. Those who enroll in to Medicare after Jan. 1st, 2020 will not be able to purchase plans F or C; however, those people who enrolled onto Medicare prior to Jan. 1st, 2020 will still be able to purchase plans F or C. Congress believes eliminating first dollar coverage plans will save Medicare money.
Drug Coverage:
Some Medigap policies sold before January 1, 2006 may include prescription drug coverage, but after that date, no new Medigap policies could be sold with drug coverage. This time frame coincides with the introduction of the Medicare Part D benefit.
Medicare beneficiaries who enroll in a Standalone Part D plan may not retain the drug coverage portion of their Medigap policy. People with Medigap policies that include drug coverage who enrolled in Medicare Part D by May 15, 2006 had a guaranteed right to switch to another Medigap policy that has no prescription drug coverage.
Beneficiaries choosing to retain a Medigap policy with drug coverage after that date have no such right; in that case, the opportunity to switch to a Medigap policy without drug coverage is solely at the discretion of the private insurance company issuing the replacement policy, but the beneficiary may choose to remove drug coverage from their current Medigap policy and retain all other benefits.
The vast majority of Medicare beneficiaries who hold a Medigap policy with drug coverage and then enroll in a Part D Plan after May 15, 2006 will have to pay a late enrollment penalty. The only exception is for the few beneficiaries holding a Medigap policy with a drug benefit that is considered "creditable coverage" (i.e. that it meets four criteria defined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services); a Medigap policy with prescription drug coverage bought before mid-1992 may pay out as much as or more than a Medicare Part D plan.
Medigap policies sold in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin with prescription coverage may also pay out as much as or more than Part D.
Thus, individuals who qualify for the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program generally also do not need, and should not pay for, Medicare Supplement Insurance. Some employers offer health insurance coverage to their retirees. Retirees who are covered by such group plans may not need to purchase an individual policy.
While a retiree may choose to switch to an individual plan, this may not be a good choice because group retiree plans usually do not cost anything to the individual and the group coverage is often as good or better than most individual Medigap policies. Thus, the individual should compare his company's policy costs and coverage with the ten Medigap policies.
The retiree should also consider the stability of his company. If it is conceivable that the company will falter, that his costs will rise, or that coverage will diminish, the individual may wish to purchase an independent policy. Remember, however, that if a new policy is purchased, the old policy must be dropped. More information at:
Enrollment Patterns:
In 2006, 18% of Medicare beneficiaries were covered by Original Medicare (Part A and B) supplemented with a standardized Medigap Plan, while another 65% had other coverage through employer-based policies, Medicare Advantage policies, or Medicaid or other public insurance.
Almost a third of Medigap policyholders (31%) live in rural areas; in comparison, roughly a fourth of all Medicare beneficiaries live in rural areas. Two-thirds of rural Medigap policyholders (66%) report incomes below $30,000.
See Also:
Medicare provides health insurance for Americans aged 65 and older who have worked and paid into the system. It also provides health insurance to younger people with disabilities, end stage renal disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
In 2010, Medicare provided health insurance to 48 million Americans—40 million people age 65 and older and eight million younger people with disabilities. It was the primary payer for an estimated 15.3 million inpatient stays in 2011, representing 47.2 percent ($182.7 billion) of total aggregate inpatient hospital costs in the United States.
Medicare serves a large population of elderly and disabled individuals. On average, Medicare covers about half (48 percent) of the health care charges for those enrolled. The enrollees must then cover the remaining approved charges either with supplemental insurance or with another form of out-of-pocket coverage.
Out-of-pocket costs can vary depending on the amount of health care a Medicare enrollee needs. They might include uncovered services—such as long-term, dental, hearing, and vision care—and the supplemental insurance.
The Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee (or Relative Value Update Committee; RUC), composed of physicians associated with the American Medical Association, advises the government about pay standards for Medicare patient procedures, according to news reports.
Click on any of the following hyperlinks for amplification:
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- Payment for services
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- See also:
- Administration on Aging
- Federal Insurance Contributions Act
- Health care in the United States
- Health care politics
- Health care reform in the United States
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- Medicaid
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- External links
Medigap (also Medicare supplement insurance or Medicare supplemental insurance) refers to various private health insurance plans sold to supplement Medicare in the United States.
Medigap insurance provides coverage for many of the co-pays and some of the co-insurance related to Medicare-covered hospital, skilled nursing facility, home health care, ambulance, durable medical equipment, and doctor charges.
Medigap's name is derived from the notion that it exists to cover the difference or "gap" between the expenses reimbursed to providers by Medicare Parts A and B for the preceding named services and the total amount allowed to be charged for those services by the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
As of 2006, 18% of Medicare beneficiaries were covered by a Medigap policy. Public-option Part C Medicare Advantage health plans and private employee retiree insurance provides a similar supplemental role for almost all other Medicare beneficiaries not dual eligible for Medicaid.
Medicare eligibility starts for most Americans when they turn 65 years old. Those who have been on Social Security eligibility for 24 months can also qualify for Medicare Part A and Part B. A person must be enrolled in part A and B of Medicare before they can enroll in a Medigap plan.
When a person turns 65—or if they are older and new to Medicare Part B—they become eligible for Medigap open enrollment. This period starts on the first day of the month you turn 65 and lasts for 6 months. During this period, a person can buy any Medigap plan regardless of their health.
This is different than if someone is losing group coverage or retiring. When this occurs, the person is eligible to exercise his or her "Guarantee Issue" right. With a Medigap guarantee issue right, a person can buy a Medigap Plan A, B, C, F, K, or L that's sold by any insurance company in their state.
In addition, the insurance company cannot deny or raise the premium due to past or current health conditions. Also, the insurance company must cover any pre-existing conditions.
Instead of exercising the guarantee issue right, a person can opt to go through the underwriting process in order to buy a plan G or N. Once a person is outside their open enrollment period and or guarantee issue, they can change their Medigap plan, but they will be subject to health underwriting by the insurance company they are applying with.
It is also important to know that monthly premiums apply, and plans may not be cancelled by the insurer for any reason other than non-payment of premiums/membership dues.
Furthermore, a single Medigap plan may cover only one person. Finally, Medigap insurance is not compatible with a Medicare Advantage plan. You cannot have both a Medicare supplement and a Medicare Advantage plan at the same time. You can only have a Medigap plan if you are still on Medicare Part A and Part B and have not replaced your coverage with a Medicare Advantage Part C coverage.
Medicare recipients under age 65:
Recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits or patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are entitled to Medicare coverage regardless of age, but are not automatically entitled to purchase Medigap policies unless they are at least 65.
Under federal law, insurers are not required to sell Medigap policies to people under 65, and even if they do, they may use medical screening. However, a slight majority of states require insurers to offer at least one kind of Medigap policy to at least some Medicare recipients in that age group.
Of these states, 25 require that Medigap policies be offered to all Medicare recipients. In California, Massachusetts, and Vermont, Medigap policies are not available to end-stage ESRD patients. Part D deductible will go up for about 20% of Americans to over $150.00 a year. That's close to a 50% increase in 2016.
Products Available:
Medigap offerings have been standardized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) into ten different plans, labeled A through N, sold and administered by private companies.
Each Medigap plan offers a different combination of benefits. The coverage provided is roughly proportional to the premium paid. However, many older Medigap plans (these 'older' plans are no longer marketed) offering minimal benefits will cost more than current plans offering full benefits. The reason behind this is that older plans have an older average age per person enrolled in the plan, causing more claims within the group and raising the premium for all members within the group.
Since Medigap is private insurance and not government sponsored, the rules governing the sale and offerings of a Medigap insurance policy can vary from state to state. Some states such as Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin require Medigap insurance to provide additional coverage than what is defined in the standardized Medigap plans.
Some employers may provide Medigap coverage as a benefit to their retirees. While Medigap offerings have been standardized since 1992, some seniors who had Medigap plans prior to 1992 are still on non-standard plans. Those plans are no longer eligible for new policies.
Over the years, new laws have brought many changes to Medigap Policies. For example, marketing for plans E, H, I, and J has been stopped as of May 31, 2010. But, if you were already covered by plan E, H, I, or J before June 1, 2010, you can keep that plan. Medigap plans M and N took effect on June 1, 2010, bringing the number of offered plans down to ten from twelve.
Congress passed the bill H.R. 2 on April 14, 2015, which will eliminate plans that cover the part B deductible for new Medicare beneficiaries starting Jan. 1st, 2020. Those who enroll in to Medicare after Jan. 1st, 2020 will not be able to purchase plans F or C; however, those people who enrolled onto Medicare prior to Jan. 1st, 2020 will still be able to purchase plans F or C. Congress believes eliminating first dollar coverage plans will save Medicare money.
Drug Coverage:
Some Medigap policies sold before January 1, 2006 may include prescription drug coverage, but after that date, no new Medigap policies could be sold with drug coverage. This time frame coincides with the introduction of the Medicare Part D benefit.
Medicare beneficiaries who enroll in a Standalone Part D plan may not retain the drug coverage portion of their Medigap policy. People with Medigap policies that include drug coverage who enrolled in Medicare Part D by May 15, 2006 had a guaranteed right to switch to another Medigap policy that has no prescription drug coverage.
Beneficiaries choosing to retain a Medigap policy with drug coverage after that date have no such right; in that case, the opportunity to switch to a Medigap policy without drug coverage is solely at the discretion of the private insurance company issuing the replacement policy, but the beneficiary may choose to remove drug coverage from their current Medigap policy and retain all other benefits.
The vast majority of Medicare beneficiaries who hold a Medigap policy with drug coverage and then enroll in a Part D Plan after May 15, 2006 will have to pay a late enrollment penalty. The only exception is for the few beneficiaries holding a Medigap policy with a drug benefit that is considered "creditable coverage" (i.e. that it meets four criteria defined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services); a Medigap policy with prescription drug coverage bought before mid-1992 may pay out as much as or more than a Medicare Part D plan.
Medigap policies sold in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin with prescription coverage may also pay out as much as or more than Part D.
Thus, individuals who qualify for the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program generally also do not need, and should not pay for, Medicare Supplement Insurance. Some employers offer health insurance coverage to their retirees. Retirees who are covered by such group plans may not need to purchase an individual policy.
While a retiree may choose to switch to an individual plan, this may not be a good choice because group retiree plans usually do not cost anything to the individual and the group coverage is often as good or better than most individual Medigap policies. Thus, the individual should compare his company's policy costs and coverage with the ten Medigap policies.
The retiree should also consider the stability of his company. If it is conceivable that the company will falter, that his costs will rise, or that coverage will diminish, the individual may wish to purchase an independent policy. Remember, however, that if a new policy is purchased, the old policy must be dropped. More information at:
Enrollment Patterns:
In 2006, 18% of Medicare beneficiaries were covered by Original Medicare (Part A and B) supplemented with a standardized Medigap Plan, while another 65% had other coverage through employer-based policies, Medicare Advantage policies, or Medicaid or other public insurance.
Almost a third of Medigap policyholders (31%) live in rural areas; in comparison, roughly a fourth of all Medicare beneficiaries live in rural areas. Two-thirds of rural Medigap policyholders (66%) report incomes below $30,000.
See Also:
- Health insurance in the United States
- Medicare Supplement Overview at Medicare.gov
- Benefits Grid for the different Medigap plans at Medicare.gov
Retirees as Snowbirds
YouTube Video: Crazy Horse Campground and RV Park in Tucson, Arizona
Pictured: Retirees as Snowbirds migrating to Florida for the Winter as LEFT: “Snowbird” License Plate; RIGHT: Snowbird’s beachfront trailer courtesy Beachfront RV Park
A snowbird is a term often associated with people who move from the higher latitudes and colder climates of the northern United States and Canada and migrate southward in winter to warmer locales such as Florida, California, Hawaii, Arizona, Texas, or elsewhere along the Sun Belt of the southern and southwestern United States, Mexico, and areas of the Caribbean.
Snowbirds are typically retirees who wish to avoid the snow and cold temperatures of northern winter, but maintain ties with family and friends by staying there the rest of the year.
Some snowbirds bring their homes with them, as campers (mounted on bus or truck frames) or as boats following the East Coast Intracoastal waterway.
A significant portion of the snowbird community is made up of recreational vehicle users (RVers). Many own a motorhome for the sole purpose of traveling south in the winter. Often they go to the same location every year and consider the other RVers that do the same a "second family".
Many RV parks label themselves "snowbird friendly" and get the majority of their income from the influx of RVing snowbirds. There are places like Quartzsite, Arizona, that have been labeled "white cities" because from a bird's-eye view all the motorhomes cover the landscape in white and then in the summer are gone.
While historically Florida has been the number one RV snowbird location, other southern U.S. states are experiencing a boom from snowbirds enjoying the southern climate for example.
In the United States, the right to vote for local office is governed by local and state law, so it may be possible to vote for local offices in both places if the locality permits nonresident voting based on property ownership.
However, representation in the United States Congress is for residents as enumerated by the decennial census and voting in U.S. federal elections in more than one jurisdiction is deemed to be electoral fraud.
See also:
Snowbirds are typically retirees who wish to avoid the snow and cold temperatures of northern winter, but maintain ties with family and friends by staying there the rest of the year.
Some snowbirds bring their homes with them, as campers (mounted on bus or truck frames) or as boats following the East Coast Intracoastal waterway.
A significant portion of the snowbird community is made up of recreational vehicle users (RVers). Many own a motorhome for the sole purpose of traveling south in the winter. Often they go to the same location every year and consider the other RVers that do the same a "second family".
Many RV parks label themselves "snowbird friendly" and get the majority of their income from the influx of RVing snowbirds. There are places like Quartzsite, Arizona, that have been labeled "white cities" because from a bird's-eye view all the motorhomes cover the landscape in white and then in the summer are gone.
While historically Florida has been the number one RV snowbird location, other southern U.S. states are experiencing a boom from snowbirds enjoying the southern climate for example.
In the United States, the right to vote for local office is governed by local and state law, so it may be possible to vote for local offices in both places if the locality permits nonresident voting based on property ownership.
However, representation in the United States Congress is for residents as enumerated by the decennial census and voting in U.S. federal elections in more than one jurisdiction is deemed to be electoral fraud.
See also:
- Canadian Snowbird Association
- Canadians of convenience
- Coachella Valley – a major destination in the desert of California for snowbirds and part-time residents from Canada and the Pacific Northwest
- RV lifestyle
- Seasonal human migration
What to Expect in Your 70s and Beyond by AARP Magazine October 10, 2012.
YouTube Video: Age Strongly: Exercises for Ages 70+
Pictured below: (L) Studies show strength training can build muscle, which can take force off the joints.; (R) 44 percent of women 68 through 80 report being very satisfied with their sex lives, compared with just 30 percent of women 55 to 68 years old.
Staying mentally and physically active can help keep you, well, young. What can you expect of the years ahead?
Everyone ages differently, and lifestyle plays a major role, but you'll experience both hard-to-notice and impossible-to-miss changes in your physical and mental health.
Read on for the good, the bad and the what's-up-with-that? transformations you'll encounter — plus the latest advice on feeling happy, sexy and pain-free.
Save Your Skin
The Good News: Your skin is drier, which can be welcome relief for the third of women who were plagued by oily skin and breakouts throughout their adulthood.
The Not-So-Good News: Wrinkles and lines are more plentiful, but so are the options for keeping skin looking bright. Gentle exfoliation and moisturizing are especially important.
Pick skin products with antioxidants and glycolic acid, which promote skin thickening and increase collagen production. And apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 every day.
Laser treatments can help with dilated superficial blood vessels (called telangiectasias), which tend to appear without warning on the cheeks, nose, chin and legs. (The laser destroys the blood vessels underneath the skin - with no scarring.) And those extra skin tags? Your doctor can remove them through freezing, snipping or cauterizing.
What's Up With That? Non-articular cartilage, the type that gives ears and noses their shape, continues to grow with age, making these appendages larger. But look on the bright side: Such cartilage growth may have evolved to enable people to track and funnel sounds and smells as they age, suggests James Stankiewicz, M.D., chair of the Department of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.
What's Ahead: As you age, the skin around your jawline tends to sag. If you're bothered by it, ask your doctor about skin-tightening radio-frequency treatments, which can tighten skin without damaging the epidermis.
Bone Up for Good Health:
The Good News: You can maintain muscle strength through activity.
The Not-So-Good News: About one in three women ages 75 through 85 has osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease, which greatly increases the risk of fractures of the hip and spine. Studies show strength training can build muscle, which can take force off the joints. Plus, weight-bearing activities stimulate the bones to grow stronger and denser.
What's Up With That? Although worn joints may benefit from anti-inflammatory drugs and activity, surgery may become necessary as cartilage loss begins to accelerate. Regenerative techniques such as platelet-rich plasma and autologous (self) stem cell injections may also help, according to Nathan Wei, M.D., a rheumatologist in Frederick, Md.
What's Ahead: Joint-replacement surgeries are common; one study showed that patients 75-plus recover just as quickly as those 65 to 74.
Preserve Your Senses:
The Good News: Lifestyle plays a major role in helping to maintain your senses as you age. So stay away from loud noises, eat a well-balanced diet (which can help ward off such age-related eye disorders as macular degeneration) and see a doctor immediately if you notice that your senses of smell or taste diminish significantly. (This may indicate a sinus infection or be a reaction to medication.)
The Not-So-Good News: You may have trouble seeing when first entering a very dark or bright area. That's because as you age, your eye muscles slow down, causing your eyes' pupils to react more slowly to changes in light. After age 70, the ability to see fine details diminishes as well, because there are fewer nerve cells to transmit visual signals to the brain.
If you're plagued by dry eye, medications like Restasis can help create more tears.
Finally, some 68 percent of 70-somethings experience some degree of hearing loss. What to do? Swallow your pride and get tested for hearing aids, which have been associated with less cognitive decline and dementia. Wearing the devices could pay off in the long run, experts say, by helping you stay engaged with others and your environment.
What's Up With That? Have you noticed that blues seem gray and reds appear more intense? Not to worry. It's just changes in the lenses in your eyes, which have started to yellow with age. If it gets too bad, you may need cataract surgery. About half of people ages 65 through 74 have cataracts; the number rises to more than 70 percent among those 75 or older.
What's Ahead: Your senses of smell and taste have likely declined, reducing the ability to enjoy subtle flavors. Taste buds decrease in number and sensitivity, and nerve endings in the nose may not work as well. The fix? Turn up the dial on seasonings. Ethnic cuisines like Indian and Thai contain spices and herbs that amplify the aromas and tastes of foods.
Improve Your Sex Life:
The Good News: Sex in your 70s and beyond? You bet! A recent survey found that 70-year-old men and women were much more likely to be sexually active, to report being in a happy relationship and to have a positive attitude toward sex than people that age who were polled in the 1970s and 1990s. Some 44 percent of women 68 through 80 report being very satisfied with their sex lives, compared with just 30 percent of women 55 to 68 years old.
The Not-So-Good News: Sex-related hormones — estrogen and progesterone in women, testosterone in men — decline, and vaginal dryness may become more noticeable. But lubricants are effective, as are prescription creams and tablets.
What's Up With That? Rates of erectile dysfunction (ED) increase with age; by 70, between 40 and 60 percent of men will experience symptoms. Research shows that not smoking and eating a diet rich in antioxidants can help.
What's Ahead: A University of Chicago study finds almost 40 percent of men 75 to 85 are sexually active.
Motivate Your Metabolism:
The Good News: While metabolism typically slows up to 5 percent per decade, that doesn't mean you have to gain weight in your 70s. Just stay active and cut calories if needed, says Alice Lichtenstein, D.Sc., director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging.
The Not-So-Good News: In your 70s you may secrete less hydrochloric acid, which decreases the availability of vitamin B12, says Lichtenstein. Ask your doctor if you need a B12 supplement (optimal dose: 2.4 mcg daily).
What's Up With That? As you age, your ability to produce vitamin D in response to sunlight gradually decreases. Your doctor may recommend a vitamin D supplement — after age 70, you need 800 IU of vitamin D every day, as well as 1,200 mg daily of calcium.
What's Ahead: The sensations of hunger and thirst can decrease with age, often leading to dehydration and malnutrition. Plan to eat several small meals throughout the day, and consume at least 6 cups of liquid.
Ramp Up Your Immunity:
The Good News: Allergies, which result from an overreactive immune system, are likely a thing of the past, because your immune system isn't as sensitive.
The Not-So-Good News: That less-aggressive immune response means you're more susceptible to getting sick. Chronic inflammation, which is linked to heart disease, diabetes and arthritis, makes it even harder for the body to mount an effective immune response. So it's important to shed excess pounds, eat a good diet and exercise.
What's Up With That? Your response to vaccines decreases with age, leaving you even more vulnerable to illnesses like flu and pneumonia. After 65 you're eligible to get a higher-dose flu vaccine. A new study also suggests you can boost the effectiveness of your vaccines by getting at least seven hours of sleep a night.
What's Ahead: Rates of cancer rise with age but then level off around 85, so if you've gotten that far cancer-free, you may reach a very old age.
Keep Your Heart Strong:
The Good News: Older hearts pump about the same volume of blood with each beat as younger hearts.
The Not-So-Good News: Your heart's walls are getting thicker and its valves are stiffer. One way to improve your heart health? Keep moving. Research recently showed that women and men age 70-plus who spent as little as a half hour a day on activities like walking and dancing had a 20 to 40 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who reported no activity.
What's Up With That? A skipped beat or a racing heart could be atrial fibrillation, a type of heart arrhythmia that becomes more common with age. Since it can increase the risk of stroke, mention it to your doctor. You should also say if you're experiencing unusual fatigue, weakness when exercising or dizziness.
What's Ahead: Heart disease incidence rises; it's the leading cause of death for people 75 through 84.
Take Fewer Nighttime Trips:
The Good News: If you're generally healthy, your urological system likely functions pretty well. And an array of therapies can help when problems crop up.
The Not-So-Good News: Bladder tissue contracts and expands less efficiently as you get older, often leading to overactive bladder, incontinence and infection. About 60 percent of women in their 70s will experience some type of urinary incontinence. Ask your doctor about bladder training, medications and pelvic floor exercises ("Kegels"), which can strengthen the muscles around the bladder. More than half of men in their 70s experience symptoms of an enlarged prostate gland, called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Symptoms include a weak urine flow or difficulty urinating, but medications like tamsulosin and finasteride can help.
What's Up With That? Gotta go during the night? Not to worry; that's normal. "In their 60s, 80 percent of people need to get up at least once a night," says Ryan P. Terlecki, M.D., assistant professor of urology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. And 25 to 35 percent of those in their 70s get up at least twice. Try decreasing fluids after 6 p.m. and avoiding caffeine in the afternoon. If you're on diuretics for high blood pressure, speak to your doctor about taking your pill in the morning.
What's Ahead: Urinary tract infections are common as you age. The counterintuitive advice? If you're not experiencing symptoms, sometimes it's better to do nothing. Antibiotics can clear up the infection, but they often disrupt other bacterial balances.
Be Happy:
The Good News: We're pretty happy. A recent AARP survey showed that of all the decades surveyed, the 70s tend to be some of the happiest years of your life. One explanation for the trend: years of experience. "As you get older, you know that bad times are going to pass," says Laura Carstensen, Ph.D., director of the Stanford Center on Longevity. "You also know that good times will pass, which makes those good times even more precious."
The Not-So-Good News: You might stay away from stressful situations, thereby missing out on new opportunities. Just make sure all of your social interactions stay strong. They may be key to facing future challenges with resilience.
What's Up With That? Does your spouse seem mellower than he or she once did? "The ability to regulate one's emotions improves as you get older," says Bob Knight, Ph.D., professor of gerontology and psychology at the USC Davis School of Gerontology in Los Angeles.
What's Ahead: As long as your health remains good, you can expect to be happy. Studies also suggest that negative emotions like anger and sadness become less frequent with age, perhaps because older adults get better at tuning out negativity.
Stay Sharp:
The Good News: Research shows that the steep loss of brain function once thought intrinsic to aging is often avoidable. "You can improve your brain health by getting regular mental stimulation, social interaction and physical activity," says Gary J. Kennedy, M.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral science in the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. And your gut instincts remain sharp as you age, too. In one study, older adults fared as well as those under 30 on intuitive decisions.
The Not-So-Good News: Part of your brain circuitry starts to burn out with age, but most of us compensate by relying on other parts of our brain, and our past experiences, to make decisions. "That's the 'wisdom' that accrues with older age," says Kennedy.
What's Up With That? Feeling increasingly forgetful? This happens because the transmission of nerve impulses between cells slows down as you age.
What's Ahead: Real cognitive decline becomes more prevalent by your 80s; nearly half of Americans 85 or older have Alzheimer's. Your best prevention plan, as Kennedy advises: intellectual stimulation, time with family and friends, and exercise.
[End of Article]
Everyone ages differently, and lifestyle plays a major role, but you'll experience both hard-to-notice and impossible-to-miss changes in your physical and mental health.
Read on for the good, the bad and the what's-up-with-that? transformations you'll encounter — plus the latest advice on feeling happy, sexy and pain-free.
Save Your Skin
The Good News: Your skin is drier, which can be welcome relief for the third of women who were plagued by oily skin and breakouts throughout their adulthood.
The Not-So-Good News: Wrinkles and lines are more plentiful, but so are the options for keeping skin looking bright. Gentle exfoliation and moisturizing are especially important.
Pick skin products with antioxidants and glycolic acid, which promote skin thickening and increase collagen production. And apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 every day.
Laser treatments can help with dilated superficial blood vessels (called telangiectasias), which tend to appear without warning on the cheeks, nose, chin and legs. (The laser destroys the blood vessels underneath the skin - with no scarring.) And those extra skin tags? Your doctor can remove them through freezing, snipping or cauterizing.
What's Up With That? Non-articular cartilage, the type that gives ears and noses their shape, continues to grow with age, making these appendages larger. But look on the bright side: Such cartilage growth may have evolved to enable people to track and funnel sounds and smells as they age, suggests James Stankiewicz, M.D., chair of the Department of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.
What's Ahead: As you age, the skin around your jawline tends to sag. If you're bothered by it, ask your doctor about skin-tightening radio-frequency treatments, which can tighten skin without damaging the epidermis.
Bone Up for Good Health:
The Good News: You can maintain muscle strength through activity.
The Not-So-Good News: About one in three women ages 75 through 85 has osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease, which greatly increases the risk of fractures of the hip and spine. Studies show strength training can build muscle, which can take force off the joints. Plus, weight-bearing activities stimulate the bones to grow stronger and denser.
What's Up With That? Although worn joints may benefit from anti-inflammatory drugs and activity, surgery may become necessary as cartilage loss begins to accelerate. Regenerative techniques such as platelet-rich plasma and autologous (self) stem cell injections may also help, according to Nathan Wei, M.D., a rheumatologist in Frederick, Md.
What's Ahead: Joint-replacement surgeries are common; one study showed that patients 75-plus recover just as quickly as those 65 to 74.
Preserve Your Senses:
The Good News: Lifestyle plays a major role in helping to maintain your senses as you age. So stay away from loud noises, eat a well-balanced diet (which can help ward off such age-related eye disorders as macular degeneration) and see a doctor immediately if you notice that your senses of smell or taste diminish significantly. (This may indicate a sinus infection or be a reaction to medication.)
The Not-So-Good News: You may have trouble seeing when first entering a very dark or bright area. That's because as you age, your eye muscles slow down, causing your eyes' pupils to react more slowly to changes in light. After age 70, the ability to see fine details diminishes as well, because there are fewer nerve cells to transmit visual signals to the brain.
If you're plagued by dry eye, medications like Restasis can help create more tears.
Finally, some 68 percent of 70-somethings experience some degree of hearing loss. What to do? Swallow your pride and get tested for hearing aids, which have been associated with less cognitive decline and dementia. Wearing the devices could pay off in the long run, experts say, by helping you stay engaged with others and your environment.
What's Up With That? Have you noticed that blues seem gray and reds appear more intense? Not to worry. It's just changes in the lenses in your eyes, which have started to yellow with age. If it gets too bad, you may need cataract surgery. About half of people ages 65 through 74 have cataracts; the number rises to more than 70 percent among those 75 or older.
What's Ahead: Your senses of smell and taste have likely declined, reducing the ability to enjoy subtle flavors. Taste buds decrease in number and sensitivity, and nerve endings in the nose may not work as well. The fix? Turn up the dial on seasonings. Ethnic cuisines like Indian and Thai contain spices and herbs that amplify the aromas and tastes of foods.
Improve Your Sex Life:
The Good News: Sex in your 70s and beyond? You bet! A recent survey found that 70-year-old men and women were much more likely to be sexually active, to report being in a happy relationship and to have a positive attitude toward sex than people that age who were polled in the 1970s and 1990s. Some 44 percent of women 68 through 80 report being very satisfied with their sex lives, compared with just 30 percent of women 55 to 68 years old.
The Not-So-Good News: Sex-related hormones — estrogen and progesterone in women, testosterone in men — decline, and vaginal dryness may become more noticeable. But lubricants are effective, as are prescription creams and tablets.
What's Up With That? Rates of erectile dysfunction (ED) increase with age; by 70, between 40 and 60 percent of men will experience symptoms. Research shows that not smoking and eating a diet rich in antioxidants can help.
What's Ahead: A University of Chicago study finds almost 40 percent of men 75 to 85 are sexually active.
Motivate Your Metabolism:
The Good News: While metabolism typically slows up to 5 percent per decade, that doesn't mean you have to gain weight in your 70s. Just stay active and cut calories if needed, says Alice Lichtenstein, D.Sc., director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging.
The Not-So-Good News: In your 70s you may secrete less hydrochloric acid, which decreases the availability of vitamin B12, says Lichtenstein. Ask your doctor if you need a B12 supplement (optimal dose: 2.4 mcg daily).
What's Up With That? As you age, your ability to produce vitamin D in response to sunlight gradually decreases. Your doctor may recommend a vitamin D supplement — after age 70, you need 800 IU of vitamin D every day, as well as 1,200 mg daily of calcium.
What's Ahead: The sensations of hunger and thirst can decrease with age, often leading to dehydration and malnutrition. Plan to eat several small meals throughout the day, and consume at least 6 cups of liquid.
Ramp Up Your Immunity:
The Good News: Allergies, which result from an overreactive immune system, are likely a thing of the past, because your immune system isn't as sensitive.
The Not-So-Good News: That less-aggressive immune response means you're more susceptible to getting sick. Chronic inflammation, which is linked to heart disease, diabetes and arthritis, makes it even harder for the body to mount an effective immune response. So it's important to shed excess pounds, eat a good diet and exercise.
What's Up With That? Your response to vaccines decreases with age, leaving you even more vulnerable to illnesses like flu and pneumonia. After 65 you're eligible to get a higher-dose flu vaccine. A new study also suggests you can boost the effectiveness of your vaccines by getting at least seven hours of sleep a night.
What's Ahead: Rates of cancer rise with age but then level off around 85, so if you've gotten that far cancer-free, you may reach a very old age.
Keep Your Heart Strong:
The Good News: Older hearts pump about the same volume of blood with each beat as younger hearts.
The Not-So-Good News: Your heart's walls are getting thicker and its valves are stiffer. One way to improve your heart health? Keep moving. Research recently showed that women and men age 70-plus who spent as little as a half hour a day on activities like walking and dancing had a 20 to 40 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who reported no activity.
What's Up With That? A skipped beat or a racing heart could be atrial fibrillation, a type of heart arrhythmia that becomes more common with age. Since it can increase the risk of stroke, mention it to your doctor. You should also say if you're experiencing unusual fatigue, weakness when exercising or dizziness.
What's Ahead: Heart disease incidence rises; it's the leading cause of death for people 75 through 84.
Take Fewer Nighttime Trips:
The Good News: If you're generally healthy, your urological system likely functions pretty well. And an array of therapies can help when problems crop up.
The Not-So-Good News: Bladder tissue contracts and expands less efficiently as you get older, often leading to overactive bladder, incontinence and infection. About 60 percent of women in their 70s will experience some type of urinary incontinence. Ask your doctor about bladder training, medications and pelvic floor exercises ("Kegels"), which can strengthen the muscles around the bladder. More than half of men in their 70s experience symptoms of an enlarged prostate gland, called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Symptoms include a weak urine flow or difficulty urinating, but medications like tamsulosin and finasteride can help.
What's Up With That? Gotta go during the night? Not to worry; that's normal. "In their 60s, 80 percent of people need to get up at least once a night," says Ryan P. Terlecki, M.D., assistant professor of urology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. And 25 to 35 percent of those in their 70s get up at least twice. Try decreasing fluids after 6 p.m. and avoiding caffeine in the afternoon. If you're on diuretics for high blood pressure, speak to your doctor about taking your pill in the morning.
What's Ahead: Urinary tract infections are common as you age. The counterintuitive advice? If you're not experiencing symptoms, sometimes it's better to do nothing. Antibiotics can clear up the infection, but they often disrupt other bacterial balances.
Be Happy:
The Good News: We're pretty happy. A recent AARP survey showed that of all the decades surveyed, the 70s tend to be some of the happiest years of your life. One explanation for the trend: years of experience. "As you get older, you know that bad times are going to pass," says Laura Carstensen, Ph.D., director of the Stanford Center on Longevity. "You also know that good times will pass, which makes those good times even more precious."
The Not-So-Good News: You might stay away from stressful situations, thereby missing out on new opportunities. Just make sure all of your social interactions stay strong. They may be key to facing future challenges with resilience.
What's Up With That? Does your spouse seem mellower than he or she once did? "The ability to regulate one's emotions improves as you get older," says Bob Knight, Ph.D., professor of gerontology and psychology at the USC Davis School of Gerontology in Los Angeles.
What's Ahead: As long as your health remains good, you can expect to be happy. Studies also suggest that negative emotions like anger and sadness become less frequent with age, perhaps because older adults get better at tuning out negativity.
Stay Sharp:
The Good News: Research shows that the steep loss of brain function once thought intrinsic to aging is often avoidable. "You can improve your brain health by getting regular mental stimulation, social interaction and physical activity," says Gary J. Kennedy, M.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral science in the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. And your gut instincts remain sharp as you age, too. In one study, older adults fared as well as those under 30 on intuitive decisions.
The Not-So-Good News: Part of your brain circuitry starts to burn out with age, but most of us compensate by relying on other parts of our brain, and our past experiences, to make decisions. "That's the 'wisdom' that accrues with older age," says Kennedy.
What's Up With That? Feeling increasingly forgetful? This happens because the transmission of nerve impulses between cells slows down as you age.
What's Ahead: Real cognitive decline becomes more prevalent by your 80s; nearly half of Americans 85 or older have Alzheimer's. Your best prevention plan, as Kennedy advises: intellectual stimulation, time with family and friends, and exercise.
[End of Article]
Social programs in the United States
YouTube Video: How to Maximize Your Social Security Benefits*
*- by Kiplinger (Leader in personal finance news and business forecasting. Get trusted advice on investing, retirement, taxes, saving, real estate, cars, college, insurance.)
YouTube Video: Medicare & You: Understanding Your Medicare Choices
Pictured: (L) Social Security Administration Logo: (R) Medicare Card
Social programs in the United States are welfare subsidies designed to aid the needs of the American population.
Federal and state welfare programs include cash assistance, healthcare and medical provisions, food assistance, housing subsidies, energy and utilities subsidies, education and childcare assistance, and subsidies and assistance for other basic services. Private provisions from employers, either mandated by policy or voluntary, also provide similar social welfare benefits.
The programs vary in eligibility requirements and are provided by various organizations on a federal, state, local and private level. They help to provide food, shelter, education, healthcare and money to U.S. citizens through:
The Social Security system is sometimes considered to be a social aid program and has some characteristics of such programs, but unlike these programs, social security was designed as a self-funded security blanket - so that as the payee pays in (during working years), they are pre-paying for the payments they'll receive back out of the system when they are no longer working.
Medicare is another prominent program, among other healthcare provisions such as Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for more about Social Programs in the Untied States:
Federal and state welfare programs include cash assistance, healthcare and medical provisions, food assistance, housing subsidies, energy and utilities subsidies, education and childcare assistance, and subsidies and assistance for other basic services. Private provisions from employers, either mandated by policy or voluntary, also provide similar social welfare benefits.
The programs vary in eligibility requirements and are provided by various organizations on a federal, state, local and private level. They help to provide food, shelter, education, healthcare and money to U.S. citizens through:
- primary and secondary education,
- subsidies of college education,
- unemployment disability insurance,
- subsidies for eligible low-wage workers,
- subsidies for housing,
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits,
- pensions for eligible persons,
- and health insurance programs that cover public employees.
The Social Security system is sometimes considered to be a social aid program and has some characteristics of such programs, but unlike these programs, social security was designed as a self-funded security blanket - so that as the payee pays in (during working years), they are pre-paying for the payments they'll receive back out of the system when they are no longer working.
Medicare is another prominent program, among other healthcare provisions such as Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for more about Social Programs in the Untied States:
Social Security Administration (SSA.Gov)
YouTube Video: How Social Security Works
YouTube Video: Big Changes Coming to Social Security!
Pictured: Social Security Administration (L) Logo (R) Card
The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits.
To qualify for most of these benefits, most workers pay Social Security taxes on their earnings; the claimant's benefits are based on the wage earner's contributions. Otherwise benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are given based on need.
The Social Security Administration was established by a law codified at 42 U.S.C. § 901. Its current commissioner, Nancy Berryhill (Acting), was appointed January 19, 2017, and will serve until the true Presidential appointment takes office.
SSA is headquartered in Woodlawn, Maryland, just to the west of Baltimore, at what is known as Central Office. The agency includes 10 regional offices, 8 processing centers, approximately 1300 field offices, and 37 Teleservice Centers.
As of 2007, about 62,000 people were employed by SSA. Headquarters non-supervisory employees of SSA are represented by American Federation of Government Employees Local 1923. Social Security is the largest social welfare program in the United States.
For the year 2014, the net cost of social security was 906.4 billion dollars which accounted for 21% of government expenditure.
It has been named the 9th best place to work in the federal government.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for more about the Social Security Administration:
To qualify for most of these benefits, most workers pay Social Security taxes on their earnings; the claimant's benefits are based on the wage earner's contributions. Otherwise benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are given based on need.
The Social Security Administration was established by a law codified at 42 U.S.C. § 901. Its current commissioner, Nancy Berryhill (Acting), was appointed January 19, 2017, and will serve until the true Presidential appointment takes office.
SSA is headquartered in Woodlawn, Maryland, just to the west of Baltimore, at what is known as Central Office. The agency includes 10 regional offices, 8 processing centers, approximately 1300 field offices, and 37 Teleservice Centers.
As of 2007, about 62,000 people were employed by SSA. Headquarters non-supervisory employees of SSA are represented by American Federation of Government Employees Local 1923. Social Security is the largest social welfare program in the United States.
For the year 2014, the net cost of social security was 906.4 billion dollars which accounted for 21% of government expenditure.
It has been named the 9th best place to work in the federal government.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for more about the Social Security Administration:
- History
- Headquarters
- Coverage
- Operations
- Criticism and controversy
- Baby name popularity report
- See also:
- Title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations
- American welfare state
- Social Security (United States)
- Social Security disability insurance
- Social Security number
- Government operations
- Social Security Death Index
- NOSSCR National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives
- Ticket to Work SSA's Ticket to Work Program
- Richardson v. Perales
Medicare Advantage and Choosing a Medigap Policy
- YouTube Video: What is Medigap and What Do Medigap Plans Cover?
- YouTube Video: Medicare Advantage Plans Pros and Cons
- YouTube Video: Medicare Supplement Plans 2019 - The Top 3 Best Plans
Medicare Advantage is a type of health insurance plan that provides coverage within Part C of Medicare in the United States.
Medicare Advantage health plans pay for managed health care based on a monthly fee per enrollee (capitation), rather than on the basis of billing a fee for each medical service provided (fee-for-service (FFS)), which is the way Original Medicare Parts A and B work.
Most such plans are health maintenance organizations (HMOs) or preferred provider organizations (PPOs).
Medicare Advantage plans finance at a minimum the same medical services as "Original" Parts A and B Medicare finance via FFS. Public Part C plans, including Medicare Advantage plans, also typically finance additional services, including additional health services, and most importantly include an annual out of pocket (OOP) spend limit not included in Parts A and B. A public Part C Medicare Advantage beneficiary must first sign up for both Part A and Part B of Medicare in order to choose Part C.
All four Parts of Medicare—A, B and C, and D—are administered by private companies under contract to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Almost all these companies are insurance companies, except for those that administer most Medicare Advantage and other Part C plans.
Most Medicare Advantage and other Part C plans are administered (CMS uses the term "sponsored") by non-profit integrated health delivery systems and their spin offs. Other sponsors include non-profit charities under their respective states' laws, and/or are under union or religious management.
Public Part C health plans, including Medicare Advantage plans, not only cover the same medical services as Parts A and B but also typically include an annual physical exam and vision and/or dental coverage of some sort not covered under Original Medicare Parts A and B. (Medicare Part A provides FFS payments for admitted in-patient hospital care, hospice, and skilled nursing services if a person is first admitted inpatient for three days.
Part B provides payments for most physician and surgical services, even some that take place in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities after admittance, as well as for medically necessary outpatient hospital services such as ER, surgical center, laboratory, X-rays and diagnostic tests, certain preventative medical services, and certain durable medical equipment and supplies.) Less often, hearing and wellness benefits not found in Original Medicare are included in a Medicare Advantage plan.
The most important difference between a Part C health plan and FFS Original Medicare is that all Part C plans, including Part C Medicare Advantage plans, include a limit on how much a beneficiary will have to spend annually OOP; that amount is unlimited in Original Medicare Parts A and B.
Most but not all Medicare Advantage plans (and many of the other public managed-care health plans within Medicare Part C) include integrated self-administered drug coverage similar to the standalone Part D prescription drug benefit plan. The federal government makes separate capitated-fee payments to Medicare Advantage plan sponsors for providing these Part-D-like benefits if applicable just as it does for the sponsor of a plan that anyone on Original Medicare using Part D might have.
Nearly all Medicare beneficiaries (99%) had access to at least one Medicare Advantage plan in 2015; the average beneficiary had access to 18 plans in 2015. This number varies yearly as new sponsors apply to CMS and/or old ones drop out.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for more about Medicare Advantage:
Medicare Advantage health plans pay for managed health care based on a monthly fee per enrollee (capitation), rather than on the basis of billing a fee for each medical service provided (fee-for-service (FFS)), which is the way Original Medicare Parts A and B work.
Most such plans are health maintenance organizations (HMOs) or preferred provider organizations (PPOs).
Medicare Advantage plans finance at a minimum the same medical services as "Original" Parts A and B Medicare finance via FFS. Public Part C plans, including Medicare Advantage plans, also typically finance additional services, including additional health services, and most importantly include an annual out of pocket (OOP) spend limit not included in Parts A and B. A public Part C Medicare Advantage beneficiary must first sign up for both Part A and Part B of Medicare in order to choose Part C.
All four Parts of Medicare—A, B and C, and D—are administered by private companies under contract to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Almost all these companies are insurance companies, except for those that administer most Medicare Advantage and other Part C plans.
Most Medicare Advantage and other Part C plans are administered (CMS uses the term "sponsored") by non-profit integrated health delivery systems and their spin offs. Other sponsors include non-profit charities under their respective states' laws, and/or are under union or religious management.
Public Part C health plans, including Medicare Advantage plans, not only cover the same medical services as Parts A and B but also typically include an annual physical exam and vision and/or dental coverage of some sort not covered under Original Medicare Parts A and B. (Medicare Part A provides FFS payments for admitted in-patient hospital care, hospice, and skilled nursing services if a person is first admitted inpatient for three days.
Part B provides payments for most physician and surgical services, even some that take place in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities after admittance, as well as for medically necessary outpatient hospital services such as ER, surgical center, laboratory, X-rays and diagnostic tests, certain preventative medical services, and certain durable medical equipment and supplies.) Less often, hearing and wellness benefits not found in Original Medicare are included in a Medicare Advantage plan.
The most important difference between a Part C health plan and FFS Original Medicare is that all Part C plans, including Part C Medicare Advantage plans, include a limit on how much a beneficiary will have to spend annually OOP; that amount is unlimited in Original Medicare Parts A and B.
Most but not all Medicare Advantage plans (and many of the other public managed-care health plans within Medicare Part C) include integrated self-administered drug coverage similar to the standalone Part D prescription drug benefit plan. The federal government makes separate capitated-fee payments to Medicare Advantage plan sponsors for providing these Part-D-like benefits if applicable just as it does for the sponsor of a plan that anyone on Original Medicare using Part D might have.
Nearly all Medicare beneficiaries (99%) had access to at least one Medicare Advantage plan in 2015; the average beneficiary had access to 18 plans in 2015. This number varies yearly as new sponsors apply to CMS and/or old ones drop out.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for more about Medicare Advantage:
- History
- Program structure
- Usage
- See also:
- Government links - current:
- CMS official web site at cms.hhs.gov
- Legal Issues Relating to the Secretary’s Authority to Set Payment Rates Under the Medicare Advantage Program Congressional Research Service
- Medicare.gov — the official website for people with Medicare
- Private links:
- Medicare & Medicaid Resources — Medicare information site
- Kaiser Family Foundation — Wide range of free information about the Medicare program and other U.S. health issues including state-level data on health care spending and utilization, including Medicare.
- Medicare - Alliance for Health Reform The nonpartisan, nonprofit Alliance for Health Reform offers information about health reform, in a number of formats, to elected officials and their staffs, journalists, policy analysts and advocates.
- Social Security and Disability News Resource Center
- How Stuff Works - Medicare
- Government links - current:
Independent Senior Living Housing
- YouTube Video: How to Find Affordable Senior Housing
- YouTube Video: Downsizing to an Independent Senior Living Community
- YouTube Video: Downsizing? Tips for moving when you're older
Independent senior living communities (also known as retirement communities, senior living communities or independent retirement communities) are housing designed for seniors 55 and older.
Independent senior living communities commonly provide apartments, but some also offer cottages, condominiums, and single-family homes. Residents include seniors who do not require assistance with daily activities or 24/7 skilled nursing, but may benefit from convenient services, senior-friendly surroundings, and increased social opportunities that independent senior living communities offer.
Independent senior living communities are also popular among snowbird seniors who wish to downsize or travel freely without the burden of managing a home.
Many retirement communities offer dining services, basic housekeeping and laundry services, transportation to appointments and errands, activities, social programs, and access to exercise equipment.
Some also offer emergency alert systems, live-in managers, and amenities like pools, spas, clubhouses, and on-site beauty and barber salons.
Independent senior living properties do not provide health care or assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as medication, bathing, eating, dressing, toileting and more.
Independent senior living differs from continuing care communities, which offer independent living along with multiple other levels of care, such as assisted living and skilled nursing, in one single residence.
Independent senior living residents are permitted to use third-party home health care services to meet additional needs.
The total operational resident capacity for independent senior living communities in the United States is 245,000. Holiday Retirement is the largest single provider of independent living with a resident capacity of 40,440 at 315 retirement communities throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Types:
Typical residents:
A typical independent senior living community resident is a person 55 and older who is mentally and physically capable of living alone without skilled nursing or assistance with day-to-day activities. Some residents may need assistance with a few activities of daily living and can obtain third-party home health care services.
Seniors who may benefit from less home upkeep and increased access to nutritious meals, social interaction, physical and mental stimulation, and transportation make ideal independent senior living community residents.
Vs. assisted living:
The most significant difference between assisted living and independent senior living is the care provided. Residents of assisted living facilities require assistance with daily activities like medication, eating, bathing, dressing, and toileting.
Residents of a purpose-built independent senior living complex have taken an active decision to improve their quality of life by living in a secure, low maintenance home. Elderly people who have chosen to live in assisted retirement complex will often require more care and support to improve their quality of life.
There are around 50,000 private senior living developments in the UK alone, which is insufficient to meet the demand from an increasing number of retirees. It has been predicted that by 2020, 19.3% of the UK population will be aged 65 and a minimum of 35,000 new senior living development properties will need to be created to meet housing demands.
Independent senior living residents are able to live on their own with limited assistance (provided by third-party home health care providers if needed) and without around-the-clock supervision. Neither assisted living nor senior independent living communities offer 24/7 skilled nursing that is provided at nursing homes.
Cost:
Independent senior living communities are the least expensive of the three primary senior living options. Monthly costs vary significantly by community type, size of apartment, location and services offered. The average total cost for a U.S. one bedroom independent senior living apartment is $2,750 per month.
In 2011, the average rate for a private bedroom at a U.S. nursing home was $239 per day, or nearly $7,270 per month. Average rate for a private bedroom at an assisted living community was $3,477 per month. Continuing care communities require an entrance fee that ranges from $20,000 to $500,000, in addition to monthly fees that range from $500 to $3,000 or more depending on services.
See also:
Independent senior living communities commonly provide apartments, but some also offer cottages, condominiums, and single-family homes. Residents include seniors who do not require assistance with daily activities or 24/7 skilled nursing, but may benefit from convenient services, senior-friendly surroundings, and increased social opportunities that independent senior living communities offer.
Independent senior living communities are also popular among snowbird seniors who wish to downsize or travel freely without the burden of managing a home.
Many retirement communities offer dining services, basic housekeeping and laundry services, transportation to appointments and errands, activities, social programs, and access to exercise equipment.
Some also offer emergency alert systems, live-in managers, and amenities like pools, spas, clubhouses, and on-site beauty and barber salons.
Independent senior living properties do not provide health care or assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as medication, bathing, eating, dressing, toileting and more.
Independent senior living differs from continuing care communities, which offer independent living along with multiple other levels of care, such as assisted living and skilled nursing, in one single residence.
Independent senior living residents are permitted to use third-party home health care services to meet additional needs.
The total operational resident capacity for independent senior living communities in the United States is 245,000. Holiday Retirement is the largest single provider of independent living with a resident capacity of 40,440 at 315 retirement communities throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Types:
- Senior Apartments: Most common type of independent senior living. Services usually include recreational programs, transportation, and meals service.
- Housing Units: Senior communities that offer single-family homes, duplexes, mobile homes, townhouses, cottages, or condominiums. Some communities are tied to an adjoining, apartment-style independent senior living community. Residents may have the option to rent or buy.
- Continuing Care: Communities that provide access to independent living communities, as well as assisted living and skilled nursing. Residents can transfer among levels of care as needs change. Some CCRCs also provide memory care facilities.
- Subsidized Housing: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides communities for low-income seniors. Subsidized communities usually adhere to strict criteria and may have lengthy waiting lists.
- Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC): A community that has a large population of senior residents but was not originally designed for seniors. These evolve naturally as people age-in-place over time or migrate into the same area. They are not created to meet the needs of seniors.
- Co-Care: Residents live with three other older adults in a four-bedroom, two-bathroom unit. Each unit has a small kitchen and space for laundry, living and dining, reducing costs for middle income seniors.
Typical residents:
A typical independent senior living community resident is a person 55 and older who is mentally and physically capable of living alone without skilled nursing or assistance with day-to-day activities. Some residents may need assistance with a few activities of daily living and can obtain third-party home health care services.
Seniors who may benefit from less home upkeep and increased access to nutritious meals, social interaction, physical and mental stimulation, and transportation make ideal independent senior living community residents.
Vs. assisted living:
The most significant difference between assisted living and independent senior living is the care provided. Residents of assisted living facilities require assistance with daily activities like medication, eating, bathing, dressing, and toileting.
Residents of a purpose-built independent senior living complex have taken an active decision to improve their quality of life by living in a secure, low maintenance home. Elderly people who have chosen to live in assisted retirement complex will often require more care and support to improve their quality of life.
There are around 50,000 private senior living developments in the UK alone, which is insufficient to meet the demand from an increasing number of retirees. It has been predicted that by 2020, 19.3% of the UK population will be aged 65 and a minimum of 35,000 new senior living development properties will need to be created to meet housing demands.
Independent senior living residents are able to live on their own with limited assistance (provided by third-party home health care providers if needed) and without around-the-clock supervision. Neither assisted living nor senior independent living communities offer 24/7 skilled nursing that is provided at nursing homes.
Cost:
Independent senior living communities are the least expensive of the three primary senior living options. Monthly costs vary significantly by community type, size of apartment, location and services offered. The average total cost for a U.S. one bedroom independent senior living apartment is $2,750 per month.
In 2011, the average rate for a private bedroom at a U.S. nursing home was $239 per day, or nearly $7,270 per month. Average rate for a private bedroom at an assisted living community was $3,477 per month. Continuing care communities require an entrance fee that ranges from $20,000 to $500,000, in addition to monthly fees that range from $500 to $3,000 or more depending on services.
See also:
- Key Differences Between Independent Living and Assisted Living
- Active and Healthy Ageing and Independent Living
- Quality of Life in Assisted Living Homes: A Multidimensional Analysis
- Personality and Adjustment to Assisted Living
- Assisted Living Expansion and the Market for Nursing Home Care
- Why Senior Housing Prices Are Impossible To Find
Aging-Associated Diseases
- YouTube Video: What is AGING ASSOCIATED DISEASE? What does AGING ASSOCIATED DISEASE mean?
- YouTube Video: Can we defeat the diseases of aging? | James Peyer | TEDxStuttgart
- YouTube Video: Bruce Ames - Vitamin and Mineral Inadequacy Accelerates Aging-Associated Diseases
* -- Decline of NAD+* during Aging, Age-Related Diseases, and Cancer (see image above): See also The Plasma NAD+ Metabolome Is Dysregulated in "Normal" Aging.
Aging-associated diseases:
An aging-associated disease is a disease that is most often seen with increasing frequency with increasing senescence. Essentially, aging-associated diseases are complications arising from senescence. Age-associated diseases are to be distinguished from the aging process itself because all adult animals age, save for a few rare exceptions, but not all adult animals experience all age-associated diseases.
Aging-associated diseases do not refer to age-specific diseases, such as the childhood diseases chicken pox and measles. "Aging-associated disease" is used here to mean "diseases of the elderly". Nor should aging-associated diseases be confused with accelerated aging diseases, all of which are genetic disorders.
Examples of aging-associated diseases are:
The incidence of all of these diseases increases exponentially with age.
Of the roughly 150,000 people who die each day across the globe, about two thirds—100,000 per day—die of age-related causes. In industrialized nations, the proportion is higher, reaching 90%.
Patterns of differences:
By age 3 about 30% of rats have had cancer, whereas by age 85 about 30% of humans have had cancer. Humans, dogs and rabbits get Alzheimer's disease, but rodents do not. Elderly rodents typically die of cancer or kidney disease, but not of cardiovascular disease.
In humans, the relative incidence of cancer increases exponentially with age for most cancers, but levels off or may even decline by age 60–75 (although colon/rectal cancer continues to increase).
People with the so-called segmental progerias are vulnerable to different sets of diseases.
Those with Werner's syndrome suffer from osteoporosis, cataracts, and cardiovascular disease, but not neurodegeneration or Alzheimer's disease; those with Down syndrome suffer type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, but not high blood pressure, osteoporosis or cataracts.
In Bloom syndrome, those afflicted most often die of cancer.
Research:
Aging (senescence) increases vulnerability to age-associated diseases, whereas genetics determines vulnerability or resistance between species and individuals within species.
Some age-related changes (like graying hair) are said to be unrelated to an increase in mortality. But some biogerontologists believe that the same underlying changes that cause graying hair also increase mortality in other organ systems and that understanding the incidence of age-associated disease will advance knowledge of the biology of senescence just as knowledge of childhood diseases advanced knowledge of human development.
Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS) is a research strategy which aims to repair a few "root causes" for age-related illness and degeneration, as well as develop medical procedures to periodically repair all such damage in the human body, thereby maintaining a youth-like state indefinitely.
So far, the SENS programme has identified seven types of aging-related damage, and feasible solutions have been outlined for each. However, critics argue that the SENS agenda is optimistic at best, and that the aging process is too complex and little-understood for SENS to be scientific or implementable in the foreseeable future.
Recently it has been proposed that age-related diseases are mediated by vicious cycles [10]
Diseases:
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD):
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a disease that affects the eyes and can lead to vision loss through break down of the central part of the retina called the macula.
Degeneration can occur in one eye or both and can be classified as either wet (neovascular) or dry (atrophic). Wet AMD commonly is caused by blood vessels near the retina that lead to swelling of the macula. The cause of dry AMD is less clear, but it is thought to be partly caused by breakdown of light-sensitive cells and tissue surrounding the macula. A major risk factor for AMD is age over the age of 60.
Alzheimer's disease:
Alzheimer's disease is classified as a "protein misfolding" disease. Aging causes mutations in protein folding, and as a result causes deposits of abnormal modified proteins accumulate in specific areas of the brain.
In Alzheimer's, deposits of Beta-amyloid and hyperphosphorylated tau protein form extracellular plaques and extracellular tangles. These deposits are shown to be neurotoxic and cause cognitive impairment due to their initiation of destructive biochemical pathways.
Atherosclerosis:
Atherosclerosis is categorized as an aging disease and is brought about by vascular remodeling, the accumulation of plaque, and the loss of arterial elasticity. Over time, these processes can stiffen the vasculature. For these reasons, older age is listed as a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. Specifically, the risk of atherosclerosis increases for men above 45 years of age and women above 55 years of age.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH):
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland due to increased growth.
An enlarged prostate can result in incomplete or complete blockage of the bladder and interferes with a man's ability to urinate properly. Symptoms include overactive bladder, decreased stream of urine, hesitancy urinating, and incomplete emptying of the bladder.
By age 40, 10% of men will have signs of BPH and by age 60, this percentage increases by 5 fold. Men over the age of 80 have over a 90% chance of developing BPH and almost 80% of men will develop BPH in their lifetime.
See also:
Aging-associated diseases:
An aging-associated disease is a disease that is most often seen with increasing frequency with increasing senescence. Essentially, aging-associated diseases are complications arising from senescence. Age-associated diseases are to be distinguished from the aging process itself because all adult animals age, save for a few rare exceptions, but not all adult animals experience all age-associated diseases.
Aging-associated diseases do not refer to age-specific diseases, such as the childhood diseases chicken pox and measles. "Aging-associated disease" is used here to mean "diseases of the elderly". Nor should aging-associated diseases be confused with accelerated aging diseases, all of which are genetic disorders.
Examples of aging-associated diseases are:
- atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease,
- cancer,
- arthritis,
- cataracts,
- osteoporosis,
- type 2 diabetes,
- hypertension
- and Alzheimer's disease.
The incidence of all of these diseases increases exponentially with age.
Of the roughly 150,000 people who die each day across the globe, about two thirds—100,000 per day—die of age-related causes. In industrialized nations, the proportion is higher, reaching 90%.
Patterns of differences:
By age 3 about 30% of rats have had cancer, whereas by age 85 about 30% of humans have had cancer. Humans, dogs and rabbits get Alzheimer's disease, but rodents do not. Elderly rodents typically die of cancer or kidney disease, but not of cardiovascular disease.
In humans, the relative incidence of cancer increases exponentially with age for most cancers, but levels off or may even decline by age 60–75 (although colon/rectal cancer continues to increase).
People with the so-called segmental progerias are vulnerable to different sets of diseases.
Those with Werner's syndrome suffer from osteoporosis, cataracts, and cardiovascular disease, but not neurodegeneration or Alzheimer's disease; those with Down syndrome suffer type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, but not high blood pressure, osteoporosis or cataracts.
In Bloom syndrome, those afflicted most often die of cancer.
Research:
Aging (senescence) increases vulnerability to age-associated diseases, whereas genetics determines vulnerability or resistance between species and individuals within species.
Some age-related changes (like graying hair) are said to be unrelated to an increase in mortality. But some biogerontologists believe that the same underlying changes that cause graying hair also increase mortality in other organ systems and that understanding the incidence of age-associated disease will advance knowledge of the biology of senescence just as knowledge of childhood diseases advanced knowledge of human development.
Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS) is a research strategy which aims to repair a few "root causes" for age-related illness and degeneration, as well as develop medical procedures to periodically repair all such damage in the human body, thereby maintaining a youth-like state indefinitely.
So far, the SENS programme has identified seven types of aging-related damage, and feasible solutions have been outlined for each. However, critics argue that the SENS agenda is optimistic at best, and that the aging process is too complex and little-understood for SENS to be scientific or implementable in the foreseeable future.
Recently it has been proposed that age-related diseases are mediated by vicious cycles [10]
Diseases:
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD):
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a disease that affects the eyes and can lead to vision loss through break down of the central part of the retina called the macula.
Degeneration can occur in one eye or both and can be classified as either wet (neovascular) or dry (atrophic). Wet AMD commonly is caused by blood vessels near the retina that lead to swelling of the macula. The cause of dry AMD is less clear, but it is thought to be partly caused by breakdown of light-sensitive cells and tissue surrounding the macula. A major risk factor for AMD is age over the age of 60.
Alzheimer's disease:
Alzheimer's disease is classified as a "protein misfolding" disease. Aging causes mutations in protein folding, and as a result causes deposits of abnormal modified proteins accumulate in specific areas of the brain.
In Alzheimer's, deposits of Beta-amyloid and hyperphosphorylated tau protein form extracellular plaques and extracellular tangles. These deposits are shown to be neurotoxic and cause cognitive impairment due to their initiation of destructive biochemical pathways.
Atherosclerosis:
Atherosclerosis is categorized as an aging disease and is brought about by vascular remodeling, the accumulation of plaque, and the loss of arterial elasticity. Over time, these processes can stiffen the vasculature. For these reasons, older age is listed as a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. Specifically, the risk of atherosclerosis increases for men above 45 years of age and women above 55 years of age.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH):
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland due to increased growth.
An enlarged prostate can result in incomplete or complete blockage of the bladder and interferes with a man's ability to urinate properly. Symptoms include overactive bladder, decreased stream of urine, hesitancy urinating, and incomplete emptying of the bladder.
By age 40, 10% of men will have signs of BPH and by age 60, this percentage increases by 5 fold. Men over the age of 80 have over a 90% chance of developing BPH and almost 80% of men will develop BPH in their lifetime.
See also:
Geriatics vs. Geronotology and the National Institute on Aging
- YouTube Video: How to use the popular selfie app FaceApp
- YouTube Video: How Alzheimer's Changes the Brain
- YouTube Video: What you can do to prevent Alzheimer's | Lisa Genova
Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a specialty that focuses on health care of elderly people. It aims to promote health by preventing and treating diseases and disabilities in older adults.
There is no set age at which patients may be under the care of a geriatrician, or geriatric physician, a physician who specializes in the care of elderly people. Rather, this decision is determined by the individual patient's needs, and the availability of a specialist. It is important to note the difference between geriatrics, the care of aged people, and gerontology (see below following this topic.)
The term geriatrics comes from the Greek γέρων geron meaning "old man", and ιατρός iatros meaning "healer". However, geriatrics is sometimes called medical gerontology.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for more about Geriatics Medicine:
___________________________________________________________________________
Gerontology is the study of the social, cultural, psychological, cognitive, and biological aspects of ageing. The word was coined by Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov in 1903, from the Greek γέρων, geron, "old man" and -λογία, -logia, "study of".
Gerontologists include researchers and practitioners in the fields of biology, nursing, medicine, criminology, dentistry, social work, physical and occupational therapy, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, economics, political science, architecture, geography, pharmacy, public health, housing, and anthropology.
The multidisciplinary nature of gerontology means that there are a number of sub-fields which overlap with gerontology. There are policy issues, for example, involved in government planning and the operation of nursing homes, investigating the effects of an ageing population on society, and the design of residential spaces for older people that facilitate the development of a sense of place or home.
Dr. Lawton, a behavioral psychologist at the Philadelphia Geriatric Center, was among the first to recognize the need for living spaces designed to accommodate the elderly, especially those with Alzheimer's disease. As an academic discipline the field is relatively new. The USC Leonard Davis School created the first PhD, master's and bachelor's degree programs in gerontology in 1975.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for more about Gerontology:
National Institute on Aging
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), located in Bethesda, Maryland. The NIA itself is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.
The NIA leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form NIA to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people.
Subsequent amendments to this legislation designated the NIA as the primary Federal agency on Alzheimer's disease research.
Mission:
NIA's mission is to improve the health and well-being of older Americans through research, and specifically to:
Programs:
NIA sponsors research on aging through extramural and intramural programs. The extramural program funds research and training at universities, hospitals, medical centers, and other public and private organizations nationwide. The intramural program conducts basic and clinical research in Baltimore, MD and on the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD.
See also:
There is no set age at which patients may be under the care of a geriatrician, or geriatric physician, a physician who specializes in the care of elderly people. Rather, this decision is determined by the individual patient's needs, and the availability of a specialist. It is important to note the difference between geriatrics, the care of aged people, and gerontology (see below following this topic.)
The term geriatrics comes from the Greek γέρων geron meaning "old man", and ιατρός iatros meaning "healer". However, geriatrics is sometimes called medical gerontology.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for more about Geriatics Medicine:
- Scope
- Subspecialties and related services
- History
- Geriatrician training
- Minimum geriatric competencies
- Research
- Ethical and medico-legal issues
- See also:
- Aging in Place
- Aging-associated diseases
- Alliance for Aging Research
- Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy
- Elderly care
- Gero-Informatics
- GERRI
- Nosokinetics
- Life extension
- Geriatric medicine in Egypt
- Transgenerational design
- Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics (journal)
- Gerontological nursing
- Merck Manual of Geriatrics
- Health-EU Portal Care for the elderly in the EU
- American Geriatrics Society
___________________________________________________________________________
Gerontology is the study of the social, cultural, psychological, cognitive, and biological aspects of ageing. The word was coined by Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov in 1903, from the Greek γέρων, geron, "old man" and -λογία, -logia, "study of".
Gerontologists include researchers and practitioners in the fields of biology, nursing, medicine, criminology, dentistry, social work, physical and occupational therapy, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, economics, political science, architecture, geography, pharmacy, public health, housing, and anthropology.
The multidisciplinary nature of gerontology means that there are a number of sub-fields which overlap with gerontology. There are policy issues, for example, involved in government planning and the operation of nursing homes, investigating the effects of an ageing population on society, and the design of residential spaces for older people that facilitate the development of a sense of place or home.
Dr. Lawton, a behavioral psychologist at the Philadelphia Geriatric Center, was among the first to recognize the need for living spaces designed to accommodate the elderly, especially those with Alzheimer's disease. As an academic discipline the field is relatively new. The USC Leonard Davis School created the first PhD, master's and bachelor's degree programs in gerontology in 1975.
Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for more about Gerontology:
- History
- Aging demographics
- Biogerontology
- Social gerontology
- Environmental gerontology
- Jurisprudential gerontology
- See also:
National Institute on Aging
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), located in Bethesda, Maryland. The NIA itself is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.
The NIA leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form NIA to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people.
Subsequent amendments to this legislation designated the NIA as the primary Federal agency on Alzheimer's disease research.
Mission:
NIA's mission is to improve the health and well-being of older Americans through research, and specifically to:
- Support and conduct high-quality research on:
- Aging processes
- Age-related diseases
- Special problems and needs of the aged
- Train and develop highly skilled research scientists from all population groups.
- Develop and maintain state-of-the-art resources to accelerate research progress.
- Disseminate information and communicate with the public and interested groups on health and research advances and on new directions for research.
Programs:
NIA sponsors research on aging through extramural and intramural programs. The extramural program funds research and training at universities, hospitals, medical centers, and other public and private organizations nationwide. The intramural program conducts basic and clinical research in Baltimore, MD and on the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD.
See also:
- NIA homepage
- The University of Southern California Davis School of Gerontology
- American Federation for Aging Research
- Geroscience
- Life extension
"Navigating The New Normal" (AARP July 22, 2020) resulting from the Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term care facilities
- YouTube Video: How seniors can stay fit during COVID-19 | The A-List
- YouTube Video: COVID-19 and its impact to the elderly`s mental health
- YouTube Video: The COVID-19 Crisis and Seniors in Long-Term Care Facilities
Coronavirus: Navigating the New Normal
AARP: By Craig Davis , July 22, 2020 10:21 AM
How do I maintain a healthy emotional state when I feel isolated?
This week’s live Q&A will focus on the topic of Coronavirus: Navigating the New Normal. During this event experts will provide information, tips and guidance to help 50+ adults navigate the new landscape by focusing on critical questions and life events. Topics and questions include:
Sign up for a free reminder here: https://bit.ly/3ftnZ5G or RSVP to be notified when we go live on Facebook here: https://bit.ly/2BkzyOo
___________________________________________________________________________
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term care facilities (Wikipedia)
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted long-term care facilities and nursing homes around the world. Thousands of residents of these facilities, who are a high-risk group, have died of the disease.
United States:
See also: Nursing home care in the United States
By mid-April 2020, over 7,000 deaths were reported in American nursing homes—about a fifth of the national death toll—and over 36,500 residents and employees had tested positive. (Many facilities were not reporting cases or deaths, implying that the actual toll was higher.) By mid-June, 50,000 deaths—nearly half the national death toll—had been reported in nursing homes.
By April, in addition to steps taken by individual facilities, the federal government had barred visitors, ended group activities, and instituted a mandatory testing regime for workers.
These steps alone do not necessarily prevent infections. Infection control problems were identified at nine locations of Life Care Centers of America during April and early May, as government inspectors identified violations of federal standards.
While some affected facilities are understaffed and have a history of safety violations, others are luxury facilities with excellent records. Regarding testing for coronavirus, the federal government designated long-term care facilities as lower priority than hospitals, leading to longer wait times for test results.
California:
Data analysis by the Los Angeles Times in May found that about half of all coronavirus deaths happened in skilled nursing or assisted living facilities. Governor Gavin Newsom had announced on April 10 that some healthy residents at nursing homes would be transferred to USNS Mercy, a US Navy hospital ship.
The vessel previously was only expected to take patients from southern California hospitals, to free up space there for COVID-19 patients. Six hundred nurses with infectious disease control training were being dispatched to nursing homes and adult care facilities to contain the disease] Some facilities have reorganized residents into discreet buildings for those with and without the virus.
Florida:
As of mid-April 2020, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was considering a request to grant nursing homes "sovereign immunity" from negligence lawsuits during the pandemic. The request was made by a trade group that represents nearly 700 nursing homes in the state.
Massachusetts:
Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley experienced an outbreak in April 2020. The nurse who reported the outbreak later died of the virus.
One of the most severe outbreaks was at the state-run Holyoke Soldiers' Home for aging veterans. In late March, there were 210 residents; by late May, 74 of them had died with a COVID-19 diagnosis. Dozens of employees also tested positive.
Because the facility is funded by taxpayers and not by Medicare, it is not subject to inspections by Centers for Medicare Services. It is not inspected by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, either. Following the outbreak, at least four state and federal investigations were opened into the facility.
Maryland:
Sagepoint Senior Living was fined $10,000/day by state regulators. The facility was notified on May 6, 2020 that the fine would be retroactive to March 30 and would continue until Sagepoint complied with state health regulations. At the time of the notification, 34 residents and 1 employee had died from COVID-19 in the 165-bed facility.
Michigan:
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order that nursing homes must readmit residents previously diagnosed with COVID-19.
Minnesota:
The state of Minnesota held a legislative hearing on 7 April into the senior care industry, weeks into a lockdown. The executive director of one facility noted that her residents are showing signs of depression and anxiety from the confinement.
New Jersey:
As of 17 April, two thirds of the state's long-term facilities—a total of 394—had reported cases of the virus, with 1,500 deaths linked to nursing facilities, about 40% of the state's death count.
One facility, Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center II, with 543 beds, had a record of safety problems and inadequate staffing. After an anonymous tip, police found seventeen bodies in bags on 13 April. Seventy residents had died of the disease by 19 April. Federal and state investigators have launched an investigation into the facility.
New York:
As of early April, in New York state's 613 licensed facilities, there were nearly 5,000 COVID diagnoses. By mid-April, 72 facilities had five or more confirmed deaths; Cobble Hill Health Center in Brooklyn reported 55 deaths. By early May, it was estimated that 5,000 people had died in nursing homes in New York state.
Washington:
A Life Care Center facility in Kirkland, Washington was the source of a major outbreak of COVID-19 first reported on 19 February 2020, which became the first outbreak in a United States nursing home.
On February 19 there were 120 residents and 180 Center employees at the facility. By 18 March, 101 of the residents had been diagnosed with COVID-19, and thirty-four residents had died, for a case fatality rate of 33.7%. On 2 April 2020 Life Care Center was fined $611,000 for deficiencies in its response to the outbreak, and has until 16 September 2020 to correct the deficiencies, or else face termination of its participation in the Medicare/Medicaid program.
For Other Countries, click here.
AARP: By Craig Davis , July 22, 2020 10:21 AM
How do I maintain a healthy emotional state when I feel isolated?
This week’s live Q&A will focus on the topic of Coronavirus: Navigating the New Normal. During this event experts will provide information, tips and guidance to help 50+ adults navigate the new landscape by focusing on critical questions and life events. Topics and questions include:
- How do you safely proceed with non-critical medical appointments, including elective surgeries, dental procedures, and eye care?
- When will it be okay to shake hands, hug and kiss family, and visit with friends and relatives?
- How do I stay engaged and active and which activities are safest, i.e., church services, swimming, parks, volunteering, dancing, bingo, walking/running/other fitness?
- How do I spot misinformation and scams related to the coronavirus?
- What do I do if I need to provide care for a family member and have no help or lost help during the pandemic? How do I get help?
Sign up for a free reminder here: https://bit.ly/3ftnZ5G or RSVP to be notified when we go live on Facebook here: https://bit.ly/2BkzyOo
___________________________________________________________________________
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term care facilities (Wikipedia)
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted long-term care facilities and nursing homes around the world. Thousands of residents of these facilities, who are a high-risk group, have died of the disease.
United States:
See also: Nursing home care in the United States
By mid-April 2020, over 7,000 deaths were reported in American nursing homes—about a fifth of the national death toll—and over 36,500 residents and employees had tested positive. (Many facilities were not reporting cases or deaths, implying that the actual toll was higher.) By mid-June, 50,000 deaths—nearly half the national death toll—had been reported in nursing homes.
By April, in addition to steps taken by individual facilities, the federal government had barred visitors, ended group activities, and instituted a mandatory testing regime for workers.
These steps alone do not necessarily prevent infections. Infection control problems were identified at nine locations of Life Care Centers of America during April and early May, as government inspectors identified violations of federal standards.
While some affected facilities are understaffed and have a history of safety violations, others are luxury facilities with excellent records. Regarding testing for coronavirus, the federal government designated long-term care facilities as lower priority than hospitals, leading to longer wait times for test results.
California:
Data analysis by the Los Angeles Times in May found that about half of all coronavirus deaths happened in skilled nursing or assisted living facilities. Governor Gavin Newsom had announced on April 10 that some healthy residents at nursing homes would be transferred to USNS Mercy, a US Navy hospital ship.
The vessel previously was only expected to take patients from southern California hospitals, to free up space there for COVID-19 patients. Six hundred nurses with infectious disease control training were being dispatched to nursing homes and adult care facilities to contain the disease] Some facilities have reorganized residents into discreet buildings for those with and without the virus.
Florida:
As of mid-April 2020, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was considering a request to grant nursing homes "sovereign immunity" from negligence lawsuits during the pandemic. The request was made by a trade group that represents nearly 700 nursing homes in the state.
Massachusetts:
Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley experienced an outbreak in April 2020. The nurse who reported the outbreak later died of the virus.
One of the most severe outbreaks was at the state-run Holyoke Soldiers' Home for aging veterans. In late March, there were 210 residents; by late May, 74 of them had died with a COVID-19 diagnosis. Dozens of employees also tested positive.
Because the facility is funded by taxpayers and not by Medicare, it is not subject to inspections by Centers for Medicare Services. It is not inspected by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, either. Following the outbreak, at least four state and federal investigations were opened into the facility.
Maryland:
Sagepoint Senior Living was fined $10,000/day by state regulators. The facility was notified on May 6, 2020 that the fine would be retroactive to March 30 and would continue until Sagepoint complied with state health regulations. At the time of the notification, 34 residents and 1 employee had died from COVID-19 in the 165-bed facility.
Michigan:
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order that nursing homes must readmit residents previously diagnosed with COVID-19.
Minnesota:
The state of Minnesota held a legislative hearing on 7 April into the senior care industry, weeks into a lockdown. The executive director of one facility noted that her residents are showing signs of depression and anxiety from the confinement.
New Jersey:
As of 17 April, two thirds of the state's long-term facilities—a total of 394—had reported cases of the virus, with 1,500 deaths linked to nursing facilities, about 40% of the state's death count.
One facility, Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center II, with 543 beds, had a record of safety problems and inadequate staffing. After an anonymous tip, police found seventeen bodies in bags on 13 April. Seventy residents had died of the disease by 19 April. Federal and state investigators have launched an investigation into the facility.
New York:
As of early April, in New York state's 613 licensed facilities, there were nearly 5,000 COVID diagnoses. By mid-April, 72 facilities had five or more confirmed deaths; Cobble Hill Health Center in Brooklyn reported 55 deaths. By early May, it was estimated that 5,000 people had died in nursing homes in New York state.
Washington:
A Life Care Center facility in Kirkland, Washington was the source of a major outbreak of COVID-19 first reported on 19 February 2020, which became the first outbreak in a United States nursing home.
On February 19 there were 120 residents and 180 Center employees at the facility. By 18 March, 101 of the residents had been diagnosed with COVID-19, and thirty-four residents had died, for a case fatality rate of 33.7%. On 2 April 2020 Life Care Center was fined $611,000 for deficiencies in its response to the outbreak, and has until 16 September 2020 to correct the deficiencies, or else face termination of its participation in the Medicare/Medicaid program.
For Other Countries, click here.
COVID-19 Safety Tips for Senior Drivers
by Bankrate.com Photo below courtesy of Willowpix/Getty Images
by Bankrate.com Photo below courtesy of Willowpix/Getty Images
COVID-19 Safety Tips for Senior Drivers by Bankrate.com
By Lena Borrelli
Lena Borrelli's Twitter profile
Travel is complicated, even without a global pandemic. For seniors and other high-risk individuals, it can be even more intimidating when you’re dependent on public transportation that presents increased exposure to germs or disease. Planes, buses, taxis and even ride-sharing companies can pose a threat, with COVID-19 potentially floating in the air or living for hours — or even days — on surfaces.
Still, being out and about is sometimes necessary, regardless of your age. There are groceries to be purchased, essential supplies to stock up on and errands or activities to run, such as doctor’s appointments, family visits or religious services. With CDC guidelines urging Americans only to venture out when absolutely mandatory, there has been a marked decline in public transportation use since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in particular, seniors are looking for safer ways to travel.
Many seniors have opted to get back behind the wheel, with their personal vehicle serving as a safer means for travel overall. If you are preparing to hit the road during a pandemic, theseare some things to consider for the sake of everyone’s safety.
The impact on seniors:
For seniors, it may have been a while since you were behind the wheel. Family and friends may have enabled or encouraged you to join a community carpool, or perhaps local shuttles gave you a ride to your favorite spots. The arrival and impact of COVID-19 has forced many seniors to consider these alternative forms of transportation — especially if they are unable or unwilling to drive themselves.
Senior transportation:
Shuttles:
Some organizations, like your local medical center or place of worship, may offer you a free ride. When scheduling appointments or making plans, inquire with the venue to see if there are any complimentary or paid shuttles that you can utilize for your visit.
Rideshare for seniors:
Ridesharing is growing in popularity with seniors because it provides an additional outlet for living a more independent life. Instead of dealing with public transit, seniors can use their mobile phone to schedule a private ride through popular companies like Uber and Lyft.
How to book Uber without a smartphone: If you don’t have a cell phone or prefer to use a different device, you can still use Uber. You can use your laptop or desktop computer to book a ride by way of the Uber website.
Family:
If you have family who lives locally and is in good health, consider asking them for a ride. They may need to run many of the same errands you do, creating the perfect opportunity to safely enjoy one another’s company while you check off your to-do list.
Public Transportation:
To help residents get where they need to go, many cities and towns have waived or reduced fees for many forms of public transit. With many people working from home these days, public transportation usage is down, significantly helping to reduce your chances of exposure. Although overall it may not be the least-risky option for getting around, for senior drivers, it’s a viable alternative to driving on their own.
Health safety measures:
Public transit is a great resource for all ages of drivers or those needing a means of transportation. With fewer resources to fight the virus, many locales are stepping up, with government support and expanded public services, to help higher-risk citizens get through these trying times.
What is being done?:
Some local transit organizations are rallying around their community members, offering extended services to help those who have difficulty traveling. This includes critical services like home delivery for all sorts of necessities, such as groceries, meals and prescriptions.
Transit lines and other modes of public transportation have also been undergoing strenuous cleaning and sanitation procedures, with the New York subway even utilizing HVAC systems in each car.
You can also expect enhanced cleaning protocols for ride-sharing services. For example, Uber requires all of its drivers and passengers to wear masks and has instituted a “Leave at door” option for its deliveries as part of its Door-to-Door Safety Standard.
Additionally, the company has pledged 10 million free rides for those in need, including seniors and frontline healthcare workers.
What can I do?
The CDC provides extra guidance for those using public forms of transportation, who want to do what they can for the safety of themselves and others.
Back on the road:
During times like COVID or even flu season, your own car can be the safest place to be when you need to travel. That can be quite a transition for some seniors, who may have grown accustomed to a passenger role instead. However, here are some things you can do to make the transition a little easier.
Consider medical needs:
Don’t forget to plan for any special medical needs when you are leaving your home. Two of the more critical medical considerations to be mindful of are prescriptions and medical alert systems.
Prescription Medications: There are some medications that can impair your judgment and slow your responses, making it incredibly dangerous for you to drive. Some medicines can make you feel sleepy or sick. Others may have a delayed reaction time, with symptoms setting in well after you have taken the medication. Regardless of the specific side effects, it’s important to avoid driving under the influence of certain medications, so be sure to talk to your doctor about safe protocols before you begin driving while medicated.
Medical Alert: A medical alert system is an excellent way for seniors to ensure their safety on the road. GPS tracking ensures that your loved ones and emergency responders can find you in a pinch, with the added benefit of 24/7 support when and where you need it. Built-in features like fall detection, alarm beacons and custom emergency plans can all help you stay safe on the road. There are several models available, from bracelets and pins to dash-mounted options specifically made for your vehicle.
Check vision and hearing:
It’s also important to make sure that your vision and hearing tests are up to date. Your optometrist can help you confirm your eye prescription, so you have the right lenses to see clearly on the road. You may also consider special lenses to help deflect the blinding sunlight of a clear day or anti-reflective lenses to prevent glare from nighttime driving.
It is also recommended that seniors check their hearing to ensure that you have the proper hearing aids needed to make car horns and the other sounds of the road more easily identifiable when driving.
Add roadside assistance:
Much as we try to avoid them, we can’t prevent all natural hazards we might face on the road, so emergency road service is critical in the event of an incident. Roadside assistance typically offers 24/7 support for unexpected events such as a flat tire, requiring a jump-start or needing a tow.
Take a driver safety course:
Regardless of how old you are and how many years of experience you have behind the wheel, there is always room to brush up on your driving skills. A driver safety course is an easy way to hone safe driving habits and refresh your knowledge of the rules of the road. It could also save you significantly, lowering your car insurance rates from some of the nation’s best car insurance companies if you can leverage safe-driving discounts.
Plan for time:
It’s easy to feel rushed when you are running late for an appointment, but remember to slow down and take your time. The biggest mistakes happen when we are in a hurry, so be sure to follow the legal speed limit and drive with caution. It won’t be the end of the world if you are a few minutes late for your appointment, but it could be the end of your world if you sacrifice your safety with reckless or risky driving. If others are in a hurry on the road, that can affect your safety as well. Be sure to give plenty of room and stay in the right lane when possible, so faster drivers can get around you safely.
Car safety:
Car maintenance:
Basic vehicle maintenance is part of the cost of owning a car, which helps to ensure that your vehicle is running in top shape whenever you need to go somewhere. Be sure to keep your windshield clear of debris and make sure washer fluid levels are topped off so your view stays clear.
Other fluids to check include brake fluid, which keeps your brakes in good working order, and power steering fluid, which ensures you are not compromised in your ability to steer with ease. Your mechanic can check and refill these items for you as needed during a regular oil change.
Prepare for weather:
Depending on where you live, you may need to prepare for inclement weather. Snow and ice can present an increased risk of accidents on the road, especially during the holidays, while summer storms like hurricanes and tornadoes can compromise visibility.
If you live in an area with cold weather, be sure to prepare your vehicle with special seasonal accessories. This includes keeping such necessities as tire chains, an ice scraper, de-icing spray, jumper cables, road flares and a first-aid kit in your trunk. A winter maintenance check-up with your local mechanic can ensure that your vehicle is working properly, like your heater, defroster, radiator, belts, hoses, brakes and lights.
Sanitize:
Despite your best efforts, you may come into contact with infected surfaces while outside of the home. The best way to protect yourself is to regularly use hand sanitizer every time you enter your vehicle, using an EPA-approved disinfectant to wipe down your steering wheel, gear shift and control dials. Wearing gloves while pumping gas is an extra protective measure you can use to limit your exposure.
Mobility-friendly features:
There are several additions you can install or use in your vehicle to make it more accessible and comfortable for you when driving, such as special non-slip shoes. Extra handlebars or steps can make getting in and out of the vehicle much easier, while a swivel cushion and assist straps can also help improve mobility.
Wheelchair ramps and docking stations may also be covered by your car insurance for drivers with disabilities, although coverage will depend on your medical needs and insurance policy.
Mirrors and cameras:
Visibility is one of your biggest aids when driving, so windows, mirrors and cameras should always remain clear and unobstructed. Before you turn on your vehicle, check your mirrors to ensure proper placement, and adjust as needed for best visibility. If you experience many blind spots or otherwise have impaired vision in your vehicle, consider installing additional mirrors to eliminate blind spots and ensure that you can see clearly around you at all times.
Resources:
There are many resources available to help senior drivers before, during and after you get back on the road. Here are a few:
Type of Support:
[End of Article]
___________________________________________________________________________
About Bankrate (Wikipedia)
Bankrate is a personal finance company that guides people through pivotal steps of their financial journey. Bankrate's website provides accurate rate information, intuitive calculators and curated editorial content to help visitors reach their goals. The company was founded in 1976 and acquired by Red Ventures in November 2017.
History:
Bankrate was founded in 1976 by Robert K. Heady as a print publisher of the "Bank Rate Monitor."
In 1996, the company began moving its business online.
Today, Bankrate, Inc.'s online network includes Bankrate.com as well as the following:
The online network received over 150 million visits in 2010.
In January 2011, Bankrate completed the acquisition of Trouve Media. In December 2011, Bankrate completed the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of InsWeb Corporation for $65 million in cash.
In March 2012, Bankrate acquired InsuranceAgents.com.
After spending 10 years as a public company traded on the NASDAQ, Bankrate was acquired in 2009 by Apax Partners in a transaction valued at approximately $571 million.
In June 2011, Bankrate raised a total of $300 million in gross proceeds with a successful initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. In December 2011, Bankrate priced a secondary offering of 12.5 million shares at $17.50 per share.
In 2012, the company purchased The Points Guy, a site that publishes travel-oriented articles highlighting the credit cards it sells.
In 2014, Bankrate acquired Caring.com for $54 million.
Kenneth S. Esterow was appointed Bankrate's President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2014, having previously served as Senior Vice President – Chief Operating Officer from September 2013 to December 2013.
Bankrate was acquired by Red Ventures for $1.24 billion in November, 2017.
In January 2018, Bankrate expanded into the UK with an office, editorial, and commercial teams in London, along with a localized Bankrate UK website. The site is run by Sebastian Anthony, former editor of Ars Technica.
In September 2018, the former chief financial officer Edward J. DiMaria was found guilty of committing accounting and securities fraud which led to over $25 million in shareholder losses. DiMaria was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and ordered to pay $21,234,214 in restitution.
Former vice president of finance Hyunjin Lerner also pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
Products and Services:
Since the beginning, Bankrate has provided information about interest rates. Beginning in 2004, Bankrate also began offering financial education content, insurance quotes, and credit card offers.
One of Bankrate's reports in 2014 determined the costs of car ownership in each state, taking into account the costs of gas and insurance, among other factors. The data suggested that Wyoming is the most expensive state in the nation to own a car.
Honors:
The National Association of Real Estate Editors in 2014 named Bankrate's Mortgage blog the winner of its Best Blog and Best Column awards.
In October 2012, Advertising Age ranked Bankrate as the fifth fastest-growing media company.
Bankrate's "Financial Regulation, One Year Later" package earned a 2012 "Best in Business" award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW).
Bankrate won two SABEW Awards in 2011: Holden Lewis' mortgage blog and Bankrate's explanatory series on financial reform were honored.
Bankrate writers have won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists several times, most recently in 2007 for their coverage of the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee's rate cut.
In 2008, Forbes named Bankrate #41 in its list of America's 200 Best Small Companies. Forbes previously had honored the website in its "Best of the Web" series five times between 1999 and 2004.
See also:
By Lena Borrelli
Lena Borrelli's Twitter profile
Travel is complicated, even without a global pandemic. For seniors and other high-risk individuals, it can be even more intimidating when you’re dependent on public transportation that presents increased exposure to germs or disease. Planes, buses, taxis and even ride-sharing companies can pose a threat, with COVID-19 potentially floating in the air or living for hours — or even days — on surfaces.
Still, being out and about is sometimes necessary, regardless of your age. There are groceries to be purchased, essential supplies to stock up on and errands or activities to run, such as doctor’s appointments, family visits or religious services. With CDC guidelines urging Americans only to venture out when absolutely mandatory, there has been a marked decline in public transportation use since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in particular, seniors are looking for safer ways to travel.
Many seniors have opted to get back behind the wheel, with their personal vehicle serving as a safer means for travel overall. If you are preparing to hit the road during a pandemic, theseare some things to consider for the sake of everyone’s safety.
The impact on seniors:
For seniors, it may have been a while since you were behind the wheel. Family and friends may have enabled or encouraged you to join a community carpool, or perhaps local shuttles gave you a ride to your favorite spots. The arrival and impact of COVID-19 has forced many seniors to consider these alternative forms of transportation — especially if they are unable or unwilling to drive themselves.
Senior transportation:
Shuttles:
Some organizations, like your local medical center or place of worship, may offer you a free ride. When scheduling appointments or making plans, inquire with the venue to see if there are any complimentary or paid shuttles that you can utilize for your visit.
Rideshare for seniors:
Ridesharing is growing in popularity with seniors because it provides an additional outlet for living a more independent life. Instead of dealing with public transit, seniors can use their mobile phone to schedule a private ride through popular companies like Uber and Lyft.
How to book Uber without a smartphone: If you don’t have a cell phone or prefer to use a different device, you can still use Uber. You can use your laptop or desktop computer to book a ride by way of the Uber website.
Family:
If you have family who lives locally and is in good health, consider asking them for a ride. They may need to run many of the same errands you do, creating the perfect opportunity to safely enjoy one another’s company while you check off your to-do list.
Public Transportation:
To help residents get where they need to go, many cities and towns have waived or reduced fees for many forms of public transit. With many people working from home these days, public transportation usage is down, significantly helping to reduce your chances of exposure. Although overall it may not be the least-risky option for getting around, for senior drivers, it’s a viable alternative to driving on their own.
Health safety measures:
Public transit is a great resource for all ages of drivers or those needing a means of transportation. With fewer resources to fight the virus, many locales are stepping up, with government support and expanded public services, to help higher-risk citizens get through these trying times.
What is being done?:
Some local transit organizations are rallying around their community members, offering extended services to help those who have difficulty traveling. This includes critical services like home delivery for all sorts of necessities, such as groceries, meals and prescriptions.
Transit lines and other modes of public transportation have also been undergoing strenuous cleaning and sanitation procedures, with the New York subway even utilizing HVAC systems in each car.
You can also expect enhanced cleaning protocols for ride-sharing services. For example, Uber requires all of its drivers and passengers to wear masks and has instituted a “Leave at door” option for its deliveries as part of its Door-to-Door Safety Standard.
Additionally, the company has pledged 10 million free rides for those in need, including seniors and frontline healthcare workers.
What can I do?
The CDC provides extra guidance for those using public forms of transportation, who want to do what they can for the safety of themselves and others.
- Always use a mask and wear gloves if you expect to touch any surfaces during your outing.
- Avoid unmasked drivers and passengers.
- Use social distancing when in public, always allowing for a distance of six feet between you and others. Allow for as much of a distance as possible between you and the driver, as well as other passengers.
- Refrain from touching surfaces that could spread bacteria or germs, such as door frames, windows, subway poles and pay terminals.
- If you must touch surfaces, use an EPA-approved hand sanitizer or disinfectant afterward, to kill germs that may have transferred to your person.
- Avoid contact through touchless payments, instead using your own phone to schedule rides or adjust orders.
- Improve ventilation wherever possible, either by opening windows or requesting that the driver put the air on a non-recirculation mode.
- If you are not feeling well, stay home. Even if you do not have COVID-19, an immune system weakened by illness of any kind can make you more susceptible to contracting other viruses or infections.
Back on the road:
During times like COVID or even flu season, your own car can be the safest place to be when you need to travel. That can be quite a transition for some seniors, who may have grown accustomed to a passenger role instead. However, here are some things you can do to make the transition a little easier.
Consider medical needs:
Don’t forget to plan for any special medical needs when you are leaving your home. Two of the more critical medical considerations to be mindful of are prescriptions and medical alert systems.
Prescription Medications: There are some medications that can impair your judgment and slow your responses, making it incredibly dangerous for you to drive. Some medicines can make you feel sleepy or sick. Others may have a delayed reaction time, with symptoms setting in well after you have taken the medication. Regardless of the specific side effects, it’s important to avoid driving under the influence of certain medications, so be sure to talk to your doctor about safe protocols before you begin driving while medicated.
Medical Alert: A medical alert system is an excellent way for seniors to ensure their safety on the road. GPS tracking ensures that your loved ones and emergency responders can find you in a pinch, with the added benefit of 24/7 support when and where you need it. Built-in features like fall detection, alarm beacons and custom emergency plans can all help you stay safe on the road. There are several models available, from bracelets and pins to dash-mounted options specifically made for your vehicle.
Check vision and hearing:
It’s also important to make sure that your vision and hearing tests are up to date. Your optometrist can help you confirm your eye prescription, so you have the right lenses to see clearly on the road. You may also consider special lenses to help deflect the blinding sunlight of a clear day or anti-reflective lenses to prevent glare from nighttime driving.
It is also recommended that seniors check their hearing to ensure that you have the proper hearing aids needed to make car horns and the other sounds of the road more easily identifiable when driving.
Add roadside assistance:
Much as we try to avoid them, we can’t prevent all natural hazards we might face on the road, so emergency road service is critical in the event of an incident. Roadside assistance typically offers 24/7 support for unexpected events such as a flat tire, requiring a jump-start or needing a tow.
Take a driver safety course:
Regardless of how old you are and how many years of experience you have behind the wheel, there is always room to brush up on your driving skills. A driver safety course is an easy way to hone safe driving habits and refresh your knowledge of the rules of the road. It could also save you significantly, lowering your car insurance rates from some of the nation’s best car insurance companies if you can leverage safe-driving discounts.
Plan for time:
It’s easy to feel rushed when you are running late for an appointment, but remember to slow down and take your time. The biggest mistakes happen when we are in a hurry, so be sure to follow the legal speed limit and drive with caution. It won’t be the end of the world if you are a few minutes late for your appointment, but it could be the end of your world if you sacrifice your safety with reckless or risky driving. If others are in a hurry on the road, that can affect your safety as well. Be sure to give plenty of room and stay in the right lane when possible, so faster drivers can get around you safely.
Car safety:
Car maintenance:
Basic vehicle maintenance is part of the cost of owning a car, which helps to ensure that your vehicle is running in top shape whenever you need to go somewhere. Be sure to keep your windshield clear of debris and make sure washer fluid levels are topped off so your view stays clear.
Other fluids to check include brake fluid, which keeps your brakes in good working order, and power steering fluid, which ensures you are not compromised in your ability to steer with ease. Your mechanic can check and refill these items for you as needed during a regular oil change.
Prepare for weather:
Depending on where you live, you may need to prepare for inclement weather. Snow and ice can present an increased risk of accidents on the road, especially during the holidays, while summer storms like hurricanes and tornadoes can compromise visibility.
If you live in an area with cold weather, be sure to prepare your vehicle with special seasonal accessories. This includes keeping such necessities as tire chains, an ice scraper, de-icing spray, jumper cables, road flares and a first-aid kit in your trunk. A winter maintenance check-up with your local mechanic can ensure that your vehicle is working properly, like your heater, defroster, radiator, belts, hoses, brakes and lights.
Sanitize:
Despite your best efforts, you may come into contact with infected surfaces while outside of the home. The best way to protect yourself is to regularly use hand sanitizer every time you enter your vehicle, using an EPA-approved disinfectant to wipe down your steering wheel, gear shift and control dials. Wearing gloves while pumping gas is an extra protective measure you can use to limit your exposure.
Mobility-friendly features:
There are several additions you can install or use in your vehicle to make it more accessible and comfortable for you when driving, such as special non-slip shoes. Extra handlebars or steps can make getting in and out of the vehicle much easier, while a swivel cushion and assist straps can also help improve mobility.
Wheelchair ramps and docking stations may also be covered by your car insurance for drivers with disabilities, although coverage will depend on your medical needs and insurance policy.
Mirrors and cameras:
Visibility is one of your biggest aids when driving, so windows, mirrors and cameras should always remain clear and unobstructed. Before you turn on your vehicle, check your mirrors to ensure proper placement, and adjust as needed for best visibility. If you experience many blind spots or otherwise have impaired vision in your vehicle, consider installing additional mirrors to eliminate blind spots and ensure that you can see clearly around you at all times.
Resources:
There are many resources available to help senior drivers before, during and after you get back on the road. Here are a few:
Type of Support:
- Winter driving:
- AAA Winter Driving Tips from America’s leading automotive and driver support service.
- The National Safety Council educates drivers on the best safety tips for driving during winter and other inclement weather.
- Driver safety courses for seniors:
- AAA Senior Driving can help with driver improvement courses for seniors through its Roadwise Driver program.
- The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) offers valuable information regarding safe driving practices, in addition to classroom and online driver safety courses.
- State driving laws for seniors:
- National Council on Aging (NCOA), a non-profit dedicated to supporting seniors in all aspects of their lives, including time spent on the road.
- The U.S. Administration on Aging offers its Eldercare Locator to help seniors find free or discounted transportation services.
- Car modification/add-ons for seniors:
- The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration can help you find the right resources and equipment to adapt your vehicle to meet your needs.
- The Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists can help pair you with everything you need to modify your vehicle.
- Rideshare services for seniors:
- HopSkipDrive, an organization that helps seniors find rides for errands and receiving Meals on Wheels deliveries.
- GoGoGrandparent works as a concierge service to connect seniors with a ride within minutes, with a network of participating services including Lyft and Uber.
- Apps/assistive accessories for senior driver safety:
- The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) provides active transportation support and resources.
- iTNAmerica is a national network that pairs seniors with door-through-door transportation.
[End of Article]
___________________________________________________________________________
About Bankrate (Wikipedia)
Bankrate is a personal finance company that guides people through pivotal steps of their financial journey. Bankrate's website provides accurate rate information, intuitive calculators and curated editorial content to help visitors reach their goals. The company was founded in 1976 and acquired by Red Ventures in November 2017.
History:
Bankrate was founded in 1976 by Robert K. Heady as a print publisher of the "Bank Rate Monitor."
In 1996, the company began moving its business online.
Today, Bankrate, Inc.'s online network includes Bankrate.com as well as the following:
- CreditCards.com,
- Caring.com,
- Interest.com,
- Bankaholic.com,
- Mortgage-calc.com,
- CreditCardGuide.com,
- ThePointsGuy.com,
- Bankrate.com.cn,
- CreditCards.ca,
- NetQuote.com,
- CD.com,
- Walla.by
- and Quizzle.
The online network received over 150 million visits in 2010.
In January 2011, Bankrate completed the acquisition of Trouve Media. In December 2011, Bankrate completed the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of InsWeb Corporation for $65 million in cash.
In March 2012, Bankrate acquired InsuranceAgents.com.
After spending 10 years as a public company traded on the NASDAQ, Bankrate was acquired in 2009 by Apax Partners in a transaction valued at approximately $571 million.
In June 2011, Bankrate raised a total of $300 million in gross proceeds with a successful initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. In December 2011, Bankrate priced a secondary offering of 12.5 million shares at $17.50 per share.
In 2012, the company purchased The Points Guy, a site that publishes travel-oriented articles highlighting the credit cards it sells.
In 2014, Bankrate acquired Caring.com for $54 million.
Kenneth S. Esterow was appointed Bankrate's President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2014, having previously served as Senior Vice President – Chief Operating Officer from September 2013 to December 2013.
Bankrate was acquired by Red Ventures for $1.24 billion in November, 2017.
In January 2018, Bankrate expanded into the UK with an office, editorial, and commercial teams in London, along with a localized Bankrate UK website. The site is run by Sebastian Anthony, former editor of Ars Technica.
In September 2018, the former chief financial officer Edward J. DiMaria was found guilty of committing accounting and securities fraud which led to over $25 million in shareholder losses. DiMaria was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and ordered to pay $21,234,214 in restitution.
Former vice president of finance Hyunjin Lerner also pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
Products and Services:
Since the beginning, Bankrate has provided information about interest rates. Beginning in 2004, Bankrate also began offering financial education content, insurance quotes, and credit card offers.
One of Bankrate's reports in 2014 determined the costs of car ownership in each state, taking into account the costs of gas and insurance, among other factors. The data suggested that Wyoming is the most expensive state in the nation to own a car.
Honors:
The National Association of Real Estate Editors in 2014 named Bankrate's Mortgage blog the winner of its Best Blog and Best Column awards.
In October 2012, Advertising Age ranked Bankrate as the fifth fastest-growing media company.
Bankrate's "Financial Regulation, One Year Later" package earned a 2012 "Best in Business" award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW).
Bankrate won two SABEW Awards in 2011: Holden Lewis' mortgage blog and Bankrate's explanatory series on financial reform were honored.
Bankrate writers have won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists several times, most recently in 2007 for their coverage of the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee's rate cut.
In 2008, Forbes named Bankrate #41 in its list of America's 200 Best Small Companies. Forbes previously had honored the website in its "Best of the Web" series five times between 1999 and 2004.
See also:
Aging in the American Workforce
- YouTube Video: The Future of Employment - The Impact of AI and Automation on Jobs - with Oxford Professor Carl Frey
- YouTube Video: Preparing for Employment: Tips for Beginners
- YouTube Video: How to Survive Change at Work
In recent decades, the fertility rate of the United States has declined, prompting projections of an aging population and workforce, as is already happening elsewhere in the developed world and some developing countries.
Nevertheless, the rate of aging in the United States remains slower than that seen in many other countries, including some developing ones, giving the nation a significant competitive advantage. Still, it remains unclear how population aging would affect the United States.
History
The birth rate in the United States has declined steadily since the beginning of the 19th century, when the average person had as many as seven children.
In a 1905 speech, President Theodore Roosevelt criticized Americans for having fewer children, and described the declining birth rate as a "race suicide" among Americans, quoting eugenicist Edward Alsworth Ross. In the 1930s, the Great Depression caused a substantial decrease in the birth rate, but this trend was reversed in the subsequent Baby Boomer generation.
While U.S. fertility rates were roughly at replacement level during the 1990s and early 2000s, contrary to expectations, they never rebounded after the 2007-2009 Great Recession even though the U.S. economy had recovered.
During the second half of the 2010s, the rate of growth of the U.S. population was in steady decline. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic caused fertility to decline further, a "bump" in 2021 notwithstanding, while also increasing the death rate in the country.
At the same time, many women are choosing delay childbearing or are choosing a childless life altogether. Millennials are the most reluctant generation in history when it comes to reproduction. Between 1990 and 2015, the number of married couples aged 18 to 34 with children dropped from 37% to 25%.
The number of American women who do not have children by the age of 30 has grown, breaking previous fertility trends where younger women made up the bulk of births. While only 10% of women were childless in 1976 at the end of their reproductive years, it is projected that 25% of those born in 1992 will reach the same benchmark in 2032.
Longitudinal analysis suggests that American women are not merely postponing having children but are increasingly avoiding it altogether. However, among Millennial women who have given birth, the average fertility rate is about 2.02 children per woman.
Regardless, U.S. birth rates have been on the decline across virtually all age groups, socioeconomic classes, and races since the late 2000s. This trend could cause the general population of the country to age significantly in the future. The oldest Baby Boomers, a large demographic cohort, had started to reach retirement age in the 2010s. By the early 2020s, about one in six Americans are 65 or older.
In 2021, the median age of the United States is 38.8, up from 37.2 in 2010. An increase in median age is seen among all ethnic groups, though European Americans are currently the oldest by that measure, followed by African Americans and Asian Americans (including Amerindians and Native Alaskans).
In the modern world, it has become common for developed countries to fall below the replacement level of births or see population decline. Many of these countries have tried to launch government initiatives to combat this trend, including large cash incentives for having more children, but these programs have been largely ineffective.
Nevertheless, American women tend to have their first children at an earlier age and end up having more children than their counterparts from other developed countries even though the U.S. does not have social welfare programs that are as generous as other rich nations.
Given current (2020) demographic trends, it is projected that the U.S. population would grow slightly by 2100, while other countries, including China and India, will shrink.
Causes
Population aging and falling birth rates in the US is driven by a variety of factors, including increased access to birth control, growing awareness of the realities of parenthood (especially motherhood), and changing societal attitudes toward reproduction, resulting in lower fertility among modern Americans.
The number of unintentional pregnancies has plummeted. Compared to a peak of 96.3 births per 1000 females aged 15 to 19 in 1957, when people married and had children early, the adolescent birth rate fell to 17.3 in 2018. (Black and Hispanic teenagers had the largest decline, though they were still above whites and Asians.)
Twenty-first-century American youths are more likely to have access to effective and long-acting methods of contraception, such as an intrauterine device (IUD), and to be more cautious about sexual intercourse than their predecessors.
While economic troubles and climate anxiety are commonly cited reasons, data suggest they are not the primary factors behind falling fertility in the U.S. Rather, it is due to changing attitudes; today's young people, especially women, tend to prioritize and expect more from their careers and are less interested in having children.
According to the Pew Research Center, the number of non-parents aged 18 to 49 who do not expect to have any children has grown. Among them, a lack of interest in children, medical issues, and financial problems were the top reasons for their predictions.
As parenthood continues to lose its appeal, more and more Americans prefer their own careers, leisure time, savings, and personal freedom to having children and fewer consider children to be a source of happiness or fulfillment.
Among those with children, some have chosen not to have more either because they do not want them, because they would like to spend more time with the ones they already have, or because could not afford more children.
In fact, many admit that their financial circumstances would improve once their children leave the house and that they would be better off not having children. Among those having fewer children than they would like, concerns over the state of the economy and personal financial security are common and many believe the cost of raising a child is too high.
More and more women are realizing that having children is an option they can ignore in favor of economic or educational opportunities; some worry that a woman's career might stall if she chooses to have children.
The number of American women earning university degrees has grown relative to men's since the late 2000s, coinciding with the long-term decline in birth rates. Globally, gender equality is associated with lower fertility.
In the early 2020s, as many as one in five American adults do not want to have children, with some reporting they had made their decision early on. It remains unclear whether they would change their minds.
Data dating back to the 1980s show that this is part of a long-term trend, possibly starting with the Baby Boomers, who were the first cohort to begin questioning social norms on family formation. Furthermore, dedication to work and modern expectations of parents have increased the opportunity cost of having a child.
Because of the aforementioned reasons, the birth rates of women of all age groups (except those in their forties), races, and educational levels have fallen. The number of European Americans has been shrinking since 2016 while the rates of growth of people of other races have fallen as well, except for those of mixed heritage.
Overall, the fall of the European-American and youth populations is the biggest factor behind the aging of the United States. But this trend is moderated by the growth of non-white ethnic groups.
Another major cause of population aging in the United States is the fact that the Baby Boomers, a large cohort, are getting older, adding a large group of older Americans to the population and causing the median age to move up. In addition, employment rates among older workers are increasing. The rate of people who continue working after they are 65 is relatively high in the US, when compared to other developed countries.
For example, in 2011, 16.7% among people aged 65 and over and 29.9% among 65–69 were employed in the US.
Impacts:
By 2030, 20% of Americans are projected to be 65 and older. Both the overall population of the country and the average age are projected to increase over coming years. Given that older people tend to need more health services, some demographers have theorized a significant impact on the country resulting from these trends. Population aging could create an increasing need for services such as nursing homes and care-giving.
Economy:
A shortage of workers is expected in the U.S. workforce due to a declining labor participation rate. Projections show that the demand for labor needed now is not being fulfilled, and the gap between labor needed and labor available will continue to expand over the future.
Owing to the relatively large size population size of those born between the end of WWII and the mid-1960s (referred to by some as the "Baby Boomers"), the number of people generally considered to be of working age is declining.
Additionally, young people are spending more time in education and training and are entering the workforce at a later age, and therefore, there are fewer entering the workforce in their early twenties.
A loss in skilled and capable workers has made it harder for employers to recruit new staff. The retirement of members of the aging workforce could possibly result in the shortage of skilled labor in the future. A majority of experienced utility workers and hospital caregivers, for example, will be eligible for retirement.
By the late 2010s, the United States found itself facing a shortage of tradespeople, a problem that persisted in the early 2020s despite the COVID-19 pandemic-induced recession and prospective employers offering higher salaries and paid training. Having an aging population accelerates industrial automation.
Experts expect the labor crunch of the early 2020s will continue for years to come, due to not just the Great Resignation, but also the aging of the U.S. population, the decline of the labor participation rate, and falling rates of legal immigration.
From a demographic point of view, the labor shortage in the United States during the 2020s is inevitable due to the sheer size of the baby boomers. As the oldest economically active cohort, the baby boomers comprised about a quarter of the U.S. workforce in 2018.
Though they were projected by economists to begin retiring in the 2010s, 29% of older (65–72 years of age) baby boomers in the United States remained active in the labor force in 2018, a large portion compared to older cohorts at the same age. In fact, the official age of retirement in the United States had already been raised, and Baby boomers were incentivized to postpone retirement in part because it allowed them to claim more Social Security benefits once they finally retired.
Furthermore, large numbers would like semi-retirement arrangements or flexible work schedules. The COVID-19 pandemic may have sped up the retirement of some baby boomers. The Pew Research Center reported that the number of baby boomers in retirement had increased by 3.2 million in 2020, the largest annual increase in the previous decade.
But even before the pandemic, the United States had a gap between the number of job openings and the number of unemployed people. Like most other members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the U.S. has seen its productivity growth falter and its debt as a share of GDP grow due to demographic trends.
A shrinking birth rate could exacerbate economic inequality by increasing the importance of family inheritance, while an overall decrease in the population could shrink the economy by reducing the demand for basic goods like groceries and real estate. On the other hand, having fewer or no children has enabled women to pursue more opportunities outside the home.
In fact, places with the highest job growths in the 2010s saw the biggest drops in fertility. For women in such places, the opportunity cost of having a child was higher.. Moreover, people without children do not need to save money to pass on to their children and as such can afford to work fewer hours per week and retire early.
Nevertheless, unlike their counterparts in many other countries East and West, American Baby Boomers had many children of their own, the Millennials, who are a large cohort relative to the nation's population and are themselves having a relatively high birth rate, as of the 2010s.
Millennials and Generation Z have been responsible for a surge in labor participation in the U.S. as the same time as the contraction of the workforce of major economies. Indeed, the U.S. workforce is projected to grow by 10% by 2040.
Having a relatively young, diligent, and productive workforce means that the United States will continue to have a significant number of consumers, investors and taxpayers in the upcoming decades. This gives the nation an economic edge over others.
However, an aging population means that the U.S. economy will be less dynamic, innovative, and productive than it was in the past. Moreover, depending on the household, many women could be forced to give up working in order to take care of their family members, exacerbating the labor shortage.
Education:
See also: Higher education bubble in the United States
By the early 2020s, enrollment in K-12 public schools has fallen, partly due to the switch to private schools and home schooling, but also due to a smaller number of school-aged children (5-17).
In the 1970s, American colleges and universities saw a dramatic increase in enrollments due to the post-war baby boom and the growth of women in higher education and the work force.
By the 1980s and 1990s, although the baby boom had long ended, institutions continued to enjoy good fortune due to growing demand. But this all changed in the aftermath of the Great Recession, which saw significant cuts in funding for education and falling birth rates.
Due to declining birth rates, the number of American high-school graduates is expected to drop after 2025, putting more pressure on institutions of higher learning at a time when many have already been permanently shut down.
Many private colleges will not make it while public ones will struggle to convince state and local governments to keep funding them. Demand for education from the nation's top 100 colleges and universities, however, is likely to remain high, in part because of rising numbers of Indian and Chinese Americans, for whom higher education is of utmost importance.
To survive, non-elite institutions will have to cut back or eliminate courses in the liberal arts and humanities, like gender studies, and expand those in emerging fields, such as artificial intelligence, and professional programs, such as law enforcement.
In addition, Americans who work in higher education are older on average than the average American worker. In the future, this sector of the economy will need to find ways to retain staff or to encourage retirees to come back (part-time).
There is some research supporting the idea that in well-educated countries, it might actually benefit the population to have a birth rate below replacement levels because people at different ages do not make the same level of economic contributions on average.
Environment:
Some demographers have suggested that a declining birth rate may have net positive effects on the country. Many environmentalists see this trend more optimistically because it could help combat the perceived problem of overpopulation.
The world population is expected to reach almost 10 billion by the year 2050, which could pose a burden to Earth's natural resources. Having fewer children has been shown to be an effective way to reduce environmental impact through reduced carbon footprint and higher populations could increase the effects of climate change in the future.
Having an expanding population of people who live longer and are wealthier may not be sustainable. Though the details remain debated, in the 2020s, growing numbers of couples have cited climate change as a reason for having fewer or not having children at all.
Geopolitics:
See also: Cold War II and Pax Americana
Many of America's allies—Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand—are themselves aging. For that reason, they would struggle to finance their own defense and would become even more dependent on the United States at a time when U.S. demographic advantage is fading.
Indeed, while the U.S. maintained a fertility advantage over other developed nations during the 1990s and 2000s, this edge faded away during the 2010s. To combat this problem, the U.S. needs to improve ties with emerging economies, such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and India, though some of these countries are already in the process of transitioning towards an aging society. Furthermore, an aging population will reduce the ability of the United States to participate in global affairs the way it once did.
Nevertheless, because the United States is aging more slowly than any one of its main rivals, it will have an advantage in any future geopolitical contests. Given current demographic trends, it is unlikely that the United States will lose its dominant position to China and Russia.
China has a low fertility rate compared to the United States. China's number of people over 65 as a share of the population is predicted to exceed that of the United States by around 2035. Furthermore, the United States has an advantage that China lacks—immigration.
While the U.S. remains an attractive place for immigrants, very few would like to move to China. In fact, projections of China's economic growth from the early 2020s taking into account China's population aging, among other problems facing the nation, tend to delay the date at which China's economy will surpass America's.
Even if China were to overtake the United States, the latter would soon reclaim its position. On one hand, China's demographic decline relative to the U.S. could prompt it to undertake more risky actions, for example with regards to the issue of Taiwanese independence.
On the other hand, continued U.S. superiority might deter adversaries from taking military actions against either the U.S. or its allies. A "geriatric peace" might be at hand, as the graying powers have an incentive to cooperate in order to maintain the global order before their demographic realities prevent them from doing so.
Occupational safety:
Because of the many older adults opting to remain in the U.S. workforce, many studies have been done to investigate whether the older workers are at greater risk of occupational injury than their younger counterparts. Due to the physical declines associated with aging, older adults tend to exhibit losses in eyesight, hearing and physical strength.
Data shows that older adults have low overall injury rates compared to all age groups, but are more likely to suffer from fatal and more severe occupational injuries. Of all fatal occupational injuries in 2005, older workers accounted for 26.4%, despite only comprising 16.4% of the workforce at the time.
Age increases in fatality rates in occupational injury are more pronounced for workers over the age of 65. The return to work for older workers is also extended; older workers experience a greater median number of lost work days and longer recovery times than younger workers.
Some common occupational injuries and illnesses for older workers include arthritis and fractures. Among older workers, hip fractures are a large concern, given the severity of these injuries.
Social welfare and healthcare:
The U.S. federal social security system functions through collecting payroll taxes to support older citizens. It is possible that a smaller workforce, coupled with increased numbers of longer-living elderly, may have a negative impact on the social security system.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) estimates that the dependency ratio (people ages 65+ divided by people ages 20–64) in 2080 will be over 40%, compared to the 20% in 2005.
SSA data shows one out of every four 65-year-olds today will live past the age of 90, while one out of 10 will live past 95. Indeed, 60% of baby boomers are more worried about outliving their savings than dying. Rising life expectancy may result in reductions in social security benefits, devaluing private and public pension programs.
Were there to be a reduction or elimination of programs such as social security and Medicare, many may need delay retirement and to continue working. In 2018, 29% of Americans aged 65–72 remained active in the labor force, according to the Pew Research Center, as Americans generally expect to continue to work after turning 65.
The baby boomers who chose to remain in the work force after the age of 65 tended to be university graduates, whites, and urban residents. That the boomers maintained a relatively high labor participation rate made economic sense because the longer they postpone retirement, the more Social Security benefits they could claim, once they finally retire.
By 2030, 20% of Americans are predicted to be past the age of retirement, which could pose a burden to the healthcare system. Older and retired people tend to need more health services, which must be provided by their younger counterparts, so some demographers have theorized that this could have a negative impact on the country.
Arthritis, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and cognitive issues are among the most common issues faced by Americans over the age of 65. Older adults who have worked in the construction industry have shown high rates of chronic diseases. Experts suggest that the number of geriatricians will have to triple to meet the demands of the rising elderly.
Demand for other healthcare professionals, such as nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists and dentists is also projected to rise, as well as for common geriatric healthcare needs, such as medications, joint replacements and cardiovascular operations. Between 1966 and 2023, the number of people qualified for Medicare tripled to nearly 65 million, with 10 million seniors and disabled people being added to the system from 2013 to 2023.
In the early 2020s, among Americans aged 65 or older, 14% of all expenditures goes to healthcare, compared to 8% for the general population. While some enjoy living by themselves, others suffer from physical or mental health issues being socially isolated.
Between the late 2010s and early 2020s, Millennials and Generation Z join the workforce in large numbers, allowing the U.S. to maintain a relatively large tax base, alleviating concerns over the financial sustainability of various social welfare programs.
Nevertheless, in 2023, both Medicare and Social Security as they stand are projected to run out of funds by the late 2020s and mid-2030s, respectively. With the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the Joe Biden administration sought to curb the cost of medical care by allowing Medicare to negotiate lower costs for certain drugs and treatments, such as insulin.
Society:
Population aging can potentially change American society as a whole. Many companies use a system, in which older, tenured workers get raises and benefits over time, eventually hitting retirement.
With larger numbers of older workers in the workforce, this model might be unsustainable. In addition, perceptions of older adults in society will change, as the elderly are living longer lives and more active than before.
Changing from a youth-focused culture to having a more positive attitude towards aging and being more respectful of seniors like Japan can help elderly Americans extend their life span and live out their sunset years in dignity. American society will have to confront the negative stereotypes of aging and ageism.
Proposed solutions:
A number of solutions have been proposed to address the problems caused by an aging population. Investing in technological and human-capital development in order to enhance productivity might help the United States offset some of the economic effects of population aging.
Raising the retirement age, further automation, and encouraging higher labor participation rates among women could help alleviate the labor shortage, with the latter successfully done in Japan in the 2010s. Cities could render themselves friendlier towards the elderly, for example by improving public transit.
To deal with the increased demand that could be placed on the healthcare system, telehealth and virtual health monitoring has arisen as a way to help support a larger population of older adults.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has proposed 60 different policy options on how to save billions of dollars on Medicare, such as raising monthly premiums. As of 2023, members of Congress are considering various options to salvage Medicare and Social Security, such as addressing fraud in the Medicare Advantage program and raising the ages of legibility for Medicare and Social Security.
Alternatively, some people have advocated for offering more paid parental leave and child care, thereby encouraging people to have more children. These policies have already been employed in other areas of the world, but with limited results at best.
In some countries such as Germany and Czech Republic they successfully raised the birth rate, but not enough to reach replacement level and at a significant cost.
On the other hand, such policies failed in Finland, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. It is unlikely that similarly pro-natalist policies would work in the U.S., which maintains a relative high fertility rate despite not having social welfare programs that are as generous as some other developed countries.
Some have argued that reduced immigration will have a larger impact on population growth than the declining birth rate. Immigration has historically been a source of growth for the US, and some have suggested that it could slow or reverse the trend of population aging or decline.
However, studies have shown that immigrants from countries with high-fertility rates often have fewer children when they immigrate to a country where small families are the norm, and this patterns also holds in the U.S. It has also been shown that low-birth rates and sudden increases in immigration often lead to increased levels of populism and xenophobia.
Arguments in favor of increasing immigration to combat declining population levels have sparked outcry from some right-wing political factions in the United States and some European countries.
In the United States, past episodes of domestic turmoil have led to moratoriums on immigration. Furthermore, critics argue that the United States today struggles to integrate the various different ethnic groups already living in the country alongside new immigrants.
Political scientist Robert Putnam argues that ethnic and cultural diversity has its downsides in the form of declining cultural capital, falling civic participation, lower general social trust, and greater social fragmentation.
Since 1996, there have been numerous failed attempts to introduce comprehensive immigration reforms, and while many continue to view immigration as a net benefit to the nation, the American people remain mixed on whether or not they support more immigration in general.
Mass migration is politically problematic. Still, high-skilled immigration, the type of immigration that tends to expand the tax base the most, as has been done in Canada, can help.
See also:
Nevertheless, the rate of aging in the United States remains slower than that seen in many other countries, including some developing ones, giving the nation a significant competitive advantage. Still, it remains unclear how population aging would affect the United States.
History
The birth rate in the United States has declined steadily since the beginning of the 19th century, when the average person had as many as seven children.
In a 1905 speech, President Theodore Roosevelt criticized Americans for having fewer children, and described the declining birth rate as a "race suicide" among Americans, quoting eugenicist Edward Alsworth Ross. In the 1930s, the Great Depression caused a substantial decrease in the birth rate, but this trend was reversed in the subsequent Baby Boomer generation.
While U.S. fertility rates were roughly at replacement level during the 1990s and early 2000s, contrary to expectations, they never rebounded after the 2007-2009 Great Recession even though the U.S. economy had recovered.
During the second half of the 2010s, the rate of growth of the U.S. population was in steady decline. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic caused fertility to decline further, a "bump" in 2021 notwithstanding, while also increasing the death rate in the country.
At the same time, many women are choosing delay childbearing or are choosing a childless life altogether. Millennials are the most reluctant generation in history when it comes to reproduction. Between 1990 and 2015, the number of married couples aged 18 to 34 with children dropped from 37% to 25%.
The number of American women who do not have children by the age of 30 has grown, breaking previous fertility trends where younger women made up the bulk of births. While only 10% of women were childless in 1976 at the end of their reproductive years, it is projected that 25% of those born in 1992 will reach the same benchmark in 2032.
Longitudinal analysis suggests that American women are not merely postponing having children but are increasingly avoiding it altogether. However, among Millennial women who have given birth, the average fertility rate is about 2.02 children per woman.
Regardless, U.S. birth rates have been on the decline across virtually all age groups, socioeconomic classes, and races since the late 2000s. This trend could cause the general population of the country to age significantly in the future. The oldest Baby Boomers, a large demographic cohort, had started to reach retirement age in the 2010s. By the early 2020s, about one in six Americans are 65 or older.
In 2021, the median age of the United States is 38.8, up from 37.2 in 2010. An increase in median age is seen among all ethnic groups, though European Americans are currently the oldest by that measure, followed by African Americans and Asian Americans (including Amerindians and Native Alaskans).
In the modern world, it has become common for developed countries to fall below the replacement level of births or see population decline. Many of these countries have tried to launch government initiatives to combat this trend, including large cash incentives for having more children, but these programs have been largely ineffective.
Nevertheless, American women tend to have their first children at an earlier age and end up having more children than their counterparts from other developed countries even though the U.S. does not have social welfare programs that are as generous as other rich nations.
Given current (2020) demographic trends, it is projected that the U.S. population would grow slightly by 2100, while other countries, including China and India, will shrink.
Causes
Population aging and falling birth rates in the US is driven by a variety of factors, including increased access to birth control, growing awareness of the realities of parenthood (especially motherhood), and changing societal attitudes toward reproduction, resulting in lower fertility among modern Americans.
The number of unintentional pregnancies has plummeted. Compared to a peak of 96.3 births per 1000 females aged 15 to 19 in 1957, when people married and had children early, the adolescent birth rate fell to 17.3 in 2018. (Black and Hispanic teenagers had the largest decline, though they were still above whites and Asians.)
Twenty-first-century American youths are more likely to have access to effective and long-acting methods of contraception, such as an intrauterine device (IUD), and to be more cautious about sexual intercourse than their predecessors.
While economic troubles and climate anxiety are commonly cited reasons, data suggest they are not the primary factors behind falling fertility in the U.S. Rather, it is due to changing attitudes; today's young people, especially women, tend to prioritize and expect more from their careers and are less interested in having children.
According to the Pew Research Center, the number of non-parents aged 18 to 49 who do not expect to have any children has grown. Among them, a lack of interest in children, medical issues, and financial problems were the top reasons for their predictions.
As parenthood continues to lose its appeal, more and more Americans prefer their own careers, leisure time, savings, and personal freedom to having children and fewer consider children to be a source of happiness or fulfillment.
Among those with children, some have chosen not to have more either because they do not want them, because they would like to spend more time with the ones they already have, or because could not afford more children.
In fact, many admit that their financial circumstances would improve once their children leave the house and that they would be better off not having children. Among those having fewer children than they would like, concerns over the state of the economy and personal financial security are common and many believe the cost of raising a child is too high.
More and more women are realizing that having children is an option they can ignore in favor of economic or educational opportunities; some worry that a woman's career might stall if she chooses to have children.
The number of American women earning university degrees has grown relative to men's since the late 2000s, coinciding with the long-term decline in birth rates. Globally, gender equality is associated with lower fertility.
In the early 2020s, as many as one in five American adults do not want to have children, with some reporting they had made their decision early on. It remains unclear whether they would change their minds.
Data dating back to the 1980s show that this is part of a long-term trend, possibly starting with the Baby Boomers, who were the first cohort to begin questioning social norms on family formation. Furthermore, dedication to work and modern expectations of parents have increased the opportunity cost of having a child.
Because of the aforementioned reasons, the birth rates of women of all age groups (except those in their forties), races, and educational levels have fallen. The number of European Americans has been shrinking since 2016 while the rates of growth of people of other races have fallen as well, except for those of mixed heritage.
Overall, the fall of the European-American and youth populations is the biggest factor behind the aging of the United States. But this trend is moderated by the growth of non-white ethnic groups.
Another major cause of population aging in the United States is the fact that the Baby Boomers, a large cohort, are getting older, adding a large group of older Americans to the population and causing the median age to move up. In addition, employment rates among older workers are increasing. The rate of people who continue working after they are 65 is relatively high in the US, when compared to other developed countries.
For example, in 2011, 16.7% among people aged 65 and over and 29.9% among 65–69 were employed in the US.
Impacts:
By 2030, 20% of Americans are projected to be 65 and older. Both the overall population of the country and the average age are projected to increase over coming years. Given that older people tend to need more health services, some demographers have theorized a significant impact on the country resulting from these trends. Population aging could create an increasing need for services such as nursing homes and care-giving.
Economy:
A shortage of workers is expected in the U.S. workforce due to a declining labor participation rate. Projections show that the demand for labor needed now is not being fulfilled, and the gap between labor needed and labor available will continue to expand over the future.
Owing to the relatively large size population size of those born between the end of WWII and the mid-1960s (referred to by some as the "Baby Boomers"), the number of people generally considered to be of working age is declining.
Additionally, young people are spending more time in education and training and are entering the workforce at a later age, and therefore, there are fewer entering the workforce in their early twenties.
A loss in skilled and capable workers has made it harder for employers to recruit new staff. The retirement of members of the aging workforce could possibly result in the shortage of skilled labor in the future. A majority of experienced utility workers and hospital caregivers, for example, will be eligible for retirement.
By the late 2010s, the United States found itself facing a shortage of tradespeople, a problem that persisted in the early 2020s despite the COVID-19 pandemic-induced recession and prospective employers offering higher salaries and paid training. Having an aging population accelerates industrial automation.
Experts expect the labor crunch of the early 2020s will continue for years to come, due to not just the Great Resignation, but also the aging of the U.S. population, the decline of the labor participation rate, and falling rates of legal immigration.
From a demographic point of view, the labor shortage in the United States during the 2020s is inevitable due to the sheer size of the baby boomers. As the oldest economically active cohort, the baby boomers comprised about a quarter of the U.S. workforce in 2018.
Though they were projected by economists to begin retiring in the 2010s, 29% of older (65–72 years of age) baby boomers in the United States remained active in the labor force in 2018, a large portion compared to older cohorts at the same age. In fact, the official age of retirement in the United States had already been raised, and Baby boomers were incentivized to postpone retirement in part because it allowed them to claim more Social Security benefits once they finally retired.
Furthermore, large numbers would like semi-retirement arrangements or flexible work schedules. The COVID-19 pandemic may have sped up the retirement of some baby boomers. The Pew Research Center reported that the number of baby boomers in retirement had increased by 3.2 million in 2020, the largest annual increase in the previous decade.
But even before the pandemic, the United States had a gap between the number of job openings and the number of unemployed people. Like most other members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the U.S. has seen its productivity growth falter and its debt as a share of GDP grow due to demographic trends.
A shrinking birth rate could exacerbate economic inequality by increasing the importance of family inheritance, while an overall decrease in the population could shrink the economy by reducing the demand for basic goods like groceries and real estate. On the other hand, having fewer or no children has enabled women to pursue more opportunities outside the home.
In fact, places with the highest job growths in the 2010s saw the biggest drops in fertility. For women in such places, the opportunity cost of having a child was higher.. Moreover, people without children do not need to save money to pass on to their children and as such can afford to work fewer hours per week and retire early.
Nevertheless, unlike their counterparts in many other countries East and West, American Baby Boomers had many children of their own, the Millennials, who are a large cohort relative to the nation's population and are themselves having a relatively high birth rate, as of the 2010s.
Millennials and Generation Z have been responsible for a surge in labor participation in the U.S. as the same time as the contraction of the workforce of major economies. Indeed, the U.S. workforce is projected to grow by 10% by 2040.
Having a relatively young, diligent, and productive workforce means that the United States will continue to have a significant number of consumers, investors and taxpayers in the upcoming decades. This gives the nation an economic edge over others.
However, an aging population means that the U.S. economy will be less dynamic, innovative, and productive than it was in the past. Moreover, depending on the household, many women could be forced to give up working in order to take care of their family members, exacerbating the labor shortage.
Education:
See also: Higher education bubble in the United States
By the early 2020s, enrollment in K-12 public schools has fallen, partly due to the switch to private schools and home schooling, but also due to a smaller number of school-aged children (5-17).
In the 1970s, American colleges and universities saw a dramatic increase in enrollments due to the post-war baby boom and the growth of women in higher education and the work force.
By the 1980s and 1990s, although the baby boom had long ended, institutions continued to enjoy good fortune due to growing demand. But this all changed in the aftermath of the Great Recession, which saw significant cuts in funding for education and falling birth rates.
Due to declining birth rates, the number of American high-school graduates is expected to drop after 2025, putting more pressure on institutions of higher learning at a time when many have already been permanently shut down.
Many private colleges will not make it while public ones will struggle to convince state and local governments to keep funding them. Demand for education from the nation's top 100 colleges and universities, however, is likely to remain high, in part because of rising numbers of Indian and Chinese Americans, for whom higher education is of utmost importance.
To survive, non-elite institutions will have to cut back or eliminate courses in the liberal arts and humanities, like gender studies, and expand those in emerging fields, such as artificial intelligence, and professional programs, such as law enforcement.
In addition, Americans who work in higher education are older on average than the average American worker. In the future, this sector of the economy will need to find ways to retain staff or to encourage retirees to come back (part-time).
There is some research supporting the idea that in well-educated countries, it might actually benefit the population to have a birth rate below replacement levels because people at different ages do not make the same level of economic contributions on average.
Environment:
Some demographers have suggested that a declining birth rate may have net positive effects on the country. Many environmentalists see this trend more optimistically because it could help combat the perceived problem of overpopulation.
The world population is expected to reach almost 10 billion by the year 2050, which could pose a burden to Earth's natural resources. Having fewer children has been shown to be an effective way to reduce environmental impact through reduced carbon footprint and higher populations could increase the effects of climate change in the future.
Having an expanding population of people who live longer and are wealthier may not be sustainable. Though the details remain debated, in the 2020s, growing numbers of couples have cited climate change as a reason for having fewer or not having children at all.
Geopolitics:
See also: Cold War II and Pax Americana
Many of America's allies—Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand—are themselves aging. For that reason, they would struggle to finance their own defense and would become even more dependent on the United States at a time when U.S. demographic advantage is fading.
Indeed, while the U.S. maintained a fertility advantage over other developed nations during the 1990s and 2000s, this edge faded away during the 2010s. To combat this problem, the U.S. needs to improve ties with emerging economies, such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and India, though some of these countries are already in the process of transitioning towards an aging society. Furthermore, an aging population will reduce the ability of the United States to participate in global affairs the way it once did.
Nevertheless, because the United States is aging more slowly than any one of its main rivals, it will have an advantage in any future geopolitical contests. Given current demographic trends, it is unlikely that the United States will lose its dominant position to China and Russia.
China has a low fertility rate compared to the United States. China's number of people over 65 as a share of the population is predicted to exceed that of the United States by around 2035. Furthermore, the United States has an advantage that China lacks—immigration.
While the U.S. remains an attractive place for immigrants, very few would like to move to China. In fact, projections of China's economic growth from the early 2020s taking into account China's population aging, among other problems facing the nation, tend to delay the date at which China's economy will surpass America's.
Even if China were to overtake the United States, the latter would soon reclaim its position. On one hand, China's demographic decline relative to the U.S. could prompt it to undertake more risky actions, for example with regards to the issue of Taiwanese independence.
On the other hand, continued U.S. superiority might deter adversaries from taking military actions against either the U.S. or its allies. A "geriatric peace" might be at hand, as the graying powers have an incentive to cooperate in order to maintain the global order before their demographic realities prevent them from doing so.
Occupational safety:
Because of the many older adults opting to remain in the U.S. workforce, many studies have been done to investigate whether the older workers are at greater risk of occupational injury than their younger counterparts. Due to the physical declines associated with aging, older adults tend to exhibit losses in eyesight, hearing and physical strength.
Data shows that older adults have low overall injury rates compared to all age groups, but are more likely to suffer from fatal and more severe occupational injuries. Of all fatal occupational injuries in 2005, older workers accounted for 26.4%, despite only comprising 16.4% of the workforce at the time.
Age increases in fatality rates in occupational injury are more pronounced for workers over the age of 65. The return to work for older workers is also extended; older workers experience a greater median number of lost work days and longer recovery times than younger workers.
Some common occupational injuries and illnesses for older workers include arthritis and fractures. Among older workers, hip fractures are a large concern, given the severity of these injuries.
Social welfare and healthcare:
The U.S. federal social security system functions through collecting payroll taxes to support older citizens. It is possible that a smaller workforce, coupled with increased numbers of longer-living elderly, may have a negative impact on the social security system.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) estimates that the dependency ratio (people ages 65+ divided by people ages 20–64) in 2080 will be over 40%, compared to the 20% in 2005.
SSA data shows one out of every four 65-year-olds today will live past the age of 90, while one out of 10 will live past 95. Indeed, 60% of baby boomers are more worried about outliving their savings than dying. Rising life expectancy may result in reductions in social security benefits, devaluing private and public pension programs.
Were there to be a reduction or elimination of programs such as social security and Medicare, many may need delay retirement and to continue working. In 2018, 29% of Americans aged 65–72 remained active in the labor force, according to the Pew Research Center, as Americans generally expect to continue to work after turning 65.
The baby boomers who chose to remain in the work force after the age of 65 tended to be university graduates, whites, and urban residents. That the boomers maintained a relatively high labor participation rate made economic sense because the longer they postpone retirement, the more Social Security benefits they could claim, once they finally retire.
By 2030, 20% of Americans are predicted to be past the age of retirement, which could pose a burden to the healthcare system. Older and retired people tend to need more health services, which must be provided by their younger counterparts, so some demographers have theorized that this could have a negative impact on the country.
Arthritis, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and cognitive issues are among the most common issues faced by Americans over the age of 65. Older adults who have worked in the construction industry have shown high rates of chronic diseases. Experts suggest that the number of geriatricians will have to triple to meet the demands of the rising elderly.
Demand for other healthcare professionals, such as nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists and dentists is also projected to rise, as well as for common geriatric healthcare needs, such as medications, joint replacements and cardiovascular operations. Between 1966 and 2023, the number of people qualified for Medicare tripled to nearly 65 million, with 10 million seniors and disabled people being added to the system from 2013 to 2023.
In the early 2020s, among Americans aged 65 or older, 14% of all expenditures goes to healthcare, compared to 8% for the general population. While some enjoy living by themselves, others suffer from physical or mental health issues being socially isolated.
Between the late 2010s and early 2020s, Millennials and Generation Z join the workforce in large numbers, allowing the U.S. to maintain a relatively large tax base, alleviating concerns over the financial sustainability of various social welfare programs.
Nevertheless, in 2023, both Medicare and Social Security as they stand are projected to run out of funds by the late 2020s and mid-2030s, respectively. With the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the Joe Biden administration sought to curb the cost of medical care by allowing Medicare to negotiate lower costs for certain drugs and treatments, such as insulin.
Society:
Population aging can potentially change American society as a whole. Many companies use a system, in which older, tenured workers get raises and benefits over time, eventually hitting retirement.
With larger numbers of older workers in the workforce, this model might be unsustainable. In addition, perceptions of older adults in society will change, as the elderly are living longer lives and more active than before.
Changing from a youth-focused culture to having a more positive attitude towards aging and being more respectful of seniors like Japan can help elderly Americans extend their life span and live out their sunset years in dignity. American society will have to confront the negative stereotypes of aging and ageism.
Proposed solutions:
A number of solutions have been proposed to address the problems caused by an aging population. Investing in technological and human-capital development in order to enhance productivity might help the United States offset some of the economic effects of population aging.
Raising the retirement age, further automation, and encouraging higher labor participation rates among women could help alleviate the labor shortage, with the latter successfully done in Japan in the 2010s. Cities could render themselves friendlier towards the elderly, for example by improving public transit.
To deal with the increased demand that could be placed on the healthcare system, telehealth and virtual health monitoring has arisen as a way to help support a larger population of older adults.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has proposed 60 different policy options on how to save billions of dollars on Medicare, such as raising monthly premiums. As of 2023, members of Congress are considering various options to salvage Medicare and Social Security, such as addressing fraud in the Medicare Advantage program and raising the ages of legibility for Medicare and Social Security.
Alternatively, some people have advocated for offering more paid parental leave and child care, thereby encouraging people to have more children. These policies have already been employed in other areas of the world, but with limited results at best.
In some countries such as Germany and Czech Republic they successfully raised the birth rate, but not enough to reach replacement level and at a significant cost.
On the other hand, such policies failed in Finland, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. It is unlikely that similarly pro-natalist policies would work in the U.S., which maintains a relative high fertility rate despite not having social welfare programs that are as generous as some other developed countries.
Some have argued that reduced immigration will have a larger impact on population growth than the declining birth rate. Immigration has historically been a source of growth for the US, and some have suggested that it could slow or reverse the trend of population aging or decline.
However, studies have shown that immigrants from countries with high-fertility rates often have fewer children when they immigrate to a country where small families are the norm, and this patterns also holds in the U.S. It has also been shown that low-birth rates and sudden increases in immigration often lead to increased levels of populism and xenophobia.
Arguments in favor of increasing immigration to combat declining population levels have sparked outcry from some right-wing political factions in the United States and some European countries.
In the United States, past episodes of domestic turmoil have led to moratoriums on immigration. Furthermore, critics argue that the United States today struggles to integrate the various different ethnic groups already living in the country alongside new immigrants.
Political scientist Robert Putnam argues that ethnic and cultural diversity has its downsides in the form of declining cultural capital, falling civic participation, lower general social trust, and greater social fragmentation.
Since 1996, there have been numerous failed attempts to introduce comprehensive immigration reforms, and while many continue to view immigration as a net benefit to the nation, the American people remain mixed on whether or not they support more immigration in general.
Mass migration is politically problematic. Still, high-skilled immigration, the type of immigration that tends to expand the tax base the most, as has been done in Canada, can help.
See also:
Aging and Society
- YouTube Video: Senior Living for those with No Money
- YouTube Video: How to Pay for Assisted Living | Senior Care Options | Seniorly
- YouTube Video: Independent Living vs Assisted Living: Understand the Difference | Seniorly
Aging has a significant impact on society. People of different ages and gender tend to differ in many aspects, such as legal and social responsibilities, outlooks on life, and self-perceptions.
Young people tend to have fewer legal privileges (if they are below the age of majority), they are more likely to push for political and social change, to develop and adopt new technologies, and to need education.
Older people have different requirements from society and government, and frequently have differing values as well, such as for property and pension rights. Older people are also more likely to vote, and in many countries the young are forbidden from voting. Thus, the aged have comparatively more, or at least different, political influence.
In different societies, age may be viewed or treated differently. For example, age may be measured starting from conception or from birth, and starting at either age zero or age one.
Transitions such as reaching puberty, age of majority, or retirement are often socially significant. The concepts of successful aging and healthy aging refer to both social and physical aspects of the aging process.
Cultural variations:
Arbitrary divisions set to mark periods of life may include:
More casual terms may include "teenagers", "tweens", "twentysomething", "thirtysomething", etc. as well as "vicenarian", "tricenarian", "quadragenarian", etc.
The age of an adult human is commonly measured in whole years since the day of birth. Fractional years, months or even weeks may be used to describe the age of children and infants for finer resolution. The time of day the birth occurred is not commonly considered.
In some cultures, there are other ways to express age. For example, some cultures measure age by counting years including the current year, while others count years without including it. It could be said for the same person that he is twenty years old or that he is in the twenty-first year of his life.
In Russian the former expression is generally used, the latter one has restricted usage: it is used for age of a deceased person in obituaries and for the age of an adult when it is desired to show him/her older than he/she is. (Psychologically, a woman in her 20th year seems older than one who is 19 years old.)
Other cultures that express age differently may not use years elapsed since birth at all. Inuit culture is an example in which birthdays are not celebrated because maturity is not signified in terms of years.
The Navajo culture is another in which age is not counted through years elapsed from birth. In this case, age is measured through certain milestones in a person's life, such as the first time they laugh.
In cultures where age is not measured by years since birth, most individuals do not know how old they are in years. People in these cultures may find more importance in other aspects of their birth, such as the season, agricultural practices, or spiritual connections taking place when they were born.
A culture may also choose to place a greater emphasis on family lineage than age, as is done in Mayan society. A Mayan adult would not determine a child's responsibility and status in terms of age by years, but instead by relative seniority to others in the family or community.
The main purpose of counting age in terms of years from birth is for the convenience of grouping individuals by age, as is needed in industrialized society. The medical practices and compulsory schooling that resulted from industrialization factored largely into the need for counting age in terms of years since birth.
Even in Westernized societies such as the United States, age in terms of years since birth did not begin until the mid-1800s.
Depending on cultural and personal philosophy, ageing can be seen as an undesirable phenomenon, reducing beauty and bringing one closer to death; or as an accumulation of wisdom, mark of survival and a status worthy of respect.
In some cases numerical age is important (whether good or bad), whereas others find the stage in life that one has reached (adulthood, independence, marriage, retirement, career success) to be more important.
East Asian age reckoning is different from that found in Western culture. Traditional Chinese culture uses a different ageing method, called Xusui (虛歲) with respect to common ageing which is called Zhousui (周歲).
According to Luo Zhufeng (1991), the Xusui method, people are born at age 1, not age 0, possibly because conception is already considered to be the start of the life span and possibly because the number '0' was not historically present in Ancient China, and another difference is the ageing day: Xusui grows up at the Spring Festival (aka. Chinese New Year's Day), while Zhousui grows up at one's birthday. In parts of Tibet, age is counted from conception i.e. one is usually 9 months old when one is born.
Age in prenatal development is normally measured in gestational age, taking the last menstruation of the mother as a point of beginning. Alternatively, fertilisation age, beginning from fertilisation can be taken.
Legal;
Most legal systems define a specific age for when an individual is allowed or obliged to do particular activities. These age specifications include:
Admission to a movie for instance, may depend on age according to a motion picture rating system. A bus fare might be discounted for the young or old. Each nation, government and non-government organisation has different ways of classifying age.
Similarly, in many countries in jurisprudence, the defence of infancy is a form of defence by which a defendant argues that, at the time a law was broken, they were not liable for their actions and thus should not be held liable for a crime. Many courts recognise that defendants who are considered to be juveniles may avoid criminal prosecution on account of their age and in borderline cases the age of the offender is often held to be a mitigating circumstance.
Political:
Older people have different requirements from society and government, and frequently have differing values as well, such as for property and pension rights. Older people are also more likely to vote, and in many countries the young are forbidden from voting. Thus, the aged have comparatively more, or at least different, political influence.
Education tends to lose political significance for people as they age.
Coping and well-being:
Psychologists have examined coping skills in the elderly. Various factors, such as social support, religion and spirituality, active engagement with life and having an internal locus of control have been proposed as being beneficial in helping people to cope with stressful life events in later life.
Social support and personal control are possibly the two most important factors that predict well-being, morbidity and mortality in adults. Other factors that may link to well-being and quality of life in the elderly include social relationships (possibly relationships with pets as well as humans), and health.
Retirement, a common transition faced by the elderly, may have both positive and negative consequences. Individuals in different wings in the same retirement home have demonstrated a lower risk of mortality and higher alertness and self-rated health in the wing where residents had greater control over their environment, though personal control may have less impact on specific measures of health.
Social control, perceptions of how much influence one has over one's social relationships, shows support as a moderator variable for the relationship between social support and perceived health in the elderly and may positively influence coping in the elderly.
Religion:
Religion is an important factor used by the elderly in coping with the demands of later life and appears more often than other forms of coping later in life. Religiosity is a multidimensional variable; while participation in religious activities in the sense of participation in formal and organised rituals may decline, it may become a more informal, but still important aspect of life such as through personal or private prayer.
Self-rated health:
Positive self-perception of health has been correlated with higher well-being and reduced mortality in the elderly.
Various reasons have been proposed for this association; people who are objectively healthy may naturally rate their health better than that of their ill counterparts, though this link has been observed even in studies which have controlled for socioeconomic status, psychological functioning and health status.
This finding is generally stronger for men than women, though the pattern between genders is not universal across all studies and some results suggest sex-based differences only appear in certain age groups, for certain causes of mortality and within a specific sub-set of self-ratings of health.
Paradox of ageing:
Seniors' subjective health remains relatively stable while objective health worsens with age.
Furthermore, it seems that the perceived health improves with age when objective health is controlled in the equation. This phenomenon is known as the paradox of ageing. People's expectations concerning health co-evolve with the health norms surrounding one's age.
Elderly people often associate their functional and physical decline with the normal ageing process. The elderly may actually enhance their perception of their own health through social comparison; for instance, the older people get, the more they may consider themselves in better health than their same-aged peers.
Hence, the older a person becomes and the more their actual health declines, the greater the potential role is for social comparison processes to create a gap between a person's objective and subjective health.
Healthcare:
Many societies in Western Europe and Japan have ageing populations. While the effects on society are complex, there is a concern about the impact on health care demand. The large number of suggestions in the literature for specific interventions to cope with the expected increase in demand for long-term care in ageing societies can be organised under four headings:
However, the annual growth in national health spending is not mainly due to increasing demand from ageing populations, but rather has been driven by rising incomes, costly new medical technology, a shortage of health care workers and informational asymmetries between providers and patients.
A number of health problems become more prevalent as people get older. These include mental health problems as well as physical health problems, especially dementia.
Even so, it has been estimated that population ageing only explains 0.2 percentage points of the annual growth rate in medical spending of 4.3 percent since 1970. In addition, certain reforms to the Medicare system in the United States decreased elderly spending on home health care by 12.5 percent per year between 1996 and 2000. This would suggest that the impact of ageing populations on health care costs is not inevitable.
In United States prisons, medical costs for an ageing inmate could be above $100 per day as of July 2007, while typical inmates cost $33 per day. Most State DOCs report spending more than 10 percent of the annual budget on elderly care. That is expected to rise over the next 10–20 years. Some states have talked about releasing ageing inmates early.
Housing:
As Taiwan heads into an ageing society, a study in the city of Kaoshiung suggests that compared to their parents, the current generation of adults have shown a greater interest in age-friendly housing of high-quality building materials and community environment.
The poor living conditions for the elderly was exposed after a fire in the city tore through multiple stories of a dilapidated apartment block.
Successful ageing:
Main article: Successful ageing
The concept of successful ageing can be traced back to the 1950s and was popularised in the 1980s. Previous research into ageing exaggerated the extent to which health disabilities, such as diabetes or osteoporosis, could be attributed exclusively to age and research in gerontology exaggerated the homogeneity of samples of elderly people.
Other research shows that even late in life, potential exists for physical, mental, and social growth and development.
Successful ageing consists of three components:
A greater number of people self-report successful ageing than those that strictly meet these criteria.
Successful ageing may be viewed an interdisciplinary concept, spanning both psychology and sociology, where it is seen as the transaction between society and individuals across the life span with specific focus on the later years of life.
The terms "healthy ageing" and "optimal ageing" have been proposed as alternatives to successful ageing, partly because the term "successful ageing" has been criticised for making healthy ageing sound too competitive.
Six suggested dimensions of successful ageing include:
Numerous worldwide health, ageing and retirement surveys contain questions pertaining to pensions. The Meta Data Repository – created by the non-profit RAND Corporation and sponsored by the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health – provides access to meta data for these questions as well as links to obtain respondent data from the originating surveys.
Recent studies utilizing artificial intelligence showed that in order to stay biologically younger and lower the chances of most age-related diseases, people should not be unhappy and lonely.
Ageing and communication:
Healthy ageing implies optimal well-being in spite of barriers resulting from age. The global population is ageing and will continue to have communication inabilities unless barriers of communication with the elderly are more highly promoted.
Sensory impairments include hearing and vision deficits, which can cause communication barriers. Changes in cognition, hearing, and vision are easily associated with healthy ageing and can cause problems when diagnosing dementia and aphasia due to the similarities.
Hearing loss:
Hearing loss is a common condition among ageing adults. Common conditions that can increase the risk of hearing loss in elderly people are high blood pressure, diabetes or the use of certain medications harmful to the ear.
Hearing aids are commonly referred to as personal amplifying systems, which can generally improve hearing by about 50%.
Hearing loss among the aged community lessens elders' ability to compensate for other age related social and/or physical problems. Communication problems of elderly adults can be greatly impacted by mechanical problems such as: the translation of ideas into linguistic representation or expression, the perception of linguistic stimuli or the derivation of an idea from a given unit of disclosure.
Changes in these mechanical problems are more important than changes in linguistic knowledge. The main goal of hearing aids is to improve communication and quality of life, not just to restore hearing.
Presbycusis is an example of a hearing deficit that cannot be corrected by hearing aids. Presbycusis, the alteration of hearing sensitivity associated with normal hearing loss, is caused by the decreased amount of hair cells of the inner ear. This is normally caused by long periods of distressing noise that diminish the hair cells which with increasing age will not grow back.
Presbycusis and other such hearing-related problems promote social withdrawal, as individuals begin to lose touch with the world around them. Hearing loss among the aged community lessens elders' ability to compensate for other age-related social and/or physical problems.
This impairment can cause elders to lose touch of social skills because they may have trouble keeping up with fast-paced or hearing different pitched voices in conversation.
Visual impairment:
The interpretation of facial expressions and mouthing can be difficult to understand when an individual has a visual impairment. Such problems hinder the ability of people to understand stimuli and translate information pertaining to perception with their brain for analysis.
Non-verbal communication is important in effective communication and elders with vision loss are more likely to misinterpret or read the other person's actions in a wrong way. Visual impairments also cause a loss in positive perceptions of the environment around them. This can lead to isolation and possible depression in elderly people.
Macular degeneration is a common cause of vision loss in elderly people. It diminishes the macula of the eye, which is responsible for clear vision. It causes progressive loss of central vision and possible loss of colour vision.
This degeneration is caused by systemic changes in the circulation of waste products and growth of abnormal vessels around the retina causing the photoreceptors not to receive proper images. Though ageing almost always causes this, other possible effects and risk factors include smoking, obesity, family history and excessive sunlight exposure.
Digital world:
In a world increasingly relying on digital technologies, older adults face higher risks of social exclusion and prejudices (see digital ageism). Generational segregation naturalizes youth as digitally adept and the old as digitally inept. Older adults' experiences are often excluded from research agendas on digital media.
Political struggle against ageing:
Though many scientists state that radical life extension, delaying and stopping ageing are achievable, there are still no international or national programs focused on stopping ageing or on radical life extension.
There are political forces staying for and against life extension. In 2012 the Longevity political parties started in Russia, then in the US, Israel and the Netherlands. These parties aim to provide political support to anti-ageing and radical life extension research and technologies and want to ensure the fastest possible and at the same time the softest societal transition to the next step: radical life extension and life without ageing, that will make it possible to provide the access to such technologies to the most of the currently living people.
Social science of ageing:
Other definitions:
As cyborgs currently are on the rise some theorists argue there is a need to develop new definitions of aging and for instance a bio-techno-social definition of aging has been suggested.
Young people tend to have fewer legal privileges (if they are below the age of majority), they are more likely to push for political and social change, to develop and adopt new technologies, and to need education.
Older people have different requirements from society and government, and frequently have differing values as well, such as for property and pension rights. Older people are also more likely to vote, and in many countries the young are forbidden from voting. Thus, the aged have comparatively more, or at least different, political influence.
In different societies, age may be viewed or treated differently. For example, age may be measured starting from conception or from birth, and starting at either age zero or age one.
Transitions such as reaching puberty, age of majority, or retirement are often socially significant. The concepts of successful aging and healthy aging refer to both social and physical aspects of the aging process.
Cultural variations:
Arbitrary divisions set to mark periods of life may include:
- juvenile
- (via infancy,
- childhood,
- preadolescence,
- adolescence),
- early adulthood,
- middle adulthood,
- and late adulthood.
More casual terms may include "teenagers", "tweens", "twentysomething", "thirtysomething", etc. as well as "vicenarian", "tricenarian", "quadragenarian", etc.
The age of an adult human is commonly measured in whole years since the day of birth. Fractional years, months or even weeks may be used to describe the age of children and infants for finer resolution. The time of day the birth occurred is not commonly considered.
In some cultures, there are other ways to express age. For example, some cultures measure age by counting years including the current year, while others count years without including it. It could be said for the same person that he is twenty years old or that he is in the twenty-first year of his life.
In Russian the former expression is generally used, the latter one has restricted usage: it is used for age of a deceased person in obituaries and for the age of an adult when it is desired to show him/her older than he/she is. (Psychologically, a woman in her 20th year seems older than one who is 19 years old.)
Other cultures that express age differently may not use years elapsed since birth at all. Inuit culture is an example in which birthdays are not celebrated because maturity is not signified in terms of years.
The Navajo culture is another in which age is not counted through years elapsed from birth. In this case, age is measured through certain milestones in a person's life, such as the first time they laugh.
In cultures where age is not measured by years since birth, most individuals do not know how old they are in years. People in these cultures may find more importance in other aspects of their birth, such as the season, agricultural practices, or spiritual connections taking place when they were born.
A culture may also choose to place a greater emphasis on family lineage than age, as is done in Mayan society. A Mayan adult would not determine a child's responsibility and status in terms of age by years, but instead by relative seniority to others in the family or community.
The main purpose of counting age in terms of years from birth is for the convenience of grouping individuals by age, as is needed in industrialized society. The medical practices and compulsory schooling that resulted from industrialization factored largely into the need for counting age in terms of years since birth.
Even in Westernized societies such as the United States, age in terms of years since birth did not begin until the mid-1800s.
Depending on cultural and personal philosophy, ageing can be seen as an undesirable phenomenon, reducing beauty and bringing one closer to death; or as an accumulation of wisdom, mark of survival and a status worthy of respect.
In some cases numerical age is important (whether good or bad), whereas others find the stage in life that one has reached (adulthood, independence, marriage, retirement, career success) to be more important.
East Asian age reckoning is different from that found in Western culture. Traditional Chinese culture uses a different ageing method, called Xusui (虛歲) with respect to common ageing which is called Zhousui (周歲).
According to Luo Zhufeng (1991), the Xusui method, people are born at age 1, not age 0, possibly because conception is already considered to be the start of the life span and possibly because the number '0' was not historically present in Ancient China, and another difference is the ageing day: Xusui grows up at the Spring Festival (aka. Chinese New Year's Day), while Zhousui grows up at one's birthday. In parts of Tibet, age is counted from conception i.e. one is usually 9 months old when one is born.
Age in prenatal development is normally measured in gestational age, taking the last menstruation of the mother as a point of beginning. Alternatively, fertilisation age, beginning from fertilisation can be taken.
Legal;
Most legal systems define a specific age for when an individual is allowed or obliged to do particular activities. These age specifications include:
- voting age,
- drinking age,
- age of consent,
- age of majority,
- age of criminal responsibility,
- marriageable age,
- age of candidacy,
- and mandatory retirement age.
Admission to a movie for instance, may depend on age according to a motion picture rating system. A bus fare might be discounted for the young or old. Each nation, government and non-government organisation has different ways of classifying age.
Similarly, in many countries in jurisprudence, the defence of infancy is a form of defence by which a defendant argues that, at the time a law was broken, they were not liable for their actions and thus should not be held liable for a crime. Many courts recognise that defendants who are considered to be juveniles may avoid criminal prosecution on account of their age and in borderline cases the age of the offender is often held to be a mitigating circumstance.
Political:
Older people have different requirements from society and government, and frequently have differing values as well, such as for property and pension rights. Older people are also more likely to vote, and in many countries the young are forbidden from voting. Thus, the aged have comparatively more, or at least different, political influence.
Education tends to lose political significance for people as they age.
Coping and well-being:
Psychologists have examined coping skills in the elderly. Various factors, such as social support, religion and spirituality, active engagement with life and having an internal locus of control have been proposed as being beneficial in helping people to cope with stressful life events in later life.
Social support and personal control are possibly the two most important factors that predict well-being, morbidity and mortality in adults. Other factors that may link to well-being and quality of life in the elderly include social relationships (possibly relationships with pets as well as humans), and health.
Retirement, a common transition faced by the elderly, may have both positive and negative consequences. Individuals in different wings in the same retirement home have demonstrated a lower risk of mortality and higher alertness and self-rated health in the wing where residents had greater control over their environment, though personal control may have less impact on specific measures of health.
Social control, perceptions of how much influence one has over one's social relationships, shows support as a moderator variable for the relationship between social support and perceived health in the elderly and may positively influence coping in the elderly.
Religion:
Religion is an important factor used by the elderly in coping with the demands of later life and appears more often than other forms of coping later in life. Religiosity is a multidimensional variable; while participation in religious activities in the sense of participation in formal and organised rituals may decline, it may become a more informal, but still important aspect of life such as through personal or private prayer.
Self-rated health:
Positive self-perception of health has been correlated with higher well-being and reduced mortality in the elderly.
Various reasons have been proposed for this association; people who are objectively healthy may naturally rate their health better than that of their ill counterparts, though this link has been observed even in studies which have controlled for socioeconomic status, psychological functioning and health status.
This finding is generally stronger for men than women, though the pattern between genders is not universal across all studies and some results suggest sex-based differences only appear in certain age groups, for certain causes of mortality and within a specific sub-set of self-ratings of health.
Paradox of ageing:
Seniors' subjective health remains relatively stable while objective health worsens with age.
Furthermore, it seems that the perceived health improves with age when objective health is controlled in the equation. This phenomenon is known as the paradox of ageing. People's expectations concerning health co-evolve with the health norms surrounding one's age.
Elderly people often associate their functional and physical decline with the normal ageing process. The elderly may actually enhance their perception of their own health through social comparison; for instance, the older people get, the more they may consider themselves in better health than their same-aged peers.
Hence, the older a person becomes and the more their actual health declines, the greater the potential role is for social comparison processes to create a gap between a person's objective and subjective health.
Healthcare:
Many societies in Western Europe and Japan have ageing populations. While the effects on society are complex, there is a concern about the impact on health care demand. The large number of suggestions in the literature for specific interventions to cope with the expected increase in demand for long-term care in ageing societies can be organised under four headings:
- improve system performance;
- redesign service delivery;
- support informal caregivers;
- and shift demographic parameters.
However, the annual growth in national health spending is not mainly due to increasing demand from ageing populations, but rather has been driven by rising incomes, costly new medical technology, a shortage of health care workers and informational asymmetries between providers and patients.
A number of health problems become more prevalent as people get older. These include mental health problems as well as physical health problems, especially dementia.
Even so, it has been estimated that population ageing only explains 0.2 percentage points of the annual growth rate in medical spending of 4.3 percent since 1970. In addition, certain reforms to the Medicare system in the United States decreased elderly spending on home health care by 12.5 percent per year between 1996 and 2000. This would suggest that the impact of ageing populations on health care costs is not inevitable.
In United States prisons, medical costs for an ageing inmate could be above $100 per day as of July 2007, while typical inmates cost $33 per day. Most State DOCs report spending more than 10 percent of the annual budget on elderly care. That is expected to rise over the next 10–20 years. Some states have talked about releasing ageing inmates early.
Housing:
As Taiwan heads into an ageing society, a study in the city of Kaoshiung suggests that compared to their parents, the current generation of adults have shown a greater interest in age-friendly housing of high-quality building materials and community environment.
The poor living conditions for the elderly was exposed after a fire in the city tore through multiple stories of a dilapidated apartment block.
Successful ageing:
Main article: Successful ageing
The concept of successful ageing can be traced back to the 1950s and was popularised in the 1980s. Previous research into ageing exaggerated the extent to which health disabilities, such as diabetes or osteoporosis, could be attributed exclusively to age and research in gerontology exaggerated the homogeneity of samples of elderly people.
Other research shows that even late in life, potential exists for physical, mental, and social growth and development.
Successful ageing consists of three components:
- The avoidance of illness and disease
- High cognitive and physical function
- Social and productive engagement
A greater number of people self-report successful ageing than those that strictly meet these criteria.
Successful ageing may be viewed an interdisciplinary concept, spanning both psychology and sociology, where it is seen as the transaction between society and individuals across the life span with specific focus on the later years of life.
The terms "healthy ageing" and "optimal ageing" have been proposed as alternatives to successful ageing, partly because the term "successful ageing" has been criticised for making healthy ageing sound too competitive.
Six suggested dimensions of successful ageing include:
- No physical disability over the age of 75 as rated by a physician;
- Good subjective health assessment (i.e. good self-ratings of one's health);
- Length of undisabled life;
- Good mental health;
- Objective social support;
- Self-rated life satisfaction in eight domains, namely marriage, income-related work, children, friendship and social contacts, hobbies, community service activities, religion and recreation/sports.
Numerous worldwide health, ageing and retirement surveys contain questions pertaining to pensions. The Meta Data Repository – created by the non-profit RAND Corporation and sponsored by the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health – provides access to meta data for these questions as well as links to obtain respondent data from the originating surveys.
Recent studies utilizing artificial intelligence showed that in order to stay biologically younger and lower the chances of most age-related diseases, people should not be unhappy and lonely.
Ageing and communication:
Healthy ageing implies optimal well-being in spite of barriers resulting from age. The global population is ageing and will continue to have communication inabilities unless barriers of communication with the elderly are more highly promoted.
Sensory impairments include hearing and vision deficits, which can cause communication barriers. Changes in cognition, hearing, and vision are easily associated with healthy ageing and can cause problems when diagnosing dementia and aphasia due to the similarities.
Hearing loss:
Hearing loss is a common condition among ageing adults. Common conditions that can increase the risk of hearing loss in elderly people are high blood pressure, diabetes or the use of certain medications harmful to the ear.
Hearing aids are commonly referred to as personal amplifying systems, which can generally improve hearing by about 50%.
Hearing loss among the aged community lessens elders' ability to compensate for other age related social and/or physical problems. Communication problems of elderly adults can be greatly impacted by mechanical problems such as: the translation of ideas into linguistic representation or expression, the perception of linguistic stimuli or the derivation of an idea from a given unit of disclosure.
Changes in these mechanical problems are more important than changes in linguistic knowledge. The main goal of hearing aids is to improve communication and quality of life, not just to restore hearing.
Presbycusis is an example of a hearing deficit that cannot be corrected by hearing aids. Presbycusis, the alteration of hearing sensitivity associated with normal hearing loss, is caused by the decreased amount of hair cells of the inner ear. This is normally caused by long periods of distressing noise that diminish the hair cells which with increasing age will not grow back.
Presbycusis and other such hearing-related problems promote social withdrawal, as individuals begin to lose touch with the world around them. Hearing loss among the aged community lessens elders' ability to compensate for other age-related social and/or physical problems.
This impairment can cause elders to lose touch of social skills because they may have trouble keeping up with fast-paced or hearing different pitched voices in conversation.
Visual impairment:
The interpretation of facial expressions and mouthing can be difficult to understand when an individual has a visual impairment. Such problems hinder the ability of people to understand stimuli and translate information pertaining to perception with their brain for analysis.
Non-verbal communication is important in effective communication and elders with vision loss are more likely to misinterpret or read the other person's actions in a wrong way. Visual impairments also cause a loss in positive perceptions of the environment around them. This can lead to isolation and possible depression in elderly people.
Macular degeneration is a common cause of vision loss in elderly people. It diminishes the macula of the eye, which is responsible for clear vision. It causes progressive loss of central vision and possible loss of colour vision.
This degeneration is caused by systemic changes in the circulation of waste products and growth of abnormal vessels around the retina causing the photoreceptors not to receive proper images. Though ageing almost always causes this, other possible effects and risk factors include smoking, obesity, family history and excessive sunlight exposure.
Digital world:
In a world increasingly relying on digital technologies, older adults face higher risks of social exclusion and prejudices (see digital ageism). Generational segregation naturalizes youth as digitally adept and the old as digitally inept. Older adults' experiences are often excluded from research agendas on digital media.
Political struggle against ageing:
Though many scientists state that radical life extension, delaying and stopping ageing are achievable, there are still no international or national programs focused on stopping ageing or on radical life extension.
There are political forces staying for and against life extension. In 2012 the Longevity political parties started in Russia, then in the US, Israel and the Netherlands. These parties aim to provide political support to anti-ageing and radical life extension research and technologies and want to ensure the fastest possible and at the same time the softest societal transition to the next step: radical life extension and life without ageing, that will make it possible to provide the access to such technologies to the most of the currently living people.
Social science of ageing:
- Disengagement theory is the idea that separation of older people from active roles in society is normal and appropriate, and benefits both society and older individuals. Disengagement theory, first proposed by Cumming and Henry, has received considerable attention in gerontology, but has been much criticised. The original data on which Cumming and Henry based the theory were from a rather small sample of older adults in Kansas City and from this select sample Cumming and Henry then took disengagement to be a universal theory. There are research data suggesting that the elderly who do become detached from society are those who were initially reclusive individuals and such disengagement is not purely a response to ageing.
- Activity theory, in contrast to disengagement theory, implies that the more active elderly people are, the more likely they are to be satisfied with life. The view that elderly adults should maintain well-being by keeping active has had a considerable history and since 1972, this has come to be known as activity theory. However, this theory may be just as inappropriate as disengagement for some people as the current paradigm on the psychology of ageing is that both disengagement theory and activity theory may be optimal for certain people in old age, depending on both circumstances and personality traits of the individual concerned. There are also data which query whether, as activity theory implies, greater social activity is linked with well-being in adulthood.
- Selectivity theory mediates between the activity and disengagement theories, and suggests that it may benefit older people to become more active in some aspects of their lives, more disengaged in others.
- Continuity theory is the view that in ageing people are inclined to maintain, as much as they can, the same habits, personalities and styles of life that they have developed in earlier years. Continuity theory is Atchley's theory that individuals, in later life, make adaptations to enable them to gain a sense of continuity between the past and the present and the theory implies that this sense of continuity helps to contribute to well-being in later life. Disengagement theory, activity theory and continuity theory are social theories about ageing, though all may be products of their era rather than a valid, universal theory.
Other definitions:
As cyborgs currently are on the rise some theorists argue there is a need to develop new definitions of aging and for instance a bio-techno-social definition of aging has been suggested.