For the person who is facing a move and needs to downsize or for anyone who has reached the point where there is just too much "stuff" in their lives, this article will speak to you...and provide tips on how to begin changing the way you live. A motivational speaker quoted in the article talks about expanding the definition of "tchotchkes," a Yiddish word for knicknacks, to mean "stuff that gets out of control" and can be anything, mental or physical, that is unneeded or unwanted (examples might be electronic equipment, people who are an emotional drain and don't bring joy.) An interesting outlook that may be worth considering.
NPR's Family Matters: The Money Squeeze series, that airs each Tuesday on Morning Edition, is about caregiving and multigenerational families. The latest story, the third in a series of eight, profiles the story of Yolanda Hunter's family in print and audio. For the Hunters, what started out as an act of love has become a difficult and costly decision that has no easy solution and brings up many questions of how caregiving impacts our society. Nearly 10 million people over the age of 50 are caring for their aging parents, and the number of caregivers has more than tripled over the past 15 years. Stayed tuned for the rest of these profiles...
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – starring Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkerson and Dev Patel (star of Slumdog Millionaire) – is about adventure, love and purpose in the encore years. If you love to laugh and travel – and are wondering what’s next in your life – you’re in for a treat. And you could be in for a prize, too… if you enter the Marigold Ideas for Good Contest. The contest is for people over 50 who have great ideas for doing something to improve the quality of life in their communities.Thirty people will win $5,000 each and six will win the trip of a lifetime. Find out more and enter here.
What should we call people age 65 and older? Are they “seniors,” "older adults," "the elderly?" The author of this article "unscientifically" interviewed professionals in the "aging" field to help clarify the word(s) to describe people of a certain age. Among those queried are Harry (Rick) Moody, 67, director of academic affairs for AARP, Jane Glen Haas, 74, nationally-syndicated newspaper columnist, and Dr. John Rowe, 67, chairman of the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society. To weigh in on this touchy topic, check out the Philadelphia-based blog, Elder Chicks.
There is a way to travel, stay in interesting places, and not spend your money on housing. This Wall Street Journal article is written by a couple who spend five months a year in foreign countries by exchanging their two-bedroom condo in San Diego with people living in places throughout the world. Their extensive traveling began at age 65 when, on the recommendation of friends, they went online and found homeexchange.com and homelink.org. They particularly enjoy living among the locals...and have good tips to offer others who are interested.
For older adults living at home, the regular visits and help provided by Senior Companions can be what gets them up in the morning...and keeps them going. John Antsy, a 78-year-old, does his good deeds 20 hours a week as part of the federally-funded Senior Corps. Among Mr. Antsy's tasks are bringing one couple groceries and prescriptions, spending time with an isolated woman tethered to an oxygen tank, and providing respite for a caregiving wife. He is one of the 13,600 Senior Companions --all older than 55--who served nearly 61,000 clients nationally last year. More than 40 percent of the companions are over 74. To learn more about this stipended program, click here.
Boomers are used to taking charge...and for some, being a new grandparent can give them the "joy" of spoiling the child and a chance to exert some influence. Boomers carry some heft financially, having the highest median household income of any age group, according to the U.S. Census. Many are eager to make sure that their grandchildren are well taken care of, even if their approach doesn't fit the parents' wishes. This article provides some very good information for boomer grandparents on how to be thoughtful in sharing their wealth and maintaining family peace.
Trying to create the best possible quality of life for an aging relative is "the new normal" for 43.5 million Americans caring for someone older than 50, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance. This comprehensive article addresses the issues that families face when a loved one begins to fail, the difficulties in finding the right kinds of care, and the questions that need to be asked by children to assess their parent's situation. Knowing about available resources and services for older adults is critical in dealing with the "new normal." To read more, click here.
Somehow the idea of paying student loans with your Social Security check doesn't seem right. But, new research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows that Americans 60 and older have school debts in the range of $36 billion. So it is not uncommon for Social Security checks to be garnished or for debt collectors to harass borrowers in their 80s. Some of the debt is decades old from their college days; others are paying off more recent courses taken to learn new skills. To learn more, click here.
This article in Forbes simplifies the effects on older adults of a "no" vote on the Affordable Care bill from the Supreme Court. Among the areas in jeopardy are Medicaid's health care program, which is now covered through state/federal programs and slated to expand to millions of currently uninsured working people; new long-term services for older adults seeking services at home or in the community; assistance for those receiving Medicare's Part D drug benefit (filling the donut hole); and improvements in how care is delivered to those suffering from chronic diseases. To learn more, click here.
