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Incontinence: Looking Away is Not an Answer
Tweet Share on Facebook November 5, 2009 CommentIncontinence may never be a cocktail-party topic, but in an aging society, it needs to shed its taboo status. More than 25 million Americans suffer from incontinence, according to a 2008 report from the National Institutes of Health. And nearly two-thirds of caregivers say the family members they look after have some type of incontinence, according to a current survey by Caring.com and SCA, makers of the TENA brand of bladder-weakness and incontinence products.
[See What Gives Your Life Meaning and Purpose?] -
5 Tips in Using Retirement Planning Tools
Tweet Share on Facebook November 4, 2009 Comment (3)Retirement planning software is available for free on several major investment and retirement websites. But according to a recent analysis sponsored by the Pension Research Council, these programs do an inconsistent and often poor job. Anna M. Rappaport and John A. Turner, long-term pension and retirement experts, looked at both free and fee-based products. They found that many fundamental realities of retirement planning often were ignored in the tools. Consumers, however, aren't likely to possess the knowledge to spot these flaws.
[See 6 Steps to a Better Retirement.] -
Bathroom Work Tops Senior Home Makeover Needs
Tweet Share on Facebook November 3, 2009 Comment (1)Making bathrooms more friendly to older homeowners tops the list of important projects to help people remain in their homes as they age. Angie's List has more than a million consumers in its local networks providing their experiences and recommendations of favored contractors and service providers. It polled participating contractors and found that the four most requested bathroom improvement projects were the installation of grab bars in the shower-bath area, replacement of a bathtub with a walk-in shower-tub, installation of bathroom vanities with space underneath to accommodate a wheelchair, and the lowering of electrical switches to make them easier to reach.
[See Seniors' Home Repair Help From Angie's List.] -
Seven Tips to Sell a Home in a Tough Economy
Tweet Share on Facebook November 2, 2009 Comment (3)The Boomerater™ Report, our weekly collaboration with online baby boomer resource Boomerater, this week offers tips to help sell a house in a down economy. “I’m looking for clever ways to help sell my home is this tough market,” a Boomerater member asks. “My mother has moved into assisted living and I need to sell her home.” Other Boomerater members weighed in with their suggestions:
[See Make a Housing Plan for Your Later Years.] -
Seniors Finding That It Does Take a Village
Tweet Share on Facebook October 30, 2009 Comment (4)Older people who want to stay in their homes as they age might look to an expanding network of "villages" throughout the country as one possible way to get the support and services they need. The villages are part of a broader movement involving what are called naturally occurring retirement communities, or NORCs. These are virtual communities that provide a mix of transportation, home maintenance, and social and healthcare services to their members, who usually live within a few miles of one another.
[See NORCs: Unique Havens for an Aging America.]
Some NORCs are tightly structured, but many are not, reflecting the different residential settings and needs of their members. NORC residents are generally age 65 or older and intend to stay in their homes. As they age, they increasingly need a tailored social safety net that is best fashioned by people in their communities who are intimately familiar with their needs. Some programs are government funded, most scurry for philanthropic and volunteer help, and others rely only on member dues and fees.
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Can Boomers Lead an Elder Revolution?
Tweet Share on Facebook October 29, 2009 Comment (7)The implications of an aging world are widely viewed with alarm. When 10,000 people a day begin reaching retirement age in a few years, how will society support them? And when these people are turning 65, thousands more will be turning 80 or 85. Who will take care of them? And how will we afford the bills? This enormous price tag is the elephant in the room during debates about healthcare reform.
[See What Gives Your Life Meaning and Purpose?] -
Are You Ready to Take the E-Book Plunge?
Tweet Share on Facebook October 27, 2009 Comment (12)Do you see yourself ever reading books and periodicals electronically—on a computer screen or hand-held device? The movement of paper-based printed materials to the digital world is gathering steam. Seniors will need to decide whether they have the desire and aptitude to embrace these new tools.
[See New Technologies Require New Learning.] -
Entertaining Exercise Options for Boomers
Tweet Share on Facebook October 26, 2009 Comment (5)The Boomerater™ Report, our weekly collaboration with online baby boomer resource Boomerater, this week explores new ways to stay fit that are both fun and physically challenging. “I’m 56 and work from home and know I’m not getting enough physical activity,” a Boomerater member commented. “I’ve heard that some of the new video games have fitness programs. I wouldn’t mind investing in one if they really work without getting too monotonous. I'm also interested in good tapes or TV fitness shows that are geared toward the 50s crowd. I’d like to hear of any ideas for ways to stay fit without going to a gym.” Other Boomerater members shared these insights:
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8 Tips to Avoid Nasty Estate Surprises
Tweet Share on Facebook October 23, 2009 Comment (5)Combine the worst downturn since the Great Depression, mix in a steep drop in stock prices, and garnish with the disappearance of trillions of dollars in home values. Voilà! You have just stirred up the recipe for a surge in estate litigation and intrafamily feuding.
[See why Estate Taxes Are a Nice Problem to Have.]
"I think we have definitely seen an increase in family squabbles and a lot more people wanting to contest wills," says Adam Gaslowitz, an estate attorney in Atlanta. The recession also has led to reduced asset values for stocks and real estate, making it harder to split the pie and reach amicable settlements. "I also think that the recession may be used, perhaps unconsciously, by some children to wrestle control of assets away from aging parents," Gaslowitz says. Some children may feel that it's better for them to manage their parents' assets in such troubled times. If there's any silver lining to the downturn, he observes, it's that "financial difficulties may make it harder for people to afford such a legal fight."
Steven K. Mignogna, who practices estate law in New Jersey, says there's been a sustained increase in contested estates during the past 20 years. He says that generally we are more litigious, but it's also true that the volume of wealth transfers has picked up in our aging society. Lastly, he notes, families have become more fragmented, which leads to more complex bequests and more potential for family conflict. "In the last year or two, I have seen an increase of perhaps 10 to 20 percent," Mignogna says. "It is difficult to determine if that increase is attributable solely to the economy, or to the trends from the last 20 years. . . . I am sure that the economy is a factor."
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What Gives Your Life Meaning and Purpose?
Tweet Share on Facebook October 22, 2009 Comment (5)Making a difference, doing something of value, and having a purpose in life. They all stem from a common human need that doesn't disappear with age. However, the perception that you're making a difference may well decline sharply after the end of a career, and the close of a professional life with decades of rich experiences and relationships. And as we get older, our self-perceived worth can take another hit if people have trouble looking beyond our age when they interact with us. All too often, older people aren't valued for what they can offer, and often aren't even expected to participate in activities.
[See 7 Tips for Finding Right Volunteer Work.]
