The virus that causes COVID-19 may be with us for the foreseeable future. Pandemics often become endemic, “meaning the infection is still present in a region or population but its behavior is predictable and the numbers of cases and deaths no longer spike.” Infectious-disease specialists broadly agree that while COVID-19 has not been extinguished, it […]
Updated April 2025 Until recently, a pervasive stereotype in the business world defined older employees as lacking the mental agility or physical stamina to meet the demands of a competitive work environment. Employers also viewed older workers as “out of step” with current trends, making it difficult for older workers to find jobs in industries […]
Seniors who depend on Social Security benefits will soon receive the largest cost of living adjustment (COLA) in the last 40 years. The 8.7% increase in Social Security payments will take effect in January 2023. The COLA is tied to the consumer price index. A poor economy resulted in no Social Security benefit increase in […]
Updated May 2022 In 2022, the United Nations commemorated the October 1 International Day of Older Persons by asking the world to recognize the value of senior women. Having turned 76 in 2025, the UN’s Secretary-General is proof that older people can make significant contributions to worldwide efforts to solve problems that affect people of all […]
Updated June 2025 Recent reports issued by the Census Bureau reflect a depressing reality for older Americans. A 2022 report found that, between 2020 and 2021, the official poverty rate increased for people who were 65 or older. That increase contrasts with a decrease in the official poverty rate for people younger than 18. The […]
Updated May 2025 To avoid late enrollment penalties, seniors who are eligible for Medicare usually sign up at their earliest opportunity. Seniors rarely have a reason not to enroll. Retirees earned Medicare’s hospitalization benefits by paying FICA taxes during their working lives. They are not required to pay a monthly premium to receive those benefits. […]
Updated April 2025 High drug prices can be a problem for every American whose health condition requires medication. However, older people are disproportionately affected by high drug prices. While about half of all Americans between the ages of 30 and 49 report taking prescription medications, 89% of Americans who have reached the age of 65 […]
Updated May 2025 Pharmaceutical companies are exploring drugs to treat or prevent Alzheimer’s disease with increasing urgency. More than 7 million Americans who have reached the age of 65 are living with Alzheimer’s. That number is expected to rise to nearly 13 million by 2050. Research continues to expand knowledge of Alzheimer’s, potentially opening the […]
While some people embrace the experience of growing older, the process of aging is often unwelcome. In his older years, Mark Twain quipped that “life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of 80 and gradually approach 18.” Twain was not alone in lamenting the loss of youth. Aging […]