The COVID-19 pandemic was particularly dangerous for older adults. While age does not determine whether a person infected with COVID-19 will become seriously ill, older adults are more likely to have the health conditions and impaired immune systems that make people more vulnerable to COVID-19 complications. During the pandemic’s final surge of fatalities, 92% of […]
Medicine, technology, and a better understanding of the process of aging are helping people live longer lives. How people occupy their time as they grow older is also changing. The percentage of Americans who remain employed after reaching the age of 65 has doubled in the last 35 years. Older workers are more likely to […]
A doctoral candidate in Canada noted that most North American research focusing on retirement has emphasized “the negative effects of life transition,” including the difficulty of adjusting to retirement and the financial impact of living on a reduced income. Those studies might create the impression that retirement generally has a negative impact on psychological well-being. […]
The COVID-19 pandemic had a disproportionate impact on nursing home residents. Early in the pandemic, nursing homes accounted for more than 40% of all COVID-19 deaths in the US. That statistic may be understated because the National Healthcare Safety Network did not require nursing homes to report deaths from COVID-19 until the pandemic was well […]
Many older adults depend on Social Security retirement benefits as their primary source of income. About 1 in 7 Americans over the age of 65 receive 90% of their income from Social Security. Maximizing Social Security retirements benefits can help retirees live a more comfortable lifestyle. Here are three strategies that older adults can follow […]
Family members sometimes feel that nursing homes are the only alternative for a relative who needs more care than the family can provide. A parent’s health condition might make it difficult for families to assure that their mom or dad receives the health care they need while living at home. Seniors who might benefit from […]
Long-term care can be critical to the health and emotional well-being of older adults. The adult children of aging parents are often called upon to provide that care, but they do so at a cost to their own quality of life. Family caregivers who work long hours without compensation may be sacrificing careers, incurring expenses, […]
Surveys consistently show that most older adults hope to age in place. Maintaining community and family ties are common motivations to remain in a family home after retirement. Better weather and convenient amenities provide an incentive for other seniors to move to a retirement community, while an assisted-living facility might be the right choice for […]
Labeling an older adult as “frail” can be stigmatizing. Geriatric researchers have cautioned that the term is linked to “mental or moral weakness” and may become “the new cloak of ageism, a tool for discrimination and disempowerment applied to the most vulnerable.” Despite its negative connotations, medical science uses the term frailty to describe a […]
One of the most difficult decisions an older couple can make is whether to remain in the home they own or to sell the home and move to a retirement community. Aging in place allows the couple to continue relationships with neighbors and local friends, to participate in community activities they enjoy, and to feel […]