An analysis of data by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College concluded that many retirees are unprepared to meet the costs associated with long-term care. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (a long-term national survey of Americans over the age of 50) and a 2024 survey of people between the ages […]
Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once observed that “a single courageous state may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.” The notion that states are “laboratories of democracy” is exemplified by Wisconsin’s 1911 experiment with a workers’ compensation law […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (a mouthful popularly known as CMS) is the federal agency that oversees Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Health Insurance Marketplace. Older adults primarily interact with CMS when they enroll in Medicare or need to resolve a Medicare billing dispute. Like nearly all federal agencies, […]
In a divided nation, Americans can still find points of agreement. Large majorities of Americans agree that teachers are underpaid, government benefit programs are necessary, and a second civil war would be bad for the nation. A September 2024 survey discovered that a substantial majority of Americans agree on another fact: the United States faces […]
While retirement communities and independent living facilities are popular choices for older adults who want to downsize or can no longer manage the upkeep of their family home, surveys confirm that most Americans hope to age in place. Unfortunately, barriers to remaining in a home after children move out can make it difficult for seniors […]
It never hurts to have a bit of extra retirement income. Social Security benefits are modest, savings accounts dwindle over time, and most people worry that they did not invest enough money in their retirement accounts to assure a comfortable lifestyle after they stop working. The Rewards of Side Hustles Before retirement, many people earn […]
When he was running for president in 2020, Joe Biden promised to reduce the soaring cost of prescription medications. While President Trump signed executive orders in 2018 that were purportedly designed to accomplish that task, federal courts blocked the orders and drug prices continued to rise. The Congressional Budget Office determined that the orders, had […]
Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) allow residents to change their housing environment to meet changing needs without relocating to a new community. Healthy retirees live in a part of the CCRC campus that is devoted to retirement community housing, complete with amenities that may include swimming pools, housekeeping, and dining halls. The community takes care […]
Hospice care provides services that increase the comfort of people who are dying from an untreatable health condition. Hospice care is intended to manage the patient’s pain while promoting a peaceful death. Adult children of a dying parent often turn to hospice care when the parent wants to die at home. Hospice care also be […]
Dementia is both a growing and declining medical condition in the United States. The number of people with dementia is growing because the population of older Americans is increasing. There is evidence, however, that the incidence rate of dementia is declining. About 10% of American adults who are 65 or older suffer from dementia, while […]