- Financial exploitation of elders. 51% of fraud that is commited against seniors is at the hands of strangers; 34% by family, friends and neighbors. But, you can protect yourself. Aginging ini secrecy is not a good thing. It is true that many seniors want to keep their affairs private. But those who are close to their family and discuss their finances openly with ALL family members, make arrangements so that all family members are aware of the role one may be playing to help a parent, keeps transparency and keeps exploitation at bay. http://www.preventelderabuse.org/documents/mmi-elder-financial-abuse.pdf
- 64 percent of those over 65 are more afraid of losing independence or living with pain or physical limitations than of dying (7 percent). This is a fact that is raised often by AgingOptions advocates. It should be no surprise that being shuffled to a nursing home is more scary a proposition than dying itself. The sad part, though, is that most who harbor those fears also feel that there is nothing that can be done about it. Which is simply not true. There is much that one can do to better prepare for a time when incapacity might be reality, including moving to a progressive care living community or moving closer to children. The biggest mistake is not doing something about it under the false premise that there is nothing that can be done to alleviate the issues one might face in future due to incapacity. http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Aging/2012/20120620-Older_Americans_Optimistic.htm
- Living alone increases risks of cardiovascular disease, functional decline and mortality, Compared to many other parts of the world where joint family systems are the norm, we live in a society where nuclear families are the way we age. One significant downside to this system is that when we face old age and lose our partner isolation will be a haunting reality for most. And isolation manifests itself in the form of cardiovascular disease, functional decline and accerated mortality. Perhaps, isolation leads to one giving up on life. What can you do? Be aware about it. Be socially active and mentally engaged. Move to a progressive care living community, move closer to children and become part of their lives. Don’t throw away the one life we get on earth by not planning for a time when you might be alone later in life. http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Alzheimers/2012/20180618-Living_Alone.htm http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Alzheimers/2012/20120618-Older_People.htm
- Is the memory loss normal aging or something more? Testing can tell you whether you are dealing with normal aging or something more sinister like Alzheimer’s. We all start go forget as we grow old, but it is not always bad. Not knowing if it is a disease could mean that you miss out on being able to arrest the problem when intervention could help slow down the process or cure it altogether. http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Aging/2012/20120615-The_Answer.htm
- ‘Not having enough money’ is the biggest surprise for retirees; retirement different than expected, ‘shocked' by financial surprises. But why should this be a surprise? We all know how much money we have in our bank account at any given time. A bit of planning will help us get a grip on some basic facts we will face in retirement. What our retirement income will be, what our projected expenses will be and how much money we will need in retirement. It is a basic retirement budget that can be developed with the assistance of most financial advisors, but many fail to take this step. Knowing these facts will allow you to time your retirement age correctly as well as develop a plan around social security benefits, when to start those benefits. http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Retirement/2012/20120607-Top_Life_Advice.htm
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Expanding health insurance has its good side and bad. On the one hand it allows people to be well, feel well and be productive. On the other hand it increases costs. The notion that providing health insurance will cut down on expensive emergency room visits, though true, does not cut down on the overall health related expenses those with insurance incur. At this juncture we truly need to decide between people’s welfare or the national fiscal health. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/23/health/oregon-study-reveals-benefits-and-costs-of-insuring-the-uninsured.html?_r=1&ref=health
