These days you can get practically anything online, and that includes do-it-yourself wills and other estate planning documents. These services (and there are thousands of them) promise to let you create legally sound estate planning documents at a fraction of the cost of having them prepared by an attorney. But unless you know what you…
About a month ago we told you about this featured report on National Public Radio concerning screening for dementia. Why, the report asked, is testing for cognitive impairment not being administered to everyone age 65 and older? We thought about the NPR report a few days ago when we discovered this related story on the…
An article we just found on the USNews website provides a helpful perspective on “retirement realism” from a writer who has been there. Tom Sightings, retirement author and blogger, gives us some helpful ways to boost our happiness and banish our disappointments in retirement by what he calls “retooling.” You’ll find his insightful article here…
If you’re in your 60s or 70s, leading an active and engaged life, there’s probably one word you seldom use to describe yourself: “old.” Most people in that age group simply don’t think of themselves that way! But language does matter, and labels have a powerful impact, so maybe we active, aging boomers need a…
Imagine this scenario. You call the office of your new primary care physician and schedule your annual checkup, assuming Medicare will cover the cost. The appointment goes well and the exam seems thorough. Then to your surprise, a few days after the appointment you get a bill for $400. Assuming it’s a billing mistake, you…
If you’re like most retirees, a significant portion of your retirement savings is in pre-tax accounts such as a 401(k), 403(b) or IRA. And like most retirees you’re probably concerned about how best to cover any future long-term care costs that might arise. According to this recent article from Kiplinger, if you were counting on…
Are you interested in a more secure retirement? Who wouldn’t be? These days, when so many things are uncertain, retirement security would seem to be a goal anyone can embrace. But after reading this just-published article from the USNews website, we at AgingOptions are reminded once again that most people still seem to equate “retirement…
Most marriage ceremonies include the phrase, “in sickness and in health” – usually just after “for better, for worse.” This recent article on the website Considerable.com has opened our eyes to the fact that, for about 3.7 million men and women who are caregivers for their spouses, both those statements are being put to the…
It’s a financial burden that in other countries would be “unfathomable,” say the health care policy experts. Millions of Americans, even many with insurance, are finding themselves with “crippling amounts of medical debt.” Those are some of the sobering phrases we found in this just-published article from The Atlantic. It reveals that simply getting sick,…
We just discovered a provocative news article from National Public Radio that sheds some important light on the increasing problem of cognitive decline. “In the U.S.,” NPR reports, “older people with dementia are usually told they have Alzheimer’s disease. But a range of other brain diseases can also impair thinking and memory and judgment.” That’s…