Most people agree that in many ways the U.S. medical system is a convoluted and complex mess, with too much waste and too many gaps. So is there a way for this system to provide better care and at the same time keep costs under control? In theory, the answer is yes – but in…
If you are part of a family dealing with dementia, you know what a bewildering and painful journey it can often be. Part of the great and unanticipated tragedy of dementia is the emotional and relational damage it can wreak, not just on the one with the illness, but on loved ones as well. In…
The woman sat with her aging mother-in-law across the desk from the oncologist. In front of the two women were 13 prescription bottles lined up in a row. Through tears of frustration the younger woman leaned forward, waved at the row of brown bottles with white prescription labels, and pointed her finger at the oncologist.…
One of the hallmarks of the American entrepreneurial mentality lies in the familiar saying, “Find a need and fill it.” That’s what a growing number of businesses are doing around the nation as legions of aging baby boomers – and their parents – undertake the daunting task of downsizing and moving. This recent article in…
It has been a little over a year since we focused attention on the critical importance to boomers of learning the ABC’s of RMD’s. With 2017 almost gone, the oldest members of the baby boom generation are reaching the age of 70 ½ which means – along with all the other adjustments that come as…
A new study just released by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College provides some sobering news for many future retirees who will be relying entirely – or mostly – on Social Security for their retirement income. If you are an average Social Security beneficiary, Medicare premiums for Parts B and D, plus average…
We’re coming down to the wire on this year’s open enrollment period for Medicare, which runs through December 15th. This is the season when millions of new and existing beneficiaries are sifting through mountains of direct mail brochures and a noisy gaggle of radio ads in an effort to make a prudent decision about health…
Here at AgingOptions we encounter people all the time who think a solid retirement plan means a financial plan. Others seem to think that the only thing that matters is the right medical insurance coverage. These are important, of course, but one of the most important questions of all is also one of the most…
Here at AgingOptions we’re always just a little bit skeptical when we see an article with a title like “4 Keys to a Happy and Prosperous Retirement.” Still, this article with that very title just appeared on the authoritative financial website Kiplinger, and as we read it we found ourselves nodding in agreement – even…
People often say that the baby boomers like to put their generational stamp on things. Well, it appears that now they’re doing to the field of senior housing. The “advance wave” of this huge group of men and women is now a few years into their 70’s, and while a majority still prefers to age…
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