Statistics About Senior Citizens

Sitting too much can lead to an early death.

The February 29, 2016 issue of Time Magazine contained a large section that was dedicated to aging ... far more information than can be relayed in one blog post.  As a result, additional information will be shared over the next couple of weeks.

This week's post contains some of the fascinating statistics Time provided about people in the U.S. over the age of 45.

Time Magazine's Statistics about Senior Citizens

*  Since 2003, there has been an 11 percent increase in the number of people over age 75 who are married.

*  57 percent of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 admit they spend 7 hours or more a day being sedentary.

*  Sedentary behavior, specifically sitting all day, is a risk factor for earlier death.

*  45 percent of Americans between the ages of 45 and 64 exercise three or more times a week (which means that 55 percent do not get exercise at least three times a week.)

*  47 percent of Americans over the age of 75 take five or more prescription drugs every day.

*  29 percent of Americans ages 65 to 69 still work for pay.

*  Since 2000, only one Alzheimer's drug has been approved, out of 244 that have been tested.

*  "Diet is by far the most powerful intervention in delaying aging and age-related diseases," according to Valter Longo, director of the University of Southern California's Longevity Institute.  Their research shows that when people periodically fast, they lower their risk factors for age-related diseases.

*  When people were put on a low-calorie, low-protein diet for five days a week, with approximately 34% to 54% fewer calories than was normal for them, after three months they had lower rates of aging, diabetes, heart disease, blood sugar, and cancer.    

*  Cancer risk increases about 400% for Americans who get 20% or more of their calories from protein, compared to people who get only about 10% of their calories from protein.

*  Mindfulness meditation reduces stress and appears to slow biological aging by stabilizing your telomeres.

*  A 2011 study published in "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" revealed that older people who reported they were the least happy died at almost twice the rate in the next five years as people who reported they were the most happy.  Happier people also retained their physical functions, such as walking speed, longer.

*  Social Security is the sole source of income for one in four recipients.  By 2033, payroll taxes at the current rate will only be enough to pay 77 percent of promised benefits.  One possible solution is raising or removing the cap on annual earnings that are subject to the Social Security tax.  The limit is currently $118,500.  (Some smaller actions have already been taken to save Social Security, such as eliminating the file and suspend option.)

Summary of the Time Magazine Findings

If you wanted to sum up the statistics about senior citizens in America today, it would boil down to the fact that each of us needs to eat less food, particularly less protein, exercise more, meditate more and cultivate a more positive outlook on life.  Saving additional money towards retirement would be a good idea, too.

Want to know more about aging and retirement?  Use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional articles on retirement, where to retire, common medical issues, financial planning and more.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  morguefile.com

Dental Care, Oral Health and Retirement

One problem that most retirees will face is the expense of dental care after retirement.  Unfortunately, although oral health is absolutely essential to our overall health, Medicare does not cover dental care.  In addition, taking care of our teeth can become increasingly expensive as we become older, especially if we begin to lose teeth and need dentures or implants. This can put a financial strain on many of the elderly.

Dental Care After Retirement is Expensive

The issue is serious enough that my husband recently set up a GoFundMe account for a friend and retired veteran who needed to have a number of his teeth replaced with implants.  Neither Medicare nor the Veteran's Administration offered a program to help him.

Fortunately, the money was raised and friends of the man were able to work out a system to take turns driving him to a dental school about 60 miles away, so that he could get his implants at a discount.  However, GoFundMe accounts are unlikely to be the solution for every retiree in America.

Sadly, it is quite possible that the man would not have let his teeth decline to the point where his teeth needed to be pulled and replaced with implants, if he had been able to afford to get consistent dental care sooner.

Other Health Conditions are Affected by Poor Dental Health

One reason that we need to take care of our teeth is because poor oral health does not just affect your mouth.  The resulting decay and infections can complicate the treatment of other medical conditions, including:

Diabetes
Heart Disease
Alzheimer's Disease
Other forms of dementia

Symptoms of Poor Dental Health

There are a number of both obvious and vague symptoms that can indicate that a person needs to see a dentist.  These include:

Pain or discomfort
Bleeding gums
Bad breath
Difficulty swallowing or chewing food
Difficulty speaking
A decrease in socialization, often because of discomfort when eating or embarrassment over bad breath or the appearance of the teeth.

How to Make Sure You Will Have Adequate Dental Care after Retirement

Dental care is not part of Medicare.  As a result, most experts highly recommend that everyone get a dental insurance supplement when they sign up for Medicare.  It is available with both Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans and is offered by most insurance carriers.  This is one reason why most retirees will not want to rely on basic Medicare without some type of supplemental plan.  In fact, the lack of dental coverage is one of several disadvantages of relying on basic Medicare alone; most people will be better off with either a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plan, with an additional dental plan.

Many of the dental supplement insurance plans are offered in combination with a vision plan ... another healthcare issue that is not covered under basic Medicare.

Retirees need to know, however, that while dental plans are helpful in reducing costs, they will not completely cover dental expenses.  In addition, it is important for senior citizens to have extra savings in order to cover unexpected dental expenses, especially for major dental problems such as root canals, crowns, dentures or implants.

For example, with my Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Plan, I pay an additional $20 a month for a dental and vision plan.  Under this plan, I pay $80 out-of-pocket every four months for teeth cleaning and approximately $1000 if I need a crown ... and that is only if I use one of their in-network providers.  Out-of-network providers can cost me double that.  However, despite the hefty cost of dental care, the co-pays are substantially cheaper with the insurance than they would be if I did not have dental insurance.

Advocating for Better Dental Care Insurance Plans

Considering that oral health is closely associated with cardiovascular health and other medical issues, it would benefit millions of people if better dental care programs were available to all senior citizens.  In particular, it would be helpful if plans with low co-pays were available to low-income and moderate-income retirees.

Hopefully, as Baby Boomers retire, they will put pressure on Medicare insurance providers to make sure that comprehensive dental care is included at a reasonable price.

Learn more about oral health at the website of the American Dental Association.

If you are looking for additional information for retirees about health issues that can arise as you age, or other retirement information, use the tabs or the pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional articles.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  morguefile.com

The Wellington - Vintage Senior Living in California

The Wellington is just 5 miles from Laguna Beach!

Once most seniors reach their 80's, depending on their health, many of them will make the decision to move to a Senior Living Community, Assisted Living, or to a Continuing Care Retirement Community. 

CCRCs are multi-level retirement communities that contain both independent living apartments or cottages, as well as at least one additional level of care such as assisted living.  A CCRC also has skilled nursing and/or memory care facilities.

Although I have researched a variety of assisted living and continuing care communities, I have only occasionally spent any length of time touring or visiting one.  When a friend of mine moved into The Wellington, a senior living community near my home, and invited a few friends over for the weekly cocktail hour, I thought it was time to check it out.

Although The Wellington in Laguna Hills, California is just one out of thousands of these communities around the United States, it is fairly typical of the way they are run.  I must admit I was pleasantly surprised when I visited.  Below are some of my observations.

What are Assisted Living or Continuing Care Retirement Communities?

*  First of all, these places are nothing like the old nursing homes where some of us may remember our grandparents living.  The Wellington is part of the Vintage chain of senior living communities, which has multiple locations on the West Coast.  Rather than living in a small room in a nursing home, residents in these communities have their own spacious, comfortable, private apartments. 

*  There are different ways to pay for a CCRC.  At many CCRCs, they require you to "buy in" and this can cost $200,000 to $400,000 or more (which can be partially refunded when you move out or die).  At the Wellington, and many other senior living communities, you rent your apartment and it is on a month-to-month basis.  This allows residents more flexibility, should they decide to leave and move somewhere else.  This is especially important because the Wellington offers independent living and assisted living, but it does not offer skilled nursing or memory care. In those situations where you need more intensive care, you may need to move somewhere else at some point in your life.

My Impressions of The Wellington

*  Upon entering The Wellington, the lobby area has the feeling of an upscale hotel.  On the far-side of the lobby is an elegant dining room with tables covered by white table cloths. I checked out the menu, which offers the residents a nice variety of choices in their meals, including daily specials. Residents order from the menu or off the list of specials and the meals are served restaurant style.

*  Our hostess showed us around the community and we saw a number of pleasing amenities including a large pool and spa, a putting green, a fitness center, a barbecue area and several park like sitting areas, shaded by large eucalyptus trees that are scattered between the buildings.

*  The individual apartments are large, comfortable and personally decorated by the individual residents, using their own furniture and artwork.  Each apartment also has a covered balcony where residents can relax in privacy and enjoy the outdoors.  Residents are even allowed to keep their pets with them.  There is no need to give up your beloved animal companion.

*  Most of the apartments at The Wellington also have large kitchens with full-size appliances, despite the fact that the residents are provided all their meals, as well as snacks throughout the day.  However, it is my understanding that many of the apartments in other, similar communities do not have kitchens or have very small kitchenettes.

*  Many of the apartments at the Wellington have stunning mountain and city lights views; others have a view of the tree lined paths in the inner courtyards.

*  According to our hostess and the calendar we were given, there is a full schedule of activities for the residents.  In addition to the weekly cocktail party, there are daily exercise classes, shopping trips to a variety of stores in the area, art classes, brain games, book club meetings, religious services, Bingo, movies, bridge and classes.  There is no reason for anyone to sit alone in their own apartment.

*  Transportation is available for field trips, shopping, doctor's visits, the airport, and special events or outings.  There is no need to use your own car, although you can keep one at The Wellington if you choose, especially if you wish to plan your own outings to places like nearby Laguna Beach (pictured above).

*  In addition to the independent living arrangement, additional services are available through their assisted living program.  These are offered for additional fees above the cost of the apartment rental.  These extra services can include keeping track of your medications, assistance getting to and from the meals and other activities, feeding assistance, housekeeping services, incontinence assistance, and help with bathing, grooming or dressing.  They will even bring your meals to you in your room, if you prefer.  If you have long-term care insurance, your rent and many of the xtra fees may be covered by your insurance.

What Else Should You Know?

*  While The Wellington has many wonderful attributes, there are limits to the care that is available there.  There are no skilled nursing services, physical therapy facilities, or a memory care unit.  Should you need any of those services, you would have to move to another community, at least temporarily.

Is Living in a Senior Living Community or CCRC Right for You?

Only you can decide when or if you should move into a senior living community, assisted living facility or a CCRC.  The average resident who moves into one of these living situations is usually in their 80's.  Some people move in earlier, especially if a husband or wife has a serious illness and their spouse cannot care for them alone.  For example, at the cocktail party I attended, my hostess introduced me to a very healthy, active man who had moved into The Wellington because his wife was dying and he needed help caring for her.

You need to be comfortable living and socializing with a wide variety of people, some of whom are feeble, ill or using walkers.  On the other hand, not everyone living in these communities is in declining health.  Among the outings that were shown on the monthly calendar was a men's lunch at Hooters and regular beach walks.  Activities are planned that will appeal to a wide variety of senior citizens, including aging Baby Boomers.

If you are looking for more information about retirement, use the tabs or drop down menu at the top of this page to find links to hundreds of additional articles about where to retire, common medical issues, financial planning, changing family relationships and much more.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  Photo of Laguna Beach taken by author, Deborah-Diane