RetirementHomes.com - politics

How the U.S. government shutdown is affecting vulnerable seniors

aadmin — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 09:00:49 +0000

One week ago, on Monday, September 30, much of the United States government went dark. Due to a budget dispute between congressional Republicans and Democrats, congress did not authorize funds to be released in order to operate parts of the government.

The shutdown has impacted different segments of the U.S. population in various ways, and while many services for seniors – including social security payments, and veterans’ hospitals – will continue uninterrupted, many other seniors, particularly those who are ill, and low-income, may be particularly vulnerable.

According to Harrine Freeman of Bethesda, Maryland-based H.E. Freeman Enterprises, some of the halted services which could have a significant negative impact on older people include:

1. Administration for Community Living (ACL): Part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, one component of the ACL is providing meals for low-income seniors, as well as fighting elder abuse and overseeing long-term care communities.

2. Centers for Disease Control (CDC): The CDC administers an annual influenza vaccination program, and this has been halted as a result of the government shutdown.

3. Medicare: Deliveries of new and replacement social security cards, as well as renewed Medicare cards, have stopped.

“Due to the government shutdown many elderly have been forced to or voluntarily made adjustments to their lifestyle due to service halted or reduced,” Freeman told RetirementHomes.com in a recent interview. She added that for those living paycheque-to-paycheque, the consequences of the shutdown can be long-lasting, and even permanent.

“The government shutdown will cause even more financial strain on their lives that some may never be able to recover from,” Freeman said.

How do you think vulnerable seniors and older people in the United States can cope with the American government shutdown? Share your thoughts in the comment section below:

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Politics and Government

Egypt's seniors play central role in country's recent uprising

aadmin — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 08:36:22 +0000

July has been a dramatic month for the 85 million residents of Egypt.

After days of nationwide protests where millions of Egyptians took to the streets to demand the removal of their president, Mohamed Morsi, who was elected on a thin margin in June 2012, the Egyptian military forcibly removed Morsi as president, and installed a caretaker government until elections can take place at a later date.

In the west, photos and videos of the Egyptian protests filled newspapers, websites and television screens, and most of the images featured young men and women protesting in the streets, demanding the removal of the president.

But what about Egypt’s older citizens, Baby Boomers and seniors? What role – if any – did they play in the recent upheaval that took place in Africa’s third most-populous country?

Kevin Newton, director of Habbibi Consulting, LLC, a firm which offers data and research on the Islamic world for companies and organizations seeking to do business there, told RetirementHomes.com while older people were less prominent in the Egyptian protests than their younger counterparts, they nonetheless wield tremendous influence.

“One would really expect that the liberal, more secular crowd would put its faith in a younger leader, but that is exactly the opposite of what one sees in Egypt,” Newton said. Acting Vice President Mohamed “ElBaradei especially has emerged as an ideological leader for liberals, especially younger liberals, in Egypt, regardless of religion, despite the fact that he is the oldest prominent Egyptian leader,” he said.

Newton added that one of the biggest factors contributing to the shortage of images of Egyptian Boomers and seniors in the protests is a matter of demographics. Only five per cent of the country is aged 65 and older, while a whopping 70 per cent are aged 30 or younger.

Still, many of the political and religious leaders held in high esteem by protesters aren’t in the same age bracket as most protesters: acting president Adly Mansour is 67 years old, Mohamed Baradei is 71 years old, and the two primary leaders of the Muslim majority and Christian minority, who stood alongside Mansour as he announced the fall of Morsi’s government, are both over the age of 60.

According to Newton, the prominence of older people, both in the new government, and the previous regime, is primarily a factor of the reverence in which they are held by the majority of Egyptians.

“Much of this draws back on the Egyptian/Islamic culture that demands significant respect for one's elders, something that while slipping in the West is very much alive in the Islamic world,” Newton said.

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Politics and Government

How do aging monarchs lead effectively?

aadmin — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:53:41 +0000

This past Sunday, April 21, 2013, was the 87th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. And although Her Majesty is still officially working nearly 30 years longer than the average North American (who retires around age 60), and even, at a year older than recently-retired Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, among the world of royalty, it’s a different story.

Queen Elizabeth II began her reign about two months shy of her 26th birthday, and has now reigned for more than 61 years, just shy of the current King of Thailand, 85 year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has reigned for 63 years.

And while monarchs and members of royal families may have access to premium medical care and attention, aging presents the same challenges to every human being, including increased risks of diseases and illnesses, as well as reduced vision, slowed motor functions, and even cognitive decline.

With the existing pressures that royals already face, how do elderly monarchs deal with the trials of advanced age, and does that have an impact on their leadership and governance?

One major challenge facing aging monarchs is the question as to how – and whether to at all – cede a certain degree of responsibility to other people, and accept less power for themselves. For some monarchs, holding onto power can run the risk of creating a negative, and even potentially dangerous, backlash from the populace.

“The public resents the imperial manners of some monarchs...sometimes open warfare erupts between aging monarchs and younger aspirants...in some cases, their inability to acknowledge their own mortal limits led to insulation from attack and the defense of their withered agendas,” wrote Yale University business professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld in his book, The Hero's Farewell: What Happens When CEOs Retire.

Although that represents an extreme example facing aging monarchs and leaders, the facts of aging are consistent across the board.
“People's mental capacities in their 80s and 90s aren't what they were in their 40s and 50s,” Dr. Seth Landefeld of the University of Alabama at Birmingham told CBS News in February 2013, after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. “Their short-term memory is often not as good, their ability to think quickly on their feet, to execute decisions is often not as good,” he said.

Around the world, the legacy of aging monarchs and leaders varies, but the transition of power has often been peaceful.

In Cuba, 81 year-old leader Fidel Castro resigned as president in 2008, and handed leadership over to his younger brother, then 76 year-old Raul Castro. When King Fahd of Saudi Arabia died in 2008 at the age of 84, his half-brother Abdullah took over.

In the near future, Queen Elizabeth II is set to become the longest-serving British monarch in 2015, when she surpasses the 63 year record on the throne set by her great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria.

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Politics and Government

Who is Britain's Most Powerful Woman?

aadmin — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:47:29 +0000

A first ever power list compiled by the BBC Radio 4 show Woman’s Hour voted her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, as Britain's most powerful woman. The runner-up is Home Secretary Theresa May.

The judging panel includes former newspaper editor Eve Pollard, politicians Priti Patel and Oona King, and crime novelist Val McDermid.

Ms Pollard said told Express: “Most women on our list have power because they have reached a place where they have control – of policy, of direction, of influence, of staff."

The panel included women with 'soft power' those with a transformative capacity to change how Britons think about themselves.

The purpose of the list was to show the inadequate number of women at the top of power fields like politics, corporations, the military and journalism.

Woman’s Hour editor Alice Feinstein commented that the radio show wanted to initiate a conversation on women and power. “We will use this list as a springboard to discuss the contribution all women make to society," Feinstein said "and ask why there isn’t greater diversity in the list.”

Many saw the ommision of Princess Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge as an oversight. Panelists deemed her to be influential but not powerful, yet.

Britain's top 10 women with power

1. Her Majesty The Queen
2. Rt Hon Theresa May MP (Home Secretary)
3. Ana Botin (CEO, Santander UK)
4. Baroness Brenda Hale of Richmond (Supreme Court Judge)
5. Elisabeth Murdoch (Chairman, Shine Group)
6. Professor Dame Sally Davies (Chief Medical Officer)
7. Justine Roberts & Carrie Longton (Co-founders, Mumsnet)
8. Lady Justice Hallett (Appeal Court Judge)
9. Angela Ahrendts (CEO, Burberry)
10. Dame Gail Rebuck (CEO, The Random House Group)

It would be an excellent exercise to find out who is the most power woman in the USA.

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Politics and Government

Senior Celebrities

Special 102 year-old guest to accompany First Lady to Union address

aadmin — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 15:42:43 +0000

Tonight, February 12, 2013, US president Barack Obama will be presenting his State of the Union address to the United States, outlining his goals and the challenges he sees as pressing issues for his administration.

At the Capitol Rotunda, where Obama will be speaking, guests will include senators and members of congress, staffers and members of the media, as well as members of the first family.

But tonight, according to the Associated Press news wire, one unusual guest will be joining the special event: a 102 year-old Florida woman named Desiline Victor.

Victor, a resident of Miami, was born in Haiti in 1910, moved to the United States in 1989, and became a naturalized American citizen in 2005.

She voted in her first election three years later, and was invited from Florida to accompany First Lady Michelle Obama in the audience as a symbol of tenacity and determination.

“She just wants everyone to know she wants everyone to vote,” Victor’s nephew, Mathieu-Pierre Louis, told the Associated Press, translating from her native Creole language.

During the most recent presidential election last fall, Victor waited for more than three hours before casting her vote. There are an estimated 4,000 centenarians in the Sunshine State, with many of them living in Florida assisted living communities.

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Politics and Government

What does the Fiscal Cliff mean for retirees?

aadmin — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 14:20:14 +0000

The Fiscal Cliff is a hot topic in American politics right now, with the White House and congressional republicans negotiating a resolution that will prevent scheduled tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2013, which experts say could push the United States back into a recession.

While the political power brokers attempt to negotiate a settlement, retirees are one group that will be affected significantly by any changes that will take place.

As reported recently by Reuters, one of the most important potential consequences of the fiscal cliff for seniors is the expiration on December 31 of tax cuts for investments such as capital gains, dividends and income. President Barack Obama is a proponent of increasing tax rates, while congressional republicans have been cool to that idea.

Regardless of whether new tax increases are implemented in the new year, financial advisors recommend seniors and retirees do not make radical changes in their retirement savings plans.

“Don't let the tax tail wag the investment dog, and keep your long-term goals in perspective,” John Sweeney, the executive vice president of portfolio and advisory services of Fidelity investments, told the news wire service.

Do you plan on changing or re-evaluating your investments and retirement savings with the fiscal cliff looming? Tell us about it in the comment section below.

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South Carolina politician tours retirement homes

aadmin — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 19:52:10 +0000

Glenn McConnell is traveling across South Carolina learning about what challenges are facing the elderly. McConnell is the state’s Lieutenant-Governor, and for the last two months, he has been visiting South Carolina assisted living communities, nursing homes and retirement homes, and trying to learn the needs local older people.

As reported in The Sun News, a Myrtle Beach newspaper, the 64 year-old McConnell, a native of the city of Charleston, is visiting seniors from across the state in an attempt to secure more funding for the Office on Aging.

“I want to come up with stories, faces and facts to take back to the General Assembly and create a grassroots movement,” he told the newspaper. “I know there are lobbyists at the front door competing for the money.”

As part of his tour, McConnell has also taken part in local activities, including delivering meals to needy seniors and meeting them for personal discussions about their needs.

And although McConnell told the news source that he remains convinced of the need for enough beds for those looking for assisted living communities, the associated costs can be difficult for the South Carolina state government to handle.

Therefore, the best way to keep the needed services at a reasonable cost is to find how the assisted living communities themselves handle costs, McConnell said, and he will use those findings to develop a 15-year strategic plan.

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Meet South Carolina's 'Silver Haired Legislature'

aadmin — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 19:54:10 +0000

Surveys consistently show politicians to be one of the least-respected professions in North America, along with lawyers, real estate agents, insurance sales representatives, and bankers.

But lucky for South Carolina seniors, there is one group of legislators who are different: the South Carolina Silver Haired Legislature.

As reported in The Sun News, a Myrtle Beach newspaper, the legislature is made up of a group of older volunteers who research, debate and discuss issues of interest to the South Carolina seniors. And once a year, the nonpartisan group reports its findings and conclusions to state politicians once per year.

There are about 150 members of the Silver Haired Legislature across the state, but one member told the newspaper that the organization is having difficulty finding and recruiting new volunteer legislators.

“Lately, we have not had much success in getting people to show up,” Edward Holowacz of Myrtle Beach told the news outlet. “I’ve got three vacancies in Georgetown that I can’t fill. I can’t get people interested.”

South Carolina isn’t the only state with such a group. In fact, the first Silver Haired Legislature was created in Missouri, and today 31 states across the U.S. have their own Silver Haired Legislatures.

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Politics and Government

Elderly immigrants find safety net in California

aadmin — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 18:06:14 +0000

It’s not easy to be an immigrant. New immigrants experience life in a new country, new surroundings, and often a new culture and language. But moving to a new country can be even harder for seniors, who may have health issues, and may not necessarily have the benefit of employment providing them with social structure.

But one California city is working hard to integrate older immigrants. As reported in the California Health Report, the city of Fremont, adjacent to San Francisco, has found a solution that partners new senior immigrants with local residents from the same ethnic community who can help welcome the newcomer to the city.

Called the Community Ambassador Program for Seniors, or CAPS, Fresno has significantly reduced the levels of depression and social isolation that was present among older immigrants beforehand, according to the news source.

“They (immigrant seniors) were abandoned,” Jagmeet Kaur, an advocate with the city’s Sikh community, said. “They had issues but they didn’t know where to go to.”

Karen Grimsich of Fremont’s Aging and Family Services told the news source that the city’s demographics have changed radically in the last 20 years.

Indeed, twenty years ago, Fremont’s population was predominantly white, and new immigrants from many parts of Asia had fewer opportunities to be integrated into their new home, but today, of the city’s roughly 215,000 residents, about one-quarter is white.

Are you an immigrant? Would you be willing to move to another country in retirement? Tell us about it in the comment section below.

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Californians vote for veteran discounts today

aadmin — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:05:54 +0000

Today is election day in the United States, where Americans will select their president, as well as a multitude of governors, members of congress, senators, as well as local politicians.

But it’s not just people who are being voted for today; there are also propositions being considered by the American electorate. And one proposition is just in time for Veteran’s Day, which falls this coming Sunday (Nov. 11).

In California, Proposition 33 is being considered today. As reported in the Novato Patch news site, Proposition 33, officially called the 2012 Automobile Insurance Discount Act, aims to, among other provisions, extend insurance discounts to military veterans whose plans have lapsed.

Ordinarily, insurance rates become discounted to drivers who keep their plans long-term, but for veterans and those who have gone overseas, they may have a gap in their insurance as they are out of the country.

Milo Pearson with the California Department of Insurance told the news source that Proposition 33 will be of major benefit to veterans across the state.

“If you want to know the benefits of Proposition 33 in the future, all you have to do is look to the past. and present, it’s the law in 48 other states,” he said.

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