Cathie Ramey, August 23, 2008
Thank goodness there are voices of reason blatantly rejecting the notion that boomers are going to drain the life out of Social Security and Medicare. A new poll shows Americans rate boomers as having the most positive effect on society of any generation. And in a world where adults 65 and older can be conceived as being nothing more than a drain on society, Paul Kleyman,. the noted Editor of the American Society on Aging, is also willing to say is isn't so. Dr. William Thomas has been saying it isn't so for a long time, and if you've ever heard him speak, you'll know in an instant that he's right. For boomers, the next stage of life will be an opportunity for growth, learning, contribution and productivity. Boomers have greased the wheels of society by sharing their life experience, their time, and their ability to be productive with family, friends, and their communities. Gazing into 20, 30 or 40 years of retirement time, they're telling anyone who'll listen that checking out of the mainstream for a gold watch and the golf course is not their idea of achieving life satisfaction. Instead boomers are saying they want to stay in the workforce, volunteer in a meaningful way, continue learning, and stay connected to society. If boomers are working, they're going to be contributing to Social Security and Medicare. As volunteers they'll save organizations thousands of dollars in labor costs. As students they'll be paying tuition, buying books and bringing their unique knowledge to the classroom that only comes with experience. Time to start thinking of boomers and their parents as the natural resource they are and derail the ageism that continues to deny it.
Tom Murphy, August 12, 2008
In the past two decades we have - thankfully - seen tremendous progress in fighting breast cancer, one of the leading causes of death for women. Regretfully, we've seen less progress in the fight against prostate cancer, which kills three Americans each hour. Yes, there've been numerous new treatments - like implanting radioactive "seeds" in the prostate. But the debate continues over whether or not they should be used because of such side effects as impotency and incontinence - and cost to insurers. The latest research advises doctors against even testing men over 75 for the disease, saying the resulting treatments could do more harm than good. It is very hard to imagine that doctors would advise men they shouldn't even be tested to determine if they have a cancer, no matter how slowly it might kill them. It's hard enough to convince men to go get a check-up. Now we're telling them to skip some of the checks. Is this really the best we can do to stop a disease that kills 31,700 Americans a year?
Cecily O'Connor, July 26, 2008
I hate to pay for things I can do myself. But after a year in which my insurance company lost my claims - and repeatedly kept me on hold when I'd call with questions - I'd pay for help. Some consumers are turning to health advocacy companies for help in haggling over insurance coverage and managing other medical system nightmares. Constrained by call-center hours, most of us have to tend to this stuff during our work day. Who has that kind of time? At one advocacy company, Health Advocates, registered nurses talk to patients. And each patient gets an advocate who stays with the case, acting as the recurring contact. There's also people who help with insurance claims and other administrative questions. Some workers are lucky enough to get advocacy services as a benefit through their employer, while the rest of us have to shell out a couple hundred dollars. Is it worth it? Guess that depends on how long you're willing to hold.
Tom Murphy, July 15, 2008
Mike Bloomberg once told me he didn't plan to visit California because "there are no good restaurants west of 12th Avenue." New Yorkers love to pretend they lead the universe. But I have to give hizzoner a huzzah for embracing a subject most politicians try to avoid: poverty in his own town. The Big Apple just redefined the meaning of "poor" to include such everyday costs as clothing and child care. (The Federal Poverty Line apparently thinks clothing is optional.) This isn't just an academic debate. By New York's new standards, one in three elders are poor and need help. Even under the four-decade-old federal standards, nearly one in five New York seniors is poor. And while you can argue that New York is expensive, we still have to figure out how to make sure the millions of people there - and anywhere else - can stay healthy. Not many of the aging poor can enjoy a nice restaurant, but at least New York will make sure they get served when they need a hot meal.
Tom Murphy, June 20, 2008
In the tell-me-something-I-didn't-know category, the AMA reports that not all health plans are created equal. The quality question gets more critical as boomers age and start paying up for all that reckless living. Research is generating a lot of advances in medicine, like a new immunity treatment to cope with skin cancer. But some problems, like life-threatening arterial plaque, may require surgery and extended care. Either way, it's expensive, making it imperative that the largest generation have at least some coverage for major medical events. A shrinking pool of healthcare workers, notably thoracic surgeons, will only drive the costs much higher in the year ahead, just as the largest number of aging boomers needs more care. You can do a lot to stay healthy through diet, rest and exercise. But you've also got to be prepared for situations way beyond your control.
Tom Murphy, May 31, 2008
Like anyone else, I get tired of hearing about "National Fill-in-the-Blank Week." There are weeks for everything these days, and whatever message they're trying to sell almost always gets lost. But I've decided to learn CPR and it's purely because of "National CPR/AED Awareness Week." Even though that's the worst title for a week I've ever heard, the facts behind it really hit home. Turns out 166,200 people die of sudden cardiac arrest in the US each year. Unless you happen to be in a hospital already, the survival rate is 6 percent. If you have an attack - and anyone can, even young, healthy folks - your chances of survival drop by up to 10 percent a minute without CPR, yet only one-third of the victims get CPR. The rest die while people stand around saying "What should we do?" Well, we know what we should do. We should learn CPR. Or, more specifically, I should learn CPR. And so should you.
Cathie Ramey, May 14, 2008
It's safe to say my boomer friends and I are worried about getting Alzheimer's when we're older. Every time the subject of Alzheimer's or dementia comes up, some one will say "Please God, not me," and then we all laugh a little nervously. It's scary and disappointing to read that another medication has failed to slow down or reverse the effects of this disease and yet maybe by looking for a magic pill to solve our problem, we're sidestepping the real solution. As in so many situations, it comes down to taking personal responsibility for our future well-being. Time and again studies have shown that regular exercise supports a healthy brain. So does freedom from chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. What so many of us forget as we super-size our food choices or spend the day being a couch potato, is that the chronic diseases that are associated with aging are in many cases, preventable. True, I have known people who exercise who have developed Alzheimer's but I've also known nonsmokers who have developed lung disease. There are always things we cannot control. However, given the information that's out there and the fact that we have a choice, we can still avoid smoking and exercise regularly in the hopes of reaping the benefits. There are no guarantees, of course, but like wearing a seat belt, pursuing a healthy lifestyle improves our odds of living a long and happy life. Until that magic pill is discovered, I'm all for putting the odds in our favor.
Cathie Ramey, April 13, 2008
Few events have the potential to wreak havoc with your parent's lifestyle like a fall. It can be the trigger that moves them out of the family home; it can create fear and anxiety about living alone. It can be the result of a hip fracture or a stroke, not just the cause; and depending on many other factors, a fall can be the beginning of the decline that so many people fear. We want older family members to avoid falling at any time and some of the keys to staying on their feet are good balance, moderate exercise, good health including healthy bones, regular eye exams and creating a safe environment. It’s also important to realize that no matter how many safety features we install, or how fit they are, if they climb on step stools and ladders when they know they really shouldn’t or carry objects that block their line of vision, they're eventually going to trip or fall. Instead, they can create a win-win for themselves by executing their activities so that they match their capabilities and not risk life and limb. It's not about limiting life; it's about helping them acknowledge their age.
Cathie Ramey, March 25, 2008
Most of the families I encounter trying to care
for a loved one are doing so in a vacuum. One in four American
households is caring for someone over the age of 50, 75 percent of caregivers
are women, and two out of three of them hold down a fulltime job according to
the Department of Health and
Human Services. Don't ask these people what they do in their spare
time, they don't have any. Caregiver
stress is real and its toll can be devastating. While caring for another
provides a sense of giving, it also creates caregiver stress, which may result
in burnout, anxiety, a sense of isolation, anger and sometimes depression. Learn
the signs of caregiver
stress and get the help you genuinely deserve.
Cathie Ramey, March 16, 2008
Whether you intend to extend your working years, age in your current home or retire to the mountains, your health is going to determine just how well your dreams play out. Sometimes we tend to forget this when planning our retirement and that's a huge mistake. While lifestyle and environment tip the scale, genes do account for 30 percent of your aging future. Non-smokers develop lung disease; PhD's develop Alzheimer's. Back problems are not just painful, they can be debilitating. Vision problems can develop silently. And remember, no one drives forever. This isn't to scare you, just to make you think. Most of us don't plan to become disabled, but have you ever planned to get the flu? The goal is to move into tomorrow with your eyes open. Consider changing your lifestyle if you have to, switch to a retirement job that suits your future health needs, modify your home so you can age in place safely and be realistic about the retirement Shangri-la you're about to move to. Having a safety net in place is going to determine how many of your later years turn out the way you thought they would. Ask yourself, will this work 10, 20 or 30 years from now? If the answer is no, don't put your dreams on hold; simply write a Plan B that acknowledges life’s “what if’s."
