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American Postponing Retirement, Have Saved Little and Are Experiencing Workplace Age Bias
Wow. All good news! Yikes. The Associated Press – NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released the results of a new survey exploring the views of older Americans about their plans for work and retirement. ÛÏThe survey illuminates an important shift in AmericansÛª attitudes toward work, aging, and retirement,Û said Trevor Tompson, director of the AP-NORC Center in a release. ÛÏRetirement is not only coming later in life, it no longer represents a complete exit from the workforce. The data in this survey reveal strikingly different views of retirement among older workers today than those held by the prior generation.Û With funding provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted a national survey of 1,024 adults ages 50 and over. Key findings of the survey include: Û¢ The Great Recession has had a marked impact on retirement planning. The average age of those who report retiring before the recession was 57 while the average for those who retired afterward is 62. Û¢ The line between working and retirement is shifting, with 82 percent of Americans age 50 and older who are working but not yet retired saying it is likely or very likely that they will do some work for pay during their retirement. Û¢ Of those who are currently working, 47 percent now plan to retire at a later age than they expected when they were 40. Financial need, health and the need for benefits were cited as the most important factors in the retirement decision. Û¢ Older workers have a clear view about solutions to ensuring the long term health of Social Security. åÊSixty-one percent of them favor raising the cap on income subject to Social Security taxes and 41 percent favor reducing Social Security benefits for those with higher incomes. In contrast, 29 percent favor gradually raising the minimum Social Security age and 21 percent favor changing the way benefits are calculated so that cost of living increases are smaller. Û¢ Thirty-nine percent of workers age 50 and older report having $100,000 or less saved for retirement, not including pensions or homes; and 24 percent have less than $10,000. Û¢ Among those who are retired, one third report that they did not have a choice in the matter. That figure increases to 54 percent for retirees under age 65. Û¢ Fully 20 percent of working Americans age 50 and older report that they have personally experienced prejudice or discrimination because of their age in the job market or at work since turning 50. Forty four percent of those who experienced discrimination have looked for a job in the past five years compared with 16 percent who did not report discrimination. Û¢ The nature of a personÛªs work shapes their view of whether age is an asset or a liability. For example, 28 percent of people who work or worked in professional services see age as an asset while only 3 percent in manufacturing hold that view. Û¢ About half of workers age 50 and older say their boss is younger than them. åÊThose with bosses older than them are less likely to report they have cut back on their hours than people with younger bosses (9 percent vs. 23 percent). Those with older bosses are more likely to consider age an asset to their career. There are two disturbing things here. First, the amount of money people have saved is abysmal. I can understand why. So while it may be too late for these people to get financially where they need to be it should be a lesson to younger people – yes you Millenials – that if you ever plan to retire you have to start saving NOW. Do the math on $100,000 over 25 years. It doesn’t add up. The second thing is how age bias is really emerging as a societal issue. Read my caring.com article for more on that.
Half Not Taking Medications Properly
Pill for Alzheimer’s May Slow/Stop Disease
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| It worked in the lab. |
A British study shows that a pill for Alzheimer’s could treat the disease by halting the death of neurons. However it could be a decade or more before any medicine is developed.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) team focused on abnormally shaped proteins that stick together in clumps and fibers and can trigger a reaction that results in the death of nerve cells.
Using a drug injected into the stomachs of mice, they flipped a cellular switch from off to on to prevent neurons dying. Five weeks after treatment, one group of mice remained free of symptoms such as memory loss, impaired reflexes or limb dragging.åÊ
The mice suffered serious side effects, including weight loss and raised blood sugar, and the scientists say human trials are a long way off.
But they also believe the research demonstrates in principle the possibility of developing a pill that can protect the brain from neuro-degenerative disease.
The experimental drug, known as GSK2606414, is made by pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline. It targets an enzyme called PERK which plays a key role in the response of neurons to the build-up of misfolded proteins in the brain.
More Evidence that a Flu Shot is Good for You
An increased dose of influenza vaccine stimulates a greater immune response than the standard dose in long-term care residents older than 65 years, according to a new study from Richard Zimmerman, MD, from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.
According to MedScape, Fluzone, a high-dose influenza vaccine, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2009 for use in adults older than 65 years. The vaccine delivers 4 times the standard dose of antigen.
Dr. Zimmerman and his team vaccinated 205 residents in various long-term care facilities, including skilled nursing, assisted living, dementia care, and independent living facilities during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 flu seasons. Of the 169 participants who completed the study, 87 received the regular dose and 82 received the high dose. The mean age of those who completed the study was 87. A month later, the concentration of antibodies increased in all the subjects, but increased more in those who received the high-dose vaccination.
In a related JAMA study, receiving an influenza vaccination was associated with a lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events such as heart failure or hospitalization for heart attack, with the greatest treatment effect seen among patients with heart attack or unstable angina.
So studies seem to suggest that the flu vaccine is more good than bad. So if you have been delaying, check with your doctor and consider having the shot this year. I did for the first time after a really bad flu during the Christmas holidays last year.
DO THIS: Check with your doctor and get the shot if right for you.
NOT THAT: Don’t read this post and ignore it. It could potentially prevent health issues for you or a loved one later.
