MATURE MARKET HEADLINES 12/11/2000
Poverty Rate of Older Americans on Decline
A notable drop has ocurred in the poverty rate among older adults, according to an annual report on the status of Older Americans compiled by the U.S. Administration on Aging. The median income of older persons in 1999 was $19,079 for males and $10,943 for females. After adjusting for inflation, these figures represent an increase in "real" income for men (+2.8 percent) and women (+1.9 percent) since 1998.
The Social Security Administration reported that the major sources of income
for older people as follows:
- Social Security (reported by 90 percent of older persons),
- Income from assets (reported by 62 percent),
- Public and private pensions (reported by 44 percent), and
- Earnings (reported by 21 percent).
About 3.2 million older persons lived below the poverty level in 1999. The
poverty rate for persons 65+ dropped to a historic low of 9.7 percent.
Another 2.1 million older adults were classified as "near poor" (income
between poverty level and 125 percent of this level).
In addition to the economic aspects of aging, the report includes the latest key federal statistics on older Americans in 12 subject areas, including information on income levels,
poverty, size and growth, health status, racial and ethnic composition, education, employment, housing, living arrangements, geographic distribution and marital status. The following are examples of key statistics found in the report.
- Proportion of Older People
1-in-8, or 13 percent, of the population is older American.
- Rate of Aging in American
Each day in 1999, 5,244 persons celebrated their 65th birthday.
- Current Older Population
In 1999, the older population (65-plus) numbered 34.5 million.
- Future Older Population
By 2030, the older population (65-plus) will climb to 70 million.
- Diversity of Older Population
By 2030, minority groups will represent 25% of the older population.
- Gender and Aging
Older women outnumber older men 20 to 14 million respectively.
- Living Arrangements
31 percent (9.9 million) noninstitutionalized elders live alone.
- Gender and Living Arrangements
7.6 million older women and 2.3 million older men live alone.
- Proportion of Isolated Elders
3-in-5 of older women age 85+ live alone.
- Growth of the Old-Old
The 85+ population will increase from 4 (1998) to 9 million by 2030.
The Administration on Aging is the official Federal agency dedicated to
policy development, planning and the delivery of supportive home and
community-based services to older persons and their caregivers through the
national aging network of state and local agencies on aging, tribal
organizations, service providers and volunteers.
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Over the Hill Yet Riding High in Seniorhood
Life is a journey to be celebrated, and celebration doesn't end with the retirement party. That's the message presented with thoughtfulness and humor by newspaper columnist Marjorie McTaggart in "Views from the Far Side of the Hill: wit and wisdom for the Senior Years" (North Forty Books, 2000, $14.95).
A very active senior herself, McTaggart has compiled more than a decade of observations into her first book. She tells readers that opportunities abound throughout life, and that humor and health go hand in hand.
"Our reactions may be slower than they used to be, but the things we do and the things we learn keep us alert and vital," says the author. "Seniorhood is a great time of life. Don't let it frighten or immobilize you."
During the latter part of World War II, McTaggart worked as a passenger agent for a commercial airline and learned to fly small planes. In 1949, she moved to the west coast of South America where she taught in an American elementary school. During vacations, she explored the high altitudes of the Andes mountains and parts of the Peruvian jungle.
Retirement didn't end McTaggart's career. It just presented her with a new world to explore. She founded a theater troupe called Slightly Older Adult Players. She became an advocate for seniors, serving on advisory committees and writing about seniors in her newspaper column since 1989. "While our youth culture tells us to fight getting older every step of the way, I say enjoy it, celebrate it, and even flaunt it," says McTaggart.
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Tis the Season for Rosacea Facial Flare-ups
As the winter wind picks up and the air turns frigid, many people find their cheeks or nose taking on a rosy glow. While it may seem like a sign of the season, that facial redness may actually be a warning sign of rosacea, a little-known but increasingly common facial disorder now estimated to affect more than 13 million Americans.
Rosacea is a chronic and progressive disorder that typically first appears after age 30 as a redness on the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead that may come and go. As the condition progresses, the redness becomes ruddier and more persistent, and dilated blood vessels may appear on the surface of the skin. Without treatment, acne-like bumps and pimples often develop, and in advanced cases, the nose may become bumpy and enlarged from excess tissue.
Several factors are known to aggravate this condition. These are extreme cold weather, exposure to wind, high indoor heat, and holiday stress. With regard to the holidays, both the stress of busy schedules and the holiday diet may cause a flare-up. For example, hot beverages such as hot chocolate, coffee, cider, or tea have been known to cause a flare-up in 3 out of 5 sufferers. In the case of stress, flare-ups also occur in 3 out of 5 sufferers.
While rosacea has no cure, dermatologists can successfully treat the disorder with fast-acting oral and topical antibiotics to bring the symptoms under immediate control, followed by long-term therapy therapy with topical medication to maintain remission. Rosacea sufferers are also advised to identify and avoid lifestyle and environmental factors that may aggravate their individual conditions.
The National Rosacea Society offers these tips for avoiding winter-related risk factors.
- Cover the face with a scarf or ski mask to protect from wind and cold.
- Keep outdoor activities to a minimum during extreme weather.
- Wear a sunscreen even in cool or cold weather.
- Dress in layers to protect against temperature extremes.
- Monitor indoor heating system to protect against high heat.
- When cooking, take frequent breaks to cool down.
- Avoid holiday stress by not over-scheduling activities.
- Use an ice cube to lower the temperature of heated beverages.
- Limit your consumption of alcohol.
For more information and educational materials on rosacea, contact the National Rosacea Society, 800 S. Northwest Highway, Suite 200, Barrington, Illinois 60010. Or call the toll-free hotline at: 1-888-NO-BLUSH.
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Health Insurance Claim Denied? Fight Back
Contrary to traditional wisdom, you can appeal a denied health insurance claim. Experts say you have a good chance of winning. Many people don't realize they can appeal if their health insurer says "No", according to the December/January issue of Reader's Digest New Choices magazine. Only one percent of respondents to a recent national survey said they had appealed an unfavorable insurance decision.
Larry Levitt, director of the Kaiser Family Foundation's Changing Health Care Marketplace Project states, "As Congress debates giving patients new rights, the truth is that most people remain in the dark about some they already have." And, adds New Choices magazine, "that's a pity because people who know their rights have an excellent chance of winning their appeals."
"Appeal, appeal, appeal," says Joe Baker, executive vice president of the Medicare Rights Center. "Odds are, you're going to win, even at the first level of appeal. Don't be intimidated by the health care system." The appeals option is available to patients with private medical insurance or Medicare, although the procedure is different.
Here are some organizations to call to get free help.
- Medicare Hotline: 1-800-633-4227
Tells how to reach your nearest State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).
- Eldercare Locator: 1-800-677-1116
Tells how to find which SHIP serves your geographical area.
- Medicare Rights Center: 1-888-466-9050
Operates the national HMO Appeals Hotline for those who belong to Medicare HMOs.
- People under age 65 who are not on Medicare yet
Contact the Patient Advocate Foundation: 1-800-532-5274
Contact the People's Medical Society: 1-610-770-1670.
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Breaking the Watch: Retirement in America
The topic of retirement becomes increasingly compelling as the U.S. population ages. It's easy to find books about how to plan financially for those years after careers end, but "Breaking the Watch: The Meanings of Retirement in America" (Cornell University Press, New York, 2000, $26) focuses on the many ways of creating a life, not just making a living, as a retired person.
This book follows women and men from a rural American community as they approach and experience the first years of retirement. Author, Joel Savishinsky focuses on the efforts people make to find meaning in a stage of life American culture often views in a confused or disdainful way.
In conversations and stories, 13 men and 13 women demonstrate a deep commitment to defining their own retirement. They bring to their mature years a diversity of backgrounds, interests, and responsibilities. They include former teachers, librarians, doctors, farmers, lawyers, bankers, mail carriers, and secretaries. Some are married, others divorced or single; many have children and grandchildren, but some have neither. Their finances run the gamut while their health ranges from robust to disabled.
From an examination of the "rites of passage" that marked their exit from full-time work, "Breaking the Watch" moves on to consider how to plan appropriately for retirement; renegotiate ties to friends, family, and community; and create a sense of passion that will drive a new sense of purpose. These intimate glimpses into real lives allow a rare understanding of the retirement process.
Joel S. Savishinsky is Charles A. Dana Professor in the Social Sciences, Department of Anthropology and the Gerontology Institute at Ithaca College. He is the author of several books, including The Ends of Time: Life and Work in a Nursing Home, winner of the Gerontological Society of America's Kalish Award for Innovative Publishing.
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Geezer Dot Com Markets Senior Arts and Crafts
Green Thumb, Inc., the nation’s oldest and largest provider of training and employment for mature workers, has launched Geezer.com. This distinctive e-commerce website is a virtual marketplace for online shoppers interested in purchasing the original handiwork of seniors from towns and villages all across the country.
“Geezer.com is unique,” says Andrea Wooten, president and CEO of Green Thumb, Inc., which sponsors and created the site. “It provides talented seniors, even those without computers and Internet access, with a worldwide market for their handcrafted goods. The site brings the unique products of America’s seniors to people who don’t regularly travel the back roads. Shoppers looking for unusual gifts and accessories will find them right here.”
Wooten says the site’s name may raise a few eyebrows, but it has a positive connotation and visibility among baby boomers who are surfing the Internet looking for distinctive gifts. “We’re changing the stereotype of older
individuals,” she explains, “by demonstrating that seniors are in fact talented, generous, and fun-loving. What better way to dispel the ‘geezer myth’ than to use the word ‘geezer’ to reflect the positive characteristics
and skills of America’s seniors!”
As the premier site on the web for senior-made crafts, Geezer.com brims with the vitality, good humor, and special gifts of America’s older generation ... a generation that knows the value of hard work, loyalty to family, and contribution to community. As Wooten remarks, they are “our esteemed geezers.”
Geezer.com features scores of artisans and craftspeople, and more than two thousand hand-wrought products in more than a dozen categories including Apparel, Artworks, Doll House, Holiday Shop, Home & Hearth, In the Kitchen, Music & Videos, Pet Store, Sports and Recreation, Toys and Games, and Yard & Garden. “Online shopping couldn’t be easier with Geezer.com’s shopping cart that permits buyers to load up items from a variety of artisans,” Wooten adds.
The opportunity for senior artisans to sell their products, says Wooten, is especially significant. “We are giving seniors across the country the opportunity to supplement their incomes, launch new businesses, and expand
the market for their hand-crafted goods.”
Developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Green Thumb’s Geezer.com is designed to help older Americans, primarily from rural areas and small communities, with online access or without, to capitalize on the reach and market potential of the Internet. The site not only provides senior artisans the opportunity to sell the craft items they love to make, but soon will also help seniors gain access to the information they need to start home-based businesses.
Green Thumb, Inc., is a national nonprofit organization best known as America's leader in the field of older worker training and employment. Its mission is to strengthen families, communities, and the nation by providing older and disadvantaged individuals with opportunities to learn, work, and serve others. Founded in 1965, Green Thumb was first chartered to use the "green thumbs" of retired farmers to improve our nation’s parks and highways.
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