shAARP Talk: Observations from AARP

While Medicare has been through quite a bit of drama this year, there is a simpler question about the health care program we can ask ourselves in the meantime: is Medicare speaking to its users in a language they can understand? More specifically, is its website user-friendly?

Older Americans use the internet, and use it well; that's no big news to us. But a new study showed that three-fourths of older adults couldn't find a beneficial drug prescription plan on Medicare's website, as well as couldn't seem to figure out a way to sign up for home care service. In short, Medicare's website might not be as easy to navigate than it should be.

The researchers even did a brief training before the 112 participants aged 50 and older began to use the site. Some subjects even stopped searching after a while. Researcher Sara Czaja, co-director of the Center on Aging at the University of Miami Medical School, says, "There are some problems ... some design features with the site that make it difficult for people to use, and they can't get the maximum value out of it," adding, "Some of them just gave up trying."

A CMS spokesperson said that while they've done their own extensive research to make sure the site's navigation is easy to handle, and "[m]ore research is probably needed to assess the usability of the site, and should be performed by people who have a basic understanding of the size and complexity of the program."

Speaking of questions about Medicare, AARP.org has a feature up, "Ask Ms. Medicare" with this week's question: When should I sign up for Medicare? Check it out!

Well the ranks of the over 50 crowd grew one incredible musician (and quite the eccentric) richer yesterday. Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, the Thriller himself turned 50 and was interviewed by ABC. In many ways, Jackson is the poster child for the constantly changing and adapting life of the baby boomer. Over the course of his career, Michael Jackson has gone from this:

To this:

And then sadly to this.

These days, Jackson still loves music but his focus has shifted toward his children and providing them with the childhood he never had. Michael says he can still pull off all of his old moves and he isn't showing any signs of slowing down.

Uh-oh. A new study shows that the bankruptcy rate is apparently sky-rocketing among older Americans. Via NPR:

The Consumer Bankruptcy Project examined a sampling of noncommercial bankruptcies filed between 1991 and 2007. Researchers found that the older the age group, the more bankruptcies there were. People 65 and up were more than twice as likely to file during that period, and the filing rate for those 75 and older more than quadrupled.

Harvard Law Professor Elizabeth Warren, one of the study's authors, said older Americans are hit by a one-two punch of having to keep working but facing medical problems, and the two are often intertwined.

People are entering retirement with debt, still struggling to pay off their mortgages. Between that and paying for medical treatment, it makes sense so many are going bankrupt! Not good.

Imagine if you could customize your home they way you create a computer. Not a chef? Cut out the kitchen and add a sun room. Are those stairs getting to be a dangerous challenge? Add a bedroom on the ground floor. While this might sound either crazy expensive or just crazy, in the near future it might be neither. As I write this, people are working on designing modular homes in which rooms could be added or removed in a matter of days, not weeks or months.

The advances in home design go far beyond modular homes. Environmentally friendly homes have come a long way recently. Check out this smart home which monitors its electricity use (it's a really small number). Solar panels on the roof generate most of the electricity needed, and sensors that open windows to let in a breeze to cool the house and reduce air conditioner use. All of the systems in this house are monitored through a computer and can be viewed by the owner on a screen. Now that we have houses that can take care of themselves, all we need is a house that will pay for itself!

As a part of their series on retirement issues in the 21st century, USA Today had a not-so-happy piece today about how many of the 1.6 million people becoming eligible for Social Security this year are actually postponing retirement because of health care costs and other economic problems the country is currently facing. Via Kaiser:

In 2007, only 45% of large companies subsidized health insurance for early retirees, compared with 88% in 1991, according to Hewitt Associates. As a result, many employees who retire before age 65, when they become eligible for Medicare, would have to find a new source of health insurance, such as the individual coverage market, Rick McGill, head of retiree medical consulting at Hewitt, said.

A recent AARP piece has a bit more of a positive spin on the trend of delays in retirement. After all, we shouldn't assume all people will automatically want to retire once they're eligible for Social Security; many older Americans love their work, and aren't ready to give it up.

With the inflation raising the cost of nearly everything, the economy still stuck in the cellar, and high energy costs sticking around, Americans are really feeling the pinch. A new AARP survey gives a clearer picture of some of the ways older Americans are struggling to cope. More than half of the survey respondents making less than $50,000 a year said paying utility bills this year is harder than it was last year. 75% of people interviewed said their heating and cooling expenses were up from last year and just under 80% believe the trend will continue. Among people's biggest gripes, just 17% of respondents believe that politicians have done enough to address rising energy costs. Have your heating and cooling costs been on the rise?

According to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sharing prescriptions is commonplace in America. While it's most common for women 18-44, overall 27% of men and 29% of women admit to sharing medications. Allergy medicines and pain-killers were the most common offenders. Clearly this is risky behavior with unknown drug interactions and side-effects posing a threat to any prescription sharers. Is this something you would consider doing or that you've heard of taking place?

An article in last Sunday's Chicago Tribune reported that while just 35 percent of Americans over the age of 65 use the Internet, that number is up from 30 percent in November 2006. Boomers and older generations are not just using the Internet to check email and book travel. More and more adults are joining LinkedIn and Facebook for networking purposes, and even grandparents are now exploring the world of social media as a way to stay in touch with grandchildren.

With so many applications, widgets, pokes, requests and invitations, it can be tough to know when to accept or deny, what information to share or hide, and how to get the most out of your social media experience. This article on BusinessWeek.com offers business-related tips for choosing your friends and deciding which picture to post on your profile. Hint: Not a Glamour Shot!

Internet service provider EarthLink also has some great advice on general social networking security precautions and steps you should take to protect your identity. Here are eight tips:

• Read the privacy policy first - Review a site's privacy policy so you can understand the features and privacy controls offered to users. Review different sites before deciding which one to join.
• Know who's watching you - Some sites have options to restrict who can access your page, allowing you to keep your posted information public, private or restricted to a certain group of people.
• Use anonymous email addresses - As a precaution, you should consider using different e-mail addresses when setting up social networking accounts. Some email providers like EarthLink offer users different email addresses that interconnect so you can keep your information private and limit spam.
• Don't give out personal info - Never post personal information on your page, such as your Social Security number, address, bank accounts, etc. When you give someone personal information, such as your phone number, it can be taken and used by unwanted sources, even communicated via e-mail or posts.
• Use a strong password - Smart social networkers will always use strong passwords that contain both letters and numbers and aren't immediately associated with the person's identity. Try to keep passwords to five characters or more and change monthly to avoid password phishing -- when outside sources steal your password and then post messages under your persona.
• Keep your computer protected - It's a good idea to make sure your computer has anti-virus and anti-spyware features that help protect it from unwanted spam, viruses and other privacy breaches.
• Post only what you want others to see - Many people can potentially see your page, even if you have privacy settings. That means that not-so-subtle picture of you could be seen by future employers, colleagues or even the police. Any information or images you share could be seen by more people than you are comfortable with.

While attention on America's aging population has focused on the 70 million people who comprise the Baby Boomer generation, another aging population is quietly entering its older years. That is the 45 million pets the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) says are ages seven or older--placing them squarely alongside their human-boomer counterparts. In fact, a seven-year-old dog or cat is roughly 45 human years old, putting it at the youngest end of today's Boomer spectrum.

Nationally recognized veterinarian, author and Baby Boomer Marty Becker, DVM, offers five common health problems to be watching for:

1. Weight Gain
2. Tooth Decay and Gum Disease
3. Stiff Joints and Slower Movement
4. Changes in Coat and Skin
5. Eye Abnormalities

Check out the The Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health for information on how to care for your pets at all ages and stages of their lives, and learn how to recognize changes associated with aging.

This is sort of outrageous.

A study is Maryland found that "[p]atients older than 65 are much less likely to be taken to a Maryland trauma center than younger patients with the same medical emergencies." After studying 26,000 trauma patients statewide from 1995 through 2004, Johns Hopkins Schools of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health discovered that unconscious age bias may be a factor in the disparity of immediate trauma treatment between younger and older folks. Ya think?

Considering the size of the study in the state, I wouldn't be surprised if this bias exists nationwide. Via the Baltimore Sun:

The study found that 50 percent of patients 65 and older were not taken to trauma centers as opposed to 18 percent of younger patients. While the disparity was notable for patients 65 and older, researchers found that it began at age 50.

The article delves into potential reasons why this bias might exist, like the fact that for young surgeons, an older patient's fall is less exciting than a gunshot wound by a younger victim, or that diagnosing elderly patients might be more difficult since older folks tend to have more general aches and pains. And I say those are pretty horrendous reasons to prefer one trauma victim over another. Maybe it's just me, but the level of excitement or difficulty shouldn't be deciding factors when it comes to saving lives.

A huge age discrimination lawsuit was recently settled (one of 23 to be resolved) over Hollywood talent agency International Creative Management. And the agency is only one of many others who are being sued by screenwriters over 40 who are saying they were "gray-listed" by the TV industry and pushed out of their jobs in preference for younger writers.

This isn't just some typical Hollywood scandal lawsuit; it's apparent that this is a problem within the industry, so much that ICM has also agreed to to develop an panel of experts to examine its representation practices, as well as create a "job relief" program designed to promote the top 25 percent of older TV writers.

Paul Sprenger, lead attorney for the writers, says "What we're trying to do is factor age out of decision-making."

ICM actually hasn't admitted to doing anything wrong, and the $4.5 million in settlement they're paying in one case will come out of insurers, but at least they're taking action with this new panel and program. Some other defendants in this slew of cases are major U.S. networks like ABC and Fox, and huge production companies Walt Disney Co and Warner Bros. We can only wait to see how those pan out.

Despite continual advances in audio recording and playback, a large contingent of dedicated music fans refuses to move on. These people won't end a decades long love-affair with the vinyl. Call them old-fashioned but these folks say there's nothing quite like that warm sounds you get from a record. A quick look at the numbers seems to show that this vocal minority is rapidly growing. Sales of vinyl LPs increased by over a third from 2006 to 2007. And not only are people spending money on records, but they are buying needles that cost up to $15,000 a box and turntables running in the six-figure range. While you don't need to spend that much to appreciate the quality of a record, it shows the depth of affection that aficionados have for old school audio. What's your favorite way to listen to music? Record? CD? Cassette? A-Track?! Let us know, comment below.