Friday News on Age Discrimination

An article on Newsweek's Web site called "Fired is the New Retired" - which will appear in the November 9th issue - gives us the lowdown on the very bleak unemployment statistics for Americans over age 65...and the even bleaker issue of age discrimination in the U.S. As we know, the Supreme Court ruled in the Jack Gross case that the burden falls upon the employee to prove that age is the reason for discrimination.
Dan Kohrman, senior attorney with AARP, is featured in the article, saying that the fact that statistics show a 29 percent jump in age-discrimination complaints from 2007 to 2008 sure make it clear that "something bad is going on."
The article poignantly points out, however, that the issue of age discrimination isn't just a matter of law; it's a matter of "changing ourselves" when it comes to the stereotypes many people hold against older workers.
Also...
The story continues on nursing home reform in the Chicago Tribune. Today's news focuses on advocates for the mentally ill who are housed in nursing homes alongside the elderly. They argue that those psychiatric patients could be more effectively - and cheaply - treated in a community setting, where they would build life skills. Advocates say that reform will be beneficial to all parties involved - the seniors and disabled in nursing homes, the mentally ill who would be relocated, and their caregivers.