From the time we’re toddlers, we’re taught to respect our elders. We seek their advice and listen as they regale us with stories from olden times. There’s something about their insight and perspective that we just can’t find anywhere else. View image | gettyimages.com As it turns out, that old illusion of “elderly wisdom” is… Read More »
Page 61
Doctors and Hospitals Sometimes Ignore Advance Directives
Advance directives have been a popular part of estate planning since at least 1990, when Congress passed the Patient Self-Determination Act. Since then, Americans have only grown stronger in their sentiment that they should decide for themselves what kind of treatment they’ll receive in the face of terminal illness. View image | gettyimages.com Advance directives… Read More »
Bad News at the VA: A Roundup of Recent Veterans Affairs Scandals
It’s been a tough couple of months for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA). Politico, Forbes, the New Jersey online syndicate, and countless other outlets published stinging indictments of the VA, tackling a wide range of issues. News organizations even began running articles about how much bad news accumulated at the VA in the month… Read More »
Preventing Dementia Might Be Easier Than You Think
Nothing scares us more than dementia. Increasingly, studies find that people fear Alzheimer’s and other such illnesses more than cancer, heart disease, auto accidents, or any other leading cause of death. Undoubtedly, that shift in the cultural anxiety is due in part to a decrease in the rate of cancer and cardiovascular death. But there’s… Read More »
Does Harper Lee Really Want Her Second Novel Published?
At nearly ninety years old, Harper Lee is considered one of the greatest living authors in the world, even though she’s only written one book — until now. View image | gettyimages.com To Kill a Mockingbird, which Lee released in 1960, won widespread acclaim and a Pulitzer price. The book is regarded as not only great… Read More »
Only the Lonely Retire Unhappily
Companionship can make all the difference. Studies show that people who live their lives in close contact with others — whether a spouse or a group of friends — are generally happier, more productive, and more fulfilled. That’s true both before and after retirement. View image | gettyimages.com But keeping close ties becomes more challenging… Read More »
Death by Old Age: Doctors Say “Huh?”
How many times have you heard someone say that they’d prefer to simply die of old age? Of all the ways to die, “old age” sounds the most peaceful, and there is a quiet kind of dignity about it. But medically, that diagnosis doesn’t have any real meaning. In a new Business Insider report, doctors… Read More »
Nursing Homes Must Now Work Harder to Get a Good Grade
If Medicare were a classroom, nursing homes would earn an “easy A.” Or that’s how it used to be, at least. But now a brand-new rule is changing all that, and America’s mistreated seniors stand to benefit. View image | gettyimages.com Under the old Medicare rating system, nursing homes were assigned scores of up to… Read More »
For Retirement, “Where” Might Mean More Than “When”
When it comes to retirement planning, most people’s focus is on when and how to do it — or whether they really want to retire at all. But The New York Times is shining a light on a question that might matter even more — where do you want to retire? View image | gettyimages.com The… Read More »
Divorce Means a Split for Couples and Their Estate Plans
From a legal perspective, divorce is an onerous process. From discovery and negotiation to alimony and custody, couples often emerge beleaguered and ready to give the formalities a rest. View image | gettyimages.com That’s understandable. But as The Wall Street Journal points out, there’s at least one more step that recent divorcées need to take: estate… Read More »