grow older better

Tag: poverty

  • Women, Poverty, And Shortened Lives

    old and poorAn article, Get Rich or Die Younger: The Shrinking Lifes Spans of Poor U.S. Women, includes the following 2 conclusions…

    1. Among men older than 55, life expectancies are growing fastest for the rich.
    2. Among women older than 55, life expectancies are growing for the rich and shrinking for the poor.

    Being female, and being poor, is killing US women.

    The only groups decreasing in life expectancy are poor women. The poorest 40% of women all lose years, and the poorer you are, the shorter your life.

    No age group of poor men loses years, they may not gain, but they do not lose.

    Take a look at the chart as it easy to read.

    And with this scenario, the U.S. House wants to reduce aid to poor people!

    Another reason I want to help older persons earn more money. We cannot rely on Social Security – it is too tenuous in the current political arena.

    For more information on my ideas, go to Gray Wolf Productions.

  • Our Golden Years? Not Really

    golden_years

    Reaching 65, retiring, relaxing and having fun used to be the goal of most Americans…the "golden years" of aging.

    With the economic bust, many who thought they would be retired are still working….out of sheer necessity…they need the income and they sorely need the health insurance.

    According to the National Council on Aging:

    Over 20 million Americans aged 60+ are economically insecure—living at or below 250% of the federal poverty level (FPL) ($27,225 per year for a single person). These older adults struggle each day with rising housing and health care bills, inadequate nutrition, lack of access to transportation, diminished savings, and job loss. For older adults who are above the poverty level, one major adverse life event can change today’s realities into tomorrow’s troubles.

    Women, who earn less than men [77 cents to the man's dollar] fare less well as they age too. 56% are disadvantaged financially – while only 30% of men are.

    But life need not be economically bleak as we age.

    It may be difficult to find a "job" but it is far less difficult to have your own business.

    A business that can bring in sufficient income to take the tarnish off the golden years and make them shine!!

     

    If you want to learn more about being self-employed let me know…I've written some on this and will write more….

     

    Thoughts? Comments? Thanks!




  • Will you retire?

    Our lifespans have increased and our health is better. So do we continue to “retire” at 65? 70?
    Or will we take on newer careers at those ages?

    The median annual income for older women [ 65 and up] is a few thousand dollars over the definition of poverty level. And although we worked hard at women’s equality – we are not equal financially. Our income at over 65 is about half of that of a male.

    So it makes economic sense for women to keep working. I’ll always work – but it will not ever be 9 to 5. I’ve tried that a few times and it doesn’t fit my psyche :- ). I’ve changed careers many times…when I was 50 I went to law school and my son, who was then 11, wrote an essay about me that ended with “My mom is 50 and she still doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up.” His mom is almost 67 and still wonders what she’ll be when she grows up….I love reading and learning – but
    for now I’m content to do it on my own without collecting any more degrees….

    I’m more into degree-less work now….It its my growing older better psyche : -)

    glyconutrients, healthy aging, growing older, aging, nutrition, exercise, eating properly,