“We’re so unprepared for finding an Alzheimer’s treatment,” by Carolyn Y. Johnson, The Washington Post “The U.S. health-care system is unprepared to cope with the Alzheimer’s crisis — even if there were a treatment in the near future, according to a new study. If there were a treatment for Alzheimer’s in 2020, the study found that people would have to wait a year and a half for access because of a shortage of specialists and equipment to diagnose and treat the disease. An estimated 2.1 million people could develop dementia while waiting for treatment over the next two decades, researchers
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“Where Is The ‘Assistance’ In Assisted Living?,” by Anne Tumlinson, Forbes “Assisted living facilities evolved to offer consumers an alternative to nursing homes — to provide a safer version of home that prioritizes hospitality, comfort and independence over the constant supervision and medical care of a 24-hour nursing facility. But the problem is that the traditional assisted living model isn’t keeping up with the increasingly complex medical needs of our older adult population. Our parents are living longer with conditions that require a lot of medicine, doctors and too-frequent trips to the emergency room. And we, the adult children, find
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“Bill Gates makes $100 million personal investment to fight Alzheimer’s,” by Kate Kelland, Reuters “Billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is to invest $50 million in the Dementia Discovery Fund, a venture capital fund that brings together industry and government to seek treatments for the brain-wasting disease. The investment – a personal one and not part of Gates’ philanthropic Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – will be followed by another $50 million in start-up ventures working in Alzheimer’s research, Gates said.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): Bill Gates pursued self-interest, created thousands of jobs,
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“How to Reduce Dementia’s Tragic Toll on Families,” by Marc Agronin, Wall Street Journal “When a family member suffers from dementia, we tend to view it as an individual tragedy. But too often this wrecking ball of a disease takes a toll on the entire family. . . . The tragedy here is that it doesn’t have to be this way. If families understand the perils, they can navigate them without imploding. . . . The key is for families to understand that core emotional need and to realize that a win-win approach is possible, resulting in relationships that are
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“The Surprising Benefits and Costs of Family Caregiving,” by Maddy Dychtwald, Wall Street Journal “Already, 40 million Americans are providing care to an adult family member or friend, most often to an aging parent or spouse. As the massive baby-boomer generation hits their 70s, the demand for family caregiving will skyrocket—and it’s poised to become America’s biggest off-the-books industry. In order to better understand the caregiving crunch, my firm, Age Wave, in partnership with Merrill Lynch, just completed a study, The Journey of Caregiving: Honor, Responsibility and Financial Complexity, that uncovers the rewards and sacrifices of this complex lifestage.” LTC Comment
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“Should you use a reverse mortgage in retirement?,” by Peter Rueth, MarketWatch A major component of wealth and retirement planning often overlooked or ignored, is home equity. Based on U.S. Census Bureau figures, collected in 2011 and dated 2013 the average married couple entering retirement will have a net worth of $194,226. However, when home equity is removed net worth drops to just $43,921. With 77% of a retiree’s net worth locked in home equity it’s astonishing why so many financial planners ignore home equity when creating retirement plans. There is currently over $6.3 trillion in senior housing wealth and
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