Boomers expect to keep working
Few plan to retire early, but it may happen anyway
Jonathan Chevreau, Financial Post
Published: Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Early retirement isn't in the cards for most Baby Boomers, according to Montreal-based Desjardins Financial Security. Its poll of 1,505 Canadians finds the "all play and no work" variety of retirement is on the verge of extinction.
Among those already retired, 10% still work at least part-time, while 54% of workers beyond age 39 are planning a gradual retirement.
While Desjardins seems to conclude the Boomers' retirement experience will be different than their parents',Mercer worldwide partner Malcolm Hamilton is less sure. He says working Canadians may think they'll retire gradually but may one day discover they're tired of working, lose their jobs or no longer be healthy enough to work.
Generally, Desjardins finds the older people are when surveyed, the later the expected retirement age. Most say the ideal is 60 but university grads expect to work past the traditional retirement age of 65.
Desjardins senior vicepresident Monique Tremblay says the "ideal" retirement age is a moving target, especially for those who had children late in life.
More than 80% expect to be in debt when they enter retirement yet are complacent about it. Tremblay says they're indulging in "magical thinking." Few consider the long-term impact of inflation and "could be in for sticker shock when it comes to food, housing and other basic necessities."
Fidelity Investments Canada recently suggested retirees will need to replace at least 85% of the income they generated when working, a tad above the consensus 70%.
In an interview yesterday, Tremblay went one better, suggesting a 90% replacement ratio might be a suitable target for many Boomers. Every case is different: those who plan to travel the world and stay in plush hotels might need to replace 125% of their working incomes, Tremblay says.
Those who don't consider all possible risks may be in for an unpleasant surprise when they try to retire.
One is "market risk" -- the risk the stock market may fall just as you enter retirement with a portfolio heavy in stocks or equity funds.
York University finance professor Moshe Milevsky dubs this the "retirement risk zone."
Milevsky notes the sequence of returns early in retirement can dramatically shorten or lengthen the number of years portfolios can generate enough income to live on.
Another is longevity risk: the risk of outliving your savings. Dejardins finds only 38% worry about this.
One tool for mitigating this risk has been annuities. Desjardins has just unveiled a new variable annuity product called Helios. It aims to tackle some of these problems, although it's not mentioned in the survey. Unlike the lifetime 5% annual income promised by Manulife's Income Plus, Helios aims only to provide a 7% annual return for 14 years. But Tremblay says that could help people bridge the income gap between ages 51 and 65, when government pensions kick in. Or it would bridge the gap between 57 and age 71, when retirees begin to draw income from their newly established RRIFs.
Tremblay believes retail investors need financial advisors to help them plan retirement. But Desjardins' regional vice-president of sales Michael Aziz quips most put more time and care into planning an African safari. They take a "do-it-yourself " approach and fail to arm themselves with the "knowledgeable assistance" needed for a financially predictable retirement
Boomer Dream Homes
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Seniors can benefit if new center comes with outdoor space
Seniors can benefit if new center comes with outdoor space
November 4, 2007
There have been numerous discussions in recent months over whether Needham's new senior center should continue to be located within the downtown, or moved to a larger parcel of land outside of the downtown area called Ridge Hill.
Breaking News Alerts There are positive aspects for a Needham Center location, but the reality is any parcel chosen would require the senior center remain small with limited parking.
The town's Park and Recreation Commission supports having the center at a location that affords many opportunities for utilizing outdoor areas.
People who visit parks for longer periods of time have significantly lower systolic blood pressures than those who stay for short periods of time. Visitors who were more physically active and made frequent contact with friends through their leisure time were less likely to report feeling depressed. Also, visitors who view a park environment recover more quickly from stressful situations, including from health issues, and older adults who engaged in a broad repertoire of park and recreation activities were more likely to report higher levels of perceived physical health.
A new senior center with an outdoors component will enhance the program activities offered by Park and Recreation. Imagine the opportunities for exercise, to participate in the arts outdoors, and to view nature.
After being part of discussions about the location of a senior center for almost twenty years, the commission is excited that one is on its way, and hope an indoor and outdoor facility will become a reality.
Christopher R. Dollase
Chairman
Needham Park and
Recreation Commission
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
November 4, 2007
There have been numerous discussions in recent months over whether Needham's new senior center should continue to be located within the downtown, or moved to a larger parcel of land outside of the downtown area called Ridge Hill.
Breaking News Alerts There are positive aspects for a Needham Center location, but the reality is any parcel chosen would require the senior center remain small with limited parking.
The town's Park and Recreation Commission supports having the center at a location that affords many opportunities for utilizing outdoor areas.
People who visit parks for longer periods of time have significantly lower systolic blood pressures than those who stay for short periods of time. Visitors who were more physically active and made frequent contact with friends through their leisure time were less likely to report feeling depressed. Also, visitors who view a park environment recover more quickly from stressful situations, including from health issues, and older adults who engaged in a broad repertoire of park and recreation activities were more likely to report higher levels of perceived physical health.
A new senior center with an outdoors component will enhance the program activities offered by Park and Recreation. Imagine the opportunities for exercise, to participate in the arts outdoors, and to view nature.
After being part of discussions about the location of a senior center for almost twenty years, the commission is excited that one is on its way, and hope an indoor and outdoor facility will become a reality.
Christopher R. Dollase
Chairman
Needham Park and
Recreation Commission
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Gregg's baby boomer task force plan gets backing
Gregg's baby boomer task force plan gets backing
By JORDY YAGER
Special to the Union Leader
6 hours, 4 minutes ago
WASHINGTON – The country's budget crisis is a "fiscal cancer'' that threatens the nation's economic health, a leading expert told a Senate panel yesterday.
Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire has offered legislation to tackle the crisis by forming a bipartisan task force that would recommend to Congress ways to resolve the nation's spending and revenue imbalance.
The Senate Budget Committee heard testimony from experts yesterday in an attempt to identify weaknesses in the proposal and solidify support for the task force, which Gregg said would address "the single biggest domestic issue which we face as a nation as we move into the next 10 to 20 years."
David M. Walker, the U.S. comptroller general, told the committee, "We have been diagnosed with a fiscal cancer. We do not face an immediate heart attack, but that cancer is growing in us and it threatens our nation's economy, our standard of living and our national security."
Panelists at the hearing said the task force must deal with all of the issues surrounding the country's fiscal policies, including the rising cost of health care, Social Security costs, Medicare and Medicaid costs, retirement benefits and the need for Congress to take action.
"Everything has to be on the table," said Leon Panetta, former chief of staff to President Clinton and former chairman of the House Budget Committee. "If you make exceptions, if you try to exclude certain areas from being considered, then you're dooming the process from the beginning."
With the national debt already more than $9 trillion, the first of an estimated 70 million baby boomers filed for Social Security benefits Oct. 15. Social Security spending will grow by an estimated 50 percent over the next 40 years, according to a report earlier this year by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
But many politicians are wary of addressing the country's fiscal problems with legislation, which is why Gregg and Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota proposed the task force.
"You can understand why politicians are so fearful of the issue because if they do put a proposal on the street, it's so easily demagogued, and you can easily convince the elderly they'll be eating dog food because of this person's proposal," said Rudy Penner, a former Congressional Budget Office chief who is currently a senior fellow with the Urban Institute, a nonprofit think tank based in Washington.
The task force would be made up of seven senators and seven House members, the Secretary of the Treasury (who would chair the panel) and one other member designated by the president. In each chamber, four of the panel's members would be chosen by the majority party and three by the minority.
"There's very little dispute that the current fiscal policies are unsustainable and that future generations are at risk from inaction," said Robert L. Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition, a bipartisan fiscal advocacy group, at the hearing. "Too few of our elected leaders in Washington are unwilling to acknowledge the seriousness of the long-term fiscal problem and even fewer are willing to put it on the political agenda."
The task force would submit long-term policy recommendations by Dec. 9, 2008, and Congress would be given just five legislative days to accept or reject the proposals without change and on a three-fifths vote of approval in each chamber.
"The public is angry at the Congress, the administration, and basically what they're saying is enough is enough,'' said Bill Novelli, chief executive officer of AARP, an advocacy group for senior citizens. "And so I think extraordinary means are necessary. Business as usual is not going to get it done.''
Jordy Yager is an intern with the Boston University Washington News Service.
By JORDY YAGER
Special to the Union Leader
6 hours, 4 minutes ago
WASHINGTON – The country's budget crisis is a "fiscal cancer'' that threatens the nation's economic health, a leading expert told a Senate panel yesterday.
Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire has offered legislation to tackle the crisis by forming a bipartisan task force that would recommend to Congress ways to resolve the nation's spending and revenue imbalance.
The Senate Budget Committee heard testimony from experts yesterday in an attempt to identify weaknesses in the proposal and solidify support for the task force, which Gregg said would address "the single biggest domestic issue which we face as a nation as we move into the next 10 to 20 years."
David M. Walker, the U.S. comptroller general, told the committee, "We have been diagnosed with a fiscal cancer. We do not face an immediate heart attack, but that cancer is growing in us and it threatens our nation's economy, our standard of living and our national security."
Panelists at the hearing said the task force must deal with all of the issues surrounding the country's fiscal policies, including the rising cost of health care, Social Security costs, Medicare and Medicaid costs, retirement benefits and the need for Congress to take action.
"Everything has to be on the table," said Leon Panetta, former chief of staff to President Clinton and former chairman of the House Budget Committee. "If you make exceptions, if you try to exclude certain areas from being considered, then you're dooming the process from the beginning."
With the national debt already more than $9 trillion, the first of an estimated 70 million baby boomers filed for Social Security benefits Oct. 15. Social Security spending will grow by an estimated 50 percent over the next 40 years, according to a report earlier this year by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
But many politicians are wary of addressing the country's fiscal problems with legislation, which is why Gregg and Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota proposed the task force.
"You can understand why politicians are so fearful of the issue because if they do put a proposal on the street, it's so easily demagogued, and you can easily convince the elderly they'll be eating dog food because of this person's proposal," said Rudy Penner, a former Congressional Budget Office chief who is currently a senior fellow with the Urban Institute, a nonprofit think tank based in Washington.
The task force would be made up of seven senators and seven House members, the Secretary of the Treasury (who would chair the panel) and one other member designated by the president. In each chamber, four of the panel's members would be chosen by the majority party and three by the minority.
"There's very little dispute that the current fiscal policies are unsustainable and that future generations are at risk from inaction," said Robert L. Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition, a bipartisan fiscal advocacy group, at the hearing. "Too few of our elected leaders in Washington are unwilling to acknowledge the seriousness of the long-term fiscal problem and even fewer are willing to put it on the political agenda."
The task force would submit long-term policy recommendations by Dec. 9, 2008, and Congress would be given just five legislative days to accept or reject the proposals without change and on a three-fifths vote of approval in each chamber.
"The public is angry at the Congress, the administration, and basically what they're saying is enough is enough,'' said Bill Novelli, chief executive officer of AARP, an advocacy group for senior citizens. "And so I think extraordinary means are necessary. Business as usual is not going to get it done.''
Jordy Yager is an intern with the Boston University Washington News Service.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Baby boomers face their biggest challenge
MARY SANCHEZ COMMENTARY
Baby boomers face their biggest challenge
By MARY SANCHEZ
The panic strikes during the most mundane parts of my daily routine.
Dial mother’s house, the same number she has had for more than 40 years. And the phone rings ... and rings and rings. Has she fallen?
On the weekly grocery store trip, I feel the adrenaline for the 30 seconds I leave her alone at the curb so she doesn’t have to walk the uneven pavement of the parking lot. I rush to pull the car around — quickly, before some creep spies her as an easy target for a purse snatching.
Both of my parents reached this stage of life, when children are still children but become guardians for the simple reason that we can walk fast, turn quickly and lift the things that need to be lifted.
Father is gone five years now. Mother is bravely carrying on as her mobility wanes. “Frail” is the first word that usually comes out when friends inquire about my mother. Thankfully, it is usually followed by “witty” and “pretty spry for 87 years old.”
I thought of my mother when I heard the news that the first baby boomer has applied for Social Security benefits. For almost 62 years Kathleen Casey-Kirschling has had the distinction of being the nation’s oldest baby boomer. Now she’s retiring to a home in Maryland with her husband, who is also turning 62 next year.
What brought mother to mind was the realization that we do not as a nation grasp what this demographic shift will mean. Not financially, not legislatively, not emotionally. The baby boom generation of 80 million will soon enough be edging toward death. Who will care for them, and how?
By next year, 365 more boomers will join Casey-Kirschling every hour, turning 62 and becoming eligible to tap into Social Security.
The commissioner of Social Security is fond of referring to this new turn for the boomers as “America’s silver tsunami.” Tsunami, of course, never portends to anything positive.
In 10 more years, the pool of funds that is Social Security will be upended — meaning that more will be going out than will be coming in.
Medicare currently covers about 44 million people. By 2030, the number will be 79 million.
Technically, I’m a baby boomer as well, but barely. I arrived at the end of the birthing boom that lasted from 1946 to 1964. And so I expect to feel the effects of how society shifts as my elder boomers continue to age.
Few people want to discuss, much less fully plan for, their own demise quite as honestly as baby boomers need to right now. We’d all like to think that we will “grow old gracefully,” be able to look back on a “purpose-driven life” and a bookshelf full of other soothing clichés about aging.
Yet how many realize what the end is really like these days? We lurch toward death, suffering a fall, a stroke, a heart attack — and then recover. But often not to the same level of health as before, until the next medical incident and a little more physical strength is sapped. Dying really is a process.
It’s an expensive process as well, but the costs are not as apparent as they should be. According to AARP, 34 million people, usually women, provide an average 21 hours of uncompensated care a week to an elderly relative — a lot of them while still trying to work full-time. This has had an effect on productivity in the workplace and family finances.
Equally concerning is the fact that the average caregiver is a 46-year-old working woman. Often she will find it necessary to cut back on her own work to care for a relative, eroding her wages, benefits and the money she can offer her family. The danger is that, over the long term, people in this situation limit their ability to save for their own retirements.
With the vast demographic shift upon us, will this burden be too much to bear?
Baby boomers like to tout the impact they’ve had on every aspect of life — how they have changed the nation, often for the better, by ushering in new forms of equality, reforming education and even revolutionizing attitudes about aging (“40 is the new 30!”).
Soon the boomers will face their own mortality. Like my mother, everyone who reaches their “golden years” deserves to live them in dignity. But for that to happen, boomers need to begin seriously considering how they will live out their last years and, yes, how they will die.
It will be their greatest challenge yet.
To reach Mary Sanchez call 816-234-4752 or send email to msanchez@kcstar.com.
Baby boomers face their biggest challenge
By MARY SANCHEZ
The panic strikes during the most mundane parts of my daily routine.
Dial mother’s house, the same number she has had for more than 40 years. And the phone rings ... and rings and rings. Has she fallen?
On the weekly grocery store trip, I feel the adrenaline for the 30 seconds I leave her alone at the curb so she doesn’t have to walk the uneven pavement of the parking lot. I rush to pull the car around — quickly, before some creep spies her as an easy target for a purse snatching.
Both of my parents reached this stage of life, when children are still children but become guardians for the simple reason that we can walk fast, turn quickly and lift the things that need to be lifted.
Father is gone five years now. Mother is bravely carrying on as her mobility wanes. “Frail” is the first word that usually comes out when friends inquire about my mother. Thankfully, it is usually followed by “witty” and “pretty spry for 87 years old.”
I thought of my mother when I heard the news that the first baby boomer has applied for Social Security benefits. For almost 62 years Kathleen Casey-Kirschling has had the distinction of being the nation’s oldest baby boomer. Now she’s retiring to a home in Maryland with her husband, who is also turning 62 next year.
What brought mother to mind was the realization that we do not as a nation grasp what this demographic shift will mean. Not financially, not legislatively, not emotionally. The baby boom generation of 80 million will soon enough be edging toward death. Who will care for them, and how?
By next year, 365 more boomers will join Casey-Kirschling every hour, turning 62 and becoming eligible to tap into Social Security.
The commissioner of Social Security is fond of referring to this new turn for the boomers as “America’s silver tsunami.” Tsunami, of course, never portends to anything positive.
In 10 more years, the pool of funds that is Social Security will be upended — meaning that more will be going out than will be coming in.
Medicare currently covers about 44 million people. By 2030, the number will be 79 million.
Technically, I’m a baby boomer as well, but barely. I arrived at the end of the birthing boom that lasted from 1946 to 1964. And so I expect to feel the effects of how society shifts as my elder boomers continue to age.
Few people want to discuss, much less fully plan for, their own demise quite as honestly as baby boomers need to right now. We’d all like to think that we will “grow old gracefully,” be able to look back on a “purpose-driven life” and a bookshelf full of other soothing clichés about aging.
Yet how many realize what the end is really like these days? We lurch toward death, suffering a fall, a stroke, a heart attack — and then recover. But often not to the same level of health as before, until the next medical incident and a little more physical strength is sapped. Dying really is a process.
It’s an expensive process as well, but the costs are not as apparent as they should be. According to AARP, 34 million people, usually women, provide an average 21 hours of uncompensated care a week to an elderly relative — a lot of them while still trying to work full-time. This has had an effect on productivity in the workplace and family finances.
Equally concerning is the fact that the average caregiver is a 46-year-old working woman. Often she will find it necessary to cut back on her own work to care for a relative, eroding her wages, benefits and the money she can offer her family. The danger is that, over the long term, people in this situation limit their ability to save for their own retirements.
With the vast demographic shift upon us, will this burden be too much to bear?
Baby boomers like to tout the impact they’ve had on every aspect of life — how they have changed the nation, often for the better, by ushering in new forms of equality, reforming education and even revolutionizing attitudes about aging (“40 is the new 30!”).
Soon the boomers will face their own mortality. Like my mother, everyone who reaches their “golden years” deserves to live them in dignity. But for that to happen, boomers need to begin seriously considering how they will live out their last years and, yes, how they will die.
It will be their greatest challenge yet.
To reach Mary Sanchez call 816-234-4752 or send email to msanchez@kcstar.com.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Baby boomers a 'wasteful generation': ageing summit
Baby boomers a 'wasteful generation': ageing summit
Posted 11 hours 10 minutes ago
A two-day summit on the ageing population in New South Wales has been told reform is needed to deal with the huge number of older people expected by the year 2030.
NSW Premier Morris Iemma told the summit that in a decade's time there will be more people over the age of 65 than under 14.
Population forecaster Phil Ruthven also addressed the summit, saying the baby boomer generation has been wasteful.
"Probably only about one third of baby boomers have saved or invested enough to retire on a comfortable income," he said.
"The other two thirds are going to be dependent on some of welfare, pensions and certainly health care services."
Posted 11 hours 10 minutes ago
A two-day summit on the ageing population in New South Wales has been told reform is needed to deal with the huge number of older people expected by the year 2030.
NSW Premier Morris Iemma told the summit that in a decade's time there will be more people over the age of 65 than under 14.
Population forecaster Phil Ruthven also addressed the summit, saying the baby boomer generation has been wasteful.
"Probably only about one third of baby boomers have saved or invested enough to retire on a comfortable income," he said.
"The other two thirds are going to be dependent on some of welfare, pensions and certainly health care services."
Microsoft, Miami Offer Seniors Free Computer Training, Customized PCs
Microsoft, Miami Offer Seniors Free Computer Training, Customized PCs
New technology packages from Microsoft, tailored to seniors, complement training at neighborhood senior centers in Miami.
October 29, 2007: 12:00 PM EST
MIAMI, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp. and the City of Miami -- both leaders in digital inclusion -- today announced eSeniors, a public-private partnership that will provide free computer training and the opportunity to purchase customized technology packages to Miami seniors at learning hubs located in neighborhood senior centers throughout the city.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)
"eSeniors aims to provide Miami seniors with technology tools and training that can empower them to improve their quality of life, simplify many everyday tasks, access community and government services more easily, and participate fully in our increasingly digital society," said Miami Mayor Manny Diaz.
The eSeniors program is part of ELEVATE Miami, a broad initiative designed to enable all Miami residents to participate and compete in the digital economy. For eSeniors, the City of Miami is providing free training and computer access at senior centers, using recycled computers equipped with the Windows XP operating system, the Microsoft Office system and Microsoft Encarta. In June 2007, Mayor Diaz received the prestigious City Livability Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors in recognition of ELEVATE Miami's comprehensive and innovative approach to the reduction of poverty, which includes digital inclusion as one of its four cornerstones.
"As personal computers and the Internet become increasingly important in our society, many seniors are being left out, not because of too little interest but because of too little access and too few opportunities to learn the necessary skills," said Rob Sinclair, director of the Accessibility Business Unit at Microsoft. "Miami is providing a model for other cities to follow by making it easy for seniors to get the tools and training they need to gain full membership in today's digital lifestyle."
New Senior PC Technology Packages Available Online
As part of the eSeniors initiative, Microsoft is releasing several technology packages tailored to the needs and interests of seniors. The new technology packages are available to seniors who want to purchase a computer of their own, or to adult children who may want to buy a computer for their parents.
People can choose either a desktop or notebook HP computer running Windows Vista and Microsoft productivity software geared toward seniors. In addition, the senior PC packages come with a color printer and software applications designed to help seniors manage their household tasks, keep track of their prescriptions, and sharpen memory with games. Seniors can also choose a larger keyboard or trackball mouse for easier typing and mouse pointing. One package, available only in a desktop model, includes the Spanish-language version of Windows Vista.
All the technology packages can be purchased online at http://www.microsoft.com/enable/aging/seniorpc.aspx. To make the technology packages more affordable, any Miami senior who completes the city's training program will receive a voucher to help offset the cost of purchasing a computer for his or her home.
Microsoft and City of Miami Partnership Empowers Seniors
For Microsoft and Miami, the new eSeniors program is an extension of longstanding commitments to digital inclusion and service to seniors, and their shared belief that technology can serve as an equalizer for people of all ages, removing workplace barriers and increasing employment opportunities while reducing social isolation.
"Gaining new technology skills and access to accessible technology will give many seniors a wider range of social and economic opportunities, enabling them to change careers, work part-time, stay employed longer, and expand their ability to contribute to their communities through volunteering," said Lori Parham, Florida state director for AARP. "By bringing seniors into the digital age, Microsoft and Miami are empowering them with more choices about how they live their lives."
In addition to being part of ELEVATE Miami, eSeniors is an extension of the successful eParks program that began in 2004 and now offers technology training and computer access to children, their parents and other Miami residents at 27 city parks. To reach seniors more effectively, the city decided to set up similar learning hubs in senior centers, starting with two centers to establish the model, and expanding to 10 senior centers by early 2008.
"Mayor Diaz and the Miami city commissioners have shown tremendous vision in reaching beyond traditional strategies to find creative ways to help the people of Miami participate in the digital age," Sinclair said. "Microsoft is proud to partner with the City of Miami on providing seniors with new opportunities, and we look forward to working on similar initiatives with other U.S. cities."
City of Miami
Elevate Miami is a program that prepares all residents of Miami for a leadership position in the global economy, creating unparalleled areas of opportunity by establishing public and private partnerships which facilitate access to affordable technology, including mobile and low-cost internet access, and therefore enhancing the quality of life for all Miamians. ELEVATE MIAMI seeks to reach this goal through a multi-faceted approach that incorporates the following: eParks -- equips 27 City of Miami parks with 264 computers and offers open lab hours available to all residents; eSenior Centers -- equips senior centers with computers and offers computer literacy training to the elderly (currently available in 2 senior centers with 142 seniors attending training); Education Compact -- creates a Curriculum for all sixth graders which integrates technology and life experiences. If students meet the expectations of the program, they will earn a computer.
About Unlimited Potential
Microsoft Unlimited Potential expands and accelerates Microsoft's commitment to facilitate sustained social and economic opportunity for the more than 5 billion people living in every country around the world who do not today benefit from technology. More information about Unlimited Potential is available at http://www.microsoft.com/unlimitedpotential.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
For more information about Microsoft and Miami computer access programs for seniors, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/aging
http://www.microsoft.com/industry/government/digitalinclusion.mspx
http://www.elevatemiami.com
New technology packages from Microsoft, tailored to seniors, complement training at neighborhood senior centers in Miami.
October 29, 2007: 12:00 PM EST
MIAMI, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp. and the City of Miami -- both leaders in digital inclusion -- today announced eSeniors, a public-private partnership that will provide free computer training and the opportunity to purchase customized technology packages to Miami seniors at learning hubs located in neighborhood senior centers throughout the city.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)
"eSeniors aims to provide Miami seniors with technology tools and training that can empower them to improve their quality of life, simplify many everyday tasks, access community and government services more easily, and participate fully in our increasingly digital society," said Miami Mayor Manny Diaz.
The eSeniors program is part of ELEVATE Miami, a broad initiative designed to enable all Miami residents to participate and compete in the digital economy. For eSeniors, the City of Miami is providing free training and computer access at senior centers, using recycled computers equipped with the Windows XP operating system, the Microsoft Office system and Microsoft Encarta. In June 2007, Mayor Diaz received the prestigious City Livability Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors in recognition of ELEVATE Miami's comprehensive and innovative approach to the reduction of poverty, which includes digital inclusion as one of its four cornerstones.
"As personal computers and the Internet become increasingly important in our society, many seniors are being left out, not because of too little interest but because of too little access and too few opportunities to learn the necessary skills," said Rob Sinclair, director of the Accessibility Business Unit at Microsoft. "Miami is providing a model for other cities to follow by making it easy for seniors to get the tools and training they need to gain full membership in today's digital lifestyle."
New Senior PC Technology Packages Available Online
As part of the eSeniors initiative, Microsoft is releasing several technology packages tailored to the needs and interests of seniors. The new technology packages are available to seniors who want to purchase a computer of their own, or to adult children who may want to buy a computer for their parents.
People can choose either a desktop or notebook HP computer running Windows Vista and Microsoft productivity software geared toward seniors. In addition, the senior PC packages come with a color printer and software applications designed to help seniors manage their household tasks, keep track of their prescriptions, and sharpen memory with games. Seniors can also choose a larger keyboard or trackball mouse for easier typing and mouse pointing. One package, available only in a desktop model, includes the Spanish-language version of Windows Vista.
All the technology packages can be purchased online at http://www.microsoft.com/enable/aging/seniorpc.aspx. To make the technology packages more affordable, any Miami senior who completes the city's training program will receive a voucher to help offset the cost of purchasing a computer for his or her home.
Microsoft and City of Miami Partnership Empowers Seniors
For Microsoft and Miami, the new eSeniors program is an extension of longstanding commitments to digital inclusion and service to seniors, and their shared belief that technology can serve as an equalizer for people of all ages, removing workplace barriers and increasing employment opportunities while reducing social isolation.
"Gaining new technology skills and access to accessible technology will give many seniors a wider range of social and economic opportunities, enabling them to change careers, work part-time, stay employed longer, and expand their ability to contribute to their communities through volunteering," said Lori Parham, Florida state director for AARP. "By bringing seniors into the digital age, Microsoft and Miami are empowering them with more choices about how they live their lives."
In addition to being part of ELEVATE Miami, eSeniors is an extension of the successful eParks program that began in 2004 and now offers technology training and computer access to children, their parents and other Miami residents at 27 city parks. To reach seniors more effectively, the city decided to set up similar learning hubs in senior centers, starting with two centers to establish the model, and expanding to 10 senior centers by early 2008.
"Mayor Diaz and the Miami city commissioners have shown tremendous vision in reaching beyond traditional strategies to find creative ways to help the people of Miami participate in the digital age," Sinclair said. "Microsoft is proud to partner with the City of Miami on providing seniors with new opportunities, and we look forward to working on similar initiatives with other U.S. cities."
City of Miami
Elevate Miami is a program that prepares all residents of Miami for a leadership position in the global economy, creating unparalleled areas of opportunity by establishing public and private partnerships which facilitate access to affordable technology, including mobile and low-cost internet access, and therefore enhancing the quality of life for all Miamians. ELEVATE MIAMI seeks to reach this goal through a multi-faceted approach that incorporates the following: eParks -- equips 27 City of Miami parks with 264 computers and offers open lab hours available to all residents; eSenior Centers -- equips senior centers with computers and offers computer literacy training to the elderly (currently available in 2 senior centers with 142 seniors attending training); Education Compact -- creates a Curriculum for all sixth graders which integrates technology and life experiences. If students meet the expectations of the program, they will earn a computer.
About Unlimited Potential
Microsoft Unlimited Potential expands and accelerates Microsoft's commitment to facilitate sustained social and economic opportunity for the more than 5 billion people living in every country around the world who do not today benefit from technology. More information about Unlimited Potential is available at http://www.microsoft.com/unlimitedpotential.
About Microsoft
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Baby boomers face their biggest challenge
Baby boomers face their biggest challenge
By MARY SANCHEZ
The panic strikes during the most mundane parts of my daily routine.
Dial mother’s house, the same number she has had for more than 40 years. And the phone rings ... and rings and rings. Has she fallen?
On the weekly grocery store trip, I feel the adrenaline for the 30 seconds I leave her alone at the curb so she doesn’t have to walk the uneven pavement of the parking lot. I rush to pull the car around — quickly, before some creep spies her as an easy target for a purse snatching.
Both of my parents reached this stage of life, when children are still children but become guardians for the simple reason that we can walk fast, turn quickly and lift the things that need to be lifted.
Father is gone five years now. Mother is bravely carrying on as her mobility wanes. “Frail” is the first word that usually comes out when friends inquire about my mother. Thankfully, it is usually followed by “witty” and “pretty spry for 87 years old.”
I thought of my mother when I heard the news that the first baby boomer has applied for Social Security benefits. For almost 62 years Kathleen Casey-Kirschling has had the distinction of being the nation’s oldest baby boomer. Now she’s retiring to a home in Maryland with her husband, who is also turning 62 next year.
What brought mother to mind was the realization that we do not as a nation grasp what this demographic shift will mean. Not financially, not legislatively, not emotionally. The baby boom generation of 80 million will soon enough be edging toward death. Who will care for them, and how?
By next year, 365 more boomers will join Casey-Kirschling every hour, turning 62 and becoming eligible to tap into Social Security.
The commissioner of Social Security is fond of referring to this new turn for the boomers as “America’s silver tsunami.” Tsunami, of course, never portends to anything positive.
In 10 more years, the pool of funds that is Social Security will be upended — meaning that more will be going out than will be coming in.
Medicare currently covers about 44 million people. By 2030, the number will be 79 million.
Technically, I’m a baby boomer as well, but barely. I arrived at the end of the birthing boom that lasted from 1946 to 1964. And so I expect to feel the effects of how society shifts as my elder boomers continue to age.
Few people want to discuss, much less fully plan for, their own demise quite as honestly as baby boomers need to right now. We’d all like to think that we will “grow old gracefully,” be able to look back on a “purpose-driven life” and a bookshelf full of other soothing clichés about aging.
Yet how many realize what the end is really like these days? We lurch toward death, suffering a fall, a stroke, a heart attack — and then recover. But often not to the same level of health as before, until the next medical incident and a little more physical strength is sapped. Dying really is a process.
It’s an expensive process as well, but the costs are not as apparent as they should be. According to AARP, 34 million people, usually women, provide an average 21 hours of uncompensated care a week to an elderly relative — a lot of them while still trying to work full-time. This has had an effect on productivity in the workplace and family finances.
Equally concerning is the fact that the average caregiver is a 46-year-old working woman. Often she will find it necessary to cut back on her own work to care for a relative, eroding her wages, benefits and the money she can offer her family. The danger is that, over the long term, people in this situation limit their ability to save for their own retirements.
With the vast demographic shift upon us, will this burden be too much to bear?
Baby boomers like to tout the impact they’ve had on every aspect of life — how they have changed the nation, often for the better, by ushering in new forms of equality, reforming education and even revolutionizing attitudes about aging (“40 is the new 30!”).
Soon the boomers will face their own mortality. Like my mother, everyone who reaches their “golden years” deserves to live them in dignity. But for that to happen, boomers need to begin seriously considering how they will live out their last years and, yes, how they will die.
It will be their greatest challenge yet.
By MARY SANCHEZ
The panic strikes during the most mundane parts of my daily routine.
Dial mother’s house, the same number she has had for more than 40 years. And the phone rings ... and rings and rings. Has she fallen?
On the weekly grocery store trip, I feel the adrenaline for the 30 seconds I leave her alone at the curb so she doesn’t have to walk the uneven pavement of the parking lot. I rush to pull the car around — quickly, before some creep spies her as an easy target for a purse snatching.
Both of my parents reached this stage of life, when children are still children but become guardians for the simple reason that we can walk fast, turn quickly and lift the things that need to be lifted.
Father is gone five years now. Mother is bravely carrying on as her mobility wanes. “Frail” is the first word that usually comes out when friends inquire about my mother. Thankfully, it is usually followed by “witty” and “pretty spry for 87 years old.”
I thought of my mother when I heard the news that the first baby boomer has applied for Social Security benefits. For almost 62 years Kathleen Casey-Kirschling has had the distinction of being the nation’s oldest baby boomer. Now she’s retiring to a home in Maryland with her husband, who is also turning 62 next year.
What brought mother to mind was the realization that we do not as a nation grasp what this demographic shift will mean. Not financially, not legislatively, not emotionally. The baby boom generation of 80 million will soon enough be edging toward death. Who will care for them, and how?
By next year, 365 more boomers will join Casey-Kirschling every hour, turning 62 and becoming eligible to tap into Social Security.
The commissioner of Social Security is fond of referring to this new turn for the boomers as “America’s silver tsunami.” Tsunami, of course, never portends to anything positive.
In 10 more years, the pool of funds that is Social Security will be upended — meaning that more will be going out than will be coming in.
Medicare currently covers about 44 million people. By 2030, the number will be 79 million.
Technically, I’m a baby boomer as well, but barely. I arrived at the end of the birthing boom that lasted from 1946 to 1964. And so I expect to feel the effects of how society shifts as my elder boomers continue to age.
Few people want to discuss, much less fully plan for, their own demise quite as honestly as baby boomers need to right now. We’d all like to think that we will “grow old gracefully,” be able to look back on a “purpose-driven life” and a bookshelf full of other soothing clichés about aging.
Yet how many realize what the end is really like these days? We lurch toward death, suffering a fall, a stroke, a heart attack — and then recover. But often not to the same level of health as before, until the next medical incident and a little more physical strength is sapped. Dying really is a process.
It’s an expensive process as well, but the costs are not as apparent as they should be. According to AARP, 34 million people, usually women, provide an average 21 hours of uncompensated care a week to an elderly relative — a lot of them while still trying to work full-time. This has had an effect on productivity in the workplace and family finances.
Equally concerning is the fact that the average caregiver is a 46-year-old working woman. Often she will find it necessary to cut back on her own work to care for a relative, eroding her wages, benefits and the money she can offer her family. The danger is that, over the long term, people in this situation limit their ability to save for their own retirements.
With the vast demographic shift upon us, will this burden be too much to bear?
Baby boomers like to tout the impact they’ve had on every aspect of life — how they have changed the nation, often for the better, by ushering in new forms of equality, reforming education and even revolutionizing attitudes about aging (“40 is the new 30!”).
Soon the boomers will face their own mortality. Like my mother, everyone who reaches their “golden years” deserves to live them in dignity. But for that to happen, boomers need to begin seriously considering how they will live out their last years and, yes, how they will die.
It will be their greatest challenge yet.
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