Links of Interest

Why Do Late Boomers Have So Little Retirement Wealth?

Over the last 40 years, the retirement system has shifted from defined benefit plans to defined contribution plans, primarily 401(k)s and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). This shift has been accompanied by a decline in Social Security benefits relative to pre-retirement earnings as the program’s Full Retirement Age has moved from 65 to 67. Thus, the […]

Battling The Mental Health Crisis Among The Underserved Through State Medicaid Reforms

Total deaths from suicide, alcohol, or drugs, what some call “deaths of despair,” increased by 51 percent from 2005 to 2016 in the United States, and drug overdose deaths increased by 16 percent per year between 2014 and 2017. These statistics reflect the well-documented opioid crisis and what some experts have called a national “mental […]

Spousal Caregivers Are Caregiving Alone In The Last Years Of Life

Caregiving in the last years of life is associated with increased depression and negative health outcomes for surviving spouses, many of whom are themselves in poor health. Yet it is unclear how often spouses are caregiving alone, how they differ from supported spouses, and whether lack of support affects postbereavement outcomes. We hypothesized that spouses […]

U.S. Nursing Home Violations of International and Domestic Human Rights Standards

We present a review of the international covenants and conventions and U.S. domestic laws and regulations that are designed to protect nursing home residents in the United States. Based on a review of research studies, government reports, and news reports, we found extensive evidence of widespread and systematic abuse and neglect of nursing home residents […]

The Forgotten Middle: Many Middle-Income Seniors Will Have Insufficient Resources For Housing And Health Care

As people age and require more assistance with daily living and health needs, a range of housing and care options is available. Over the past four decades the market for seniors housing and care—including assisted living and independent living communities—has greatly expanded to accommodate people with more complex needs. These settings provide housing in a […]