May 2022

US. Study sheds light onto biracial, LGBTQ older adults for the first time

A new study presented at the 2022 American Society on Aging’s annual conference is hoping to shed light on the lived experiences connected to the health and well-being of older adults who identify as biracial/multiracial and bisexual. Deana Williams, PhD, MPH, lead researcher of the study and a research investigator at the MultiCare Institute for Research and Innovation, told SeniorsMatter while research is increasing for some of these groups – including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults –...

Aging beyond retirement: How Canadians can afford to grow old

That’s the number of siblings Dr. Bonnie-Jeanne MacDonald’s mother had growing up. An astounding number, even at a time when families were known for having large broods. While it might seem overwhelming, to say the least, there certainly were benefits to having so many kids, says Dr. MacDonald, the director of financial security research for the National Institute on Aging (NIA). “My mother came from a family of 14 kids, and suddenly you have much fewer people to do that care...

April 2022

How AI and robots are caring for the elderly in Taiwan’s ageing society

The idea that cities today will have a disproportionate number of elderly would have been laughable a mere century ago. As recently as 1950, global mortality rates for children were five times higher than they are now, according to Our World in Data. Yet, advancements in healthcare and sanitation standards are helping adults live longer than ever before. Taiwan, in particular, is estimated to become a super-aged society by 2025, with one in five being over 65 years old, said...

Homeless Population Aging in Japan

The proportion of homeless people aged 70 or over in the total homeless population in Japan surged to 34.4 pct in 2021 from 19.7 pct in 2016, a welfare ministry survey has found. The survey on people without housing, held about every five years, also showed that the average age of homeless people rose by 2.1 years to 63.6 years. In the survey, conducted in November 2021, homeless people in Tokyo's 23 special wards, ordinance-designated major cities and other cities were...

China may see negative population growth in 2022, 12 years earlier than UN prediction: experts

Experts said that population aging may lead China to count more deaths than births in 2022, 12 years earlier than the UN predicted. They suggested boosting commercial insurance to support the elderly given the current inadequate old age welfare system. Chinese people aged over 65 have surpassed 14% of the total population in 2021, which is an important indicator and means the country has formally become an aged society, said Zheng Bingwen, director of the Center for International Social Security...

Bad Retirement Savers Expect to Die Young

By Allison Bell What workers think about their retirement savings is closely related to how long they think they will live, according to a new Club Vita life expectancy survey. Workers who said that their savings would be enough to pay for a comfortable retirement agreed with Club Vita about how long they might live. Workers who said their savings would be too small to pay for a comfortable retirement predicted that they would die about 7.1 years earlier than Club Vita would have...

Japan’s population down 640,000 in 2021, biggest drop on record

Japan's population totaled 125,502,000 as of Oct. 1, down 644,000 from a year earlier, marking the biggest decline on record, according to government data released Friday. The fall was attributed to stricter border restrictions propelled by the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said. The tally includes foreign nationals. Tokyo's population shrank for the first time in 26 years. All of Japan's 47 prefectures except Okinawa posted a fall in the number of residents in the year to...

US. America's Senior Homeless Population is Growing as More Retire on Streets

US. Senior Homeless Population is Growing as More Retire on Streets

Karla Finocchio's slide into homelessness began when she split with her partner of 18 years and temporarily moved in with a cousin. The 55-year-old planned to use her $800-a-month disability check to get an apartment after back surgery. But she soon was sleeping in her old pickup protected by her German Shepherd mix Scrappy, unable to afford housing in Phoenix, where median monthly rents soared 33% during the coronavirus pandemic to over $1,220 for a one-bedroom, according to ApartmentList.com. Finocchio is...

Cities that Plan for Age-Readiness can Reap Lasting Social and Economic Benefits: New World Bank Report

Cities that Plan for Age-Readiness can Reap Lasting Social and Economic Benefits: New World Bank Report

As the world gets older and cities expand to accommodate more people, focusing on making urban infrastructure and services ‘age-ready’ — conducive for older persons and younger ones alike — can have universal social and economic benefits, a new World Bank report shows. “Silver Hues: Building Age-Ready Cities” builds on the reality that for the first time in history, there are more persons aged 65 years or over than there are children under five. In fact, by 2050, one in...

Aging in the LGBTQ+ Community

Aging in the LGBTQ+ Community

The Wyomissing Public Library will hold an event to learn more about the older LGBTQ+ population, and how we can improve to create a more equitable society for all. The LGBTQ+ population faces many disparities, one of them being disproportionate challenges brought up during the aging process. When compared to their heterosexual counterparts, LGBTQ+ elders are more likely to experience discrimination in housing, have a lower income, and are more likely to express a lack of social support. Check @Bctv.org for...