Getting a Parent With Dementia the Best Long-Term Care for the Money

Liz Kozlowski and her staff at Brookdale Senior Living’s Westlake Village, outside of Cleveland, knew that resident Ed Petrigac and his wife Yvonne had started an auto parts business. But it wasn’t until they read his life story that they realized he a… Continue reading

OPINION: It’s Time to Make the Elder Justice Act More Effective

Ageism can creep into public policy and negatively affect millions of older Americans. A prime example: the nation’s failure to prevent elder abuse despite the upcoming 10th anniversary of the bipartisan Elder Justice Act in March 2020. Passing that la… Continue reading

2020 Election: How Amy Klobuchar’s Health Plan Could Help Family Caregivers

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, one of two dozen Democratic candidates for president in 2020, has not become a breakout star. But the Minnesota senator is one of the few hopefuls who released a plan addressing concerns of older adults and family caregivers, as wel… Continue reading

2020 Election: The Issues That Matter Most to Our Readers

At Next Avenue, a public media website for people 50+, we know our readers care deeply about the 2020 presidential election. To find out which election issues matter most to them, we asked readers to tell us their top three. Some 209 readers responded,… Continue reading

2020 Election: What Democrats Told Older Voters at the AARP Forums

Until recently, aside from talking about Medicare for All, most Democratic presidential hopefuls haven’t said much about issues of keen interest to older voters. That all changed last week, though, when they answered pointed questions at the AARP Presi… Continue reading

3 New Alzheimer’s Studies’ Goal: ‘Preparing Us for a Cure’

George Vrandenburg, the co-founder and chairman of the UsAgainstAlzheimer’s advocacy group is a man on a mission. And he is in a hurry. He’s not prepared to wait until 2025, the federal government’s deadline to recommend next-step solutions for Alzheim… Continue reading

2020 Election: Analyzing the Sanders Plan for Long-Term Care

(Editors’ note: Since this article was published on July 11, 2019, Democratic presidential hopefuls Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Amy Klobuchar released long-term care proposals. Booker’s long-term care plan would make it easier to qualify for Medicaid cov… Continue reading

Is It Time for Government to Offer Universal Family Care?

Consider the possible hefty caregiving needs and costs over an adult’s lifetime: Early child care and education runs nearly $10,000 annually for the parent of a toddler, on average. Family caregivers spend roughly $7,000 on caregiving costs, on average… Continue reading

When the Long-Term Care Insurer Refuses to Pay

My dad was a smart guy, but not so smart as to avoid being hoodwinked by those who drafted the contract for my mom’s long-term care insurance policy. When my father died in 2013, he went to his grave imagining that my mother, then an Alzheimer’s patien… Continue reading

Financial Considerations For LGBTQ Couples As They Age

(Editor’s note: Covering LGBTQ issues is an ongoing Next Avenue priority, and this June, during Pride Month, we are publishing a special LGBTQ-focused series. We started with a guide to LGBTQ allyship, followed by a Q&A with Frank DeCaro about his … Continue reading