Getting old is a crisis more and more Americans can’t afford
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Getting old is a crisis more and more Americans can’t afford
1–10 of 34 posts
Re: Getting old is a crisis more and more Americans can’t afford
#2I can relate to this. My parents are baby boomers and not in the best of health or in a good financial situation. Being privileged enough to be in the tech industry and doing relatively well financially, I can foresee my parents moving in and living with me to help with costs and assistance. As this generation continues to age, I suspect multi-generational households will become more common.
Re: Getting old is a crisis more and more Americans can’t afford
#3Here in Germany around Munich we have quite a few cooperative communities for retirees where retired people live together, take care of each other, with some assistance from nursing staff or food delivery and so on if it's needed.
From what I have heard it works very well, is much more dignified because elderly people can take care of themselves, keeps people active and is significantly cheaper.
Lots of the crisis around the retired population seems to come from the degree with which it has been commodified. People isolated from their family or community, taken care of by strangers, no social life, no stimulation, just horrible.
In the US in particular it seems to be amplified by the dominance of the nuclear family.
Re: Getting old is a crisis more and more Americans can’t afford
#4I wish I were more sympathetic. But this generation:
- had cheap housing for years
- lived through a strong American economy
- had relatively cheap access to education
- had a cheaper tax burden
- many of them have pensions that are paid for by today’s workers
- spent most of their lives polluting the earth and not putting money aside for the cleanup
Not sure what other advantages this generation wants?
Re: Getting old is a crisis more and more Americans can’t afford
#5I wish I were more sympathetic. But this generation: - had cheap housing for years - lived through a strong American economy - had relatively cheap access to education - had a cheaper tax burden - many of them have pensions that are paid for by today’s workers - spent most of their lives polluting the earth and not putting money aside for the cleanup Not sure what other advantages this generation wants?
And social security. Millennial and younger generations would be wise to plan for retirement without it.
Re: Getting old is a crisis more and more Americans can’t afford
#6Here in Germany around Munich we have quite a few cooperative communities for retirees where retired people live together, take care of each other, with some assistance from nursing staff or food delivery and so on if it's needed. From what I have heard it works very well, is much more dignified because elderly people can take care of themselves, keeps people active and is significantly cheaper. Lots of the crisis ar…
Do you have a negative opinion of the nuclear family?
Re: Getting old is a crisis more and more Americans can’t afford
#7I wish I were more sympathetic. But this generation: - had cheap housing for years - lived through a strong American economy - had relatively cheap access to education - had a cheaper tax burden - many of them have pensions that are paid for by today’s workers - spent most of their lives polluting the earth and not putting money aside for the cleanup Not sure what other advantages this generation wants?
They're called the 'me generation' for a very valid reason...
Re: Getting old is a crisis more and more Americans can’t afford
#8Here in Germany around Munich we have quite a few cooperative communities for retirees where retired people live together, take care of each other, with some assistance from nursing staff or food delivery and so on if it's needed. From what I have heard it works very well, is much more dignified because elderly people can take care of themselves, keeps people active and is significantly cheaper. Lots of the crisis ar…
Do you have a negative opinion of the nuclear family?
The nuclear family is an artifice probably promoted by suburban land developers and durable goods manufacturers during the 40s and 50s or something.
Humans naturally live in extended families three or more generations deep.
Re: Getting old is a crisis more and more Americans can’t afford
#9I know I am supposed to by sympathetic, but if youve left the bay area and been out in the rral world, you would know that most people do not save at all.
I used to sell RVs. I would say less than 20% of our clients could actually afford their purchase. By that I mean, people all ready in debt, but trying to max out their spending because having something leftover after bills and debts would be a waste.
Re: Getting old is a crisis more and more Americans can’t afford
#10Here in Germany around Munich we have quite a few cooperative communities for retirees where retired people live together, take care of each other, with some assistance from nursing staff or food delivery and so on if it's needed. From what I have heard it works very well, is much more dignified because elderly people can take care of themselves, keeps people active and is significantly cheaper. Lots of the crisis ar…
Do you have a negative opinion of the nuclear family?
yes because the loss of the extended family and the multi-generational home in my opinion is one of the largest drivers of disintegration of our social fabric, not just for the old but also the young, and also a driver of inequality. The nuclear family benefits people who can outsource what were traditional tasks of the family or community to the market, while the poor have no such options. There's also a racial component with marginalized peoples often suffering strongest from the fragility that is the result of the loss of larger family structures.