In the March AARP issue (Bulletins) there was a great graphic titled Help When You Need It Most, a resource for caregivers and discusses the top concerns caregivers have and also provides resources to help with those concerns.
This list directly relates to Women for Living in Community because each of these concerns is addressed when women spearhead the change in how we think about aging in community because caregivers in our culture are usually women.
Here is a list by the AARP of resources that can help women as well as the men in our lives.
As you read it, consider how alternatives to aging in community such as shared housing or mini-pocket neighborhoods where each person helps to take care of their neighbor or housemate, may alleviate these concerns as well.
- Healthcare Costs: According to the page, 61% of women in the workplace over the age of fifty are concerned about being able to afford healthcare costs after retirement. AARP offers a healthcare cost calculator that can help with planning for the near future.
- Retirement: Beyond healthcare, women in the workplace are also concerned about their overall retirement savings. 44% of working women are worried that they simply won’t have enough. AARP provides a tool for figuring out those numbers as well.
- Caregiving: Far too many adults don’t take long term care into account when they’re planning their future. While poor health isn’t inevitable it is possible regardless of your current health routines. Women bear the burden of becoming unpaid caregivers for their aging relatives. You can learn more here.
- Travel: 32% of women over the age of fifty are looking forward to international travel as they begin to cross things off their own bucket lists. 24% prefer planning a family get away. In either case, travel is a top priority for many people. AARP has travel planning help as well.
- Scams: Whether it is by telephone or online, scams are unfortunately too prevalent. 65% of women have received a scam offer online and few know how to handle them. AARP has a fraud watch network to help.
- Technology: Speaking of online information, technology is becoming impossible to avoid so it is useful to learn more about it. 81% of older women who want to use smart devices also want help. AARP has a resource for that, too.
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