The Second Fifty: Seniors are happy, expect lives to improve, hold optimistic views

Published in RINewsToday on November 4, 2024

It seems that America’s older adults are not fearful of aging. With optimism they are embracing it. That’s what the findings of a new AARP survey reveal in exploring the second half of life. AARP’s 2024 survey of adults ages 50 and over reveals that older adults have an optimistic view and outlook on life and expect their lives to even improve as they grow older. Nearly 9 in 10 are at least somewhat optimistic about their future, with half being extremely or very optimistic, note the study’s finding.

AARP new survey, “The fountain of happiness: Older adults’ outlook on life and optimism toward the future,” exploring the second half of life serves as an update to the original second half of life study released in June 2022, which inspired the publishing of The Second Fifty authored by Debra Whitman, AARP’s Executive Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer.

These and other findings are explored further in Whitman’s new book, The Second Fifty. The tome takes readers on a search for answers at a critical time in the nation’s history: by 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be age 65 or older, and by 2050, the U.S. is projected to have nearly 1 million centenarians.

Taking a Look at “The Second Fifty”

“The Second Fifty provides a roadmap for navigating and celebrating the second half of life, emphasizing the importance of mindset to living well as we age,” said Whitman, in an Oct. 4, 2024 statement announcing the release of the 2024 survey’s findings. “Whether you are approaching 50, well into your later years, or caring for someone who is, The Second Fifty provides practical steps, grounded in research, to help us all create a better second half of life for ourselves and our loved ones,” she says.

According to the AARP’s recently released survey’s findings, older adults are optimistic and happy about growing older. Over four in five say they are optimistic (89%) about their future and feel happy (86%). Age 60 year and older respondents reported higher levels of happiness than those persons ages 50-59.

The study’s findings also indicate that old adult’s optimism about the nation’s future has grown, with 61% reporting they feeling more hopeful today than two years ago (54%). The researchers noted that the initial study released in 2022 was conducted following the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to researchers, health, gender and chronological age are three key factors that shape the aging experiences of older Americans. They say that gender differences are evident in the older respondents happiness about their future. A higher percentage of older men reported being very happy (24%) than women (17%). The study’s findings also indicated that older men are more likely than women to be very optimistic about their future (43% t0 34%, positive about the future of America (20% to 12%) and the world (15 % to 9 %).

Expecting longevity key to one’s outlook on aging

Expected longevity is key to one’s outlook on aging, say the researchers, noting that with a self-reported life expectancy of 85 years, older adults would choose to live even longer, to the ripe old median age of 93. At the same time, the study reveals that most older adults (74%) are currently afflicted with a chronic or serious health condition, and more than half (53%) are living with two or more chronic conditions.

As to viewing one’s longevity, researchers note that the older someone is, the longer they expect to live. The study’s findings indicated that those adults age 70 and over (39%) are more likely to hope to age into than nineties than their younger cohorts (50 plus-28 %, ages 50-59-19%, ages 60-69-26%).

As people grow older, they then begin to value each decade of their adulthood different, says the study’s findings. While most are currently happy and optimistic about their future, over two-thirds (67%) say their best decade came before age 50. For those ages 50-59, they most likely to consider their 20s (34%) as their best decade. But for those persons age 60-69, they value their time in their 30s. For those age 70, 22% favor their 30s, 20% consider their best decade the 40s and 21% favor their 50s and 19% remember their 60s as the best.

And the researches found that relationships tend to get better, improve and more meaningful with growing older. Over the past five years, more than 28% of the older respondents experienced improved relationships. Almost half (45%) expect their relationships to become more meaningful, too. The findings also indicated that persons ages 50-59 are significantly more likely to believe their relationships will become more meaningful in their future (51%) compared to those ages 70 and older (38%).

Taking a look at the study’s implications

As to implications, the study’s researchers note that existing health and gender disparities in aging are risk factors to older adults to age with hope and dignity. They call for local, state and national policies to address these disparities by improving access to affordable and quality healthcare (by increasing access to health insurance, primary care and preventative services). Policies should address gender-specific needs and support systems must ensure that older men and women equality benefit from improvements, they say.

Researchers also stress the importance of understanding that each generation of adults age 50 and over value different life stages and this is essential for providing support to these individuals as they age. Designing effective policies, interventions, and support systems can be accomplished by recognizing “diverse and evolving needs, values and priorities of older adults.”

As recognized by the U.S. Surgeon General, relations are importance to your health and well-being. The researchers recognize that “reliable and meaningful relationships are central to aging well.” The AARP study calls for “policies to prioritize the development and funding of programs that foster social connections among older adults.” These programs, recognizing that older men and women experience social connections different, might include creating accessible community centers and social engagement initiatives.

To download the original second half of life study released in June 2022, go to https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/surveys_statistics/life-leisure/2022/second-half-life-desires-concerns-report.doi.10.26419-2Fres.00538.001.pdf.

House Select Committee on Aging has new life

Published in RINewsToday on July 29, 2024

Just a month ago, the Washington, DC-based Leadership Council on Aging Organizations (LCAO), a coalition of 68 national nonprofit groups committed to representing seniors in Congressional policy making, formally endorsed Cong. Seth Magaziner’s (RI-2) H. Res. 1029, reestablishing the House Select Committee on Aging (HSCoA).

The freshman congressman picked up the baton from former Cong. David Cicilline, who resigned his seat and now heads the Rhode Island Foundation. The former Congressman had introduced a resolution to bring back the HSCoA during the 114^th-117^th Congresses.

At press time, Magaziner’s resolution, introduced on Feb. 23, 2024 (with 26 Democratic co-sponsors and no Republicans on board), has been referred to the House Committee on Rules for mark-up, and if passed, will be considered by the full House.

LCAO endorsed Cong. Magaziner’s 213-word resolution in a June 25th letter. H Res. 1029 amends the Rules of the House to establish a HSCoA. Although the panel will not have legislative jurisdiction, it’s authorized to conduct a continuing comprehensive study and review of a myriad of aging issues, from income maintenance, poverty, housing health (including medical and research, welfare, employment, education, recreation, to long-term care.

If passed, the Magaziner’s resolution would authorize the HSCoA to study the use of all practical means and methods of encouraging the development of public and private programs and policies which will assist seniors in taking a full part in national life and which will encourage the utilization of knowledge, skills, special aptitudes, and abilities of seniors to contribute to a better quality of life for all Americans.

Finally, H. Res. 1029 would also allow the HSCoA to develop policies that would encourage the coordination of both governmental and private programs designed to deal with problems of aging and to review any recommendations made by the President or by the White House Conference on Aging in relation to programs or policies affecting seniors.

LCAO Calls for Passage of H. Res. 1029

“As we all age together as a society, we see the need to find solutions as demand grows for paid and family care workers, along with finding opportunities to address retirement security. Addressing these demands in a fiscally responsible, bipartisan manner deserves greater attention, understanding and public engagement, says LCAO Chair Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance of Retired Americans, in a June 25 letter written to Cong. Magaziner endorsing H. Res. 1029.

In the endorsement letter, Fiesta explained that while authorizing standing House Committees “perform exemplary oversight and legislative functions over matters within their respective jurisdictions, the HSCoA would have an opportunity to more fully explore a range of issues and innovations that cross jurisdictional lines, while holding field hearings, convening remote hearings, engaging communities, and promoting understanding and dialogue that would contribute to the solutions that present themselves as the number of older people in our nation increases.”

Looking back, LCAO’s letter noted that HSCoA, under Chairman Claude Pepper, closely worked with standing committees, in a team effort and a bipartisan manner, holding many joint hearings with them and helping to pass the end of mandatory retirement, 359-2 in the House and 89-19 in the Senate.”

Additionally, HSCoA “worked to protect Social Security, expose nursing home abuses and set transparency standards, expand home health care benefits as a way older people could often delay or avoid the need of entering into long-term care facilities, and so much more,” said Fiesta, noting that The Ways and Means, Education and Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Space, Science and Technology were other committees that benefited from the partnership,” Fiesta said.

Finally, Fiesta stresses that HSCoA would also “complement the strong bipartisan work of the Senate Special Committee on Aging which has effectively promoted member understanding on a range of issues, including the concerns of grandparents raising grandchildren, elder abuse and fraud, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on older Americans and their families, the importance of financial literacy in planning for retirement, and the costs associated with isolation and loneliness.”

Magaziner talks turkey about H. Res. 1029

“Older Americans have worked hard their entire lives, and they deserve to retire and age with dignity,” says Magaziner, noting he became the primary sponsor of H. Res. 1029 because it “ensures that seniors in Rhode Island and across the country have their voices heard, needs met, and can enjoy their golden years with peace of mind.”

Magaziner was recently on parental leave and was unable to meet with former HSCoA staffers and aging advocates. He notes, however, that “my staff was able to listen to and gain valuable insight into the successes of the Committee and its role in fighting for America’s aging population.”

According to Magaziner, his staff is working hard to tell other offices about the benefits of the proposed Committee and will continue to look for ways to raise the profile of this resolution to encourage other Members to become co-sponsors. “I am proud that this resolution received the recent endorsement from the LCAO, along with other prominent organizations including the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, AARP, Alliance for Retired Americans, Social Security Works and Meals on Wheels America,” he said, stressing that the support of advocates is important to encouraging House lawmakers to cosponsor the resolution.

Magaziner stresses that getting bipartisan support for H. Res. 1029 is important to him. “I’m ready to work with anyone, from either party, to deliver results for Rhode Island—and that includes finding common ground on important legislation like H. Res. 1029,” he says. “There’s still room for bipartisanship, and ensuring we address issues for seniors across the country should be an area where we can all agree,” he adds, calling on his Republican colleagues to work together with Democrats to move our country forward.

If not this year, push for next Congressional session

But with 98 days left before the upcoming presidential election, can Magaziner push H. Res. 1029 across the goal line?

With the House beginning its 6-week August recess, Bob Blancato, former Staff Director of the, Subcommittee on Human Services, urges voters to ask their lawmakers to support H. Res. 1029 if they are not a cosponsor. “Find them at public events and raise [the importance of their support], he suggests.

Blancato sees the importance of Cong. Magaziner sending another “Dear Colleague” letter to House lawmakers in soliciting cosponsors. “They should also target some of the House Caucuses, such as the bipartisan Congressional Woman’s Caucus and the Assisting Caregivers Caucus,” he recommends.

According to Bob Weiner, former Chief of Staff, House Select Committee on Aging under Chairman Claude Pepper (D-FL), the timing to push this resolution is after the upcoming presidential election. “Most important will be to hit the ground RUNNING at the start of the next Congress, with the agreement by Cong. Magaziner to introduce the first new session day, and give him and the allied groups and supporters the immediate opportunity to build cosponsors at that time,” he says, stressing that the count for the next Congress begins in the next Congress, which could well be a different party majority. “This is a terrific resolution which can have significant impact helping older Americans to protect and build their health and livelihoods, he adds.

Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM) and a long-time member of the LCAO, agrees with Weiner’s assessment. “Historically, the House Permanent Select Committee on Aging served as a unique venue that allowed open, bipartisan debate from various ideological and philosophical perspectives to promote consensus that, in turn, helped facilitate the critical work of the standing committees. We believe that issues affecting seniors would be best advanced by the re-establishment of such a Committee in the House. Reestablishing a Select Committee on Aging in the House would also complement the strong bipartisan work of its counterpart in the Senate.”

“As was emphasized in the LCAO endorsement letter, we need Cong. Magaziner to tactfully work for bipartisan support of his House Resolution — a commitment he made to the voters in a 2022 campaign press conference that I attended,” says Vin Marzullo, former federal civil rights & social justice administrator and a Board member of Senior Agenda Coalition.

“Additionally, since the Magaziner resolution has less than half of the cosponsors obtained by former Cong. Cicilline, both the Congressman and his staff must step up their outreach efforts to Congressional members on the floor, related House Committee Chairs, House Caucuses, & the House Minority Leader,” he said, noting that grassroots efforts led to the support of Cong. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus”, stated Marzullo, also a former AARP RI President.

For details about the HSCoA, go to https://rinewstoday.com/congressman-magaziner-takes-baton-on-bringing-back-house-aging-committee-herb-weiss/.

AARP report: States’ care for seniors “painfully inadquate”. Major gaps in RI

Published in RINewsToday on October 2, 2023

Last week, the Washington, DC-based AARP released its latest Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Scorecard, calling care provided to seniors and persons with disabilities during the last three years after the COVID-19 pandemic “painfully inadequate.” This nine-page report detailed state specific data, finds major gaps in providing care in every state, including Rhode Island, especially in these categories: “Housing for Older Adults”, “Home Care Costs” and “Home Health Aide Supply”.

The LTSS Scorecard, consisting of 50 indicators, focused on: affordability and access; choice of setting and provider; safety and quality; support for family caregivers; and community integration, using data from a variety of publicly available sources, such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Community Survey, and Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Many benefits of accessing the data

According to AARP, this Scorecard can be a roadmap for improving the LTSS systems and the lives of those who rely on assistance. Many others will benefit by reviewing this data, too. Federal, state, and local policy makers can identify priorities and ensure resources are allocated equitably. Aging advocates can glean public data and hold government officials accountable. Family caregivers can identify needed resources and become actively involved in policy discussions and advocacy. Seniors relying on long-term care programs and services can learn to inspire culture change and demand available tools. Finally, employers can improve workplace policies and practices to assist caregivers and healthcare groups so they can explore public-private partnerships and alliances.

Like the findings reported in AARP’s LTSS Scorecard in 2020, Rhode Island ranked 12^th in the country in 2023, but this year’s Scorecard reveals that the state has made some progress in improving care options for older Rhode Islanders, specifically the enrollment in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), as well as the availability of Adult Day Services.

“The pandemic reinforced the need to strengthen long-term care for countless loved ones across the country, including here in Rhode Island,” said AARP Rhode Island State Director Catherine Taylor in a Sept. 28th statement announcing the release of the 2023 LTSS Scorecard.

“AARP’s Scorecard shows that there are many roads to meet the needs of all Rhode Islanders who deserve the very best care, including the 121,000 family caregivers in our state. The overwhelming majority — 87% — of Rhode Islanders age 45+ would prefer to receive care for themselves or loved ones at home with caregiver assistance. Yet, our low rankings in Housing for Older Adults (51st), Home Care Costs (43rd) and Home Health Aide Supply (41st) underscore how difficult it is for them to age the way they choose. It’s time to accelerate our efforts, for the sake of saving more lives,” she says.

RI is dead last in housing

“In particular, Rhode Island’s dismal ranking for Housing for Older Adults – dead last – points to the urgent need to increase the supply of affordable, accessible housing. We can do that by passing legislation early in 2024 to strengthen homeowners’ ability to build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to allow them to age in place, support a family member, or house a caregiver,” Taylor said.

A national snapshot of the LTSS Scorecard’s 2023 Data

According to Scorecard, 12 states, including Rhode Island, have enacted paid family leave laws and 18 states have paid sick day laws, which can be used to assist caregivers. AARP’s latest Scorecard also reported that only 6 states provide a tax credit for family caregivers’ out-of-pocket expenses. Rhode Island does not provide a tax credit – nor is it among the 7 states that have statewide laws protecting caregivers from discrimination in the workplace that ensure they are not unfairly treated due to caregiving duties outside of work.

Meanwhile, it was reported that dozens of states experienced declines in the number of care choices that help support family caregivers. For instance, 16 states, including Rhode Island, had declines of 10% or more in access to home health aides since 2019.

Regarding Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), the LTSS Scorecard reported that 11 states, including Rhode Island, had state policies that improve presumptive eligibility for Medicaid HCBS at the time of data collection, making it possible for people to go home to receive care after being in the hospital – rather than having to be admitted to a nursing home while their eligibility for Medicaid payments is being determined.

The research indicated that many states also have large numbers of people with low care needs living in nursing homes, indicating a lack of HCBS access and services. More than 20% of nursing home residents in Rhode Island have low needs – compared to 9% nationally.

Data confirms Major Workforce Crisis in nursing facilities across US

As to nursing homes and institutional care, the AARP’s 2023 Scorecard confirmed that a major workforce crisis exists in facilities across the country. Across all states, wages for direct care workers are lower than wages for comparable occupations, with shortfalls ranging from $1.56 to $5.03 per hour. In Rhode Island, wages are $1.79 lower than other entry level jobs.

Nationally, more than 50% of nursing staff in nursing facilities leave their job within a year (53.9% turnover rate). However, in Rhode Island, the rate is slightly better than the average, at 49.3% – with Montana, Vermont, and New Mexico experiencing the highest averages in staffing turnover.

Staffing disparities are also a significant challenge, say researchers, noting that residents of nursing facilities with high admissions of Black residents receive almost 200 fewer hours of care per year compared to residents of facilities with high admissions of white residents.

According to the LTSS Scorecard, only 22% of nursing facility residents live in a facility with a 5-star rating in the US – with less than the national average, about 20.2%, of Rhode Island residents living in a 5-star facility. Gaps in workforce and equity result in persistent problems in care, say the researchers. One measure, pressure sores, can be life-threatening as they can lead to bone or joint infections, cancer, and sepsis. In this measure, 10% of facility residents nationwide experienced a pressure sore.

Finally, this year’s Scorecard announced that there is progress being made to create innovative and effective alternatives to traditional nursing facility models. Specifically, the researchers say that 10 states, including Rhode Island, made strides in nursing home innovations, such as by utilizing Green House® Nursing Home availability and policies, which includes small facilities, private rooms, and other best practices.

AARP’s 2023 LTSS Scorecard identified recommendations that can fix the nation’s delivery of long-term care programs and services to enable seniors to age in place in their communities. It called for increasing support to the nation’s 48 million family caregivers, “who are the backbone of the long-term care system, providing over $600 billion in unpaid care, such as with paid leave, tax credits, and other mechanisms to address health and financial needs.”

AARP Rhode Island continues to call on the Rhode Island General Assembly to support the state’s 121,000 family caregivers by advocating for enhancements to the state’s Temporary Caregivers Insurance program.

Recommendations on enhancing Long-Term Services and Supports

The Scorecard’s recommendations also called for investing in states’ Home and Community-based Care Infrastructure, by increasing support and training for home health aides and home visits, supporting the ability to access and use medical devices and equipment, and updating key Medicaid regulations and payment models.

To tackle the workforce crisis, a recommendation suggests that it is crucial to support both nursing facility and in-home workforce by improving recruitment and training, increasing pay, and expanding the ability of trained nurses, aides, community health workers and other paraprofessionals to take on some aspects of care. States can choose to enact and enforce staffing and related care standards.

A recommendation also calls on States to expand the use of innovative, effective models for nursing homes can improve both quality of care and quality of life, such as with smaller facilities and private rooms and to address inequities by investing to close the staggering gaps in access to quality care and facilities and staffing shortages.

(Editor’s Note: During the pandemic, then Governor Gina Raimondo allocated $5 million towards 2 changes in nursing homes – making all rooms private and providing non-shared, private bathrooms – for all residents – efforts to follow up on this effort have not resulted in what happened to that initiative according to the RI Department of Health).

Another recommendation urges states to create multisector plans for aging and building of coalitions and age-friendly health systems, to help seniors to age in place at home by having affordable and accessible housing and transportation, improved community design, and comprehensive emergency preparedness plans.

Researchers also suggested the advancing innovation in cities, counties, and states by supporting comprehensive state- and community-wide aging plans and piloting new approaches and programs, like Green House® Nursing Homes and presumptive eligibility, that can then be scaled.

Finally, Climate Change is increasing national disasters, and the LTSS Scorecard recommends that every state have a sound emergency preparedness plan to support nursing home residents, in particular, in times of crisis – including natural disaster.

“AARP’s LTSS Scorecard shows some progress and innovation, but there’s still a long way to go before we have systems that allow people to age well, and independently, for as long as possible and support the nation’s 48 million family caregivers. It’s also clear some emerging issues deserve more attention – from whether nursing homes are prepared to confront natural disasters, to whether they have plans in place to maintain and grow their workforces,” says Susan Reinhard, Senior Vice President, AARP Public Policy Institute.

The LTSS Scorecard is a charitable project made possible by a grant from AARP Foundation, with support from The SCAN Foundation, The Commonwealth Fund, and The John A. Hartford Foundation, and has been updated every three years since 2011.

To view the full Scorecard and state-by-state information visit https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/

To view the Scorecard for specifically Rhode Island, go to: https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/scorecard-report/2023/states/rhode-island.

To view Previous Scorecards (2011, 2014, 2017 and 2020) go to https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/scorecard-report/report-archive/

Herb Weiss

Aging Issues

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