Simple Engineering To Meet Demands of Aging Demographics
RoseAnne Homola who will be speaking on our panel for unpacking caregiver guilt this Saturday shared this video with me and I got really excited. It’s a young couple who was inspired to bring back everyday experiences to their elder family members and the first focus was on a good cup of coffee.
Their grandfather had a difficult time getting his morning coffee to his lips and they designed a new mug to allow him to bring back that familiar experience we often take for granted…our morning cup of joe! It’s the spirit of Generation Bridge - opportunities abound if we are listening to each other. Students should also be attending to understand more about what they could do to help a population who is changing by age.
Americans Behind the Race in Retirement Savings
A survey by TD Ameritrade shows that Americans are worried about their nest eggs according to this USA Today article. At this point, Gen X’ers are recording a more immediate need to make up ground. I would imagine that would hold true for almost everyone who is in their 40’s and 50’s thanks to general life stage challenges like aging kids, college help, and potential repercussions from the 2008 recession where housing values plummeted as Gen Xers were buying. But ultimately the article shows a real need to re-evaluate finances from budgeting to asset management (downsizing homes, etc.).
Additionally there aren’t a lot of people who have truly maxed out their contributions to their 401k’s etc. One of the most often cited ways to make up shortfalls, working longer across all age breaks. But work provides purpose, so it could likely have some other health benefits too :)
New Finance Startups to Help Homeowners Get Access to Funding
Startups like Divvy Homes, UpEquity, ZeroDown and more are offering some people who don’t have access to enough liquid assets to buy or finance. The WSJ reports on how these startups essentially act as buying agents for potential buyers. After the purchase they rent the property to the “buyers” at a rate that is higher than rental market value with a percentage of the rent being deposited to gain “equity” int he property.
After a period of time as renters, buyers have the opportunity to buy the home. If they decide not to buy, they keep their credits to apply to another purchase in the future. It’s interesting, and while I do think people should save enough to have for a downpayment (as it can also be an emergency fund in the event that situations change leading up to a purchase (like a job loss, etc.). Debt is a dangerous thing if we rely on credit too much, but when you are striving to get into a new home, but can’t visualize how to do it, having some different options like these can help people realize their dream, particularly in expensive markets like silicon valley and other metro areas.
Medical Marijuana Debate
For those that suffer from chronic ailments like chronic pain, PTSD, and other conditions, medical marijuana has been one of the treatments that provides relief. The debate however is whether or not we might be getting too loose with prescriptions considering we don’t know necessarily what the long term effects might be.
They bring up the idea of the opioid crisis and how we were too loose in prescribing those drugs without understanding the future crisis that this would create.
It’s tough, I see both sides on this one, especially when you hear about possibilities of people putting other things within the marijuana or how some of the edibles can be confused with candy, etc. The more we do discuss concerns and fears, the more likely we are to come to a better solution. There is some access to some good information on the subject in this article. Have a read if you are interested in understanding more about pros and cons coming up in the debate.
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