Basic Needs of Older Adults

1
Basic Needs of Older Adults

• Section 2-2

2

• Have different needs from those they had when
  they were younger
• Needs include social interaction and support,
  financial security, living arrangements,
  transportation, health care, and emotional
  security
• As an elder care provider, you will help older
  adults and their families in ensuring a healthy
  and happy environment that offers them the
  physical and emotional security they need

3
Social Interaction and Support

• After retirement, people welcome new roles help
  others, remain at home, part time employment
• Involvement in these outside activities help
  adults save money, stay active, contribute to
  their communities
• Many organizations and agencies recruit retirees
  to tutor and mentor young adults and children in
  school programs
• May also volunteer in child care centers, read to
  children, foster grandparents
• When baby boomers retire, they will need many
  types of social support technology is a must
• As people age and retire, they give up the roles
  they have had for many years (Ex. Woman may have
  been in charge of finances, plan family
  activities, take care of household activities,
  now she may not be able to)
• May have to pass on major responsibilities (pay
  bills, handle investments) to other family
  members or social service agencies
• May also need help with house cleaning, personal
  shopping, bathing, home health care

4
Financial Security

• As people approach 65, the number of those in the
  workforce drops dramatically
• Some will continue to work
• Some may have poor SS benefits and have to have a
  paycheck coming in
• Only 2 of people 65 and older remain employed
• Sometimes you have to make major lifestyle
  adjustments new position in society with roles,
  expectations, and responsibilities
• Some adults live on less income when retired
• May have to lower their standards of living
  because they are now on fixed incomes and have
  less discretionary income
• May need to look at different housing,
  transportation, and health care arrangements

5
Transportation

• Personal cars are the primary means of
  transportation in the U.S.
• Most adults prefer to drive their own cars, but
  some have to five up their license and rely on
  other means
• These older adults have become unsafe drivers
  because of a decline in health or other physical
  or emotional limitations
• May rely on other family members, but they are
  not always available during the day time for
  trips to grocery store or doctor appointments
• May have to use public transportation (urban
  areas have safe and reliable transportation but
  rural areas may not)
• Older adults may become overwhelmed when looking
  at a bus or subway map care providers can help
  them familiarize themselves with colors and
  locations
• Also available services for residents of housing
  facilities, taxis, buses, special vans for those
  disabilities

6
Health Care

• Varies according to lifestyle, heredity, and
  other factors
• Common health problems heart disease, Type II
  Diabetes, osteoporosis
• If healthy when younger, typically healthy when
  older

7
Retirement Quiz

• 1. One of the first things to consider when
  planning for retirement is how long your
  resources need to last. That is, how long will
  you live after retiring? On average, American
  women now live longer than do men, so women may
  need to be even more concerned about this than
  men. The American woman who retires at age 65 in
  2004 has an average life expectancy of
  approximatelyA) 10 years.B) 15 years.C) 20
  yearsD) 25 years.

8

• 2. Retirement plans vary. A defined benefit plan
  promises you specific benefits usually based on
  your pre-retirement salary. In defined
  contribution plans the company contributes some
  amount to a retirement plan such as a 401(k) but
  has no further obligation when the employee
  retires. Among companies that offer retirement
  plans, increasingly the trend is to move to
  A) Defined benefit plans instead of defined
  contribution plans.B) Defined contribution plans
  instead of defined benefit plans.C) An increase
  in social security payments rather than a
  separate company retirement plan.D) Employee
  stock option plans rather than pensions.

9

• 3. In late 2003 it was estimated that private
  employer pension plans in the U.S. were
  approximately ____________ short of what they
  needed to keep the promises they have made to
  current and future retirees.A) 4 billionB) 40
  billionC) 240 billionD) 400 billion

10

• 4. Over 90 of aged U.S. citizens now receive
  social security benefits. The average monthly
  benefit paid to a new retiree in 2002
  wasA) 572B) 914C) 1,158D) 2,045

11

• 5. When you pay into the U.S. social security
  system, your money is put into a separate account
  under your name to earn interest. When you retire
  you receive that money back in payments that are
  actuarially adjusted for your age at
  retirement.A) TrueB) False

12

• 6. Social Security payments replace the highest
  proportion of previous income forLower income
  workers.Middle income workers.Higher income
  workers.None of the above. Social security
  replaces the same proportion of previous income
  for all recipients.

13

• 7. When planning your retirement budget, dont
  forget taxes (which may not be withheld from your
  current sources of income). What about social
  security? Is social security income
  taxable?A) YesB) NoC) Maybe

14

• 8. Most baby boomers say they plan toA) Retire
  as soon as possible, travel, and pursue
  hobbies.B) Keep working at least part-time past
  the traditional retirement age, whether at their
  current job or some other.C) Retire from their
  current positions at or before the traditional
  retirement age and become activists in some
  cause, but not work at a paying job.D) Never
  retire as such.

15

• 9. Most retirement experts believe that
  retirement income does not need to replace
  pre-retirement income dollar for dollar because
  (presumably) children are grown and on their own,
  there are no longer work-related expenses,
  mortgages get paid off, etc. However, to maintain
  your pre-retirement lifestyle they suggest that
  you need  ____________  percent of your
  pre-retirement income.A) 50B) 60C) 70D) 80

16

• 10. While the expenses in many areas of life may
  go down in the retirement years, costs in one
  area generally are higher. That area isA) Health
  Care.B) Liability Insurance.C) Utilities.D) Automo
  bile expenses.

17

• 11. Thanks to Medicare, there is some medical
  coverage for almost all Americans who are 65 or
  older. Which of the following expenses does
  Medicare not cover? Hospital care.Physicians
  services.Long-term custodial care, i.e, living in
  a nursing home or receiving home care assistance
  to help with daily activities of living that one
  can no longer do alone.Medicare covers all of the
  above.

18

• 12. When it comes to deciding where to live in
  retirement, according to polls most baby-boomers
  say they want toA) Move to a planned retirement
  community.B) Stay in their own homes (age in
  place).C) Downsize to a smaller home in the same
  community.D) Move to be close to adult children.