Doctor says a lot of us look at the process of dying as shameful

Big Think has a video “We’re Looking at Death All Wrong.  Here’s Why”.

He talks about personal shame in being sick or incapacitated, and that people should be open to the idea that disabled people can enjoy intimacy.

The speaker is Dr BJ Miller, author of “A Beginner's Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death”. 

Should an adult son who takes care of mom pay rent too?

Carolyn Hax, in the Washington Post today, Style Section, page C8, has an interesting letter about filial piety of adult children, here. 

  

A daughter complains about her brother’s living with elderly mom and taking care of her while not paying rent.

  

I didn’t pay it (2003-2010).  A bit of a moral dilemma?

What is "Medicare Part C"?

Amazingly enough, I had never heard the term “Medicare Part C” used by HHS, to refer to Medicare Advantage Plans, until this morning in an ad on CNN.

   

Here is HHS’s page on the term. 

I could give a personal reaction that ten-fifteen years ago, while mother was still alive, yes, I would get calls asking if I wanted to pimp or sell Medicare Advantage somehow.
   

I haven’t thought I needed it (or "earned it").

The dental coverage sounds interesting.  I got my implants in 2013 at age 69-70.  Would some of this have been covered?  (But I had a major problem at the end of 2004, when I was just 61, before Medicare.)

Some of the other benefits, like gym memberships or training or nutrition counseling, do I have time for that?

The video above comes from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, on US 175 in Richardson, whom I worked for indirectly as CABCO (Combined Medicare A and B Consortium) in Dallas from 1979-1981.  The project flopped because of political infighting among the plans.  (They didn’t listen to me – and what I proposed is what everybody does now.)  I once had a regular job interview in Richardson in 1987. 

   

And Dallas is reeling from a tornado this morning – which was actually rare when I lived there (1979-1988).

Study suggests too much brain activity can shorten life span

A new paper in Nature suggests that people who use their brains less intensely in later life may live longer.

Time magazine has picked up in the story in an article by Jamie DuCharme. 

The longevity parameter seems to be a separation between living into the high 70s or 80s, and getting into the upper 90s.

On the other hand, brain activity might both discourage or abet dementia, according to the genetics of the individual.

  

Generally, people with strong social and local ties live longer.  But there may be exceptions with some kinds of individuals (like with Aspergers).

Elder abuse by family members can be detected by banks and reported

Susan Tompor has a revealing article today in the Detroit Free Press about the elderly being scammed by their own relatives. 

  

Banks and financial institutions are paying more attention to this possibility than they used to. Particularly common is misuse of a power of attorney.

  

Banks file reports of suspicious activity to regulators, and the average fraud is around $48000 to the report.  Family members may not realize that banks have systems to detect unusual activity.

Economic Invincibility channel reports on CEO's living off defaulted pensions

Martin Goldberg (“Economic Invincibility”), has a shocking piece “Why CEOs Live on Welfare”.

Martin takes apart the supposed private corporation pension failures and deferrals to the PBGC as a hidden ruse for shareholders to increase value or for CEO’s to practically embezzle the money.

  

Martin, who has said he would phase out his politically oriented YouTube posts, still continues to play the role of a different kind if Tim Pool, a conservative who is willing to go after misbehavior and excesses on the right.  Most of his videos, though, are aimed to help consumers help themselves.

Should retirees consider the Peace Corps?

Should older Americans considering radical volunteering, like in the Peace Corps?

The Peace Corps has an article from Jan. 6, 2017 (that was before Trump’s inauguration) on volunteering in Moldova, Europe’s poorest country. 

I looked into this back in 2002 after my “end of career” layoff, post 9/11, in December 2001. 

The article makes it appear that the language training will be the most difficult for older people.  It is much easier to learn foreign languages, especially those not related easily to English (that is, other Romance or Germanic languages) when a child.  Look at “Paul’s” Language Focus series on YouTube.

  

In my case, it would mean shut down of all my online channels, and I would not have a practical chance of resuming them when I returned.  It would seem like a life-concluding payback.