You may have heard about things like Social Security, nursing homes and Medicare, but what is it? Well, you probably won’t have to deal with it for a really long time, but it won’t hurt knowing about and understanding things that have to do with seniors! Here are the basics:

Senior Citizen

Definitions are different in different countries, but in the U.S. typically defines a senior citizen as someone who is 65 years or older. This is the age at which people are eligible for Social Security.

Medicare

Medicare is a kind of health insurance for people over the age of 65. To be eligible, you or your spouse had to have worked for a Medicare-covered employer for 10 years. People under the age of 65 may be eligible if they have certain diseases or disabilities.

People have the option of receiving the benefits of Medicare through a private health insurance plan.

“In 2005, Medicare provided health care coverage for 42.5 million Americans. Enrollment is expected to reach 77 million by 2031, when the baby boom generation is fully enrolled” (Wikipedia).

It is partially funded by taxes, but parts of Medicare are not fully funded, so patients have to pay out of pocket. Funding has always been an issue, and many believe that money for hospital insurance could run out by 2018.

Social Security

“Social Security provides a guaranteed income each year for more than 47 million retirees, family members of workers who died and people with disabilities. About 30 percent of Social Security beneficiaries receive survivor or disability benefits.

Nearly two-thirds of retirees count on Social Security for most of their retirement incomes.

Social Security is a safety net that keeps retirees out of poverty. Between 1960 and 2004, Social Security helped cut the poverty rate among seniors by more than two-thirds, from 35 percent to 10 percent.

Social Security beneficiaries earned their benefits by paying into the system throughout their time at work" (ALF-CIO).

Social Security is another program that faces not having enough money in the future. Some predict that around 2042, funding for Social Security will be too low to provide for everyone who should have received it.

Alzheimer’s Disease

This is a disease of the brain that gradually affects a person’s ability to remember, thing, do everyday tasks, make judgments, and communicate. As the disease gets worse, a person’s behavior can change dramatically too.

Dementia

Dementia is a group of diseases that affect the brain and its ability to work. Alzheimer’s the most common form of Dementia.

Nursing home

A nursing home is a place where residence need certain care. Though people over the age of 18 can live in nursing homes, they are often specifically for the elderly. Nurses and staff are on duty 24 hours a day. They often have daily activities to keep people active; however, older residents typically cannot leave the nursing home on their own. This really limits what they can do, which is why you should visit a senior citizen!

Sources

Wikipedia - http://www.wikipedia.org

ALF-CIO - http://www.aflcio.org