Category: aging

In Sunlit Paradise, Seniors Go Hungry

  • May 26, 2015
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NAPLES, Fla.— It wasn’t until the Maffuccis found themselves living on cups of coffee, and coffee alone, that they finally called a food pantry for help. The couple had sold their suburban New Jersey home where they had raised three children and set out to pursue the glossy dream of an easy-going retirement in sunny southwest Florida. But Mina and Angelo Maffucci quickly ran out of money—overtaken by illness, bad luck and an economic crisis that claimed their Florida dream home to foreclosure. They soon found themselves staring at an empty cupboard. “You open up the closet and all we had was coffee,” said Angelo Maffucci, 82, who had been a drywall installer in New Jersey. “I never thought we would be down on our

Can anyone make money with designs that are just for seniors?

  • May 21, 2015
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<!– google_ad_section_start –>The more innovation there is, the more some things don’t change. Stroll through this Aging 2.0 Summit link – and you will see pages of logos of new, newer, and newest companies trying to make a technology or product that could be used to serve seniors – or perhaps help those who serve them. Or the AARP Health50 Live Pitch, or the Stanford Longevity Design Challenge or the Quintiles competition at Wake Forest in North Carolina. Yet again and again, the question bubbles up – can firms make money creating and selling technology or other innovations specifically designed for seniors? <!– google_ad_section_end –>read more

Facing Death But Fighting The Aid-In-Dying Movement

  • May 20, 2015
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Stephanie Packer was 29 when she found out she has a terminal lung disease. It’s the same age as Brittany Maynard, who last year was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Maynard, of Northern California, opted to end her life via physician-assisted suicide in Oregon last fall.  Maynard’s quest for control over the end of her life continues to galvanize the “aid-in-dying” movement nationwide, with legislation pending in California and a dozen other states. The Packer family gathers in the kitchen to cook dinner. From left: Jacob, 8; Brian Sr. ; Brian Jr., 11; Savannah, 5; Scarlett, 10; and Stephanie. (Photo by Stephanie O’Neill / KPCC) But unlike Maynard, Packer says physician-assisted suicide will never be an option for her. “Wanting the pain to stop, wanting the humiliating