Some of the most tantalizing stories in the news these days involve the quest for a vaccine that might finally stem the tide of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to this very recent National Geographic article, at least 150 legitimate vaccine trials are currently underway, with many showing real promise. But as we’ve been warned, a vaccine, even if highly effective, will not be a panacea, and it won’t make the virus disappear overnight. What’s even more unsettling, if this article we just discovered from Kaiser Health News is accurate, for seniors some of the disruption in daily life might actually be here to stay. Post-Vaccine Living for Seniors May Be a Lot Like it is Today“Imagine this scenario, perhaps a year or two in the future,” writes Kaiser reporter Bruce Horovitz: “An effective COVID-19 vaccine is routinely available and the world is moving forward.” However, he adds, even in that rosy scenario, life “will likely never be the same — particularly for people over 60. That is the conclusion of geriatric medical doctors, aging experts, futurists and industry specialists. Experts say that in the aftermath of the pandemic, everything will change, from the way older folks receive health care to how they travel and shop. Also overturned: their work life and relationships with one another.” Horovitz quotes one aging expert, Ken Dychtwald of AgeWave, who calls the recent global pandemic “a near-death experience.” As a result, he says, people are thinking differently about what matters and how they’ll behave differently in the future. Because seniors are uniquely vulnerable to all infectious diseases, not just the coronavirus, and because they are more likely to suffer other health conditions, like heart and respiratory diseases, they tend to take the risk of infection very seriously. “It’s no surprise,” says Kaiser, “that even in the future, when a COVID-19 vaccine is widely available — and widely used — most seniors will be taking additional precautions.” Post-Vaccine Living: Baby Boomers Confront Their MortalityAccording to the Kaiser article, boomers have always been convinced of their seeming immortality – but that’s no longer true. “Before COVID-19, baby boomers felt reassured that with all the benefits of modern medicine, they could live for years and years,” Stanford geriatrician Dr. Mehrdad Ayati told reporter Horovitz. “What we never calculated was that a pandemic could totally change the dialogue.” But in fact, the coronavirus has caused a profound adjustment in the attitude of today’s seniors. With that paradigm shift in mind, Kaiser Health News took a look at what life could be like for older Americans in a post-vaccine world. Here are some examples, edited for length: Post-Vaccine Living: Big Changes in Medical Care
Post-Vaccine Living: Travel Will Mean Shorter Trips, Fewer Flights
Post-Vaccine Living: Older Workers and Retirees Will Increasingly Stay Close to Home
Post-Vaccine Living: Gatherings Will Be Smaller, Isolation More Prevalent
The Real Key to a Solid Estate Plan: an AgingOptions LifePlanWhen it comes to retirement planning, most people focus on one fairly narrow issue: money. Financial planning is an important component of retirement planning. But people heading towards retirement often make the mistake of thinking that a little financial planning is all that’s required, when in fact most financial plans are woefully inadequate. What about your medical coverage – will that be adequate? What if you have to make a change in your housing status – will that knock your financial plan off course? Are you adequately prepared legally for the realities of retirement and estate planning? And is your family equipped to support your plans for the future as you age? The best way we know of to successfully blend all these elements together – finance, medical, housing, legal and family – is with a LifePlan from AgingOptions. Thousands of people have discovered the power of LifePlanning and we encourage you to the same. Simply visit our website and discover a world of retirement planning resources. Make certain your retirement planning is truly comprehensive and complete with an AgingOptions LifePlan. Age on! (originally reported at www.khn.org) The post A COVID-19 Vaccine Is Supposedly on the Horizon – but Many Seniors Are Wondering What Life Will be Like in a Post-Vaccine World appeared first on AgingOptions. from AgingOptions https://ift.tt/30VrU6V via WordPress https://ift.tt/30VpBkw via For more great blog posts check out Platinum Communities Blog
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