Tag Archives: longevity

New report rates best states for older adults’ well-being

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Photo: Steve Baker via Flickr

Photo: Steve Baker via Flickr

Hawaii tops the list of states with the highest well-being among adults over age 55 for the second consecutive year, according to new national research. West Virginia was ranked last, with its older residents reporting the lowest metrics for a sense of purpose and social, financial, community and physical health.

Arizona, New Hampshire, North Dakota and Colorado also ranked in the top five, while Kentucky, Oklahoma, Ohio and Indiana again fell toward the bottom in Gallup-Healthways’ Well-Being Index. Continue reading →

Liz Seegert is an independent health journalist and AHCJ’s topic leader on aging. She covers older adults, baby boomers, health policy, and social determinants of health, as well as many other health issues. Her bylines include stories for PBS/NextAvenue.org. the American Journal of Nursing, TIME Health, Medscape, Consumer Reports, and Medical Economics, as well as dozens of other trade and mainstream media. Her articles have been syndicated in Forbes.com, the Los Angeles Times, the Hartford Courant, the Saturday Evening Post and other major outlets.

Essay collection on longevity revolution sparks story ideas

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Photo: Jundy Tiu via Flickr

Photo: Jundy Tiu via Flickr

What would the future look like if we could all live to 100? How must housing, retirement, health care, technology and other sectors change to meet new demands?

A new collection from the Milken Institute explores possibilities about the future of aging through the lenses of 20 thought leaders in the field. These pundits, with backgrounds in research, finance, education, urban planning, public policy, public health and non-profits, lay out their individual visions of the longevity revolution’s effect on where we live, how we work, how we spend leisure time, who takes care of us and whether we can stave off debilitating conditions through science. Continue reading →

Liz Seegert is an independent health journalist and AHCJ’s topic leader on aging. She covers older adults, baby boomers, health policy, and social determinants of health, as well as many other health issues. Her bylines include stories for PBS/NextAvenue.org. the American Journal of Nursing, TIME Health, Medscape, Consumer Reports, and Medical Economics, as well as dozens of other trade and mainstream media. Her articles have been syndicated in Forbes.com, the Los Angeles Times, the Hartford Courant, the Saturday Evening Post and other major outlets.

Recent headlines examine impact of racial disparities on cancer, longevity

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Photo: MEC Toronto Race Four 5K 10K The Summer Classic 2014 via photopin (license)Recent headlines have taken another look at black women and rising breast cancer rates, worsening health among middle-aged whites, and other race-related health issues.

Photo: MEC Toronto Race Four 5K 10K The Summer Classic 2014 via photopin (license)Recent headlines have taken another look at black women and rising breast cancer rates, worsening health among middle-aged whites, and other race-related health issues.

First there was the “dubious milestone,” as The New York Times called it, of black women for the first time facing an equal rate of breast cancer as white women. Then last week, a headline on the sharp uptick in the death rate among middle-class, white Americans, a finding startling enough to merit front-page treatment in The Washington Post.

It’s no secret that there are racial disparities in cancer rates, longevity and other areas, so why the recent headlines? Continue reading →

Susan Heavey, (@susanheavey) a Washington, D.C.-based journalist, is AHCJ’s topic leader on social determinants of health and curates related material at healthjournalism.org. She welcomes questions and suggestions on resources and tip sheets at determinants@healthjournalism.org.

Emanuel: Stories of longevity may be missing important points

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Ezekiel Emanuel

Ezekiel Emanuel

It’s not that Ezekiel Emanuel, M.D., Ph.D., necessarily wants to die right after he blows out 75 candles on his birthday cake. He just doesn’t want to live to a ripe old age if it means disability, disease or dementia.

Emanuel briefed reporters on the issues of quality versus quantity of life during a Dec. 12 webinar sponsored by Reporting on Health. It was also the theme of his controversial Atlantic article, “Why I Hope to Die at Age 75.”

“You don’t actually pick your own title; I certainly didn’t pick that Atlantic title.” he told more than 200 online participants. “It probably was good for sales for the Atlantic …”

Continue reading →

Liz Seegert is an independent health journalist and AHCJ’s topic leader on aging. She covers older adults, baby boomers, health policy, and social determinants of health, as well as many other health issues. Her bylines include stories for PBS/NextAvenue.org. the American Journal of Nursing, TIME Health, Medscape, Consumer Reports, and Medical Economics, as well as dozens of other trade and mainstream media. Her articles have been syndicated in Forbes.com, the Los Angeles Times, the Hartford Courant, the Saturday Evening Post and other major outlets.

Aging in the new year: A treasure trove of stories for health reporters

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2014 promises to be a big year in health and aging – with plenty of stories on the horizon for health journalists:

Medicare payments, Alzheimer’s breakthroughs, long-term care financing, caregiving issues, the science of longevity, senior-friendly neighborhoods and technology are just some of the issues journalists will likely report on on during this coming year.

Medicare will see several important changes – the 2014 handbook is a handy reference to have nearby. The standard premium of $104.90 and $147 deductible for  Part B–provider coverage, remains the same for most people; however, some higher-earning seniors may see their Medicare or Medicare Advantage premiums rise slightly or be affected by some taxes like the capital gains tax. Continue reading →

Liz Seegert is an independent health journalist and AHCJ’s topic leader on aging. She covers older adults, baby boomers, health policy, and social determinants of health, as well as many other health issues. Her bylines include stories for PBS/NextAvenue.org. the American Journal of Nursing, TIME Health, Medscape, Consumer Reports, and Medical Economics, as well as dozens of other trade and mainstream media. Her articles have been syndicated in Forbes.com, the Los Angeles Times, the Hartford Courant, the Saturday Evening Post and other major outlets.