from Hacker News

Getting old is a crisis more and more Americans can’t afford

by e15ctr0n on 8/13/21, 12:36 AM with 23 comments

• by Barrin92 on 8/13/21, 1:52 AM

  Here in Germany around Munich we have quite a few cooperative communities for retirees where retired people live together, take care of each other, with some assistance from nursing staff or food delivery and so on if it's needed.

  From what I have heard it works very well, is much more dignified because elderly people can take care of themselves, keeps people active and is significantly cheaper.

  Lots of the crisis around the retired population seems to come from the degree with which it has been commodified. People isolated from their family or community, taken care of by strangers, no social life, no stimulation, just horrible.

  In the US in particular it seems to be amplified by the dominance of the nuclear family.

• by sesuximo on 8/13/21, 1:55 AM

  I wish I were more sympathetic. But this generation:

  - had cheap housing for years

  - lived through a strong American economy

  - had relatively cheap access to education

  - had a cheaper tax burden

  - many of them have pensions that are paid for by today’s workers

  - spent most of their lives polluting the earth and not putting money aside for the cleanup

  Not sure what other advantages this generation wants?

• by Gunax on 8/13/21, 3:45 AM

  I know I am supposed to by sympathetic, but if youve left the bay area and been out in the rral world, you would know that most people do not save at all.

  I used to sell RVs. I would say less than 20% of our clients could actually afford their purchase. By that I mean, people all ready in debt, but trying to max out their spending because having something leftover after bills and debts would be a waste.

• by nine_zeros on 8/13/21, 1:16 PM

  Cousin's parents spent entire life working. Kids moved out and now they have no one to take care of them. Elder care near them in $3000/mo per person. They can't afford that.

  So vegetable life in a suburban house it is for them

• by curation on 8/13/21, 4:40 AM

  There is no functional Economy and this is due to the policies in place that the outgoing generation supported or, in the least, did not violently protest. So, in that way it is expected. To watch from the cupola of privilege that we in the West resided in, the horrors of the world and think that, eventually that brute Market Logic would not fall upon us was incredibly cruel and naive. It is here now; as soon as you open the dimension of hollowed out and marked for death human - for example the entire Global South - it is only a matter of time before it comes to us. (Fanon; Mbembe)

• by cebert on 8/13/21, 1:28 AM

  I can relate to this. My parents are baby boomers and not in the best of health or in a good financial situation. Being privileged enough to be in the tech industry and doing relatively well financially, I can foresee my parents moving in and living with me to help with costs and assistance. As this generation continues to age, I suspect multi-generational households will become more common.