Financial hardship and depression experienced by pre-retirees during the COVID-19 pandemic: the mitigating role of stimulus payments

This study examines the association between financial hardship and depression among pre-retirees (ages 50 to 65) using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and its 2020 COVID-19 supplement. We find a negative association between the amount of stimulus received and financial hardship experienced by respondents during the pandemic. Additionally, the results indicate that African American households were less likely to increase spending, Hispanic households were more likely to increase savings, and households with lower educational attainment were more likely to pay down debt using their stimulus money. Financial wealth was negatively associated with the perception of feeling depressed. Overall, the findings from this study underscore the important role that the stimulus checks and other financial resources played in buffering the economic shock experienced by American households during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Measuring Financial Sustainability and Social Adequacy of the Italian NDC Pension System under the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is presently influencing the financial sustainability and the social adequacy of public pension schemes. In this paper, we measure the effects of COVID-19 on the Italian public pension system by introducing a deterministic shock due to the pandemic in the evolution of the variables mainly involved in the system's evaluation. These variables, namely the unemployment rate, wage growth rate, inflation rate, and mortality rates, are modeled in a stochastic framework. Our results show that COVID-19 worsens the financial sustainability of the pension system in the short–medium term, while it does not appreciably affect social adequacy in the medium term. The Italian pension system already showed a social adequacy problem before 2020, which the pandemic does not further deteriorate essentially.

Pension systems in south-eastern Europe: what worked and what did not

Many south-east European states made the transition from socialist to market economies. All described here had to reform their pension systems to match the new context in which these operated. The experiences of 10 countries are reviewed – seven of which were once part of Yugoslavia. Some countries’ reforms were more radical than others. Five of them merely adapted the Bismarckian systems they had inherited;four others adopted the “three pillar” model that the World Bank had been propagating. One went further than that. The four who followed World Bank model were often forced to backtrack. Whatever the longer-term benefits, they generated their own shorter-term fiscal problems. Nonetheless, the most radical reformer gives some indications of possible ways forward. The south-eastern European states do not have financial markets that can support capitalised/funded pension systems. Nor do they have the resources to pay proportional pensions that, at the same time, keep retired people out of poverty. The article suggests that their governments should concentrate upon improving economic performance to satisfy longer term aspirations and on ensuring that pensioners are able to live properly if not luxuriously by using tax-financed transfer measures. Provision above this level can be secured through savings plans, but it must be accepted that the investments to secure those savings will have to be made abroad.

Less

Less has become an unavoidable horizon in the time of COVID. Whatever people's age, the plague they have been suffering from carries the ambient threat of either less life (sudden onset of illness, with who knows what consequences) or no life: their life not just upended, but ended. This general picture comes to resemble, oddly, the "down-sized" one that retirees have learned to live with, a life marked by less. Curiously, too, this condition provides an ironic perspective on the foundational premise of the American Dream: the expectation of more and better. More than 400 years ago, the Puritans came to these shores wanting more room and better conditions to thrive in than their homeland permitted. For two and a half centuries, the siren call of Jefferson's Declaration of Independence--life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness--exerted an irresistible appeal. And even though there is now a growing fear that the dream may be playing out, the American expectation of more and better to come, assumed as virtually a birthright, feels too deep to relinquish.

Inflation Inflating Years Worked

People keep seeing news about inflation in the headlines. It is higher than it's been in over 40 years. And some people are very concerned about that. One particular group that is changing plans are soon-to-be retirees. During the first couple years of the pandemic, 2.4 million more people retired than expected, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Reasons ranged from losing their jobs to deciding they didn't want to risk contracting COVID-19 to caring for other family members. But now there's a new player in town that is causing almost the opposite effect. As of the time of writing, inflation is at 8.3 percent. That is down from 8.5 percent in March, but that is still higher than it's been in decades. Cummings and his wife often eat spaghetti, and they have seen the prices of spaghetti sauce going up by more than a dollar in the last couple of months. If inflation were only limited to spaghetti sauce, things wouldn't be so bad, but prices are up across the board.

Population Growth and Population Aging in Alberta Municipalities

Between 2011 and 2021, a significant number of Alberta’s towns, villages and rural areas experienced population stagnation or decline, while the cities and many nearby municipalities continued to grow. As smaller municipalities’ populations shrink or fail to grow, they also become disproportionately older—trends that can threaten tax bases and community involvement. This demographic trend has two main causes. First, Alberta’s cities offer increasing employment opportunities in the rapidly growing service sector, while many smaller communities have seen declines in employment in the resource and manufacturing sectors important to their economies and struggle to attract new industries. Thus, as in the rest of the country, towns, villages and municipal districts lose residents, especially young people, to where the jobs are. Second, while the province’s birth rate continues to decline, and overall growth has come to depend almost as much on international immigration as on natural growth, newcomers to the province tend to prefer the major urban areas. Following Alberta’s boom years, the last decade saw decreased migration from other provinces into Alberta and a declining fertility rate. The province’s economy is now on the mend, with the highest employment rate in Canada;however, the once-high birth rates and elevated rates of internal migration from other provinces are unlikely to return. The pace of growth will depend on Alberta’s ability to attract a healthy share of the many new immigrants Canada intends to welcome over the decade ahead. Alberta’s smaller municipalities, in turn, need strategies to attract immigrants. For this, they will require employment opportunities and dedicated resources to assist newcomers. Manitoba has had success in doing this and may offer Alberta an example of how to proceed. Some emerging economic and social trends may work to the benefit of smaller municipalities. For example, industries that require large amounts of land or significant storage facilities often opt to locate outside the big cities. New developments in agriculture and energy, especially in geothermal and hydrogen, may open new opportunities for growth in towns and rural areas. While Alberta is unlikely to replicate B.C.’s success in attracting retirees, the popularity of outdoor recreation provides a chance for many municipalities to attract new residents. Although changes in work practices brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic make future trends difficult to predict, as people continue to work at a distance from their places of employment, it is possible that Alberta could see a demographic shift away from the urban centres. Smaller municipalities may attract both city dwellers and immigrants seeking the benefits of life away from the cities, including bigger and less costly properties. Nevertheless, slower growth and population aging are likely to continue, and communities must use the coming years to prepare, putting in place necessary services, especially those related to health care. This is especially vital in communities far from the urban centres.

The Pandemic Social Services Market: New Practices and Technologies

This article analyzes the processes of development of the social service market, which is part of the social protection system. Through a comparative analysis of the Soviet and Russian models of social services, the authors conclude that the modern system, while partially retaining some characteristics of the Soviet system, is transforming and acquiring new specific features. Based on the generalization of the results of the authors' comprehensive sociological research using quantitative and qualitative methods (questionnaire survey, in-depth interviews, content analysis), the innovative practices of working with consumers (recipients) of social services, which social efficiency in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic was noted by respondents, used by NCOs operating in the social services market. Despite the complexity of objective circumstances faced by organizations, regional NCOs still managed to maintain the quality of social services provided in both online and offline formats at a level that meets the needs of recipients. The prospects for the development of SO NPOs are connected not only with the creation and implementation of innovative technologies and practices, but also depend on strengthening the personnel composition of employees through the development and subsequent implementation of proposals for protecting their health and improving professional competencies by creating conditions for training, advanced training and mastering new specialties. The article notes the important role of regional media in covering the activities of NGOs in the difficult period of the spread of coronavirus infection and the establishment of a forced regime of social isolation. An analysis of video materials broadcast on official channels of Volgograd television is given, which contributed to strengthening the status of NGOs as competitive providers of quality social services. It is predicted that the experience gained during the "pandemic" period will be used by NGOs in their day-to-day activities in the future.Alternate : Ð’ статье анализируются процессы развития рынка социального обслуживания населения, являющегося частью системы социальной защиты. Посредством сравнительного анализа советской и российской моделей социального обслуживания населения, авторы статьи приходят к заключению, что современная система, частично сохраняя некоторые характеристики советской, преобразуется и приобретает новые специфические черты. На основе обобщения результатов проведенного авторами комплексного социологического исследования с применением количественных и качественных методов (анкетного опроса, глубинных интервью, контент-анализа) были зафиксированы используемые СО НКО, действующими на рынке социального обслуживания населения, инновационные практики работы с потребителями (получателями) социальных услуг, социальная эффективность которых в условиях пандемии COVID-19 была отмечена респондентами. Несмотря на сложность объективных обстоятельств, с которыми столкнулись организации, региональным СО НКО все же удалось сохранить качество социальных услуг, предоставляемых как в онлайн, так и в офлайн-форматах на ƒÑ€Ð¾Ð²Ð½Ðµ, удовлетворяющем потребности получателей. Перспективы развития СО НКО связаны не только с созданием и внедрением инновационных технологий и практик, но и зависят от усиления кадрового состава сотрудников посредством разработки и последующего внедрения предложений по охране их здоровья и повышению профессиональных компетенций путем создания условий для обучения, повышения квалификации и освоения новых специальностей. Отмечается весомая роль региональных СМИ в освещении деятельности СО НКО в сложный период распространения коронавирусной инфекции и установления вынужденного режима социальной изоляции. Приводится анализ видеоматериалов, транслируемых на официальных каналах волгоградского телевидения, которые способствовали усилению статусных позиций СО НКО, как конкурентоспособных поставщиков качественных социальных услуг. Делается прогноз, что полученный в «пандемийный» период опыт работы будет использован СО НКО и в дальнейшем в их повседневной деятельности.

Beginnings and Endings: A Retiree's Reflections on the CDC's Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Program

The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health crisis of racism underscore how important it is for our nation to attract, develop, and retain a diverse public health workforce that can work in communities as well as local, state, and national levels. 3 This article is part of a I Pedagogy in Health Promotion: The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning i supplement, "Preparing the Future Public Health Workforce: Contributions of the CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Program", which was supported by a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Minority Health and Health Equity to the Society for Public Health Education, entitled "Strengthening Public Health Systems and Services through National Partnerships to Improve and Protect the Nation's Health" (Contract Number 5 NU38OT000315-03-00). Keywords: public health;workforce development;public health pedagogy EN public health workforce development public health pedagogy 13S 14S 1 12/09/21 20211202 NES 211202 Hindsight may or may not be 2020, but beginnings look different from the end of a public health career. [Extracted from the article] Copyright of Pedagogy in Health Promotion is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

User Requirements Analysis of an Embodied Conversational Agent for Coaching Older Adults to Choose Active and Healthy Ageing Behaviors during the Transition to Retirement: A Cross-National User Centered Design Study.

BACKGROUND: Retirement is recognized as a factor influencing the ageing process. Today, virtual health coaching systems can play a pivotal role in supporting older adults' active and healthy ageing. This study wants to answer two research questions: (1) What are the user requirements of a virtual coach (VC) based on an Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA) for motivating older adults in transition to retirement to adopt a healthy lifestyle? (2) How could a VC address the active and healthy ageing dimensions, even during COVID-19 times? METHODS: Two-wave focus-groups with 60 end-users aged 55 and over and 27 follow-up telephone interviews were carried out in Austria, Italy and the Netherlands in 2019-2020. Qualitative data were analysed by way of framework analysis. RESULTS: End-users suggest the VC should motivate older workers and retirees to practice physical activity, maintain social contacts and emotional well-being. The ECA should be reactive, customizable, expressive, sympathetic, not directive nor patronizing, with a pleasant and motivating language. The COVID-19 outbreak increased the users' need for functions boosting community relationships and promoting emotional well-being. CONCLUSIONS: the VC can address the active and healthy ageing paradigm by increasing the chances of doing low-cost healthy activities at any time and in any place.

Sending retirees to the frontlines?

Facing an unprecedented surge of patient volumes and acuity, institutions around the globe called for volunteer healthcare workers to aid in the effort against COVID-19. Specifically being sought out are retirees. But retired healthcare workers are taking on significant risk to themselves in answering these calls. Aside from the risks that come from being on the frontlines of the epidemic, they are also at risk due to their age and the comorbidities that often accompany age. If, for current or future COVID efforts, we as a society will be so bold as to exhort a vulnerable population to take on further risk, we must use much care and attention in how we involve them in this effort. Herein we describe the multifaceted nature of the risks that retired healthcare workers are taking by entering the COVID-19 workforce as well as suggest ways in which we might take advantage of their medical skills and altruism yet while optimizing caution and safety.