Search results for: herb weiss
Cooling Heated Political Banter at the Christmas Dinner – Herb Weiss
By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues Over the years, nearly everyone has encountered an iconic archetype at holiday gatherings: “Uncle Bob.†At Christmas dinner, Bob predictably launches into uncomfortable political arguments. Other family members scramble to avoid his decisive political chatter—some using humor, others retreating to watch football games on the tube or…
Read MoreCombatting Loneliness Through Connection and Community Engagement – Herb Weiss
By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues On April 30, 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy published an essay in The New York Times, announcing the impending release of U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory report titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.†In this essay he talked about his own personal struggles with loneliness and called loneliness…
Read MoreCongress Moves on a National Anti-Scam Strategy to Protect Older Adults – Herb Weiss
By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues Last month, the AARP, recognizing that the holiday season leading up to Christmas is widely viewed as “prime time†for scams targeting older Americans, released findings from its 2025 Holiday Shopping and Scams Survey. According to the AARP Fraud Watch Network, fraud aimed at online shoppers and…
Read MoreMedicare Enrolled will see Lower Costs on Select Drugs in 2026 – Herb Weiss
CMS Continues Efforts to Negotiate Lower Drug Costs By Herb Weiss, contributing writer, aging issues With Medicare Open Enrollment ending next week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that last year’s Medicare negotiations produced a net savings of 44%—about $12 billion—on 15 widely used prescription drugs that treat cancer and other…
Read MoreTalking Political Turkey During Thanksgiving Dinner – Herb Weiss
Published in RINewstoday on November 25, 2024 – still relevant today! by Herb Weiss, contributing writer We face increased demands of family obligations planning for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Baking and cleaning to host dinner, and even unrealistic expectations about our families, or having a dysfunctional family, can produce extra stresses, feelings of anxiety, isolation,…
Read MoreMeals on Wheels Rhode Island Strategic Plan Builds Resilience, Growth – Herb Weiss
By Herb Weiss, contributing writer, aging issues Today, nearly 13 million older Americans worry about having enough to eat, and a 2020 University of Michigan poll conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic found that 56% feel lonely—a level so severe it has been declared a public health epidemic. Although the historic federal shutdown has ended, reimbursement…
Read MoreSolo Agers are Living Alone. And Liking It – Herb Weiss
By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues The Washington, DC–based AARP highlights the growing population of “solo agers†in the November/December 2025 issue of AARP Bulletin. These adults, age 50 and older, live alone without a spouse, partner, or anyone else under the same roof. According to the survey, this group now numbers 24…
Read MoreSenate Aging Committee Seeks Renewal of Older Americans Act – Herb Weiss
By Herb Weiss, contributing writer, aging issues With over 359 days until the mid-term elections, the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Aging held a hearing last week to emphasize the need for reauthorizing the Older Americans Act (OAA), a crucial piece of federal legislation that expired the previous year. The hearing highlighted the key role…
Read MoreNational Family Caregivers Month: State-by-State Roadmap on Assisting Caregivers – Herb Weiss
By Herb Weiss, contributing writer, aging issues Over three months ago, AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) released Caregiving in the US. 2025, warning of a major crisis facing America’s 63 million caregivers. The 133-page report, released on July 23, noted a 45% increase in the number of caregivers over the past decade…
Read MoreAging Groups Say 2026 Social Security COLA Falls Short of What’s Needed for Seniors – Herb Weiss
by Herb Weiss, contributing writer, aging issues On October 24, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced a 2.8 percent Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) increase for 75 million beneficiaries, including those receiving Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. Specifically, nearly 71 million Social Security beneficiaries and OASDI recipients will see a…
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