The Commonwealth Fund/National Opinion Research Center Survey of Retiree Health Benefits, 2005: A Chartbook is available for download from the Commonwealth Fund.

Population Issues in the 21st Century: The Role of the World Bank (PDF) was produced by the Health, Nutrition, and Population Family (HNP) of the World Bank’s Human Development Network. The paper discusses “some obstacles and opportunities presented by opulation processes in order to prioritize areas for investment and analytical work as background nformation for the 2007 HNP Sector Strategy.”

Demand for long-term care is expected to explode as the baby boomer generation ages, but the system is already stretched and costs can mount quickly (Oxford Analytica via Forbes.com).

A study of Old Order Amish found that lifespan may be inherited from fathers but not from mothers (The Economist).

Citation: Omer T. Njajou, Richard M. Cawthon, Coleen M. Damcott, et al. (2007). Telomere length is paternally inherited and is associated with parental lifespan. PNAS 104(29): 12135-12139. [Available online to Penn State faculty, students, and staff.]

Social Security provides benefits on a gender-neutral basis, but gender-related differences in work culture mean that in practice Social Security provides different levels of retirement security for men and women (Women and Social Security [PDF], American Academy of Actuaries issue brief).

The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, “one of the longest and most respected sociological investigations ever undertaken,” began as a survey of high school seniors’ post-graduation plans in 1957. Fifty years later, the study continues to examine how lifetime experiences affect quality of life as people age. This summer, WLS researchers are celebrating and sharing results with participants at their 50th high school reunions. (University of Wisconsin-Madison press release)

HRS has announced the release of the Version “G” RAND File. The file contains HRS data from 1992-2004. This file replaces the old RAND merged file on SodaPop. Version G has 348 new variables, but has dropped 88 variables from the previous release. This data is also available on PopNet.

• Mapping the Growth of Older America, by William Frey, The Brookings Institution; and
• Growing Older in America: The Health & Retirement Study, National Institute on Aging

See also: AP news story (via Centre Daily Times)

Cities are enlarging street signs, widening sidewalks, and making other adjustments to prepare for an expected surge in the elderly population by 2030 (USA Today).

An article in the May 7 Wall Street Journal looks at the link between baby boomers and new immigrants. As boomers retire, immigrants and their children will fill their economic role, so better education for Latinos will benefit the nation, according to Dowell Myers, a demographer at the University of Southern California and author of Immigrants and Boomers: Forging a New Social Contract for the Future of America.

The WSJ article is available to the Penn State community online; others should check their local library.