Purrfect Pet. The PARO therapeutic robot is a pretty darn cool contraption. Shaped like a stuffed furry baby seal, it has five kinds of sensors built into itself: tactile, light, sound, temperature and posture. PARO’s sensors can “feel” being stroked or being held. It can also recognize the direction of voice and words such as its name. It moves, looks at you, blinks and closes its eyes, purrs and other pet-like actions and it is supposed to learn your desires and behave appropriately over time. >>> Read more . . .

Eighteen percent of unemployed Americans 55 and older said they borrowed from family or friends other than adult children, while one in 25 reported moving in with family or friends to save money,

Architect and gerontologist are interviewed about the 'unassisted living' world of future aging boomers.

After the job, what's next.

Among baby boomers, 73 percent plan to work past retirement -- a number that's up six percent since March.

Especially for renters and those who haven’t paid off their mortgages.

Be suspicious about advice from anyone under 50.

New report from Harvard (The State of the Nation's Housing 2011) indicates that the majority of boomers want to stay where they are, but some will downsize to smaller homes.

Outliving our vision of ourselves.  Just back from the Philips Active Aging Think Tank meeting – in which we echoed the recent frequent Wall Street Journal topic -- living to 100 and beyond. Most of us see ourselves as living to the age (whatever that was) of our parents and grandparents.  Since life expectancy has inched past age 80 for women (in more affluent regions) that may seem sensible. Though we may not want to exit in the same way with the same illness, disability, or dementia that they had. But rationalizing optimists that we are, most likely we ascribe what they had to some lifestyle or behavior in the way they lived their lives -- we will overcome heredity just like we’ve overcome setbacks in the past.  >>> Read more . . .

A 'new' problem drawn from a two-month old study about lost work hours caregiving for aging parents.