February 2019
CENTER UPDATES
INTRODUCING:

CENTURY LIVES PODCAST
Over the past century, average life expectancy around the world has more than doubled. Half of all babies born in the US today will live to see their 100th birthdays.

What does this mean for individuals, communities, and entire cultures? How does this affect the traditional models of education, work and retirement still in use today? And how can we prepare ourselves and subsequent generations for the challenges and benefits that longer lives bring?

We look for answers to these questions in our new podcast, Century Lives . Join host Marie Conley Smith in conversations with leading experts in academia, business, and public policy to discuss longer lifespans, and how we can stay mentally sharp, physically fit, and financially secure in these new Century Lives.

Play intro (1:15)
LONGEVITY IN THE NEWS
February 16, 2019 | Forbes

Should We Retire 'Retirement'?
As our lives have been getting longer and healthier – compared to prior generations – some people advocate doing away with the concept of retirement altogether. In support of that idea, increasing numbers of workers report in surveys that they expect never to retire, and not just because they can’t afford to but often because they like the idea of continuing to work.

February 8, 2019 | Forbes

Is Your Retirement Plan 21st Century Ready?
Most people still have a 20th century vision of retirement in their heads: an idyllic 20-plus-year vacation spent traveling, pursuing hobbies, and hanging out with grandchildren. As compelling as that vision might seem, there are game-changing challenges to the retirement of the 21st century.

January 24, 2019 | World Economic Forum

Why the Four-Day Work Week is Good News for Gender equality
Much has been made of the ways a four-day work week could increase productivity and worker satisfaction. But the shift could also be a huge win for gender equality. What’s special about the four-day week is that it mandates a change for all workers, in the process leveling the gender-playing field.

January 16, 2019 | Next Avenue

How Health Care Employers Are Welcoming Older Workers
The growing health care industry has taken a progressive approach to hiring and retaining older workers because it’s challenged by shortages of employees at every rank. To keep talent and attract new hires, hospitals and outpatient clinics are offering a variety of flexible work arrangements, including part-time schedules, telecommuting and job sharing. Others are rehiring retirees as contract workers.

RECOMMENDED READING
HOW TO LIVE FOREVER: THE ENDURING POWER OF CONNECTING THE GENERATIONS
By Marc Freedman
Longtime friend of the Stanford Center on Longevity and intergenerational expert Marc Freedman has written a fascinating and timely new book called How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations. He draws on his former work with Experience Corps and current work at Encore.org (where he is the president and CEO) to describe why, and how, older Americans should invest in, and connect with, the next generation. Despite coming out of Silicon Valley, this is not a book about life extension through genetics or death avoidance, but rather an understanding that real happiness begins with investing in and connecting with younger generations.