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morning’s training focused on the psychology of aging. Janice had a Power Point presentation and some videos which outlined the major psychological and social problems faced by retirees. Kris had always enjoyed psychology; she hoped to find this training session a little more engaging.
    “You know,” Janice began, “in the U.S. we think of everything in terms of money. How much does it cost? How much do we save?  But when we are talking about retirement and the needs of our senior population, there are many issues that have been completely ignored with regard to health and safety.
    “According to statistics from the American Psychological Association, twenty percent of people over fifty-five suffer from a mental disorder. When we look at nursing home residents, that number is actually two-thirds. But less than three percent of this population seeks help from mental health professionals.
    “Twenty percent of older Americans suffer from depression, and older Americans account for twenty percent of all suicides. In fact, older Americans have the highest suicide rates of any population group—even higher than teenagers. Substance abuse is a huge problem for this demographic—we estimate that seventeen percent of older Americans abuse alcohol or drugs. What we find is that as people age, they often become lonely, either as a result of a loss of a relationship through death or divorce, or they experience the depression that can come with retirement.  When these life-altering changes occur, people who once just drank socially often become heavy drinkers.  Alcohol abuse is one of the eight leading causes of death among seniors.
    “Eighty-five percent of seniors suffer from at least one chronic illness. About fifty percent suffer from arthritis, forty percent have hypertension, thirty percent have heart disease, and twelve percent have diabetes. Ten percent have had a stroke—and that is really significant considering the debilitating effects of strokes on their victims.
    “Additionally, this is an age group that is facing major life adjustment changes—the end of a career, the loss of a spouse, the loss of independence, declining health. An interesting study recently found that seventy percent of primary care visits were motivated by a psychological stressor. Possible stressors include panic, anxiety, depression, stress and adjustment disorders. Increasingly, with the changes and cuts to Medicare, seniors have a harder and harder time finding a primary care physician who can meet their needs. As the senior population expands and the number of primary care physicians shrinks, this problem will only escalate.
    “We also find that the senior population tends to not take care of themselves as well as they did when they were younger. Many of the chronic diseases in this population are behaviorally-induced. Poor diet, inactivity, and alcohol and tobacco increase the likelihood and severity of a chronic disease.
    “That’s one of many areas in which the Smart Seniors community is really going to excel. Each community has its own clinic staffed with a primary care physician, plus one PA for every one hundred residents and a full nursing staff. No appointments are necessary. Any senior can walk in at any time and get the treatment that he needs right then. There are no premiums, no deductibles, no additional insurance, no out of pocket. Each senior will have two mandatory health exams per year.  Any special needs can be referred to a specialist.
    “But Smart Seniors goes way beyond just providing a doctor. The communities are designed specifically to deal with each issue that goes to the heart of what we have just been discussing. Communities are designated for marrieds or unmarrieds so that married couples will live in one community and unmarrieds will live in another. By living in close proximity to other people in similar situations, seniors can avoid the feelings of loneliness and estrangement that they often