Some of the terms and acronyms (an abbreviation of the first letters of words in a phrase) people use when they talk about Social Security can be a little confusing. We're here to help you understand all you need to know.

Social Security employees strive to explain benefits using easy-to-understand, plain language. In fact, The Plain Writing ...Read more

The decision seemed straightforward. Bob McHenry's heart was failing, and doctors recommended two high-risk surgeries to restore blood flow. Without the procedures, McHenry, 82, would die.

The surgeon at a Boston teaching hospital ticked off the possible complications. Karen McHenry, the patient's daughter, remembers feeling there was no ...Read more

For young people whose parent passes away, Social Security is here. Losing a parent is both emotionally painful and, often times, devastating to a family's finances. In the same way that Social Security helps to lift up the disabled and seniors when they need it, we support families when an income-earning parent dies.

You should let Social ...Read more

CHESAPEAKE, Va. - Every room of Archer Cox's home has at least one clock.

Clocks shaped like cats and pandas. Clocks with thermometers on them. Wall clocks that look like giant watches. Big grandfather ones. Antique clocks from a pub in England. Ones that go cuckoo.

A garage sits empty of cars, but full of more antique timekeepers. Cigar ...Read more

With more senior drivers on the road than in years past, the importance of assessing driver fitness has increased. In the latest issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers look at this topic along with tools that clinicians can use to determine if patients are able to safely operate a vehicle. "Driving retirement is a normal part of ...Read more

At 91, Hilda "Tinker" Rautenberg doesn't make a big production of her storied past. Still, she might occasionally break into song, reminded of a ditty or two she sang as a member of the Moonmaids, who did vocals for popular big band leader Vaughn Monroe in the late 1940s.

Born Hilda Cunningham, Rautenberg had just started at North ...Read more

Affordable medical coverage is something everyone wants, especially as people age. Luckily, our nation has safeguards for workers as they get older. Millions of people rely on Medicare, and it can be part of your health insurance plan when you retire.

Medicare is available for people age 65 or older, as well as younger people who have received...Read more

Experts on hoarding have a saying about people who are overwhelmed by their stuff: This problem didn't happen overnight and it won't be fixed overnight either.

Hoarding is not just one problem. Some people save things they think could be useful in the future. Others have hypersentimental relationships with objects or even think of them as ...Read more

Although people joke about snoring, doctors are less inclined these days to make light of loud Zs.

The reason: What keeps your spouse awake might signal more serious health issues.

Snoring should get checked if it gets louder and has symptoms such as gasps for air or interrupted breathing. Health experts are less concerned about what's called...Read more

"I was wondering if you might speak to any travel tips for seniors who haven't flown for several years," a reader recently wrote to ask. She will be traveling with her parents to a family event, and it will be her parents' first flight in more than a decade.

That situation could be daunting - to the parents and their travel guide. ...Read more

As concerns have grown about the dangers of isolation and loneliness in late life, a new study from Pew Research Center finds that Americans spend increasing amounts of time alone as they age, with people in their 70s averaging three hours more alone time each day than people in their 40s and 50s.

The study, which analyzed Bureau of Labor ...Read more

SEATTLE - Several floors below the daily bustle of Seattle's famed public market, an octogenarian and a 5-year-old prepared a meal.

In a classroom filled with art projects and books, they shaped dumplings and decorated cookies - all out of orange Play-Doh. Most interactions between the two at the Pike Market Child Care and Preschool happen ...Read more

Social Security matters to millions of people and that's why we aptly named our blog Social Security Matters. Over the past several years, more and more people have realized that our blog is a trusted source for information and easy-to-share articles. Here are five recent popular blog posts:

1. Three common ways your Social Security payment ...Read more

Social Security is committed to protecting your personal information. We urge you to always be cautious and to avoid providing sensitive information such as your Social Security number (SSN) or bank account information to unknown people over the phone or internet. If you receive a call and aren't expecting one, you must be extra careful. You ...Read more

Older adults worried about falling typically receive general advice: Take an exercise class. Get your vision checked. Stop taking medications for sleep. Install grab bars in the bathroom.

A new study suggests that sort of advice hasn't proved to be very effective: Nearly three times more adults age 75 and older died from falls in 2016 than in ...Read more