Breast cancer treatments derailed a boomer's retirement. To pay bills, she works 12-hour shifts and commutes 200 miles weekly.
On Wednesday nights, Connie Sloan drives two hours from her Tucson suburb to Phoenix for work, cruising up the highway to her country playlist as the sinking Arizona sun casts shadows on her steering wheel. She crashes at a friend's house before waking up early for her nursing shift at a nearby hospital.
It has been Sloan's routine for years: She drives 100 miles on Wednesdays, works 12-hour shifts for three days, then returns home on Saturdays. The schedule can be grueling, especially at 69 years old, but she needs her roughly $3,000 monthly paycheck to supplement her Social Security. It was the only job she could find, and even then, money is tight.
Baby boomers like Sloan are in a bind. The cost of living is rising across the US, Social Security often isn't enough to afford essentials, and a growing number of older adults don't have adequate retirement savings. For those with unexpected expenses — like steep medical bills — even careful retirement planning can fall apart. Business Insider has heard from thousands of older Americans who say their golden years aren't as financially comfortable as they hoped, and many are back in the workforce to make ends meet.
Sloan's financial challenges began in 2013, when she learned she had stage 3 breast cancer. The diagnosis required several surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation as part of her treatment plan. Each procedure chipped away at her and her husband's nest egg, and the couple now lives with their 41-year-old son and his partner because they can no longer afford a mortgage or the typical rent in their area. Sloan expects she will be working as a nurse for as long as she's physically able.
"You feel alone. But I know that there's many people my age and my husband's age that are in similar situations," she said. "It's humbling, it's depressing — I didn't expect that this is the way the later years of our lives would be."
The high cost of cancer treatment left Sloan without a nest egg
Living with her adult son isn't ideal, but Sloan said it's the only option she has. Stage 3 breast cancer treatment in the US typically costs over $100,000, and even with some insurance coverage, Sloan said she's still paying off the credit cards she used to cover her treatment. The charges added up over a decade, so Sloan was unable to share an exact out-of-pocket tally with BI.
While she was undergoing treatment — and the bills began stacking up — she and her husband had to downsize their home. They tried living in a low-cost RV for a couple of years, but ultimately decided living rent-free with family was the best solution. It's a dilemma lots of older adults are facing: The portion of homeless single adults 50 or older is estimated to have grown to about 50% from 10% over the past three decades and, with rising housing costs across the US, many have mortgages and property taxes they can't afford.
"We worked hard our whole lives," she said. "What we have — what belongs to us — fits into two rooms. That's what we're reduced to."
Together, the couple brings in under $5,000 a month in Social Security. Her husband, who was also a nurse, retired a few years ago. Even with their benefit checks, her nursing paycheck, and free housing, she said expenses like car payments and medicine can add up quickly.
Despite not paying rent, Sloan said she does her best to help around her son's house: doing laundry, cleaning, buying groceries, and picking up her 11-year-old granddaughter from school — a task she adores: "she calls me Mema," Sloan added, smiling.
Sloan hopes to retire someday from her busy nursing schedule and 200-mile weekly commute, but she doesn't "see it in the immediate picture." She advised other older Americans to "plan for the unexpected" as much as possible and to cultivate a strong support system of family and friends.
"That's the most important thing," she said, adding. "I thank God every day for my blessing of waking up and for the ability to work in my job. And I ask to continue to please bless me with my health."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ernst said we're all going to die. Can we get decent health care in the meantime?
If death and taxes are the only certainties, Joni Ernst is here to cut one and fast-track the other. 'We all are going to die," she said. You might think that's a line from a nihilistic French play. Or something a teenage goth said in Hot Topic. Or an epiphany from your stoner college roommate after he watched Interstellar at 3 a.m. But that was actually the Iowa Senator's God-honest response to concerns that slashing Medicaid to achieve President Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' would lead to more preventable deaths. The full exchange at a May 30 town hall included one audience member shouting at the stage, 'People will die!' And Ernst responding, 'People are not — well, we all are going to die, so for heaven's sake.' That's not a healthcare policy — that's a horoscope for the terminally screwed. As you can imagine, the internet didn't love it, because losing your health should not trigger the equivalent of a shrug emoji from someone elected to serve the public good. But rather than walking it back, Ernst leaned in, filming a mock apology in a graveyard because nothing says, 'I care about your future,' like filming next to people who don't have one. Ernst's comments aren't just philosophical musings. She's justifying policy choices that cause real harm. If passed, this bill would, according to the Congressional Budget Office, remove health coverage for up to 7.6 million Americans. That's not just 'we all die someday' territory. That's 'some people will die soon and needlessly.' What makes this even more galling is that the people pushing these cuts have access to high-quality, taxpayer-subsidized healthcare. Congress gets the AAA, platinum, concierge-level government plan. Meanwhile, millions of Americans are told to try their luck with essential oils or YouTube acupuncture tutorials. Honestly, it felt more like performance art than policy: 'Sorry about your grandma getting kicked out of her assisted living facility. Please enjoy this scenic view of her future! LOL!' We're not asking you to defeat death, senator. Death is both inevitable and bipartisan. But there is a broad chasm between dying peacefully at 85 and dying in your 40's because your Medicaid plan disappeared and your GoFundMe didn't meet its goal. Opinion: We asked readers about wake boats on Wisconsin lakes. Here's what you said. Fundamentally, governing is about priorities. A budget is a moral document. When a lawmaker tells you 'we're all going to die' in response to a policy choice, they're telling you 'I've made peace with your suffering as collateral damage.' And if a U.S. Senator can stand in a cemetery and joke about it, you have to wonder — who do our federal legislators think those graves are for? This isn't just about one comment or one bill. It's about a mindset that treats healthcare as a luxury rather than a right. If death is inevitable, then access to healthcare you can afford is what helps determine how long you have, how comfortably you live, and whether you get to watch your kids grow up. Healthcare isn't about escaping death. It's about dignity and quality of life while we are here. Ernst got one thing right: death will come for us all. But leadership, real leadership, is about helping people live as long and as well as they can before that day comes. You want to make jokes, Senator? Fine. But if your punchline is 'You're all going to die anyway,' don't be surprised when your constituents realize the joke's on them. Kristin Brey is the "My Take" columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Iowa senator's death remarks used to justify bad policies | Letters
Newsweek
31 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Hundreds of Thousands Told To Stay Inside in 4 States
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Hundreds of thousands of residents in four states have been advised to remain indoors as air quality alerts continue to blanket the Midwest. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) AirNow map, which offers a real-time snapshot of air quality, shows that air pollution levels across Minnesota and parts of Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa are deemed to be "unhealthy" on Wednesday. The EPA and the National Weather Service (NWS) urged people to reduce exposure to outdoor air after wildfires and current weather conditions have deteriorated air quality, pushing pollution levels into hazardous territory in several communities. Why It Matters The ongoing alerts show the health risks posed by smoke and air pollutants carried over vast areas, especially for sensitive groups including children, seniors, and people with respiratory or heart conditions. Minnesota has been impacted by wildfires this week, adding to the devastation already caused by a string of blazes last month that consumed more than 35,000 acres of land. The state, as well as Iowa and Wisconsin have been experiencing poor air quality for the last few days. File photo: a thick haze hangs over Manhattan in New York. File photo: a thick haze hangs over Manhattan in New York. Julie Jacobson/AP What To Know The Wisconsin cities facing a red warning with Air Quality Index (AQI) scores of between 151-200 (see below) include Eau Claire, La Crosse and Green Bay. The red warning means that "some members of the general public may experience "health effects," while members of sensitive groups "may experience more serious health effects." In Minnesota, the red warning covers Rochester and parts of Minneapolis; in Iowa, Mason City; and in Michigan, Menominee and Iron Mountain. Meanwhile, the NWS has published Air Quality Advisories for millions of people on Tuesday across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine. Various alerts in different states advised that individuals "consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects." It added that if you experience "symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, throat irritation or an uncomfortable sensation in your chest, please consider limiting the intensity and duration of your outdoor activities." In some states, Americans were advised to drive less, work from home, wait to mow the lawn and refill vehicles tanks after sunset. Smoke from ongoing wildfires, aggravated by stagnant atmospheric conditions, has driven particulate pollution to hazardous levels. People most at risk include those with chronic heart or lung diseases, older adults, children, pregnant women, and outdoor workers. Even healthy individuals may experience symptoms such as eye irritation, coughing, or difficulty breathing when air quality levels are particularly poor. What People Are Saying The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), wrote on its website about air quality alerts: "The color red represents an index value of 151 to 200. This means the air quality is unhealthy. Everyone needs to be concerned. Sensitive groups should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Move activities indoors or reschedule to a time when the air quality is better. Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion. Take more breaks during all outdoor activities." The EPA said: "When air quality is in this range, any individual who is active outdoors may experience the respiratory effects described above. Members of sensitive groups are likely to experience more severe effects. EPA's risk assessment indicates that at this level for healthy individuals (adults and children) at moderate exertion." It added: "Approximately 30 percent are estimated to experience moderate or greater lung function impairment, approximately 15 percent are estimated to experience large or greater lung function impairments, and approximately 5 percent are estimated to experience moderate to severe respiratory symptoms (i.e., chest pain with deep inspiration and aggravated cough)." What Happens Next Officials will continue to monitor air quality and update guidance as conditions evolve. Residents are urged to stay informed via EPA's AirNow portal and local weather channels for the latest alerts and health recommendations.
The Hill
43 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump must resist WHO's pandemic power-grab
The World Health Organization is still not doing enough to stop another pandemic. Last month, the UN body adopted a new pandemic treaty by consensus at its annual meeting, but the accord merely doubles down on the WHO's previous failed policies. President Trump has rightly pledged to oppose this treaty, but he must now take further steps to protect Americans from the WHO's counterproductive approach. The COVID-19 pandemic was a seminal era for the world, and the WHO was created for such crises. It should have rallied the international community to respond aggressively and discover the pandemic's cause. Instead, the organization allowed the Chinese Communist Party to conceal China's role in the outbreak, partnering with Beijing to release a now widely discredited report that labeled a lab-leak origin as 'extremely unlikely.' On Trump's Inauguration Day in January, he rightly issued an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the WHO. He had started this process in his first term, but President Joe Biden reversed it immediately upon taking office. The WHO did not respond with reforms or distance itself from China in the intervening four years. Instead, at China's behest, the organization continued to deny Taiwan a seat at its annual meeting. The WHO also welcomed Russia and Syria to its Executive Board in 2020 and 2021, respectively, for three-year terms, even though the regimes of both countries at that time had a history of bombing hospitals and indiscriminately killing civilians. North Korea also joined the board in 2023, where it will remain until 2026, even as it continues to starve its population to pay for its illegal nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Rather than push for new WHO leadership, the Biden administration voted to allow Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to serve a second five-year term, which ends in 2027. These developments, and now the pandemic treaty, showed that the WHO had lost its way. An effective pandemic treaty would focus on China's two core mistakes during the COVID-19 pandemic. First, Beijing lied about the emerging outbreak and pressured the WHO to mute its response. Second, the Chinese Communist Party refused to cooperate with a full investigation into the origins of COVID-19. However, the 30-page treaty fails even to mention China or its response to the COVID-19 pandemic and merely expands the WHO's bureaucracy in a way that does not address the problem. The agreement creates a new Conference of Parties that will meet at least annually with additional subsidiary meetings. But public health officials do not need more glitzy meetings in Geneva. They should instead be streamlining their organization and sending money back to countries that can use it to prevent and detect the next disease outbreak. The treaty also mandates that vaccine, therapeutics, and diagnostics manufacturers conclude legally binding contracts with the WHO to provide rapid access to 20 percent of their real-time production. Half of the allotment will be a donation, while the other half must be made available at affordable prices. But given the WHO's ineffective leadership and Beijing's control over the organization, American companies should not be forced to send public health materials funded by U.S. taxpayers. The treaty's inadequate provisions fail to recognize that it was America that saved the world from the pandemic. Operation Warp Speed, a World War II-style engineering and production effort, was one of the greatest achievements of Trump's first term. The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense pledged $13 billion toward the development and manufacturing of a vaccine. In just seven months, vaccines were created for a novel disease. By the end of 2020, the U.S. was distributing 14 million doses of the vaccine to Americans. But a U.S. president should decide whether any of the production should be exported moving forward. Under the pandemic treaty, however, the WHO would have been entitled to almost 3 million doses from the United States with no input from America's elected leaders, who would be unable to determine whether the organization will use them responsibly. Trump should go further than simply withdrawing from the WHO and pledging not to sign the pandemic treaty. He should amend his current executive order or issue a new one mandating that federally funded or supported vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics cannot be provided, sold, or transferred to the WHO unless it allows Taiwan to attend the World Health Assembly, bars Russia and North Korea from seats on the Executive Board, holds China accountable for the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensures the reliable distribution of vaccines. Congress should support the administration by codifying such executive actions into law, thereby ensuring that a new Democratic administration cannot reverse them in the future. The WHO said the pandemic treaty is a victory for public health. But it's not. Trump must act to protect Americans from the WHO's power grab. Anthony Ruggiero is an adjunct senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former White House National Security Council senior director for counterproliferation and biodefense.
