accommodations - The Latremie Post

The New Reality: Seniors Who Work Because They Have No Choice

Retirement was once seen as the reward for decades of hard work—a time to relax, travel, and enjoy life. But for millions of seniors today, that vision is slipping away. Rising costs of living, shrinking pensions, and inadequate savings are forcing older Americans to remain in the workforce. Many take part-time jobs, gig work, or even full-time positions just to cover essentials like housing, food, and healthcare. Instead of enjoying freedom, seniors are finding themselves trapped in a cycle of financial necessity.

### The Financial Pressures Behind the Trend

Inflation has hit retirees especially hard, eroding the value of fixed incomes. Social Security, while vital, often covers only a fraction of monthly expenses. Healthcare costs continue to rise, with premiums, prescriptions, and long-term care draining savings. Housing is another major burden, as property taxes and rents climb faster than retirement benefits.

For seniors without substantial savings or investments, working becomes the only way to bridge the gap. This reality is reshaping what retirement looks like in America.

### The Emotional Toll of Working Past Retirement

Working beyond retirement age isn’t just a financial issue—it’s an emotional one. Seniors often feel exhausted, frustrated, and even embarrassed that they cannot afford to stop working. Many express disappointment that the “golden years” they envisioned have been replaced by long shifts and financial stress.

The emotional toll can lead to anxiety, depression, and a sense of lost dignity. Instead of enjoying time with family or pursuing hobbies, seniors are forced to prioritize survival.

### The Rise of Gig Work Among Seniors

Platforms like Uber, DoorDash, and freelance marketplaces have become lifelines for older adults. Gig work offers flexibility, allowing seniors to earn income without committing to traditional schedules. However, these jobs often lack benefits like healthcare, retirement contributions, or paid leave.

Seniors who rely on gig work face instability and uncertainty, with earnings fluctuating month to month. While gig work provides short-term relief, it rarely offers the long-term security retirees need.

### Health Challenges in the Workforce

Older workers face unique health challenges that make employment more difficult. Physical jobs can strain aging bodies, while stress from financial insecurity can worsen chronic conditions. Seniors who continue working may struggle with fatigue, mobility issues, or cognitive decline.

Employers often fail to provide accommodations, leaving seniors at risk of injury or burnout. The combination of health challenges and financial necessity creates a dangerous cycle that undermines quality of life.

### Policy Gaps That Leave Seniors Vulnerable

The growing number of seniors in the workforce highlights gaps in policy and planning. Social Security benefits have not kept pace with inflation, and pensions are increasingly rare. Healthcare remains expensive and complicated, with Medicare failing to cover many essential services.

Affordable housing options for seniors are limited, forcing many to spend disproportionate amounts of income on rent or property taxes. Without stronger safety nets, seniors are left to fend for themselves in a system that assumes retirement is financially secure.

### Stories From the Workforce

Across the country, seniors are working in grocery stores, driving rideshares, and staffing call centers. Some return to careers they left years ago, while others take on jobs they never imagined. These stories reveal resilience but also desperation.

Seniors often say they would prefer to spend time with grandchildren, volunteer, or travel, but financial reality keeps them clocking in. Their experiences highlight the human side of a growing economic crisis.

### What Needs to Change

Addressing this issue requires systemic solutions. Expanding Social Security benefits, improving access to affordable healthcare, and creating senior-friendly housing policies are critical steps. Employers can also play a role by offering flexible schedules, accommodations, and opportunities for older workers to contribute meaningfully.

Financial education earlier in life can help future retirees prepare more effectively, but immediate action is needed to support those already struggling. Without change, the number of seniors working out of necessity will only grow.

For many seniors, working past retirement is not about staying active or engaged—it’s about survival. The dream of carefree golden years has been replaced by the harsh reality of financial insecurity. Until systemic changes are made, seniors will continue to fill jobs not because they want to, but because they have no choice.

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**Are you working past retirement?** Share your experience—it could help others feel less alone.

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WWE Fans May Face Disappointment With 2026 Royal Rumble

The annual **Royal Rumble** event is one of WWE’s most exciting shows, largely due to the tradition of surprise entrants in its signature battle royal matches. However, any surprises planned for the Royal Rumble next year may not be much of a surprise by the time the show happens.

According to a report from Bryan Alvarez, the location of the 2026 event is the primary cause for concern. With WWE’s annual event taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this coming January, any surprises set to take place on the show would be logistically difficult to keep under wraps.

“There is a feeling that we might not get Royal Rumble surprises this year if only for the fact that sneaking people into Saudi Arabia will be a lot harder,” Alvarez writes. The logistics of coordinating international travel, visas, and hotel accommodations for a secret guest are far more complex than hiding someone domestically.

Alvarez suggests a potential alternative for where fans might see these big moments. “Most likely surprises would take place the week prior at SNME,” he notes.

This aligns with WWE’s recent scheduling announcements. The company confirmed over the weekend that it will be heading to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, for a January edition of **Saturday Night’s Main Event (SNME)**. This show will take place just one week prior to Royal Rumble weekend.

The Royal Rumble itself will be held for the first time ever in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking another major international stadium show for the company.

Surprises are a fundamental and commonplace part of both the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches, often serving as the most talked-about moments of the night. These entrants can range from returning legends to main roster comebacks from injury, or even crossover appearances from other promotions.

### Notable Surprises from Last Year’s Royal Rumble

Last year’s Royal Rumble event in January 2025 highlighted just how important these surprises can be. The show featured the returns of Alexa Bliss and WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus. It also included shocking appearances from streamer iShowSpeed, Joe Hendry from TNA, and Jordynne Grace.

Grace’s appearance was particularly noteworthy, as she had previously appeared in a Royal Rumble as the TNA Knockouts Champion but entered the 2025 match having just officially signed with WWE.

If Alvarez’s report holds true, WWE may opt to use the Montreal Saturday Night’s Main Event as the stage for these big returns. This would allow the company to generate buzz and add confirmed star power to the Rumble matches themselves, rather than relying on the element of surprise at the event in Riyadh.

### Official Dates and Locations

WWE has officially confirmed the dates for its upcoming international events:

– **Saturday Night’s Main Event:** Saturday, January 17, 2026, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
– **Royal Rumble:** Saturday, January 24, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

This scheduling could mark a new approach to surprise appearances, given the added challenges of international logistics.

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**More WWE News:**

– WWE Superstar Announces Retirement Match
– Released WWE Superstar Retires From Pro Wrestling
– Released WWE Star Breaks Silence On Departure
– Released WWE Star Wants To Join AEW
https://www.newsweek.com/sports/wrestling/wwe-fans-may-face-disappointment-with-2026-royal-rumble-10988114

These Maine students are sinking to the bottom

Maine, once a national competitor in student achievement, now sits at or below the national average for standardized test performance. While scores nationwide have dropped since the COVID-19 pandemic, Maine student performance has been sliding for more than a decade.

A Maine Monitor analysis of 20 years of student test scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) revealed that some students are sinking to the bottom faster than others. Low-income students and children with disabilities saw peak test scores on the NAEP starting around 2007. After that, these students began experiencing significant declines.

Between 2007 and 2024, the portion of all Maine students reaching at least a partial, basic level of understanding in reading and math fell by more than 14 percent. However, the declines were much steeper for certain groups. The percentage of students with disabilities reaching this bare-minimum performance level or higher dropped by more than 32 percent in some subjects—and in some cases, more than 40 percent. Low-income students meeting the same level fell by more than 23 percent during the same period.

Overall, the percentage of Maine test takers performing at or above the basic level is lower than the national average. It is important to note that NAEP results are presented only as percentages, not total numbers, and the exact losses in performance vary depending on the subject and grade level.

To ensure accuracy, The Maine Monitor consulted two education researchers who confirmed that children with disabilities and those from low-income households are sliding significantly. Students with disabilities often have individualized plans that provide accommodations for learning and may include conditions such as autism and dyslexia. Economically disadvantaged students are defined as those from low-income households, homeless children, or those who qualify for programs such as free and reduced-price lunch.

Other groups have been struggling as well. Black students and English language learners have seen significant losses in test scores, although data collection for both groups has been inconsistent over the years due to their relatively small populations in Maine.

NAEP categorizes student performance into four levels:

– **Below Basic:** Students cannot demonstrate even fundamental knowledge in reading or math.
– **Basic:** Students show partial, but not complete, understanding of grade-level skills. For example, fourth graders meeting the basic level in reading can make simple inferences from text, and eighth graders can answer specific questions about the text.
– **Proficient:** Considered the goal for all student performance by the National Assessment Governing Board, this level indicates a solid understanding of challenging math and reading skills.
– **Advanced:** Students have mastered math and reading skills beyond the proficient level.

Maine saw its percentage of students performing at the proficient level begin to decline between 2013 and 2017 across grade levels and subjects. Meanwhile, the proportion of students performing at the advanced level has remained fairly consistent over time, typically between 2 and 10 percent across grade levels and subjects.

Unfortunately, the percentage of students performing below the basic level has been growing since 2007. For instance, about 59 percent of fourth graders with disabilities tested below basic in reading in 2007; by 2024, that number had risen to roughly 78 percent. Similarly, 41 percent of low-income fourth graders tested below basic in 2007, increasing to 59 percent by 2024.

These trends highlight growing challenges in educational equity and achievement in Maine, especially among vulnerable student populations. Addressing these issues will be critical to improving outcomes for all students in the state.
https://www.centralmaine.com/2025/10/27/these-maine-students-are-sinking-to-the-bottom/

I moved from NYC to Colombia earlier this year. The change has helped my burnout and saved me money.

Over time, I upgraded: from sharing a tiny apartment in Manhattan with difficult people to a larger place in Brooklyn with great roommates. From a bachelor’s degree to a master’s. From casual sex to celibacy. From undiagnosed to clarity about my mental health. And I realized: I was craving stability.

But New York, for all its glory, couldn’t provide that for me. Friendships sometimes felt hollow since I came from a different culture. Dating felt like trying to catch fish with my bare hands. The money I made went straight to rent, food, and the occasional festival.

When I first moved there at 22, I thought the world was my oyster. At 30, it still is.

In January, after five months in Europe living with my family, the city suddenly felt wrong. I stopped going out on weekends. Other than the gym, I barely left my apartment. That “New York or nowhere” slogan started to feel like brainwashing.

My mentor once called New York “a playground for 24-year-olds,” and I started to think he was right. I was aging out of it—or my previous lifestyle.

Timing was on my side. My lease in East Harlem was up in March. My boss was supportive, some colleagues had already been working remotely, and client meetings had been online since the start of the pandemic. Plus, travel is great for writing.

So I set off to Argentina on a whim. Six weeks later, I was hiking Machu Picchu.

In June, I landed in Medellín, a city the nomad community calls paradise. As the cab from the airport turned a corner to reveal the valley, the mountains, and a soft fog blanketing it in the late-afternoon sun, I understood why. The visual evoked the same emotions as the New York skyline.

“Paradise” goes beyond the city’s beauty: I made local friends immediately, who don’t speak English, and thus helped me become fluent in Spanish within five months of learning it. We play beach volleyball on Sundays, followed by a barbecue dinner. Expats and locals merge in a very NYC way.

I’ve replaced the subway with Uber Moto, and as we speed past cars and trees, I can barely remember what sweating on the train felt like. That first Airbnb was in Laureles, and in July, I moved to another one in Ciudad del Río, Poblado.

I’ve continued to stay in Airbnbs. I like not signing a lease; it gives me freedom and independence, and I like having a turnkey apartment. Right now, I’m staying in a large studio in a luxury building with a pool and spa, paying maybe 15% of what I would be paying for similar accommodations in New York.

In Colombia, I buy high-quality groceries and rarely spend more than $50 a week. I can get coffee and a pastry for less than $5.

I did go back to New York for three weeks in August to see my friends and storage unit. Being back as a quasi-visitor felt exciting. But I also felt the same subtle panic I had grown accustomed to living there—only worse—after feeling transformed by five months in South America.

My weekly grocery haul was now $150, thanks to tariffs. The subway ride to Manhattan, squished between commuters, felt endless. My attempt to visit the dentist failed—I had already hit my insurance max for the year.

When my redeye back to Medellín took off, I breathed a sigh of relief. And I was proud: of lugging 260 pounds of luggage down from my fifth-floor walk-up. Of making a decision for a calmer life.

The next morning, after coffee at my favorite spot, I called my mom in Germany: “I’m home.”

My Medellín friends welcomed me with flowers and chicharrón.

New York will always be a home I can return to. But life in Colombia feels like a rebirth.

I’m drinking the LATAM Kool-Aid now.
https://www.businessinsider.com/moved-nyc-colombia-helped-burnout-save-money-2025-10