Too old to be hired. Too young to retire. What do you in your 50s? (move, social security)

[Serious Conversation]

I'll try to keep this short. Will post more details tomorrow if people have questions.

I went to dinner with aunt tonight. She's 56 - widowed, in a "club sandwich" taking care of my grandmother and her step-grandson. She's a manager of a billing office for a major cable company. The Tennessee offices have basically been closed down and those jobs sent to NYC, St. Louis, or Charlotte. She's hanging on, but is unwilling to move to any of those markets due to family obligations. She's worked with the cable company and has survived multiple consolidations and layoffs as local providers were gobbled up until now she works for a national name.

She's inherited some money (I don't know how much) from her late husband, who has been gone for eight years. He was at the "bottom of a waterfall" of inheritance money himself, and his first wife died back in 1999.

Everything is paid off. At her age, she's not completely financially independent without taking a major lifestyle hit. She will never make what she does now in this area. The local economy is simply too weak and shallow. She won't relocate on the account of the little boy. Her stepson (the father) and the mother are full blown worthless.

She's supposed to get a year's severance from the cable company based on her years of service. She's never had to search for jobs. I created a resume for her and sent it to regional media companies based out of Knoxville, Charlotte, and Greenville, SC. She's had interview opportunities, but is so hesitant to move. She wants to just sit here and wait on the severance - I think she should look for a good job, and if one presents itself, take it rather than idling around here.

Put yourself in her shoes. You're in your 50s and in a club sandwich caregiving scenario. You're too young to retire and not quite financially independent for that length of time. You're too old and too expensive to be hired locally in this lousy local market. You've never lived outside of Appalachia and have no idea what mainstream USA is.

What do you do? Stay here and take something for $10/hr? Relocate the elderly woman with you wherever you get a job? Bury your head in the sand and pray to the Lord?

[matisse12]

So she's being laid off or let go or being fired? If so, when will that occur?

[biscuitmom]

OP seems to have a multitude of older relatives about whom IMO he knows way too much about their finances.

[meo92953]

Take the $10 an hour. She'll have a years severance which takes her to 57. Stash the pay from her lower paying job, live frugally & she should make it since everything's paid off.

Grandmother should have social security & help with bills. You don't say how old grandson is or whether he can help.

She'll have to go into frugal lifestyle mode, which can be done (happened to a lot of us during the recession) or move to a different city to keep her current pay - if that can even happen.

Those are the choices many of us have had since the recession.

[jrkliny]

Sounds like she has already made her decision. In fact the decision was made when she decided to be responsible for the care of these two people.

[matisse12]

Pertaining to your thread title of 'Too old to be hired' (at age 56), it really depends on the person's presentation of self, education level, experience, background, marketable skills, and the cities in which one applies for jobs.

I was hired at age 57 or 58 in one of the largest east coast cities, and I moved 1100 miles.

After a while at that job, I was hired at age 60 in another similar job in the same east coast city.

So it depends - and sometimes on willingness to move to a different city.

I mention this in case someone who is 56 and older thinks it is not possible to be hired because of age or is discouraged.

All of the above maybe doesn't apply to your aunt - who firstly doesn't want to move, who has caretaking aspects, and finds the changes and job hunting too difficult.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Her odds are really bad for finding another good paying job at her age. I know from experience.

Even if she was willing to move to another city, then she'd have to pay for housing. If you factor in the cost of housing, she may not be ahead anyway. Let alone, if she'd also have to pay for caregivers.

Plus, it sounds like it would be too much change for her to move out of Appalachia. And, of course, she doesn't want to leave the grandchild. And she'd have to deal with finding new medical providers for her Mother, and take Mother away from her support group or church or just what's familiar.

Her life journey is hers. You or I may move away to another town, but it doesn't sound like she will. As long as she's careful, she should be okay.

Plus, if she's her mother's caregiver, she may be able to get some income as a caregiver, depending on Mother's situation, such as if she'd qualify for In Home Health Services through Medicaid, etc.

She sounds very capable. I think you can leave her to make her own decisions. But, it's kind of you to care.

[matisse12]

KissMyGritz, 4th paragraph down in OP's post: "Everything is paid off."

[LiaLia]

Not sure what you're saying. Does she feel she's in a problematic situation? Or is that what you're seeing and you're worried? Please explain a little more.

[Happy in Wyoming]

I'm 74; I wish that I were 56 again.