Seeking Ideas of Jobs for My 65 Yr Old Mother...

This may seem outlandish but if she is having a difficult time at work, she should find a friendly HR rep (outside of her branch--at corporate) that she can speak with. Let her know she can and should file a grievance if she feels she is experiencing age discrimination (she is legally protected against discrimination based on her age). The sooner she goes on record about being squeezed out, the more weight her claim will hold if things get worse for her later down the road. Tell her to ask for additional training, or even to be moved to a different position or to a different location or anything to get her out from under the poor management that is making her feel so badly.

It would be best if she could keep her job and so often people feel so demoralized that they don't take the routes that are built into most companies to allow people to continue on working when turbulent workplace situations arise. It might also make her feel better to stand up for herself.

That said, I agree...if she gets laid off or fired then she does qualify for unemployment, she can pick up some babysitting afterschool hours for older children (where there isn't so much physical running around type stuff). She can do some kind of senior companionship thing where she visits elderly people and takes them grocery shopping or brings them groceries or something (families will often pay for a few hours to have a friend come and visit and make lunch and stuff while they are at work). With her years at the bank and customer service experience she could work in a call center or as a receptionist somewhere answering phones and giving directions (which can be really fun if she likes to chat with people). Look around at local museums or places where there are alot of hospitality type positions and see if anyone is hiring. It might be a nice break to be around happy people for once, instead of grumpy bankers.

Good luck to your mom.

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What about getting a cert as an online medical transcriptionist

I like the other answers you've received. The other day I heard something without really paying any attention to what I heard. It had to do with contacting an organization about retraining and finding a job if you're a senior citizen. But I can't remember more than that. AARP? That may be a good place to start. But there's a lot online about this very subject, so you might google and see what your area has to offer.

Your mama is not alone. Many other senior citizens find themselves in the same position. She (and you) will do well to start investigating other options now, before her current employer takes action. It's always possible she may be able to get into something better.

This is a common, wicked things companies do. Your mother is nearing retirement. If they keep her, they have to pay her retirement. Also, she probably makes more than most other employees. They can hire a young person for much less than they are paying her. It should be criminal to do this to someone. They often try to oust the older people. It's all about the bottom line, not the people. I don't know what to suggest though. I don't know if a lawyer will help or not.

If they lay her off she will be eligible for unemployment and maybe even retraining assisstance through the state. It might be actaully beneficial for her. It's so hard waiting to see what your fate will be and waiting for the other shoe to drop all the time. If she gets unemployment she will get out of all that stress and get some time off to take care of herself.

I work in an insurance office. There are a lot of elderly women that work in insurance offices! She could give that a try. No degree necessary, but she would have to pass a state licensing exam. If she goes to work for an agent that is only concerned with servicing policyholders - printing id cards and taking payments, it's very low stress. Of course I work in a producing agents office - we sell - so it's much more stressful.

N., the best answer here is the one that advises getting your ducks lined up. Your mom can't continue there, with worsening health problems, a hostile work environment, and the anxiety of living paycheck to paycheck.
She should absolutely go on Medicare, since she's 65, but also *before going on Medicare* she should get in to see all the specialists she may need, because it's true that many docs won't take new Medicare patients. And many docs won't take Medicare, period, so she needs to check with each doc on that.
She also should contact a lawyer about age discrimination. It's true that many companies will run scared from just a whisper on this subject, because nobody needs negative publicity and she can certainly interest a local reporter in a bank that's dumping valued elder employees. Also, depending on the size of the company, defense could cost them more than they were paying her, especially if she prevails in mediation. Many people hesitate to try this because they fear it will make things worse at work, but she's already in such a bad position with no recourse. At the very least she should pull together all her performance reviews, especially the positive ones that preceded the takeover, and consult with three lawyers (to get various opinions), possibly seeking one or more through AARP or other local seniors' resources. Then decide what to do. I will tell you that I have known people who did win in mediation and it made all the difference moving forward.
Finally, about taking care of her -- she is not helpless, just in a bad position. She'll need more from you as the years go on, so don't feel too bad about this now; rather, help her do the practical things that will improve her situation.
Good luck!
Mama F. (with a elderly mom)

Does she need to work full time? You don't say what skills she has, but she may be able to work in retail if she's been functioning managerially.

Honestly, this is going to be tough for her b/c of her age and health conditions. While employers can't discriminate for those reasons, if there is a younger/healthier candidate with equal qualifications... well, you know what I'm getting at.

The very best thing for her to do right now is to update her resume and secure some solid references. If she's been there 30 years, she is likely one of the higher-paid employees and is engrained in the "old way", so of course they want to replace her with their own people! This happened to my FIL and it was absolutely heartless and devastating after 25 years with a large company and two kids in college.

If she wants to continue working for them, she may want to offer her willingness to attend additional training opportunities (if they have some) and her interest in continuing to learn their methods.

As for living paycheck to paycheck... that's kind of scary considering the fact she has worked full time for 30 years and must be making decent money. Is there anything she can sell? Can she downsize her home? Rent out a room? See if there are other ways for her to liquidate some of her assets just in case... especially bringing in a renter (if there is room)- that's actually income!