It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Peru, IA is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
“Tracey Gray helped me in the biggest way today! She saved my day and I”
“Always best care provided excellent caregivers to us. I am really happy with the care”
“On behalf of my family, I would like to thank Always Best care for all”
“Always Best Care in Cedar Valley IA realy helps me a lot. They have Reliable”
“Tracey Gray helped me in the biggest way today! She saved my day and I am so thankful for her choice to help me! Thank you! #CertPrint #AlwaysBestCare”
“Always best care provided excellent caregivers to us. I am really happy with the care and support they provided to my father. Highly recommended to all!”
“On behalf of my family, I would like to thank Always Best care for all the support your caregivers have provided to my mother. She was very pleased with the care she received. I confidently recommend Always Best Care to all.”
“Always Best Care in Cedar Valley IA realy helps me a lot. They have Reliable Caregivers who helped me to take care of my loved one for several years. They are highly trained and managed well the daily routines and activities like bathing and dressing. Caregivers of always best care is dependable and passionate to their work. I am satisfied and so glad that I chose their service. Highly recommend whoever needs their caregiving service!”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
Request More Information
While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Peru, IA, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Peru, IA understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Peru, IA 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
Faulkner, led by running back Robin Harris, opens 2026 on NAIA Network Saturday, at Southeastern.NAIA Family of Networks to Air 12 Games, With Links at NAIA.org/WatchThe 2026 NAIA Football season kicks off with 48 games across three days in Week 0, 2026, beginning Thursday, August 27, at 6 p.m. in the Eastern Time Zone. The NAIA Family of Broadcast Networks will feature 12 of the 48 games, with 12 more scores to track on the PrestoSports NAIA Scoreboard.Thursday, August 27Central Oklahoma at (...
Faulkner, led by running back Robin Harris, opens 2026 on NAIA Network Saturday, at Southeastern.
The 2026 NAIA Football season kicks off with 48 games across three days in Week 0, 2026, beginning Thursday, August 27, at 6 p.m. in the Eastern Time Zone. The NAIA Family of Broadcast Networks will feature 12 of the 48 games, with 12 more scores to track on the PrestoSports NAIA Scoreboard.
Central Oklahoma at (RV) Texas Wesleyan, 6 p.m. CT
#16 St. Thomas (Fla.) at (RV) Cumberland (Tenn.), 6 p.m. CT
(RV) OUAZ (Ariz.) at #5 Montana Tech, 6 p.m. MT
(RV) Taylor (Ind.) at (RV) Olivet Nazarene (Ill.), 7 p.m. CT
Graceland (Iowa) at #13 William Penn (Iowa), 7 p.m. CT
#8 Dordt (Iowa) at #9 Indiana Wesleyan, 6 p.m. ET
#21 McPherson (Kan.) at Avila (Mo.), 1 p.m. CT
#3 Benedictine (Kan.) at #7 Morningside (Iowa), 6 p.m. CT
#1 Grand View (Iowa) at Peru State (Neb.), 6 p.m. CT
(RV) Kansas Wesleyan at Ottawa (Kan.), 6 p.m. CT
Faulkner (Ala.) at #15 Southeastern (Fla.), 7 p.m. ET
contributed to this story.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Emma Nibbelink of Aquinas (Mich.) captured the NAIA Women’s Swimming & Diving weekly recognition after achieving a strong performance at the Kalamazoo College Dual. Nibbelink posted a pair of NAIA A standards on the boards. The junior opened the meet scoring a 198.89 on the three-meter board to earn the win. […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A quartet of wins leads to Elijah Holliman of Milligan (Tenn.) capturing the NAIA Men’s Swimmer of the Week honor. Over the course of two duals, Holliman clipped the NAIA provisional cut en route to four first-place finishes. In the Inauguration Day Dual, Holliman collected a pair of wins, highlighted by […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The first regular-season Gared NAIA Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll sees a lot of movement as only two teams remained the same rank as the preseason poll. Bethel (Tenn.) Bethel (Tenn.) has opened the season with an impressive 4-0 record, averaging 78 points per game while steadily improving on the […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After the first three weeks of the season with a plethora of exciting men’s basketball played, Oklahoma Wesleyan emerges at the top of the first regular season Gared-NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 with 14 first-place votes and a 6-0 record. Indiana Wesleyan climbed three spots to No. 2 this week […]
This Pew Research Center study looks at how people around the world view artificial intelligence (AI), including how opinions vary by age and across high- and middle-income countries. Why did we do this? Pew Research Center does research to help the public, media and decision-makers understand important topics. This international research builds on our previous reports on how people in 25 countries view AI and the Center’s work measuring Americans’ attitudes toward this new technology. Learn more ...
This Pew Research Center study looks at how people around the world view artificial intelligence (AI), including how opinions vary by age and across high- and middle-income countries.
Pew Research Center does research to help the public, media and decision-makers understand important topics. This international research builds on our previous reports on how people in 25 countries view AI and the Center’s work measuring Americans’ attitudes toward this new technology.
Learn more about Pew Research Center and our international surveys.
We surveyed 42,151 people across 36 countries from Feb. 8 to May 13, 2026: Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, the U.K., and the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We designed the surveys so we could talk about the views of the adult population in each country.
For this report, data from the U.S. comes from two surveys. We surveyed 5,119 U.S. adults from Feb. 17 to Feb. 23, 2026 and 3,488 U.S. adults from June 22 to June 28, 2026. Everyone who took part in these surveys is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel. These surveys represent the views of the full U.S. adult population.
Here are the survey questions used for this report, along with responses, and the survey methodology.
As policymakers, business leaders and experts engage in a rapidly moving debate about the potential economic impacts of artificial intelligence, ordinary citizens around the world are concerned. In 34 of 37 countries Pew Research Center surveyed earlier this year, people tend to believe AI will lead to fewer jobs rather than more jobs.
Still, opinion on this and other AI-related topics may still be taking shape: In many places, about a fifth of adults or more are unsure how AI will impact their country’s jobs. This share reaches around four-in-ten or more in some middle-income nations (as classified by World Bank lending groups).
Indeed, worries tend to run particularly high in countries with higher gross domestic product per capita. For example, in some wealthy nations like Australia, South Korea and the United States, around seven-in-ten adults or more say AI will result in job loss over the next 20 years. In the U.S. – the only country where we have asked this question before – the share who hold this view has increased 7 percentage points in two years.
In a number of countries, concern about AI-related job loss is more common among young adults (those ages 18 to 34) than older adults (those ages 50 and older). This is the case in high-income nations like Canada, France, Singapore and Sweden, as well as in middle-income nations like India, Indonesia and Malaysia. (In turn, older adults in some countries are more likely to be unsure how AI will impact jobs.) Read more on global views of AI by age.
In the U.S., where we also asked this question in 2024, concern about job loss from AI has increased the most among Americans ages 18 to 34.
Related:
In 11 mostly high-income countries, women are more likely than men to say AI will lead to fewer jobs. For example, in France, women are 10 percentage points more likely than men to hold this view.
In many of the middle-income countries surveyed, people with higher household incomes and more education are more likely to say AI will lead to fewer jobs over the next 20 years. Much of this difference is related to people with lower incomes and less education being more likely to say they are unsure how AI will affect jobs. Read more on how people in middle- and high-income countries view AI.
In around half of the countries surveyed, people with high AI awareness – that is, those who have heard or read a lot about it – are more likely than people with less awareness to say the technology will result in job loss. (People with less AI awareness are generally more likely to be unsure.) Read more about who is aware of AI.
On balance, people are more likely to say AI will increase rather than decrease the gap between the rich and the poor. Still, relatively large shares in many places are either unsure or say AI will not affect inequality in their country much.
Concerns about inequality, much like concerns about job loss, are related to GDP per capita. Many of the same relatively wealthy countries where people are especially likely to believe AI will cost jobs also have particularly large shares who say it will increase inequality. For example, in South Korea, Australia, the U.S., Greece and Canada, around four-in-ten adults or more say AI will increase the gap between the rich and the poor.
Once again, fairly large shares in many middle-income countries are unsure, though on this question the same is true in some high-income countries like Germany and Singapore.
Few people overall think AI will decrease economic inequality. There is no country in which more than one-in-four hold this view – and in 29 nations, that figure is in single digits.
Ideology plays a role in these views. In eight of the 28 countries where we measure political ideology, we find that people on the left are more likely than those on the right to say AI will increase the gap between the rich and the poor. (Past Center research has found that people who place themselves on the left tend to be more concerned about inequality in general.)
Liberals in the U.S. are 31 points more likely than conservatives to say AI will increase inequality – one of the largest ideological gaps we observe.
Age also plays a role. In the U.S., adults under 35 are much more likely than those ages 50 and older to say AI will increase the gap between the rich and the poor (56% vs. 38%), once again among the largest gaps we measured. Younger people are also more likely to hold this view in Australia, Canada, Poland and Singapore.
The pattern is reversed, however, in Argentina, Chile, Hungary, Italy and Peru, where older people are more likely to say AI will increase the wealth gap.
In about a third of the countries surveyed, people with more education and higher household incomes are more likely than their counterparts to say AI will contribute to inequality.
There are mixed feelings around the world about the increased use of AI in daily life: Across 37 countries, a 37% median are more concerned than excited, while a 41% median are equally concerned and excited. This dual sense of concern and excitement is the most common sentiment in around half of the countries surveyed. Israel is the only nation in which more people are primarily excited than primarily concerned.
Several nations with high levels of general concern about AI – such as Australia, Canada, Greece, Italy, Poland and the U.S. – also stand out for having large shares who are worried about job loss and increased inequality.
But the same is not true in all nations surveyed. For example, South Koreans are among the most likely to forecast AI-related job loss and increased inequality. But they are among the least likely to say they are primarily concerned about the technology. Rather, a majority of South Koreans (61%) say they are equally concerned and excited, and 21% even say they are primarily excited.
In many countries, people with higher awareness of AI – meaning they have heard or read more about the technology – tend to feel more optimistic about it.
Take Germany as an example: Among Germans who have heard a lot about AI, 26% are more concerned than excited about it, 59% are equally concerned and excited, and 15% are more excited than concerned. Among Germans who have heard a little or nothing at all about AI, 41% are primarily concerned, 51% are equally concerned and excited, and 8% are primarily excited. (In many countries surveyed, people who are less aware of AI are also less likely to provide a response.) Refer to the appendix for detailed tables.
In 15 of the countries polled, people ages 50 and older are more likely than those ages 18 to 34 to be primarily concerned about AI. Older adults also tend to be less likely than their younger peers to have heard or read a lot about the technology in many places.
The same trend is seen among people with less education and lower household income, who themselves are less likely to have high AI awareness and more likely to express concern. Read more about changes in AI awareness.
First, apprehension about AI is growing in some countries. The share of adults who say they are more concerned than excited about the technology has gone up since last year in Sweden (+9 percentage points), Poland (+8), the Netherlands (+7), Hungary (+6) and Australia (+4).
In the U.S., views have been relatively stable over the past year, but concerns are up significantly since 2021.
Second, concern in some places appears to be growing among young people in particular.
We have been tracking attitudes toward AI in the U.S. longer than in other countries. Our surveys have shown that, while concerns about AI have risen among Americans in all age groups, they have grown sharply among young adults in the last couple of years.
Since 2024, the share of Americans ages 18 to 34 who are more concerned than excited about AI has jumped from 40% to 55%. Today, those under 35 are as likely as those ages 50 and older to say they are primarily concerned – a notable departure from five years ago, when older people were somewhat more concerned.
In Sweden, too, the gap in concern between the oldest and youngest adults has essentially disappeared over the past year. Young adults in Poland, Brazil, Japan and Australia have also become more likely to say they are primarily concerned, though their older counterparts remain more likely to express this view.
Concern has also grown among adults ages 50 and older in a few places. This is the case in Poland and Sweden, where concern is also up among young people, but also in France, Hungary and the Netherlands.
What was once an overlooked piece at a local shop has now attracted attention from fans eager to get their hands on the same design worn by BTS' V.BTS' V has once again demonstrated his remarkable influence over consumer trends, with an item he wore during the group's ARIRANG World Tour in Peru suddenly becoming a sought-after purchase. What was once an overlooked piece at a local shop has now attracted attention from fans eager to get their hands on the same design.And the poncho is far from the only item to experience the s...
BTS' V has once again demonstrated his remarkable influence over consumer trends, with an item he wore during the group's ARIRANG World Tour in Peru suddenly becoming a sought-after purchase. What was once an overlooked piece at a local shop has now attracted attention from fans eager to get their hands on the same design.
And the poncho is far from the only item to experience the so-called V effect. From clothing and wine to a popular Mexican street snack, the BTS star has repeatedly turned everyday products into unexpected fan favourites.
During BTS' concert in Peru, the members wore traditional ponchos as part of their appearance. V aka Kim Taehyung's choice, in particular, caught fans' attention after the concert, when the garment was sold to a fan and the shop began receiving a wave of inquiries about the same design.
Speaking to Peruvian broadcaster Latina Television at the shop, the owner revealed that the poncho had struggled to find a buyer before V wore it. "The poncho V wore had been sitting unsold for almost a year. It was as if it had been waiting for V to come and wear it himself."
The owner also explained that V had personally selected the poncho in that particular colour during a video call. The sudden demand has been especially significant for the shop, as every piece is handmade and producing even a single poncho in a day is difficult.
The buzz did not stop with the traditional garment. The T-shirt V wore during the concert's soundcheck also reportedly sold out, giving local merchandise another unexpected boost.
The Peruvian poncho is only the latest example of V's ability to turn an ordinary product into a highly desired item. In Chile, a wine featured in a photograph V shared on Instagram triggered another buying frenzy.
The picture showed the singer holding a glass of wine at a winery, and within just two hours of the post going live, the product had reportedly sold out at official retailers both in South Korea and internationally.
The Korean retailer later announced that the wine would not be available for restocking for another two months, highlighting the speed at which interest had surged following V's post.
V's influence has also extended beyond fashion and beverages. During BTS' concert in Mexico last May, fans rushed to a shop selling banderillas after the singer tried the popular Mexican-style corn dog.
The moment attracted attention from local media, with a major Mexican newspaper reporting, "After V ate a banderilla, everyone at the concert venue started buying them." The shop took the attention a step further by officially naming the exact banderilla V had eaten "TAELICIOUS."
From a handmade Peruvian poncho that remained unsold for nearly a year to wine that disappeared from retailers within hours, V's recent appearances have repeatedly put local products in the spotlight. For businesses lucky enough to catch his attention, even a brief moment featuring the BTS star can translate into an extraordinary surge of interest.
VATICAN CITY — Three weeks after lung cancer surgery, Pope Leo XIV is embarking on the longest and farthest trip of his pontificate: a 12-day, three-nation tour of Latin America that carries more personal and historic weight than any of his voyages to date.The U.S.-born Leo is returning home to Peru, where the former Robert Prevost lived for two decades as a missionary priest and learned to be the pastor he is today. Leo holds Peruvian citizenship and is so attached to Peru’s people he gave them a shoutout in Spanish from ...
VATICAN CITY — Three weeks after lung cancer surgery, Pope Leo XIV is embarking on the longest and farthest trip of his pontificate: a 12-day, three-nation tour of Latin America that carries more personal and historic weight than any of his voyages to date.
The U.S.-born Leo is returning home to Peru, where the former Robert Prevost lived for two decades as a missionary priest and learned to be the pastor he is today. Leo holds Peruvian citizenship and is so attached to Peru’s people he gave them a shoutout in Spanish from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on the night of his election.
Leo is also going to Argentina, the home of his predecessor, Pope Francis, to whom Leo owes his pontificate. It will be a homecoming of sorts there, too, since Francis never returned to Argentina after his 2013 election, leaving a complicated legacy that Leo will now have to navigate.
Leo starts his trip Friday in Uruguay, the least Catholic, most secular country in all of Latin America, where not even the big Catholic feast days get their due: Christmas in Uruguay is officially “Family Day” and Holy Week is “Tourism Week.”
Leo is nevertheless expected to draw huge crowds throughout his trip and will likely raise issues of concern to his still-young pontificate: economic injustice, the plight of Indigenous peoples and the Amazon, and the church’s dreadful legacy of clergy sexual abuse.
But many eyes will be on Leo himself for having confirmed this grueling trip at all so soon after surgery Oct. 13 to remove a cancerous tumor from his lung.
When doctors announced that Leo required no further treatment, they also said there was no reason why he couldn’t make the Nov. 6-17 trip. It includes a dozen flights and two helicopter rides covering 31,000 kilometers (19,000 miles), the longest of Leo’s pontificate.
This video file cannot be played.(Error Code: 102630)
00:21
Bob Dylan meets with Pope Leo
00:0000:00
While popes always travel with ample medical care, the Vatican said no special or additional provisions are planned for Leo, including when the 71-year-old travels to Cusco, Peru, at an altitude of 11,200 feet.
“We’re not talking of a permanent condition,” said Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni. “We’re talking about something that you heal from, because it is surgery.”
No leg of the trip is more anticipated than the final stop in Peru, with Leo’s arrival in Lima, and after that Chiclayo, his beloved former diocese that he headed from 2015 to 2023, when Francis summoned him to Rome.
“He is so excited. He personally confirmed this trip with no changes,” said Maria Montserrat Alvarado, the Vatican’s new communications chief.
Leo told the region’s bishops in September that it was in Peru where he “came to know firsthand the faith of a people from whom I received so much, and I came to understand better what it means to be a shepherd.”
Alvarado said Peru “opened his eyes” to the diverse needs of the church and how the church encounters its flock. “This is a place that gave him his ministry and inspired who he is as a pastor,” she said.
Alvarado predicted that Leo will speak off-the-cuff in Spanish throughout the visit and will show his true feelings much in the same way he did in June during his visit to Spain, where the world saw a much more relaxed and happy Leo than the reserved, quiet one often on display in Rome.
“You will see that again but in a totally different way because he knows these streets,” she said.
Francis befuddled friends and foes alike for the duration of his 13-year pontificate, because he never returned home. He had plenty of opportunities, including during his first trip as pope to Rio de Janeiro, and subsequent trips to the region, including to neighboring Chile and Bolivia.
“How many times, I and other people asked him,” confided one of Francis’ closest friends at the Vatican, Guzmán Carriquiry, the former head of the Vatican’s pontifical commission for Latin America. “But it was useless, useless! He’d respond with jokes, by staying silent or getting irritated if you insisted.”
Carriquiry said Leo was coming to Argentina to “fill a void that has remained,” much in the same way Leo has undertaken trips to Spain and France — two once staunchly Christian European countries that Francis stubbornly refused to visit, preferring instead more far-flung “peripheral” places.
María Marcela Mazzini, an Argentine theologian who participated in Francis’ 2015 big meeting on the family, attributed Francis’ reluctance to return to Argentina’s complicated political polarization during his pontificate.
“We understand,” she said. “Things are contextual. I believe the people never doubted the pope’s affection. They always felt he was close to them and now we’re also watching with great joy as Pope Leo” continues his legacy.
“So we’re waiting for him with open arms,” she said.
This video file cannot be played.(Error Code: 102630)
00:29
Pope Leo XIV votes in the midterm elections
00:0000:00
The Argentine leg of the trip, however, is likely to be the most politically delicate, given the clear differences of priorities and styles of the reserved, pensive Leo and those of President Javier Milei, a self-described “anarcho-capitalist” who once described Francis as a “filthy leftist” and “representative of evil on Earth.”
Leo Guardado, associate professor of theology at Fordham University, said he expected Milei’s push to attract AI investment and data centers to Argentina will be a point of discussion, given Leo’s concern about AI’s impact on humanity and the environment.
The visit begins in Uruguay, the first country in the world to legalize marijuana for recreational use, the second country in Latin America to decriminalize abortion, and the third country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage.
More recently, it became the first country in the region to approve assisted dying legislation over the strong opposition of the Catholic Church, evidence of Uruguay’s entrenched church-state separation, which prohibits any mention of God in oaths of office.
“Uruguay is by far the most secularized nation in Latin America. It’s pretty much like a Western European nation,” said Andrew Chesnut, chair of Catholic studies and an expert in the Latin American church at Virginia Commonwealth University.
All of which raises the question of why Leo would bother spending three days of a 12-day trip in a country of 3.5 million people, only a third of whom identify as Catholic and a fraction of whom actually go to Mass regularly.
Alvarado had a ready reply: “Why not?”
Leo is expected to make clear church teaching on abortion and euthanasia. But he is likely to also recall Uruguay’s strong Catholic roots from the Spanish colonial era, most significantly on Sunday when he marks an important Catholic feast day that is intrinsically connected to Uruguay’s 1825 declaration of independence and nationhood.
“He is going to meet people and meet hearts and hopefully inspire them to look again for the places where the church was big and now is small,” Alvarado said. His message to today’s religious “nones,” or nonbelievers, is: “Reconsider.”
Share
Savewith a NBCUniversal Profile
Add NBC News to Google
877-292-2126
