Ways to Help with Retirement Transitions

As we saw in the last post, there are those who are reluctant to retire, who might even be drawn into depression over it. However, it doesn't have to be that kind of shock. We may have the attitude of work till you drop or work until a certain age or goal and then enter a new stage in your life. In either scenario, it doesn't hurt to be prepared! Since I strongly believe in successful aging, I also believe in preparing for a successful transition into this next stage, retirement.

In this study, Mobilizing Resources for Well-being: Implications for Developing Interventions in the Retirement Transition*, the researchers sought to identify what people needed for a smooth transition into retirement and what programs could be created to help them. Almost everyone described a desire for well-being in retirement, just like the rest of us. We hope for a time in our lives when we can do what we want to do, travel, see friends more often, volunteer, etc. Interestingly, the study participants did not associate later life (also identified as the Fourth Age) with retirement; later life is farther down the road after you've been retired for a long time and your health declines. Think about what “later life” means to you. What does it look like?

The interventions the researchers came up with were based on the issues participants anticipated for their retirement, from having enough money to having a sense of citizenship (giving back to the community). The study suggested tools that would be used to create workshops on specific topics. The study seems to suggest that employers should provide these interventions. For instance, something we don't often talk about but the problem still exists: “Assisting individuals and couples to consider the ‘challenge’ of having a potential lack of structure.” The tool utilized would be a Retirement Time-reflection Tool and the workshop would help individuals and couples to visualize current patterns of time use and potential patterns of time use. The intervention would occur before retirement, of course. There are more tools to help with the variety of issues that come up as we face retirement, and these interventions would help us with a successful transition.

*Mobilizing Resources for Well-being: Implications for Developing Interventions in the Retirement Transition by Ben Heaven, PhD, Nicola O’Brien, PhD, Elizabeth H. Evans, PhD, Martin White, MD, Thomas D. Meyer, PhD, John C. Mathers, PhD, and Suzanne Moffatt, PhD from Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, UK., Centre for Diet & Activity Research, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, UK., Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Houston, and Human Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, UK. Read in The Gerontologist, 2016, Vol. 56, No. 4, 615–629.

Reluctance to Retire

A study of academic physicians in a teaching hospital showed that their self-identity, their self-worth, was so connected to their job that they actually had great anxiety and even depression when it came time to retire.* The culture of the organization was that work came before family, before friends, and that advancement in that job was most important in their lives. When you think about your later career life and retirement, do you feel the same way these physicians feel?

They felt that they would die on the job, that the job was too important to leave for others to do it. The physicians hadn't really planned for retirement; they hadn't saved money for it nor had they thought how they might spend their time having never had time to cultivate a hobby. It was ingrained in them by the hospital organization that work was more important than family so much so that they didn't see how younger generations would succeed when the younger physicians put a greater emphasis on non-work activities than the older ones had ever contemplated. Younger ones were considered lazy and uncommitted, which added to the older generation’s fear of retiring and leaving the organization in the hands of less qualified people. Meantime, the hospital, despite having created the reluctance to retire culture, felt that older physicians needed to retire in order to renew and refresh the work force.

I think this points to a need to greater enhance the transitional process from employment to retirement. Employees need a way to step down slowly from full time employment to full time retirement. Of course, I still believe that you should work as long as you want to work, but I think it's possible, maybe good, to move from a stressful all-encompassing job to a less stressful job. As I've said before you can volunteer, become a mentor, try something you've always been passionate about. Think about what you want your later career and retirement to look like, and make a plan.

* Reluctance to Retire: A Qualitative Study on Work Identity, Intergenerational Conflict, and Retirement in Academic Medicine by Michelle Pannor Silver, BA, BS, MPP, PhD and Sarah A. Williams, MA. The Gerontologist, advance article published online September 2016.

Successful Aging - What Research Says

Successful Aging. To me it means positive aging, keep going beyond retirement, slow down on your terms. Researchers have studied what it means to successfully age. I happened upon an old article from 1997; I think the information still holds true. The MacArthur Foundation spent years studying more than a 1000 people, doctors gave a study the name Americans Change Lives, and Swedes studied twins raised separately all to figure out what are the differences between aging with disability and risks and aging with good health and longevity. All that studying, and I'm only mentioning a few. They discovered a number of factors that make up successful aging. “Successful aging is multidimensional, encompassing the avoidance of disease and disability, the maintenance of high physical and cognitive function, and sustained engagement in social and productive activities. Research has identified factors predictive of success in these critical domains.”* Here's just a few factors:

• Genetic factors - how your genes relate to risks like heart disease and diabetes. However, in studying several generations of advanced age relatives it was found that those genes had less effect in the current generation.
• Physiological factors - gait, balance and blood pressure measures, specifically, were excellent predictors of mortality, even just five years later.
• Cognitive factors - we've all worried about dementia interrupting our aging. Interestingly, “Education was the strongest predictor, with greater years of schooling increasing the likelihood of maintaining high cognitive function.”*
• Engagement in life (socializing) - being involved with other people has a health protective aspect, meaning showing love and respect and giving direct assistance like doing chores and providing transportation are good for your health.

There are more factors of course that help with successful aging. I'm sure you can figure out many for yourselves. What does successful aging look like to you?

*Successful Aging by JM Rowe in The Gerontologist, Vol. 37, No. 4, 433-440, 1997.

Own Your Age

     Own your age. It's becoming a popular phrase, for fitness centers, nutrition centers, etc. AARP has a new campaign called Disrupt Aging. I first read about Own Your Age from a speech I found by the AARP CEO, Jo Ann Jenkins, at an aging well conference.
         It spoke to me. As Ms. Jenkins said, “I’m not talking about just accepting your age. I mean really own it— embrace it—feel good about where you are in life—and more importantly, about where you are going.”* I've talked before about not retiring just because you've turned 65, deciding to continue and never stop like Gloria Steinem, making goals and achieving them a little at a time, and living with positive attitudes. Now we have a name for all that, own your age.
         As we embrace everything that it means to own your age, we practice the process of positive aging. It is a process, to see that it's okay to feel good about your age, not hide it, not give into the negativity of ageism, but keep going. Take your wisdom, your years of experience,  and use it well to benefit yourself and those around you.
          The concept of owning your age is really far reaching, embrace it, feel good about it, really take your age and don't let it hold you back from doing what's best for your and your family. Just like you own a car, own a house, own a smartphone, go ahead and own your age!

*Own Your Age. Address by Jo Ann Jenkins. Delivered at AARP’s Life @50+ National Event & Expo, Miami, Fla. May 15, 2015. Vital Speeches of the Day.

Positive Aging

 "Live like you're going to die tomorrow and learn like you're going to live forever."

- Mahatma Gandhi*

       This is a wonderful quote, something that encapsulates my own philosophy.  As a Woman of a Certain Age it's natural that I have an obvious concern/interest in positive aging for women. So, I think it is important for us to have an optimistic attitude about what we can do and not to be limited by age. Live every moment to its fullest and never stop trying something new. Use your time well by setting priorities and goals for yourself and then persevere until that goal is completed. Then, set a new goal.
       Positive aging means having the right attitude, one that says as important as aging is it's more than a number. In an article in Harvard Health Woman's Watch** from last year, Dr. Laura Kubzansky, professor of social and behavioral sciences at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health describes what she and her colleagues discovered when they studied the health effects of several forms of psychological well-being. "She has found that emotional vitality—characterized by enthusiasm, hopefulness, engagement in life, and the ability to face life's stresses with emotional balance—is associated with a substantially reduced risk of heart attack and stroke." 
      Dr. Kubzanksy suggests these ideas to help with positive aging. Don't dwell on your age. Focus on what is most important. Practice mindfulness. Keep a sense of purpose. In other words, feel younger than your age, pay less attention to troubles than triumphs, accept your feelings, and make forced changes into opportunities. All this has been proven to extend your life.
       So, with that extended life, keep on making goals (remember SMART goals) and accomplishing them, never stop learning.


*I also found the quote with "as if" in place of "like."
**How Your Attitudes Affect Your Health - http://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/how-your-attitudes-affect-your-health

Rewind, Reflect, and Reboot for 2017

The end of the year is a natural time for us to rewind, reflect, and reboot. I'm sure I'm not the first to tell you that. Of course, reflection is important, to be able to look back and see what you have accomplished, the high points and low points. Next, understand what you have learned and move forward. Decide what you want for yourself.

Break actionable goals down to a weekly goal. If you want to lose weight, try This Week I Will Buy Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Instead of Ice Cream. If you want to get closer to your family, try This Sunday I Will Call Mary. In this way, you can easily reflect each week whether the action fits into your larger goal.

In the past, I have written about creating SMART goals and it's worth repeating.

Ask yourself:

What do I want to accomplish this week?

How does this fit into my vision?

What actions must I take?

What resources do I need?

How will I measure success?

Be sure your goals are SMART:

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.

Read more about writing SMART goals:

S.M.A.R.T. Starts Here

Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem. A name synonymous with the women’s liberation movement. A woman who put feminism into the mainstream of American culture. A woman who gave other women a voice, a way to say, “I am woman, hear me roar!” (To borrow from Helen Reddy)

Gloria Steinem is 82. Ms. (she gave us that too) Steinem is as vital as ever. She most certainly has not retired as an activist. She recently published another book, My Life on the Road, about her travels. She continues to be a true force in the community. A consummate New Yorker, Ms. Steinem is currently working to transform the former Bayview Correctional Facility in Manhattan into a hub for organizations serving girls and women.

To give you a typical day I must quote the recent NYT article, lest I miss something. “She had things to do. There was a Yazidi woman, Nadia Murad Basee Taha, who was trafficked by the Islamic State, to interview for Viceland, and a promo for a Ms. Foundation fund-raiser to tape. She had to prepare for a talk at the United Jewish Appeal and a local news segment about the Women’s Media Center. She continued on her way.” *

We can all still take inspiration from Gloria Steinem. As ever, she is a remarkable woman doing remarkable work. Perhaps, your brand of remarkable isn't creating a revolution, starting organizations, or even writing bestsellers, but no matter your age you can definitely make a difference. You can volunteer, find ways for your company to give back to the community, or perhaps you want to see if you can work with Ms. Steinem in her new girl’s and women’s center. Like Ms. Steinem, you keep going.

* New York Times, October 9, 2016, on page MB1 of the New York edition with the headline: Gloria Steinem Never Stops. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/09/nyregion/gloria-steinem-feminist.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&_r=2

National Family Caregivers Month

It would be remiss of me to let November slip by without recognizing National Family Caregivers Month. It's a time to honor and thank all family caregivers who, as President Obama wrote in his proclamation, “are the humble heroes who do so much to keep our families and communities strong.” This year's theme is Take Care to Give Care, and it's designed to remind caregivers to take care of themselves so that they can successfully care for their loved one (or neighbor). 

The National Family Caregivers Association runs an excellent website, Caregiver Action Network, www.caregiveraction.org. This site helps all caregivers. So, you may want to pass on this information to a friend in need of support in their caregiving efforts. 

I particularly like these ten tips which the site lays out for us:

10 Tips for Family Caregivers

1. Seek support from other caregivers. You are not alone!

2. Take care of your own health so that you can be strong enough to take care of your loved one.

3. Accept offers of help and suggest specific things people can do to help you.

4. Learn how to communicate effectively with doctors.

5. Caregiving is hard work so take respite breaks often.

6. Watch out for signs of depression and don't delay getting professional help when you need it.

7. Be open to new technologies that can help you care for your loved one.

8. Organize medical information so it's up to date and easy to find.

9. Make sure legal documents are in order.

10. Give yourself credit for doing the best you can in one of the toughest jobs there is!

There's also a Family Caregiver Toolbox with many links to other sites, and even a special section on coping with Alzheimer's Disease. 

Retiring, Not!

People are working longer, later into their senior years. I could find you the statistics, but you've heard it and you've seen it. For example, there’s the receptionist at your doctor who has been there for decades, well even your doctor is growing old with you.

It's not just what They say, that 70 is the new 60, 60 is the new 50, etc.  People are living longer, yes, but they also feel as if they're not ready to retire. They're vital, healthy, sharp-minded and the stereotypical image of sitting around on the front porch rocking chair with a blanket on their lap just isn't appealing. Then, there's the fact that many people have to work, there are too many financial burdens to be able to live off of Social Security or maybe that pension.

Two recent articles in The New York Times demonstrated the kinds of work that's out there for “retirees.” One article featured a man whose was a hospital maintenance man, someone who had climbed the ranks to manager, who finally found that work was just too hard on his aging body. He became the concierge. Nobody knew the building better than him! [Too Old for Hard Labor, but Still on the Job, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/13/your-money/too-old-for-hard-labor-but-still-on-the-job.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fretiring] The other article featured a man whose heart attack caused him to slow down and he found a mentoring program that taught new technologies. He started his own business and created an interactive game to be used at a place he had loved as a child, Harper's Ferry Historical Site. He gets to make his own hours! [Older Entrepreneurs Take on the Concrete Ceiling, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/10/your-money/older-entrepreneurs-take-on-the-concrete-ceiling.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fretiring]

Both articles show that you can create a new life for yourself. These men channeled their previous skills into a new job. This probably seems like a daunting task, but it is entirely possible. Even I did it in going back to college for my Coaching Certificate a few years ago. So, here's some ideas to get you started:

You can consider changing jobs as an exciting opportunity to try something new. Try going back to your childhood passion; you may have loved baseball or jewelry making and you can explore what's available in those areas. Try that job you started with, as a teen or as an adult, and see what a lifetime of experiences brings to the job now. I'm not talking flipping burgers necessarily, but maybe those skills that you started acquiring as a camp counselor now, after all the other skills you've acquired, can be turned into a mentor position or managing a youth center. Try thinking of the things you love to do now, and find a way to turn them into a new job.


I like to tell people to look at the skills you've acquired in your various jobs, leadership, teamwork, problem solving, maybe even how to flip the perfect burger. Then, see what else you can apply those skills to, like the men in those articles did. Okay, maybe you won't be making as much money, but it can be enough. After looking at your skills, next embrace the change and make a plan, set actionable goals, and just do it. I can also suggest watching Robert DeNiro in The Intern for inspiration!


Lastly, remember there are people like me, there to help and support you along the way.

Fall Prevention for Community Dwelling Seniors

           In the past decade the trend in senior living has been moving towards assisted living and especially living in the community. While many seniors have found comfort living in a community of people in their same age range and enjoying minimal health services and specially designed activities, others have found greater comfort living in the home they've been in for years, in a familiar neighborhood where "everybody knows your name" and shopping is similar to what it's always been. There is a sense of security in the familiarity of everything, but this can be a false sense of security when seniors are frailer than in their passed years. Often with frailty comes an increased possibility of falling. Therefore, it's best to look around the house and see the hidden and not-so-hidden dangers that could cause a fall from a loose rug edge to a chair that doesn't quite fit the space, and even a staircase that doesn't have a railing.
         There are many websites which give suggestions for safely living at home. Check out these sites for ideas and suggestions. At this site from the National Council on Aging, the organization has outlined 6 Steps for Preventing Falls Among Your Older Loved Ones. Specifically designed for caregivers, including children caring for their parents, the steps give practical advice to help prevent falls from medication checking to checking for potential dangers around the house. Another source is from the Centers for Disease Control, STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries) Materials for Your Older Adult Patients. It includes two brochures available in English and Spanish that can be printed out or ordered, Stay Independent (pointing out risks and how to prevent them) and What You Can Do to Prevent Falls (tips for staying safe and healthy in the home). Lastly, at SeniorCitizensGuide.com they have reprinted a checklist from the National Association of Home Builders on preparing the home for senior living, Aging-In-Place Design Checklists. Following even a few of these suggestions may mean the difference between having to live in a nursing home because of an injury and living in a safe environment in a familiar community.
                              The words in grey are links to the websites, click to go.