Sherry

Sherry L. Christensen is a retired high school teacher. She designed and built this blog site to inform and inspire others in an effort to build a community of solo retirees. You can reach her at livingliferetired16@gmail.com.

Retirement spending – you can’t take it with you

by
retirement spending
physicianfamily.com

Retirees:  It’s Okay to Spend

by Jane Bennett Clark for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

November, 2016

“My mom enjoys a comfortable retirement, but she isn’t rich. A few years after my dad died, she sold her house. She used part of the profit to pay the big entry fee for the retirement community where she now lives, and she invested the rest. That amount, with her IRA, represents her retirement nest egg. Now, 12 years later, her stash is about the same as it was when she moved into her new home. But at age 91, she’s still cautious about spending down her retirement savings.

Her restraint isn’t unusual. A recent report by Chris Browning, Tao Guo and Yuanshan Cheng at Texas Tech University showed that most retirees of moderate means, as well as those who are affluent, don’t even spend all of their income from Social Security, pensions and investment earnings, much less draw down the principal in their nest egg. Their assets either stay about the same or grow over their lifetime. The wealthier the retiree, the bigger the gap between income and spending, and the more the savings pile up.

Even when retirees do tap their retirement savings­—as they’re required to do from tax-deferred accounts starting at age 70½—they don’t necessarily spend what they withdraw. A recent Vanguard study of retirees with at least $100,000 in household wealth showed that most of them took their required minimum distributions and reinvested one-third of their withdrawals.

Why do retirees resist spending their hard-earned (and hard-saved) money? Wanting to leave something to the kids is one reason (thanks, Mom!). But the bigger one is uncertainty. You can’t predict how long you’ll live, how your investments will perform over 20 or 30 years, or whether you’ll be hit by big medical or long-term-care costs, so you keep a cushion. In fact, that approach makes sense if you’re relying largely on savings to cover costs.

Failure to plan and lack of confidence also play roles in underspending.”  Read more

Don’t let holiday depression creep into this joyous season

by

During the Christmas holiday season last year I was afflicted with shingles and suffered depression due to the quarantine my doctor ordered.  It was the worst Christmas ever!  I was not able to attend church services on Christmas Eve nor see my family until January.  I was feeling hurt and alone.  I recovered but the depression due to the isolation was unbearable at the time.

Read further for helpful information if you, or someone you know, is suffering from holiday blues during this season and remember, “This too shall pass.”

holiday depression
homehelpers

Holiday Depression

by Michael Kerr

March 21, 2016

“Holidays are supposed to be a time of joy and celebration, but for some people they are anything but.

Depression may occur at any time of the year, but the stress and anxiety during the months of November and December may cause even those who are usually content to experience loneliness and a lack of fulfillment.

Why is depression so common during the holidays?

There are several reasons why you may develop depression during the holidays:

Social Isolation

Social isolation is one of the biggest predictors of depression, especially during the holidays.

Some people may have a small social circle or a lack opportunities for socialization. People who have feelings of disconnectedness often avoid social interactions at holiday time. Unfortunately, withdrawing often makes the feelings of loneliness and symptoms of depression worse.

These individuals may see other people spending time with friends and family, and ask themselves, ‘Why can’t that be me?’ or ‘Why is everyone else so much happier than I am?’

One of the best ways to deal with social isolation is to reach out to friends or family for support. You can also try talking to a therapist. They can help you figure out where your feelings come from and develop solutions to overcome them.

holiday depression
psychdigest.com

Grieving During the Holidays

Some people may be keenly aware of the loss of a loved one during the holiday season. Here are several ways to stave off the holiday blues that may descend at this time:

Begin a new tradition – Try planning a family outing or vacation, instead of spending the holidays at home.”

Read more ways to stave off the holiday blues and/or click here for Another good resource for helping an elderly neighbor or family member during the holidays.

The arts “enhance overall quality of life”

by
the arts
sfgate.com

Express Yourself

From UCLA Health’s Healthy Years newsletter

December 2016

“Watching an artist paint, a dancer gracefully glide across the stage or a singer belt out a happy tune is witnessing bliss personified.  Children can find that joyful state of absorption rather easily: A single crayon on paper can do it.  As adults, however, we often lose that sense of blissful play, but it can be found again.

‘Because the arts serve as an emotional and physical outlet, they also help to decrease stress and combat depression and loneliness,’ explains Erica Curtis, board certified art therapist and instructor for the UCLA Arts and Healing Social Emotional Arts (SEA) certificate program.  ‘It’s a healthy means of distraction from pains, discomfort or other stressors.’

The Power of Making Music Together

Researchers from the University of Oxford wanted to explore whether singing was a special type of bonding behavior or whether any group activity would build bonds among members.  To test the theory, they set up seven courses: four in singing, two in crafts and one in creative writing.  Each course, made up of weekly sessions, ran for seven months.  Those attending the classes were given surveys before and after individual sessions in the first month, in the third month and at the end of the course.  In the surveys, they were asked to rate how close they felt to their classmates.

At the end of the seven months, all the participants reported similar levels of closeness, but those in the singing group stated feeling closer to their classmates earlier in the process.

Singing also requires breath control, which can improve lung function and decrease stress.  A small study found that regular singing might have a positive effect for those who have COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).

Learning to play an instrument, or dusting off one you used to play, can work wonders on your mood.  A study published in the journal Mental Health Practice found that the use of music as a therapy for people over the age of 65 has a positive influence on well-being by providing enjoyment, social interaction, improved memory and social inclusion.

Moving Your Feet to the Beat Feels Good and May Reduce Fall Risk

Osteoarthritis is common in older adults, and movement helps improve circulation to ease the pain of arthritis.  Dancing alone or with others can be a great way to feel better fast.”  Read more

Make time for physical exercise

by
exercise
yourtrainer.eu

Now that I am retired and have the time to exercise, I still have not made it a habit, but I’m not giving up.  Here’s why…

How Exercise Can Help You

from https://go4life.nia.nih.gov

“Exercise and physical activity are good for just about everyone, including older adults. No matter your health and physical abilities, you can gain a lot by staying active. In fact, in most cases you have more to lose by not being active.

Here are just a few of the benefits. Exercise and physical activity:

  • Can help maintain and improve your physical strength and fitness.
  • Can help improve your ability to do the everyday things you want to do.
  • Can help improve your balance.
  • Can help manage and improve diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
  • Can help reduce feelings of depression and may improve mood and overall well-being.
  • May improve your ability to shift quickly between tasks, plan an activity, and ignore irrelevant information.

The key word in all these benefits is YOU — how fit and active you are now and how much effort you put into being active. To gain the most benefits, enjoy all 4 types of exercise, stay safe while you exercise, and be sure to eat a healthy diet, too!

Exercise and physical activity fall into four basic categories—endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. Most people tend to focus on one activity or type of exercise and think they’re doing enough. Each type is different, though. Doing them all will give you more benefits. Mixing it up also helps to reduce boredom and cut your risk of injury.”

Try these exercises

“Visit www.nihseniorhealth.gov, a senior-friendly website from the National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine. This website has health and wellness information for older adults. Special features make it simple to use. For example, you can click on a button to make the type larger.”

Hospice care provided choices and dignity for my dying Dad

by

As the holidays approach, my thoughts are with my family, specifically with my deceased Dad. Three years ago this fall, my father was in hospice care at the same rural nursing home where his own father spent his last days.  At the age of 80, my Dad was dying of cancer and did not want to undergo any further surgery or chemo drugs to prolong his life.  He chose to die while receiving morphine for the increasing pain he endured from the growing tumors in his abdomen.

hospice care
pacifichospicecare.com

In October, 2013, I took time off of work and visited him while he was in hospice care. After signing in at the desk, I walked into my Dad’s private room which was furnished with a comfortable recliner where he spent much of his time, a television, a dresser, a small refrigerator, and a bed.  He also had his own bathroom.  His room also had two corner windows which let in an abundance of natural light and gave him a view of a small, but pretty little yard.

My Dad looked forward to the periodic visits of his two hospice nurses; it didn’t hurt that they were young and attractive.  I was present during one of their visits and was relieved that they were very caring, loving individuals who only had my Dad’s comfort in mind.  They made changes to his oxygen and medication as he needed.

According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), “The term ‘hospice’ can be traced back to medieval times when it referred to a place of shelter and rest for weary or ill travelers on a long journey.  The name was first applied to specialized care for dying patients by physician Dame Cicely Saunders, who began her work with the terminally ill in 1948 and eventually went on to create the first modern hospice—St. Christopher’s Hospice—in a residential suburb of London.  Saunders introduced the idea of specialized care for the dying to the United States during a 1963 visit with Yale University.”

Read more

Dementia rate declines in the US

by
dementia rate
Getty Images

Dramatic decline in dementia seen among older adults in the US

by Sharon Begley

November 21, 2016

“The percent of older US adults with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, declined from 11.6 percent in 2000 to 8.8 percent in 2012, a decrease of nearly a quarter, scientists reported on Monday.

Why it matters:

It had been thought that the baby boomers’ march toward old age would triple the number of Alzheimer’s patients by 2050. These new numbers not only portend a lesser burden on the health care system (and families) but also suggest that something has changed over the generations — and identifying that change could drive down dementia rates even further.

You’ll want to know:

That’s a significant decline: If the rate of dementia in 2012 had been what it was in 2000, ‘there would be well more than 1 million additional people with dementia,’ said John Haaga, director of the National Institute on Aging’s behavioral and social research, who was not involved in the study. As it is, an estimated 5 million Americans 65 and older are afflicted with Alzheimer’s or other dementia.

The nitty gritty:

Researchers led by Dr. Kenneth Langa of the University of Michigan analyzed data on more than 10,500 Health and Retirement Study participants aged 65 or older in 2000 and 2012.

The percent of seniors with dementia fell to 8.8 percent in 2012; accounting for the greater proportion of those who were 85 years or older, the decline was even greater: to 8.6 percent, the team reported in JAMA Internal Medicine.

One possible factor is education.”  Read more

We are in good company…

by

What could be more beautiful than a dear old lady growing wise with age? Every age can be enchanting, provided you live within it.            –Bridget Bardot, 82

good company
today.com

Beloved Florence Henderson passed away last week at the age of 82.  I grew up knowing her as Carol Brady, the mom, from The Brady Bunch.  I don’t think I ever missed an episode!  Recently, I saw her on Dancing with the Stars and she looked as if she had not aged much at all since playing the role of Carol in the 60’s and 70’s.

In light of her passing, I thought it might be interesting to see how old some of our other favorite celebrities are.  Their words of wisdom came from either imdb.com or brainyquotes.com.

  • Mary Tyler Moore, 79 “Take chances, make mistakes.  That’s how you grow.  Pain nourishes your courage.  You have to in order to practice being brave.”
  • Carol Burnett, 83 “The best advice that I could give is be kind.”
  • Betty White, 94 “Don’t try to be young. Just open your mind. Stay interested in stuff.”
  • Jane Fonda, 78 “Don’t give up no matter how hard it is. Try to make the best of who you are.”
  • Shirley MacLaine, 82 “You are the architect of your personal experience.”
  • Clint Eastwood, 86 “Society has made us believe you should look like an 18-year-old model all your life. But I figure I might as well just be what I am.”

Read more