Living Life Retired

Keep a good group of friends

May 1, 2017May 1, 2017 by Sherry

Donna, a neighbor and new friend of mine, sent me the following story via text message after I was fretting about not getting to spend time with my family as I would like for various reasons…

“Many years ago, a newlywed young man was sitting on a couch on a hot, humid day, sipping frozen juice during a visit to his father.

As he talked about adult life, marriage, responsibilities, and obligations, the father thoughtfully stirred the ice cubes in his glass and cast a clear, sober look on his son. ‘Never forget your friends,’ he advised, ‘they will become more important as you get older.’

Embrace retirement by working

April 27, 2017 by Sherry

After about three months of experiencing retirement, I realized I wasn’t ready for the drastic adjustment. I had worked full-time as a high school teacher so I decided to embrace retirement by working part-time as a substitute teacher to help with the transition. I loved the flexibility and the ability to continue working with young people. Rob Peters was in a similar situation…

A Californian’s ‘Retirement’ is Part-Time

By Kim Blanton, Squared Away Blog

April 20, 2017

A new body of research indicates that continuing to work but gearing down to a lower-intensity job is often good for older Americans, because it reduces their stress, increases their job satisfaction, and is an encouragement to continue working and preparing financially for retirement.

“Rob Peters’ approach to retiring wasn’t much different from hitting the road in 1975 to help drive a college friend from New York to California. He didn’t really know where he was going.

When he first laid eyes on California, he was captivated by its beauty, as well as the left-leaning politics absent in the conservative Long Island community he grew up in. But Peters, equipped only with an English degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo, bounced around for years among the various part-time and full-time counseling jobs available to him in his new paradise.

Not until age 38, after earning a master’s degree in counseling and 13 job interviews, did he land his dream job at Diablo Valley College, a community college serving mostly low-income and minority students. He stayed more than 26 years, as a student adviser, program facilitator, and instructor.

He took a blind leap into retirement, too. Again, finding his place was a process. Within four months of retiring, at the end of 2014, he contacted Diablo Valley College. Yes, they would welcome him back as a counselor for four hours in the morning, two days per week in the spring and three days in the fall.”

At 101, Kaur runs and wins the race…

April 27, 2017 by Sherry

I’m not sure I could even run 100 yards and I’m only 57! Maybe I could start running for fitness though…

101-year-old woman wins 100 metre sprint

By Adam Boult, The Telegraph

April 25, 2017

“Man Kaur, a 101-year-old Indian woman, racked up her 17th gold medal this week at the World Masters Games in Auckland, New Zealand, completing the 100 metre sprint in one minute 14 seconds.

Truth be told, she was the sole competitor in the race, with no other runners coming forward to take part in the 100-years-and-over category.

Speaking to reporters via an interpreter, Kaur said after the race: ‘I enjoyed it and am very, very happy. I’m going to run again, I’m not going to give up. I will participate, there’s no full stop.’

Kaur started participating in athletics events eight years ago, at the age of 93, following encouragement from her son Gurdev Singh, 78, who also competes in the Masters Games.”

Benefits of owning pets like Lily and Goldi

April 24, 2017 by Sherry

Lily, my cat, came to live with me in 2009 and my dog, Goldi, in 2010. I adopted them as adults from the Humane Society. They both give me something to care for, a companion for walks, and a security alarm. Don’t tell the possible intruder, but Goldi’s bark is way worse than her bite, as she is a very gentle dog.

The following article describes some of the benefits of owning pets:

The Benefits of Elderly Owning Pets

Kentish Homecare, April 12, 2017

“Studies have shown that owning a pet may help you live a longer, healthier and happier life thanks to the complex ways that animals can affect human emotions. A study published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society suggested that elderly people who live with pets tended to be healthier both physically and mentally than those who didn’t. Plus, the experimental residential home Eden Alternative has filled their facility with over 100 birds, cats, dogs, rabbits and chickens and has proven to have a 15% lower mortality rate than other traditional nursing homes.”

Pets can provide companionship
Allows owners to be more active
They can reduce stress and depression
Something to focus on
Give a sense of security

More details about the benefits of owning pets

Do you take an afternoon nap?

April 24, 2017 by Sherry

Afternoon Naps May Help Preserve Memory for Older Adults, Study Says

By Fran Kritz, Neurology News

April 11, 2017

“For people 65 and older, a daytime nap just after lunch and for at least an hour may be just the thing to preserve memory and cognition. That’s according to a new study published online in the December 20, 2016 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Previous studies found cognitive declines in some people 65 and older, as well as an increase in afternoon napping among some older people. Researchers at the Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and School of Nursing wondered if there was a relationship between the two, says Junxin Li, RN, PhD, the lead author of the study and a postdoctoral research fellow at the center.

Dr. Li says earlier studies showed that 22 to 69 percent of older adults take daytime naps, a much higher rate than younger people, and that in China a post-lunch nap is considered part of a healthy lifestyle.

Nap-Cognition Link

After accounting for differences in age, education, and general health, researchers found a correlation between naps and performances on cognitive assessments. Participants who took an hour nap after lunch did better on the cognitive tests compared to the people who did not nap or who took either shorter or longer naps. Significantly, people who took no naps, short naps, or longer naps had decreases in their mental ability that were four-to-six times greater than those who took one-hour naps. Those decreases in ability were about the same as would be expected for someone about five years older than each participants’ actual age, according to the researchers.

Dr. Li calls the results ‘intriguing’ but acknowledges that the results show an association between napping and cognitive ability rather than a causal effect. The team plans more studies to see if a causal relationship exists.”

Are you taking an omega-3 supplement?

April 20, 2017 by Sherry

I always heard that taking an Omega-3 supplement might be good for me, but until I read the following article I didn’t know why.

Omega-3 fatty acids good for adult, elderly brain health

By Dr. Joel Fuhrman, for Uinta County Herald

April 16, 2017

“The omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, usually obtained from eating fish, are important nutrients for proper brain function, starting with fetal development, and continuing into old age. DHA is most often associated with cognitive functions like learning and memory, and EPA with mood and anti-inflammatory effects.

I recommend taking an omega-3 supplement (preferably one derived from lab-grown algae, rather than eating fish or taking fish oil), since most people have a low intake of DHA and EPA unless eating fish regularly; research has confirmed that vegans tend to have low omega-3 levels.

In adulthood, omega-3 adequacy helps to maintain optimal brain function, prevent depression and lay the groundwork for a healthy brain later in life. A 6-month study of DHA and EPA supplementation in young adults (18-45 years of age) documented improvements in measures of memory.

Additionally, 12 weeks of DHA supplementation was found to improve blood flow to the brains of healthy young adults during a cognitive task.

No matter what your age, maintaining adequate omega-3 stores is crucial now, and for the later life health and functionality of your brain.

…Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease are the two most common neurodegenerative diseases. Omega-3 fatty acids appear to be useful for preventing these diseases. Low omega-3 intake and low levels of DHA in the blood are associated with age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

Also, DHA depletion in certain areas of the brain occurs in Alzheimer’s disease. In some studies, low plasma EPA also associated with risk of dementia or cognitive decline.

More recent studies have investigated brain volume, finding that higher blood omega-3 levels are associated with larger brain volumes in older people, implying that abundant DHA and EPA could help to prevent brain shrinkage with age.”

Are you a member of the “sandwich generation?”

April 17, 2017 by Sherry

When You’re Taking Care of Your Kids and Your Parents at the Same Time

by Claire Gillespie

“The term ‘sandwich generation’ was coined by social worker Dorothy Miller in 1981, to describe women in their 30s and 40s who were the primary caregivers for their young children and their aging parents. The reality today is that the sandwich generation includes both men and women, ranging from their 30s to their 60s.

According to nonprofit association Aging Life Care, America’s sandwich generation is one of the fastest-growing populations. ‘This group of people often find themselves stuck in the middle of trying to juggle a hectic schedule that includes caring for parents experiencing a decline in health, keeping up with adult children as they struggle to make it on their own and begin their families and managing the financial and emotional stressors that arise throughout these circumstances.’

A 2013 Pew research report found that 47 percent of adults in their 40s and 50s have a parent age 65 or older and are either raising a young child or financially supporting a grown child (age 18 or older). Around 1 in 7 middle-aged adults is providing financial support to both an aging parent and a child.”

Keep a good group of friends

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Embrace retirement by working

A Californian’s ‘Retirement’ is Part-Time

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