Micheal – Living and working internationally in retirement
Micheal hunting near his home in Colorado with his former companion, Lady. (Photo by SLC)
BECOMING A CITIZEN OF THE WORLD
History, teaching, exercise, and hunting are my passions. I retired from teaching history full-time and coaching at the high school level in 2012 because I felt I was beginning to just do a job instead of passionately working at my craft. I was ready for a new challenge and I have always enjoyed the international experience.
While in college, I studied in Italy for a quarter and after graduation I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines for four years. Living and working internationally was exciting, difficult and different from the norm. That uniqueness is the reason I decided to teach internationally during my retirement as well as create a second income to supplement my pension from teaching in the U.S.
I received a new ATM bank card and a new Discover credit card in the past few months which carry the new computer chip technology, EMV. This technology is supposed to protect consumers from fraud. At first, I was hesitant to use the new cards, but after my daughter received some unauthorized purchases on her traditional magnetic strip credit card, I activated my new cards immediately. These types of identity theft crimes are all too common. Read more…
Get serious about protecting yourself from identity theft
identitytheft.org.uk
Anya Kamenetz, THE SAVINGS GAME
“Having someone else pretend to be you is now something that has probably happened to you or someone you know. And it’s not as fun as it sounds.According to Bankrate, the financial website, says that 41 million U.S. adults have now had their identities stolen — and another 49 million know someone who has.Having your credit card used without your permission is the commonest, and in some ways the mildest, form of ID theft, because your bank’s fraud alert will likely notify you, cancel the charges and get you a new card before you lose any money.Letting someone get ahold of your Social Security number, date of birth and other biographical information is much worse. You can be liable for thousands of dollars in charges, it can ruin your credit, and once the information is out there changing hands, these violations can be repeated again and again.”
Often times when I am speaking on the phone with my Mom, age 83 and the mother of seven, she has to end the call as she must run to the restroom. A friend of mine, also in her 80’s, had an “accident” in my car after our dinner out and now seldom goes out of her house. Incontinence can be debilitating but the article below may offer some answers.
There are a number of reasons why urinary incontinence occurs. Gender, age (the muscles in the bladder and urethra weaken during old age), obesity, and smoking are risk factors linked to urinary incontinence. Read more…
pinterest.com
Urinary Incontinence: Causes, Treatments and Symptoms
Written by Christian Nordqvist, Reviewed by University of Illinois-Chicago, School of Medicine
August 24, 2016
Urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine; in simple terms, it means a person urinates when they do not want to. Control over the urinary sphincter is either lost or weakened.
“Urinary incontinence is a much more common problem than most people realize.
According to the American Urological Association, one-quarter to one-third of men and women in the United States experience urinary incontinence.
Urinary incontinence is more common among women than men. An estimated 30 percent of females aged 30-60 are thought to suffer from it, compared to 1.5-5 percent of men.
A bladder diary – the doctor may ask the patient to record how much they drink, when urination occurs, how much urine is produced, and the number of episodes of incontinence.
Physical exam – the doctor may examine the vagina and check the strength of her pelvic floor muscles. If the patient is male, the doctor may examine his rectum to determine whether the prostate gland is enlarged.
Urinalysis – tests for signs of infection and abnormalities.
Blood test – to assess kidney function.
PVR (postvoid residual) measurement – measures how much urine is left in the bladder after urinating.
Half a million older people spend every day alone, poll shows
Scale of loneliness among over-60s revealed as Age UK develops scheme to provide support and companionship
Haroon Siddique
January 6, 2017
“Half a million people over the age of 60 usually spend each day alone, with no interaction with others, and nearly half a million more commonly do not see or speak to anyone for five or six days a week, a poll suggests.
Age UK, which commissioned the research, said the results highlighted a growing number of chronically lonely older people, which was placing increasing demand on health services.
The charity has been running a pilot programme in eight areas where Age UK groups have been actively trying to identify lonely older people and offer them companionship.
Caroline Abrahams, Age UK’s charity director, said: ‘This new analysis shows that about a million older people in our country are profoundly alone, many of whom are likely to be enduring the pain and suffering of loneliness.'”
“Gold star if you’ve already drafted one. But more than half of American adults have not. Rachel Emma Silverman, the author of The Wall Street Journal Complete Estate Planning Guidebook, clears away the obstacles so you can check this off your must-do list.”
It’s like doing your taxes: You can file without an accountant—or do a will without a lawyer—but personal situations and state laws can make things complex. If, for example, you have children or have many assets, you’ll probably want a lawyer to help ensure that everything is in proper order. Also, if you live in a state that has estate or inheritance taxes (some don’t), a lawyer can strategize ways to minimize taxes, saving your family lots of money. In other words, most people should hire one.
What kind of lawyer do I need?
One who specializes in estate planning.
Is this going to cost me a fortune?
Not if you find a lawyer who charges a flat fee rather than an hourly rate for this service. This is totally doable, but flat fees come in various sizes, depending on local rates and the complexity of your estate plan. (For example, if you want to create a trust to save on estate taxes—or so you can implement rules about when your kids can access their inheritance—that’s more complex and will probably mean a higher flat fee.) Expect to pay between $1,000 and $3,000.
That’s just for a will?
It should be for the suite of estate-planning documents that you need: living will, powers of attorney, for finances and health care.
What if I can’t afford that?
I highly recommend using a trusted lawyer, but if your situation is simple— straightforward assets, no health issues, no multiple marriages—you can try will-writing software, like Quicken WillMaker. It covers all states except Louisiana.”
“Retirement creeps up on us before we know, as the so-called Baby Boomer generation, will testify. See how the generation born between the end of the second world war and the radical sixties are adjusting to the new realities of retirement.”
We have found in our research that all individuals feel the most satisfied with their life when they are on a search for significance, whether they acknowledge it or not. Americans need to know that their lives have meaning and purpose: we are not just passing time and taking up space. The success of Pastor Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life (it has sold 25 million copies and is the best-selling hardcover book in American history), speaks to our hunger for significance. The most mentally healthy retirees are those who have found ways to satisfy their search for significance.
In seeking to understand and flesh out this important concept, we developed a comparison we call adventure vs. quest. As adventure is an activity that benefits the person, such as playing tennis or traveling. Adventures are an important part of health living and are what most individuals look forward to when they think about retirement. However, an adventure has no sustainable significance.
In contrast, a quest involves one or more participants lending themselves to a greater cause. A quest transforms a poor or average retirement into a mind-blowing, all-fulfilling, energized retirement journey. The possibilities are endless and only limited by our unwillingness to expand our horizons. Examples of possible quests include:
Regularly scheduled volunteering (individual or organizing a group)
Mentoring someone younger than yourself (adult or child)
Half a million older people spend every day alone, poll shows