How to Successfully Retire Alone

How do you prepare to retire if you have no spouse, no kids and no one to perform the role of caregiver in your life?  Many people outlive or divorce their spouse; they either have no children or they outlive them; they have no near relatives who can take care of them if their health or memory begins to decline.  How can these people make sure they have adequately prepared for the future?

Scary Numbers for Single, Childless Seniors

Currently, about one-third of people between the ages of 45 and 63 are single.  About 15 percent of women in the 40 to 44 age group have no children.

According to Dr. Maria Torroella Carney, in a presentation at the American Geriatric Society's annual meeting, approximately one-fourth of Americans over the age of 65 lack a family member who can take care of them.  Carney refers to them as "elder orphans."

How to Prepare for the Future

Many of the suggestions about how to prepare for the future are the same for single people as they are for those who do have spouses and/or children ... save money, maximize your Social Security, choose a Medicare Advantage or supplement plan, find an appropriate place to live and budget wisely.   However, it can be even more important that they follow through on these suggestions if they are single and/or childless.  Below are some tips to help you navigate your senior years.

*  About two-thirds of seniors will eventually need long-term care.  It is wise to either buy long-term care insurance or put aside a large enough nest egg that you will be assured there will be money available for your care when you need it.  If you do not qualify for long-term care (and many people do not), you may want to move into a CCRC while you are still ambulatory and do not need assisted living.  Many of these appealing communities do not accept people who are already in need of assisted living or skilled nursing.  A final way to prepare for long-term care, especially if you are a low-income retiree, is to visit and select a Medicaid Approved nursing home in your community so you know where you would like to live, should the time come that you cannot take care of yourself.  Medicaid pays the lifetime cost of nursing home care for low and moderate income retirees with few assets.

*  Plan for your future housing needs by buying a home or moving into a CCRC - a Continuous Care Retirement Community.  Even if you are not in a CCRC, you may want to move to a location where you can remain independent as long as possible ... with no stairs and within walking distance of doctors and grocery stores or with a convenient bus/train/taxi service.  You may also want to see if there is a local grocery store that can deliver your groceries to you if you have surgery or become too frail to do the shopping by yourself.  Explore other neighborhood assistance that may be available to you, including Meals on Wheels, taxi vouchers, senior apartment complexes, and senior centers.  Keep a list of these services handy so you can contact them easily.

*  Prepare for medical emergencies by getting a comprehensive medical insurance plan, usually a Medicare Advantage or supplemental plan, and putting aside additional money to take care of any out-of-pocket expenses you might have as you age.

*  Stay connected with other people, both new friends and old friends.  Without a spouse or adult children, you may need the assistance of friends from time to time.  Socializing with friends also serves to keep you healthy, happy and less likely to decline rapidly.

*  Choose a trusted friend or relative to be your proxy.  Make sure they know where you keep your important documents.  Designate that person as your durable power of attorney for health care decisions, before you begin to lose cognitive function.  If you have no one you can trust, contact an elder care attorney for a reference to a professional who can become your legal proxy as you age.

*  Make it a priority to stay healthy as long as you can.  Eat well and get daily exercise.  Work your brain as much as your body.  People who do these things and socialize with others tend to age better than those who do not.

*  Put together an "In-case of Death" Notebook.  What would happen if you were found unconscious in your home by a neighbor, relative or emergency personnel?  You should have an easy to find notebook that lists the names of people to contact, physician names, your health insurance carrier information, life insurance policies, religious preferences, funeral instructions and any other information that you believe they would need.  My personal notebook even includes a copy of our will and trust, as well as a brochure for our children that explains what needs to be done when someone dies.

If you take these steps, you will know that you have done everything possible to make your life easier as you age.  You will also have made things easier for the distant relatives or friends who might be contacted upon your death or serious illness.  Otherwise, they may not know what to do or what you would like done, should the time come when it is difficult or impossible for you to make decisions for yourself. 

If you are interested in learning more about where to retire, health considerations as you age, financial planning and more, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional helpful articles.
 
You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  morguefile.com

Source:

http://news.yahoo.com/no-spouse-no-kids-no-caregiver-prepare-age-165440252.html?nf=1

How the U.S. Lifespan Doubled in 150 Years

If you had been born in the United States in the late 1800's, just after the Civil War, your life expectancy would have been about 40 years old.  People routinely died of tuberculosis, tonsillitis, fever, smallpox, worms and childbirth ... as well as infections after injuries.

Today, the average U.S. lifespan has doubled to nearly 80.  How did Americans manage to nearly double their life expectancy in 150 years?  What changed during those decades?

Purified Water

Although we take clean water for granted today, it was an enormous project to purify our water nationwide.  For decades into the 1900's, cities often dumped their sewage into the local rivers, lakes and waterways ... and then piped that same water back into the cities to use as drinking water.  They assumed that dilution would adequately purify the water.

When they began to realize that wasn't true, the nation undertook massive construction projects to separate sewage water and drinking water, filter it and chlorinate it.  Historians who have traced the changing life expectancy in the U.S. believe that as much as one-half of the reduction in the death rate is a result of clean water.

Today, millions of people routinely purify their drinking water further, using everything from filters in their refrigerator water dispensary to filters that can be attached to their kitchen tap.

The Discovery of Germs

The use of soap to clean hands made a dramatic difference in the health of people around the world.  It took decades before people began to accept the idea that invisible germs cause diseases.  Once they did, it made a tremendous difference in preventing bacterial infections and reducing the prevalence of a variety of illnesses.

The importance of using soap cannot be overstated.  Even today, children who live in areas where they have little access to soap and clean water often have stunted growth!

Sanitary Housing

In the 1800's, the leading cause of death was tuberculosis.  It spread quickly because most people lived in crowded, dark and poorly ventilated homes.

Once people began to move into less crowded, airier and brighter homes, the disease slowed down.  Direct sunlight kills the bacteria that causes TB.  Having fewer people in a residence also make it easier for people to avoid coming in contact with people who carry the disease.

Advances in home sanitation, accompanied by better medical treatments for contagious diseases, have made a huge difference in the transmission of some of the most feared diseases of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Fortified Food

In the late 1800's, many cases of poor health and weakened immune systems were caused by a lack of the proper nutrients in our food.  Scurvy was caused by a lack of vitamin C; rickets by a lack of vitamin D; pellagra by a lack of niacin; goiters by a lack of iodine.

Once scientists began to realize there was a connection between nutrition and certain diseases, companies began to fortify many of our foods.  People were also encouraged to eat a variety of foods that would prevent these common diseases.  More emphasis was placed on eating fruits and vegetables.  As it became easier to transport food around the world, people were less dependent on only eating seasonal produce that was locally grown.

Laws to Protect People from Contaminated Food

In 1906, the government passed the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Federal Meat Inspection Act.  These laws lead to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration.  Prior to that, contaminated food was one of the most common causes of death in young children.  When they began eating solid food, they simultaneously became exposed to typhoid fever, botulism, salmonella and diseases that could cause diarrhea.  The pasteurization of milk and the inspection of meat also reduced the number of food born illnesses.

While incidences of contaminated food still occur, they are much less frequent than they were prior to the 20th century.

Quarantines

While quarantines are rarely used in the U.S. today, except during the recent Ebola scare, it was a common tool used by city officials in the past.  During the late 1800's and early 1900's, quarantines were the only way to prevent the spread of many deadly diseases and they were widely used.

Vaccinations

Inoculations have nearly eliminated many diseases that were known to wipe out hundreds of thousands of people in the past ... or severely cripple them.  Diseases such as smallpox and polio are almost unheard of today.

While there has been some controversy about vaccinations and, occasionally, people have an adverse reaction to them, they have contributed to longer lives.

What Will the Future Bring?

As researchers continue to develop new treatments for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, life expectancy in the U.S. and other developed countries is expected to continue to increase ... although the increase is likely to be uneven. Unfortunately, people without access to healthcare, clean water and nutritious food, as well as those who continue bad habits such as smoking or alcohol and drug abuse, will not benefit from medical advances as much as others.

No one knows what the maximum possible lifespan could be.  However, there has been a great deal of longevity research in the past few years, including the study of the Blue Zones ... places in the world where people routinely live to be around 100 years old.  If you are interested in learning more about longevity or the Blue Zones, you may be interested in one of the books below:

 

If you are interested in learning more about health issues that could affect you as you age, the best places to retire, financial planning, family relationships, travel and more, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional articles.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit: Morguefile.com

Source:

Reader's Digest, "Why Are You Not Dead Yet?" by Laura Helmuth, November, 2015, pg. 81.

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science_of_longevity/2013/09/life_expectancy_history_public_health_and_medical_advances_that_lead_to.html

New Alzheimers Disease Research

Are you worried about developing Alzheimer's Disease?  You have good reason to be.  Currently, there are about 5.3 million people in the United States who have Alzheimer's.  By 2050, experts believe that there will be over 15 million people in the U.S. living with this dreadful disease.

Dr. Kenneth S. Kosik is a neurologist who has been researching Alzheimer's for the past 25 years, originally at Harvard Medical School and later at the University of California, Santa Barbara.  While he has not found a drug or technological treatment for the disease, he has discovered lifestyle behaviors that seem to dramatically reduce the risk.

Habits of People Who Have a Low Dementia Risk

1.  Physical activity lowers dementia risk.  You do not need to run a marathon to benefit.  Exercising three times a week for 15 to 30 minutes each time resulted in fewer cases of Alzheimer's disease, even for people who had the disease run in their family.

2.  Walk a mile a day.  People who walk six to nine miles a week have more gray matter in their brains.

3.  Dance!  Dancing not only provides physical activity, but it keeps you social.  Socializing and learning new steps are both good for your brain.

4.  Eat brain healthy foods ... leafy greens, vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil and wine.  Eating four servings of vegetables a day can cut your cognitive decline by 40 percent.

5.  Minimize unhealthy foods ... butter, margarine, red meat, cheese, sweets, desserts, fried food and fast food.

6.  Use brain healthy spices, especially curry and turmeric.  They contain the antioxidant curcumin, which can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, cancer, arthritis and depression.

7.  Make friends and spend time with them.  As mentioned above, socializing is very important.  People who spend time with others had a 70 percent lower rate of cognitive decline over a 12 year period.

8  Take on mentally stimulating tasks.  Research shows that you can postpone dementia by nearly a decade by exercising your brain.  Here are some activities you could try:  read both fiction and non-fiction (especially new topics), play board games, practice a musical instrument, work on puzzles, draw, paint or sculpt.


How to Learn More about Reducing Alzheimer's Risk

Would you like to learn more about Dr. Kosik's research?  You can use this link to order his book "Outsmarting Alzheimer's" from Amazon.  It is available in both hardcover and paperback versions. You may also be interested in the other books on dementia shown below. They are well worth reading.


If you want to know more about common health issues as we age, where to retire, financial planning, family relationships and more, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of other helpful articles.

You are reading form the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  morguefile.com