The four phases of retirement described by Dr. Riley Moynes are psychological, not financial. When I eventually retire I know I’ll need to find meaning and purpose for whatever years are left.
Random Thoughts on Retirement – 01.26.25
older age
Take a Break 01.22.25
An unexpected event in which an individual comes to rest on the ground, floor, or lower level
A fall is defined as an unexpected event in which an individual comes to rest on the ground, floor, or lower level.1 Falls are a leading global health challenge, ranking as the second cause of death from unintentional injuries.2 Over 80% of these fatalities occur in low-income and middle-income countries, with the highest mortality rates observed among individuals aged 60 years and older.3 WHO emphasises environmental and health-related gaps contributing to fall-related mortality, such as limited access to the health-care system and inadequate infrastructure.2 However, the implementation of fall prevention strategies in low-income countries (LICs) and some middle-income countries (MICs) is often hindered by challenges such as data scarcity, inadequate health-care infrastructure, and limited resources.2 In contrast, several high-income countries (HICs) such as Denmark, Switzerland, and Austria found persistently low or even declining rates of fall-related mortality, despite an ageing population.4 Investigating the underlying factors contributing to these trends in HICs is crucial, as it not only provides valuable insights into effective prevention strategies but also serves as a basis for adapting such approaches to resource-constrained settings like LICs and MICs. – Temporal trends and patterns in mortality from falls across 59 high-income and upper-middle-income countries, 1990–2021, with projections up to 2040: a global time-series analysis and modelling study – https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(24)00198-3/
Second cause of death from unintentional injuries.
Remember this the next time you underwrite a case where the applicant is my age. Yikes.
How To Feel Young at 70 (you read articles like this one)
Sofiya Milman is director of Human Longevity Studies at the Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She studies people known as “superagers” —95 and older. “As a group, they have a very positive outlook on life” and are notably resilient, like Jaffe, she told me.
Qualities associated with resilience in older adults include optimism and hopefulness, an ability to adapt to changing circumstances, meaningful relationships, community connections, and physical activity, according to a growing body of research on this topic. A Centenarian Thrives Living Alone, Active and Engaged – https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/centenarian-thrives-living-alone-older-adults/
Hilda Jaffe 102 lives alone and is thriving.
I need to improve my level of physical activity if I want to become a superager.
Alcohol and Nocturnal Leg Cramps (NLC)
I just discovered another reason to Drink Less Alcohol When You Get To My Age.
We identified an association between alcohol consumption and nocturnal leg cramps among patients aged 60 years and older attending general practices. These findings have implications for the prevention of cramps. Association Between Alcohol Consumption and Nocturnal Leg Cramps in Patients Over 60 Years Old: A Case-Control Study – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6037509
Add this to the list of things that happen when you get older.
Food for Thought (and memories)
Mealtime can provide opportunities to connect with someone experiencing memory loss and tap into deeply rooted memories. “If you’re going to make your father’s favorite meal, think about how you can delve into it as an experience,” Aguirre says. Dr. Kramer notes that several senses associated with cooking and eating dishes, including smell and taste, are closely related to memory. Both the olfactory bulb, the main receiving center for smell, and the insular cortex and frontal operculum (also called the gustatory cortex), responsible for perception of taste, are closely connected to the amygdala, an area involved in emotional learning. The olfactory nerve, which conveys the sense of smell to the brain, is also close to the hippocampus, one of the most important brain structures for memory. And the combined effect of smell and taste—what neuroscientists who study this field call “flavor”—can be especially powerful at conjuring long-held memories charged with emotion, says Joel Salinas, MD, MBA, FAAN, assistant professor of neurology at NYU Langone Health and chief medical officer at Isaac Health, a clinic in New York City for brain health and memory problems.Favorite Meals May Trigger Memories in People with Dementia – https://www.brainandlife.org/articles/food-may-trigger-memories-in-people-with-dementia
An Extended Period of Wandering
Now, I’m ‘no one,’ a retired, forgotten old man who dithers away the days.
”Depression can ensue, fueling excessive alcohol use, accidents, or, in the most extreme cases, suicide. Of all age groups in the United States, men over age 75 have the highest suicide rate, by far. Older Men’s Connections Often Wither When They’re on Their Own – https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/older-men-connections-isolation-loneliness-navigating-aging/
At the minimum I have a plan. Sell the house, buy a van and do an upscale conversion so I can sleep in it. Travel. Spend time in Oklahoma and Colorado.
Drink more Knob Creek (not when driving).
OOPS. Didn’t wait until the unthinkable.
Got Back Pain? Take a Walk
With all due respect to copyright law here’s the link to the Nat Geo article How walking can prevent lower back pain – https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/walking-lower-back-pain-prevention-treatment
And here’s the link to The Lancet study Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an individualised, progressive walking and education intervention for the prevention of low back pain recurrence in Australia (WalkBack): a randomised controlled trial – https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)00755-4/fulltext
I’ve been on and off a heating pad for a week. I finally felt good enough to back to the Y and do some resistance training which included back stretches on one of those medieval looking torture devices. I went for a short walk today and my back feels better.
Keep moving.
Why Underwriters Pay Attention to Family History
My uncle Moy F Wong passed away on Sept. 22,2024 at 91 years of age. He was the youngest of eight children on my mother’s side of the family. A bunch of my relatives have lived into their nineties, some to 100 or more.
Now you know why I keep working. I might stick around for another 30 years.
Or more. I need to beef up my retirement pot.
Take a Break 09.28.24
When it seems like the night will last forever
And there’s nothing left to do but count the years
When the strings of my heart start to sever
And stones fall from my eyes instead of tears
I will walk alone by the black muddy river
And dream me a dream of my own
I will walk alone by the black muddy river
And sing me a song of my ownRobert Hunter
lifeunderwriter.net 
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