Some might believe that the hokey pokey really is what it is all about. Yoga and mindfulness mavens chant “om” as a long and happy life mantra. Others sing super cali fragilistic expealidocious and, “if said loud enough,” will at least sound precocious. However, the residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa have other words…
Getting old is not all fun and games. However, it is not nearly as dismal as you might think, assuming you follow a few guidelines. Furthermore, it can actually be enormously beneficial for you to think about growing old. Contemplating your future as an older person can: Help you create a better plan and make…
According to researchers at the University of Michigan, between 2000 and 2012, the percentage of adults in the United States with dementia (including Alzheimer’s) fell from 11.6% to 8.8%. In addition, the Framingham study (a long-running research project in one small, largely-white well-off community) found that dementia rates have fallen by about 20% in every…
As baby boomers, retirees today are the generation of change. Experts predict that aging and retirement will evolve tremendously in the near future. Many of the predictions outlined below were culled from from Next Avenue’s list of Influencer’s in Aging. They named 50 thought leaders on aging and asked, “If you could change one thing…
Retirement planning is hard. You have to account for 20-30 years of expenses that are difficult to predict and make sure you have enough money to pay for them. How to plan for healthcare costs in retirement is particularly challenging. These costs continue to rise and it is difficult to know what kind of care…
It’s no secret that as we age, our bodies start to break down–including decreasing body alignment, muscle atrophy, weight gain, and more. But it isn’t just the outside of our bodies that we should be concerned with, says Ray Margiano, CEO and founder of Foot Solutions and Balance Walking. Inactivity, as you age, has a…
What goes up, must come down. Right…? Actually the adage is wrong when it comes to healthcare costs! Healthcare costs are on the rise, again. They continue to go up, Up, UP, UUUPPPPPPP! American retirees will need to save more for health care related expenses than they have in recent years, forcing many to plan…
The idea of falling in your home and being unable to call for help is a nerve-wracking prospect. Every year, over 250,000 people over the age of 65 are hospitalized for hip fractures, with 95% of those being caused by falling. From weakened bones to dizziness caused by medication, there are countless reasons a retiree…
According to a Merrill Lynch study, more than 80% of today’s retirees say health is the most important ingredient for a happy retirement, meaning that the majority value good health even over financial security. Focus on Health Not Wealth for a Happy Retirement Money does not buy happiness, even in retirement. 41 Tips for a…
If you’re on a quest to find the fountain of youth, the good news is that the journey starts and ends with you. “The tried-and-true techniques are still the best: don’t smoke, maintain a healthy weight, get up and move, live a life of moderation, and maintain meaningful connections to people you care about,” says…
It’s no surprise that paying for health care expenses — Americans’ greatest financial concern — can quickly deplete retirement savings. Today, health care costs for retirees average more than $9,000 annually, according to CNN Money. Based on the average life expectancy in the U.S. (78.8 years), that means you could pay more than $124,000 in…
Retirement is the time to relax and enjoy a slower pace, but you still need to remain active in order to stay healthy. Sir Isaac Newton said that a body at rest tends to stay at rest while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. The more often you get up and get…
Almost all of today’s retirees — 81 percent — say that good health is the most important ingredient for a happy retirement. This according to “Health and Retirement: Planning for the Great Unknown,” a study conducted by Merrill Lynch. Protecting your health in retirement means staying as active and stimulated as possible. Sitting still isn’t…
The journal Neurology recently published compelling research showing a strong association between low Vitamin D Levels and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The study, led by Dr. David Llewellyn at the University of Exeter Medical School, found that study participants who were severely deficient in Vitamin D were more than twice as likely…
Many people are all too familiar with the past few years’ economic crisis, but fewer realize that there’s another, potentially worse dilemma looming: the retirement healthcare crisis. As the nation’s 78 million Baby Boomers head toward retirement age, federal budgets for Medicare and Social Security are expected to be strained. At the same time, many…
The Choosing Wisely campaign, an initiative by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation in partnership with Consumer Reports, kicked off last spring. It is an attempt to alert both doctors and patients to problematic and commonly overused medical tests, procedures and treatments. As we get older, we may find the need or desire for…