Joyce Wayne: Retirement Matters

“What does successful aging mean? Ninety-seven percent of Canadian baby boomers want to age in place, to remain part of their community, yet at the same time, boomers aren’t clear about the different services available to them. Now is the time to find out.” As a prominent Toronto-based speaker about aging, Lanz has observed what happens to people when their choices are taken away, when there are no long-term plans in place or when they are in a crisis, forced into making decisions under pressure. Although many of us focus entirely on finances, housing, health, and resources also play an enormous role in ensuring we age confidently and with success.

As women age, they’re more likely to age in poverty with basic issues of access to affordable housing, so we need to research and understand the optimal models of housing that could allow more older women to age in the right place,” says Sinha, who for years has been the leading authority on solutions for aging with dignity in Canada. Yet, the question is, how do we develop and implement housing solutions for older Canadians when the cost of housing, be it ownership or renting, is so daunting? Older Canadians require deep thinking by housing policy experts who can provide the groundwork to create incentives for aging Canadians to live together and share expenses while enjoying each other’s company.

My physician, who is about 40 years younger than me, is gorgeous, brilliant, and humane, and I realized, at that moment, that our lives, whatever our age, will never return to what they were before Covid. Three long years of isolation, away from friends and family, is not the best way to live one’s life. No matter how hard we try to amuse ourselves, our daily lives aren’t complete without others by our side. I found it comforting to realize that although Covid has changed so much about our daily lives, getting together with those with whom we share history, interests, and concerns is a way to open our hearts and minds to happiness and away from grumpiness.

As we age, longevity becomes a big issue. We talk about it. Think about it and wonder what our latter years have in store for us. Like me, you probably didn’t consider how long you would live when you were 16 or even when you turned 30. Today, even The Washington Post looks at longevity from our point of view, so much so that it reports: “Our brains are built to change over our lifetime, meeting the challenges set by every life stage” and asks, “Do brains peak in childhood? Is it all downhill after 30? Can a 65-year-old brain keep up with an adolescent?” New research is discovering that the brains of older individuals have the potential for greater wisdom built from a lifetime of experience and learning.

I can’t imagine anything could get in Susan William’s way. She’s the creator and publisher of Booming Encore, a site for those born between 1946 and 1964. Williams launched Booming Encore almost ten years ago. According to Williams, directly after retiring, for most, there is a six-month honeymoon stage —until the newly retired begin searching for what they want to do for the rest of their lives. That’s where her site becomes a gold mine of balanced and researched information for fresh ideas about aging. According to Williams, the pandemic brought the idea of aging with purpose into focus. Many of us can identify as we found it easier to stay home rather than connect with friends and family. Instead of disengaging, she decided to do 60 different things before she turned 60.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been giving future healthcare considerations serious thought lately. The thing is, life in a long-term care facility or retirement home doesn’t appeal to me. That was when I spoke to Lauren Moses, Vice-President of operations at Home Concierge. Home Concierge, as the name suggests, is devoted to healthcare and good living in the home. Moses suggests that when older adults reach the age of 70, it’s a perfect time to plan ahead and research the types of health care you’d prefer as they age.

No matter how well self-isolating is going, I suggest making a calendar of online events you enjoy with friends and family – or organizations – outside the home. That way, the balancing act between isolation and keeping occupied is met, and you don’t wake up one morning wondering what you did with all that time during the pandemic.

One of the smartest people I know is Rhoda Kopstein. She is definitely the most independent woman, not because she has a Ph.D. in nuclear physics or is a multi-millionaire. It is because she’s lived her life in a way very few have with the courage and the determination to live her best life on her own terms. She is single, never married, nor did she have children, a path she herself chose. Instead, she built a multi-faceted, active life with friends she met at work, in different clubs and associations, everything from aquafit to acting classes to playing bridge. Rhoda’s retirement years didn’t happen by accident. “I planned for retirement for two years before I retired,” she says.

Certain people retire because they’re worn out and want to put their feet up. Others for adventure and travel. Others build their own businesses. Still, others wish to help people. One of those is Kevin Waldbillig who launched his psychotherapist practice after a successful 20-year career in public education as a teacher and school administrator. He was in his mid-forties when he made the big decision. “I like being my own boss,”. Waldbillig’s personal approach helps his clients to become the best version of themselves. In tandem with his clients, his focus is to write a better story for their lives. He describes it this way: “clients move from thoughts to emotions to doing something about their thoughts and feelings.”

Certain people retire because they’re worn out and want to put their feet up. Others for adventure and travel. Others build their own businesses. Still, others wish to help people. One of those is Kevin Waldbillig who launched his psychotherapist practice after a successful 20-year career in public education as a teacher and school administrator. He was in his mid-forties when he made the big decision. “I like being my own boss,”. Waldbillig’s personal approach helps his clients to become the best version of themselves. In tandem with his clients, his focus is to write a better story for their lives. He describes it this way: “clients move from thoughts to emotions to doing something about their thoughts and feelings.”