Prepare Now to be Healthy and Happy in Old Age [Book Review] - Career Pivot

Prepare Now to be Healthy and Happy in Old Age [Book Review] - Career Pivot Healthy and Happy in Old Age As a middle-aged baby boomer with living parents in their mid- to late-nineties, I think about getting old and wonder how I (with no children of my own) will face my later years on earth. My sister and I look after all my parents’ needs â€" financial, health, well-being and companionship. What can I do now to relieve some of the anxiety I have as I watch my parents lose their health, independence, and finances from living so long? Tips for Aging Well Joy Loverde’s book, “Who Will Take Care of Me When I’m Old? Plan Now to Safeguard Your Health and Happiness in Old Age” has excellent resources, with links to websites and names of organizations, to prepare you with all the details you need to think about as you age. And unfortunately, many of us may end up doing this alone. Loverde says, “One in three baby boomers falls into the category of separated, divorced, widowed or never married” Loverde takes this into account and divides the book into sections of what to start preparing for as if you needed to do it alone. The first four chapters cover: Meet Your Future Self Think Like a Strategist You are Tougher than You Think The Fierce Urgency of Money Other chapters deal with living with chronic illness, staying in your home and moving abroad to age. Every chapter begins with objectives to learn and ends with resources, links to check out and inspirations and insights. The last chapter, “Places to Go and Things to Do,” offers plans and resources on what to do after you die. I was surprised to learn that a mummification is an option as well as a Green Burial. I am undecided at this point. The last page of each chapter offers recommended reading, a YouTube clip, a movie, a song and a TED talk that covers the theme of the chapter. In chapter 11, Love Is Love: Pets Are Family, Too, Loverde covers the pros and cons of owning/adopting a pet as an older person. The recommended reading, YouTube, Movie, Song and TED Talk for this chapter is: What Pet Should I Get? (2015) by Dr. Seuss Ultimate Dog Tease (May 1, 2011), Ultimate Cat Tease (April 12, 2012) The Secret Life of Pets (2016) “No One”, Alicia Keys “Four Legged Citizens,” presented by Francis Battista (Best Friends Animal Society, September 10, 2014) I find these recommendations comforting. By seeing and hearing other people comment on this particular age-issue, I felt like I was connecting with others who know exactly what I know and how I feel. Nice. Listen to the most recent episode Throughout the book, Loverde emphasizes the importance of (1) asking for help, (2) cultivating relationships (even if you are an introvert), (3) making friends with older people to look to them as role models and (4) being purposeful to maximize your physical, mental, social and spiritual life choices â€" make daily conscious decisions. The goal, Loverde says, is to die in the best health possible after a short/brief illness. And she also says that old age begins around ninety. Get Personal and Resourceful She uses her own experiences to illustrate different situations that happen as you age. One powerful antidote is her story about her middle-aged friend who became ill at middle age and had to move into an assisted living facility. He was cut off from the world he knew and lost his independence. Frightening. The book has lots of resources for each situation that comes up. If you decide to stay in your home as you age, you can look up age-friendly resources (think AARP) and also educate yourself about Alzheimer’s and Dementia. No one wants to deal with debilitating conditions/circumstances before they have to. But, Loverde stresses that if you prepare beforehand, you prevent more stress by getting things done before it happens. I agree with Loverde’s step-by-step plan but find that too many resources (and worksheets) overwhelm me. I am also not sure when to start the process. Nothing Like the Present to Start Preparing Do you do it when you’re in my situation â€" the mid-50sâ€" with parents in their nineties? Because my parents’ situation is constantly reminding me of my own mortality and the precariousness of life’s state? Or do you just start doing this, one chapter at a time when you reach 55 or 65? I believe Joy Loverde book is a good, realistic view of what it is like to age and what you need to do to really cover all the bases if you are on your own and need to figure things out. Her advice on understanding what it is like to become a caregiver, deal with ageism in employment and find good, affordable healthcare is spot on. Her advice on taking care of your health really rings true for me â€" “Aging solo means guarding your well-being with a vengeance. Work out regularly. Develop hobbies (and friendships). The goal is to do what it takes to prevent the need to be taken care of in old age.” I think having a living will, having financial documents and pipeline prepared, and having a line of command is a good idea â€" just in case â€" and probably should be set up close if not before middle age. Learn from Others’ Experience Even though my 97-year-old father can’t see, has dementia and needs 24-hour care and my 93-year-old mother has a bad heart and lives in her house (and still drives when she can), they both planned well enough to take care of their finances (so far), get good health care and nurture their minds, bodies (both athletic until they couldn’t be) and social networks to make being very old tolerable and at times, good. Plus, they have me and my sister looking after them. Not everyone will have this. I won’t. And for those who are wondering who will look after them in their later years and how will they take care of themselves, read Loverde’s book. It gives me hope that I can use her steps and find the resources I need to start taking better care of myself right now. This post was written by Pam Willenz. Pam is a Web Content Manager for a health website, a freelance Web Developer and a Writer/Editor. She is a health/fitness nut who loves technology, building websites and bringing her project management/ public relations, technology, research and writing skills to projects. She has written for various health, small business and technology websites as well as authored hundreds of articles/press releases on health, cycling, and nutrition. She is also an integrative nutrition health coach where she coaches clients in functional medicine approaches to health and helps people develop their own roadmaps to wellness. You can find her on LinkedIn, Twitter and GitHub. Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...