When we all closed our doors, fluffed our couch pillows and settled in for what we thought was only going to be a two-week lockdown, no one could have imagined where we would be in 2021. We’re here now and life has a breeze of normalcy amid the chaos. Zoom family celebrations or business meetings are regularly scheduled in our calendars, delivery drivers know our routines and we’ve become more okay with staying in.
Our changing workplace dynamic at this stage of life requires a new set of rules to help us navigate our careers. The first rule of the “new game:” To remain financially secure, most of us (over 50 percent) will need to continue to work — in some capacity — much later than in past generations.
Have you ever observed how you wake up? Are you quick to rise or slow to get moving? Do you wake up happy or with a sense of dread, or is your mind already dealing with problems? If feeling better is important to you, consider starting your day more deliberately.
Stress is a part of life. And our ability to manage stress is part of the resilience needed to live a well-balanced life. Our ability to cope with stress determines the quality of our life. How we handle stress defines who we are. Here are nine very practical coping skills strategies to help us cope with our stressors…
When the vaccine for COVID-19 is finally available, the decision to get inoculated will depend on where trust lies. When the doctor recommends a vaccine, will folks get it? The term “inoculation” was used as early as the year 1000 AD, when Chinese doctors were trying to eradicate smallpox. Their method involved grinding up smallpox scabs and blowing them into nostrils.
Hawai‘i is fortunate to have many people living well into their 90s and even 100s. Toyoko Nishiki, a 91-year-old woman, is one of the most active we have met.
Your body is always talking to you, and you, maybe without realizing it, are often talking to your body. For the most part, you usually respond to your body when you are hungry, sleepy or itchy… Sometimes you might get angry at it for not looking how you wish it would, or complain about the pain it’s holding. But how often do you communicate good feelings to your body?
Becoming a victim of credit card fraud is likely to happen to us all. We may lose our credit card (or debit card) and the finder may make unauthorized purchases. Or somehow, an online fraudster obtained our credit card information and has made unauthorized online purchases.
So what do you do when that happens?
As a mental health professional for 45 years, I am increasingly concerned about the welfare of our most vulnerable populations since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since it began in February, approximately 54 percent of older adults surveyed reported increased loneliness, and associated depression and anxiety.
What happens when you pass away or there’s an emergency that leaves you incapacitated, and family members need to access your mobile devices, computers, emails and social media accounts? Have you documented this important information? Here are some tips:
As we get older, more than a few seniors have seen their body change into a shape they had hoped it never would. I was hoping mine would actually shrink, but of course that didn’t happen. After working a high stress job, gaining 25 pounds and losing lots of sleep, I decided to get off that roller coaster. I’m now semi-retired. Fortunately for me, I am rarely sick and do not take any medication. So, I’m healthy despite weighing more than I should.
As you look back on 2020, take a moment and ask yourself some important questions: “How much of my focus was spent being affected by news, events, personal problems and situations around me? How did that make me feel?” And most importantly, “Do I want to spend the next year feeling the same way or do I want to feel better?”
Social isolation and loneliness are toxic to everyone’s health, but especially older adults. Given COVID-19 mandates to limit face-to-face contact for the foreseeable future, these feelings are certain to increase, accompanied by threats to health and well-being.
Shoppers across the county and around the globe cleaned out shelves of toilet tissue, disinfectant sprays/wipes, rubbing alcohol and hand sanitizers during the beginning of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. Stores were overwhelmed due to fears of supply chain disruptions, although none occurred.
I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine. His name is Depression. I didn’t like being around him, but he dropped in whenever he felt like it.
As a veteran who is “getting up there,” how to live out my last years comfortably without being a burden is more than a passing thought. Fortunately, there are 100 Veterans Affairs Community Living Centers (CLCs) across the country. Their mission is to restore the veteran to his or her highest level of physical and/or psychological well-being before being discharged to their own home.”
There is plenty of evidence revealing that work boosts cognitive health. Delaying full-time retirement means mitigating the risk of several types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s.
As we age, we may not be able to do some things as well as we used to. But there’s one important thing we can do today with greater power and effectiveness: We can vote!
Here are all the ingredients and the directions to make a yummy Waldorf salad. Enjoy!
In early February, seniors enjoyed the company of each other and a number of middle school students at the annual Senior Valentine Dance at Blaisdell Exhibition Hall. Oh, and by the way, there were some celebrities on hand to take a spin or two around the dance floor. I have had the pleasure in the past of taking part in this frivolity.
Mrs. Matthews, Linda Coble, and I just celebrated our birthdays. I’m not going to say how old we are but I will say that we’ve had our AARP cards for quite a while. We are boomers and our generation has often been referred to as the “Me” generation. That may have been appropriate at some point in our lives and it may still be an apt description for some, but I get the feeling that more and more of us are looking for ways that we can give back to a community, a society that has done so much for us.
As we all are lining up for the holiday season, our question to everyone, and to ourselves, is this: What are you grateful for?
Last week, Mrs. Matthews—Linda Coble— had back surgery. The doctor was pleased with the results and four days later, she came home from the hospital. The doctor said to me, “This will be tougher on you than it is on her.” In some ways, he was right. I watch her like a hawk so she won’t do anything she’s not supposed to do during recovery. I bring home the groceries, vacuum, do the dishes, laundry. But in another way, the doctor was wrong. It has been a meaningful experience.
Sonya Mendez, Entertainer, Founder of The Well of Hope How do you live your life? I live in the moment, because tomorrow is promised to no one. I approach my life and each project with energy and passion. When I helped bring clean water to 10,000 people in Ethiopia for generations to come, I felt that I’d finally made my rent on earth.
In Hawai‘i, our life expectancy is 80 years old. It’s among the longest in the nation (and the world). Living longer is a good thing. However, it also places a new burden on each of us to stay healthy longer. It behooves us to take care of ourselves.
Sharon Hayashi, Interior Designer What are some of the things that’s fulfilling in your life? I joined the Rotary Club of Metropolitan Honolulu in 1989 for its local and international projects. I have enjoyed renovation projects at Princess Kaiulani School, Hale Kipa Youth Housing, and Clubhouses for the Hawaii Adult Mental Health Hawaii Division. And I serve on the board of Friends of the Library of Hawaii.
My mother just got her first cell phone. It doesn’t take pictures or play music — it just makes phone calls. It took her a while to get used to the idea — she would talk into the wrong end of the phone in the beginning. But she’s got the technology figured out and now she can call me any time. ANY TIME. But I’m glad about that.
Like our friends at PBS, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the VFW Auxiliary work to be relevant to all ages with early childhood through end-of-life programming. “Patriot Pen” and “Voice of Democracy” programs are available to all public and private middle school and high school students.
Many of us are affected by the anxieties that come with the COVID-19 pandemic. But my boss once told me, “In chaos there is opportunity.” That quote resonated deeply in my heart. How can this be true for a pandemic? I soon learned that some positive things are happening around the world and here in Hawai‘i.
When my husband told me in early 2019 that he wanted to retire, my first reaction was, “No, you’re still young and can work until you’re 70.” When we had a serious conversation a few months later, I agreed with his desire to retire, but said, “You need to have an exit plan because I have a home office and don’t want to see you sitting on the couch watching TV.”
Maybe you’ve never thought of your life in those terms. But everyone, whether they are aware of it or not, has selected a particular pathway in life. The most popular road seems to be aligned with what the world tells us we need — a nice home, a fancy car, a good job, exciting sports events, live entertainment and travel to exotic places. We are told, at least subliminally, that focusing on and fulfilling our needs and wants will lead to a successful, happy life.
When under stay-at-home orders, online resources enable participation in the outside world. Visit the UH Center on Aging Facebook page for a continually updated list.
Even in this time of uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic, two simple rules dominate the future of your life’s work and options that are available today: 1) Full-time, regular 8 to 5 jobs are off the radar as the singular source for employment. Sometimes we will work for others this way, but who needs long commutes if they can be easily avoided? 2) Even in the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is likely that we will live longer than any previous generation. Do you wonder how you will handle your financial, mental, emotional and physical health? This is the time to consider multiple strategies.
Many patients wish they could enjoy their dentist’s company beyond a quick, customary greeting before their ability to speak is interrupted by the whirr of the drill. Like everyone else, dentists have families, hobbies, enjoy their favorite beverage, have bills to pay and look forward to having fun. And just like everyone else, “busy” is a dentist’s life.
The vision of the Alzheimer’s Association is a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia. To realize this vision, we fund research to better diagnose, treat and ultimately cure the disease. In fact, we are the world’s largest nonprofit funder of dementia research. A few highlights of our progress…
Our state of mind affects our health, so when you think like a pessimist, always expecting the worst, your fight-or-flight response is often stuck on standby. To illustrate, think of worrisome thoughts as revving your car. It’s useful before a race to test the engine, but if you keep gunning it all the time, you will burn out the motor.
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Wow, sounds pretty negative doesn’t it. Yet, many men and women who have lived long enough to reach that mythical status known as “the golden years” find out exactly what King Solomon meant in the above quote. All those years of striving to accumulate wealth, land and power now might seem a bit wasted.
When people hear that I manage a Christian bookstore at age 70, they think I’m crazy — or a religious fanatic. I assure you, I’m neither. In light of large stores closing and the Barnes and Noble chain struggling to survive; and when Amazon has changed shoppers’ expectations, why do I think we can still run a brick-and-mortar bookstore — and a Christian one at that?
Whether you wish to work in a full-time, part-time or in a just-in-time capacity — for a fee or for free — here are several predictions based on trends and research for you to consider when preparing to work in your 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond (yes, beyond).
our first step in exploring your future is to take an internal journey in order to make a decision to work for pay, for fun or for the good of others. Part-time and other ways of working flexibly are bountiful. Many offer unique advantages to mature workers over that old classic — the 9-to-5 job.
An interview with author Michael W. K. Yee, Financial Advisor and Ameriprise Certified Financial Planner
I am a retired preschool teacher from Bemidji, Minnesota, and I live in Kā‘anapali, Maui, all winter. I am an active volunteer in both communities and my huge appetite for travel has taken me to many of the world’s countries. My method of solo travel affords me opportunities to explore each destination and its culture at my leisure. Often that means viewing and appreciating its art.
In my 2005 book Boom or Bust, I made the case that if you are prepared, it is never too late to do the work you are meant to do throughout the bonus years of your lengthening life. But if you’re not prepared, watch out for the storm clouds ahead.
Over 30 percent of the people who work don’t have full-time jobs. In a few years, that will increase to almost 50 percent. Working even one day a week will provide psycho-social advantages to an engaged senior. There are plenty of options.
Yes, the journey of life continues even after we retire!
How long our journey on Earth will be is one of the unknowns we must live with. In my earlier article, entitled, “I’ve Never Been Old Before,” I wrote about how lost I was when I retired from my career in the federal government. It took me quite a while to find purpose and meaning during the empty days that kept coming at me. Thankfully, I realized how rewarding it is to give back in whatever way you can.
We started taking our grandkids on trips without their parents to create shared memories and to get to know each other in a more personal way. It is somewhat of a tradition in our family. My mother took our children to Japan without us. These trips remain cherished memories. In a way, we are continuing her legacy.
For the past few months, I have been introducing you to the concept of working in new ways beyond the old, familiar routine of working a regular, full-time job in an office. Now, many ask how to optimize their independence from the old, familiar world of work. How are they doing good, making money, overcoming feelings of isolation and having a healthy lifestyle? Let’s begin a new journey by addressing freelancing — i.e., working for yourself.
Growing up in Hawai‘i, I played a ten-hole harmonica by ear, but lost interest because I could only play the same old songs and was not getting any better. As the years sped by and before I found anything interesting to enrich my life, I became a senior facing retirement. Doing nothing was not an option so I began to search for the elusive experience that would bring harmony into my life.
I’ve never been old before so this is a new experience for me. After retiring from a 37-year career, I found myself adrift. What should I do now? The days seemed very long as I pondered what I should fill them with. Life looks very different when you remove yourself from the “working world.” You feel as though you are invisible when you are with other people.
For most mature employed people, work was considered having a job with one or two companies in a working lifetime. Now retired, many may still have debt; few have the savings to take them through their remaining years. Countless mature workers believe that just one more job, perhaps much like the one they just left, is all they need to secure their futures. Unfortunately, those jobs may no longer exist or they may have been completely re-framed so that they are no longer a possibility for most mature workers.
Last school year I fell down half a flight of stairs, bruising my left hip. It was an accident where I was just happy I didn’t break anything. At age 63, I should have been more careful! X-rays indicated the need for a hip replacement but, since I’d been practicing self-care for the past fifteen years by using wellness products, I thought I already had everything needed for my body to heal itself.
The profession of social work’s claim to fame is the theory “Person-in-Environment” or PIE. Not only does the social worker relate and deal with the person but also the environment and relationships he or she lives with; those intimate realities of life that affect the “personhood.”
Let go of the past. You are both the author and central character of your Third Act. Let your imagination wander as you read about new ways people over 50, 60, 70 and beyond are having fun, making money and devoting their creativity and energy to all the areas of their jam-packed lives.
My current goal is to help Maui Arts League build a Visual Fine Arts Museum on West Maui — for our children, residents and visitors. My husband and I have always valued art and were inspired by collecting fine art. I believe art makes people happy. What could be better than surrounding yourself with family, good friends, delicious healthy food and beautiful art?
The biggest surprise about retirement is that I am busier now than when I had a regular job. My to-do list seems to get longer every day, even though I know I am continually completing tasks. Keeping busy with meaningful work is good advice to anyone contemplating retirement.
Portfolio workers are the “Jugglers” of multiple opportunities who know a diversified work portfolio increases the probability of realizing financial and personal success, improves their sense of control and boosts feelings of security.
Ageism is discrimination and negative stereotyping on the basis of a person’s age. It permeates the media and everyday conversations to such an extent and in such subtle ways that people may accept negative stereotypes of older adults (“forgetful,” “grouchy,” “less competent”) as truth, unconscious of their bias.
Seniors not only have to exercise and stay physically and mentally fit; they also need to make their money last longer. Social Security, regular investments (stocks, mutual funds) and retirement plans (401k, IRA) now have to account for an extended life span.
Find something you’re passionate about and stick with it! That’s the advice Ed Gayagas has followed for himself and the message he passes along to others.
I have learned a lot about setting goals from interacting with my smartwatch! The S.M.A.R.T. approach to setting goals has been around far longer than smartwatches, but the watches demonstrate perfectly the basic S.M.A.R.T. concepts originally created in 1981 by George T. Doran as a management tool but relevant for any type of goal.
If you are 50, 60, 70 or 80 today and need — or want — to continue to work, there is an exciting, fast-rising world emerging; a world filled with new ways of working and earning your way in Hawai‘i!
Family caregivers of older adults undergo fairly predictable stages in their caregiving careers. Each stage brings different challenges and requires different kinds of help for both the care receiver and family caregiver.
Need to work? Need to earn? If your answer is “yes” to either question, then here are three immediate actions that will improve the return on your most important investment — YOU!
What do singer Cyndi Lauper, comedian Tim Allen, wrestler Hulk Hogan, attorney Marcia Clark and politician Jeb Bush have in common? They were born in 1953 and are turning 65 this year, along with many others who may not enjoy fortune or fame. Celebrity or not, if you share their birth year and you or a spouse/partner worked and paid Medicare taxes, you may qualify for valuable Medicare insurance benefits.
Momentia (rhymes with dementia) is an arts-based movement targeting persons with dementia and their care partners
that “celebrates life in the moment.” It is a strengths-based grassroots movement to empower and energize those impacted by memory loss to remain connected and active in the community.
On a frosty winter’s morning, my fellow
seminarian, Cal Chinen, picked me up in
his old beige Volvo. We drove across the
Columbia River from Portland, Oregon, to Washougal,
a small town at the foothills of the Cascade
Mountains in Washington State. We were responding
to a senior citizen’s request to do some yardwork.
Success! The 2016 Aging in Place Workshop by Generations Magazine Staff from the DecJan 2017 issue of Generations Magazine, Hawai‘i’s Resource for Life
Veterans: Understanding Moral Injury by Rev. Jayne Ryan Kuroiwa from the Oct-Nov 2016 issue of Generations Magazine, Hawai‘i’s Resource for Life
41st Annual Senior Softball Tournament by Garrett Iwai, Recreation Specialist from the Oct-Nov 2016 issue of Generations Magazine, Hawai‘i’s Resource for Life
Substitute Parents by Shirley and Les Ihara, Grandparents from the Oct-Nov 2016 issue of Generations Magazine, Hawai‘i’s Resource for Life
At Your Service…Vietnam Vets by Capt. Rona Adams, RN, US Army Nurse Corps, Vietnam from the Oct-Nov 2016 issue of Generations Magazine, Hawai‘i’s Resource for Life
When You Gotta Walk by Stephanie Kim, Generations Magazine Intern from the DecJan 2017 issue of Generations Magazine, Hawai‘i’s Resource for Life
Serving Our Country by Sherry Goya, Generations Magazine Staff from the Oct-Nov 2016 issue of Generations Magazine, Hawai‘i’s Resource for Life
At Your Service by Rona Adams, Vietnam Veteran, U.S. Army Nurse Corps from the August-September 2016 issue of Generations Magazine, Hawai‘i’s Resource for Life
Bus or Rail? How About the Rec Parks? by Stephanie Kim, Generations Magazine Intern from the August-September 2016 issue of Generations Magazine, Hawai‘i’s Resource for Life
A Love for Hawai‘i by Sherry Goya, Generations Magazine Staff from the August-September 2016 issue of Generations Magazine, Hawai‘i’s Resource for Life
The Many Joys of Grandparenting by Shirley and Les Ihara, Grandparents from the August-September 2016 issue of Generations Magazine, Hawai‘i’s Resource for Life