I recently spoke with someone who has, for a number of reasons, not been doing any exercise for several months. She works at a job that keeps her in a chair all day. In addition, she has both fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. She is in a certain amount of pain all the time; and her pain is more intense at other times.

She recently told me she has started swimming every day. She is being very sensible and starting slowly and swimming longer as she builds strength and endurance. She is also now able to do exercises in the water, which provides the needed movement and exercise without the pain and risk of damage to joints from the impact of a number of other types of exercise.

There is always discussion within families about what people leave behind when they pass on.  This is a big concern and a very emotional issue for both retirees and their families.  Most of us want to leave behind some sort of legacy.  For some, this is money; for some, it is their children; for some it is a moral or intellectual legacy.

The generation that is now over 65 has tended to follow the thinking of their parents in believing it is important to leave their children a financial legacy.  Many in these generations will make amazing sacrifices to ensure that there will be some inheritance for their family.  Others will make sacrifices to ensure a legacy gift to a charity or institution that will cause people to remember them.

There is good news about your mind in retirement!

The National Institutes of Health conducted a study of people aged 70 and older.  They found that the number of people coping with some form of cognitive impairment in this group has declined from 12.2% in 1993 to 8.7% in 2002.

Why is this true? There are probably several reasons: the study cites improved treatment for stroke, heart disease and vascular conditions, as well as changes in lifestyle and the effect of those changes on cardiovascular health.  My personal opinion is that another factor is the number of people who are working longer or otherwise staying active and engaged and the number of people who are actively exercising their brain through games, puzzles, lifelong learning, and other activities.

The Earth Times recently reported on a study conducted by Transamerica Retirement Management, Inc.  The study polled working adults 55 and over about their expectations of retirement, their plans for retirement, and their feelings about the uncertainties of transitioning into retirement and being financially secure.

The study debunks the widely held belief that retirees are generally intractable.  In fact, a majority of the people surveyed indicated that they find change exciting or that they believe they are able to handle whatever comes.

Many of us who are now over 50 are considered part of the Sandwich Generation. The sandwich generation refers to a generation of people reaching traditional retirement age who are caring in some way for both elders and children or grandchildren.  The size of this group is growing rapidly as life expectancy increases and we see the development of children born to us later in life (than the age of our parents when we were born).

I have discovered some wonderful programming on TV.  Despite the writer’s strike and the comments of some who think television is harmful or of poor quality, I have found that television offers both great entertainment and information.  And, with cable, direct TV, satellite providers and fiber optic networks, there are hundreds of channels to choose from.

I have just discovered Retirement Living TV.  This network began airing programming in 2006. Now it offers 24 hour programming, all original.  This channel is dedicated to the issues, concerns, questions and problems of people 55 and over.  RLTV (this is how it is listed) claims to be “the expert in the field of aging, guided by an internationally recognized team of gerontologists and researchers.”

Many of us have grown up in a world in which we learn to trust brand names to meet our standards of quality.  We learn from experience that we can trust certain brands or company names.  Sometimes, we don’t get the best deal for our money.

Business Week Magazine recently ran an article reporting on some analysis by a financial consultant of the investment and insurance products offered by AARP.  His conclusion was that contrary to his expectation, these products did not always offer the best deal.  I encourage you to read the article and form your own conclusions. To link to the article, click here.

Reverse mortgages have become increasingly popular over the last twenty years.  They are touted as the retiree’s solution to everything from soaring medical costs to simply living a better lifestyle from day to day.  I want to be clear from the outset that I believe reverse mortgages can be a very important part of planning for your financial needs in retirement, especially when there is an unexpected need for additional funds.

A Canadian study was reported last October which found that among men and women in Vancouver there is a clear tendency for men to plan to work part-time after retirement, while women plan to volunteer.  The study was The Couples Retirement Study conducted for Scotiabank.  This was just one part of the study, but I am intrigued by the split between men and women in their preferences for working vs. volunteering after retirement.

Is the preference for working vs. volunteering after retirement so clearly gender-specific?

Tell us what you think.  Do you plan to work or volunteer?  Does your experience match the study?

The boomer generation is, with good reason, often called the “Sandwich Generation” because we tend to be caring for both our children (and maybe grandchildren) as well as aging parents.  As we all know, aging can affect vision and balance.  A bad fall can mean a broken bone or damaged hip.  Here are a few easy and quick things you can do to aging parents’ homes to make them a little bit safer without a huge and expensive remodel.