Boomer Corner

If not Immortality what about The 120 Club? Planning for the End of Your Life ind hange hen to orr

ho will end u with your ooks and your tchotskes, My good friend Alexander Everett died in 2005 aged your gadgets and your garden tools when you change 85 on his ranch in Oregon. It wasn’t really a ranch, your cosmic address at the end of your life more like an Ark. Alexander just liked to hang out

with animals, certainly not eat them. Hewas an It’s probably the easiest and least onerous part of your educationalist and an English eccentric much estate planning to make a list of all your possessions and in uenced y udolf teiner and Huxley’s erennial hiloso hy, who decam ed to Oregon in the 0s ecoming a leading gure in the ersonal develo ment movement that ecame o ular at that decide who will get the stuff you have accumulated all these years. ill Junior get your porno movie collection our daughter might like some jewellery or family heirlooms time. As a young man he had een cri led y olio maybe your best friend would appreciate your gadgets or ut claimed to have cured himself. He was, he told garden tools. ou have made your ast ill and Testament me a mem er of the 20 lu , all of whom committed Good. That takes care of your estate, your possessions and themselves to live to e over 20 years old. Alas, nancial accounts and settles your preferences. Or does it

Alexander didn’t make it. He died 35 years short aged 85, which is res ecta le. Estate lanning

Somewhere around the age of 18 or 19 our bodies cease Planning for the dissolution and distribution of your estate is developing and from that moment on the various body not that cumbersome but you need to take a few things into clocks that comprise what is us, start their remoseless account, especially if you have property or a foot in two countdown to our eventual demise. How countries. esides the bequests and provisions your last long we last from that point on depends on will and testament should appoint an executor who will take good luck, our genes, our lifestyle and how care of administrative and nancial matters such as much money we have. The process doesn’t liquidating bank and investment accounts, your pension or usually start to manifest visibly until our mid-30s or so and, given good genes, psychologically we don’t usually start to feel old until our early 70s. retirement accounts, ensuring your assets go to the proper bene ciaries, paying any debts or taxes. It could also include selling your home or terminating your lease. And with foreign property rights restricted in Indonesia, be sure Here’s what we’re all up against: you don’t leave behind a can of worms your executor will have to deal with. Even if you have little in the way of assets or possessions, you should have a simple will because if you die intestate the legal system in your location will decide who gets your assets, no matter how massive or meager. Things are more complicated if you are the parent or guardian of a minor child, have an informally adopted or sponsored child and there’s no document stating what you want to bequeath them or who will care for them after your demise. y the same token, are you making some provisions for your faithful staff who may lose their jobs and probably have no retirement or nancial cushion to fall back on Another thing to consider is to make sure that your will does not contradict the account bene ciaries named on your retirement accounts, life insurance policies and the like. The person listed as the bene ciary on each of those policies will get the money even if your will says otherwise. Make sure your bene ciary designations are up to date and sync with any other legal provisions you have made. It pays to review the bene ciaries on all your accounts. ou may not be ready to die and in fact may yet have a long bout of life ahead of you but remember that things change, people come and go in your life and situations alter. e sure these changes are updated in your will. Including your will, make a list of critical documents that the will’s executor will need to settle your estate like your insurance policies, bank and investment account statements, credit and debit cards, pension and tax documents and pertinent information like your Social

How often do you walk into a room and wonder why you’re there ou focus hard, grit your teeth, and try Security or National Insurance numbers and make sure you to remem er, ut come u lank. ou retrace your tell your family or carers where to nd them. This includes ste s and somewhere on that journey ack, it dawns passwords so your online accounts can be accessed. Other on you why you wanted to go to the room in rst practical directives should address the paying of any taxes lace. A niggling thought knocks on the inside of due, utility bills, recurring payments or donations. Any time your head, I ho e I’m not losing my memory . a major change occurs in your life, make sure your will and ou start to notice that words escape you - words or last directives re ect it. names that you know you know. Try as you might, you can’t dredge them up. Then sometime later, or in the wee hours of the morning, the elusive word pops into your head unannounced, completely spontaneously. elief oods you. Nope, I’m de nitely not getting dementia.’ ou’ve just been using an object, like your favorite pen, your glasses, or keys, when your attention springs to something else and when it snaps back, you can’t for the life of you nd the darned thing. ou look high and low and then you look high and low again. Sometime during the day, you stumble across it, right where you’d laid it down, and wonder if you’re getting Alzheimer’s. If it isn’t enough that we doubt our own brain function, we hear or read more and more stories about memory loss. And there’s a good reason for that. There are nearly 5 million people worldwide with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, and unless a cure is found, that number could easily triple by 2050.

hronic In ammation

Aging people suffer an epidemic of outward in ammatory diseases such as arthritis, but chronic in ammation also damages brain cells, arterial walls, heart valves and other structures in the body. Heart attack, hat’s the Difference etween Dementia and stroke, heart valve failure, and Alzheimer’s Al heimer’s Disease have all been linked to the chronic in ammatory cascade. Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability - a decline severe enough to interfere with the functioning Glycosylation of daily life. Dementia is not a disease, but rather a symptom, much like a fever is not a disease but a Diabetics age prematurely, but even non-diabetics suffer symptom of illness. from this chemical reaction, where protein molecules Some diseases with dementia as a symptom, such as bind to glucose molecules forming non-functioning thyroid problems, vitamin de ciencies, and depression structures. Glycosylation is most evident in senile can be reversed if diagnosed early enough. ut dementia dementia, stiffening of the arteries, and degenerative is most commonly associated with Alzheimer’s. diseases of the eye. Alzheimer’s is an incurable terminal disease that Methylation De cit damages the brain, breaking down the physical connections that are necessary to store new information, Our cellular DNA requires constant enzymatic action for retrieve old information, feel compassion, be able to maintenance and repair. Aging cripples methylation reason, and to problem solve. It progresses relentlessly, metabolism causing DNA damage that can manifest as cancer, liver damage and brain cell degeneration. until nally, if something else doesn’t get the person, they die of starvation because the brain can no longer communicate to the body the need to swallow. y now you’re probably squirming in your seat wondering what the symptoms of Alzheimer’s are This is perfectly normal. Studies show that people are more afraid of getting Alzheimer’s than cancer. At least you have a chance with cancer.

Mitochondrial Energy De letion

The cellular energy powerhouse, the mitochondria, requires a complex series of chemicals to maintain critical functions such as transporting nutrients through the cell membrane and purging the cell of toxic debris. Mitochondrial depletion lead to congestive heart failure, muscle weakness, fatigue and neurological disease.

en arning igns

According to the American Alzheimer’s Organization, there are 10 warning signs of possible Alzheimer’s Disease. All of these characteristics may not be present. It takes only one to suggest a trip to a geriatric neurologist.

Hormone Im alance

. Memory oss that Disru ts Daily ife - not being able Trillions of cells in the human body are synchronised to to remember new information, forgetting important dates function by chemical signals called hormones. Aging creates hormonal imbalance that can lead to depression, End of life references or events, asking the same questions over and over. In contrast, a typical age-related change would be forgetting osteoporosis, coronary heart disease and loss of libido. Now that the estate portion of your bounty is settled, have names or appointments but remembering them later. In other words, you know that you’ve forgotten. Excess alci cation Calcium ions are transported into and out of cells through you given a thought to the other end-of-life decisions you need to make while still, as they say, of sound and competent mind hat about drawing up a iving ill that will instruct 2. hallenges in lanning or ro lem olving losing the ability to do simple math, solving problems, organizing things, keeping track of recipes or monthly bills. Some calcium channels into the membrane. Aging disrupts this your nearest and dearest how you want to be cared for people may experience changes in their ability to develop process and the result is excess calcium in the cells of the when you are no longer in a position to verbalise coherent and follow a plan or work with numbers. In contrast, a brain, heart valves and arterial walls that can lead to thoughts emember there are very important instructions typical age-related change would be making occasional arteriosclerosis and Alzheimer’s. in regards to your end of life preferences that simply do not errors when balancing a checkbook or adding up numbers. belong in a ast ill and Testament since that document will not be read until after your death. 3. Dif culty om leting amiliar asks - sometimes people have trouble driving a familiar route or forgetting the rules of a game. My husband, ob, was in year ve of Alzheimer’s when he went out to do grocery shopping and didn’t come home for four hours. He was so scared when he found me again, he was shaking. The car was strewn with open maps he couldn’t make heads or tails of. A natural age-related change would be missing a street or freeway exit, but knowing you have. Or you may occasionally need tech help with your computer. . onfusion with ime or lace people with Alzheimer’s can lose track of dates, places or seasons. Sometimes they forget where they are or how they got there. One night, ob and I were in bed. He started to get up. here are you going, I asked I have to go home to my wife, he said. I am your wife. He sheepishly replied, Oh and crawled back into bed. A natural age-related change might be forgetting someone’s birthday but guring it out later.

5. rou le nderstanding isual Images and atial

elationshi s - for some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer’s. They may have dif culty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast, which may cause problems with driving. A natural age-related change could be visual changes due to cataracts or other eye problems. The western way to do that is to draw up an Advance . ro lems with ords in eaking or riting - people Directive, a legal and binding document that outlines your with Alzheimer’s may have dif culty following a conversation. They stop in the middle and are not be sure wishes if you become incapacitated due to illness or injury. how to continue. The may struggle with words, forgetting It sets forth the speci c life- supporting or prolonging the names of things. I started to notice that ob used the measures you would like applied -or not- like resuscitation word thing’ a lot instead of the object’s name. He would or CP , or whether to end all life-saving measures. our say, Pass me that thing to stir this stuff with, when what wishes should be written down and the document given to he wanted was a spoon to stir his iced tea. A natural agethe people most likely to be close at the time of your demise. ou should not leave these agonizing decisions to others. related change would be sometimes not nding the right word or temporarily forgetting a word. These instructions should include the type of care you wish . Mis lacing hings and osing the A ility to etrace to have, the medical team and the hospital you want to end te s - a person with Alzheimer’s might put things in up in. If you wish to be an organ donor here in Indonesia strange places. They may lose things and not be able to you can register with omite Transplantasi National (the nd them. They may accuse others of stealing from them. National Transplant Committee) or the Eye ank ( ank This was a biggie for us. I would nd towels rolled up with Mata Indonesia) ahead of time and stipulate that in your things from the bathroom I’d searched for. In his mind, ob was packing to be ready to travel because traveling was directive. such a big part of our life together. A natural age-related change would be occasionally misplacing something but being able to retrace steps to nd it. 8. Decreased or oor udgment people with Alzheimer’s might experience changes in judgment or decision-making. They may be duped into giving money to telemarketers or pay less attention to grooming or keeping themselves clean. A natural age-related change might be making a bad decision from time to time, like buying something you didn’t need. . ithdrawal from ork or ocial Activities - a person with Alzheimer’s may start to remove themselves from hobbies, social activities, work projects or sports. They may have trouble following T programs. A natural agerelated change might be sometimes tiring of work, family and social situations and needing more alone time. 0. hanges in Mood and ersonality sometimes people with Alzheimer’s become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful, or anxious. They may be easily upset with others when they are out of their comfort zone. A normal age-related change might come from developing speci c ways of doing things and becoming irritable when that routine is disrupted.

atty Acid Im alance

The body requires essential fatty acids to maintain cell energy output. Aging causes alterations in the enzymes required to convert dietary fats into speci c fatty acids the body requires. The effect of fatty acid imbalance manifests as irregular heartbeat, joint degeneration, low energy, hyper-coagulation, dry skin and a host of other conditions.

DNA Mutation

Numerous synthetic and natural compounds mutate cellular DNA and cause cancer cells to form. Aging cells lose their DNA gene repair mechanisms and the result is DNA genetic damage causes cells to proliferate out of control, i.e., turn into cancer cells.

Immune Dysfunction

For a variety of reasons, the aging immune system loses its ability to attack bacteria, viruses and cancer cells. In aging humans, excessive levels of dangerous cytokines are produced that cause the immune system to turn on its host and create auto-immune diseases,, such as allergies, lupus, anemia, rheumatoid heart disease and arthritis.

our instructions should also indicate your wishes for preferred last rites, burial, cremation or repatriation preferences, appoint a funeral service and a trusted relative or friend who agrees to take care of all that. Also don’t forget to leave behind a list of family and friends you want noti ed. Next of kin’ may not be near if you have Non Digestive En yme Im alance family in another country. Indonesian Immigration and Internal cellular functions depend on multiple enzymatic your consulate also need to be informed. reactions occurring with precise timing. Aging causes enzyme disturbances in the brain and liver, which result in And now for the big caveat: emember that every country severe neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s or has its own norms and regulations when it comes to persistent memory loss. Impaired liver function results in durable health care and appointing a health care proxy. If toxic damage to every cell in the body. you plan to die in Indonesia you are well advised to inform yourself of the practices here. In fact, a quick survey Digestive En yme De cit among a few ali lawyers reveals that unfortunately, the

Indonesian law system does not recognise a iving ill. The aging pancreas often fails to secrete enough digestive However, you can draw up a private statement letter enzymes, while the aging liver does not secrete enough regarding your medical directives and wishes on how bile acids. The results are the chronic digestive problems medical personnel should treat you in case of a lethal many face as they age. condition. This statement letter only indicates your wishes and does not have the strong enforcement capacity like a

Excitotoxicity will. It behoves you to discuss these matters with your private physician now and see where you stand. The aging brain loses control of its release of neurotransmitters such as glutamate and dopamine, and this results In the end it doesn’t really matter or does it to you hen to Get Hel in devastating brain cell damage and destruction. Statistics claim that nearly half of people age 55 and older don’t have a will. I bet the percentage is even higher for The Alzheimer’s Organization suggests that if you or a loved one has any of these characteristics to get it irculatory De cit not having a iving ill. et it is important to document checked out, sooner rather than later. your end-of-life preferences and communicate those to Microcapillary ow of blood to the brain, your family and/or the people that are likely to be near you It’s important to nd a specialist who understands the elder brain. ob and I were given misinformation by a eye and skin is impaired as a part of at that crucial time. Putting a plan in place for things like psychiatrist and neurologist because they didn’t know normal aging. The result is that disorders medical care and funeral arrangements helps ensure that much about dementia. oth said they hoped their brain of the eye (such as cataract, macular upon your death, your wishes are carried out and that would be in as good a shape as ob’s when they were his degeneration, glaucoma) are the No.1 family squabbles are avoided over your dead body. In age. This plunged us back into denial and kept us from age-related degenerative disease. Major terms of funeral arrangements, you can leave the getting help early on. and mini-strokes are common problems arrangements to a competent service like Antara angsa associated with circulatory de cit to the brain. Funeral Services. Expats in ali concur they are very good and take care of the details. The next time you go into a room and forget why you’re there, or a good friends’ name escapes you, or you misplace your glasses for the umpteenth time in a day, Oxidative tress Don’t wait to put your affairs in order. Now, while you are just chalk it up to natural age-related changes unless you can’t retrace your steps, the friend’s name not Free radicals are unstable molecules that have been implicated in most diseases associated with aging. Antioxidants have become popular supplements to protect against free-radical-induced cell damage, but few still hale and healthy and still have control of your belongings and the execution of your last wishes, is the best time to put some order in your end of life preferences. Don’t wait until life’s inevitable loops throw you a curve and only doesn’t come back but the person looks unfamiliar, and you’re sure someone stole those missing glasses. people take the proper combination of antioxidant beat you to it. Susan’s book iece by iece: ove in supplements needed to do any good. the and of Alzheimer s is available at Ubud’s Ganesha ook Store, Threads of ife, or on Amazon.

By Adrian By hari By Ines Wynn By hari By usan Tereba

The Boomer Corner is a column dedicated to people over 60 living in Bali. Its mandate is to cover topics, practicalities, activities, issues, concerns and events related to senior life in Bali. We welcome suggestions from readers. E-mail us at : Baliboomers@gmail.com The Boomer Corner is a column dedicated to people over 60 living in Bali. Its mandate is to cover topics, practicalities, activities, issues, concerns and events related to senior life in Bali. We welcome suggestions from readers. E-mail us at : Baliboomers@gmail.com The Boomer Corner is a column dedicated to people over 60 living in Bali. Its mandate is to cover topics, practicalities, activities, issues, concerns and events related to senior life in Bali. We welcome suggestions from readers. E-mail us at : Baliboomers@gmail.com The Boomer Corner is a column dedicated to people over 60 living in Bali. Its mandate is to cover topics, practicalities, activities, issues, concerns and events related to senior life in Bali. We welcome suggestions from readers. E-mail us at : Baliboomers@gmail.com The Boomer Corner is a column dedicated to people over 60 living in Bali. Its mandate is to cover topics, practicalities, activities, issues, concerns and events related to senior life in Bali. We welcome suggestions from readers. E-mail us at : Baliboomers@gmail.com Copyright © 2019 Boomer Corner You can read all past articles of Boomer Corner at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz Copyright © 2019 Boomer Corner You can read all past articles of Boomer Corner at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz Copyright © 2020 Boomer Corner You can read all past articles of Boomer Corner at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz Copyright © 2019 Boomer Corner You can read all past articles of Boomer Corner at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz

Copyright © 2019 Boomer Corner You can read all past articles of Boomer Corner at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz