September 2023 OutreachNC

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 3

Phasing Out & Zooming In: The Four Phases of Retirement

Retirement is a normal, natural part of most Americans’ lives. According to a 2022 Gallup survey, the average age of retirement in the United States is 61 years old. This is an increase from years past. In 1991, for example, the average age of retirement was 57. In 2002, the age increased to 59. Now, for Americans who were still working as of 2022, the age they can expect to retire (on average) is 66. Many factors contribute to the increased age for retirement including the COVID pandemic and financial losses experienced during the Great Recession. Also, the full retirement age for Social Security Benefits has increased, delaying retirement. The full retirement age for Social Security was 65; in 1983, an overhaul of Social Security gradually raised the age to 67, which was fully realized in 2022 for Americans born in 1960 or later.

The age at which Americans retire isn’t the only aspect of retirement to have changed over the years. Retirement itself, what it looks like, has changed, too. With increased lifespan, and with an increase in the number of healthy, active years retirees are living, many Americans are spending more than two decades in retirement. Retirees are engaged in active social lives, traveling the world, volunteering and taking on second jobs or careers. They’re more involved in their own investing (with the loss of pensions) and have greater access and control over how they spend the time they have in retirement. Americans are living overseas, on cruise ships, with their children and grandchildren and every where in between.

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ASK THE EXPERT: REMEMBER?

FEATURE: PHASING IN & ZOOMING OUT: THE FOUR PHASES OF RETIREMENT

INFOGRAPHIC/RECIPE: GUACAMOLE

EYE HEALTH: DID YOU TAKE YOUR EYEDROPS TODAY?

ture dipped low enough to merit a fleece. Don’t worry. It was decaf.

OCTOBER 2022 - 2

September is here. The apples, as my mother used to tell me when I was a girl, will fall off the trees. Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back, a clear marker of seasonal change. The dog days of summer are upon us, and it’s our national duty to make the most of our front porches, lemonade stands, ice cream parlors and summer boats.

October is a gentle month. There are constant reminders of we are lucky, toward each other. We have lingering conversations the flames flicker. Smoke dances around us in a circle. We zip

In this month’s feature, we’re starting an important conversation: care community for ourselves or a loved one? Fox Hollow Robin Hutchings offers inside perspective for making this decision.

Well, it’s official: fall is here. I had my first pumpkin-spiced latte just two days ago, as the evening temperature dipped low enough to merit a fleece.

Don’t worry. It was decaf.

September 4th is Labor Day, which is a fitting celebration for this month’s feature on the four phases of retirement. We get into what Dr. Riley Moyne’s identifies as four distinct phases of the retirement process: vacation, loss, trial and error and reinvent/renewal. We explore each phase and how knowing what to expect can help us plan for and live the best retirement lifestyle possible.

Carolina Eye Associates of Pinehurst offers readers tips for remembering to take eye medication properly and tips for what NOT to do with eye medication. These tips will help you keep your eyes as healthy as possible for the best long-term vision and wellness.

In Ask the Expert, Amy Natt answers a reader’s question regarding away without any estate planning. Without a will or access

October is a gentle month. There are constant reminders of change. We turn inward, toward warmth and we are lucky, toward each other. We have lingering conversations over tea. We burn fires and sit in silence the flames flicker. Smoke dances around us in a circle. We zip our jackets and consider hats.

Physical therapist Dr. Sara Morrison of Total Body Therapy potential diagnostic tools used in physical therapy to help diagnose these tools differ from what other doctor’s offices may offer.

In this month’s feature, we’re starting an important conversation: how do we choose the proper senior care community for ourselves or a loved one? Fox Hollow Senior Living’s Sales and Marketing Director, Robin Hutchings offers inside perspective for making this decision.

I’m going to agree with Nathaniel Hawthorne this month, who I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal spent almost all the daylight hours in the open air.

Finally, in celebration of National Guacamole Day (September 16), we’ve got a classic guacamole recipe to try and facts we’re sure you don’t know about the fabulous fruit: the avocado. Is there a better way to celebrate the last days of summer than a bowl of guac, a handful of chips and a chilled mojito on standby?

Here’s to enjoying the October sunshine, falling leaves and

In Ask the Expert, Amy Natt answers a reader’s question regarding what to do when a loved one passes away without any estate planning. Without a will or access to important accounts, what does a family do?

We didn’t think so, either.

Physical therapist Dr. Sara Morrison of Total Body Therapy and Wellness helps readers understand potential diagnostic tools used in physical therapy to help diagnose and treat pain. You’ll want to learn how these tools differ from what other doctor’s offices may offer.

Care Manager Kate Pomplun answers a reader’s question about possible memory loss in this month’s Ask the Expert. If you or a loved one has ever experienced forgetfulness and wondered if it’s normal, you’ll want to read Pomplun’s answer. Pomplun offers tips for identifying how forgetfulness is showing up and how to speak to your doctor if you find it’s an issue worth addressing further.

I’m going to agree with Nathaniel Hawthorne this month, who wrote:

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I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house. So I have spent almost all the daylight hours in the open air.

Here’s to enjoying the October sunshine, falling leaves and daylight hours.

Caregivers and care recipients experience a range of unspoken emotions as care needs increase. Join us for a discussion that addresses the range of emotions including guilt and grief that caregivers often experience.

Jennifer Tyner Aging Life Care™ Professional Shirley Baldwin Parish Nurse Robin Hutchings Care Community Professional

Join us for an upcoming event!

Food, fun, and drinks provided. Family & friends are welcome!

At One Medical Seniors, we believe in building strong relationships with our patients and the local community. We are currently offering in-practice and community events at no cost to keep our senior population healthy and connected.

New to Medicare!

What next?

9/12 and 9/26 at 11 a.m.

3601-3 Matthews-Mint Hill Rd. Matthews, NC 28105

Senior lunch at Golden Corral

9/21 at 1 p.m.

11025 East Independence Blvd.

Matthews, NC 28105

Are you ready for some Football? Mini-Tailgate

9/18 at 1 p.m.

3601-3 Matthews-Mint Hill Rd. Matthews, NC 28105

Medicare Lunch N Learn

9/25 at 12 p.m.

8332 Pineville Matthews Rd. Suite 205

Charlotte, NC 28226

To view our monthly events, scan the QR Code with your phone or visit oms-clt.eventbrite.com

PT: WHERE DO SYMPTOMS COME FROM?

No one likes to be in pain. In fact, I have spent the past 20+ years helping people get out of pain. The most common question I hear is “How can I get this pain to go away?” The answer to this is simple. We first need to know Why you are hurting. Then we can figure out how to stop the pain. So, why are you hurting? There are many different reasons for pain to occur in our bodies. Pain can be due to a problem in the Muscles, Joints, Tendons, Organs or Nerves. It can also be due to Medication, Psychological reasons, or Nutrition

Q:I’ve noticed I’ve begun forgetting some things, and it’s got me worried. I get to the grocery store and can’t remember what I need and forgot my list. It’s taking me longer to get things done than normal. I’d like to address this but don’t want to worry my kids or husband. I’m afraid to tell anyone because I’m afraid they’ll take over. I don’t want to lose my freedom.

A:Changes in our health, especially cognitive health can be overwhelming and scary. Keeping one’s freedom and independence is so valued, so I can understand your apprehension about mentioning these changes to anyone. There are some first steps you can take to selfassess what has been going on. But, it may be important to share your concerns with a trusted friend or family member as well as your primary care provider. Doing so is likely to give you more peace of mind.

Many health care professionals diagnose pain by Special Tests. During these tests, your practitioner will use their hands to push, pull and twist the areas that are causing you pain. These tests are very useful to find what structure is causing you pain. If you place stress on a structure and it increases your pain, it is likely that structure is contributing to your symptoms. Although helpful, many of these special tests are only 60-80% accurate. While this may look good at first, changing the way the question is framed will show that this also means they are 20-40% inaccurate. Misdiagnosis of pain can be very costly. At best it keeps you in pain longer, while in other cases it can allow symptoms to intensify. When you are dealing with pain, missing your favorite activities and sleepless nights… you want to be as accurate as possible!

First, ask yourself what changes you’ve been noticing. Take the time to keep some notes over a week or two. Ask yourself what has been feeling differently lately? What do you find yourself forgetting? Is it an item as you leave the house, like your list? Or, do you forget how to do routine tasks like driving to a familiar location or the rules of a frequently played game? Do you simply misplace things? Are you able to retrace your steps to attempt to retrieve the lost item? Do you forget what common items are called like a car or tree?

The addition of Diagnostic Imaging in Physical Therapy has revolutionized the way pain is addressed. By utilizing Diagnostic Imaging, PT’s are now able to look inside you

and diagnose your pain with over 98% accuracy. That means that we can find the real problem, or problems, and address them from the beginning. No more trial and error. No more “try this for a few months and if it doesn’t get any better we will try to get an MRI”. With the addition of Diagnostic imaging, your Physical Therapist can now say “From my evaluation it looks like you have a problem in ____. We are going to do a Diagnostic Ultrasound and confirm this and fully check your joint.”

Secondly, ask yourself and take notes on any other physical conditions you may have going on. Some conditions significantly impact our cognitive abilities, including our ability to concentrate, hear and remember details. This could be due to something like a urinary tract infection, dehydration, hearing loss, an unbalanced diet, lack of good sleep and stress – all of which are likely to be treatable.

In a matter of a few days, we can have your test performed, results given to you and a new, more comprehensive plan to improve your pain.

Diagnostic imaging in physical therapy includes:

1. Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (MSKUS)

As you know, not talking about or addressing any memory issues won’t make them go away. I encourage you to take your notes about the patterns you’ve noticed and make an appointment to discuss things with your primary care provider. Together, based on findings, you can determine if you should be formally tested for any cognitive decline. The more you know about the causes and changes, the more options you have in determining what to do next, which allows you to maintain your freedom and independence as much as possible.

MSKUS is a safe diagnostic tool. It is used to diagnose structures such as tendons, muscles, bursas, ligaments, nerve entrapment/pinching and joint structure changes. Like a video, MSKUS captures real-time images of body structures and can assess a joint/area while it moves. This feature is especially useful as many times pain does not occur at rest, only with movement.

LEARN HOW YOU CAN GET 1 MONTH FREE!*

The best way to see what life is really like at a Brookdale community in the Sandhills/Piedmont area is to visit us. Schedule your visit at any one of our many locations and be sure to ask about our special offer for new residents to get one month free. It’s a limited-time offer you don’t want to miss.

*One Month Free: Basic Service Rate/Monthly Fee only; care not included. Following move-in or financial possession of an apartment, a onetime credit equal to the monthly Basic Service Rate/Monthly Fee will be applied to your invoice in the third month of residency. Not valid for current residents, skilled nursing residents or for anyone whose funding source is a governmental payor. Automatic withdrawal payment required. Cannot be combined with other offers. Additional restrictions may apply. Offer ends 9/30/23.

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PHASING OUT

ZOOMING IN and

The Four Phases of Retirement

by Amy Phariss

Some aspects of retirement haven’t changed. Retirees want to spend time doing what they love with the people they love. They want to make the most of their years and explore passions or interests neglected during the “working years.” Retirees want to engage in meaningful lives, with purpose and focus.

Understanding the stages of retirement is an important first step in creating and living a retired life with meaning and purpose for each individual retiree.

Dr. Riley Moynes, an author and retired educator, has much to say on this topic. His TEDx talk (which can be found on YouTube) has been viewed over 2 million times. Moyne’s book, The Four Phases of Retirement: What You

You get up the next day and do it again. Many people describe decades of work as “groundhog’s day,” one day after another of the same experience, the same patterns, the same conversations, meals and meetings. Even people who loved their work and find meaning and fulfillment in their careers may find themselves wondering: is there something more? Do I need a new challenge?

Can Expect

When You’re Retiring, offers readers a clear, 4-step map through which to view retirement, and prepare for it. Though not every step will resonate with every retiree, the phases of retirement Moynes outlines are experienced by many retirees. Exploring these phases can help us not only prepare for retirement but also create lives in retirement that build upon our values and are full of meaning and intention.

The four phases Moynes describes are:

1. Vacation Phase

2. Loss Phase

3. Trial and Error Phase

4. Reinvent and Rewire Phase

The Vacation Phase of retirement can feel like just the break in routine we’re looking for. We book trips and vacations. The internet is chock-full of suggestions for travel and leisure for new retirees. According to Travel & Leisure’s website (2022), “15 Trips You Need to Take as Soon as You Retire”, you might consider our state’s own Blue Ridge Parkway or a luxurious train trip through Canada’s Rocky Mountains. For the adventurous, an Asian river cruise might be the ticket, and Australia is always an option.

The Vacation Phase isn’t only about travel, though. It’s also a time of excitement and freedom.

New retirees try new hobbies, identify and set goals and begin new activities. They have the time and mental energy to consider more than their usual day-to-day, which feels exhilarating.

In the Vacation Phase, retirees are excited. There is the often-welcome letting go of jobs, responsibilities and daily routines that may have come to feel boring, mundane and repetitive. Get up, get ready, drive to the office, sit in the cubicle, listen to Pam from human resources, get take-out, try to avoid napping and drive home.

From Vacation Phase, Moynes argues many retirees move to the Loss Phase. In this phase, people feel the real loss accompanying leaving their previous lives behind. For many Americans, retirement is synonymous with working less or leaving career fields entirely. While this, at first, seems exciting and energizing, there is still a sense of loss associated with this phase. People may begin to miss the structure of work. There are no longer set times for being somewhere, which feels good in the Vacation Phase but may be derailing as time goes on. With no expectation or structure, many people begin to feel uncentered. Work also provides, for many, purpose and meaning.

While it’s appealing to think we will find this in retirement, in another form or format, many retirees find themselves struggling to identify a new purpose, one that is meaningful and engaging.

In fact, when researchers Wang, Hall and Waters (2014) write about retirement, they ask people to imagine their retirement. Typically, people imagine either a permanent vacation or imminent death. They write, “Here retirement represents the cessation of meaningful, productive activities and a period of trying to fill the hours each day.” Or, as the researchers note, actual physical death may seem to be “waiting in the wings.” These are, as the authors note, views at the extreme of both sides of the retirement coin: either never-ending fun and pleasure or death. However, research shows that many Americans subscribe to these views, to some degree, which can make the Loss Phase of retirement a period of reflection and involve some struggle as we try to redefine meaning and purpose in this new phase of life.

The next phase of retirement Moynes identifies is the Trial and Error Phase. In this phase, retirees have enjoyed the initial excitement of retirement and waded through the loss (and accepted this loss) of previous lives, including structure, meaning and purpose. Now, the time comes to identify new meaning and purpose and to explore how this shows up post-retirement.

This is when, for many retirees, the actual fun begins. People begin experimenting with options, many of which they mentally considered before retirement and now have the time to fully pursue.

Have you always wanted to take up salsa dancing or become a master gardener? Have you long wished to deepen your faith or spend more time with your kids and grandkids?

This is the time to pull out the bucket list and start exploring those desires. Some of the old dreams will flop. It will turn out day after day on the golf course isn’t as soothing as you’d imagined. In fact, without work lurking in the background, maybe you find you don’t need to be soothed at all. Or you might find that after years of cooking for your family, your dream to attend culinary school no longer holds sway. Instead, simple dinners of cheese trays in the garden are much more appealing. Your lifestyle image of living in the country and harvesting your own vegetables may seem overwhelming and not the best use of your leisure hours. On the other hand, it might be just the meaning-making, purpose-driven life you thought it would be. You find that being outside, eating from your own garden and preparing homemade meals are just the antidote to the corporate life you left behind. The point of the Trial and Error Phase is just that – to try.

The last of Moynes’s phases is the Reinvent and Rewire Phase. This phase is characterized by a renewed (and often redefined) sense of purpose and fulfillment. People have successfully adjusted to retirement (through the above three phases) and are ready to welcome this next phase of life with clear goals that support their values.

In fact, after exploring their values, many retirees find they’ve been living out of alignment with their values for some time. Your values have, inevitably shifted.

What you valued at 30 isn’t what you will necessarily value today. Today, you may value health and wellness more than you did at 27…or even 47.

You might value seeing the world enough to devote a large chunk of your retirement time and resources to living overseas or taking a once-in-a-lifetime world cruise. Retirement, and the Reinvent and Rewire Phase of retirement, are the time to reflect on what matters most and how this next part of life can lean into these goals.

Moynes’s phases offer a great roadmap for exploring retirement and for understanding where we’re at when we find ourselves sitting at the kitchen table at 10AM and wondering: now what? We can, using these phases, identify which phase (give or take) we fall into, and how we can better navigate that time. If we’re booking vacations and celebrating no alarm clock, we’re probably enjoying the Vacation Phase, and enjoy it we should! But if that joy turns to frustration, confusion or ennui, we might just have entered the Loss Phase. Just knowing this phase is coming can help us sit comfortably here, with these difficult feelings and questions, knowing this, too, shall pass.

When we sign up for pickleball lessons and agree to volunteer with the church mission, we’ll be able to identify the Trial and Error Phase. We can take comfort in the process, trusting ourselves to identify new values and establish new goals. Our dreams may be shifting, and we’re learning and growing along with them. Finally, when we settle into a new rhythm and can identify new meaning and purpose for this phase of life, we’ve entered the Reinvent and Rewire Phase. We’re wiring to these new ideals. We’re living lives that fit into our current values rather than outdated ones. We get to go forward into the upcoming years with authentic intention. In the words of C.S. Lewis, “You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream.” Go forth and dream.

References:

Moynes, R. (2016) The Four Phases of Retirement: What to Expect When You’re Retiring. TMC Press.

Wang, L., Hall, D.T. & Waters, Lea. (2014). Finding meaning during the retirement process: Identity Development in Later Career Years. Oxford Handbooks Topics in Psychology. Oxford Handbooks Editorial Board. DOI: https://academic. oup.com/edited-volume/42044/chapter/355794931

Moynes’s Four Phase of Retirement can be viewed at https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMHMOQ_054U

8TH

2023

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September 16 National Guacamole Day

We’re excited, too. Any excuse to eat guacamole is what we call a good excuse. We also like to focus on the health benefits of a big bowl of smashed avocado including helping lower levels of inflammation in the body as well as lowering blood pressure and helping reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. With healthy, monounsaturated fats, studies show eating an avocado a day can lower LDL cholesterol and raise HLD cholesterol in just 5 weeks. Avocados are also full of fiber, which helps with digestion and gut health. A medium avocado has roughly 10 grams of fiber.

This is what we call a win-win.

So, as you enjoy these final days of summer, whip up a bowl of guacamole and enjoy it on the back porch, with a sunset on the horizon and another day in the books.

An accompanying margarita is optional, of course.

TRADITIONAL GUACAMOLE

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe avocados (not too mushy or soft, and not too hard… just right)

• Juice of one lime

• 1/3 cup minced, red onion

• 1 small clove of garlic, smashed and minced

• Cilantro (to taste)

• Salt & Pepper (to taste)

• 1 Tomato, diced

• 1 Jalapeno, de-seeded, membranes cut out and minced

Directions:

1. Start with perfectly ripe avocados. Peel and mash the avocados to your desired consistency.

2. Then add in the lime juice, minced onion and garlic. Continue to mix until combined.

3. Add in the cilantro, jalapeno, salt and pepper.

4. Taste to ensure seasoning perfect before stirring in tomato.

5. Check once more for seasoning. You can serve guacamole with tortilla chips or use it as a topping on toast, burgers, baked potatoes and even as a twist on deviled eggs.

Archaeologist have found evidence of avocados being consumed as far back as 10,000 years ago in central Mexico.

Avocados are actually a fruit, not a vegetable, and in many places, they’re the most popular fruit.

Avocado season peaks in the US during the spring, from April to July.

Worldwide, most avocados are produced in Mexico. In the US, California grows roughly 90% of the avocados.

Avocado trees can grow up to 80 feet tall.

There are many types/varieties of avocados including the Bacon, Hass, Lamb Hass, Fuerte, Gwen, Pinkerton, Reed, Lula, Monroe and Zutano. The most popular avocado variety is the Hass, which originated in California back the 1920s.

The highest consumption of avocados in the US happens when we’re watching the Superbowl.

Typically, the riper the avocado, the darker the skin.

In 2017, Americans spent nearly $1 million on avocado toast.

77% of calories in an avocado come from fat, making it one of the highest fat plants available.

To make avocados ripen faster, put them in a paper bag with ripe bananas.

Avocados have more potassium than bananas.

The importance of eye medication adherence can’t be stressed enough. Adhering to eye medication can help keep your eyes healthy and protect your vision for long-term eye health and a better quality of life. Part of medication adherence is knowing what to take, when to take it and how to follow your doctor’s orders….and it also means knowing when to avoid medications, when to ask questions and how to know when it’s time to see the doctor.

Everyone knows it is important to take medications as prescribed. Your doctor is making assumptions about your treatments based on their instructions and then follow-up to assess the effectiveness of medications. The fact is that it is difficult to use medications. For best treatment results, using the medication at least 80% is optimal but most studies find that most patients only have a 50% adherence to the prescribed medication. (1) In ophthalmology, the blinding disease called glaucoma is most often treated with eye drops to lower eye pressure. Eye drops are also used to help the eye after surgical procedures and to prevent infection. It is very important to take any eye drop as prescribed for the intended problem for the intended timeframe. Serious problems such as irreversible vision loss can occur if eye medications are not taken correctly.

TIPS FOR REMEMBERING TO TAKE YOUR EYE DROPS:

1. For short term treatments like an eye infection or post-surgery, a chart can be very useful to remember your drops. Many eye care providers will generate a table with times of day and a calendar for you to mark off after instillation of drops. Ask your provider to help you.

2. If you take drops for a chronic problem like dry eyes or glaucoma, you may want to put your eye drops within eyesight and at a place you see daily at the time you take the drops. For example, if you take drops in the morning and at night, you may want to put the drops on your nightstand by your lamp. Alternatively, you can put the drop by your toothbrush so you can also remember to brush your teeth!

3. Your phone can be very helpful. You can set an alarm to take your medications.

4. You can also download an app on your phone. There are many apps that will remind you to take medications. Also, these apps can track your compliance for your doctor and send reminders to your pharmacy for refills.

5. You can set up automatic refills for your pharmacy so that you do not have to call to refill your medicines. This can also ensure that you do not lapse your medicine by forgetting to call or if the pharmacy must contact your doctor there is not a delay in your getting your medications.

6. Ask your insurance if they would allow a 90day supply of your medication.

WHEN SHOULD YOU NOT TAKE EYE DROPS?

1. Please do not take any eye drop other than what is prescribed for you by your eye care provider, for the intended problem, and for the intended time.

2. Discard any unused eye drops. Once they are opened, if they are kept for a long time, the potency may decrease and the liquid environment may be a good place for bacteria to grow.

3. A word about “redness relievers”: Eye care providers do not recommend taking over-the-counter redness reliever drops for long term use. In fact, if you use these drops chronically, they can cause chronic redness.

4. Do not take medicated drops with your contact lenses in your eyes. Contact lenses can increase your risk for infection even if the drop you are taking is an antibiotic.

5. Be cautious with taking even over-thecounter eye drops for moisture. Talk with your eye care provider to ensure what you are taking can be helpful. Be aware that there was an incident in 2023 in which over-the-counter eye drops caused infections in people’s eyes and in one case led to the death of a person.

Eye drops are very important therapies for various eye problems. However, be aware that you and your eye care provider should work together to ensure the drops you are taking are safe for your eyes and vision.

1. DiMatteo MR, Giordani PJ, Lepper HS, et al. Patient adherence and medical treatment outcomes: a meta-analysis. Med Care. 2002;40(9):794-811DiMatteo MR, Giordani PJ, Lepper HS, et al. Patient adherence and medical treatment outcomes: a meta-analysis. Med Care. 2002;40(9):794-811

GRAY MATTER GAMES

ACROSS