Commun ty Matters Topeka Presbyterian Manor
November 2016
The surprising secrets of some successful retirees If you’re in your 40s, 50s or early 60s, odds are you’d like to know what it takes to have a happy and successful retirement.To find out, a few authors — such as Wes Moss (“You Can Retire Sooner ThanYou Think”) and Bob Lowry (“Living a Satisfying Retirement”) — have surveyed retirees. And now Marc Diana, the Los-Angelesbased CEO of the new personal-finance site MoneyTips.com, has surveyed 510 retirees to learn the magic elixir. He published the findings in the free e-book, “The Retiree Next Door: Successful Seniors’ Surprising Secrets” (you can download it at the MoneyTips site). I spoke with Diana, a serial entrepreneur who also founded Savings.com, to find out what those surprising secrets were and what pre-retirees should do now if they want to join the club. I confess that the results did, indeed, surprise me. Highlights from my conversation with Diana: RETIREES continued on page 4
Familiar minister becomes resident Douglas Phenix is more than just a new resident in independent living. He’s a familiar face who’s been visiting Topeka Presbyterian Manor for many years. As a retired Presbyterian minister, one might assume that’s the only reason he chose to make his residence here, but there’s far more to his decision. “I was a minister at a Presbyterian church here in Topeka, so I’d come in to visit congregation members who were residents here. I’ve always been very impressed with the accommodations and the staff here,” said MINISTER, continued on page 2
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Douglas. “And it was helpful seeing so many people I knew once I moved in. I was definitely a familiar face.” And if familiarity and fond feelings weren’t enough to influence Douglas’ decision, his personal experience with a family member’s stay and his own desire for quality medical care here sealed the deal. “My former wife Gloria and I are still great friends, and her mother lived here for many years. I can say nothing but good things about how her mother was treated. She’s been gone more than eight years now, but I will always appreciate the constant level of care and communication.
There was always somebody there for her. Even when she wasn’t able to talk, you could tell she was pleased. They gave her hugs, and let her know she was loved.” Douglas knows first-hand about the importance of needing additional medical care.
Heather Pilkinton, executive director Jami Colson, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Jami Colson, marketing director, at jcolson@pmma.org.
“I’m having to usher along some potentially hard health problems, as I’m in the first stages of Parkinson’s disease. It can last decades, and the course is unpredictable. This is a place that I can manage this condition more easily, and that precipitated this move. I wanted to be proactive. I must say I was really very glad to be at Presbyterian Manor where they’re helping me decide the best things to do. It’s a good experience.” Douglas now receives that same kind-hearted care from Presbyterian Manor staff and is enjoying this new chapter of his life, which is very interesting and inspiring. If you have the opportunity to speak with Douglas, you’ll quickly notice his Scottish accent, and he’ll
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gladly regale you with tales of his birthplace. “I’m originally from Fife, Scotland, which is on the east coast. I moved to the United States in 1980 with my late wife, who passed from pancreatic cancer. We had two young boys, and I met Gloria four years later. I was a minister at a church in Minnesota and was there for 10 years. I moved to Topeka in 1993, and was very involved in the community. I was even a Festival Singer for 19 years!” said Douglas. “One of my favorite memories, though, was the first time I came to the U.S., to study for a year at a seminary in New York City. It was in 1966. I’d always dreamed of sailing across the Atlantic on the Queen Mary, and I did! What a treat that was.” Douglas’ warmth and zest for life are a welcome addition to our Presbyterian Manor family. And family is something Douglas is also proud to tell you about. “My oldest son David is a medical MINISTER, continued on page 3 Like us on Facebook
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Shopping for the senior who has everything?
technician, and he and his wife, Gina, have one son, Ian. Ian is in the Navy, and he and his wife, Ashley, just had a son, Harrison. So that makes me a great-grandfather! And my youngest son, Duncan, lives in Las Vegas with his wife, Jaime. He’s the executive news producer at a Las Vegas TV station,” said Douglas.
Make a gift in their honor and make a difference in the mission of Presbyterian Manors. Visit www.PresbyterianManors.org/ GoodSam or see the reception desk.
Not only does Douglas enjoy the welcoming atmosphere here at Presbyterian Manor, he adds to it through his passion for music and appreciation for all the ways his life is enriched just by living here. “I’ve always enjoyed the piano, and have a piano accordion as well. I actually managed to bring my piano with me. Quite a few people are pianists here, and someone is always playing something on the grand piano in dining room. All of these features make it so nice here,” said Douglas. “I’ve noticed from a lot of people that making a move like this isn’t always emotionally easy. It’s easy to start thinking that this is like an extended stay in a hotel, or like a vacation, until it dawns on you it’s not. It’s an adjustment in thinking, but with the help of the staff, and the whole atmosphere and resident community here, it’s made the transition a lot easier than it might have been. Everybody I’ve met has been well-integrated. It’s not just a bunch of individuals sitting in their own corner doing their own thing. We’re all in this together with a kind of unity. It’s a true community, and that’s tremendously helpful.”
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RETIREES continued from page 1
What made you decide to do this survey? Diana:We did a survey of boomers four months ago and found that half of boomers were not satisfied with their finances and a third had no plan.We thought that was a recipe for disaster for a large body of Americans, so we said:
‘Let’s reach some successful retirees and see how they are doing and how did they get there so we can help boomers approaching retirement.’
they’d need to retire when they were in
What did the successful retirees have in common?
And how much were they saving
They’re living within their means and they had a savings plan for retirement. About a quarter of them calculated how much
their 40s; another 21 percent did it in their 50s.
each year before they retired? Nearly 60 percent saved between 6 and 20 percent a year.
New beginnings in 2017
We will focus on new beginnings in an upcoming issue of Community Matters. As we approach the new year, what resolutions are you making? Have you ever made a resolution that changed your life? What are your hopes for 2017? If you’ve got a story to share, contact Marketing Director Jami Colson, and your story could be featured in an upcoming edition of Community Matters.
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