Retiring Retirement

Retiring Retirement This senior is still standing

… and so is his confidence “The medical personnel were knowledgeable, caring and This is the second in a two-part column. W ith barely a step between him and the outbreak of COVID-19, a 76-year-old Delmar man with a fractured pelvis, ribs, punctured bladder and a brain bleed from a motorcycle accident somehow made it from the Bahamas to low man. In the middle of his misery, his motorcycle buddies stayed with him through thick and thin, a passing pickup truck brought him to safety, an island doctor with limited resources was able to wrestle with insurance companies to get him an airlift, competent. The Emergency Room did a first-rate job. The lead doc was a graduate of Colgate, and they had me up and walking in a couple of days. The rehab was great, as was my son and his family when I went to stay there. And although it wasn’t a “posiby Robert LaCosta Tampa General Hospital after a nightmarish five days, some without painkillers. In Part I of this tale, we examined how something so chilling could contribute to an older couple offered him money at the airport thinking he needed it, as did a kind cabby who filled in for a missing ambulance at the airport. tive experience,” he said, referring to the pain, “many things could have been worse. For example, the orthopedist said I had broken my pelvis in just the right spot. confidence. Perhaps the biggest “As fraught with trouble as Furthermore, I was just ahead answer was his renewed sense this world is, there were good of COVID-19, so I didn’t have of confidence he had in his felpeople all around,” he said. to be quarantined.”

His confidence may not be as shattered as some of his bones, but he has decided to modify his mojo a bit and get “training wheels” for his Harley back in Delmar that will paradoxically allow a little safety in the daring. Harleys don’t need a lot a spin, but the conclusion of this story on confidence has some metaphorical poetry:

“Harleys are stalwart,” he said.

And so are their riders.

Robert J. LaCosta writes a daily blog. Write him at norepcom@gmail.com or call (518) 435-1250. He is also a Hearing Instrument Specialist and has worked with seniors through four decades.

If you think a diagnosis of dementia means insitutional care… THINK AGAIN!

113039_4

Leading the Way in Memory Care

We offer joy and meaningful stimulation to those afflicted by dementia along with safe and secure services for our residents 24 hours a day.

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE: • Spacious private rooms, groundCLIFTON PARK 518-371-2200 level floor plan with common areas CliftonParkMemories.com • Three nutritious meals a day, plus snacks 1 Emma Lane Clifton Park, NY 12065 • Expansive grounds and secure, COLONIE enclosed courtyards 518-456-4500 • Dedicated chapel for all ColonieMemories.com denominations 5 South Family Drive • Housekeeping, laundry and Colonie, NY 12205 maintenance services included • Daily activities to promote physical health, social interaction and intellectual stimulation • Enhanced Services available at Colonie “I want our retirement savings to be as strong as our partnership.”

Visit AceYourRetirement.org/Shero • 3-minute online chat with a digital retirement coach • Free personalized roadmap based on your retirement goals • Free tips to start boosting your retirement savings now

for: