October 2019 - Boomerbestu.com

Personal and Environmental Health are Related

Post Author:Paula Usrey
Post published:October 31, 2019
Post Category:All / Boomer Best U Living
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I am a Portland, Oregon native, but for more than fifteen years, I’ve lived in Douglas County (Southern Oregon). When my husband and I first moved to the rural area we now call home, we were in awe of all the outdoor recreational opportunities that were available. We live about five miles from a large reservoir surrounded by trees and a hiking trail. We can zip down to Reedsport on the coast within about an hour with only minimal traffic to slow our trip. I can ride my bike to local wineries or bicycle along rural roads punctuated with sheep,…

Planning for Tomorrow, Living for Today

Post Author:Paula Usrey
Post published:October 31, 2019
Post Category:All / Positive Aging Blog
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Last year daughter-in-law and son gave me a lovely blue hanging patio globe with mini solar lights that shine at night. Lately, I’ve noticed that the lights don’t stay on at night as long as they did a few months ago. My beautiful globe is starting to lose its ability to recharge.Life with LimitsThis morning went for my usual four-mile jog. As I was heading back home, an older man stopped me and said, “I see you 'walking' all over the place. How far do you walk?” I felt like I had been moving at a fairly good pace. (Couldn't…

Greedy Old Geezers We’re Not

Post Author:Paula Usrey
Post published:October 24, 2019
Post Category:All / Boomer Best U Living
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With an aging population, some school districts have discovered that community support for bonds is becoming a hard lift. In some communities, older households outnumber households with children. I live in such a community. When the last school bond failed by 65% two years ago, some community members blamed the “greedy old geezers” in our community for failing to support the last facility improvement effort. Now our school district is considering putting another facility improvement bond measure up for a vote. Some of the older residents in my neighborhood have already started an opposition phone tree. What could have been…

When I am Gone Will You Know What to Do?

Post Author:Paula Usrey
Post published:October 23, 2019
Post Category:All / Positive Aging Blog
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Last month my husband got a new 6th Generation IPAD to replace his failing older tablet. My husband also has an Apple Watch and an iPhone. He uses technology to keep in contact with family and friends, to pay bills, and to keep up with the news. You’d think my guy would be pretty tech-savvy. Instead, he has a live-in technical assistant to take care of set-up, technical difficulties, and to troubleshoot problems. As you’ve no doubt guessed, that tech-assistant is me. My husband is the keeper of financial documents and the one who does our taxes. He even took…

Older Workers Have a Lot to Offer Employers

Post Author:Paula Usrey
Post published:October 19, 2019
Post Category:All / Boomers as Consumers
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In an article for Money Crashers online, Michael Lewis writes, “Over the next decade, 43% of America’s workforce will reach age 65 and be eligible for retirement…Collectively, they represent an enormous bank of intellectual and institutional knowledge gained over a half-century of technical advancement.”Lewis goes on to suggest that this large, already trained group could represent a “pool of potential future employees available to American businesses.” Without question, older workers have a lot to offer employers.Of course, the ‘elephant’ in the room and the biggest roadblock for taking advantage of such vast human resources is age discrimination. Various studies have…

Experience Developed Over a Lifetime

Post Author:Paula Usrey
Post published:October 18, 2019
Post Category:All / Boomer Best U Living
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At the 2019 October Democratic Debate, three candidates over seventy were asked about their age as it related to the demands of the presidency. Stereotypical beliefs about aging would suggest that older people are less capable of handling the complexities of such a demanding role. Yet, each attempted to refute such stereotypical beliefs by arguing that they had the stamina and ability to handle the most important role in the world from day one. Nonetheless, all three of these candidates will likely face age-related challenges. At the same time, each one is able to draw on a wealth of experience…

Autumn Years and Leaving a Legacy

Post Author:Paula Usrey
Post published:October 16, 2019
Post Category:All / Positive Aging Blog
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A couple of weeks ago, I reluctantly put aside my short-sleeved shirts and comfortable shorts. It had taken me a while to accept that the dog-days of summer were finally over. This morning I wore a sweatshirt, jacket, and long pants to go jogging. The air was crisp and the autumn leaves on every street were vivid. My ‘forever young’ years—the summer years of my life—have come to an end. I enjoyed those years and had a hard time letting go at first. But now I’m experiencing a third season of living – one that brings new clarity into my…

Workplace Age-Discrimination and Gender

Post Author:Paula Usrey
Post published:October 12, 2019
Post Category:All / Boomer Employees & Retirement
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Last month I discussed some of the financial considerations women are more likely than men to face as they age. This month, we’ll be looking at a related topic: Age-discrimination and gender in the workplace.Workplace Age Discrimination and GenderIn spite of laws such as the Age Discrimination Employment Act (ADEA) that had been passed in 1967, age discrimination continues to be an ongoing problem in the workplace. AARP conducted a survey in 2018 and found that nearly two out of three workers over 45 had observed or experienced age discrimination in the workplace (seventy-two percent (72%) of female respondents and…

Acts of Self-Empowerment for Third Chapter Success

Post Author:Paula Usrey
Post published:October 11, 2019
Post Category:All / Boomer Best U Living
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I recently came across a 2015 article about aging and self-empowerment. Paul Irving, the author of the article was arguing that “standing up to negative age bias can be a powerful first step toward having a fulfilling and productive Third Chapter of Life.”It is important that we recognize and work to counter negative attitudes about aging in the workplace and in our communities. Negative attitudes about aging can create roadblocks in the workplace and in communities. Even more challenging is that once we start picking up on negative attitudes about our age, we are more likely to internalize those attitudes.…

Choosing to Be a Positive Aging Advocate

Post Author:Paula Usrey
Post published:October 9, 2019
Post Category:All / Positive Aging Blog
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I am no longer used to getting up in the dark. This morning I got up before 6:00 a.m. to attend a Chamber of Commerce meeting. Technically, I am not currently operating a business per se, even though I own a registered business entity. Instead, I consider myself a positive aging advocate. Nonetheless, I think of the business owners at Chamber as part of my audience for the work I am doing. Originally, I focused just on Baby Boomers who were either preparing for retirement or who wanted more out of their retirement life. I became a certified professional retirement…