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02/25/2007
Retirement takes some planning so there are...No Surprises
Don and Sue Pahl watch their grandson, Sammy, having his morning snack. Retirement has allowed the Pahls to spend more time with their grandchildren. Among life's major changes — think birth, death, kids — retirement has traditionally taken a quiet back seat. But while the general impression of retirement is that it's a time of joy, that can sometimes be quite the opposite. "Depression is actually a big issue,” said Jodi L. Salamino, a Traverse City licensed professional counselor in private practice. "A lot of times, with the loss of identity and structure, the change actually turned into a negative one.” Long gone are the days of grandma and grandpa on their porch, rocking their golden years away. Rather, today's retirees — who number over 35 million — face increased longevity that leads to financial stress if the proper plans had not been put into place years ago, said Salamino. "Sometimes, the attitudes aren't real positive because retirement is not what they expected, nor do they have many resources available to them,” she said. According to local estimates, more than 13,000 people in Grand Traverse County alone fit the over 60 "senior citizen” title, said Georgia Durga, director of the Grand Traverse County Commission on Aging. As Baby Boomers steadily march toward that category, there has been discussion of changing the name to something more representative of that group's energy and confidence, said Durga. "We have not been able to come up with a good name for them — we've tried elders, boomers, and others, but there's just no good word,” she said. "I'm over 50 and I certainly don't consider myself senior.” Nomenclature aside, the pitfalls of retirement can affect just about anyone, especially those who still consider themselves to be vibrant contributors to society with much to offer, said Carol Mitchell, R.N., the director of Antrim County's Commission on Aging. "It's very different now than it was even a few years ago — people in their 60s don't consider retirement in the same way their parents did,” said Mitchell, a 64-year-old in her second career. Though she spent 30-odd years as a hospital nurse and then as a home care nurse, Mitchell took on her current job as a way of saving toward a simpler future, she said. "I'm going to live a long time, I don't expect to retire for awhile,” she said. "Plus I've always worked full-time and supported myself.” For those who are unable to work and support themselves, therein lies the dark side of the golden years. Mitchell has seen people retire to an income of less than $900 a month. She tells of one woman lives on a scant $640 a month. "Finances have a direct effect on lifestyle and the attitude one has toward retirement,” said Mitchell. "And widows who lose half their husband's benefits when he dies are at a distinct disadvantage.” Most retirement stories, have happier endings, particularly if both spouses have similar interests and step into well-laid plans made years, or even decades, before. Don and Sue Pahl of Traverse City both retired within the past two years. Don spent 32 years at Cherryland Electric in accounting; Sue had 27 years in computer programming at Northwestern Michigan College. Though they have decidedly separate interests — he loves building things, she loves her time at the bridge and mahjongg tables — they share the love of their free and unscheduled time. "It's awesome,” said Sue, who spends her days with grandchildren, home projects, and catching up on crafts. "The first few weeks I just slept in and had no schedule at all.” And they don't get on each other's nerves. "Our house is big enough so we have our own separate areas,” she said. "We have a good time.” That isn't the case for all couples. "Wives at home don't always deal with their husband's retirement well and neither of them take into consideration they'll be together more,” Salamino said. "It's important to maintain some independence apart from each other to keep the spontaneity alive.” Some things to keep in mind when retirement comes: • Establish and maintain friendships from work or in other capacities. • Exercise: It's the "number one” stress reliever, said Salamino. • Use retirement as a time to become more involved in classes, the community center, or do volunteer work. • Pursue a rusty passion like music or art. • Get a pet to combat isolation. "All of these things will slowly build new structure,” Salamino said. "Soon people start discovering some new things about themselves.”
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