How old is old and how do you prepare for old age?

How can you prepare for getting old when we none of us know what "old" is apart from it being an abstract.

I am nearly 70, buggered up by arthritis and my golf is officially crap.

But having survived a major heart attack over 17 years ago I realise that getting old beats the alternative.
 
Well experts tell me they can soon help us all live longer. At 70+ a few that sounds good but on the other-hand it will mean more years have a bloody nappy changed. I wanted to add the years in when I was 30!!

Still play 3 x 18holes a week with no hassle and occasionally get a drive out there at 260yds.
 
A few months ago I was talking in my three-ball about when we would join the senior section of our respective clubs. Next year said one, two years said another. Then they asked me was I enjoying it in the seniors. When I told them I was 49 they said "<expletive deleted>me you've had a hard life!!"
 
Difficult question for us. Mrs Hogan is in remission from a serious Breast Cancer and has now (1st August) retired (after 40 yrs in the NHS) but as her job at the end of working was a Breast care Nurse Specialist she views every day as a day closer to a recurrence or secondaries. So her view on life can be very negative - she regularly goes into 'when I'm gone you'll get another woman and this is what she'll be like...' mode. In her head she isn't going to reach old age - if old age is 80s and 90s - and doesn't really expect to reach 70. And such thoughts make for some difficult moments,

And so I am taking a 6 month sabbatical first half of next year and we are going travelling down-under and various parts in between. That's how we are preparing for old age - or rather not preparing for it at the moment - other than having our pensions set up and readily accessible now. To that end she retired and I brought a good final salary one forward by cashing it in to make it available to us now - Mrs Hogan reckons there's not much good waiting for me to get it at 65 if she's not about to help me enjoy it :)

And we will probably move north in a couple of years time to release some equity from our house and get closer to the magnificent Scottish countryside (well that's how she sees it) and closer to my extended family (we are close to my cousins - most whom still live in Scotland) as we might well need family support in the future.
 
Sorry
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
Difficult question for us. Mrs Hogan is in remission from a serious Breast Cancer and has now (1st August) retired (after 40 yrs in the NHS) but as her job at the end of working was a Breast care Nurse Specialist she views every day as a day closer to a recurrence or secondaries. So her view on life can be very negative - she regularly goes into 'when I'm gone you'll get another woman and this is what she'll be like...' mode. In her head she isn't going to reach old age - if old age is 80s and 90s - and doesn't really expect to reach 70. And such thoughts make for some difficult moments,

And so I am taking a 6 month sabbatical first half of next year and we are going travelling down-under and various parts in between. That's how we are preparing for old age - or rather not preparing for it at the moment - other than having our pensions set up and readily accessible now. To that end she retired and I brought a good final salary one forward by cashing it in to make it available to us now - Mrs Hogan reckons there's not much good waiting for me to get it at 65 if she's not about to help me enjoy it :)

And we will probably move north in a couple of years time to release some equity from our house and get closer to the magnificent Scottish countryside (well that's how she sees it) and closer to my extended family (we are close to my cousins - most whom still live in Scotland) as we might well need family support in the future.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that SILH but sounds like you have good plans in place.
 
I felt old when I turned 30. I felt old when I became an orphan at 35. I feel old when I find myself whinging about the idiotic things the youth of today talk about.
 
Dragging this thread back to the OP's question, if you haven't sorted out the following yet, then you should - asap.

  • Wills
  • Trusts
  • Inheritance Tax
  • Lasting Power of Attorneys(LPA)
  • Equity Release
  • Funeral Plans
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
Difficult question for us. Mrs Hogan is in remission from a serious Breast Cancer and has now (1st August) retired (after 40 yrs in the NHS) but as her job at the end of working was a Breast care Nurse Specialist she views every day as a day closer to a recurrence or secondaries. So her view on life can be very negative - she regularly goes into 'when I'm gone you'll get another woman and this is what she'll be like...' mode. In her head she isn't going to reach old age - if old age is 80s and 90s - and doesn't really expect to reach 70. And such thoughts make for some difficult moments,

And so I am taking a 6 month sabbatical first half of next year and we are going travelling down-under and various parts in between. That's how we are preparing for old age - or rather not preparing for it at the moment - other than having our pensions set up and readily accessible now. To that end she retired and I brought a good final salary one forward by cashing it in to make it available to us now - Mrs Hogan reckons there's not much good waiting for me to get it at 65 if she's not about to help me enjoy it :)

And we will probably move north in a couple of years time to release some equity from our house and get closer to the magnificent Scottish countryside (well that's how she sees it) and closer to my extended family (we are close to my cousins - most whom still live in Scotland) as we might well need family support in the future.
Click to expand...

Very sorry to hear that, every good day is a bonus and after many good days sometimes you start to hope and then you start to believe.
Hope that happens to your good lady.
 
3offTheTee said:
So sorry to read those comments SILH and hope everything is OK for Mrs SILH.
Click to expand...

Thanks mate - it is what it is, and her thinking is just that of 'someone who knows too much' and so it is very difficult for her to look forward at all positively. It makes you appreciate what you have today, and realise that tomorrow might not be so easy or happy - and that's why we are doing what we are planning to do. I do smile though when she tells me that we have to re-do our wills so that no 'future fancy thing' I might have once she's gone would get her paws on any of what we have today :)
 
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