Rock Your Retirement Show

Today Henry interviewed Rosemary Savage, a retiree who tells us what its like to volunteer for Meals on Wheels in Retirement: Henry found out that Rosemary and her husband were a regular couple who raised a large family. They looked forward to traveling and also helping others.  Rosemary’s husband Keith passed away, but they had discussed the fact that he wanted to volunteer.  He found that he wanted to volunteer for Meals on Wheels in Retirement. * Meals on Wheels is an international organization which involves delivering meals to elderly or incapacitated people in your own * community.  Even though Keith is no longer with her, Rosemary continues “meals on wheels” with the help of her daughters, not because she feels obligated, but because she loves it. * You can volunteer around your travel plans. * Let your basic humanity shine through.  Henry was impressed by Rosemary’s humble nature and her humanity certainly shined through. * By being a volunteer for Meals on Wheels you can help your neighbors and give your own life purpose and meaning. Because Keith and Rosemary planned for their retirement financial, they were able to travel the world.  They drove with a caravan (RV in the USA) to almost every part of Australia and loved it.  They also made lasting friendships along the road.  If you are interested in caravaning (RVing for US based people), listen to the episode on RVing or Read MORE here. Get Today’s Freebie, Five Steps to Living in an RV (Caravan) full-time, at http://RockYourRetirement.com/RV To learn more about Meals on Wheels, find your location below and click on the link. * Australia Meals on Wheels: http://mealsonwheels.org.au/ * USA Meals on Wheels:   http://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/ * San Diego, CA Meals on Wheels:  http://www.meals-on-wheels.org/  Special Thanks to: • Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track • Les Briney who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific • Lesinda Tubalado who helps keep the website up to date • Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays • YOU the listener for sharing on social media, and telling your friends about it

So many people in my life in 2016 were grieving it’s difficult to track them all. Some of them lost a family member.  Some lost a pet.  And some were grieving over their lost candidate after the election. One of the things that most of us have to deal with in retirement is grief – either our own or someone else’s.  What do you say to someone who’s grieving?  That’s exactly what I asked Natalia Volz and the answer may surprise you. Natalia Volz is the founder of Passing Through Grief and the RELIEF Process. She helps individuals who feel lost and down after experiencing a significant loss or change in their life such as a death, divorce, or children leaving home to heal their pain so they can rebuild their life and find renewed purpose. She has first hand experience with loss and grief.  In 2010, after a two-year battle with cancer, her husband died at the age of 49. Lost, alone, and very frightened, she eventually found her way through the devastating pain of loss and grief. There is a lack of understanding and a fear in our culture about loss and grief and she found herself struggling to find help to get through. She worked diligently to move beyond her own grief and on to living happily and purposefully.   Natalia read every book she could get my hands on, took courses on the subject, and completed grief recovery certification training, and in the process became passionate about making a difference in the way our society deals with loss, change and grief. It’s easy to tell that she feels passionate about getting out accurate information on a subject we normally avoid but all have to confront first hand at some point in our lives. I asked Natalia, “What do you say?”  I know that I’m always at a loss for words when I’m confronted with someone who is grieving, because I know that nothing I say or do is going to bring their wholeness back. She had a very interesting answer:   Be a heart with ears. For the person who is grieving, she said that time does not heal all wounds.  The person suffering a loss needs to talk about it.  Keeping busy does not heal. So what do you say to someone who’s grieving? Natalia gave us some steps to take to help with our own grief: Find a place to talk about the feelings of loss. Write about your feelings about the loss. Connect with others.  See if there is one friend who will listen to how you are feeling.  Tell them you just need to talk, and to have them listen. Say it or write it while you are feeling the emotion. Grief causes a lot of energy.  Move through it through your body. Don’t stuff it.  Take a walk if you can. Listen to music that makes you cry. Get your tears out.  Crying releases a stress hormone that actually helps you release the stress.  Don’t worry, you can’t cry forever.  Normally it takes about 15 minutes and then you feel better. Writing really helps with the relief process. So what do you say to someone who’s grieving?  For dealing with others, remember you can’t fix it so don’t even try.  Be a heart with ears.  If your friend is telling you about some guilt that they might feel, don’t discount it by saying “He knew you loved him”, instead say something like, “I can imagine that would be really painful.  I can’t imagine what that would feel like.  Tell me more”. Natalia gave us some excellent advice, but unfortunately my internet went out right when we were wrapping up the show.  I hope to have her come back someday because what she had to say was so valuable.  The good news is that we were wrapping up, about to give out her contact information, which we have below. If you’d like to contact Natalia, you can reach her at 877-606-0909 or Natalia@PassingThroughGrief.com

Bird watching in Retirement? Henry interviews Philip Jackson about Bird Watching in Retirement.  Phillip is an avid bird watcher (also known as “twitcher” in Australia).  He planned to pursue that interest when he retired from teaching. Phillip has actually retired twice.  Henry said he liked it so much he had to do it again.  Listen to the episode to find out how. Henry talked with him about how he managed his two retirements, how he supplements his income, and why he supplements his income now he has left full time work. But what Phillip really likes to do is bird watching in retirement.  Henry and Phillip talked about it and they discussed his retirement lifestyle: * Anyone can enjoy bird watching.  Novices can enjoy it as much as experienced people. * It is truly an activity for all ages, sexes and variety of people.  It doesn’t matter if you are athletic, male or female.  The birds are there for everyone to enjoy. * Philip introduced us to the resources he uses to locate specific species, and the cataloging which he enjoys.  Of course cataloging is not mandatory to the hobby. * Bird watching is compatible with a great number of other activities which birders often run simultaneously.  For example, camping and photography are the two obvious ones, but some people come to the hobby from simply keeping a couple of pet budgies (parakeets) and developing the interest from there.  Some people start simply by gazing out their window at their bird feeder. Philip recommended a book for people interested in Australian history, but he couldn’t quite remember the title.  Henry found it:  ‘Lost Relations: Fortunes Of My Family In Australia’s Golden Age’ by Graeme Hewett, published by Allen & Unwin. Other Books that were mentioned in the interview include: * ‘The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia’ by Graeme Pizzey and Frank Knight * ‘Field Guide to Australian Birds’ by Michael Morecombe Special Thanks to: * Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track * Les Briney who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific * Lesinda Tubalado who helps keep the website up to date * Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays * YOU the listener for sharing on social media, and telling your friends about it

Today’s episode with Chris Cooper was value packed! If you are currently a family caregiver, or about to become a family caregiver, you need to know about Fiduciaries, and what they do. A Fiduciary is responsible for the following: * Medical * Psychological * Social * Environmental * Legal * Financial What you might not realize is that Family Members are also responsible for those same areas.  Many family members don’t realize that they are responsible for all six areas, and tend to only focus on legal and medical issues. Chris explains that the problems are not necessarily in areas #1 and #5, but are often in the other four areas.  For example, people with Alzheimers often have depth perception issues, something which we don’t normally think about.  Their living space can be an environmental hazard.  (See Episode 34 for tips). Many of the issues that baby boomers need to think about are alien to us, because we don’t think about these things.  Some of the problems arise when a family member is assigned the task of taking care of mom or dad, and the family doesn’t agree. This is where a Fiduciary comes in. Fiduciaries are trained to work with all six areas. Unlike family members, they’ve received training. Children are often not prepared to do all of these things.  We have our own lives to live.  We have our own stresses.  When a family member needs help, we get thrown into the pool, and get our “baptism by fire”.  We don’t often realize that our parent needs to be seen as an adult. We need to let them live their lives in dignity, and then we can live their lives in peace.  Is it right for the children to sacrifice their lives for their aging parents? Licensed Fiduciaries come from all walks of life.  Its many times “the Third Career”.  Many are in their late fifteens and sixties.  The median age is 58, but many are in their seventies.  Their backgrounds are varied, but they have a common bond.  They want to help protect seniors. Chris said that sometimes abusers are a family member, but sometimes they are professionals (like financial advisers or caregivers). Having a Fiduciary can help protect your family member.  Many of these professionals are not trying to harm their clients, but they “don’t know what they don’t know”.  Many are ignorant.  They do not know what is in the best interest of their client now that their client’s capacity has diminished. * Where is mom to live? * Can you uproot her without harming her? * How does the family get along? * Is there a neighbor bringing donuts to mom, who is a diabetic? * Do you need a guardianship? * How can you reduce expense? * Do you need an attorney? * How can you keep your privacy? * Is Lindsay Lohan’s information public because she is being “conserved”?, * Can we take lessons from the past, and plan for our own retirement lifestyle? Who needs a Fiduciary? * Alzheimer’s Patients * Disabled Adults and Children * Middle Class * Wealthy * People who need Long Term Care * Caregivers who are having issues within their own families due to the stress of caregiving * Family members who don’t agree on care options Public sources might pay for services that a fiduciary recommends.  For example, Medicare might pay for family counseling.    The fiduciary can take a look at what is available under public servic...

Henry interviewed George Young. George needed to fix up his own house, and so he developed a lifelong interest in woodworking. This interest didn’t stop and now he’s woodworking in retirement. Henry talked to George about his life in Scotland and England.  George had a carefully planned emigration to Australia that fit in with his retirement plans. After he moved to Australia, he quickly established his love of woodworking in retirement by joining a local wood workers club.  He became enmeshed in its culture and community. The Berwick Wood Workers Club is open to all men and women who agree to abide by the rules.  You don’t need to have skills at first, but you must wish to learn skills.  Members help newcomers, and George is very proud that a young man they taught and supported went on to become ‘apprentice of the year’ in Victoria. George speaks deliberately and quite slowly, but always from the heart. If you have an interest in woodworking in retirement, you will probably find a club reasonably close by searching the internet.  Henry put ‘woodworking club and his suburb’ into Google and found a couple.  The more modern equivalent to these clubs seems to be the current spread of ‘Men’s Sheds’, but I do not know whether they allow women members.  Henry says it’s a pity if they don’t. If you are interested in learning how to woodwork, check out 17 awesome woodworking projects ANYONE can do.  

One of the things that we need to consider in our retirement lifestyle planning is how we are going to deal with illness and dying.  And, when the time comes, hospice care can be an excellent way of preparing ourselves for the inevitable. I knew that Jennifer was a hospice expert, but I didn’t know that in 2006 she got her Master’s Degree.  She worked with children at the time and went to school to get her Master’s Degree.  She credits her professor with saving her life when he suggested that she work with hospice.  There are only two schools that offer courses on death and dying in San Diego. Jennifer Marsh is a community education and outreach specialist for Hospice of the North Coast. She has over ten years of creating, marketing and sustaining thriving educational programs to the general community about serious illness, care-giving and grief and loss issues. Jennifer has been published in the Touching Lives magazine (2009), and featured on KOCT-TV and Eldercare Talk Radio providing insight and resources to those coping with a serious illness, caring for a loved one and grieving. Jennifer is an expert on hospice and mortality and has been interviewed on the SevenPonds Blog. She has expertise in creating and implementing community outreach and fundraising events, including Breathe Deep San Diego. In 2013, she was named as a Finalist for the San Diego Women Who Mean Business Awards through the San Diego Business Journal. Everyone I know who works in hospice care is a caring person.  That field seems to attract loving and patient people.  Jennifer’s mom had cancer, and even though she had already been working in her chosen field when this happened, she instantly became “the daughter”.  She knows what its like to have a loved one who has been diagnosed with a deadly disease. There are a lot of misconceptions about hospice and that’s why I asked Jennifer to be on the show.  She shared with us the important truth about hospice: * Recommended reading is “Being Mortal“.  You can watch the documentary on Front Line. * National Hospice has a FAQ that answers common questions such as:    * When is the right time to ask about hospice? * How does care begin? * Will I be the only hospice patient that the staff serves? * Is care available after hours? * How does it work to keep the patient comfortable? * What role does the volunteer serve? * If I reside in a nursing facility or other type of long-term care facility can I elect hospice care? * What happens if I cannot stay at home due to my increasing care need and require a different place to stay during my final phase of life? * Do state and federal reviewers inspect and evaluate hospices? * How can I be sure that quality care is provided? To get the answers, just go to their website HERE.

Henry interviewed the Honorable Caroline Hogg, MLC. She talked about her life and responsibilities as a Victorian Government Minister. She also shared her current retirement lifestyle. What is her Life after Politics like and what is she doing now? There are good times and bad times in government no matter what country you live in.  She had personal triumphs.  But there were disappointments too. Whether you are in the USA, Australia, or another part of the world you will be able to relate. Caroline tells us a couple of stories which graphically demonstrate the pressure and responsibility which politicians take on our behalf. Caroline explained the discipline that was necessary to deal with the workload of parliament and how that translated into her private life after she resigned. She was looking forward to enjoying a relaxed country life after politics, but that’s not what happened because her friends and colleagues heaped more responsibilities on her. You will be fascinated to learn about politics from the inside. Caroline represents the values and ideals of the best of them … no matter what party they represent. And…no matter what party you are in, remember, there is life after politics. Here are links to some of the organizations mentioned : * Beyond Blue : www.beyondblue.org.au   Australian Telephone : 1300 22 46 36 * Lifeline : www.lifeline.org.au   Australian Telephone : 13 11 14 * Emergency : Australian Telephone : 000 Henry’s Notes for USA readers:  Much like the US, in Australia we have state governments.  In Australia they are comprised of an upper and lower house.  The Legislative Assembly is the lower house and the Legislative Council is the upper house. Caroline was a member of the upper house in the state of Victoria for seventeen years, and she was a Minister for much of that time.  She held the positions of Education, Health, and Social Services.  These are all large areas of responsibility with monster budgets in the billions of dollars. Special Thanks to: * Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track * Les Briney who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific * Lesinda Tubalado who helps keep the website up to date * Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays * YOU the listener for sharing on social media, and telling your friends about it

Dave Hughes is the founder of Retire Fabulously!  He originally thought it would be just for LGBT retirement lifestyle, but found that retirement lifestyle issues are largely the same for everyone. Retire Fabulously is a website that provides the knowledge, tools and inspiration you need to plan your ideal retirement lifestyle. He is the author of “Design Your Dream Retirement,” which will enable you to envision, plan for, and enjoy the best retirement possible. Dave writes regularly for his blog, Retire Fabulously!, and U.S. News. His articles have appeared on Yahoo Finance, AOL Money, lgbtSr.org, Top Retirements, and Tiny Buddha. About four years ago Dave was looking for information to prepare him for his own retirement, but all he could find was financial information. He soaked up that information like a sponge, but it just wasn’t enough, so he started a blog, RetireFabulously.com Dave is part of the LGBT community, and started his blog with the intention that he would discuss LGBT retirement lifestyle. It turns out that retirement issues are the same for everyone, and now only about 40% of his audience are LGBT. He told me about how we need to start preparing several years in advance to figure out what we are going to DO in retirement. We need to consider our retirement lifestyle, not just money. Dave and I are kindred spirits in that regard, and I’m glad that I’m not alone in my quest to spread the word on this issue. Dave explained that the issues in retirement are about 95% the same for everyone, whether they are in the LGBT community or not. I asked about the other 5% and it turns out, it’s HOUSING and COMMUNITY. I never thought about this before, but the LGBT retirement lifestyle is similar, but they have fewer options. Even though only 30% of retirees actually move after retirement, we all like to dream right? I don’t know about you, but I’ve dreamed about moving to Ecuador. Living on the equator and never being too cold or too hot really appeals to me. Members of the LGBT community might have to worry about moving to a foreign country…OK…WE have things to worry about in foreign countries like slow internet and slow service and slow lifestyles that we aren’t used to, but LGBT community members have much bigger issues (like for example being killed or jailed). So they wouldn’t move to certain countries, or even certain U.S. states that aren’t “gay friendly”. Whether you are LGBT or not, your housing needs to be appropriate to your lifestyle and you need community that supports you. Imagine that you don’t eat gluten. You check out a retirement community and the only thing to eat is pizza, bread, beer, etc. That community wouldn’t be a very good place for you, no matter how nice it is. Weird example, I know… but it’s the same with the LGBT crowd. It would be very difficult for them to move into a community with no understanding or compassion for the way they live. I actually learned a little about this several months ago when someone from GSDBA spoke to The Caregiver’s Coalition, a group that I’m part of. GSDBA is dealing with the LGBT Retirement Lifestyle issue, and they have a certification program for people who work with this community to help them show compassion and understanding, especially when we get into the nursing home question. Mentions on the show: * Design Your Dream Retirement * FountainGroveLodge * CCRC

Stan tells how his wife Jenny wanted to volunteer overseas to help others. He didn’t care about volunteering in Mongolia so he didn’t go….at first. He missed his wife so finally after a few months he followed her to the orphanage where she was the health officer.  That’s when his adventures began. Now Stan has some very sound advice for people considering volunteering in Mongolia. * Go with a reputable and recognized agency. * Obtain as much information as you can about the agency and it’s programs before you go.  Talk to people who have volunteered through that agency.  Get the fact of how it really plays out, not what the brochure promises. * Be sure you understand the details.  This includes your accommodation, pay, food, insurance and so on. * Also be sure to understand the procedure of what happens in case of an emergency. * Be sure to understand your obligations to the agency and your host country, as well as their relationship to you.  Stan mentioned that some volunteers could not hack the simple living conditions on site, and were eager to go home. * Perhaps the most important advice Stan and Jenny give prospective volunteers concerns your attitude.  Do NOT go overseas believing that you are going to “save the world”, and expect to be honored by a grateful community. Go to provide what help you can.  Try to fit in with the local customs, laws and reality of the situation.  You are going to eat what the locals eat, drink what the locals drink, and dance when the locals dance.  The drink in Mongolia included a mildly alcoholic brew of fermented milk boiled up in a big pot.  You are going to have the local standard of washing facilities and accommodation. If that doesn’t sound good… don’t go. On the other hand Stan and Jenny absolutely loved their time in Mongolia, loved the people, loved the country and would go back in a heartbeat.  They have volunteered in other places since that trip, and enjoyed every experience. Special Thanks to: * Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track * Les Briney who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific * Lesinda Tubalado who helps keep the website up to date * Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays * YOU the listener for sharing on social media, and telling your friends about it

How do I find a home for Mom when she needs more help than I can give? Today’s guest of the Rock Your Retirement show was Sydney Kennedy.  She specializes in answering the question, “How do I find a home for Mom?”.  Sydney immigrated to the USA in 1987 and worked with animal causes in fundraising and development.  She has experience developing conferences and workshops for UCSD CONNECT (and Sydney and I have a connection here that you can learn about by listening to the show).  In 2006 started devoting her time, knowledge, and experience to Elder Care and senior housing. As a Certified Senior Adviser (CSA) she is well equipped to assist families: * Find a home for Mom * Understand the difference between referral and placement * Assess the needs of the family * Take into consideration including health status * Assumed future health status based on current condition * Assess the financial parameters of the family including Long Term Care Insurance, Veterans Benefits and other programs * Understand the geographical needs of the family * consider family involvement or potential lack therof in assessing where the family member should be placed * Understand that important background and other interests such as: * Places to gather such as Pubs or coffee shops inside the community * Gaming groups for socialization such as bridge groups or card groups * Other background that is important We also discussed how someone would avoid pitfalls when they need to find a home for mom and simplify the process when you need to find a home for mom or other loved one. These services are typically free to the family since the communities will pay (similar to a travel agent or realtor). Senior Housing Experts often can provide referrals that will help your loved one stay in their own home as long as possible.   Additionally, a CSA can save you time by considering the following: * Do you need a community that is specifically designed for wheelchairs? * What is your budget? Can you afford the community? * Reputation of the community * Government reports – how to zero in on the information the family needs to know * Caregiver training and temperament * Board and Care versus Assisted Living and Nursing Homes * Special considerations for Dementia * Concussions and how they relate to Dementia The family makes the final decision, but it’s nice to have someone that holds your hand, especially when the family is in crisis. Sydney has some personal experience with Dementia and is involved in that community. Her mom is in assisted living in Canada and she told us her story. She also told us a few other stories that showed us why it’s important to watch out for our seniors. Mentioned in the show: * CSA – Certified Senior Advisor * San Diego Dementia Consortium * UCSD CONNECT * Lisa Woodruff, professional organizer (break) Organize 365 * Fiduciary * Therapy Dogs * Freebie: http://RockYourRetirement.com/seniorliving Sydney’s contact information:  www.

Henry Shapiro interviews Leda Sant who wanted to learn to ride a Motorcycle later in life. Leda had worked in the freight department for Qantas, and told us about some interesting things about working there.  She needed to understand what could fit in the freight area of the airplane.  Henry shared that he used to be a deer farmer and that they moved them via planes.  Leda said that every day at Qantas was a different day, and she even moved a small aircraft inside another airplane! Retired twice, because of boredom, she knew she had to have something to keep her busy. Her second retirement was planned so that her husband would retire, but that’s not happened as of the recording of the episode! She indicated that retirement lifestyle includes activities to keep your mind alert and to keep physical.  Start ticking things off your bucket list.  One of those for Leda was to learn to ride a motorcycle later in life. She started riding at 45 with menopause (about 14 years now). She said it keep her mind active because you have to be alert when you are riding a bike. Henry learned how to ride when he was 18.  He rode until he was 22 and stopped when he got married.  He met Leda and started riding again when he was 62. They discussed the following: * Women on Motorcycles * Riding in Thailand, Vietnam, and Tasmania * Health Benefits of riding a Motorcycle * Learning how to Ride * Benefits of Motorcycle clubs * Staying Safe * BMW F 800 * BMW 1200 * Harley Davidson (for short rides) * Mentors * Falling * Riding in the Rain * Fingernails * Size of your Bike * Being Time Poor (Leda’s business) During the interview Leda mentioned that men’s brains were in boxes, which caused Henry to say bzzz.  Ninety nine percent of you will probably be wondering what that is all about.  It comes from a hilarious YouTube clip about the difference between men and women.  Here is the link, I guarantee you will like it.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XjUFYxSxDk If you think you want to learn to ride a motorcycle later in life, here are some links: * Ulysses Club  :  http://www.ulyssesclub.org/ * Motorcycle safety information.  I learned a heap from this site.  :  http://www.msgroup.org/default.aspx * Twist of the Wrist: * For clubs in your area just search ‘motorcycle club + your suburb’ in Google or Facebook.  Social motorbike clubs will always welcome new members and help inexperienced riders. Special Thanks to: * Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track * Les Briney who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific * Lesinda Tubalado who helps keep the website up to date * Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited that airs on Fridays * YOU the listener for sharing on social media, and telling your friends about it

Warning:  This episode on senior sex obviously contains adult material. Today my guest was Joan Price, who is a senior sex guru.  And as you know, sex is an important part of the retirement lifestyle. Joan, who is an “advocate for ageless sexuality”, has written numerous books, and in fact, she has been called the “senior sexpert”.   When I met her online I knew that I just had to have her on the show! We discussed the fact that NO, we don’t have to sit in a separate bathtub holding hands with our partner (think Cialis commercials) and in fact, we don’t even need to have partner at all!  Think about it, if you are a woman, chances are your partner (if you have one) is going to predecease you if you are around the same age since women live longer than men. Senior Sex?  I have so many questions! * What do you think about drugs like Cialis and Viagra? * Should these senior sex drugs be covered by Medicare? * What made you start writing about senior sex in the first place? * How can we spice up our sex lives? * Why do we tend to put our sex lives on hold as we get older? * What do we do if we don’t have a partner (Joan has a lot to say about this subject!) * If you’re shy, what do you do? * How can you talk to your doctor and what should you say? * What do you do with all those adult toys after you review them? We talked about the fact that she writes reviews of sex toys from a senior perspective. I asked her what the difference would be between a non-senior and a senior perspective and she was happy to tell me. * We lose sensitivity as we age, so senior sex toys should be really powerful. * For the same reason, they have to go a long time. We don’t want the battery dying at a critical moment. * An adult toy should be comfortable for arthritic hands (ergonomic). * The controls should be easy for aging eyes to see. * We need to be able to hold on to them with slippery fingers, so they should be easy to hold. * These devices should be made with non-toxic materials. There are no laws governing this like there are for dog toys or baby toys.  (Who knew?) * Aging women may prefer slimmer senior sex toys. Joan has several books including: * Ultimate Guide to Sex After 50: How to Maintain – or Regain! – a Spicy, Satisfying Sex Life; * Naked at Our Age: Talking Out Loud  * Better Than I Ever Expected: Straight Talk about Sex After Sixty She also offers classes and webinars, and you can find out more information on her websites: www.joanprice.com  or  www.nakedatourage.com Download today’s FREEBIE: 33 reasons that sex is good for you (especially at our age) HERE. Special Thanks to: * Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track * Les Briney who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific * Lesinda Tubalado who helps keep the website up to date * YOU the listener for letting other people know about this show by sharing on social media, and telling your friends about it This post on Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com

We’ve brought on a new host to Rock Your Retirement.  Henry Shapiro, host of Retired Excited. Henry IS retired, and when he started thinking that managing a show was too much for him, I invited him to bring his past episodes to Rock Your Retirement so they wouldn’t be lost. We’ll be bringing an archived show over each week for your enjoyment.  Then as he has times, he may bring some additional episodes over. We hope he does.  So when you hear “Retired Excited” don’t feel that you’re lost.  Our plan is to release the Retired Excited episodes with Henry on Friday’s, and you’ll still get your weekly dose of Kathe on the Monday shows. Henry’s First Episode : In this archived session, Henry introduces himself with a short first episode of Retired Excited.  He invites us to his world of retirement, and let us know what to expect in future sessions. He talks about his experience of many people being afraid of retiring.  Although they anticipate it, they don’t know what they are going to do with their time. Henry’s aim was to provide inspiration for every one of the listeners to have an excellent retirement.  Sound familiar?  That is the aim of the Rock Your Retirement show as well!  What a perfect pairing. Henry went on to say that many people who retire have no plan for the future.  He talks about how their purpose dissolves and how they need to reestablish their focus and meaning. The goal of the Friday show is to look at the options and see how happy retired people are creating their lives.  Mr. Shapiro interviews regular people, not high fliers.  He finds out what gets them up excited every morning. Henry Shapiro’s own story is fairly simple. He comes from a normal family.  And his parents struggled to establish themselves in Australia, having migrated here from Europe after the second world war.  His parents managed to put Henry and his brother through school, and gave them the best start they could. Like many of us, Henry has had a variety of jobs and businesses throughout life and is now fully retired and living with ‘She Who Must Be Obeyed’ in a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. So the theme is … there is lots to do, lots to occupy retirees, lots to learn, and a world of fun and comradeship to be enjoyed. Henry and Kathe Special Thanks to: * Angie Strehlow who helps us get great guests that help us with our retirement lifestyle while keeping everything on track * Les Briney who edits the show and makes my guests and me sound terrific * Lesinda Tubalado who helps keep the website up to date * Henry Shapiro, host of Friday’s Retired Excited Show * YOU the listener for sharing on social media, and telling your friends about it  

This is a special announcement about Henry Shapiro, who will be joining the Rock Your Retirement show, with his own show:  Retired Excited.

This Caregiver Agency provides a free venue for people to get to know caregivers Douglas Breuer started MyCareMatch.com with one objective: Make the process of finding the right care solution less complicated for seniors, people with disabilities and their loved ones. Douglas’ motivation stems from his direct experience in senior care and case management over the last 10 years.  He started his career in Adult Protective Services. Doug investigated cases where vulnerable adults were being exploited or abused.  He then moved on to act as District Manager for the State of Oregon (“DHS”).  While there, he directed the delivery of long term care services throughout the Central Oregon region. Douglas had the opportunity to work with seniors and adults with disabilities as well as their families.  In his role he coordinated with staff, individual care providers, home care agencies, care communities and countless other service providers to develop care arrangements for seniors and adults with disabilities. In our interview, Doug explains what MyCareMatch does that is different from home care agencies.  He also talks about why you might want to use it. Caregivers can build profiles detailing their experience, education, photos, references, resumes and even videos.  If you’ve ever tried to find a caregiver, you’ll probably see how this is helpful. The organization also can provide extensive background checks with the caregiver’s permission. They also provide reference checks and can even provide DMV checks all at very reasonable prices. We discussed the Caregiver Registry for the state of California.. Caregivers now go through an intense State screening process. Doug recommends that even if a Caregiver has had a background check a few months ago it is always best to get a more recent one. The website offers a search tool and educational resources you can explore. If you decide you want to contact a caregiver or care agency, you contact them directly. It is a one to one process. We also discuss “Ray” who was one of his first clients when working for the state of Oregon. Ray was developmentally disabled.  Ray, who was also a senior, didn’t let his disability stop him.  He lived in the home his parents left him, and some people wanted to take that away from him. Doug would get lots of calls about people trying to take advantage of Ray. He talks about the relationship he built and how he helped intervene to keep him protected, and helped maintain his independence Find out more at http://www.mycarematch.com This post on Retirement Lifestyle first appeared on RockYourRetirement.com