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Toby Laping Associates www.WNYCareManager.com
Eldercare News |
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You Need To Know . . . On Turning 65 by Toby F. Laping, Ph.D., C.S.W. My husband has recently gotten pleasure from reminding me that I’m now covered by Medicare. I’ve taken perverse pleasure in reminding him that I won’t be eligible for my full social security benefits for another two months. I’m in that group that Congress designated as the beginning point in advancing the age at which one routinely collects full social security. It isn’t that I don’t want the money right now; I’d love to be getting those regular checks from the government. Rather, it’s that I’m younger than my husband and so in my not-so-subtle way, I need to remind him of that. He, at his more advanced age, began getting checks the month he turned 65. Aging isn’t an easy process and I suppose that’s why we make jokes about it and why we so often focus on things that make us seem younger than our numerical age. The falls that used to produce bumps and bruises now produce broken bones. The hamburgers and fatty meats that used to taste so good, now clot our arteries. The vitamin pills have moved over to make room on the kitchen cabinet shelf for beta blockers and cholesterol lowering drugs. The salt container is empty and no longer decorates the table when we eat. The exercise that used to be occasional must now be a regular feature of life. I look in the mirror and see the ravages of many decades. The figure is a bit drooped, the wrinkles quite noticeable. I’ve had friends say they’re proud of each wrinkle; I’ve too many to count and so my pride can’t keep up. There are, however, benefits in looking my age. It’s nice not to have to worry about things that were so traumatic as a young person. With aging comes some perspective. A bigger size dress is just that, and not the end of the world. A lower heel on my shoes is a wonderful acknowledgement that comfort comes before style. As we age, we typically become more of what we’ve always been. So, my husband’s neat habits will continue to cover for my less than perfect ways. He might call me sloppy but we don’t need to address that. My husband keeps asking about our health insurance. We never used to be too personally concerned about that because we were rarely ill. Now we need to consider our prescription coverage. We share with many people the conviction that Medicare must address the issue of drug coverage and that is no longer just a theoretical, abstract commitment to solving a major problem for many people. We’re now talking about our own pocketbooks as well as those of other people. We both worry about our 401-Ks and retirement accounts; when we read in the paper that interest rates are down and seniors are worried, we know that they’re talking about us. It won’t be long before we’ll be drawing down from those accounts and they certainly aren’t what they were a few years ago. I’ve long worried abstractly about funding for Medicare Part A. Now, my worries are both personal and focused. In spite of all the worries, it’s okay to be where I am. When I look at the younger generation struggling with adolescents and I’m so glad I’m old enough to have grown children. When I see how hard young people work to save enough money to buy homes, it’s great that I’ve passed that point. When I see how worried people are that social security may go broke, it’s fine that I’m in under the wire. I certainly have arrived at that magic age, haven’t I! |