Life skills are important for Boomers

Good habits and life skills do us well at any stage of life, but they are very important as we age. Life skills, such as persistence, conscientiousness and control, are as important to wealth and wellbeing in later life as they are when people are much younger, according to new research led by UCL.

Five life skills - emotional stability, determination, control, optimism and conscientiousness - play a key role in promoting educational and occupational success in early life but little has been known about their importance in later life.

In the study, published in the journal PNAS, the academics looked at the impact of these attributes in over 8,000 men and women aged 52 and older who took part in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging.

The researchers found that people who have more life skills enjoy a range of benefits including greater financial stability, less depression, low social isolation, better health and fewer chronic diseases.

They benefitted from favourable objective biomarkers in the blood including lower levels of cholesterol and of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation relevant to a number of different diseases. They also had smaller waistlines, where fat accumulation is particularly relevant to metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, than people with few life skills.

The study fount that there was no single attribute was more important than others. Rather, the effects depended on the accumulation of life skills. The study found a range of health and social outcomes depending on the number of life skills a person has. For example, the proportion of participants reporting significant depressive symptoms declined from 22.8% among those with a low number of life skills to 3.1% in those with four or five.

Nearly half the people who reported the highest levels of loneliness had the fewest skills, declining to 10.5% in those with the most. Regular volunteering rose from 28.7% to 40% with increasing numbers of life skills.

In terms of health, the proportion of respondents who rated their health as only fair or poor was 36.7% among those with low life skills, falling to 6% in participants with a higher number of attributes. People with more skills walked significantly faster than those with fewer - walking speed is an objective measure predicting future mortality in older population samples.

Although causal conclusions cannot be drawn from observational studies, the researchers took cognitive function, education and family background into account, ruling them out as being responsible for the outcomes associated with life skills.

The researchers found that although there is research on individual factors such as conscientiousness and optimism in adults, but the combinations of these life skills have not been studied very much before. They were surprised by the range of processes - economic, social, psychological, biological, and health and disability related - that seem to be related to these life skills. The research suggests that fostering and maintaining these skills in adult life may be relevant to health and wellbeing at older ages.

What are your end-of-life wishes?

April 16-22 is a week for inspiring seniors and others to start the conversation about end of life planning. This year the theme of National Healthcare Decision Week was "It always seems too early until it’s too late”. In Canada, our day for this is National Advance Care Planning Day in Canada (April 16). This year's goal was to inspire a proactive approach to planning ahead for your end-of-life wishes. Contemplating the end of your life, and outlining the kind of health and personal care you wish to receive if you were unable to speak for yourself, is not always easy, but it’s important.

Remember, it’s not just about you, it’s about ensuring that your family and friends have a clear plan to support your intentions. Advance care planning is a process of reflection and communication, and it may involve writing down your wishes and talking with healthcare providers and financial and legal advisors. If you do not have an advance care plan in place, perhaps it’s time to start the conversation?

In our COSCO Health and Wellness workshop, on this topic, we point out that if something happens to you, decisions are going to be made.  You can make them yourself or appoint somebody else to do so, but come what decisions will be made. Sometimes your mental competency may come into question because of any number of situations: stroke, dementia, brain injury from an accident.  If your mental competency is challenged and we know this happens and you haven’t made your own legal arrangements you are vulnerable to adult guardianship (which means others will make decisions about you).

Somethings to think about as you consider this topic. Personal planning lets you stay in control. The burden on your spouse, family and friends is eased. Personal planning keeps the state/government and other authorities out of your private and personal affairs.Personal planning is for all adults, those who need help today because their mental competency is in question and those who want to plan for the future

Senior's Discounts revisited

In the US, there are many organisations and retail outlets that provide senior discounts to those over 50 or 55. Yet many of us do not ask for these discounts. I am not sure why, but since we are on fixed income’s any savings is useful. I did a couple of posts earlier about discounts for seniors in Canada. Here is a great site for my US friends. This page explores the following topics:

When Do You Become a “Senior Citizen”?

• Organisations That Provide Discounts to Senior Citizens
• Additional Organisations and Associations for Seniors
• Seniors Can Get Special Discounts Just For the Asking
• The Bottom Line on Discounts for Senior Citizens

The bottom line is as I said in an earlier post, if you want a discount, ask for one. The following is from the site above and it re-enforces my point.

Why You Should Ask for a Senior Discount

We laugh at the idea of becoming a “senior” when we’re 50. We wonder if it might be true at 60. And by 70, we’re usually pretty well convinced.

Some people, though, bristle at the idea of being thought of as “old.” That’s why businesses are often reluctant to point out they have a senior discount available. They don’t want to offend anyone. It’s like asking a woman whether she’s pregnant. Better to wait until SHE offers that information.

Here are three good reasons to take advantage of senior discounts:

1. Senior citizen status is an honour. You’ve contributed to the economy for decades. Senior discounts are a way of thanking you for your long-term patronage.

2. When you ask about the availability of a senior discount, you’re letting businesses know seniors appreciate programs that bring value to them. By doing that, you’re helping ensure senior specials keep going and growing. You’re paying it forward to the new crop of seniors coming up behind you.

3. It’s money in your pocket! Not taking advantage of a senior discount is like finding money in your sock drawer and throwing it out with the trash. Even if the discount is a few dollars or the special is that you get a free drink with your meal, every bit counts. The only people who don’t like saving a few dollars are those who don’t appreciate the value of having extra money in the first place.

The Bottom Line on Discounts for Senior Citizens

If you want to get the discount, ask for the discount. That’s the number one way to find and take advantage of specials for seniors only. 

1.    When you’re in a local store: Ask.

2.    When you’re travelling: Ask.

3.    Even if you think they don’t have a senior discount:    Ask.

4.    Always ask

Once you get in the habit of asking, you’ll be amazed at the number of places you can save money just because you’re you.

Ten health benefits of Sex

Medical News Today provide the low-down on the top evidence-based health benefits of sex.The story was written by Hannah Nichols and published in April. For the full story go to the link Medical News Today

1) Improves immunity

Participating in sex one to two times per week appears to be the optimum frequency to boost the immune system, according to research published in Psychological Reports.

Scientists can test how tough our immune systems are by measuring levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A (IgA) in saliva and mucosal linings.

For those of you who have sex more or less frequently than the optimal amount, fear not. According to another study by Charnetski, petting a dog can also significantly raise IgA.

2) Good for the heart

Physical activities that exercise the heart are good for your health, and this includes sex. Being sexually aroused increases heart rate, with the number of beats per minute peaking during orgasm. Men who have regular sex are 45 percent less likely to develop heart disease.

Men, in particular, have been shown to benefit from the effect of sex on the heart. More research is currently needed to draw connections between specific cardiovascular conditions and sex, particularly for women and older adults.

3) Lowers blood pressure

Research conducted by Michigan State University and published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior found that sex in later years might reduce the risk of high blood pressure - at least for women.

Women in the study aged between 57 and 85 years who found sex pleasurable or satisfying were less likely to have hypertension. However, male study participants who had sex once per week or more were twice as likely to experience heart problems than men who were sexually inactive.

In men, high blood pressure can lead to erectile dysfunction and in women, high blood pressure can lower libido and reduce interest in sex. It is considered safe to have sex if you have high blood pressure. However, if you are concerned or are having problems in the bedroom, seek advice from your doctor.

4) Relieves pain

A headache may often be used as a reason to avoid sex. However, before you reach for the painkillers, neurologists have found that sexual activity can relieve head pain associated with 

a migraine or a cluster headache in some people. Sex has been shown to ease the pain associated with migraines and cluster headaches.

The University of Munster researchers explain that sex triggering the release of endorphins is the mechanism behind the pain relief. Endorphins are the body's natural painkillers and are released through the central nervous system, which can reduce or eliminate pain the experienced with a headache.

In other research published in Pain, women were found to experience reduced pain sensitivity and had an increased pain tolerance threshold when experiencing pleasure through vaginal self-stimulation.

5) Reduces the risk of prostate cancer

Men who frequently ejaculate could be protected against prostate cancer, the most common cancer among men in the United States.

Research led by Michael Leitzmann, from the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, MD, and published in JAMA, discovered that men who ejaculated 21 times per month or more were a third less likely to develop prostate cancer than men who ejaculated between four and seven times per month.

Men who have more than 12 ejaculations per month may also benefit, although the researchers note that at this point, the research would not warrant recommending men to change their sexual behaviour.

6) Improves sleep

Do you have trouble getting to sleep at night? Sexual activity could be just what the doctor ordered. Some of the chemicals released during sex may help you to fall asleep more easily. Sex could be the answer to help you achieve the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.

During sex and orgasm, a cocktail of chemicals are released in the brain, which includes oxytocin, dopamine, and a rush of endorphins. Oxytocin, also known as the "cuddle hormone," facilitates closeness and bonding, and it surges during sex and orgasm in both men and women.

After orgasm, it is thought that the effect of oxytocin, combined with the release of the hormone prolactin (which is linked to the feeling of satiety and relaxation), makes you feel sleepy.

7) Relieves stress

Stress can cause all kinds of health problems, from headaches, problems sleeping, muscle tension, and upset stomach, to more severe conditions, including a weakened immune system and chronic depression.

A study published in Biological Psychology found that people who engaged in penetrative sex experienced lower stress-related blood pressure when public speaking than individuals who had masturbated or had non-coital sex. Participants in the study who abstained from sex had the highest blood pressure levels triggered by stress.

8) Boosts brain power

Research published in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour suggests that frequent sex may improve women's memory. Results from a computerised word memory task found that women who had penetrative sex had better memory recognition of abstract words.

Frequent sex may improve a woman's ability to memorise words.

The researchers note that at this stage, it is unclear whether sex improves memory or if better memory leads to more sex. However, they say that sex may improve memory by stimulating the creation of new neurons in the hippocampus - the region of the brain that is involved in learning and memory.

9) Increases lifespan

Do you want to live longer? Sexual activity could hold the key to a longer life.

A study published in The BMJ concluded that sexual activity might have a protective effect on men's health.

The researchers tracked the mortality of almost 1,000 men aged between 45 and 59 over the course of 10 years. They found that risk of death was 50 percent lower in men who frequently had orgasms than men who did not regularly ejaculate.

Other research also concluded with similar results. A 25-year study published in The Gerontologist determined that in men, frequent intercourse was a significant predictor of longevity, whereas, in women, those who reported past enjoyment of sex lived longer.

10) Boosts self-esteem

In addition to all the physical benefits, having frequent satisfying sex may improve emotional wellness. People who enjoy casual sex tend to report higher self-esteem and well-being.

Research published in Social Psychology and Personality Science found that among college students, those who enjoyed casual sex reported higher well-being and self-esteem levels, compared with students who did not have casual sex.

On the other side of the coin, according to a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, women with higher self-esteem reported having more satisfying sex, including having more orgasms.

These are just some of the many benefits that sex can have for your health. While sex can be a pleasurable and exciting activity, it is important to remember that practising safe sex can reduce the risks of contracting STDs, as well as helping to avoid unplanned pregnancies.