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First, I'm not sure "advisory services" is a great way to describe the concept, but it's all I could think of now. I'm basically referring to when you need a professional who supplies information or advisement, like a medical doctor, retirement planner, tax accountant, etc.
We hear consistently on the work and employment board and occasionally on this retirement board about the discrimination against aging workers in the labor. Numerous articles and studies exist on this and, in the main, I think the popular theories are probably more accurate than not.
Taking a more nuanced view, there are some fields where age can even be beneficial, especially if the clientele is mostly older themselves. If you're elderly and you're going to a young doctor, the doctor may be excellent, but he can't empathize as well with problems unique to older people as an older doctor could - the former is still reasonably young and healthy.
Take an older accountant who now specializes in tax advisement with a focus on and solutions tailored toward the elderly. This accountant is older and the advice and research he does is also useful for him. He's been around more, probably seen everything under the sun, etc.
Awhile back, I mentioned in another thread about a man I know who owns a small EOL planning consultancy. He had been through a long process caring for and managing his then 80 some year old mother's end of life situation. He's roughly 60 himself and mentions that his clients feel like he can empathize and that he's seasoned enough to know what they are going through. Even if I was an excellent adviser, I doubt older people would take me as seriously, being in my 20s, as someone his age in the same field.
When looking for services like the accountant or doctor, do you feel more comfortable or prefer to deal with older advisers?
Age is not the key issue. A younger person may have a better handle on the technical part of his profession and an older person a better handle on how to deal with people built on years of experience.
If I needed surgery then I would like a doctor who has been doing it for a few years. The risk of a mistake is the key.
Doing my taxes a young person would be find. An error can be corrected.
A financial planner. This is a problem. A younger person may not have enough life experiences and education to do a good job for a complex situation, but you want the person to be around when you may not be able to handle your affairs due to mental problems or maybe you die and your family needs help. Thus you really need a group practice of various ages.
In short age is not the key but ability to perform the service needed when needed is. The problem is it is hard to know the abilities of the professionals we deal with so age may tend to be important. If it is I would think being older is probably a plus.
I am a snob when if comes to picking a doctor. I want to see that they trained at Hopkins, Harvard, Yale, Cornell, or similar. Many doctors work in group practices. The best groups attract and admit the best docs from the best schools. Those are the groups and doctors I want to use. Except for the very youngest or way, way past retirement I would not pay much or any attention to age.
I have never used an accountant and see no reason that I would. I doubt that age would make much difference to me.
I do need to find an attorney for wills and estate planning. Age would not be a factor. It seems the legal profession is full of sleazy characters that I want to avoid. I don't know how to pick one.
I picked the young doctors and fast forward they are getting old. In fact one said he is going to retire when he turns 60. I saw him when he was in his easy 30s, he is about early to mid 40s.
I agree its not about the age so much as the attitude. Especially with doctors.
My current doctor is the next thing to useless because she doesn't "believe in" my major health problem - fibromyalgia. For me, the cognitive issues way overshadow the physical. But since she thinks its a garbage diagnosis, she utterly refuses to discuss it with me and has even gone so far as to refuse to put it in my record. I saw this woman regularly for months and never got a diagnosis from her.
She happens to be young, but I've gotten similar attitude from older doctors as well.
Awhile back I went to one of those SHIP things, where they're supposed to help you with Medicaid. The guy was significantly older than me, and he spent most of his time bitching about Hispanics, largely because I look Hispanic, I am sure. He also told me stuff that I knew was nonsense regarding Medicaid. I would have preferred a younger person who was more knowledgeable - actually, I'd have preferred a knowledgeable person of ANY age.
Merely changing the age doesn't help - because it was a YOUNGER person at the social security office when I first got disability who told me I didn't need to get separate drug coverage. Well, its not required by LAW, but it is virtually required because if you DON'T get it right away with your Medicaid, later it will cost you because they will increase your premium for it FOREVER. So now I have to pay an additional 30% of whatever the cost of prescription coverage for the rest of my life because a young person gave me incorrect and incomplete information 3 years ago.
Age just doesn't enter in to it. Compassion and competence are the things that matter. And those are not age-limited.
When I was 29, even had the technology existed, I don't think I would have spent time starting threads on a retirement forum...two by you today.
Of course you can, and of course others may find your new threads interesting. I suppose I'm just uncertain why you do.
I know it is none of my business but are you actively engaged in other sites without this demographic?
I would think that starting threads on this forum and engaging others in stimulating conversation that may help to solve others problems and medical issues is a much better use of time than the millions of people who sit glued to the tube watching trash TV. But then that is just my point of view.
I would think that starting threads on this forum and engaging others in stimulating conversation that may help to solve others problems and medical issues is a much better use of time than the millions of people who sit glued to the tube watching trash TV. But then that is just my point of view.
And your point of view is as valid as anyone else's.
In this case, the OP piques my curiosity about the large chronological and life experience differential and his apparent thirst for elder wisdom.
And your point of view is as valid as anyone else's.
In this case, the OP piques my curiosity about the large chronological and life experience differential and his apparent thirst for elder wisdom.
I try to make thoughtful, salient posts that don't frequently get talked about. I think this is something worth thinking about, and a bit off the wall.
There was a long, elaborate thread a few months ago speculating about who I am and my motives here. There were all sorts of responses, but I'm a regular guy with a boring 9-6 job who happens to like discussing situations I come across. I do post a lot in this forum, but I post more in others.
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