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Shingles: Thank you for this information. I am going to speak to our GP to see if we should get vaccinated.
Chicken Pox: I've had them twice. Once as a child and once as an adult. I'm told that is extremely rare. My GP was so shocked to see that I had Chicken Pox again that she brought in 2 other doctors to look at me. Chicken Pox isn't any fun either.
Pets: Regardless of our age we should include a Pet Trust in our Will if we have pets. They are legally recognized in most states. You can find a sample pet trust here (Click on "Animal Care Trust Sample Language" at the bottom of the page that pops up): Adopt a Golden Atlanta - Golden Retriever Rescue Organization Serving the Southeast
This was something that I had to bring to my attorney as he had no idea what to put in the Will to create the Pet Trust.
A while back I brought up physicals and eye exams, but we got side tracked. Hearing exams should also be mandatory.
A lot that is falls in the cracks - walking for instance. Or games (crosswords) to keep us mentally active. We play cards, Sequence, the Dice game (I think others call it Farkle), Chicken Train (a dominoes-based game, etc with friends. Mrs. Tek is really (really) into Duplicate Bridge.
I am getting dizzy going between dogs and shingles. Even a third topic would help.
This is the retirement forum and the thread title is "When one reaches 60, some things are mandatory."
It started with shingles vaccine and other topics have been added. Feel free to add another one, if you wish.
What do you think should be mandatory at age 60?
I might add:
*A will (updated as conditions warrant, such as births of grandchildren), a living will, and a health care power of attorney.
*If you have a significant estate, possibly a trust to reduce estate taxes.
*Consider making funeral arrangements and prepaying for them.
*If you think you may need Medicaid if you go into a nursing home, be aware of the rules concerning disposition of assets. It may be best to give assets to your heirs well before you need nursing home care. This depends on whether you need those assets for your living expenses or not and your relationship with your family.
*The paperwork for these things should be organized and a letter prepared for the person who will carry out your wishes telling them where these documents are, as well as a list of insurance policies, retirement and financial accounts and any passwords or information needed to access them.
*Consider a refresher course in driving, such as the AARP program, if you have not already done it. You may get a break on your auto insurance, too.
There is no genetic family link to shingles, if someone in your family had chicken pox, and actually exposed you to the chicken pox virus, then you are susceptible to shingles if you caught the chicken pox.
Shingles is a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, a type of herpes virus that causes chickenpox. After you have had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in your nerve roots and remains inactive until, in some people, it flares up again. When the virus becomes active again, you get shingles instead of chickenpox. Cause of Shingles and Shingles Transmission
"Shingles is most common in people older than 50. The risk increases with age. Some experts estimate that half the people who live to the age of 85 will experience shingles at some point in their lives."
"In a clinical trial involving more than 38,000 adults 60 years of age or older, the vaccine reduced the overall incidence of shingles by 51% and the incidence of PHN by 67%. The efficacy of the vaccine in preventing shingles was higher in the younger age group (60-69 years; vaccine efficacy was 64%) than in the older age group (older than 70 years; vaccine efficacy was 38%)."
The reduction in post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) is important because the pain from that can be severe, prolonged and life-changing.
So if you are between the ages of 60 and 69, the vaccine can cut the risk of shingles by about two thirds. After age 70, it is only a little over one third. The 50% figure is for all age groups combined.
For me, the one thing that is most mandatory by the time one reaches 60 is to relax and destress if we want to live at least another 10 years. Any form of exercise, good nutrition (avoiding junk food), socialization, and taking time for things is advisable. It can get overwhelming making decisions on finances, Medicare and supplemental, wills and trusts and LTC concerns and all that, causing us to miss what's even more important in life. Stress also contributes to so many illnesses and disease. Relaxation is my primary concern. I'm putting it first.
Someone once told me that in the traditional Chinese culture age 60 signifies rededication to life.
"In Chinese culture, 60 years makes a cycle of a life and 61 is regarded as the beginning of a new life cycle....It is an age to be proud of.....Traditionally, Chinese people do not pay a lot of attention to birthdays until they are 60 years old. The 60th birthday is regarded as a very important point of life and therefore there is often a big celebration. After that, a birthday celebration is held every ten years, that is the 70th, the 80th, etc, until the person's death. Generally, the older the person is, the greater the celebration occasion is."
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