We all witnessed, helplessly, as my
father-in-law rapidly declined in his cognitive abilities over the last eight
years of his life. Coincidentally, this
process seemed to start just a few years after he had decided to retire.
His decision to retire was partly based
on his desirable financial situation. After many years in law enforcement, his
pension benefits allowed him to bring home almost as much income as he would
have if he had continued working. So, he
decided to retire.
Many of us would probably have made the
same decision. However, recent brain
research suggests there is much more than finances to consider when making decisions
about retirement.
By far, the largest study (nearly a
half-million people) to look at the relationship
between the timing of retirement and likelihood of dementia was recently conducted by the French government. The results are
surprising, and it should cause all of us to reevaluate what we’ve been taught
about retirement. Here is summary of
the findings:
"People who delay
retirement have less risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia, and researchers say the conclusion makes sense. Working tends to
keep people physically active, socially connected and mentally challenged – all
things known to help prevent mental decline.‘For each additional year
of work, the risk of getting dementia is reduced by 3.2 percent,’ said Carole
Dufouil, a scientist at INSERM, the French government’s health research agency.About 35 million people
worldwide have dementia, and Alzheimer’s is the most common type. In the U.S.,
about 5 million have Alzheimer’s – 1 in 9 people aged 65 and over. What causes
the mind-robbing disease isn’t known and there is no cure or any treatments
that slow its progression.France has had some of the
best Alzheimer’s research in the world, partly because its former
president, Nicolas Sarkozy, made it a priority. The country also has detailed health records
on self-employed people who pay into a Medicare-like health system.Researchers used these
records on more than 429,000 workers, most of whom were shopkeepers or
craftsmen such as bakers and woodworkers. They were 74 on average and had been
retired for an average of 12 years.Nearly 3 percent had
developed dementia but the risk of this was lower for each year of age at
retirement. Someone who retired at 65 had about a 15 percent lower risk of
developing dementia compared to someone retiring at 60, after other factors
that affect those odds were taken into account.To rule out the possibility
that mental decline may have led people to retire earlier, researchers did
analyses that eliminated people who developed dementia within 5 years of
retirement, and within 10 years of it.The trend is exactly the same, suggesting that work was having an
effect on cognition, not the other way around. France mandates retirement in
various jobs – civil servants must retire by 65, The new study suggests people
should work as long as they want because it may have health benefits.June Springer, who just turned 90, thinks it does. She was hired
as a full-time receptionist at Caffi Plumbing & Heating in Alexandria, Va.,
eight years ago.‘I’d like to give credit to the company for hiring me at that age,’
she said. ‘It’s a joy to work, being with people and keeping up with current
events. I love doing what I do. As long as God grants me the brain to use I’ll
take it every day.’Heather Snyder, director of medical and scientific operations for
the Alzheimer’s Association, said the study results don’t mean everyone needs
to delay retirement.‘It’s more staying cognitively active, staying socially active,
continue to be engaged in whatever it is that’s enjoyable to you’ that’s
important, she said.‘My parents are retired but they’re busier than ever. They’re
taking classes at their local university, they’re continuing to attend lectures
and they’re continuing to stay cognitively engaged and socially engaged in
their lives.’"
In our society, we are taught that giving up work and retiring
is the pathway to the “good years.” I even know some people who are counting down
the days until they retire!
Are they in essence counting down the days until they begin
their decline? Is retirement even natural for our minds and bodies? Retirement
typically means focusing on one’s own personal happiness and pleasure. Perhaps
we weren't meant to make a full time job of doing that.
In any case, it reminds us that your senior agents need to think
twice about getting out of the business.
Join the WorkPuzzle Discussion at the Tidemark Online Community (TMOC)
Engage in the WorkPuzzle discussion by joining the TMOC private social network. Commenting on a public blog like WorkPuzzle can be a little intimidating, so why not join the discussion inside the privacy of the TMOC discussion group?
By joining TMOC, you'll get to see who else is in the group and your comments will only be seen by those whom you trust. Joining TMOC is quick, easy, and free (no kidding…this takes less than 2 minutes). To get started, click here.
Already of a member of TMOC? If so, join the WorkPuzzle Dialog Group by clicking on the WorkPuzzle Group icon on the left side of your TMOC homepage. Questions? Email the WorkPuzzle editor (workpuzzle@hiringcenter.net) and we'll walk through the process.
Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle.
