“Stepping on a Retirement Ladder”

Posted on January 8, 2013 by john graham

(For earlier blogs on this subject, click in the TAG CLOUD on “BEFUDDLED”)

  • Finding ladders is the first step to a Happier, Healthier Retirement.
  • Feeling safe about the ladder is the next.
  • Getting on the first rung is easy  —- but we don’t.
  • A coach would be nice to build confidence.
  • Seeing others go first helps.
  • Being encouraged along the way helps.
  • That’s why loneliness and isolation is a barrier to ladder stepping.
  • It is why we join clubs for mutual encouragement and support.
  • A social dimention that bonds confidence and restores values.
  • So don’t just look for ladders      —–      look for help.
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“Mixed Bag”

Posted on January 6, 2013 by john graham

50 is  magic number at the Royal Mail:-

  • 50 is the number of bits of junk mail sent to all 29 million addresses in Britain every year.
  • That represents 50% of all the 54 million items of daily post.
  • 50 pence is now the cost of a second class stamp!

It is hard to know whether to grumble about the junk mail or smile about the ridiculous situation the postal service is now in.

Delivering millions of unwanted letters, which go indirectly from forest to fireplace.

There again, without all the junk mail, we would probably find our second class postage stamps would probably cost twice, thrice or even 50 times as much.

P.s     The £1.1 million a year salary of Ms Moya Greene, Chief Executive of the Royal Mail,  is what qualifies her to reassure us that 5o pence for a second glass stamp is a bargain.   I guess the elderly won’t be sending out quite so many Christmas cards this year, at this new cheap rate !

P.p.s     In a quiet and almost unpublicised move, the Government, on our behalf, has taken on responsibility for the Royal Mail Pension fund.   Sounds like a great deal – to gain £28.5 billion of assets taxpayers took on £37.6 billion of liabilities.

In a time of such austerity it is hard to see how this makes much financial sense – unless – you have a grand plan to sell off the postal service.

P.p.p.s     You can, in theory, reduce the amount of junk mail you receive by registering with the mailing preference service.   Let’s hope it is more effective than the telephone preference service.

(For earlier blogs on this subject, click in the TAG CLOUD on “GRUMBLESMILES POST”)

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“An Unholy Trinity”

Posted on January 1, 2013 by john graham

The Trinity is a sacred alliance that stands up for good over evil.   The end of a life should be the celebration of all that has been good in a person’s lifetime.   There are positive things to draw out of every person given birth on this earth.   Lost in the past sometimes, but worthy of thanks nonetheless.   That is why life is sacred – a gift given by God only to be taken away by God.

FIRSTLY, I have regularly been blogging since 2010 about assisted dying (see “The Slippery Slope” in the TAG CLOUD).    A euphemism for euthanasia.  A well argued case by Debbie Purdy reignited the debate (see “Lucy Died Today” dated 22 March 2010 in the Archive).    Debbie’s arguments were based on the practical reality of chronic illness and the wisdom of planning ahead.   I have always been worried that although the merits of individual cases have been extremely well argued, turning them into precedents leads us on to a perilous slippery slope.

SECONDLY, the more recent  and disturbing headlines have been about the increasing promotion and use of a care planning tool – called the “Liverpool Care Pathway”.   This well intended approach was designed for use as a pain management process in a highly controlled and caring hospice environment for those with a diagnosed terminal illness.  Each word of this specification is critically important and was not meant to be loosely or casually interpreted.   Neither should it be a  basis for hasty decisions which exclude relatives.

THIRDLY, in the last two years the boundaries of these two clearly thought out positions have been blurred.   It’s the extrapolation into the wider domain of the hard-pressed, cash-strapped, bed-blocked, express delivery NHS that takes on a much more dangerous complexion.

I have written throughout my GrumbleSmiles blog about a host of reports over the last two years referring to care of the elderly and the NHS (click on “Neglect Shames Britain” in the TAG CLOUD).   Dehydration and malnutrition in the NHS have become recurrent features of care of older people in these reports.   There is no grand plan here.   Nobody took a clear decision and nobody now takes responsibility.   “Nil by mouth” has become the “Black Death” mark at the bottom of the hospital bed.   The unwritten, unspoken sign that an elderly burden on society may be too great a cross to bear.

It’s frightening and almost unthinkable to imagine that we may have inadvertently developed a new policy for almost two-thirds of the people who enter our hospitals.

A carefully planned approach to later life and a caring, compassionate end to life has emerged as an ugly monster of neglect.

ManSmilew-BIGboard Cropped 118

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“Befuddled” 2

Posted on November 6, 2012 by john graham

(This is a continuation of my “Befuddled 1” blog.  You can find it by clicking on the archive on November 2012.)

Now we come to “Care of the Elderly” which surely should be one of the first duties of a civilised society.  So how are we doing in this “Befuddled” era:-

  • Upset – by hospital care  which is overwhelmed by the complexity of chronic illness in later life.
  • Confused – into adopting the “Liverpool Care Pathway”, which has become a death-line and deathknell for the elderly entering the NHS.
  • Bamboozled – by residential care which has become a warehouse not a shelter and a financial minefield for uncaring investors.
  • Confounded – by domiciliary care which is a licence for 5 minute-quick fix-pizza delivery support, without the pizza.
  • Discombobulated – by the Dilnot report which was intended to put an end to the uncertainty of high care costs, but in fact proved too high a cost to pay.  So the uncertainty remains.

No wonder I’m befuddled.   In this new world of over populated retirement, there seems to be more snakes than ladders.   More Grumbles than Smiles.

Whatever happened to retirement as a time for leisure and pleasure?   An opportunity lost for relaxation and release from responsibilities?   If we are not careful we – the elderly – could become a burden on ourselves and others. Sliding down the slippery slope of the snakes of ill-health and no wealth.   Unhappy and isolated in our empty castles with no future to look forward to.   Just a quiet long wave goodbye to life.

Befuddled is not good, the elderly deserve a clear and positive vision of later life.     It looks like we will need to identify the way forward for ourselves.

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“Befuddled” 1

Posted on November 4, 2012 by john graham

Since I have returned from my summer holiday, I have to admit my blog has stalled.    I can’t seem to find the Grumbles to turn into Smiles.    Sure enough there are still plenty of grumbles out there — the newspapers abound with articles about the plight of the elderly; stories keep being repeated about poor quality care and the paucity of pensions —- but little seems to change.

When thinking about this country’s strategies for older people, the word “befuddled” came into my head from nowhere.    I was not even sure what it meant, so I googled it.  Then I realised it was entirely appropriate to current situation with the lack of a clear social policy toward the elderly.

Here are a few synonyms for “befuddled” and how they resonate for the elderly :-

  • Bewildered – by the failure to take off of equity release schemes.   Which could be a pot of gold at the end of the later life rainbow, but look more like minefields.
  • Baffled – by pensions and annuities which never seem appealing in youthful years, but are a lifeline in retirement.  Albeit an ever-shortening lifeline.
  • Perplexed – by the get-rich-quick, buy-one-get-one-free culture of today.  What happened to saving for a rainy day?
  • Dazed – by ever rising energy costs.   Somehow our North Sea oil bonanza has disappeared without bringing cost down and now windmills are springing up everywhere.
  • flummoxed – by computers which should be making my life simpler but in reality for the majority of older people, make more and more things unfathomable, especially when they break down.
  • Puzzled – by the internet which simultaneously opens up a new world of opportunity and chaos.

SNAKESpt2

There’s more to follow

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Money under the Mattress

Posted on November 2, 2012 by john graham

Only a few months ago I was writing about how older people are getting left behind by new technology. (Click on the 2 sept 2012 in the Archive)

Now a report by The Payments Council has highlighted the difficulties older people have in using ATM machines, payment terminals, on-line banking and internet shopping.    Difficulties with small buttons, small print, differing data entry processes and remembering passwords all mean that life is getting harder not easier in terms of managing your money.   This is quite the opposite of the situation for todays younger generation.   Many of them do almost all of their shopping on-line and probably never go into a bank or rarely use cash.    So in their head-long pursuit of the modern world and the youth market, the banks are leaving the grey market far behind.

Since there is virtually no interest paid on accounts these days, it may be best for grannies and granddads to put their money under the mattress   🙂

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“Pension Crystal Ball” 3

Posted on October 18, 2012 by john graham

When you’re young you barely know what a pension is and you certainly don’t stop long to think about it.   That is one reason why the majority of younger people don’t join a pension scheme.   Luckily in my day, starting out on a career, many employers still had a paternalistic outlook and promoted the value of their pension schemes as well as making their own contribution.   It was a strong encouragement to join.

Over the last few blogs I have been writing about pensions – (see “PENSION CRYSTAL BALL” by clicking on it in the TAG CLOUD) –  prompted by the Government’s seemingly paternalistic move to auto-enrol people in their new NEST pension scheme.   I am generally supportive of this approach – it is essential for the young to start saving early for their retirement even though it is a low priority in their carefree years.

However, if I knew little about pensions when I was young, I certainly did not know what an annuity was.   Given the almost total demise of final salary pension schemes, an annuity becomes a key word in your retirement vocabulary.   Yet the Government has been very quiet about annuities, while at the same time advertising their new pension scheme on the tele.   This is not quite so paternalistic.

An annuity is the way you convert your hard-earned savings – albeit tax-free – into an annual payment for the rest of your life.   Once again, the Government is giving with one hand and taking away with the other.   Annuity rates have been falling dramatically, initially driven down by the increased longevity of people.   More recently though, it is because of the Government’s £375 billion licence to print money — called quantative easing —  i.e. we are borrowing more to pay back all he money we have borrowed ??????  Economics is a wonderful world of smoke and mirrors.

Annuities have fallen 20% in the last three years, just as 800,000 baby boomers are about to retire.   Now you know why you need

A CRYSTAL BALL

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“Pension Crystal Ball” 2

Posted on October 16, 2012 by john graham

For the first blog on this issue, see “PENSION CRYSTAL BALL” 1 in the TAG CLOUD.

So, what can I see in my Pension Crystal Ball:-

Some things are very clear:-

  • Pension age is going to rise.  It was 60 for women and 65 for men.  By 2020 it will be 66 for men and women.  Then 67 by 2028 and 68 by 2046.  By 2050 the state retirement age will be 70.  This has big implications for the young of today but no impact on existing pensioners.
  • Pension saving will become compulsory.  Currently almost half of working people are not saving enough and many save nothing at all.  The Government’s first move has been to introduce automatic enrolment in occupational pensions – its nest scheme but people can still opt out of this, and are obviously not included if they are unemployed.

The question is – will they save enough for a comfortable retirement or just enough to disqualify themselves from welfare benefit support.  The lowest paid workers who earn less than £15,000 may well conclude it is not worth saving at all and opt out of the nest scheme.

I predict a future Government will make saving for a pension compulsory before very long.

  • The value of universal benefits will be eroded.   This has already been started by linking benefit increases to consumer price index rather than retail price index.   It is just a matter of time and political opportunity before winter fuel allowance, the free bus pass and free TV licences are removed from wealthier pensioners.   This is probably a good thing, but will it be matched by a corresponding increase in the universal state pension.   The illusory £140 pension (see “THE £140 PENSION ILLUSION” in the TAG CLOUD).
  • Free health care will gradually shrink.  For the elderly it has been an issue for many years.   In theory health care is free but in many cases it has not been available.  Equally the care of elderly people in the NHS has a bad reputation which discourages people from coming forward.
  • Free social care will become a thing of the past.  It is already limited only to critical cases in most areas of the country.   When the Dilnot report is finally accepted in principle, it will cap total care costs, although it has subtly added in a £10,000 annual accommodation charge.   I also predict the cap will be around £50,000 rather than Dilnot’s £35,000 and that the qualification for care cost will be tightly proscribed.

In Conclusion:

  • You’re going to have to look after yourself.  The state pension will cover a subsistence level of retirement.   Any quality of life or health and social care support you need will have to be funded through your own resources.

So if you’re still young, start saving at least 20% of your earnings every year towards your eventual retirement at 70 plus.

If you are already retired consider using whatever equity you have – most obviously your house to buy yourself the life style and support you want or need.

THE SELF-WELFARE STATE

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“Pension Crystal Ball” 1

Posted on October 14, 2012 by john graham

This is the first of a series of blogs on pensions which you can find in the TAG CLOUD under the heading “PENSIONS CRYSTAL BALL”.

Predicting how much money you will need to pay for your retirement is more and more difficult as we live longer.  Here are some of the issues you need to forecast before you have an answer:-

  • How long am I going to live?
  • How long will my partner live?
  • What will I need for health care in my advanced years given that the NHS is short of cash and not renowned for looking after older people?
  • What will I need for the years of leisure between retirement and my final moments?  My bucket list of things to do?
  • How much of a legacy do I want to leave?

These are imponderable questions, even at 65 when you’re setting out on retirement.  How much more difficult are they when you are just starting work?  Then you have even more questions to answer:-

  • What career lies ahead of me?
  • What other demands will there be on my money – family / education / housing?

And biggest of all:-

  • What will happen to inflation over my life time?
  • Will the Government change the rules on taxing pension savings?
  • Will the Government change the retirement age?

You certainly cannot rely on the Government.  They have a terrible track record of predicting the cost of anything.  The only thing you can be sure of with their estimates is that they won’t be enough – just look at the Olympics !     With pensions for themselves and their staff, they don’t event try to save, they just rely on being able to increase taxes.

The pensions market is in freefall at the moment and the current economic crisis is likely to lead to more changes in legislation around retirement.  Answering the above questions was always difficult; it is about to get harder still.

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“Biscay Balance”

Posted on October 7, 2012 by john graham

A life on the ocean waves of our Summer sea voyage, see “MEDITERRANEAN REFLECTIONS” in the “TAG CLOUD” for earlier bogs on this theme.

Exhausted by the first day of activities, I contemplate a rest with just some bingo —-  I settle for reading the newspapers instead.

Up until now the sea has been calm, but we are about to enter the notorious Bay of Biscay.  The Captain reassuringly tells us winds are only moderate and there is only a slight swell of   5 feet.  It sounds quite a lot to me but I still haven’t completed my beginners’ bridge class,  so who am I to question the Captain’s 40 years at the mast judgement.

As the day goes on the wind seems to get up a bit and there are lots of little white caps on the waves.  I did hear a “man overboard” drill earlier on but we were assured it was only a safety exercise.  Not entirely reassured by that.

It is getting a bit more bumpy now and walking about is rather more challenging than it was yesterday.  To be on the safe side, the decks have been closed, so there should not be any more “men overboard” scares.

At just this moment I read a timely report in the paper.   Apparently researchers at Duquesne University on dry land in the U.S.of A, did a study of young and old mice and found that older mice had poorer balance.   They then gave them Resveratol – a chemical found in red wine – and somewhat surprisingly their balance improved.   So much so, that they were able to walk along a narrow beam.   Next year they will be entering them in the U.S.A. Olympics gymnastics team !

As the winds in the Bay of Biscay reached gale force 10 and the waves rise to 25 feet,sea spray crashed onto our deck 7 balcony.   I took to the red wine, but it didn’t seem to help.  Goodness knows how the line dancers are getting on.

The research also pointed out that falls are one of the leading causes of death in the over 75’s.   So sailing in the Bay of Biscay in a force 10 gale may not be such a good idea unless you can consume copious quantities of red wine,  have at least an Olympic bronze medal in gymnastics  and have passed your beginners’ bridge class.

CHH..EE..RS

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