Thought I might start a thread on this for those who are already retired / semi-retired like me or nearing retirement. A place to swap tips and idea's about a happy and satisfying retirement.
In the last 6 months as I've posted elsewhere, we've got back into boating and got back into having a dog. Both have significantly increased our sense of wellbeing, and both were desperately needed after the long grind of years of Covid. Mrs hound seems a little grumpy that Tony the Pony seems to be a one man dog but it is what it is and I'm the one that walks him the most.
So what tips, tricks and idea's do you have to make for a happy, satisfying retirement?
Here's a Harvard study that draws a conclusion that's probably obvious to all of us already but nonetheless is worth posting.
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/10/85-year-harvard-happiness-study-found-the-biggest-downside-of-retirement-that-no-one-talks-about.html
Great topic.
We all want to be happy generally. I see and hear of too many people with great plans for retirement and then something unexpected comes up and either kills them or their dreams.
Like you, we have recently purchased our first launch. I have learnt that boat stands for "bring on another $1000". While this certainly has been the case, boating gives my wife and I great enjoyment.
While money is important to give you the lifestyle you want. I think there are to many of us stuck in ruts that live to work. Worldwide there has been a huge amount of people who have semi or fully retired early. Covid has made people re access their life, which I guess is a positive from what has been a difficult few years.
With money being one of the largest stressors in life, having a financial plan of sorts helps me relax and enjoy life. I am well diversified which gives me peace of mind so I can sleep well.
We both love travel so it's a great feeling when you have a few trips booked for the year. I have also thought long and hard on what gives me enjoyment and what does not, and have made a conscious effort to avoid where possible things that we don't like.
In business even if it costs us we avoid people that are difficult and hard to deal with. Life is to short for that.
Great to hear your enjoying your launch Shareguy.
Interesting what you say about avoiding those who carry a lot of negativism and negative energy around with them. I agree, life is too short. On a fine morning there's nothing I would rather do than take "The Pony" as I affectionately refer to him, for a walk in the local dog park where he can run around off leash and mix with all the other dogs. He's such a big boy but so laid back and friendly. This morning I was asked if his name was "Bear" lol
https://barkbag.co.nz/blog/auckland-dog-walks-craigavon-park/
Such a beautiful park and everyone you meet seems to be in a really positive mood enjoying nature and seeing their dog mix and mingle with other dog's and there's lots of positive energy and friendliness abounding. The physical and mental health benefits of regular good walks in beautiful places is something that cannot be overstated. Met a lovely couple today in their 70's this morning. They walk their dogs every day which gave me something to think about because I sometimes skip days I am feeling a bit tired or stiff. Best solution to keeping well as you get older is to walk your dog every day he said.
The other highlight this summer has been entertaining on the boat and also the overnight trips where Mrs hound and I can relax and enjoy the golden hour sunset with a few drinks. That last hour or so of the evening in a calm bay anchored up somewhere nice is absolute bliss. As you alluded too with travel, it's nice to have something to plan and look forward too. I reckon boat, campervan, tenting or whatever, one of the very best things to do in retirement is get out and about and really enjoy spending time in nature in beautiful places. Its food for the soul.
Yes walking works for me too. Can't beat nature at its finest. The last few hours in the evenings are magic. Always interesting watching the comings and goings while enjoying a few cold ones.
Great topic and it has always fascinated me , as it's a bit of an unknown.IE: You may live to 90 in that case you will need X for retirement. On the other hand if it's 65 , maybe party till like it's 1999.But generally you don't know.
Having my parents and my wifes parents all passing away at a relatively young age ,I came to the conclusion I wasn't going to be bothered if I was poorish when I was 80 .So we do what we want when we want now . Working out ok so far , another thing talking to older people is they have generally been supportive of the approach .They say "do it while you can"
Here is a guide that is 250 pages you can download to help with your retirement planning.
https://bizxtra.co.nz/downloads/
S/L
Thanks a lot for the guide Stoploss, will look through that in due course. As you suggest, the amount of years you have is unknown as is the question of how many of them are you going to be healthy for? What's the point of lying in a bed, incontinent, waiting for the nurse to change your nappies and unable to walk in your late 80's with $10m in investments? I think you are right to enjoy yourself along the journey of life and enjoy the fruits of your work.
To be honest I have done that all my life and didn't really get serious about saving for retirement until I was 50, about 11 years ago. One thing that's occurred to me at 61 is my health isn't going to be the same at 70 or 80 or if I make it that far, 90, as it is now so there is a sense of enjoy your retirement, (in my case semi-retirement at this stage), while you have the health to do so.
There are a lot of lifespan calculators out there, google "lifespan expectancy calculator" and take your pick, where you enter things like your current age, weight, do you smoke, how often do your exercise, what age did your parents die and so on and they give you an estimate. I entered my details in one or two calculators a while ago and because I am a fat Beagle I got answers in the low 80's despite my parents living to 88 and 91 respectively. I realise if I want longer I need to change my lifestyle and eating habits and walking Tony the Pony almost every day is certainly helping. This morning I really didn't feel like a walk but he is such a handsome big dog and he looked at me with those big eyes and told me he really wanted to go to the dog park again so what's a guy to do lol
Quote from: Basil on Mar 14, 2023, 10:57 AM...
To be honest I have done that all my life and didn't really get serious about saving for retirement until I was 50, about 11 years ago. One thing that's occurred to me at 61 is my health isn't going to be the same at 70 or 80 or if I make it that far, 90, as it is now so there is a sense of enjoy your retirement, (in my case semi-retirement at this stage), while you have the health to do so.
...
Somehow off the screen of financials, but one thing worthwhile remembering is that each of us have a large influence over their future health. While it is true that "sh*t happens", people who don't smoke, drink only in moderation, keep their weight below the obesity limit and exercise regularly have a significantly higher chance to enjoy not just a longer life but stay as well longer healthy.
My father in law just turned 90 last year - and just won recently a regional chess championship. He still works as well (part time these days) in a saw mill. Used to be his own, now belongs to his grandson. Hard physical work ... but hey, he is fit and enjoys his life.
Unlikely he will need for a long time anybody changing his nappies ...
Just a thought.
A good thought BP, thanks.
Quote from: BlackPeter on Mar 15, 2023, 09:46 AMSomehow off the screen of financials, but one thing worthwhile remembering is that each of us have a large influence over their future health. While it is true that "sh*t happens", people who don't smoke, drink only in moderation, keep their weight below the obesity limit and exercise regularly have a significantly higher chance to enjoy not just a longer life but stay as well longer healthy.
On that subject, https://www.zerohedge.com/political/theres-no-such-thing-healthy-obesity
Obesity is the number one risk factor for severe covid, and long covid. Yet Govts and the medical establishment are so hell bent on being politically correct that no-one even mentioned it. Instead of 3years of lockdowns preventing people exercising, people going to weightwatchers meetings, shutting down gastric bypass surgeries, and stopping kids from running around playgrounds, they could have been promoting diets and exercise as a way of combatting covid, but they didnt. What a wasted opportunity. Fear of immediate death might have been an obesity game changer.
If you are going to make claims like that you need to provide a link to an official or at least, reputable,
medical source. Not a source like this one that appears to exist purely to be a "disruptive journalism" site.
I fully acknowledge that obesity is a major health issue, and increases one's chance of becoming very unwell with Covid, but I have seen zero evidence that obesity is the
number one risk for Covid. Whatever that even means.
Quote from: KW on Mar 15, 2023, 12:50 PMOn that subject, https://www.zerohedge.com/political/theres-no-such-thing-healthy-obesity
Obesity is the number one risk factor for severe covid, and long covid. Yet Govts and the medical establishment are so hell bent on being politically correct that no-one even mentioned it. Instead of 3years of lockdowns preventing people exercising, people going to weightwatchers meetings, shutting down gastric bypass surgeries, and stopping kids from running around playgrounds, they could have been promoting diets and exercise as a way of combatting covid, but they didnt. What a wasted opportunity. Fear of immediate death might have been an obesity game changer.
Quote from: Untamed on Mar 15, 2023, 01:12 PMIf you are going to make claims like that you need to provide a link to an official or at least, reputable, medical source. Not a source like this one that appears to exist purely to be a "disruptive journalism" site.
I fully acknowledge that obesity is a major health issue, and increases one's chance of becoming very unwell with Covid, but I have seen zero evidence that obesity is the number one risk for Covid. Whatever that even means.
Not sure what you are going on about, its simply a news article reporting on medical research, you can follow the links within the article yourself to read the medical sources.
As for obesity being the major risk factor for covid, a simple Google search will prove that, its not exactly a "conspiracy theory" but you can start here
https://www.science.org/content/article/why-covid-19-more-deadly-people-obesity-even-if-theyre-young
You claimed it was the
number one risk for Covid. I am simply disputing that statement. It is a major risk factor but I can find no evidence that it is the highest risk factor.
Quote from: KW on Mar 15, 2023, 02:54 PMNot sure what you are going on about, its simply a news article reporting on medical research, you can follow the links within the article yourself to read the medical sources.
As for obesity being the major risk factor for covid, a simple Google search will prove that, its not exactly a "conspiracy theory" but you can start here
https://www.science.org/content/article/why-covid-19-more-deadly-people-obesity-even-if-theyre-young
Quote from: Untamed on Mar 15, 2023, 03:22 PMYou claimed it was the number one risk for Covid. I am simply disputing that statement. It is a major risk factor but I can find no evidence that it is the highest risk factor.
"The greatest risk of developing severe COVID-19 and being hospitalized with the disease or dying of it was in patients with the highest body mass index (BMI) scores, according to a CDC report (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7010e4.htm?s_cid=mm7010e4_w)."
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2779186
Obesity is the Biggest Risk Factor for COVID Complications in Children
https://uknow.uky.edu/uk-healthcare/obesity-biggest-risk-factor-covid-complications-children
While the article you link to does state that, the CDC report does not. Nowhere in that report does it claim that obesity
is the number one or highest risk factor for any aspect of Covid. I am talking about adults here, not children.
The report also makes it clear that:
A sensitivity analysis showed weaker associations between BMI category and severe COVID-19–associated illness when adjusted for other underlying medical conditions, particularly among patients aged ≥65 yearsGiven that a large percentage of adults over 65 will have at least one underlying medical condition, the above sensitivity analysis statement is an important one and cannot be ignored.
Anyway, no need for us to argue. I posted purely because emotive statements such as yours are misleading. Anyone reading your post could be forgiven for believing that their obesity provides a far greater risk, than their lung cancer, auto immune disease or any other medical condition. Which, is simply not true.
Quote from: KW on Mar 15, 2023, 03:54 PM"The greatest risk of developing severe COVID-19 and being hospitalized with the disease or dying of it was in patients with the highest body mass index (BMI) scores, according to a CDC report (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7010e4.htm?s_cid=mm7010e4_w)."
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2779186
Obesity is the Biggest Risk Factor for COVID Complications in Children
https://uknow.uky.edu/uk-healthcare/obesity-biggest-risk-factor-covid-complications-children
Quote from: Untamed on Mar 15, 2023, 05:12 PMWhile the article you link to does state that, the CDC report does not. Nowhere in that report does it claim that obesity is the number one or highest risk factor for any aspect of Covid. I am talking about adults here, not children.
The report also makes it clear that:
A sensitivity analysis showed weaker associations between BMI category and severe COVID-19–associated illness when adjusted for other underlying medical conditions, particularly among patients aged ≥65 years
Given that a large percentage of adults over 65 will have at least one underlying medical condition, the above sensitivity analysis statement is an important one and cannot be ignored.
Anyway, no need for us to argue. I posted purely because emotive statements such as yours are misleading. Anyone reading your post could be forgiven for believing that their obesity provides a far greater risk, than their lung cancer, auto immune disease or any other medical condition. Which, is simply not true.
Agree with you untamed. I think the point of KWs post was to bag the governments handling of Covid, once again
Quote from: ShiningStar on Mar 15, 2023, 05:44 PMAgree with you untamed. I think the point of KWs post was to bag the governments handling of Covid, once again
No, it was to point out that if you want to stay alive longer, don't be obese.
Now that's just rubbish, and you know it. Your post was
specifically about obesity with relation to covid risk.
You're just being ridiculous now.
Quote from: KW on Mar 15, 2023, 06:14 PMNo, it was to point out that if you want to stay alive longer, don't be obese.
Quote from: Untamed on Mar 15, 2023, 06:19 PMNow that's just rubbish, and you know it. Your post was specifically about obesity with relation to covid risk.
You're just being ridiculous now.
No, my post was of the zerohedge article which discussed how obesity is directly related to mortality - then I used Covid as an example of that. If you want to deny that obesity is going to kill you eventually, whether that is from Covid or from something else, go ahead. Hope it works out for you.
Quote from: KW on Mar 15, 2023, 06:33 PMNo, my post was of the zerohedge article which discussed how obesity is directly related to mortality - then I used Covid as an example of that. If you want to deny that obesity is going to kill you eventually, whether that is from Covid or from something else, go ahead. Hope it works out for you.
Well thats a weird reply :o are you suggesting untamed is obese?
Just came across this Retirement Years thread and was really enjoying it. So sad to see how it disintegrated so quickly into an argument
Well said, thank you. Here's a thought-provoking video to reboot this thread and make it useful again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BNyLriQMSs
I was lucky enough to be able to retire at the age of 57. My wife and I owned a small, successful but pretty stressful business. We had planned to carry on for 2 - 3 more years to meet our financial goals. However, we were approached by someone who was very keen to purchase the business and, basically, wouldn't take no for an answer so we ended up selling early. Somewhat surprisingly it took me a couple of years to stop feeling guilty about retiring at the age of 57. Crazy I know. Pleased to say I am well over that now and really enjoying the many things that retirement allows. Work is definately not the be all and end all of life.
Thanks for kicking this thread off Basil and to contributors. It is a great topic. I am hoping to move from semi-retired (but working too much) to mostly retired by the end of next year when my wife also plans to retire from her full time job. We will be mid 50's and hope to travel and have the time to enjoy life. Our list of priorities as we head towards this are...
- family
- friends (longstanding and new with hobbies)
- wellness
- experiencing nature - walking
- hobbies
- travel & adventure
- contributing
- keeping the mind active
The last two are reasons that we may not retire completely from paid work if we can get the balance right. We might be inspired to add getting a dog to the list after we have got the travel bug sorted.
It is good to hear how others are finding the journey from working to semi-retirement to retirement on this thread.
Great priority list ... looks pretty similar to mine :) ; One thing to watch on the way to be less employed is just - you still need to set and observe your priorities. I noticed that with less paid commitments at hand it is easy to drop the discipline to say NO and you will get busier and busier ...
Thanks BP, good advice. I do have a habit of taking on more than I should and impacting my ability to deliver on personal priorities. So I need to bring a bit of discipline to this transition. I also value the approach outlined by another poster of ensuring that I only working with people that I enjoy working with at this phase.
'Pensioner poverty' seems to quite widespread ....and getting worse
Sitting in the dark wrapped in a blanket with only one meal a day can't be fun.
Quote from: winner (n) on Apr 24, 2023, 02:10 PM'Pensioner poverty' seems to quite widespread ....and getting worse
Sitting in the dark wrapped in a blanket with only one meal a day can't be fun.
Absolutely. The gap between rich and poor is still widening. Rich getting richer and poor getting poorer, and this is true for all age groups.
Suppose however that the people you are describing are unlikely to contribute much to this forum.
Having said that - we can always set up or join a group of rich listers volunteering to cook a second meal for the poor. Volunteering can be really rewarding ... another option for these cold winter evenings.
Quote from: winner (n) on Apr 24, 2023, 02:10 PM'Pensioner poverty' seems to quite widespread ....and getting worse
Sitting in the dark wrapped in a blanket with only one meal a day can't be fun.
Yes I recorded that "Sunday" program on retirement poverty and watched it the other night. Was sobering stuff. Hopefully nobody on here is still renting and also ends up living on national superannuation with no other income whatsoever. Pretty grim way to "exist" / "endure" through one's retirement years.
Heck, there wouldn't even be enough money for the petfood to feed a decent sized dog.
At least one person here will be, but I genuinely believe that attitude is everything. Some people don't need a flash house, overseas trips, designer clothes, or a wine cellar, to be content and happy. So don't judge other people's situations based on your own vision for retirement. The simple life works for many.
Quote from: Basil on Apr 28, 2023, 04:16 PMYes I recorded that "Sunday" program on retirement poverty and watched it the other night. Was sobering stuff. Hopefully nobody on here is still renting and also ends up living on national superannuation with no other income whatsoever. Pretty grim way to "exist" / "endure" through one's retirement years.
Heck, there wouldn't even be enough money for the petfood to feed a decent sized dog.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/sunday Not so Golden years
Not judging anyone here or anywhere else jak, even those who choose to live in a caravan are perfectly entitled to their life choices but I think most of us on here aspire to something more comfortable in our retirement years, that's why many of us are on here. People interviewed, (see for yourself), don't look very content to me, that's all I was saying.
Quote from: winner (n) on Apr 24, 2023, 02:10 PM'Pensioner poverty' seems to quite widespread ....and getting worse
Sitting in the dark wrapped in a blanket with only one meal a day can't be fun.
A friend advertised a room in a nice part of Auckland recently, as a flatshare, and was surprised to have four ladies all in their sixties all quite desperate to get it. The cost of even that small room and shared bathroom is more than half the monthly superannuation, and that's before coughing up for the shared utilities. Worrying times for some.
I probably could have worded my post better. Rather than "don't judge" I should have perhaps said "don't automatically assume" that people in the category we are talking about, are going to live a miserable, unhappy retirement. I guess, I took personal exception to that implication. Some of us simply cannot change our situation now, so we have two choices. Either we go into our retirement with a positive mind-set, and do our best to live a happy and content, simple life OR we go into it with a negative attitude and focus on the negatives rather than the positives. I choose to do the former.
Having said that, I am not so naive that I don't accept that there will be some retirees who will absolutely be struggling. Many of those people would be likely to qualify for government subsidised rest home care however - so that may be an alternative to continuing to rent. Yes, there will always be a few who say "over my dead body!" but you know what? After five years of working in a rest home, I can think of only two residents who regretted moving in. The rest will now tell you, that it was the best thing they ever did, and they don't regret it.
I don't know what the answers are Beagle. Neither government knows what the hell they are doing with regards to Aged Care. But they need to get their act together before they find themselves in really deep doo doo. Right now the sector is experiencing staffing issues with RNs, and nursing shortages have been the media focus. But caregivers are struggling, and some of us have reluctantly decided that we cannot do it any longer. I did my last shift last Sunday. My heart is broken because it was my passion and I loved what I did, but I just couldn't do it anymore. I know of two caregivers who have resigned from another NFP rest home locally, and have gone to work at the new Bunnings store.
As I have said before, if one of the major parties comes out with a workable and suitable policy for Aged Care, before the election, they will get my vote, because we are in crisis right now. I am not holding my breath however, as I seriously doubt any party will have this anywhere near the top of their "To Do" list.
Quote from: Basil on Apr 28, 2023, 05:27 PMhttps://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/sunday Not so Golden years
Not judging anyone here or anywhere else jak, even those who choose to live in a caravan are perfectly entitled to their life choices but I think most of us on here aspire to something more comfortable in our retirement years, that's why many of us are on here. People interviewed, (see for yourself), don't look very content to me, that's all I was saying.
I hope the residents and other staff gave you a nice farewell JAK. I'm sure you've helped huge numbers of elderly folks enjoy their time in your care and you can feel content your hard work has blessed many people over the years. I know we haven't often seen eye to eye over the years but I genuinely wish you well in your retirement. Maybe a part time job at Bunnings for you ?
You are quite right, apparently 40% of superannuants live on just their superannuation and I am sure many are quite content with the simple life. I know one in Turangi who supplements her Super by selling jams and pickles at the local market and she is well connected and liked in the community.
Unfortunately, I know others in Auckland who are still paying rent and are really struggling with making ends meet. I agree, the underfunding of care for elderly folks has reached an absolute crisis point.
Thanks Beagle. I appreciate those kind words. Not retirement though! I have two years to go before I'm 65 so this was far from an easy decision to make, and far from ideal at my age. But sometimes one has to put their sanity first.
I am house sitting for six months as of yesterday, so that is a blessing as my costs will be minimal over that time. Having a break to unwind and learn how to relax and read a book again. Then I'll be on the hunt for part time work.
I would really encourage everyone here to speak to your local political candidates, regardless of party, and do what you can to make them understand the crisis s aged care is in. Maybe don't come at it from an investor perspective but as Kiwi citizens who care about our elderly, who will also be elderly in the not too distant future (for some of us). We need to demand action now. Maybe now that I have some free time for a bit, I will bombard them all with emails ;)
Quote from: Basil on Apr 29, 2023, 09:12 AMI hope the residents and other staff gave you a nice farewell JAK. I'm sure you've helped huge numbers of elderly folks enjoy their time in your care and you can feel content your hard work has blessed many people over the years. I know we haven't often seen eye to eye over the years but I genuinely wish you well in your retirement. Maybe a part time job at Bunnings for you ?
You are quite right, apparently 40% of superannuants live on just their superannuation and I am sure many are quite content with the simple life. I know one in Turangi who supplements her Super by selling jams and pickles at the local market and she is well connected and liked in the community.
Unfortunately, I know others in Auckland who are still paying rent and are really struggling with making ends meet. I agree, the underfunding of care for elderly folks has reached an absolute crisis point.
Quote from: Untamed on Apr 29, 2023, 10:49 AMI would really encourage everyone here to speak to your local political candidates, regardless of party, and do what you can to make them understand the crisis s aged care is in. Maybe don't come at it from an investor perspective but as Kiwi citizens who care about our elderly, who will also be elderly in the not too distant future (for some of us). We need to demand action now. Maybe now that I have some free time for a bit, I will bombard them all with emails ;)
Its in crisis everywhere. In Australia they have brought in the army to help out. If only NZ still had an armed forces .....
https://www.health.gov.au/news/announcements/the-australian-defence-force-to-work-with-the-aged-care-sector-to-provide-immediate-support-for-staff
Quote from: KW on Apr 30, 2023, 07:43 PMIts in crisis everywhere. In Australia they have brought in the army to help out. If only NZ still had an armed forces .....
https://www.health.gov.au/news/announcements/the-australian-defence-force-to-work-with-the-aged-care-sector-to-provide-immediate-support-for-staff
NZ and Australia are not "Everywhere". Its just a small blob at the bottom of the globe.
But yes, it sounds like the Ossies decided to burn out their forces now (in the age care sector). We choose to do that already a bit earlier in MIQ. Same thing. While disaster response might still be a valid task for the army, if you use people highly trained in fighting and using complex weapon systems too long for administering and containing travellers or supporting the age care sector ( I guess somebody needs to carry the soup and remove the rubbish) ... even the most well meaning soldier will go and find a job closer to their job description and inclination.
Both Australia as well as NZ have fast aging populations with not enough young people following the aging "blob", and despite this they still served over the recent years the desires of a quite xenophobe minority instead of using their brains (not to mention their hearts) and let people in who could help us to maintain our society in the future. Now we have in most professions (and particularly the healthcare sector) a dwindling workforce, and whoever is left is looking to retire soon.
We managed to keep both new qualified medical staff as well as support staff out of the country (and even kicked in recent years medical staff due to an absolutely inept and inhumane immigration system out of NZ), and populist Labour just indulged in being mean and dumb. remember our anti immigration minister Chris Faafoi - "We all have to make sacrifices"?
To take just one example - India alone represents 20% of the world population and they have plenty of well trained and (even) English speaking nurses and medical staff. We make it very difficult for professionals from India to come here, live here and work here. I once tried to hire for my company a professional (software engineer) from India - and this was before the current populist and xenophobe government came into power. The hoops both employers as well as applicants had to jump through have been quite ridiculous, and yes - at the end the candidate choose to go into a more welcoming country.
Many other populous countries have plenty of young, often well trained (or at least highly motivated and trainable) people who would be happy to work in our age and health care sector (China, Ukraine, Indonesia, Philippines, ...), and yes - they go into the countries which welcome them. Clearly not NZ or Australia.
We are now going to pay the bill for allowing xenophobes and populists to run the show.
Quote from: BlackPeter on May 01, 2023, 08:53 AMBoth Australia as well as NZ have fast aging populations with not enough young people following the aging "blob",
That is actually a bit of a furphy. In NZ, the Gen X and Millennial population cohorts are bigger than the Baby Boomer generation. We have no shortage of young people. Just a shortage of young people who want to work for low wages wiping old people's arses.
https://www.populationpyramid.net/new-zealand/2019/
Your comment is offensive and disrespectful, and attitudes like yours are the reason caregivers are undervalued and under appreciated. Sheer ignorance >:(
Quote from: KW on May 01, 2023, 12:26 PMJust a shortage of young people who want to work for low wages wiping old people's arses.
Quote from: Untamed on May 01, 2023, 12:52 PMYour comment is offensive and disrespectful, and attitudes like yours are the reason caregivers are undervalued and under appreciated. Sheer ignorance >:(
Not sure what is offensive about my comment. I certainly don't want to wipe anyone's arse for a living, even if you paid me well to do it. I imagine most people wouldnt want to do it for a minimum wage job. Lots of jobs I wouldnt want to do - nothing offensive about it, just preferences.
What was offensive is the fact that you equate aged care caregiving with wiping people's bottoms. Are you that ignorant that you really don't know what the job involves????
I am
very glad you don't want to be a caregiver. You would absolutely suck at it.
Quote from: KW on May 01, 2023, 01:14 PMNot sure what is offensive about my comment. I certainly don't want to wipe anyone's arse for a living, even if you paid me well to do it. I imagine most people wouldnt want to do it for a minimum wage job. Lots of jobs I wouldnt want to do - nothing offensive about it, just preferences.
Quote from: Untamed on May 01, 2023, 01:16 PMWhat was offensive is the fact that you equate aged care caregiving with wiping people's bottoms. Are you that ignorant that you really don't know what the job involves????
I am very glad you don't want to be a caregiver. You would absolutely suck at it.
Are you trying to tell me that caring for old people does not involve ANY personal hygiene tasks? And the fact that I dont want to do any of it offends you? Well, sorry mate, but as I said, we all have standards as to what we are prepared to do to earn a living. Just because you are happy to do it, doesnt mean there is anything wrong with those of us who dont want to do it. Each to their own right?
No, that's not what I'm telling you. I'm calling you out because you singled out the bottom wiping task in your original post, and completely ignored all of the other things we do to care for and support our residents. Caregiving is one of the most rewarding jobs there is, and personal hygiene tasks are only a small aspect of the role. For your information, we often have young people working as caregivers. Young people who are quite clearly a lot smarter than you, and a damned sight more caring and compassionate.
I know which one I'd rather have caring for my Mum.
Quote from: KW on May 01, 2023, 01:22 PMAre you trying to tell me that caring for old people does not involve ANY personal hygiene tasks? And the fact that I dont want to do any of it offends you? Well, sorry mate, but as I said, we all have standards as to what we are prepared to do to earn a living. Just because you are happy to do it, doesnt mean there is anything wrong with those of us who dont want to do it. Each to their own right?
Quote from: KW on May 01, 2023, 12:26 PMThat is actually a bit of a furphy. In NZ, the Gen X and Millennial population cohorts are bigger than the Baby Boomer generation. We have no shortage of young people. Just a shortage of young people who want to work for low wages wiping old people's arses.
https://www.populationpyramid.net/new-zealand/2019/
Strong words, but your information is wrong - or at best misleading (is this what furphy means ?).
Even if your data would be correct, it would be irrelevant. The various randomly defined generations have different lengths and they neither represent the majority of people in care nor the majority of people in the workforce, So, what is the point?
Relevant is the number of working age people able to fund and care for the number of people who need care. You might find that you forgot the silent generation, which still occupies many more care beds than the baby boomers do.
The fertility rate for women in Australia is 1.7 (children per female), in NZ it is 1.85.
To keep the current level of population, you would need however 2.1 - or allow sufficient immigration of people to close the gap. This was what a xenophobe and populist Labour government in NZ stopped (and the Ossies are anyway weird). I know, NZ Labour now opened the tap again, but its too little, too late.
Do you realize as well that more than 50% of our health care staff plan to retire in the next ten years? These would be some Gen X and some Baby Boomers.
Of them - 2/3rds of our GP's plan to retire over the coming 10 years (https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/487075/nearly-two-thirds-of-gps-plan-to-retire-in-next-10-years
) - and for them are your comments absolutely irrelevant.
Instead of allowing capable young people into the country to support our society the resident xenophobes and populists made sure that we are now running out of not just healthcare staff.
Quote from: BlackPeter on May 01, 2023, 01:32 PMOf them - 2/3rds of our GP's plan to retire over the coming 10 years (https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/487075/nearly-two-thirds-of-gps-plan-to-retire-in-next-10-years
) - and for them are your comments absolutely irrelevant.
Instead of allowing capable young people into the country to support our society the resident xenophobes and populists made sure that we are now running out of not just healthcare staff.
For that, we can blame the medical schools. For 10 years now they have been selecting medical students based on race, and not on qualifications, meaning thousands of young people who wanted to be doctors, and who were the brightest in our country, were denied the opportunity to practice medicine.
Quote from: KW on May 01, 2023, 01:38 PMFor that, we can blame the medical schools. For 10 years now they have been selecting medical students based on race, and not on qualifications, meaning thousands of young people who wanted to be doctors, and who were the brightest in our country, were denied the opportunity to practice medicine.
I am sometimes surprised that somebody as bright as you is happy to parrot alt right slurs. Don't you think them through before you post them?
Lets have a look: Yes, people with brown skin (and the right heritage) find it easier in NZ to get a medical study place than Pakeha's (or anybody else without Maori blood). This is correct and clearly - it is racist (wrong or right).
However:
- this is not the fault of the medical schools you are blaming, the ratios are set by politicians.
- no matter whether its right or wrong, it does not reduce the number of medical students in NZ, it just adjust the racial profile of student doctors to the racial profile in the population (and there might be well some good arguments for doing that).
- it clearly does not reduce the overall number of medical practitioners in NZ. If anything, it will increase the number, given that a doctor with Maori heritage is in my view less likely to go overseas than a Pakeha doctor.
But back to the thread: Due to the populist non sense you seem to support, all of us will find it more difficult during our retirement years to find a qualified doctor (or a nurse) when we need them.
Cheers for that.
Quote from: KW on May 01, 2023, 01:38 PMFor that, we can blame the medical schools. For 10 years now they have been selecting medical students based on race, and not on qualifications, meaning thousands of young people who wanted to be doctors, and who were the brightest in our country, were denied the opportunity to practice medicine.
I would be interested to know what evidence you may have to support that statement.
Quote from: KW on May 01, 2023, 01:38 PMFor that, we can blame the medical schools. For 10 years now they have been selecting medical students based on race, and not on qualifications, meaning thousands of young people who wanted to be doctors, and who were the brightest in our country, were denied the opportunity to practice medicine.
Here's the actual situation:
In 2020, Māori make up more than 16 percent of Aotearoa's population. Yet less than four percent of New Zealand's doctors are Māori. Less than two percent are Pasifika. Māori and Pasifika health outcomes are among the worst of any demographic group in New Zealand.
Affirmative action policies to help diversify the health workforce have been in place for years.
Otago University's medical programme is one of the most competitive courses in the country, with more than a thousand students competing for about 280 places, both undergrad and postgrad.
A student's admission is based on their grade point average and performance in a clinical aptitude test.
But in 2012, the university introduced the Mirror on Society policy, giving priority entry to students from communities under-represented within the health workforce.
These include Māori and Pasifika students; students from rural or low socioeconomic backgrounds; and refugees.
In 2020 more than half the second-year medical placements at Otago went to students from these backgrounds.
They still have to meet the academic requirements - passing each of their papers at first try with more than 70 percent marks - but due to the hugely competitive nature of the course, students who achieve better marks but don't meet those categories can end up missing out on placements.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-detail/story/2018763437/why-do-we-have-preferential-entry-into-med-school
Quote from: Hectorplains on May 01, 2023, 08:50 PMThey still have to meet the academic requirements - passing each of their papers at first try with more than 70 percent marks - but due to the hugely competitive nature of the course, students who achieve better marks but don't meet those categories can end up missing out on placements.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-detail/story/2018763437/why-do-we-have-preferential-entry-into-med-school
Not true. The 60% of special entry students do not have to meet the same academic requirements as the 40% of those selected in general entry. The academic standard is far lower. The academic standard used to be 90% not 70%, and still is for those not being selected based on race. Thus you have to then ask if those students are properly prepared for the academic rigour of the course - where is the data on those graduating or working in the system? Its been this way for 11 years now and if the level of Maori/Pasifica doctors is still so low when they make up 60% of medical school intakes, then what happened to them post University?
It seems to me that we have swapped out people qualified to be doctors for people who did not qualify to be doctors, all in the name of social justice. Now we find ourselves short of doctors, and you don't think there is a link between the two?
Can you please provide a source for this?
Quote from: KW on May 02, 2023, 02:01 PMNot true. The 60% of special entry students do not have to meet the same academic requirements as the 40% of those selected in general entry. The academic standard is far lower. The academic standard used to be 90% not 70%, and still is for those not being selected based on race. Thus you have to then ask if those students are properly prepared for the academic rigour of the course - where is the data on those graduating or working in the system? Its been this way for 11 years now and if the level of Maori/Pasifica doctors is still so low when they make up 60% of medical school intakes, then what happened to them post University?
It seems to me that we have swapped out people qualified to be doctors for people who did not qualify to be doctors, all in the name of social justice. Now we find ourselves short of doctors, and you don't think there is a link between the two?
Quote from: Untamed on May 02, 2023, 03:17 PMCan you please provide a source for this?
Harry* is a bright and social 18-year-old who was always passionate about becoming a doctor. He was brought up in a well-off home by professional parents but family issues meant life was no bed of roses.He completed the first year health science course at the University of Otago last year with an A+ average grade and also managed a top score in the required University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT). He was "absolutely gutted" and so were his parents when he was not accepted into Otago Medical School.
Incredibly, his academic results were not good enough. His disappointment was not helped by students with far lower grades and poorer UCAT results being accepted under special categories including Māori and Pasifika, rural and low socioeconomic.
Harry, of European descent, was not alone in his disappointment. Other European and Asian students faced similar setbacks. At least one family has threatened legal action.
At Otago that meant general entry students had to get, as one student put it, "ludicrously" high grades to be accepted. In fact candidates needed at least a 94 per cent average mark for their seven papers to get an offer
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/300013258/medical-school-who-gets-in-and-why
This is anecdotal evidence. Where is the actual official statement that outlines this lower requirement? I'm not saying you are wrong. I would just like to see the actual policy.
Quote from: KW on May 02, 2023, 03:32 PMHarry* is a bright and social 18-year-old who was always passionate about becoming a doctor. He was brought up in a well-off home by professional parents but family issues meant life was no bed of roses.
He completed the first year health science course at the University of Otago last year with an A+ average grade and also managed a top score in the required University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT). He was "absolutely gutted" and so were his parents when he was not accepted into Otago Medical School.
Incredibly, his academic results were not good enough. His disappointment was not helped by students with far lower grades and poorer UCAT results being accepted under special categories including Māori and Pasifika, rural and low socioeconomic.
Harry, of European descent, was not alone in his disappointment. Other European and Asian students faced similar setbacks. At least one family has threatened legal action.
At Otago that meant general entry students had to get, as one student put it, "ludicrously" high grades to be accepted. In fact candidates needed at least a 94 per cent average mark for their seven papers to get an offer
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/300013258/medical-school-who-gets-in-and-why
These don't literally quantify the numbers selected for year-two med school, but it does outline the 'alternative criteria and sub-categories for selection'.
https://www.mytuition.nz/articles/high-school/a-guide-to-studying-medicine-in-new-zealand#mt-blog-med-school "About nearly 300 students are admitted to Otago med each year, although this fluctuates year to year. Roughly 180 of these are through the HSFY route, with the rest from graduate and alternative entry."
https://www.otago.ac.nz/healthsciences/students/professional/medicine/#alternative "Te Kauae Parāoa promotes and facilitates equity for students from underrepresented priority groups with the aim to produce a workforce that represents the communities it serves to improve health outcomes for all."
Quote from: Buzz on May 02, 2023, 04:15 PMThese don't literally quantify the numbers selected for year-two med school, but it does outline the 'alternative criteria and sub-categories for selection'.
https://www.mytuition.nz/articles/high-school/a-guide-to-studying-medicine-in-new-zealand#mt-blog-med-school "About nearly 300 students are admitted to Otago med each year, although this fluctuates year to year. Roughly 180 of these are through the HSFY route, with the rest from graduate and alternative entry."
https://www.otago.ac.nz/healthsciences/students/professional/medicine/#alternative "Te Kauae Parāoa promotes and facilitates equity for students from underrepresented priority groups with the aim to produce a workforce that represents the communities it serves to improve health outcomes for all."
The big issue I have with the Te Kauae Parāoa policy is people get special treatment based on their birth right. Rather than any actual emmersion in, commitment to cultural or socio-economic upbringing or improvement. I fail to see, how simply by function of birth this adds to anybody's ability to actually be a better doctor for the community they will serve.
If you want to increase the vibrant diversity of your student body, it would seem sensible - from a per-capita funding perspective - to allocate extra places based on various criteria.
After all, if you're funded for $x per head, and you have applicants for 100 places, wouldn't you be better off - as an institution - to enrol 120 places at $x per head?
Quote from: Henry Filth on May 03, 2023, 10:29 AMIf you want to increase the vibrant diversity of your student body, it would seem sensible - from a per-capita funding perspective - to allocate extra places based on various criteria.
After all, if you're funded for $x per head, and you have applicants for 100 places, wouldn't you be better off - as an institution - to enrol 120 places at $x per head?
The aim should never be diversity. It should be merit.
If you focus on merit you will have diversity - because merit doesn't come from a socially engineered label placed on a person. The more vibrant your meritocracy, the more vibrant you diversity will be.
Any chance we could please get back on topic ?
Quote from: Basil on May 03, 2023, 05:40 PMAny chance we could please get back on topic ?
I'll give it a shot.
I'm getting closer to being eligible for Govt Super but not ready to retire. Strikes me that is a point in life where you draw a line in the sand and life starts to go down hill.
So, financially I am focussing on being financially self sufficient to lead a busy life.
I've also got activities that keeps me fit and social
- one activty purely fitness based > but fun and I get around the place meeing similalry minded peoepl
- another activity that is very physically demanding and gets me into nature
- another activity which has a club and gets me into peaceful nature
- and one that keeps my fine motor skills functioning.
I am planning to travel more. Someone here suggested Somalia. So I'll put that on the list. It will join North Korea as I have an interesting option to get in there. I already have lots of stamps in my passport so I aim to fill it as much as possible.
I'm thinking I might get a campervan. Or make one. But at this stage I'm not prepared to sacrifice speed and comfort to get from a to b.
Got my health. Most of my teeth and brain still functions most of the time. So I'm aiming to make as much use of these faculties for as long as I can.
Australian Budget has a 15% pay increase for aged care workers. Plus have dropped tax rates, so its now 30% tax rate on incomes $45k-$200k. And this is a Labor Govt ;D
For those that have retired, particularly before the traditional age of 65, how did you determine that you had enough wealth?
And knowing what you do now, would you have retired earlier, or worked less, or worked longer?
I'm also interested in what asset allocation you are adopting in retirement I.e. Nz equities, bonds, international equities etc.
Thank you
I posted a theoretical asset allocation strategy here. https://stocktalk.co.nz/index.php?topic=299.0
How much is enough is a difficult question to answer as its determined as much by people's goals, aspirations, lifestyle and the cost of their hobbies as much as anything else.
Some people think the 4% rule has merit. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/four-percent-rule.asp#:~:text=Key%20Takeaways%201%20The%204%25%20rule%20says%20people,retiree%27s%20current%20and%20future%20financial%20needs.%20More%20items
For example, according to the Sorted website, the last time I looked at, https://sorted.org.nz/tools/retirement-calculator/ they reckoned a "choices" lifestyle in retirement you need about $1,600 per week. N.Z. super now pays just a fraction under $1,600 per fortnight after tax to a married couple so if you had $1.04m and used the 4% rule that would be another $800 per week and give you a choices lifestyle.
Returning to the how much is enough; it all depends on what lifestyle you want.
I think if you use the 4% rule in conjunction with the link directly below, that will be useful.
This article is quite interesting https://www.opespartners.co.nz/retirement/costs
Full retirement may not be the "Nirvana" some people think it is.
Many people find working part time in their retirement years forfilling in terms of retaining a sense of purpose, people contact and if the work is well paid that's obviously a factor as well. Those are the reasons I have kept working part time in my early 60's even though I could easily retire now.
Your brain is far to active and valuable to retire to doing nothing.. one suggests a small book for investors... and only when one has some time to think maybe a persons best ideas can actually come later in life even though the wiring of the brain hardens..
I think what young Azz failed to understand is that people buy into retirement villages for non financial reasons. Care, support, community, lifestyle e.t.c.
People make all sorts of decisions for lifestyle reasons, (e.g. buying fancy European cars at exorbitant prices) and it's their hard-earned money to spend as they see fit, not their kids. I tried to get that across to him...unfortunately you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.
Quote from: KW on May 01, 2023, 01:38 PMFor that, we can blame the medical schools. For 10 years now they have been selecting medical students based on race, and not on qualifications, meaning thousands of young people who wanted to be doctors, and who were the brightest in our country, were denied the opportunity to practice medicine.
Thats completely incorrect. The med schools do have highly competitive selective intakes for various areas that are badly underrepresented in the medical workforce. Notably, intakes for rural students and for Maōri and Pasifika(Mapas). Mapas is very widely supported by the medical workforce in NZ as filling a critical need. Its a no-brainer for improving health outcomes. On the other hand the effectiveness of the rural intake seems more debatable with mixed evidence.
Quote from: Nizzy on May 28, 2024, 02:55 PMThats completely incorrect. The med schools do have highly competitive selective intakes for various areas that are badly underrepresented in the medical workforce. Notably, intakes for rural students and for Maōri and Pasifika(Mapas). Mapas is very widely supported by the medical workforce in NZ as filling a critical need. Its a no-brainer for improving health outcomes. On the other hand the effectiveness of the rural intake seems more debatable with mixed evidence.
My statement is correct. Less than half of medical school placements are general entry, which requires a A+ grades for entry. The other 50+% is determined by race and socio-economic disadvantage, for which the entry requirement is as low as a C (if you are Maori). Only about 28% of people who apply for general entry get accepted - so where do the rest go? The grade score required for general entry is 8.13, for Maori its 4.54 - barely a pass, and even then probably nudged up through bell curve marking.
The end result is the same as what is happening in other places that think race is more important than qualifications
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/ucla-med-school-prioritized-racial-diveristy-leading-shocking-decline-medical-knowledge
We get this shit .....
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/health-disability-commissioner-cervical-procedure-started-without-anaesthetic/UOETT3IMZBBUBMQHEOANRMNTY4/
Funnelling second rate graduates into medicine is not a "no brainer for improving health outcomes". Its a friggen disaster for them. And 72% of people qualified for medicine are rejected for no reason other than having the wrong skin colour, and so either are denied a career in medicine, or they hopefully have wealthy parents who can fund their studies overseas (and thus are lost to NZ)
Quote from: Dolcile on Apr 06, 2024, 08:54 PMFor those that have retired, particularly before the traditional age of 65, how did you determine that you had enough wealth?
And knowing what you do now, would you have retired earlier, or worked less, or worked longer?
I'm also interested in what asset allocation you are adopting in retirement I.e. Nz equities, bonds, international equities etc.
Thank you
You might find this resource useful. It's the latest 2023 report. You' have a few months to wait for the 2024 report.
https://www.massey.ac.nz/documents/1554/new-zealand-retirement-expenditure-guidelines-2023.pdf
Basically it shows what a person / couple will spend on a "no Frill" or "Choices" lifestyle in a "metro" or provincial location.
So step one. Go through and match your retirement expenditure expectation against the costs listed. That will show expenditure. As Basil says, lets call it $1600 a week for a couple.
Now you have to look at income. You'll get $763 from Govt Super. Leaving a shortfall of $837.
The 4% rule is a good starter. Add up the realisable value of all your assets (included your home which can be put on a reverse mortgage type arrangements. Lets say home plus kiwsaver and other investments = $1.5m then you have $1,153 a week. So well within the Choices lifestyle. This should last you in excess of 30 years.
But given a portfolio lasting from age 65 to 95 you need to fine tune further. Break this 30 years down to decades.
Decade 1 = 65 - 75. You are going to be (hopefully) fit and healthy. So you really want to be spending large on all those fun things you wanted to do in retirement. So 4% isn't going to cut it.
In the years 75 - 85 you are going to be slowing down, but not have stopped. So expenditure on things like food goes down, but health care costs go up. You probably will still be traveling but not nearly as much. 4% might cut it.
And in the final years 85 - 95 you are going to be getting quite decrepit and you won't be doing nearly so much. Health care costs probably don't change. If you were going to die of something you would already have done so. Public health will look after most stuff like heart and cancers but you may want a new hip or two. You'll likely be spending less than 4%.