retirement and early death

In my OH's profession, the statistics were clear, retire at 65 or later, average life expectancy folloiwng retirement was only .... 18 months?
However, retiring at 60- average retirement of nearly 18 years- a no brainer. He retired at 61.

Stillhere my dad was a (very conscientious) teacher and died of a heart attack at 55.

That is very worrying stillhere. My DD looks so strained at weekends. And she still has some sort of work to do. Marking, or lesson plans etc.

My mother got the last laugh. She was a ward sister and worked in the days when she could have a higher salary but a reduced pension. She opted for the latter but died of a terminal illness less than 6 months of her retirement.

About 12 of my parents friends died fairly early but they smoked themselves to death.

I retired when I was 59 and a half, stayed at home for 6 months then I was offered a couple of part time occasional jobs which I enjoyed, using my previous qualifications so I was paid well, until I broke my ankle at 65 and really had to give up then. Anyway I wanted out but not quite using that excuse! I am now 72 and still going- I was not planning to be used as fertiliser just yet.

anya I think the message was that those who retired at 60 were more likely to survive their 70th birthdays than those who retired at 65, if that makes sense.

I ended up at a dinner dance for dentists some years ago, and asked where a good acquaintance was - only to be told that he had committed suicide, and that suicide was very common amongst dentists, along with depression and heart attacks shortly after retirement. When I asked why, I was told 'No dentist ever meets anyone who is genuinely happy to see them'. I'd never thought of it like that - a policeman friend told me the same thing.

Teachers used to be able to retire early, as they burnt out too quickly, but that no longer applies so I presume they will be having heart attacks whilst still working, as has happened to four men and women in DBH's school over the past four years, and as it has never happened before in the whole of the school's existence it does make you think. They were all in their late 50s, three men and one woman. It has hit DBH very hard.

Jane logically isn't someone more likely to die between 65-70 than between 60-65 anyway

The last sentence there was addressed to me.

I think it depends entirely on how well fitted for retirement you just happen to be.

Some people have obsessions hobbies which get them out of the house and keep them in touch with other retirees. To others, work was everything. They can't always make the huge effort needed to make the necessary life changes.

And then there's the people, like me, to whom retirement doesn't mean a thing really, because we are doing exactly what we have done for the last forty-odd years, only for fewer people.

AND the latter group must ensure that they don't slip into a trough of laziness.

I can only speak from my own professional experience, but there is evidence that NHS dentists who worked full time until they were 65 were much more likely to die within 5 years of retirement than those who had worked until 60.

I'm not sure how much of that can be applied to the rest of the population, since there are so many variables in individual people's situations, but it seems to me an argument for not carrying on too long in a full-time, stressful occupation.

I meant *heart problems! But heat can be difficult as well!

x

I'm not sure that there is any correlation with death and retirement. There is more likely to be one with old age!

But, I remember people who were stressed having 'week end' migraines, which came on when they relaxed.

Could it be that some are predisposed to heat problems when the stress goes?

x

No downtoearth!

cornergran, I am beginning to think I may end up with more questions than answers too.
May be some things are an urban legend as Grannyknot puts it, because they happen to individuals but are not widespread.

stillhere, I get your name now
Could you or can you see an occupational or social pattern at all, if you dont mind me asking?

shall I change my name being newly pensioned to underthe earth or maybe pushingupdaisies...thanks for that soon..

Personal experience is mixed. Those diagnosed with terminal illness shortly after retirement and not having time to enjoy that life stage. Also a good many others living an active and healthy retirement. Thinking about the detail I can't see an occupational or social pattern. Noticing this some years ago we determined, as far as realistically possible, to do the things that are important to us, no matter how small and seemingly insignificant to others. Some serious some just plain daft. It was a reminder to make the most of what we have. So puzzling but also helpful. No answers to the original question. Perhaps there aren't any.

Good points Alea I do know a lot of people that are teachers/clergy/heavy duty manual workers. And it could just be that those types of jobs could be more susceptible? So it could be more they type of job, and I happen to know the wrong type if you see what I mean?
And very true about they could have had untold to the general public, even acquaintances, health problems.

stillhere A funny story to help the thread!

Jane10 That may be the best way to handle early retirement. Keep going at a good pace.

Cherrytree59. You could be right. That is why I wanted to start the thread really. To try and work out if I just happened to be in the wrong bubble so to speak, or if it is more widespread.
I am beginning to wonder if it is a bit of both.
Cherrytree59, there are more points in your posts that I will answer later.

I think the belief that some people - in particular, men die soon after retiring is an "urban legend" from the days when people "worked themselves into an early grave" e.g. down a mine, and life expectancy was in the 60s generally.

A very fit man, my own grandfather worked very hard all his life, retired at 65 and died 3 years later, but, being in the 1960s, he was a smoker and died of a heart attack.

So I think every person is different e.g. some people cope better with stress than others.

Well I've just made it through my first year of formal retirement. However, I'm so busy doing other things that its more of a mutation than a cessation of work.
Its great doing things I want to do rather than those I have to. Fingers crossed I can keep going for a long time!

I used to think I was a jinx on friends, about 25 years ago I lost half a dozen in a year. I had black skirts and jackets in every conceivable length and thickness of fabric, I went to so many funerals. I had a barbecue during the summer and got a bit maudlin, I told all the friends there that I was going to get the camera so that I could have a photo of all of them before they popped their clogs. I came back with it, got them all to pose and the swines all fell down on the ground and went into death-throe spasms and refused to pose nicely! I never did get that photo - but they are all still alive! [crossfingers]

Is the connection that you know/knew them ? Maybe it is nothing to do with retirement, . . . . . . .

We always remember or notice the examples which "prove a rule" but for every person who dies within 12 months of retirement, there will be one who doesn't make it that far and one who goes on for another 25 years!

It is always possible, that some of these people who have died within the year, actually retired because they had a health problem of which the rest of their acquaintances were unaware.

Do you think that they would not have died anyway? They just happened to be retired.
The government keep increasing the age of retirement so does that then mean people will live longer.
S2B do you know many people working passed retirement who are still hail and hearty?
Friends who have already retired are living life to the full. When not helping out with DGC they are part of many groups.
With technology at there fingertips they are part of the silver revolution. Medical advances help to keep them going if not cure many age related ailments I know there are exceptions but I would say that on the whole retirees have never had it so good.
I am looking forward to it. When it eventually arrives in ten years time
The government may have prolonged my life by 6 years

I was about to agree with soon actually! I know far too many people who have died not long after retirement. A very good female friend of mine died two nights ago, she retired two years ago and I have no idea if it was related, but she seemed to just give up wanting to do anything and became very apathetic. She even gave up half of her garden. I couldn't help comparing her to a lot of men I met over the years who seemed to get depressed and feel useless once they retired, rather than being positive and finding new interests. She dabbled in a few crafts, but never became seriously involved in anything. She had a heart attack. I was in shock yesterday, but now when I think back she was always drinking, and whenever we went out for lunch she always had rather a lot of wine.

I think it may be coincidence, some people are genetically disposed to die early and others go on until 100 ( hope so, fingers crossed.)

The questions I was coming to are
a. do I just happen to know more people than average who this happens to, and
b. is there anything that can be done about it? Prevention wise?

Can people be eased into retirement, and eased in someway after they have retired.
It is rather a hot topic among people I know[those age about 55-late 60s].
Many are saying that they intend to retire "gently", ie start of by going down to 4 days, then 3 days etc.

Others are saying they do not intend to retire and intend to carry on working until they are 89!

I dont know if this is all a new phenomenen, or it is just that my contemparies are coming to this stage in life.

Ignore them all S2B I can see where you're coming from and I agree. It's like a bottle of Champagne that's been shaken too much and when the cork is eventually released the POP it explodes all over the place.

Cheese on toast! I ask you