Retirement Choices

The book “Retirement Choices” deals with the process of planning for and engaging in retirement; such should be of interest to any person approaching retirement. It is the sequel to his previous bestseller entitled “There is Life After 65!” published in 2012, which sold over 6,000 copies prior to publication… as such that book in the South African Market ranked as a must-read. The author himself wrote the following about this his new book:

Having worked in the retirement and eldercare fields for many years I am often asked questions such as… which retirement village should we move to? And, at what age should we retire? Should we go and live in our daughter’s Granny-flat? Or even, should we stay in our present house?

In earlier years I used to try to answer the questions directly, however, as I too have entered this exciting phase of life, I have come to realize that I erred in thinking that I had all the answers. We are all different; we live in different circumstances; we have diverse personalities and varied needs and to believe that I possess one size fits all answers, is arrogant. The best that I can do is to provide people approaching retirement years with the right questions. What about the active carpenter who has a spacious workshop, on a smallholding; the couple who enjoy horticulture and live in a family home with a large garden; or the person whose relationship with their children is such that living with them could be an ideal solution? Should they all move just because Retirement Villages are increasingly, stereotypical solutions to endemic problems such as violence, crime and contingency health care?

And for some ageing in place (and even dying in place) may be the choice that they wish to make… and who can say that for them this would be incorrect? (So long as their spouse is similarly inclined.) But having admitted that I don’t have all the answers, I am very familiar with the questions and options available. And this is what the book is about – providing options… and then leaving the final decision to the retiring individuals themselves.

The book also contains diverse information such as the history of Retirement Villages, downsizing, purchasing pitfalls, mobility issues, and the hazards of living in such Villages, cottage design and a host of associated topics. It also delves into small, often overlooked, questions such as what will happen to Killy my cat?

In a previous book, I made the mistake of choosing the title… There is life after 65! And was amazed at the reluctance of some ageing people to either admit their age or even accept that they would one day reach 65! And for those of you who suffer from a similar malady – there is hope! In the appendix, I have provided contact details for a pharmacist who dispenses medication named… a cure for Immortality Syndrome.

The book is intended as a self-help manuscript for individual readers who are struggling with retirement choices, for people from 50 years of age onwards, and even for adult children of parents approaching retirement age, or needing to make retirement-related decisions. The second half of our lives is exciting and enjoyable if we plan and adapt accordingly… and I hope that the contents of this book will assist in facilitating this process.