What to Expect in the Next 50 Years
Are you getting ready to retire? Thinking of the myriad of things that go into a successful and happy rest of your life is part of the fun, as well as the stress. While the average retirement age is 63, many of us choose to work until age 70 and beyond. Of course, we need to be sure we’re economically ready to retire as well. For you, this may even be longer as, according to a recent Urban Institute data project, both women and men are living four to six years longer with each year that passes. In fact, most adults aged 80 and over reportedly have good or excellent health. This rose from 57 percent in 1998 to 66 percent in 2012.
Live in Caring Comfort
One of the biggest decisions in retirement is where to live. Do you downsize? Are you tired of mowing the lawn and then tackling chore after chore in a home that’s aging right along with you? Even if you become a snowbird, moving into a retirement village near home can be the perfect solution.
As New England’s premier independent living community, Fox Hill Village offers comfort and luxury retirement along with outstanding service and amenities.
Both women and men are living four to six years longer with each year that passes. — Urban Institute
Founded by a partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital, Fox Hill Village was carefully planned as a secure and engaging retirement community of neighbors. “Independent living residents are assured of having skilled nursing care and rehab available should they ever need it,” says Karen O’Brien, Sales Director for Fox Hill Village. “This continuing care retirement community in Westwood offers residents convenience and peace of mind, under one roof. The distinctive building features 340 resident-owned apartments that surround a typical New England village commons,” she says.
Fox Hill also offers unique economic value due to its cooperative structure. It provides the financial benefit of home ownership and a strong voice in community affairs. O’Brien adds, “Fox Hill Village is committed to promoting total health and wellness for all our residents. Programs and services focus on meeting the nutritional, social, emotional, spiritual, vocational, intellectual, physical, and environmental needs of our residents.”
Much like universities, retirement villages can vary a lot on their main purpose and mission. Lasell Village for instance, located on the campus of Lasell College and owned under the same umbrella, places a high priority on education. Marcia Fredlich, Marketing Director at Lasell Village says, “Like students in college, learning is an integral part of the lifestyle of our community. Residents participate in at least 450 hours per year of educational, cultural, and fitness activities to keep them engaged intellectually, physically, and socially. Intergenerational activities and all of the Lasell College resources add to the richness of the lifestyle at the Village.”
The differences between retirement communities are worth checking out, and while they might all seem at first like they have the same offerings, Fredlich urges that they really aren’t all comparable to one another. “Every retirement community has its own sort of personality, and it is key that you find the personality that is right for you,” she says. “I equate looking for a retirement community as much the same as college shopping. Every college has science and math, but one might like Northeastern better than Boston University.”
Photo by Fox Hill Village
Be proactive about your health
Fox Hill’s Fitness Center offers a full array of equipment, classes, and personal trainers. Fitness is encouraged with outdoor activities on the campus, which feature a walking trail and golfing green. Fox Hill’s Wellness Center, operated by Massachusetts General Hospital, offers appointments, wellness screenings, and educational programs to promote overall health. Scheduled physician visits are also available. “We strongly encourage our residents to be proactive about their health,” O’Brien says.
Since our life expectancy can easily reach 100, we need to keep our teeth longer than ever. — Dr. Anna Berik Newton Dental Associates
Being proactive about your health may sound like staying active, getting up, and moving frequently are the keys to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, just as a sedentary lifestyle has a negative effect on your health, so does not keeping up with inner and even cosmetic health. For example, our teeth are one of the most sensitive, yet most important parts of our aging bodies, and far too often they are neglected as we age.
Dr. Ted Filandrianos says, “As we age, a decrease in the amount of saliva is an important factor in oral health. Common medications can complicate dry mouth issues, but it’s not the only dental problem that comes with aging teeth. Whether it’s misaligned bites, missing teeth, pain when eating, or even sleep apnea, looking at the whole dental picture and taking a person’s overall health into consideration is what I do.”
“In addition to having excellent home care, regular dental cleanings and exams, I can’t stress enough how important it is to ‘fix your bite’,” Dr. Anna Berik of Newton Dental Associates says. “As we age, misaligned teeth can cause a multitude of oral health problems that become compounded over the years, and wear and tear roll on.” She cautions that signs of bad bite are worn enamel on front teeth (there’s no such thing as brushing too hard) enamel loss at the gum line, bone loss, cracked teeth, receding gums, and more. “But,” she says, “correcting bad bite with orthodontic therapy has esthetic benefits as well as giving you a proper functioning bite. Since our life expectancy can easily reach 100, we need to keep our teeth longer
than ever.”
Photo by Fox Hill Village
Saving your natural teeth
“In order to maintain your overall dental health, it is critical to see your dentist for regular cleanings and checkups,” says Dr. Peter Morgan, one of the 7 specialists at North Shore & Brookline Endodontics (NSBENDO). He adds, “when necessary, our specialists work together with local dentists to save your natural teeth through endodontics, or root canal therapy.”
“The introduction of key technologies, such as 2D, and now 3D, CBCT imaging, allows for more precise diagnosis and treatment of teeth at risk,” says Dr. Yuri Shamritsky of NSBENDO. “By using these and other technological advances, our specialists can help patients save teeth that would otherwise be lost, and thereby avoid the much greater expense of extraction and implant placement.”
Dr. Berik also stresses the importance of keeping your own teeth for your lifetime. It’s why she utilizes Invisalign, which gently straightens teeth by moving them with the use of clear trays. This is minimally invasive, highly effective, not painful, and affordable. “Invisalign is a long term, conservative solution to fixing your bite, and, by bleaching those newly straightened teeth, you can truly retrieve your youthful smile for your next 50 years,” Dr. Berik adds.
“I love seeing people happy and confident and smiling,” Dr. Ted says. “I’ve seen lives transformed through cosmetic and implant dentistry. By diagnosing underlying dental problems migraine, tooth, and jaw pain can be relieved, which is why he has all of the specialties in one office: Periodontics, Endodontics, and Neuromuscular Dentistry/TMJ. “It’s easier to smile when you’re not in pain,” he says grinning.
“Doing what’s best for my patient,” is Dr. Ted’s concern. “Pain is a thing of the past,” he says. “We offer oral conscious sedation that allows patients to relax during their procedures. Also, through our integration of advanced technologies—like digital x-rays, which cut radiation patients receive by 90 percent; the latest CEREC equipment, delivering ceramic crowns or veneers in just one visit; and laser dentistry—our dentists are able to further enhance dental procedures.”
“The Endodontic specialists at NSBENDO can help save your tooth and alleviate dental pain,” says Dr. Morgan. “We provide both urgent and routine endodontic care to our patients in a comfortable, professional environment.” Dr. Shamritsky adds, “We are committed to helping patients in pain as soon as possible in one of our six conveniently located offices throughout the North Shore and Brookline.”
The key to retirement, as with most things in life, is to weigh the options and see what’s out there, and what interests you most. “To have a healthy and successful retirement life, the key is to to have a plan that keeps you active and engaged, however what happens for each person will be different,” says Fredlich.
Once you are comfortably settled in your new life, no matter where you are living, retirement offers you the luxury of having more time to focus on your health, whether it be getting in enough time to exercise, engaging your mind in a new class or activity, or making a quick phone call to the dentist you’ve been ignoring, your body will thank you for it.
Resource Directory
Dr. Anna Berik
Newton Dental Associates
Newton, MA
617.965.0060
newtondentalassociates.com
Dr. Ted Filandrianos & Associates
Newton, MA
617.244.4871
teethbydrted.com
Fox Hill Village
Westwood, MA
781.329.4433
foxhillvillage.com
Lasell Village
Newton, MA
617.663.7053
lasellvillage.org
Peter Morgan, DMD, MScD | Yuri Shamritsky, DMD, DDS
North Shore & Brookline Endodontics
Peabody & Brookline, MA
978.532.0500 | 617.735.8500
nsbendo.com
