FORT SILL, Okla. -- The U.S. population is starting to show its age.
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, more people were 65 years of age and older than in any previous census. Fifty year-olds are now the largest age group. The bulge of the so-called "baby boom generation" is moving its way toward retirement, and many of them are federal civilian workers.
To help this group look toward retirement, the Fort Sill Employee Assistance Program held an "Aging and Retirement for Dummies" seminar here Jan. 30.
"The median age for civilian government workers at Fort Sill is exactly 50 years of age. They reflect the 'baby boomers' that began in 1946 and went all the way until 1964, according to the Census Bureau," said Jay Khalifeh, Army Substance Abuse Program manager. "There were a million or more births per year during this period, which peaked around 1957. You do the math and you have a lot of folks in that generation, and a lot of them are retiring or are preparing for retirement."
"We wanted to provide our civilian federal employees with the information and resources physical, mental and financial to help them face this transitional time in their lives," said Rashonda Labrador, Employee Assistance Program coordinator. "We looked at the training opportunities we had offered in the past and decided that we needed a variety of options for different segments of our population."
The seminar was broken down into three segments: aging and the mind; health and fitness in retirement; and financial planning for federal retirees.
Aging and depression
The first segment dealt with what Labrador referred to as the 'sandwich generation'.
"Many of the 'baby boomers' are faced with caring for their elderly parents right at the time when they are looking to retire themselves. At the same time, many of them are dealing with their children who have returned 'back to the nest.' Some boomers are even raising their grandchildren," Labrador said. "That's what the 'sandwich generation' means. It puts a lot of stress on everybody."
Susan Cothran, ASAP counselor and social worker, has a background working with geriatrics and the illnesses of aging. She told the seminar attendees that depression is one of the problems faced by this "sandwich generation" as they deal with aging parents while they grow older themselves.
"One factor that contributes to depression is the loss of people they know. It's hard for people to make transitions when they lose others in their lives, especially a spouse. Remember, depression is not a part of growing old, but it is a legitimate medical problem that can be treated and addressed," said Cothran. "It's when you see yourself, or loved ones expressing hopelessness and pessimism about everything, it might be an indicator of depression."
Cothran said about 13 percent of older adults suffer from moderate to severe depression.
"It gets scary to think about all the 'what ifs' that can happen as we age. But if you look at the statistics we have a better chance of living a normal and healthy life as we age, if we take care of ourselves," Cothran said.
Stay healthy
Taking care of yourself is the key to healthy aging, according to Stephanie Grigg, epidemiology nurse, and Kelda Hodges, health promotions nurse, both at Reynolds Army Community Hospital. They emphasized the basic elements of staying healthy.
"What you put into your body is what you will get out of it. If you put high calorie, high fat foods into your body, you are going to get high cholesterol levels and weight gain that will limit your activities," Grigg said. "The theme is: Make sure you are eating healthy foods, keep a close eye on your weight, have physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day, minimize alcohol intake and eliminate any tobacco use."
Grigg also emphasized the importance of having a regular health care provider to reduce emergency room visits.
"We like to say we would rather treat a well patient before they get sick, because if we prevent illness in the first place we will have a well person much longer," she said.
Hodges focused on five major areas of health concern cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and hepatitis C.
"All of these are a priority as people age towards retirement. For instance there are over 100 different types of cancer. The best way to fight cancer is through screening. There are also vaccinations against some cancers and cancer-like disease such as hepatitis C," Hodges said.
She listed the biggest ways to fight cancer: maintain a healthy diet; use sunscreen and avoid excessive exposure to the sun or tanning beds; avoid excessive use of alcohol; and limit exposures to environmental pollutants, especially tobacco.
Hodges also directs the tobacco cessation program at Fort Sill.
She said tobacco is a leading factor in all other illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even osteoporosis in men and women.
"If a person is a smoker when they retire, they are probably going to increase their smoking, because they will have more leisure time. But their income will probably be reduced, so they will have a harder time coming up with the money for that pack of cigarettes. So now is the time to quit smoking before they retire. It can be done," she said.
Financial planning
Everyone knows that to plan for retirement, you have to have a plan for your money. Juana Stoll, Civilian Personnel Advisory Center human resources specialist, walked attendees through the steps for financial retirement.
"Planning for retirement is very important," Stoll said. "There are several different types of retirement that are available for federal employees, depending on how long they have worked for the government, and when they started working.
"Your retirement level will all depend on whether you started under the Civil Service Retirement System for federal employees who began work prior to 1987, or the Federal Employees Retirement System for federal employees who entered service after Jan. 1, 1987," she added. "The benefit you receive will also be affected if you contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan. That's not to mention Social Security as well."
She went on to explain federal employees who are looking at retirement can look at their current status by going to www.abc.army.mil and clicking on the link to the Employee Benefits Information System (EBIS).This link will allow retirees to calculate their retirement benefits and other useful information. The EBIS link requires a Common Access Card to enter.
Labrador summed up the effectiveness of the "Aging and Retirement for Dummies" seminar.
"It's a new and different idea, but one that is needed. The class helped calm some of the anxieties that our retirees have," she said. "We can't stop life from happening, but we can make sure we are ready and have a plan to get past whatever obstacles get in our way."
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