I have been extraordinarily healthy in my 6+ decades. This is a bit of an epiphany that I am not 18 anymore and really need to prepare for that fact.

People usually kick the can down the road on things until they have to make a change. We often watch shows and see these retired couples buying homes that just don't seem practical for people in retirement. I've never been fond of houses with steps, maybe because my parents home seemed to have steps everywhere and my first home was a 3 story townhouse and doing laundry was a real pain. Fortunately, while I think our current home is too large, at least there are no steps in or outside the house and most of the hallways are fairly wide.

Once you get older and have health issues it is rare to get back to pre-issue health unlike when you are in your 20s/30s/40s. My back has not been the same since 2018. It is just a matter of whether it is a somewhat mild annoyance or flares up to something more painful and difficult to deal with.

People tend to think if their parents lived to a certain age w/o major issues, they will do so as well but genetics only go so far and many of the older generations lived a much more active/rugged lifestyle and stayed in much better shape unlike the sedentary life many of us live now.

Some people handle aging and the various issues that go along with it fairly well and others don't. I think I will likely be in the second group since asking for help isn't something I do and at times you have to.

Good luck and hope everyone has good or better health in 2026. My medical appointments start up in March.

Rich

Retirement Investing FAQ

---

Contact Shrewd'm
Contact the developer of these message boards.