BeamaLife Blog

Your retirement years are supposed to be the best – a reward for all of the years of hard work and sacrifice that you’ve put in.  You should be spending your days the way that you want to – seeing friends, enjoying your grandchildren, doing all the traveling that you put off while raising a family. 

But an article I read recently shows that for baby boomers, there’s a dramatic rise in mobility-limiting disabilities.  The upward trend for baby boomers is shocking, because for adults 65 and over, the number of disabilities is actually declining. 

The study on which the article was based found that 40 percent of the people age 50 to 64 reported having trouble with at least one of nine physical functions that were surveyed.  These are basic things we do every day, like bending, kneeling, climbing 10 steps, or walking a quarter of a mile.  In addition, more baby boomers are finding that they have to rely on special aids, like canes or wheelchairs, than ever before.

The researchers weren’t really clear on the causes of this alarming increase in mobility-related disabilities for baby boomers.   More and more people are reporting problems with back and neck pain, and there’s a national epidemic of obesity that I believe is part of the problem as well.  Heart disease, diabetes, nerve, muscle and joint problems can all be tied back to poor diets and lack of exercise.

But whatever the reasons may be, one thing is clear:  this trend will have consequences that extend far into the future.  And that’s because, in general, we don’t get healthier as we age.  If we’re having big problems earlier in life, it’s to be expected that those problems will only get worse with time.  There will be an even greater need for disability coverage and for long term care coverage in the years ahead. 

I once heard a speaker give the following advice:  do what you have to, as fast as you can, so that you can do what you want to as long as you can.  If it’s time to make some changes in your personal life, like eating better, or getting more exercise, the best day to begin is today.  And if your financial life needs some work, the best time to begin that is today, too. 

Do you have your own disability income insurance policy?  Do you own long term care insurance?  The need is there, and the best time to secure your future is today.