Aging I Interviewed Kay Shehorn, a 67-Year-Old

Aging I interviewed Kay Shehorn, a 67-year-old woman who has been employed at the Hillside Rehabilitation Care center for 42 years. Shehorn started working at Hillside Rehab as a housekeeping supervisor. She worked her way up in the company to become an Administrative Assistant. My interview questions focused on Shehorn's plans for retirement. We discussed the financial aspects of aging, and the politics of aging as well. Because Shehorn is a "young" senior, her perspectives were instrumental in illuminating a possible path for me when I approach retirement age.

I asked Shehorn if anyone had impacted her views on aging, such as an elder relative or role model. Shehorn said that she had always admired strong seniors who refused to be defined by their age. She mentioned being inspired by a woman who worked in an art gallery until her mid-90s, and also spoke of her grandmother who had literally saved money under her pillow because she did not trust banks.

Shehorn said that she prefers to put her money in a bank, but that she has not been able to save enough to guarantee the ability to retire any time soon. Shehorn said that retirement is actually far from her thoughts. An active person who fears doing "nothing" more than working, Shehorn's values are close to my own. I do not believe in mandatory retirement, because people have the need to keep busy as they age.

The healthiest seniors I know are the ones that have strong social lives, hobbies, and even part time jobs. Of course, the body and mind are not as sharp as they were in the prime of youth but the person needs to be attuned to their limitations and work with whatever resources are available. Shehorn admits that she would like to start volunterring if she has the time, or if she were to have to retire from her company.

If she did work as a volunteer, it would be for an animal resources center. I can relate well to Shehorn's passion for animals, which is something that I believe many seniors would benefit from due to the healing nature of animal company. One of the most challenging aspects of aging is planning for retirement financially. Seniors who do not accumulate much wealth during their lifetime are at risk for having few funds left over for living expenses, let alone health care. Caring for family members becomes increasingly difficult, too.

If the senior has no children, or few children with means, then preparations for retirement can be downright frightening. I have known several seniors who struggle to make ends meet. Shehorn continues to work, but she does not know what she might do if she ever had to leave her current job and be forced into retirement. Preparations for retirement cannot be limited to a pension, Shehorn stated. This is true for anyone but especially for Shehorn.

She knows first hand that no employee is safely in a bubble of retirement bliss, and to be prepared for surprises. Shehorn's pension plan is currently frozen because the company filed bankruptcy. She said she was shocked but understood that the economy is too tough to be nothing but thankful for having a job. The company's financial problems were passed onto the employees, as she is not accumulating any more into her pension.

It does not seem fair that employees would lose their pension in a situation like this, but Shehorn also admits that she developed too strong a loyalty to the company to change jobs. Changing jobs at her age would be a tremendously difficult task, especially given the currently high rates of unemployment among all age groups. Company loyalty is often a thing of the past in current labor relations models, and it is refreshing to see Shehorn engaged in a company enough to care about it.

Shehorn is among the lucky seniors in America who are healthy and who have a steady job. Although she has experienced some insecurity, uncertainty, and vicissitude, Shehorn has still been at the same company for more than forty years. This situation is unusual in America today. I would hope that I find a company that I could be loyal to as well, although I would want to be more ambitious or aggressive than Shehorn with regards to my role in the company.

When asked about her perceptions of aging and how she felt others treated her, she said that it varied. She said that she first started to notice people treating her differently because of her age a long time ago, and that even turning 60 did not make a difference. Shehorn joked that once you go past 35, it's "all over." At work,.