The Aging Nurse in the Workplace

Well said Viva! I will be 62 in October and have been at this for 28 years. There is no end in sight I'm afraid. I dream of winning the lottery but I always forget to buy a ticket! Nurses in my age group talk all the time about the eventual end of our careers and we are all pretty determined not to end up in miserable circumstances if we can help it. If you have been on the job for any length of time you do know that there are fates worse than death. Humor covers the fear. We've been around a while and we know the deal.

I'm there with you sister

[QUOTE=cherryames1949;5349525 I dream of winning the lottery but I always forget to buy a ticket! [/QUOTE]That's me in a nutshell! Every morning I drive past the big Powerball billboard on my way to work, and when the jackpot edges north of $100 million I tell myself I am going to buy a ticket. I never remember to do it though, probably because I'm so thoroughly convinced that I was never meant to have an easy life, and if God wanted me to be rich He'd have provided me with the means to get there.

I am in my fifties and most of my co workers are my age or older, no one is talking retirement. Many are working in lower physical jobs such as home care and case management.

That's one of the reasons why I opted for assisted living. I don't have to do any of the physical stuff (unless I choose to, and sometimes I do help out to get the resident and/or staff through a crisis) and can pretty much pace myself during the course of a typical day---no one is holding me to a 2-hour window to get all my meds passed etc.

in the same boat my wife & I both have 35 years in & need 9 more to reach 65. we joke that by the time we get there they will have increased the age so no one will live long enough to retire.looks like cat food & beer diet upcoming!!

I plan on floating out on my lone ice berg or whatever it is called like an Eskimo. May have to do it before the body wears out because the money will be gone first. I'm a boomer who can't find a job. 50 and out of work is not what I had planned. Hopefully God takes me before starvation or a cold night under the over pass. The future is scary.

Quote from DSkelton711I plan on floating out on my lone ice berg or whatever it is called like an Eskimo. May have to do it before the body wears out because the money will be gone first. I'm a boomer who can't find a job. 50 and out of work is not what I had planned. Hopefully God takes me before starvation or a cold night under the over pass. The future is scary.

Thanks Viva! I went out on temp disability (not work related) but I have got to work. Will read your blog for ideas. Glad you found something and it is working out so well. I just assume that someday my turn will come.

Quote from cherryames1949Well said Viva! I will be 62 in October and have been at this for 28 years. There is no end in sight I'm afraid. I dream of winning the lottery but I always forget to buy a ticket! Nurses in my age group talk all the time about the eventual end of our careers and we are all pretty determined not to end up in miserable circumstances if we can help it. If you have been on the job for any length of time you do know that there are fates worse than death. Humor covers the fear. We've been around a while and we know the deal.

Quote from DSkelton711I plan on floating out on my lone ice berg or whatever it is called like an Eskimo. May have to do it before the body wears out because the money will be gone first. I'm a boomer who can't find a job. 50 and out of work is not what I had planned. Hopefully God takes me before starvation or a cold night under the over pass. The future is scary.

Viva - You are an absolute TREASURE! My hubby thinks I'm nuts when I'm reading your posts and blogs ; I'm laughing and groaning "You got THAT right! " and " Now, THAT'S a fact!!". I feel so...UNDERSTOOD, when I read your writing and the responses from the other posters ( especially in THIS particular thread ) I'll be 62 in less than two weeks. Like you, everyone assumed I was 10-15 years younger, well, for a long time. But lately I've noticed that the " You don't LOOK your age" has become " You don't ACT that old." :zzzzz Yeah, yeah....whatever!