A Short Guide to Growing Older

Do many of us sit down before retirement and talk about what the change in our lives might mean? For that matter, do any of us realise what old age might involve until it is upon us?

Few of us seem to visualise what it might be like growing older, or what we might do to prepare ourselves for the time when we may become less physically active or have fewer interests to occupy us. Even fewer realize what old age is really like until it creeps upon us.

A Short Guide to Growing Older begins with the message that you need to find new interests, long before retirement, or when your children leave home and you suddenly find more time on your hands. There is plenty of advice about the need for exercise and a good diet elsewhere but what about the importance of stimulating your mind?

The book covers planning for your future, learning a new language or a musical instrument, harnessing your creativity, getting involved in new business or social activities, volunteering and connecting with the community. It also suggests the benefits of recording family history. Then it goes on to no longer getting old but ‘being old’ and then finally, decision time and more.

This book has been prompted by witnessing the boredom, lethargy and deterioration that affects many residents in age care. It will be relevant to individuals and families as well as carers and the trainers of those carers along with other health professions.

Rosemary Sassoon has written over 30 books across a variety of academic and design subjects. She was originally a designer in textiles and various aspects of letterforms. Later she was asked to deal with serious handwriting problems in schools. This developed from educational into more medical aspects of the subject and resulted in a Ph.D. from the University of Reading. Research then ensued Rosemary’s family of typesets, originally called Sassoon Primary, to find what typographic letters children could read the easiest. This was later developed for other purposes including as a stylistic model for handwriting. Both are widely used worldwide. Rosemary lives in Australia.