Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about old age. Perhaps it’s because I work in the life insurance industry, or maybe it’s because I’ve just turned 25 – the point when the body is said to begin aging.
The other day, I came across this piece of information in a report by McKinsey: human life expectancy has increased in recent years, but not necessarily in a healthy way. On average, a person will live an additional 10 years, but in poor health and/or dependent on medical care. For example, in the past, someone might die at age 70; now they might live until 70 in decent health, then spend 10 years struggling with illnesses before dying at age 80.
For me, prolonged illness is even worse than death.
Another noteworthy point from the report is that to live a decent old age, we need (1) physical health, (2) mental health, and (3) a support system (especially in terms of healthcare and benefits). Fortunately, we can actively arrange/control all these three factors ourselves, rather than relying on “fate”.
Physical Health
According to a study by Dr. Balvant P. Arora, “Exercise is the closest thing we have to an anti-aging pill.”
I think there’s no need to repeat the benefits of exercise here. I just want to remind you that we should start exercising and eating healthily right from today – while we are still young. Here’s a quote for you from the book “Six Records of a Floating Life” (Shen Fu): “If you start to nurture your health only when you’re already old, then it’s no different from starting to accumulate wealth when you’re already poor; no matter how hard you work, it will never be enough.”
Mental Health
It’s not difficult to find reputable scientific studies that found the connection between continuous mental activity and the health of the brain in old age. A retiree who spends all day watching TV will quickly show more signs of decreased cognitive capacities compared to someone who continues to write, engage in volunteering, or participate in local organizations.
So, what’s the take here? When you reach old age, find meaningful and mentally stimulating activities to keep your mind active. Remember: a mind that lacks constant stimulation will deteriorate rapidly.
Support System
To put it short, for healthy aging, everything you need in a support system revolves around two words: money and preparation.
First, try to earn money and prepare for retirement. But don’t exhaust yourself chasing money, or your health will deteriorate way before you can start enjoying that wealth.
Next is to get yourself at least one insurance policy. If you don’t belong to the top 5% rich or the top 5% poor in society, then health and life insurance truly is a critical factor in determining the financial health of yours, as well as your dependents (old parents, children, etc.).
Waking up each day without life insurance is like stepping on the Titanic without (sufficient) life jackets. On bright days, we might wonder, “Why did I spend all that money on these useless life jackets?”, but try thinking of what happens if an iceberg suddenly appears in the middle of the night. Similarly, illnesses and accidents are like icebergs in life; they will appear whenever they want to, without warning.
Conclusion
The issue of an aging population in Vietnam is probably not unheard of for you, is it? According to Vietnam’s General Statistics Office, by the year 2069, Generation Z (aged around 59-73) will make up about 27.11% of Vietnam’s elderly population. This trend poses a significant challenge for Vietnam in terms of building a social welfare system that is capable of supporting the elderly both physically and mentally.
But I don’t think we want to leave one-third of our lives at the mercy of the social welfare system or the filial piety of our children (if we have any).
I am already preparing for an ideal picture of my old age: No (critical) illness. No poverty. No laziness.
What about you?
