Retirement RX: The Retirement Docs' Proven Prescription for Living a Happy, Fulfilling Rest ofYour Life [Hardcover]

M.D., Frederick T. Fraunfelder (Author), Jr., M.D., James H. Gilbaugh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2008

The Retirement Docs’ Proven Prescription for Living a Happy, Fulfilling Rest of Your Life

Over the years, Dr. Fritz Fraunfelder and Dr. Jim Gilbaugh have seen thousands of their patients respond differently to the challenges of retirement: some rose to new heights; others hit new lows. The doctors began to wonder, How do some people maintain their vitality, interests, and zest for life in retirement while others became distant, even depressed? Is there a magic formula for retiring well?

To find the answer, they designed a comprehensive study involving more than one thousand patients. The results were surprising but clear. Financial planning is not as important to a fulfilling retirement as many may think—the psychological experience is just as crucial. The happiest retirees shared eight key traits; all of them were able to:

• plan ahead
• maintain a positive attitude
• accept change
• lean on their support network
• have a sense of purpose
• keep a healthy lifestyle
• engage in leisure activities
• enjoy some expression of spirituality

Retirement Rx evaluates the reader and provides guidelines for how to develop each key characteristic. The good news? These essential skills can be strengthened, even acquired from scratch, whether the reader is just starting to plan for retirement, is in the early years, or is a seasoned retiree. The first scientificallybacked bulletproof prescription, this book is the most concrete guide to a happy retirement.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Fritz Fraunfelder is a physician specializing in ophthalmology. He lectures across the country and internationally.

Dr. Jim Gilbaugh is a urologist, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and the author of Men’s Private Parts. He has appeared on CBS This Morning, and on CNBC and ABC News.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION: HURRY UP, YOUR LIFE IS WAITING

As doctors with subspecialties in geriatrics, we have seen many patients on the brink of, just starting, or deeply into their retirement years. Their widely varied responses to this time and its challenges are remarkable. Some rise to new heights, whereas others seem ready to heave a heavy sigh, sag into a rocking chair, and settle in for good. For instance, one patient, Joanne, a recently retired real estate agent, told us her post–work life remained the same as it was while she was selling property. The only real difference was the gift of time that retirement had given her. She was now able to indulge in a midmorning haircut or spa treatment, linger over lunch, spend extra time browsing in the library or bookstore, or take her grandchildren or just herself to an afternoon matinee, all activities that she previously had time only for in the evening or on weekends. She considered this luxury truly golden.

When we compared Joanne’s outlook to that of another patient, Brian, a man who had enjoyed a successful advertising career, we saw a dramatic difference. He could find little to enjoy about his retirement and went so far as to say that he had lost much of the pleasure of living! Even leisure activities that, as a working person, he had enjoyed participating in with his wife now held little interest for him, including dinner parties, cribbage competitions, or simply discussing current events with his spouse. Some of his withdrawal, Brian admitted, came from his increasing forgetfulness, which both scared and embarrassed him. But what bothered him most of all was spending so much time by himself—a situation he had rarely found himself in when he worked. Still, he lacked the will and the gumption to get out and get on with his life. He felt lost and without direction.

What makes one person embrace the second half of life, while another seems only capable of withdrawing from it? Why did some of our patients manage to maintain the vitality that had marked their working years while others failed to make the transition? We wanted to find some information about happy retirees that would assist our patients who were finding retirement a rough go. Exploring bookstores, libraries, and the Internet, we were relentless in our search for retirement advice. Most books we found focused on financial planning, and those that didn’t were anecdotal—filled with standard recommendations to eat well, get enough sleep, and exercise. Good suggestions but too general and unscientific for our needs.

The search continued in our own practices: we began to look at our patients to identify with clinical certainty the skills, habits, and characteristics associated with people who experienced what we observed to be productive, well-adjusted, or “successful” retirements, which we define as richly endowed with good health, loving relationships, outside interests, and, most important, the resilience and wisdom to graciously accept the inevitable, which is loss—of family, friends, loved ones, health, memory, and, ultimately, life.

We wanted to collect accurate data, so we created and conducted a professionally designed survey. More than fifteen hundred of our patients were asked to anonymously fill out what we had come to call The Retirement Docs’ Survey. It was the first time that a survey such as this had centered on retired people and their insights. The questionnaire consisted of multiple choice and essay questions, which took anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half to complete. The return rate was an unheard-of 72 percent. Our respondents replied candidly and often at length—their essays running the gamut from succinctly matter-of-fact to lengthy and deeply emotional, from warmly positive to grimly negative.

As you can imagine, we had amassed a tremendous amount of original research and strong data. We used well-established, controlled research and analysis methods to study the results, including assistance from a local university’s gerontology statistics department. After our first look at what we had gathered, we realized that retirement success is not related to gender, marital status, children, hobbies, or grandchildren. Highly successful retirees come from all walks of life, from stay-at-home moms to corporate leaders, from astronauts to cab drivers, from people forced to retire because of office politics or poor health to those who couldn’t walk away from the nine-to-five treadmill.

From the initial sorting, the statisticians identified four distinct phases of retirement, and nearly eighty traits that successful retirees shared. Those findings were then further distilled, which led us to identify eight specific traits that had the greatest statistical significance and were shared by all of the top 20 percent respondents in the Retirement Docs’ Survey. The four phases and the eight traits of highly successful retirees are the backbone of Retirement Rx. Helping you identify and use the traits you already possess and showing you how to develop those you may lack is the purpose of this book. It’s the kind of “retirement investment” that pays dividends socially, intellectually, and physically.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Avery (May 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583333118
• ISBN-13: 978-1583333112
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #810,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Frederick T. "Fritz" Fraunfelder (born August 16, 1934) is a prominent ophthalmologist best known for his research interests in ocular cancer and adverse effects of drugs on the visual system. He received his formal medical education at Oregon Health and Science University, the University of Chicago School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Moorefield's Eye Hospital in the University of London. He is the founder of the Casey Eye Institute which is part of Oregon Health and Science University. He is the author or co-author of 14 medical textbooks on the eye and over 200 peer review scientific articles. One of these books, "Clinical Ocular Toxicology", which is a series of 5, was recognized as one of the outstanding ocular textbooks of the 20th century. In 2008 he co-authored his first non-medical book, "Retirement Rx". The paper-back edition, "Retire Right", was published in May 2009. It is also available in large print, French and Kindle.

Dr. Fraunfelder's interests include his wife of 50 years, 5 children and their mates, and 14 grandchildren. He considers his work to be a hobby because he enjoys what he does, "especially if it passes the time flies test". He is currently in "semi-retirement". In order to be successful in retirement he is always working on the eight traits that are common in highly successful retirees, which can be found in "Retirement Right".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Take 2 aspirin and try to feel better...", March 2, 2009

By 

Dr Cathy Goodwin (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Retirement RX: The Retirement Docs' Proven Prescription for Living a Happy, Fulfilling Rest ofYour Life (Hardcover)

The authors of Retirement Rx have strong credentials and they seem like really nice guys. They've got a great subtitle: "Why Financial Planning Isn't Enough." Unfortunately the book itself delivered a set of platitudes and aphorisms that are useful but not really new.

The authors begin with a superb question: Why do some people thrive in retirement while others are miserable? They seek answers in a survey that they claim was "professionally designed" to get "accurate" data (page 2). They got a 72% response rate to 1500 surveys from patients in their practices.

I wish they had consulted with a social scientist or statistician before beginning the survey, let alone publishing it. These doctors work in fields where patients need help desperately: urology and ophthalmology. They build bonds with their patients, so compliance with a survey is no surprise.

But they're also getting a highly biased sample. They're not getting people who avoid care or simply don't need any. They're getting responses from people who can afford to see a specialist and who most likely have bought into mainstream medical values.

The best parts of the book come when the doctors write about their own experiences, such as the way people react to devastating news. I wish they had expanded these sections instead of providing trite suggestions to develop a "positive attitude."

The sections on family and religion seem value-driven and not always realistic. For instance, the authors encourage readers to heal family relationships (p. 92). It's a nice idea but some people will do better to divorce their dysfunctional family members.

Often there's not much you can do. I know one delightful couple in their 80s who are estranged from both their children. Maybe they made a lot of mistakes in their younger days, but their kids are not interested in reviving old ties. The couple has wisely moved on. They realize their kids won't be available if they need help.

The authors encourage us to have a few close friends. Great idea! I wish they had read some of the research on 21st century friendship. These days it's not just a matter of joining a chess club or taking a language class.

The section on spirituality may be the most frustrating of all. The authors write (p. 156) "If it hasn't been a part of your life before entering your second career, this spiritual trait is one of the most, if not *the* most, difficult to achieve." This sentence is exactly the kind of wisdom that I'd like to see in the whole book. Why didn't the authors expand this valuable point?

On the next page they acknowledged there is no standard "FDA approved prescription" for becoming spiritual. But then they go on to expand at length on the benefits of spirituality, which would seem irrelevant to those who aren't already spiritually inclined and obvious to those who are.

Imagine going to a doctor with a painful headache and getting told, "You're in a lot of pain. You need to do something. But I don't know what you can do. Figure it out and oh yes, be sure to pay our bill."

Even the health recommendations seem surprisingly generic. For instance, the authors encourage weight training, but some research (and a ton of anecdotal evidence) suggests that heavy weight lifting can affect blood pressure and specifically ocular pressure. The authors recommend a slice of whole wheat toast for breakfast, but some sources (including at least one cardiologist) recommends an all-protein meal to start the day.

These authors seem well-intentioned and smart. Why don't they write a well-researched book about aging and health? Or tackle the challenge of healthy people who suddenly find themselves forced to accept the aging process? Or tell us how we should get doctors to take us seriously (and what to do when a doctor or staff person is rude and arrogant)?

Let's hope these retirement docs follow up with a more targeted prescription. So far they've just given us an aspirin and said, "Hope you feel better in the morning."

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for people of any age and any stage of retirement!, May 29, 2008

By 

R. Vetsch (Scappoose, OR) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Retirement RX: The Retirement Docs' Proven Prescription for Living a Happy, Fulfilling Rest ofYour Life (Hardcover)

Up until now both my husband and I have focused solely on the financial aspect of our retirement. We never realized how crucial it is to plan and be prepared for the non-fiscal aspect. Now that we have read Retirement Rx and have taken the Retirement Docs' Quiz we feel much more secure in knowing what we need to do in order to have a happy, successful retirement. Plus the Retirement Docs' Quiz is something that we can use and reuse for years to come in order to re-evaluate our progress towards a successful retirement. As I read the book, I found myself repeatedly calling my own parents providing them with the tips that I had learned. They are both anxious to read it. Retirement Rx is a must have for people of any age and any stage of retirement!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Successful Retirement Planning Derived from the Best Teacher - Actual Experiences!, June 7, 2008

By 

Albert J. Henry (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Retirement RX: The Retirement Docs' Proven Prescription for Living a Happy, Fulfilling Rest ofYour Life (Hardcover)

As a venture capitalist who has started 13 healthcare companies, I know that the principles described in Retirement Rx are enduring and essential to a fulfilling retirement. I especially appreciate that the principles were derived from the actual experiences of 1000 patients of the Retirement Docs. These are real life experiences and not guesswork. I couldn't put the book down.