Just what Alf needs. Research to put before Mrs Grumble to support his refusal to retire as Member for Eketahuna North.
A British study has found that later retirement ‘may stave off dementia’.
British scientists studied 1,320 people with dementia and looked at their past education, employment and retirement history.
Although there was no link with education or employment, the people who retired later developed dementia later.
It is thought the mental stimulation may help delay the effects of dementia or it may be that people who retire earlier do so for ill health which itself contributes to the development of dementia symptoms.
The study, published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, found on average with every extra year of employment the age of onset of Alzheimer’s Disease became 0.13 years later.
Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust in Britain, which funded the study, said: “More people than ever retire later in life to avert financial hardship, but there may be a silver lining: lower dementia risk. Much more research into lifestyle factors is needed if we are to whittle down the £17 billion a year that dementia costs our economy.”
Must make sure Jim Anderton is put in the picture about these findings. There’s talk of his retiring – maybe this will cause a change of heart, although some ungenerous souls on the National side of the divide reckon he lost his marbles some time back.
Alf Grumble 