089 Chapter 6 Conclusion I’m retired, but not retiring. I have a choice of how to spend my time. I’ve made a big effort to get off all committees and organising things, I’ve had that. With ageing, I have slightly less energy and I need to use it carefully and purposefully. iPads are an absolute boon for us oldies, you can take them anywhere, because there’s Wi-Fi – that’s one of the best aspects of ageing for me, access to digital resources. And if I’m having a day in bed, I can pull out the iPad and read everything. The worst? I suppose it’s been health problems with one thing and another. I never guessed I’d have had so much bloody surgery. I don’t feel quite so positive and I do have periods of depression and uncertainty. A lot of that’s to do with my physical health, but also a bit about uncertainty, I have a certain amount of financial uncertainty. The surprise is that I’m still alive because I don’t come from a family with longevity. When I had my 60th birthday, I got up and told everyone, ‘Half my family would have been dead and the other half nearly dead at this age’ … and that was 18 years ago... The other thing that still surprises me is that Australia is very backward when it comes to age – services are hard to get into, My Aged Care is a total mess, I just weep for people who are in residential aged care and their families, and for the staff, and also for the deplorable training and education. —Lavender (Kate Lavender), 78