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Baby boomers are gradually stepping into retirement
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Baby boomer are more interested in retiring gradually as they downsize within the same city and work part-time.
Deborah Sutton
Deseret News National
Published: Jan 9, 2015, 7:35 PM

Instead of moving to a life of Floridian leisure the day after their 65th birthdays, a growing number of retirees are choosing to retire gradually — some with the help of their employers.

Baby boomers are opting to retire in phases. They are downsizing their family home, but remaining local, and choosing to cut back from full-time work, “but not abandoning work altogether,” reported the New York Times.

Some companies even provide programs to help older workers ease into retirement by gradually reducing hours.

“The program lets workers gradually start clocking shorter work weeks, allowing them to test out retirement to see if they like it or can afford it. They also get to maintain social ties in the workplace. Ideally, this option keeps them in the workforce longer and prevents them from tapping savings and Social Security early, bettering their chances of not outliving their money,” wrote AARP.

“The program will be open to retirement-eligible employees — in some cases as early as age 55 — who will work half-time while receiving half their pension and full health benefits," the AARP article stated. "The key to the program: Phased retirees must spend 20 percent of their time mentoring the next generation of workers.”

The Office of Personnel Management instituted phased retirement programs for federal employees in November 2014. Right now, federal employees nearing retirement have to apply and then be accepted for the program.

“Phased retirement potentially benefits employees who want to stay sharp and maintain their sense of purpose into retirement, while their employers can retain experienced workers who might otherwise leave the company,” U.S. News & World Report reported.

Researchers are finding that some retirees are even “retiring” multiple times.

“As people live longer — and are healthier and more productive as they age — the opportunity to retire and downsize multiple times increases, said Rodney Harrell, director of livable communities for the AARP institute,” according to the New York Times article.

dsutton@deseretnews.com | Twitter: @debylene
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.