Launched in 2024, Age Well Dayton offers events throughout the Dayton area, publishes newsletters and offers a podcast. In-person consultations are available by appointment. The business focuses on pre-retirees and recent retirees, but also advises adult children who want to help their parents.
Kastner noted that many people today are concerned about whether they have saved enough money for retirement.
“Sadly, for many the answer is no,” she said. “Add inflation into the mix and concerns multiply. We’re helping modern elders explore how they might engage in freelance assignments (gigs) to bolster their retirement nest egg.”
Kastner’s Retirepreneur concept also emphasizes phased retirement, which is the idea that a mentorship of younger and older workers can benefit companies and employees alike with knowledge transfer and a work-life balance as older workers near retirement.
“Healthcare advances coupled with more attention to diet and exercise has produced a 60+ segment that’s too young to be done,” she said. “Many want to stay engaged in meaningful pursuits, but in a more flexible and part-time capacity.”
For Kastner, the key to aging gracefully is staying curious as a lifelong learner, staying humble and moving throughout the day.
“I’m in my mid-60s and with Age Well Dayton, I’m continuing to curate and share insights to advance this longevity movement,” Kastner said. “We’re championing a movement to support happy and healthy aging for all generations.”
For more information, visit agewelldayton.com.
We asked Kastner to share more:
QUESTION: Why is it important to be tuned into 60+ age group:?
Answer: We’ve been graced with the gift of longevity, adding 10-20+ years on the life span clock for many. In turn, with a longer encore stage, the concept of retirement has been disrupted. Strategies that worked for our parents and grandparents aren’t working as well for us.
Phased Retirement is another concept we’re advocating. Instead of halting work abruptly, we’re enlightening employers as to why a more graceful downshift might be mutually beneficial. In light of today’s workforce challenges, modern elders could be tapped to help younger professionals advance faster and they might help lighten the workload, to restore work-life balance for younger colleagues.
Truth be told, the best mentoring outcomes happen when older and younger professionals help one another - aka mutual mentoring. Emerging research shows that multigenerational teams tend to outperform same-generation teams. Who wouldn’t want that?
Q: Do you have any tips for staying healthy and active?
A: Lifelong learners tend to age more gracefully. Stay curious but be sure to take on new learning opportunities in shorter sprints, with plenty of “white space” to think and apply what you’ve learned.
Stay humble. This can sometimes be a challenge for modern elders, as it’s tempting to share stories from the good old days. If you’re looking to engage in today’s multigenerational workplace, best to listen more and talk less. Wait for invitations to weigh in and be ready with a few hip-pocket stories that can be shared quickly with bottom-line takeaways.
Integrate movement and conversations throughout your day. My smart watch nudges me hourly to get moving and I’ll often dial up a podcast and go for a walk.
Q: What need do you see in the area for senior citizens:
A: I bristle as I watch how the media tends to address us all as one singular persona. There are many different stages we each move through and in many different ways.
Boomers redefined nearly every life stage we’ve moved through and many aren’t fond of the senior citizen tag. Modern Elder fares better with the hundreds of Boomers I’ve interviewed, as it hints at a journey that’s constantly evolving.
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