504: How to Stay Sharp and Prevent Cognitive Decline in Retirement with Dr. Ross Andel
Retire With Purpose - The Retirement Podcast
Casey Weade
4.7 • 556 Ratings
🗓️ 9 June 2025
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today, I'm speaking with Dr. Ross Andel. Dr. Andel is a gerontologist, professor, and director of the PhD program at Arizona State University. Ross has spent decades researching aging, memory, and lifestyle-related cognitive health risks. In 2023, he was elected a lifetime fellow of the American Association for his achievements in the study of risk factors for age-related cognitive decline for Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia.
Dr. Andel explains how daily routines and purpose directly impact brain function and why some retirees experience faster cognitive decline than others. He shares his findings from several international studies—including his viral TED Talk, "Is Retirement Bad for Your Brain?"—and delves into why your post-retirement plan matters just as much as your financial one.
In our conversation, you'll hear why those who retire from high-level managerial careers may be at greater risk for faster cognitive decline in retirement, how volunteering and pursuing new hobbies improves brain function and Dr. Andel's poignant advice for anyone who is a caretaker for a loved one that is suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's.
In this podcast interview, you'll learn:
- Why retirement without purpose can accelerate cognitive decline—and how to avoid the retirement trap.
- The connection between high-engagement careers and faster post-retirement mental decline.
- What research says about sleep, supplements, and cardiometabolic health for brain function.
- How race, gender, and job complexity influence cognitive aging differently.
- Why routine, exercise, and meaningful engagement are essential to brain longevity.
Show Notes: HowardBailey.com/504
📧 WEEKEND READING FOR RETIREES: Receive CFP® insight on 4 hand-picked financial articles delivered straight to your Inbox each Friday: https://bit.ly/3OEdGgu
📅SCHEDULE YOUR PERSONAL FINANCIAL REVIEW: Book a 15-minute call with Howard Bailey Financial to see how the topics discussed here apply to your individual situation: https://bit.ly/3T6oNDB
ABOUT HOWARD BAILEY FINANCIAL: Our mission is to help others gain clarity in purpose and elevate meaning in their lives through personal and practical financial strategies. Our Retire With Purpose™ Framework starts with establishing your unique financial philosophy — the true meaning and purpose for your money in retirement. Through continued education, one-on-one meetings, and a comprehensive team planning approach, we have helped retirees across the country secure their financial futures. And while we can't work with everyone, our goal is to provide value to everyone we meet. Our team of advisors and support specialists strive to deliver the very best experience in pre-retirement and retirement planning. Learn more about our process here: https://howardbailey.com/our-process
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | We not only looked at retirement, but we also looked at what type of jobs the participants were retiring from. |
| 0:06.6 | And someone who was retiring from a really engaging, complex occupation, making decisions, you have a lot of control about as to what you do, |
| 0:15.5 | those seem to experience faster decline than those who were in occupations where they were in a |
| 0:21.7 | analyzing these. So retiring from that complex occupation might carry its own risk. And this is |
| 0:27.5 | where we can target our message to people who are retiring if you have that occupation |
| 0:33.7 | that's, A, taking up a lot of your time and carries a lot of your identity. You have to be |
| 0:38.7 | particular careful to replace it with something else to do relatively quickly after retirement. |
| 0:52.9 | Is retirement bad for your brain? |
| 0:56.2 | Today, we have a discussion around the hidden dangers in the form of increased risk of cognitive problems and dementia, and most of all, what you can do to mitigate these dangers. |
| 1:06.2 | Hey, this is Casey Weed. Welcome to the podcast. I'm excited to bring you a great conversation today on the |
| 1:12.4 | non-financial side of retirement with Dr. Ross Andell, a gerontologist and professor at the |
| 1:19.1 | Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation. And he is also the PhD program director at |
| 1:24.3 | ASU, Arizona State University. His research revolves around the examination of risk factors |
| 1:30.2 | for accelerated cognitive decline and impairment, including research on work, retirement, and cognitive |
| 1:36.8 | aging. In 2023, he was elected a lifetime fellow of the American Association for the advancement |
| 1:43.0 | of science for his achievements in the |
| 1:45.3 | study of risk factors for age-related cognitive decline, for Alzheimer's disease, and other |
| 1:50.3 | types of dementia. I was initially introduced to Ross and his research through his TED talk titled |
| 1:55.5 | Is Retirement Bad for Your Brain? His discussion explored how retirement may hold hidden dangers in the form of |
| 2:01.6 | increased risk of cognitive problems or dementia and how you can mitigate these dangers while |
| 2:06.9 | still enjoying the positive aspects of this life chapter. Today, I'm excited to take Dr. Andell's |
| 2:13.8 | discussion a step further as we delve into his cutting edge research on the cognitive |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Casey Weade, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Casey Weade and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.