Working through retirement

Harriet Harman's latest proposals for a change in the pensionable age have left me in a quandry.  I welcome the news on one hand - the thought of being put out to pasture at 65 has alway been slighty distateful idea.  But on the other hand I'm also worried about the pressure on over 65ers to stay on.  In an aging population it certainly doesn't make sense for the older half to be supported by the younger half - and I'm certain that most 65-70 year olds are happy to have the option to stay in the work place for longer.  But beyond that - do we not deserve a rest from the working rat race?  Would I rather get up at 6am every day and not be home before 6pm, or potter around in my garden all day? 

One piece of research makes me feel less undecided and backs up what my own family have thought for years, that later retirement 'may stave off dementia'.  I clearly remember a close family members' decline after retiring at 70.  He steadily slipped into dementia until he was lost to everyone.  We all felt that he would have been happier working, the social contact and his own pride in his skills made working enjoyable and fulfilling.  Sitting at home all day drinking tea did nothing for his self esteem or mental health.

British scientists recently 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.
 
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.

So I'm pretty much sold on a later retirement - not that I have much choice - now that my forecast pension is a pittance, what else can I do?