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Anguish and Oxygen November 26, 2024 by Howard Gensler - When caregiving continues for a few years, there are days when it seems like it’s never going to end, and days when you’re terrified it may actually be coming to an end. One thing is universal, however—the situation rarely gets…
Nailed It! November 13, 2024 by Pepper Evans - When my doctor took me by the hand, I expected a comment about my age spots or cat scratches, but no. He was looking for signs of illness and explained that fingernails offer valuable insights into our overall health. A…
Who’s Afraid of Turning 30? And Why? October 29, 2024 by Anastasia Canell - I was born in 1995, which isn’t too relevant until you realize it was 29 years ago and I am on the brink of turning 30. As friends and relatives approached the “big 3-0” before me, I picked up on…
Feeling Smoothie October 16, 2024 by Howard Gensler - About six months before what would have been her 99th birthday, Mom began to have trouble swallowing. Liquids made her cough, and foods became tougher to chew, as her teeth, which had done yeoman work for more than nine decades,…
Wading through the Challenges of Weeping Edema September 19, 2024 by Howard Gensler - After my mother’s second broken hip, she began sleeping in her recliner in the living room. It was easier and she was small, so she slept just as well. I slept on the couch less than 10 feet away, but…
The Few, the Proud, the Older September 17, 2024 by Marc Blesoff - I recently had the opportunity to take my 11-year-old granddaughter to her softball tournament in Des Moines, IA. Just me and her for the weekend. Most of the grandparents reading this will know why I am smiling. Because of a…
The Upside and Downside of Being Owned by a Cat September 10, 2024 by Flora Davis - I love my cat, but until now, I hadn’t thought of her as a way to stay healthy. In fact, when I first brought Velvet—a small, feisty black kitty—home, I thought of her as a dog substitute. My beloved dog…
Good News That’s Also Disappointing August 28, 2024 by Marc Blesoff - The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released a report titled “Aging in the United States: A Strategic Framework for a National Plan on Aging.” The report outlines steps to create a national effort to foster positive…
100 Feet August 20, 2024 by Howard Gensler - When you’re caring for someone in their late 90s, you can become fairly familiar with the local emergency room. One night while I was out, Mom fell by her front door. She pushed herself about 15 feet on her back…
What Do You Say to Someone with Dementia? August 6, 2024 by Maggie Sullivan - I got a call from my neighbor Marion. “I need to talk to you. My friend Jean was just diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I want to visit her, but I don’t know what to say to her. What do you say…
Could the Key to Successful Aging Be Yodels and Beer? July 30, 2024 by Anastasia Canell - If you had asked my 96-year-old grandfather, “What is the key to successful aging?” he would probably have said, “Yodels and beer.” He was never one to pass up a chocolatey dessert, and he loved a cold lager. The term…
The Parade of Aides July 16, 2024 by Howard Gensler - Working as a caregiver for a friend or family member is a rewarding but stressful job. When my mom qualified for an aide (thanks to the pooled income trust and Medicaid), it gave me a break during the day to…
What’s Your Biological Age? July 10, 2024 by Flora Davis - I used to feel young for my age (89). At times, I felt almost guilty about that as I passed other residents in the hallways of our retirement community, walking fast because I was always late and because walking fast…
‘Othering’ Other People June 25, 2024 by Marc Blesoff - My friend Jack called me a few weeks ago to share an experience. He’d been at a public meeting at the library, seated at a table with three forward-facing chairs. He was sitting in the chair on the left, a…
It’s about Competence, Not Age June 21, 2024 by Ashton Applewhite - [In February], a gratuitous swipe ramped up the ongoing discussion about Biden’s age to a fevered pitch. When the Department of Justice declined to prosecute the President for his handling of classified documents, the special counsel went on to call Biden…
Retirement as Identity Crisis June 19, 2024 by Flora Davis - My sister taught in elementary schools for most of her adult life. She was in her 50s when she was laid off by the private school where she’d worked for years—an involuntary retirement. She was terribly upset. “Teaching isn’t what…
An Unusual Friendship May 29, 2024 by Anastasia Canell - I was sitting in my college dorm room, looking out the window as fluffy snow slowly fell from the sky. Snow in Baltimore was a pleasant surprise, a well-needed respite from my busy sophomore-year course load. I was interrupted when…
What a Waste May 23, 2024 by Ashton Applewhite - The luxury skin-care firm Estée Lauder just announced a partnership with the Stanford Center on Longevity. According to the press release, the goal of this new “longevity expert collective” is to “reframe the conversation from anti-aging to visible age reversal.” Let’s…
The Pooled Income Trust May 15, 2024 by Howard Gensler - By the time my parents were in their mid-80s, they had gone through their savings and were living off Social Security. My mom received around $1,700 per month and my dad, who often worked as an independent contractor, received around…
I No Longer Speak the Language May 9, 2024 by Flora Davis - I’m feeling old, incompetent and frustrated. Over the past few days, my devices all failed me. The TV wouldn’t stream, my cell phone wouldn’t text, the printer refused to print, my tablet failed to download an Audible book I’d bought…
Senior Centers Are Evolving - The first time Sue and Mike Miller visited their community’s senior center in Portage, MI, several years ago, they found a few people playing pool or bridge—and decided it wasn’t for them. But the couple tried again in 2022, when…
The Upside and Downside of Being Owned by a Cat - I love my cat, but until now, I hadn’t thought of her as a way to stay healthy. In fact, when I first brought Velvet—a small, feisty black kitty—home, I thought of her as a dog substitute. My beloved dog…