Skip to content
Skip to main menu
Home › Issues in Aging › Page 5
Crafting: A Way to Cope during the Pandemic June 9, 2021 by Mary Jacobs - When KathLynne Lauterback, 64, retired in January 2020, she and her husband planned to move to a new place and to travel. But just a few months later, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. A health crisis sent her husband to the…
Why Technology Matters So Much for Older People during a Pandemic May 19, 2021 by Judith Graham - Family gatherings on Zoom and FaceTime. Online orders from grocery stores and pharmacies. Telehealth appointments with physicians.
Row, Row, Row Your Boat May 5, 2021 by Mary Jacobs - Hanne Caraher loves rowing. She’s very good at it. So good, she’s won a national gold medal and has competed in championships in Canada, Poland, Germany and Hungary (she won there too). After years of early morning practices—which meant arising…
His Medical Crisis Took Us by Surprise April 21, 2021 by Judith Graham - Earlier this month, my husband picked up the phone and learned his 92-year-old father had been taken to the hospital that morning, feeling sick and short of breath.
Left Behind in the ‘Cruel’ Race for Vaccines March 24, 2021 by Will Stone - With millions of older Americans eligible for COVID-19 vaccines and limited supplies, many continue to describe a frantic and frustrating search to secure a shot, beset by uncertainty and difficulty. 
In the Red March 4, 2021 by Mary Jacobs - At age 50, Sarah Smith found herself divorced, bankrupt and saddled with debts inherited from her ex-husband. When her two children chose to attend private colleges, she took out student loans. Now, at 66, Smith (not her real name) still…
Older COVID Patients Battle ‘Brain Fog’ February 26, 2021 by Judith Graham - “Lord, give me back my memory.”
For months, as Marilyn Walters has struggled to recover from COVID-19, she has repeated this prayer day and night.
Climate Change Endangers Many Older Adults February 3, 2021 by Mary Jacobs - In 2007, Larry Howe watched a documentary called The Great Global Warming Swindle, which denied the threat of climate change. Convinced, he put the issue out of his mind. But that changed a few years later when Howe’s first grandchild…
What Will Later Life Be Like Beyond COVID-19? January 28, 2021 by Judith Graham - Months into the coronavirus pandemic, older adults are having a hard time envisioning their “new normal.”
The Doctor Is In (Virtually) December 9, 2020 by Mary Jacobs - As a retired registered nurse, Donna Bening, 81, has known for decades that telemedicine was coming. Her expectations have been realized this year. Bening had two virtual visits via videoconference: first with her primary care physician for a routine checkup,…
Older People Are Having Second Thoughts about Where to Live November 25, 2020 by Judith Graham - Where do we want to live in the years ahead? Older adults are asking this question anew in light of the ongoing toll of the coronavirus pandemic—disrupted lives, social isolation, mounting deaths.
Bob Blancato: Fighting Elder Abuse through Politics November 11, 2020 by Leigh Ann Hubbard - In 1981, a US Senate committee released the first congressional report on a problem that was gradually coming to light—one that was “shameful” and “alien to the American spirit.” It was being called elder abuse. 
COVID-19 Is Damaging Bereaved Families October 22, 2020 by Judith Graham - Every day, the nation is reminded of COVID-19’s ongoing impact as new death counts are published. What is not well documented is the toll on family members.
Will Lifelong Learning Change the Way We Age? October 7, 2020 by Mary Jacobs - Six years ago, Laura Rich signed up for a continuing education class in Chinese art history and archaeology at Stanford University. Her children were grown and she was wrapping up a full-time stint on the local school board. “Most of…
Should You Change Your Living Will Because of the Pandemic? September 30, 2020 by Judith Graham - Last month, Minna Buck revised a document specifying her wishes should she become critically ill.
“No intubation,” she wrote in large letters on the form, making sure to include the date and her initials.
Why Black Aging Matters Too September 9, 2020 by Judith Graham - Old. Chronically ill. Black. People who fit this description are more likely to die from COVID-19 than any other group in the country.
COVID-19 Sets Off a Pandemic of Despair for Older People August 6, 2020 by Judith Graham - As states relax coronavirus restrictions, older adults are advised, in most cases, to keep sheltering in place. But for some, the burden of isolation and uncertainty is becoming hard to bear.
Why the New Public Charge Rule Could Hit Older Immigrants Hard July 29, 2020 by Jaya Padmanabhan - Devyani Dave immigrated from India to California in 1995 in her early 60s to live near her son and his family. Her green card was sponsored by her son
Older and Wiser—but Dizzier July 8, 2020 by Mary Jacobs - Carol Kuhlman vividly remembers a weekend trip with friends about two years ago—because that’s when she started feeling dizzy. The lightheaded, unsteady sensation came on gradually and quickly got worse. “It was very uncomfortable,” said Kuhlman, 66. “I had to…
Is Aging a Disease? June 24, 2020 by Joelle Renstrom - The first depiction of humanity’s obsession with curing death is The Epic of Gilgamesh—which, dating back to at least 1800 BC, is also one of the first recorded works of literature, period.
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…