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Innovators Find Creative Ways to Connect the Generations September 12, 2023 by Mary Jacobs - As the pandemic receded, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, a community center in New York City’s Upper East Side, came back to life. The halls buzzed with people of all ages, from young children in the preschool to older adults who…
Making the Most of the ‘Extra 30’ August 7, 2023 by Mary Jacobs - When Bob Evans lost his job in 2009, he began to consider what was next. He’d spent more than 30 years in the horticulture industry, mostly in sales and customer service positions in landscaping and lawn care. His wife reminded…
How to Preplan Your Own Funeral July 11, 2023 by Mary Jacobs - When Amy Martin’s mother-in-law died last year at the age of 96, the funeral arrangements were easy. Her mother-in-law had discussed her wishes with her two adult children. 
Many Older Adults Have a Problem with Persistent Fatigue June 30, 2023 by Judith Graham - Nothing prepared Linda C. Johnson of Indianapolis for the fatigue that descended on her after a diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer in early 2020.
Green Burials and Other Nontradional Ways to Honor the End of a Life June 5, 2023 by Mary Jacobs - This is part 1 in a our series on funerals. Read part 2 here. Near the end of her mother’s life, Barrie Page Hill began thinking about the funeral and the best way to honor her mother. “My mom was…
Should Older Seniors Risk Major Surgery? May 25, 2023 by Judith Graham - Nearly one in seven older adults die within a year of undergoing major surgery, according to an important new study that sheds much-needed light on the risks seniors face when having invasive procedures.
Living with Disabilities April 5, 2023 by Mary Jacobs - Until a few years ago, doctors told Deanna Mann, 85, she was “healthy as a horse.” She lived independently in an apartment and enjoyed playing bridge with friends twice a week. Then one leg suddenly swelled up. The other followed…
Friendships Are Good for Your Health March 15, 2023 by Mary Jacobs - As a human resources executive, Carole Leskin traveled around the world and worked with a diverse group of interesting people. She never married and never had children, but life was full. Then a recession ended her career at age 65.…
What Happens When Someone Dies without a Will? February 8, 2023 by Mary Jacobs - Years later, the story still haunts attorney Jennifer Cona. A man—in his 70s and in good health—retained her to draw up a will. He wanted to bequeath his sizable estate to his grandson and to a few charities. He did…
Celebrating Aging January 4, 2023 by Mary Jacobs - After her mother passed away, Jeanette Leardi invited female friends to her home for a special gathering. It wasn’t exactly a memorial service; many attendees never knew her mother. Instead, it was a healing ritual for Leardi. The group lit…
Changing the Way You Think about Aging Can Improve Your Life December 28, 2022 by Judith Graham - People’s beliefs about aging have a profound impact on their health, influencing everything from their memory and sensory perceptions to how well they walk, how fully they recover from disabling illness and how long they live. 
Needed: New Ways to Prepare Older People for Disasters December 8, 2022 by Judith Graham - All kinds of natural disasters—hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, dangerous heat waves—pose substantial risks to older adults.
A Photographer’s Rich Portrait of Aging November 22, 2022 by Judith Graham - What happens when a 70-something professional photographer sets out to record her own body as she ages and the bodies of other, older people, sometimes naked and sometimes not? In this article, Journalist Judith Graham interviews the photographer, Marna Clarke,…
Seasoned Warriors September 6, 2022 by Mary Jacobs - Every Monday morning for nearly a year, Judy Sherry, 82, has called the office of her senator, Roy Blunt (R-Missouri), with the same question: When is he going to get the courage to do something about gun violence? “He’s retiring…
Villages: Boutique Options for Aging in Place July 28, 2022 by Judith Graham - Twenty years ago, a group of pioneering older adults in Boston created an innovative organization for people committed to aging in place
Apps Can Open Up a World of Possibilities for Older Adults July 6, 2022 by Mary Jacobs - John Brandt is still on good terms with his ex-mother-in-law—so good that he gave her an iPad for Christmas last year, along with a promise to provide tech support. The learning curve turned out to be a bit steep. At…
Retooling the Nation’s First Long Term Care Insurance Program June 29, 2022 by Michelle Andrews - Patricia Keys, 71 and a stroke survivor, needs help with many everyday activities, such as dressing and bathing. Her daughter Christina, who lives near her mom in Vancouver, WA, cares for her in the evenings and pays about $3,000 a month for help from other caregivers.
Advance Care Planning for Guns June 7, 2022 by Judith Graham - Kerri Raissian didn’t know what to do about her father’s guns when he died of COVID-19 in December at age 86 and left her executor of his estate.
Top Experts Question the Value of Advance Care Planning May 24, 2022 by Judith Graham - For decades, Americans have been urged to fill out documents specifying their end-of-life wishes before becoming terminally ill—living wills, do-not-resuscitate orders and other written materials expressing treatment preferences.
Smashing Stereotypes on Social Media May 11, 2022 by Mary Jacobs - When she retired 15 years ago, Tzipporah “Zippy” Sandler was floundering and unsure what was next. Then a tech-savvy friend suggested she start a blog and even offered to build it for her. “I didn’t even know what a blog…
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…