Skip to content
Skip to main menu
Spiritual Support at the End of Life February 5, 2019 by Mary Jacobs - Eric Markinson identified himself as a chaplain when he walked into the hospital room of a man he calls Tommy, who was dying of alcohol-related liver disease. “I don’t think you can help me much,” Tommy said. “I’m an atheist.”- What Spirituality Means to Older People January 10, 2019 by Mary Jacobs - This is part 1 in our series on spirituality and aging. Read part 2 here. For many years, the Catholic faith was central to Debra Cook’s life. She grew up in a Catholic family, sent her children to Catholic schools…
Many Women Are Defying the Bully: the Antiaging Industry December 13, 2018 by Leigh Ann Hubbard - At age 57, Victoria Marie sports a full head of long, lustrous gray hair—in the city of Los Angeles, as an actress, in an industry where youth is life. “This is who I am,” she says. “Take it or leave…
Have You Outlived Your Old Friends? October 31, 2018 by Bruce Horovitz - Many people are living longer, healthier lives today, but there’s one drawback: you may outlive the old friends you always counted on. It’s harder to make new ones in your later years, but there are ways to do it, and…
Everything You Need to Know about the New Medicare Cards September 28, 2018 by Judith Graham - In April, the government [started] sending out new Medicare cards, launching a massive, yearlong effort to alter how 59 million people enrolled in the federal health insurance program are identified.
Older Artists Keep Creating and Growing September 12, 2018 by Mary Jacobs - Opera star Plácido Domingo made his name as a tenor. ...But now, at age 77, Domingo is a baritone.
They’ve Still Got Bucket Lists—in Their 90s July 28, 2018 by Bruce Horovitz - Perhaps there are things you always hoped to do but never got around to, and now you’re thinking it’s too late. Maybe not. In this article for Kaiser Health News (KHN), journalist Bruce Horovitz interviews two women—both in their 90s—who…
Love to Travel? Don’t Let Aging or a Disability Stop You July 11, 2018 by Mary Jacobs - As a cultural attaché for the US Department of State, Teresa Wilkin lived abroad and traveled the world, and she kept traveling, extensively, after retiring in 2004. But it wasn’t until last year that Wilkin, 69, had what she wryly…
When the Time Comes, Will Your Living Will Prevail? June 21, 2018 by Judith Graham - It’s all too easy for medical providers to misinterpret living wills and other end-of-life instructions. In a disturbing report, Judith Graham, a contributing columnist for Kaiser Health News (KHN), covers recent studies that have revealed problems. KHN posted her article…
Looking for Work after 50? Are You Also Out of Luck? June 6, 2018 by Mary Jacobs - At one point in her career, Amy Anderson supervised more than 50 people and managed a multimillion dollar budget for a Fortune 500 company. But after losing what she calls her “last good job” in 2013, she had no luck…
When Is It Time to Give Up the Car Keys? April 20, 2018 by Flora Davis - Americans outlive their own ability to drive by six to 10 years on average. To many of them, that seems like a fate almost worse than death.
How to Save Yourself and Those You Love During a Disaster April 20, 2018 by Mary Jacobs - When Hurricane Harvey struck his neighborhood on August 28, 2017, the Rev. John Stephens of Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Houston helped launch a “boat ministry.” He and several men in the church navigated privately owned boats into the rising…
Playbook for Later Life April 20, 2018 by Mary Jacobs - In July, 2017, Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman John Urschel rocked the sports world with a stunning announcement: he was retiring from pro football, at the top of his game, at age 26. Urschel, once dubbed “the NFL’s smartest man,” will…
Aging Boomers May Need a Little Help from Their Friends March 11, 2018 by Lois Collins - Family members already form an invisible work force that cares for America's frail elders. But changes in policy and family structure—from later-life divorce to smaller families—suggest that friends and extended family will play even more important roles as caregivers in coming years.
Martha Holstein: Feminism and the Future of Aging March 8, 2018 by Leigh Ann Hubbard - Conventional wisdom doesn’t mean much to Martha Holstein, PhD. “I never set out to be a devil’s advocate,” she says. She just happened to be one. “I always saw the opposite of what other people saw.”
Boomerang Seniors—They’re Moving to Be Near Mom or Dad March 7, 2018 by Sharon Jayson - Like many peers in their 70s, Lois and Richard Jones of Media, PA, sold their home and downsized, opting for an apartment in a nearby senior living community they had come to know well. For 13 years, they have visited Lois’ mother, Madge Wertzberger, there.
Marc Agronin: There’s Power in Growing Old January 21, 2018 by Leigh Ann Hubbard - Marc Agronin, MD, knows old age—as much as a 51-year-old could anyway. In particular, he knows difficult old age.
Save on Health Care at the Playground January 20, 2018 by Mary Jacobs - When Ronni Bennett discovered elder playgrounds online a few years ago, she immediately fell in love with the concept.
Medical Tourism: Are Local Doctors Always the Best Choice? January 18, 2018 by Mary Jacobs - Patients travel from around the United States and the world to see Richard Guyer, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon at the Texas Back Institute in Plano, TX, because he is a recognized, widely published expert in disc-replacement surgery. But when…
Faster Aging through Space Travel January 11, 2018 by Elizabeth Payne - When Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield returned to Earth after nearly five months in space in 2013, he described his physical state as “tottering around like an old man.”
A Hidden Epidemic Threatens Older Adults: Malnutrition - For most of her life, Jenny Anne Horst-Martz’s mother worked hard to stay slender. But now, at age 90, her mother struggles to keep enough weight on. The problem started a few years ago when her mother was injured in…
The Parade of Aides - 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…