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False Alarms September 15, 2023 by Flora Davis - At 88, I’m mostly a homebody, no longer much interested in travel, but recently I drove halfway across New Jersey to see a play my son, Jeffrey, directed at a community theater. I couldn’t come back the same day because…
Transforming Nursing Homes September 7, 2023 by Maggie Sullivan - “The poor aides are being forced to care for 14 people each! They’re exhausted and the residents aren’t getting the care that they need. It’s hell for all,” a weeping husband in my caregivers support group told us after visiting…
When Are You Going to Retire? August 21, 2023 by Pepper Evans - I was recently asked about my retirement plans: Are you still working? When will you retire? This type of question is often an innocuous conversation starter, but it could be a conversation ender if asked of someone unprepared for the…
Enough with the Headlines about Age! August 18, 2023 by Ashton Applewhite - Age and age discrimination have never gotten more media coverage, especially in the wake of President Biden’s announcement that he’s running for reelection. If there’s anyone who should be delighted, it’s me. I’m in the age and ageism business after…
Is the Term ‘Senior Abuse Prevention’ Ageist? July 25, 2023 by Ashton Applewhite - I hardly ever cross-post questions from my Yo, Is This Ageist blog. I’m making an exception because the question below occasioned such a meaty discussion during this week’s Old School’s Office Hours meetup. It also helped me understand why the phrase…
The Beauty of Our Own Impermanence July 14, 2023 by Marc Blesoff - Since my heart surgery last year, I’ve lost weight, I exercise daily and I am energetic and forward-looking. A few weeks ago, working out with a trainer, I did full squats on a balance ball, something I never even knew…
Smartphone Saga July 5, 2023 by Flora Davis - My cellphone failed recently, and the experience taught me a few uncomfortable things about myself. For one thing, apparently I’m a technophobe. It’s a long story. About a month ago, I was sitting in my car with my friend, Jeanne,…
Is it Ageist to Offer Actors the Right to Hide Their Age? June 22, 2023 by Ashton Applewhite - The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) has been waging a years-long legal battle with the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) to stop the site from disclosing the ages of screen actors. Last June, GLAAD, an LGBTQ advocacy organization, signed on to support…
Watch Your Step June 14, 2023 by Pepper Evans - Recently, Senator Mitch McConnell, 81, tripped and fell in the Washington, DC, Waldorf Astoria, putting falls back in the headlines. McConnell was left with a concussion and a broken rib, and he will need rehab before returning to work. It’s…
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow May 23, 2023 by Pepper Evans - The change was subtle enough that I didn’t notice it at first. My hair scrunchies were slipping off my ponytail, and I began to see more hair in the drain after a shower and in my brush. Next, I look…
Everyone in a Nursing Home Deserves a Single Room May 19, 2023 by Margaret Morganroth Gullette - This hard-hitting essay was first published on March 15, 2023, in the Boston Globe. It’s re-posted here with the author’s permission. This concerns all of us. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, many residents of nursing facilities died…
It’s Not Because You’re Aging May 17, 2023 by Flora Davis - Once you reach a certain age, it’s hard not to blame your problems on aging. Even when you know better. That’s what happened with a seemingly trivial difficulty I had the other day. That morning, when I picked up my…
When the Balance Tips May 3, 2023 by Maggie Sullivan - Thud! Lydia had fallen again. Every time Sylvia left the room, her sister got up to follow her. If Sylvia went to fix dinner, Lydia, who has Alzheimer’s disease and vertigo, would try to tag along but forget to use…
So This Is My Life Now? April 19, 2023 by Pepper Evans - After decades of being underinsured and, luckily, remarkably healthy, it had been quite some time since I participated in regular health care. I signed up for Medicare on turning 65 and found a new primary care provider. Thinking long term,…
For the Umpteenth Time: ‘Too Old to Be President’ April 11, 2023 by Ashton Applewhite - Wondering how to respond when people equate a political candidate’s age with their fitness for office? You’ll find plenty of answers in “Biden is now America’s first octogenarian president,” which appeared in Salon. The writer reached out to experts like physician Louise…
Daylight Saving Forever? March 7, 2023 by Flora Davis - Daylight saving time will begin on March 12, and I’m not looking forward to it. Every year after we lose that hour of sleep, I feel groggy for days. Now that I’m in my 80s, it hits me harder than…
I Think Aging with Intention Saved My Life March 3, 2023 by Marc Blesoff - We have a Berkey water filter in our kitchen, and it seems to be empty whenever I’m thirsty, so I’m used to filling it back up. It takes three full blender pitchers to fill it, and it’s just one of…
Gallows Humor February 14, 2023 by Flora Davis - I live in a retirement community, and when somebody turns 90 here, we like to celebrate. A few months ago, a friend had a 90th birthday party that made me envious. I’m just 88, but I announced that I too…
‘Ravages of Age,’ Really? That Phrase Has Got to Go February 3, 2023 by Ashton Applewhite - [Last October] the New York Times Magazine opened with an essay by Elizabeth Nelson about whether we’re missing out on [something] when elite athletes—Roger Federer and Serena Williams in this case—retire from their sports. This sentence in the first paragraph made me…
Never Too Late for a Good Shave January 26, 2023 by Marc Blesoff - Last week I noticed that I was running really low on shaving cream and I made a mental note to buy some more. That reminded me of when and how I bought the almost-empty tube in the first place. It…
Dementia: A Diagnosis Too Often Delayed - Last year, a bank officer phoned Kelli Brown’s brother with a concern: a lot of money was going out of their 87-year-old father’s bank account. Their father, a retired accountant, lived alone in Cincinnati. He seemed to be functioning well…
The Pooled Income Trust - 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…