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Regarding Alzheimer’s May 19, 2016 by Maggie Sullivan - An empty shell. Doesn’t know who he is. Violent. Doesn’t recognize family members. Unable to communicate. The negative stereotypes and exaggerations of Alzheimer’s disease abound. Even the harrowing descriptions of Alzheimer’s meant to increase our sympathy—robs its victims of dignity,…
Aging in Place: Is It a Pipe Dream? May 11, 2016 by Flora Davis - On surveys, most older Americans say they want to age in place: to stay right where they are in the home they’ve lived in for years. Whenever I hear that, I wonder whether they realize just how difficult that can…
80 and Counting May 9, 2016 by Flora Davis - I’ve turned 80 and it’s a little scary. I’m healthy and still working, but I’m well aware that medical problems began for many of my friends once they were in their 80s. In many ways I’ve changed since I was…
Yo, Am I Ageist? May 6, 2016 by Pepper Evans - Unless you are Peter Pan, one day you’ll be old. I don’t want to experience discrimination because of a date on my birth certificate. I don’t want people to lump me into a one-size-fits-all assumption based solely on my age.…
Age Is Just a Number April 20, 2016 by Flora Davis - I live in a retirement community that’s age-restricted: you have to be at least 62 to move in. A 50-something friend asked me the other day why on earth I would want to live in a place that has only…
Taking a Stand April 18, 2016 by Pepper Evans - By now you have probably read the headlines about the negative health effects of sitting too long. The studies show that not only couch potatoes, but desk jockeys as well, are compromising health and longevity by sitting for long periods…
What’s Behind the Growing Geriatrician Shortage? April 15, 2016 by Ashton Applewhite - I was delighted to see an editorial in the New York Times about a crisis in the making, the growing shortage of geriatricians.
Getting Out Alive (and Staying That Way) March 25, 2016 by Pepper Evans - My role as caregiver and advocate has me quite familiar with transitioning a patient from hospital back to home sweet home. In my experience, the weak link in the process is almost always with discharge instructions and expectations. Patients leaving…
I’ll Have What She’s Having—Minus the Internalized Ageism March 21, 2016 by Ashton Applewhite - “There is also something profoundly liberating about aging," Dominique Browning wrote in the New York Times.
If I Lose My Hearing, Will I Also Lose My Memory? March 20, 2016 by Flora Davis - I don’t hear as well as I used to. For the past few years, I’ve had to strain to follow the conversation in a crowded room, and I’ve watched television with the help of closed captions for the hearing-impaired. But…
In Dog Years March 2, 2016 by Pepper Evans - Have you met my dog, Ruffles? At her annual well-dog visit, my vet referred to her as geriatric. Ruffles is almost a decade young, and sure, she is a little grayer and sometimes doesn’t make the leap onto the bed…
The ‘Grandpa in a Nightclub’ Problem February 15, 2016 by Ashton Applewhite - A while ago, Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab ran a piece about the New York Times’ digital branding efforts. It quoted a series of tweets by Max Pfennighaus..
Check This Out February 12, 2016 by Pepper Evans - One day last summer when I was wearing cropped pants and flip flops, I thought my ankles looked swollen. Was I retaining water? Standing too long? Did I need a new pair of shoes? (Let’s hope.) Looking for a quick answer, I…
Time on the Run February 5, 2016 by Flora Davis - The woman sharing the elevator with me looked to be in her 70s. “How can it be the end of the week already,” she asked, “when I feel as if Monday was just yesterday?” I felt the same way—and probably…
Mentors for Med Students February 2, 2016 by Pepper Evans - When my mother was alive, her medical care was spread out among specialists. She had an internist as her go-to, primary doctor, but she had a Rolodex of others to manage specific health issues: dermatologist, podiatrist, cardiologist. At one point…
Having the Talk—Not the One about Sex, the One about Dying January 20, 2016 by Ashton Applewhite - A close friend’s grandfather is dying, though no one knows how close to death he is—perhaps months away. Even his doctor seems clueless, although perhaps he’s just not saying. In any case, he’s not asking. And even if everything were…
Books to Give or Keep December 7, 2015 by Pepper Evans - I am reprising my blog from 2014 with new suggestions for books to give or to keep this season. I have a few I’ve loved and can’t wait to share, and I get unparalleled joy from matching a book to…
How (and When) to Say ‘No’ to Your Doctor December 1, 2015 by Flora Davis - In the 1950s, a doctor convinced my mother he could remove my sinus polyps with a brand-new, painless therapy: radiation. In those days, kids with adolescent acne were also getting radiation treatments. The polyps went away but the therapy was…
Addicted to Tech November 24, 2015 by Pepper Evans - My teens are considered “digital natives,” because they grew up with computers and other tech marvels. I, on the other hand, am considered a “digital immigrant,” because computing is a foreign language to me and people in my age bracket.…
How Do I Get Old Faster? November 23, 2015 by Ashton Applewhite - That’s a question that Laura Carstensen, PhD, regularly fields after explaining why older people are happier than younger ones—the basis of the ubiquitous Happiness U-curve. I didn’t really believe the curve existed until I understood why. Carstensen, a psychologist and the founding…
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…