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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…
I Shopped, I Dropped November 15, 2015 by Pepper Evans - Not too long ago my daughter needed some retail therapy. She works part time, had just gotten paid, and she could hear the stores calling her. The mall was the last place I wanted to be on the weekend, but…
What’s Missing from Marc Freedman’s Plan to Make the Most of Longer Lives? November 8, 2015 by Ashton Applewhite - Growing old isn’t new. What’s new is how many people routinely do it. The institutions around us were created when lives were shorter, and the culture hasn’t had time to catch up. The way we respond to this demographic shift…
Coming Up Short October 22, 2015 by Pepper Evans - Can you talk about your finances without feeling uncomfortable? Let's face it: some topics are still off limits, even among the closest friends. I'm going to talk about income disparity, even if it IS the last taboo. I am on…
The Case for Cars That Don’t Need Drivers October 20, 2015 by Flora Davis - I seldom go out at night, not because I’m such a homebody (though I am) but because my night vision is poor, and I can’t drive after dark. That definitely puts a crimp in my social life. Someday I’ll have…
Want Older People to Be Healthy? End Ageism October 19, 2015 by Ashton Applewhite - There’s a lot of disagreement around how to frame the last century’s unprecedented increase in human lifespan. Is it a crisis or an opportunity? Will a “grey tsunami” of incapacitated freeloaders sweep us off our feet, or will we tap…
Good Scents October 12, 2015 by Pepper Evans - As I get older, I find it harder to get a good night’s sleep. I know I function better on seven (or more) hours of uninterrupted sleep, but it’s elusive. Night sweats wake me or the furry friends purr too…
Skin Hunger October 7, 2015 by Flora Davis - Many years ago an anthropologist I interviewed suggested that older Americans probably experience something called “skin hunger”—the need to be touched more often. Once their children are grown and gone, and especially if they live alone, they crave physical contact…
So I Dyed My Hair White September 28, 2015 by Ashton Applewhite - I’m the incredibly square and lazy woman who has never colored her hair. I inherited my mother’s no-gray-hair gene, and except on my right temple, my hair is brown. For an anti-ageism activist, though, that’s kind of a liability, because…
Beyond Books September 14, 2015 by Pepper Evans - My friend's mom was a voracious reader. Well into her 90s, Bernice, having only recently retired, would read several books each week. When I took her to the library, she would check out a huge stack at every visit, give…
The Joy of Joining September 13, 2015 by Flora Davis - A rumor is making the rounds at my retirement community: we’re going to organize a flash mob. I can hardly wait. In case you don’t know what a flash mob is, according to Wikipedia it’s a crowd that suddenly gathers,…
Betrayed by an Author August 28, 2015 by Pepper Evans - Why wouldn’t I read a memoir by Joyce Carol Oates? She is a widow, as am I, she lives nearby, and books from her prolific writing career have graced my nightstand frequently over the years. So I bought a copy…
Beating the Age Barrier in Online Dating August 20, 2015 by Ashton Applewhite - A 2013 wedding announcement in the New York Times recorded the happy pairing of a couple who met through America’s Test Kitchen. He had founded the TV show and hired her 10 years earlier. He was 62; she was 37.
Spanning the Generations August 10, 2015 by Pepper Evans - I wore bell-bottoms and collected troll dolls; my mother had saddle shoes and jitterbugged. For most of my young life, I couldn’t see many areas where we overlapped. Then in my 20s I worked at a restaurant with live music…
Do Older People Deserve Senior Discounts? August 5, 2015 by Flora Davis - When I flew to Montreal for a college reunion, senior discounts helped me pay for my airfare and hotel room. While I was happy to take advantage of these perks of my years, was I more deserving of such modest…
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…