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Grandma-Sitting April 18, 2024 by Anastasia Canell - Group text message thread of five teenage girls: Hey, would anyone want to come over tonight to hangout? My parents bought Cosmic Brownies and we can rent a movie from Blockbuster. I’m in! What time? I can come over after…
What Size Is Your Pill Case? April 9, 2024 by Pepper Evans - I have been committed to leading a healthier lifestyle, which has led me to purchase smaller clothes. However, I did buy my weekly pill case in a larger size, as the cubbies that held my daily vitamins no longer accommodate…
Ageism Shortens Lives—New Studies Confirm It March 26, 2024 by Ashton Applewhite - “Ageism, and an older person’s perception of aging, may hold the keys to a longer life.” That’s the first sentence of “Why age bias has real world health effects,” just published by the Association of Health Care Journalists, which supports excellence…
To Drive or Not to Drive March 19, 2024 by Flora Davis - Back when my husband was in his 70s, he kept having fender benders. He was losing his eyesight, and I knew he should stop driving, but he refused. After each minor accident, he rationalized that it could have happened to…
At the Heart of Good Care March 12, 2024 by Maggie Sullivan - This is the last in a series of five blogs about nursing home care. My old friend Billy called me recently to ask: “What the hell is ‘person-centered care’ supposed to mean? I toured three nursing homes and each of…
Think ‘Too Many Old People’ Will Swamp Social Welfare Programs? Think Again. February 20, 2024 by Ashton Applewhite - Since the 1970s, population aging—the proverbial “gray tsunami”—has been used to justify “pension reform,” austerity and privatization across the wealthy nations. Alarmist projections have long fueled neoliberal, small-government policy reforms. In the Fall 2023 issue of Jacobin, editor-at-large Seth Ackerman argues that…
Three Ages January 31, 2024 by Marc Blesoff - I think I am three ages; my chronological age, the age that I feel, and the age that I look. Of these, chronology is the objective one. It’s just math, right? But what does the number of the Earth’s revolutions…
Women in the Workforce Are Never the Right Age January 16, 2024 by Ashton Applewhite - Why are women still so underrepresented in positions of power? In the United States, for example, why do women still make up only a meager 10 percent of people running Fortune 500 companies? Take heart, there’s always a reason. (Content warning: this article,…
Canceling Christmas January 4, 2024 by Pepper Evans - I freely admit I’m a Scrooge. I simply do not like Christmas. Over the years, as a widow, everything fell to me to make a memorable holiday for my girls, and I don’t have Rockwellian memories of my own childhood…
On Death and Hearing Aids December 28, 2023 by Flora Davis - When I was merely middle-aged, I sometimes wondered how those who were in their waning years coped with knowing that they weren’t likely to live much longer. One day, I got the chance to ask the mother of a friend…
Choosing a Home That Cares December 12, 2023 by Maggie Sullivan - Ted, now 73, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s two years ago. His wife, Andrea, attends a caregiver support group I lead. Recently she told the group, “I know it’s early and my husband is far from needing a nursing home now,…
Books to Give or Keep, 2023 December 1, 2023 by Pepper Evans - Silver Century regularly recommends books—fiction, nonfiction, memoirs—that reflect our mission by portraying aging positively or by offering insights from thought leaders in the field of aging. Here are some of our favorites for holiday giving or to save for the…
Becoming Less Ageist Can Reverse Cognitive Decline November 17, 2023 by Ashton Applewhite - A growing body of fascinating research shows that attitudes towards aging have an actual, measurable, physical effect on how our minds and bodies function. People with more positive feelings about aging—fact- rather than fear-based, that is—walk faster, heal quicker, live…
My Own Ageism and Ableism October 20, 2023 by Marc Blesoff - These days, I see my possible future self everywhere. Most of the time, it’s the possibilities I’m dreading that jump out at me first. At the gym, there are always some people moving very deliberately and with much more effort…
Acupunctured October 17, 2023 by Flora Davis - When my doctor first suggested I try acupuncture to relieve my lower back pain, I was dubious. Would my Medicare Advantage plan pay for it? To my surprise, it would. Was it available nearby? It was. But I was still…
Name That Tune October 10, 2023 by Pepper Evans - In my 20s, I worked in what we now call the “hospitality” business. I was a cocktail waitress for a time. One establishment had weekend entertainment: a jazz trio with a vocalist. They performed music from the Great American Songbook:…
Weight Loss Is a Journey September 21, 2023 by Pepper Evans - Let’s face it — losing weight is hard. As a lifelong dieter, I can attest it’s hard at any age, but weight loss as an older adult is extraordinarily challenging. According to the CDC, 41.5 percent of adults aged 60…
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…
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…