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Pursuing the Diagnosis No One Wants to Hear September 3, 2020 by Maggie Sullivan - Frank told his caregivers’ support group, “I finally got my wife, Millie, to agree to see the doctor about her forgetfulness. He gave her a quiz to test her memory. Millie didn’t do so well, but the doctor said, ‘It’s…
Could a Drug Trial Be the First Step Toward Healthier Aging? August 25, 2020 by Flora Davis - Nine out of 10 Americans who are 75 and older have at least one chronic disease. More than two out of 10 of us have at least five. I’m talking about life-draining conditions like cancer, diabetes, heart disease and dementia—all,…
Bye-Bye, Bookworm August 11, 2020 by Pepper Evans - I’m an unapologetic bookworm. I read four to six books a month. I consider reading to be my self-care and my hobby: it’s the thing that quiets the chatter in my brain. It’s my vacation when I can’t go anywhere. …
My Father’s Frugal Habits Make Sense Now July 24, 2020 by Margaret Morganroth Gullette - My father had plenty of habits that irritated my mother. But nothing irritated her more than “Marty being cheap.”
Who’s Aging Better? July 21, 2020 by Pepper Evans - How do you define successful aging? There are textbook definitions, but it’s a fair guess that we all know it when we see it. The ability to age in place is one of the most common themes of successful aging.…
The Pandemic Isn’t Making Ageism Worse. It’s Exposing It—and That’s a Good Thing July 14, 2020 by Ashton Applewhite - Media coverage of anything aging-related has long been characterized by alarmist hand-wringing. Coverage of the pandemic is no exception, given that some three-quarters of COVID-19-related deaths worldwide are of people over age 65, many occurring in nursing homes, where the…
14 Things I’ve Learned from the Pandemic June 30, 2020 by Flora Davis - For weeks and weeks, thanks to the pandemic, I’ve not only been staying at home, I’ve been stuck indoors. In the huge retirement community where I live, we were asked in mid-March not to leave our apartments until further notice.…
Remembering Life in Lockdown June 8, 2020 by Pepper Evans - I hope people living in the time of the coronavirus are journaling about their quarantine. Our memories are often distorted by time, and our memories are singularly ours to recall. What will my grandchildren want to know about this unprecedented…
A Patch of Clear Sky June 4, 2020 by Maggie Sullivan - In May 1993 my mother was in the last stage of Alzheimer’s disease. She needed to be fed by hand, so I timed my visits to the nursing home where she then lived so that I could feed her lunch.…
I’m Not Really a Luddite May 22, 2020 by Flora Davis - My kids complain because I seldom turn on my smartphone. Not true. I turn it on whenever I’m expecting a call. But they don’t get that. Apparently, they’re on one side of a generational divide, and I’m on the other. …
There’s No Excuse for Ageism, Part 2 May 21, 2020 by Ashton Applewhite - Another rationale for gerontophobia (fear of aging and aversion to old people) is that olders are closer to death, and, well, who wants to go there? 
Track Your Zzzzs May 19, 2020 by Pepper Evans - I have joined the 17 percent of American adults over 50 who wear a smartwatch or fitness tracker to monitor their health. This purchase brought an eye roll and a snicker from my young-adult daughters, who know how much I…
Ageism and Tragedy in a Time of Triage May 13, 2020 by Margaret Morganroth Gullette - Triage means exclusion from treatment. In parts of the United States, triage may become grievously necessary, as pandemic peaks overwhelm resources. - There’s No Excuse for Ageism, Part 1 May 7, 2020 by Ashton Applewhite - When the last parent died in 2017, I visualized their canoes heading over an immense waterfall. My partner’s and my canoes fell next in line. Gulp. Yet this scenario sure beats the alternative: outliving the younger people we love. Is…
Hearing Aids Get Smarter April 29, 2020 by Flora Davis - My friend, Jeanne, has new hearing aids, and I’m green with envy. Compared to her aids, mine seem about as cutting edge as a horse and buggy in the dawning era of the car. Here’s what hers will do: When…
Curry Adds More Than Flavor to Your Life April 23, 2020 by Pepper Evans - Isn’t it fabulous to discover that a food we enjoy is actually good for us? I’m thinking of curry in its many iterations. (It’s not always about you, chocolate.) American diets have been globally influenced since I was a kid…
Do People with Dementia Lose the Right to Die? April 15, 2020 by Maggie Sullivan - “If I’m not me, I don’t want to be.” That’s the motto of a healthy man in his 80s who was interviewed some years ago by the New York Times. I’ll refer to him as Robert. Like many people, Robert…
In a Pandemic, Ageism Can Be Lethal April 2, 2020 by Ashton Applewhite - According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), older people and people with underlying health conditions are about twice as likely to “develop serious outcomes” from the COVID-19 coronavirus—get really sick and possibly die—as younger and otherwise healthier people. …
Our Incredible, Shrinking World March 25, 2020 by Flora Davis - I live in a CCRC, a continuing care retirement community. That means I’ve been promised a roof over my head and health care of one kind or another for the rest of my life. More than 1,000 residents live here,…
The ‘Generational Wars’ Contrived to Disguise the Failure of the American Dream March 13, 2020 by Margaret Morganroth Gullette - In a nation grappling with growing inequality, stagnating social mobility, crushing personal debt and crumbling job security, efforts to set America’s generations against one another persist.
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…