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On Turning 85 March 5, 2020 by Flora Davis - When I turned 85 recently, I was relieved. I’d had a silly, personal superstition: my Dad died at 84, and I thought I might do that too. Eighty-five arrived not only with a faint frisson of relief but with loving…
The Fog of Aging February 19, 2020 by Flora Davis - When I was young, I had a quick mind, an excellent memory, and I found it easy to multitask. Not anymore. These days, when I set out to put words down on a page, it takes more time than it…
Doing 60 Around Town February 7, 2020 by Pepper Evans - I’m a healthy, engaged, purpose-driven woman in my 60s. I consider myself an empty nester; one daughter has moved out of state and the other is in college, so it’s me and the pets. And I’m fine with that. Really.…
Driver Assistance: How to Put Safety First If You’re DWO—Driving While Old January 28, 2020 by Flora Davis - When I bought a new car a couple of years ago, the one thing I felt I had to have was a blind spot monitor. I do a certain amount of highway driving, and I’ve had a few close calls…
When Giving In Is the Best Gift January 22, 2020 by Maggie Sullivan - Bill told his Alzheimer’s caregivers support group, “My wife asked, ‘When are we going to see the grandchildren? We haven’t seen them in months!’ When I told her they were just here yesterday, she got mad at me. ‘They were…
Grandparenting in Venice January 17, 2020 by Margaret Morganroth Gullette - Venice at the opening of the Biennial international art fair is crowded, gaudy, expensive, magical and, it turned out, very grandchild-friendly. We were there partly to babysit, to help out our daughter-in-law, Yto Barrada (who was invited to exhibit at…
We Can Do Something about Ageism—Here’s the Evidence January 10, 2020 by Ashton Applewhite - We’ve known for a while that ageism—negative beliefs and stereotypes about aging—makes us vulnerable to disease and decline, and also that the opposite is true. People with fact- rather than fear-based attitudes towards aging walk faster, heal quicker, live longer…
Putting Menopause on Pause December 17, 2019 by Flora Davis - If there’s a way to delay menopause, will women jump at the chance? Going by past experience, I might have done just that when I was younger. I’ve been thinking about this because, according to some, it’s already possible to…
Health Care Is Failing Older People December 13, 2019 by Ashton Applewhite - Treating patients slowed by Parkinson’s, geriatrician Louise Aronson, MD, sings a chorus of “Happy Birthday” in her head to make sure they have enough time to respond. I’d love a doctor this humane as I head into old age, not…
Books to Give or Keep, 2019 December 4, 2019 by Pepper Evans - There’s no place on Earth I’d rather be than in my reading chair with a good book and a cup of tea. I think in a previous life I was a matchmaker because now I love to match people with…
Divorced by Night November 13, 2019 by Pepper Evans - While visiting a friend who was convalescing postsurgery, I noticed that the king-sized bed she shares with her husband is actually a pair of twin beds under a single bedspread. She says they always go to bed at the same…
Words Matter November 8, 2019 by Flora Davis - I’m 84. That’s old and I don’t mind saying so. But for many people, the word old is such a turnoff that, on this website, we generally prefer euphemisms such as older, as in older adults. We don’t use old
Rowing North Against Ageism, Sexism and Misogyny October 29, 2019 by Ashton Applewhite - Mary Pipher is a psychologist who specializes in women—adolescents in her first bestseller, Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls (1994), and now those entering old age in Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing As We Age.
What’s behind Sundowning? Part 2 October 18, 2019 by Maggie Sullivan - Every afternoon at about 3:30, Jack went around closing all the curtains in his house. At first his wife opposed him. “Why are you doing that? It’s still light out!” But even if she stopped him and opened the curtains,…
Nostalgia: Why It’s Good for You October 3, 2019 by Flora Davis - My daughter and grandchildren live in the town where I grew up, just a few blocks from my childhood home. Sometimes when I’m visiting them, I drive by that house very slowly or lurk at the curb, motor running, savoring…
Five Things I Learned on My Book Tour September 25, 2019 by Ashton Applewhite - Five weeks, 11 cities, 14 book talks, 9 media appearances, 21 regular talks. Phew. I got so tired, it felt as though gravity was messing with me, or as if I’d been inexpertly inflated. It was also exhilarating: a nationwide…- What’s behind Sundowning? Part 1 September 20, 2019 by Maggie Sullivan - When my mother was living with me, her Alzheimer’s was fairly advanced and she had begun to be fearful after dark. One evening, she came to me, trembling. “There’s a strange woman outside, trying to get in my window!” she…
Got Milk? September 5, 2019 by Pepper Evans - I’m an empty nester, but my chicks still come home. When they do, they give me a heads-up so I can “feather” the nest with the foods they like. Gone are the days with a fully stocked larder. I shop…
Not ‘Old Enough to Die,’ Old Enough to Choose Wisely August 27, 2019 by Ashton Applewhite - Author and activist Barbara Ehrenreich has long been one of my heroes, and I imagine an affinity in our fondness for myth-busting. In her new book, she describes herself as an “amateur sociologist,” and I thought, “Aha, me too!” 
It’s Hard to Eat When You’re Holding Your Ears August 13, 2019 by Flora Davis - A few weeks ago, I took my decibel meter with me to dinner at one of the restaurants in my retirement community. It was a busy night, and the steady growl of conversation kept rising to a roar. The meter…
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…