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Starving Seniors: How America Fails to Feed Its Aging September 13, 2019 by Laura Ungar and Trudy Lieberman - Army veteran Eugene Milligan is 75 years old and blind. He uses a wheelchair since losing half his right leg to diabetes and gets dialysis for kidney failure.
And he has struggled to get enough to eat.
Are Pets Really Good for Older People? September 9, 2019 by Mary Jacobs - An older couple put aside some of the food delivered by Meals on Wheels in order to have enough to feed their dog. A widow delays an important visit to the doctor, fearing no one will care for her cat…
Is There Such a Thing as Normal Aging? August 21, 2019 by Bruce Horovitz - For 93-year-old Joseph Brown, the clearest sign of aging was his inability the other day to remember he had to have his pants unzipped to pull them on.
Loneliness in Older Adults: It’s Complicated July 30, 2019 by Judith Graham - For years, Linda Fried, MD, offered older patients who complained of being lonely what seemed to be sensible guidance. “Go out and find something that matters to you,” she would say.
‘Elder Orphans’ Need Fallback Plans May 15, 2019 by Judith Graham - It was a memorable place to have an “aha” moment about aging.
Peter Sperry had taken his 82-year-old father, who’d had a stroke and used a wheelchair, to Disney World.
Breaking the Age Barrier May 3, 2019 by Mary Jacobs - Art Russell, 60, counts at least a dozen 20-somethings as friends: the guys he fences with; a 26-year-old colleague at work; and several people who attend his church. Although he also has many friends his own age, Russell values those…
Family Caregivers Are Older Than Ever March 26, 2019 by Judith Graham - Perhaps it was inevitable: with so many people living longer, more and more empty nesters are taking on the care of parents who are frail and ill. Journalist Judith Graham explores what that means for the younger generation in terms…
New Challenges for Grandparents March 5, 2019 by Mary Jacobs - As a divorced, single mom, Karen Spencer thought she was done raising children when her son and two daughters grew up and left home. It didn’t work out that way.
Spiritual Support at the End of Life February 5, 2019 by Mary Jacobs - Eric Markinson identified himself as a chaplain when he walked into the hospital room of a man he calls Tommy, who was dying of alcohol-related liver disease. “I don’t think you can help me much,” Tommy said. “I’m an atheist.”- What Spirituality Means to Older People January 10, 2019 by Mary Jacobs - This is part 1 in our series on spirituality and aging. Read part 2 here. For many years, the Catholic faith was central to Debra Cook’s life. She grew up in a Catholic family, sent her children to Catholic schools…
Many Women Are Defying the Bully: the Antiaging Industry December 13, 2018 by Leigh Ann Hubbard - At age 57, Victoria Marie sports a full head of long, lustrous gray hair—in the city of Los Angeles, as an actress, in an industry where youth is life. “This is who I am,” she says. “Take it or leave…
Have You Outlived Your Old Friends? October 31, 2018 by Bruce Horovitz - Many people are living longer, healthier lives today, but there’s one drawback: you may outlive the old friends you always counted on. It’s harder to make new ones in your later years, but there are ways to do it, and…
Everything You Need to Know about the New Medicare Cards September 28, 2018 by Judith Graham - In April, the government [started] sending out new Medicare cards, launching a massive, yearlong effort to alter how 59 million people enrolled in the federal health insurance program are identified.
Older Artists Keep Creating and Growing September 12, 2018 by Mary Jacobs - Opera star Plácido Domingo made his name as a tenor. ...But now, at age 77, Domingo is a baritone.
They’ve Still Got Bucket Lists—in Their 90s July 28, 2018 by Bruce Horovitz - Perhaps there are things you always hoped to do but never got around to, and now you’re thinking it’s too late. Maybe not. In this article for Kaiser Health News (KHN), journalist Bruce Horovitz interviews two women—both in their 90s—who…
Love to Travel? Don’t Let Aging or a Disability Stop You July 11, 2018 by Mary Jacobs - As a cultural attaché for the US Department of State, Teresa Wilkin lived abroad and traveled the world, and she kept traveling, extensively, after retiring in 2004. But it wasn’t until last year that Wilkin, 69, had what she wryly…
When the Time Comes, Will Your Living Will Prevail? June 21, 2018 by Judith Graham - It’s all too easy for medical providers to misinterpret living wills and other end-of-life instructions. In a disturbing report, Judith Graham, a contributing columnist for Kaiser Health News (KHN), covers recent studies that have revealed problems. KHN posted her article…
Looking for Work after 50? Are You Also Out of Luck? June 6, 2018 by Mary Jacobs - At one point in her career, Amy Anderson supervised more than 50 people and managed a multimillion dollar budget for a Fortune 500 company. But after losing what she calls her “last good job” in 2013, she had no luck…
When Is It Time to Give Up the Car Keys? April 20, 2018 by Flora Davis - Americans outlive their own ability to drive by six to 10 years on average. To many of them, that seems like a fate almost worse than death.
How to Save Yourself and Those You Love During a Disaster April 20, 2018 by Mary Jacobs - When Hurricane Harvey struck his neighborhood on August 28, 2017, the Rev. John Stephens of Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Houston helped launch a “boat ministry.” He and several men in the church navigated privately owned boats into the rising…
What Happens When Someone Dies without a Will? - Years later, the story still haunts attorney Jennifer Cona. A man—in his 70s and in good health—retained her to draw up a will. He wanted to bequeath his sizable estate to his grandson and to a few charities. He did…
For the Umpteenth Time: ‘Too Old to Be President’ - Wondering how to respond when people equate a political candidate’s age with their fitness for office? You’ll find plenty of answers in “Biden is now America’s first octogenarian president,” which appeared in Salon. The writer reached out to experts like physician Louise…