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Real Doctors, Virtual Visits October 29, 2020 by Pepper Evans - I recently deliberated about making an appointment for a routine colonoscopy. Not only are we in the middle of a pandemic, I had to change gastroenterologists, and I just wasn’t sure what to do. My primary care provider insisted there…
The Benefit I Earned October 22, 2020 by Flora Davis - I was thinking the other day about how thrilled I was, shortly after I turned 65, when I signed up for Social Security. It was a watershed moment, and my husband took me out for lunch to celebrate. I was…
Being Old Is Not a Death Sentence, Even Now October 20, 2020 by Margaret Morganroth Gullette - Contrary to popular opinion, no one living in a nursing home needs to die of COVID-19.
Hire a Shopper September 25, 2020 by Pepper Evans - My college-age daughter is home. With orders to shelter in place, she lost her campus job and her restaurant job, and few opportunities were available when she arrived back in town. So she gamely decided to be an Instacart shopper.…
We’re All Old People in Training, Whether We Know It Yet or Not, Part 2 September 16, 2020 by Ashton Applewhite - In a world increasingly segregated by race and class as well as by age, reaching over those divisions to acknowledge the one path we’ll all travel is a radical act.- We’re All Old People in Training, Whether We Know It Yet or Not, Part 1 September 11, 2020 by Ashton Applewhite - What’s the best answer to “How old are you?” Tell your questioner the truth—and then ask why it matters.
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…
Know Your Numbers - Every year, millions of older adults roll up their sleeves for an annual physical. Blood is drawn, a cuff tightens around the arm, and a stethoscope taps against the chest. A few days later, a patient portal pings with test…
Dementia: The Numbers Are Climbing but the Risk Is Not - I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it: dementia rates are dropping. There are more cases because there are more older people as a percentage of the population, and age is the biggest risk factor. But your risk is lower…