Other Side of 50

My mom is 92 and, remarkably, still pretty independent. She lives in her own home. She reads. She cooks. She putters. She watches her shows. She still insists she’s “fine.” And in many ways, she is. But aging has a way of turning even “fine” into a team sport. There are three of us [...]

Recently, a friend shared something with me that quietly broke my heart for him. His wife has advanced Alzheimer’s. She lives in a care community now. She no longer recognizes him. Their conversations are brief. Sometimes she smiles at him the way she might smile at any kind visitor. Their shared jokes, their history, [...]

I recently had a routine dental visit turn into something much bigger. What began as a simple replacement of an old filling quickly escalated into a crown - $450 out of pocket - followed by pain when I drank cold beverages, and the unwelcome news that the same tooth now required a root canal. [...]

I recently attended a gathering of local nonprofit CEOs to talk openly about the unprecedented challenges our organizations are facing today — from tightening budgets and workforce capacity concerns to the growing needs in our communities. While the conversation surfaced many real and pressing challenges, there was also a bright and hopeful theme that [...]

I’m going to begin this column with two simple, everyday observations, both shaped by my experience as an older adult navigating our community. One happens behind the wheel. The other happens on foot. Let’s start with driving. My dry cleaner, bank, and coffee shop are all in the same strip mall. It’s a familiar [...]

Many people assume that cities fund most older adult services. In reality, they do not. Programs like Meals on Wheels, caregiver support, transportation assistance, home safety modifications, and senior protection usually begin with federal funding, and then flow through the State of California, who then sends it to the county level where grants are [...]

This weekend, while doing some early holiday shopping at Macy’s, I found myself in line behind a white-haired woman using a walker, chatting cheerfully about the bargains she’d found and the gift card she planned to use. By chance, we ended up checking out side by side. The cashier struggled with her gift card [...]

Every community has a heartbeat. Here in the Conejo Valley, that heartbeat is made stronger, steadier, and kinder because of the volunteers who show up—day after day, year after year—to make life better for someone else. I am fortunate to see volunteerism up close through my work at Senior Concerns, but lately I’ve been [...]

Every so often, I read something that makes me stop and catch my breath. Recently, it was an article in “The Chronicle of Philanthropy” listing America’s 100 favorite charities. On the surface, it was a remarkable summary of generosity, listing billions of dollars given by caring people across the country. But as I scanned [...]

My friend recently had dinner with a long-time neighbor who has been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. She told me, “He carried on a good conversation all through dinner. He seemed fine to me.” She was questioning her neighbor’s diagnosis, since in my friend’s mind, her neighbor appeared normal. My friend’s reaction is very [...]