Other Side of 50

Before COVID-19, many of us over the age of 60 never regarded ourselves as “older adults” or as someone with an underlying medical condition. However, it didn’t take long for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and county public health officers to place new classifications on us once the novel coronavirus arrived in the [...]

With so many headlines, news stories and opinion pieces about the impact COVID-19 is having on an individual’s health and safety, as well as the health of our economy, it is hard not to feel we have enough information to form opinions. In many posts on Facebook and Nextdoor and in letters to the editor, [...]

Sometimes a crisis can connect a team in a way no other experience could. I am one member of a small team of non-furloughed employees working in the Senior Concerns office and responding to calls. The metaphor “band of brothers” keeps coming to mind. This historical phrase refers to a diverse set of men who [...]

Lately a lot of people have been asking me how I’m doing. They know I work with seniors. I’ve been answering that question by simply saying we’re very busy. I’d like to elaborate, but the truth is, I’m having a hard time processing all I am feeling. There are a lot of challenging, and some [...]

For most of us, our daily lives have been disrupted by the novel coronavirus pandemic and the resulting shelter-in-place order. Work, social and family life has been upended in ways we may never have imagined. Life may feel unsettled as an air of uncertainty hangs over us. It’s natural to feel out of control given [...]

One of the first references to “getting old ain’t for sissies” was published in 1968. Fast-forward 52 years and whoever made the statement had no idea how true it would become. In a world where we’re experiencing exponential growth in the number of people who are over 80, little is being said about the impact [...]

Yes, this will be my second column on the upcoming census in as many months, but hopefully you’ll forgive me. After all, there’s a lot at stake here. What happens in 2020 will determine the fate of our region’s communities for the next 10 years. Did you know that, according to the U.S. government, Ventura [...]

This month, another adult child was drafted into the world of caregiving. Her name is Janet, and she is a 50-something schoolteacher with a husband and two adult children. One would think that the most logical subject of her caregiving would be her frail 86-year-old mother who lives 2,000 miles away. And in some ways, [...]

Earlier this month 300 residents of a Newbury Park 55-plus mobile home park were left without running water for nearly a week. The stoppage, caused by a main break within the community’s private water system, didn’t get fixed until city and county officials intervened. The ordeal got me thinking about the pros and cons of [...]

What will 2020 look like for you? That answer is likely to be different for everyone, but there are a few things most older adults will have in common. For example, if Social Security is your primary source of income, you may want to think about tightening your belt a little. In 2020, seniors will [...]