Other Side of 50

I’ve recently discovered some programs that can help solve many of the challenges facing seniors. There are so many sources of help available today that it’s nearly impossible to have a handle on all of them at one time. Having a robust list by topic is very helpful. As with any rapidly growing market, there’s [...]

Imagine your longtime neighbor is an elderly gentleman who lives alone. He’s been in and out of the hospital over the last few months. He rarely sees his only child, a son who lives on the other side of the country. You pay your neighbor a social call upon his recent return from a hospital [...]

Over the years, I’ve watched family caregivers perform heroic acts in caring for their loved ones. I’ve seen spouses and adult children give up their work and social life—and essentially any semblance of freedom—to devote themselves 24/7. Many of these individuals began their caregiving journey years earlier, perhaps somewhat in the dark about the changes [...]

Retirement can be a perfect time to learn something new. Look at former President George W. Bush, who began to paint after leaving office in 2009. Bush told friends and family he found the art form relaxing. He hired a teacher to help him, telling her he wanted to discover his “inner Rembrandt.” After painting [...]

A widow with no children, Linda has volunteered for Senior Concerns’ Bargain Boutique and Thrift Shop for the past three years. On Jan. 17, her life changed dramatically. Scheduled to work at the boutique that day, Linda did not show up for her shift. Concerned, Karina, the boutique manager, called Linda at home. There was [...]

The month of May has several days celebrating special things. One of my favorites is May 25, 2017—National Chardonnay Day! On a more serious note, May 6 through 12 was National Nurses Week, which got me to thinking about the nurses who have made an impression on my life. One of my first nursing memories [...]

I distinctly remember the day I realized my father had something wrong with him. It was 1992, and my husband and I had recently moved to California. My parents came for their first visit to see us from their home in Cape Cod. One day on our way to lunch, my mother and I were [...]

Not long ago I received a call from some friends who were concerned about their elderly neighbor. The neighbor (I will call him Bob) was discovered by a friend. Bob had fallen in his home and was unable to get up. Paramedics were called to take Bob to the hospital. As the paramedics arrived at [...]

It’s just a tin cup. The kind that prisoners used to bang against the bars of their jail cells in old movies. The kind the chuck wagon cook used to dish up campfire stew for the cowboys. It’s exactly 8 ounces, with markings denoting ¼, ½, ¾ and 1 cup. It is the most precious [...]

A few weeks ago my husband and I were invited to a small dinner party. My friend wanted us to visit with his 90-year-old father, who was in town for a brief stay.   It had been a long time since I’d seen his father, maybe 20 years. Since then, his wife had passed away [...]