Other Side of 50

A new home design center recently opened in The Oaks mall. Last week I toured the center looking at a majestic Jacuzzi tub, lovely bathroom fixtures, high-end appliances and solid wood kitchen cabinets. Approaching the salesperson to compliment him on his beautiful store, I asked him if the company incorporates any elements of Universal Design. [...]

March is National Woman’s History Month. While not in the history books quite yet, scores of women today are changing the aging experience for the better, by providing us new models for positive aging. Here are a few of the trailblazers. Helen Dennis and Bernice Bratter are members of the first generation of women to [...]

For the most part, our own education wasn’t on our minds as we raised our families and toiled away at our jobs. Most of our structured learning was completed in the classroom many years earlier, with the possibility of a little on-the-job training scattered in during our adult years. When we hear the term “lifelong [...]

It’s hard to generalize about 78 million people, but boomers do share some distinctive traits. As Ronald Reagan again made the news on the days leading up to his centennial celebration, it was a surprise to learn just how much this icon of the Greatest Generation had in common with the boomer generation. As a [...]

The words of the physical therapist whirled in Alicia’s head. “Your mother is having some difficulty following directions. We are giving her verbal cues to help her stability, but she cannot remember them long enough to imbed them into her long-term memory.” Alicia recently took her 83-year old mother home to care for her after [...]

Imagine you’ve lived a rich, rewarding life. What would be most important to you in your dying days? Before reading further, think of at least one thing. If you answered avoiding suffering, being with family, having the touch of others, being mentally aware or not becoming a burden to others, you are of similar mind [...]

Many of us live in Never Never Land: We’re never going to get old and we’re never going to need help. Of course, just the opposite is true. According to clinical bioethicist Viki Kind, author of the book “The Caregiver’s Path to Compassionate Decision Making: Making Choices for Those Who Can’t,” “Only 10 percent of [...]

The holidays are a wonderful time to visit family and friends— bringing the kids to see Grandma, visiting Aunt Betty or taking some homemade cookies to an elderly neighbor. If we just keep our eyes open during those visits, seniors can tell us a lot about their needs. Seventy-five-year-old Aunty Honey lived alone after her [...]

Many people consider April 15th the date to remember. We have to be on our toes at tax time because a late return could result in a penalty. As the first of the baby boomers turn 65 next year, Medicare will present them with new dates to remember and another set of penalties if they’re [...]

Are you looking for a career that combines income and purpose? Many folks on the other side of 50 have been thrust into exploring options outside their primary profession due to unemployment or a down economy; others, still in a job, are looking toward the day they can bid their boss a hearty goodbye and [...]