Other Side of 50

Years ago, after my grandmother died, my cousin came to live with my grandfather, whose nickname was Bubbles. Don’t ask about the silly moniker, except I will say that (embarrassingly) it was handed down to my father, and his daughters suffered the humiliation of my mother referring to dad as “Bubbles” at restaurants and parent-teacher [...]

When attending out-of-town conferences, my friend Sara saves big money by staying in a room at another person’s house through Airbnb. She swears by the lower cost compared to a traditional hotel room and the positive experience of getting to know her hosts. Airbnb connects people who have space to spare with those who are [...]

Years ago, after my grandmother died, my cousin came to live with my grandfather, whose nickname was Bubbles. Don’t ask about the silly moniker, except I will say that (embarrassingly) it was handed down to my father, and his daughters suffered the humiliation of my mother referring to dad as “Bubbles” at restaurants and parent-teacher [...]

I used to enjoy vacations. I’ve traveled to many places, including Ireland, Aruba, Hawaii, Mexico, London and India. I enjoyed trying new foods, learning about different cultures, seeing historical sights and meeting new people. Now, however, most of the vacations my husband and I take are centered on visiting our families back East. “They aren’t [...]

My 40-something-year-old friend received a call from her husband while she was at work. “Your yoga pants arrived,” he said, referring to a package that came that day in the mail. “I didn’t order any yoga pants,” she replied, wondering what it could be. Arriving home that night she found a 6-by-8-inch box with a [...]

It’s not unheard of for foreigners to be detained overseas for mailing out or bringing in the same medicine they use at home. The ever-increasing number of seniors traveling abroad need to be aware of that possibility and what they can do to prevent it from happening to them. Witness, for example, a recent news [...]

Every morning while walking my dog, I call my mother from my cell phone. We talk about many things, but in particular my mom’s side of the conversation focuses on my sisters and their families and how she and my dad are doing. In our conversation I hear about the outcomes of my parents’ doctor [...]

A 2009 study concluded that the majority of family caregivers are white, female, employed, average 50 years of age and help in the care of a relative, often their mother. The support systems for seniors and their family caregivers are built around this pattern. Since the world is changing at lightning speed, I wonder what [...]

It’s a well-documented fact that the majority of older adults would prefer to live at home. What you may not know is that nutrition problems are widespread among those who choose to do so. According to various studies, between 24 and 50 percent of the Medicare population is estimated to be at some level of [...]

Who would have thought my parents would become the victims of identity theft? Not long ago, my parents received a letter from the FBI informing them their Medicare Advantage Plan insurance company had been hacked, and names, Social Security numbers and other personal information had been compromised. I was so skeptical of this letter that [...]