Other Side of 50
Andrea Gallagher, President of Senior Concerns, authors a bi-weekly column for the Thousand Oaks Acorn titled “The Other Side of 50,” focusing on life planning, positive aging and Boomer transitions.
Got a feeling? Trusting your gut can aid in decision-making
“Go with your gut” is a piece of advice given to me many years ago, somewhere in the middle of my business career. What my boss was trying to convey to me was to trust or follow my intuition, or instinct, as opposed to only basing my opinion or decision [...]
Making childhood memories last well into adulthood
This month my 3-year-old grandnephew, Wyatt, took his first airplane ride. What’s more, he was chosen to visit with the pilot and co-pilot, and he even got to sit in the cockpit in the pilot’s seat. My sister sent my mom and me the pictures of the occasion. In addition [...]
Clearing the way for reading enjoyment
If your friends are anything like mine, casual conversations these days often turn to a discussion of the amazing television series they’ve been watching on streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. I appreciate their enthusiasm and write down their recommendations, fully intending to check them out as soon as [...]
That cold might be COVID, so it’s best to play it safe
Last week my sister’s father-in-law, who lives on the East Coast, was mowing his lawn. After he finished, he started feeling respiratory discomfort, chalking it up to the grass and weeds he’d stirred up while mowing. A few days later, his wife experienced a runny nose, cough and muscle aches. [...]
The modern world challenges old-school ways
When it comes to everyday tasks, I’m caught between the modern world and my old-school ways. The term “old-school” refers to a style, method or device that’s no longer used or done because it has been replaced by something that’s more modern. Think of combing through that huge paper phone [...]
Community presentations can spark important conversations
One of my favorite parts of my job is public speaking. I know that stirs up anxiety and fear in some people, but for me it’s invigorating. Groups are beginning to meet in person again, and I’m enjoying making the rounds to the Senior Summit; Rotary, Kiwanis, Delta Cappa Gamma [...]
As prices rise, concern grows for senior renters
Marta (not her real name) called Senior Concerns as a last resort. The mobile home she and her husband had been renting for the past 30 years was being sold. The owner had died, and the owner’s adult children wanted to sell. The rent the couple had been paying had [...]
Communication helps ensure end-of-life wishes are followed
If we lived and died in a perfect world, all our end-of-life wishes would be followed. If we wanted extraordinary measures, where our doctors do everything possible to prevent our death, that would be done. If we wanted to simply remain as comfortable as possible until the end comes, that [...]
Support for family caregivers is on the way
Today I can count more than 20 friends or relatives who are acting as family caregivers for their loved ones. It’s probably the highest number I can remember in my adulthood. My cousin’s wife is caring for her husband, who has oral cancer and is undergoing chemo and radiation. My [...]
Aging systems require doing your homework
Maybe it’s my aging home, my aging car or my aging office building, but as the days go by, it seems every repair or improvement that is quoted to me is really expensive. It doesn’t matter if it is for electrical work, a piece of kitchen equipment or car repair—the [...]
Watch expiration dates during COVID
A few months back a friend told me she was not feeling well and was trying to find an at-home rapid COVID test. She needed the test because in a few days it would be her turn to care for her mother, who has mild cognitive impairment. I offered to [...]
Shared meal provides much-needed social nourishment
Over the last few weeks, my husband and I ventured out to see some friends we had not seen in a long time. It reminded me of one of the things I missed most during the pandemic—sharing a homemade meal with good friends. I forgot how nourishing it can be [...]
Trip to the ER brings fresh insights
A few weeks ago, I had a two-day stay in the hospital. I’m OK, but my eyes were opened by the changes I saw since my last visit to the emergency room three years ago. I want to share what I experienced on the chance that it might be helpful [...]
Older men sometimes need motivation to find social interaction
Recently I met a lovely 75-year-old gentleman who retired several years ago. I will call him Tim. As Tim and I talked about his life, I came to understand he had a very small social network. Tim’s day consisted of a lot of television watching and “some puttering around” with [...]
Tastes change as we age—so how to adjust?
I come from a family of cooks. We associate food with caring for others and pleasant feelings. Gatherings in my childhood included my mother’s mouthwatering pies, my aunt’s homemade squash-stuffed tortellini and my uncle’s oven-roasted fresh turkey. There were always too many appetizers, side dishes and desserts. We left the [...]
Charitable donations can aid in IRA distributions
This is a column about individual retirement accounts, my dad and doing good. For those of you with an individual retirement account who are over the age of 72, you know you are required to take an annual required minimum distribution, otherwise known as an RMD. Since IRAs are funded [...]
What happened to Silent Generation values?
Recently I sent a survey to several Silent Generation seniors who are between the ages of 76 and 93. A great deal has been written about their beginnings as a cohort, but my goal was to understand their thoughts and feelings as they pertain to some of the more recent [...]
Zoom cameras: Keep on or switch off?
During the past year I’ve been on more than my fair share of Zoom meetings. Every such meeting has a personality of its own. Take, for example, the Zoom meetings hosted by Community Care Licensing, a jurisdiction Senior Concerns falls under. With hundreds of people on the call, we are [...]
Knowing where to turn after a loved one’s health crisis
Right now I’m aware of several neighbors dealing with the sudden health crises of aging loved ones. Once the short-term crisis is dealt with, they will have to decide where to turn next. I have seen queries about these types of choices on Nextdoor. And while I love Nextdoor for [...]
Dashed plans due to COVID cause stress and anxiety
My husband keeps asking me why I cry at the drop of a hat lately. I have always been prone to tears when really stressed or when something touches my heart. And I guess that is exactly why I’m crying these days. For the past three months, my staff and [...]