Other Side of 50

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

I think I’ve been under some misguided notion that life will get easier as time goes by—at least when it comes to the things I’ve been doing for years. I’ve been in the workplace for over 44 years, and a homeowner for over 35. That’s a lot of time to [...]

Recently I noticed the ATM in my grocery store had been removed. I was a bit baffled by the decision, and a bit annoyed. The location was convenient. I could combine my shopping trip with banking. One stop, two chores accomplished. What I did not think about at the time [...]

I’m hoping my cousin gets the healing she needs this month. Almost a year after her brother David passed away, she is having a celebration of life for him. I wrote about Janet in January 2020 in a column titled “A life is changed in the blink of an eye.” [...]

After months and months of pandemic public health restrictions, stay-home orders and phased reopenings, the governor lifted the restrictions June 15 and we should come much closer to “normal” soon. As I check in with my own feelings about this transition, the two words that comes to mind for me [...]

Like many, I entered the role of caregiver without any preparation. My husband and I began caring for our elderly neighbors, Fred and Hildy. Over time we were dealing with a dizzying array of doctor visits, personal care needs, and physical and cognitive health issues without any of their family [...]

Wanda takes pride in the care she provides to her husband, Jim, as he goes through his journey with dementia. Before COVID, Jim attended the Senior Concerns Adult Day Program. Wanda felt his weekday presence there helped slow the progression of the disease as he engaged in conversation, activities, meals [...]

Silent whispers from our body come in many forms and may include aches or pains, emotions, gut feelings or just a sense that something is off. It’s easy to ignore these signs, but by doing so we may be jolted to attention when, at last, our body screams. Case in [...]

I’ve been looking through an ethical lens at some of the COVID-era choices people make. Have you ever heard the statement, “Do the right thing even when no one else is watching?” That is a statement about ethics. Ethics are moral principles that govern a person’s behavior; they suggest we [...]

If I outlive my husband and have difficulty living independently, I want to move to an assisted-living facility. I thrive in the company of others, and a socially isolated life would be lonely and depressing. However, with an eye on COVID and social isolation, I’ve been thinking about features I [...]

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the book “Live Smart After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Life Planning for Uncertain Times” that I co-edited and co-authored with 32 other experts in the field of aging. It was a passion project for a few members of the Life Planning Network, [...]

Early on, when COVID vaccine appointments first became available for seniors age 75-plus, the online application asked the user to select their insurance. Most seniors have Medicare and selected that option. Next, they were instructed to upload a copy of their Medicare card. Calls were coming in to Senior Concerns: [...]

Even in a pandemic, the tax season goes on. Free tax preparation help for seniors goes on, too, albeit with some changes. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program offers free tax help to people who make $57,000 or less, people with disabilities and taxpayers who speak limited English and need [...]