As the population of older people burgeons, many communities around the world are being forced to make the honest assessment of the ways they need to change to meet the unique needs of this growing population. One of the first and largest studies to address this challenge was launched just over a decade ago — […]
Updated July 2025 There is no shortage of financial planners, organizations, books, and websites focusing on helping people plan ahead for the moment they can retire. And in the last decade or so, a great number of resources have also evolved to help planning for the end of life — a currently popular euphemism for […]
Because every disease, cause, and semi-notable soul seems to be singled out for special notice every day and month of the year, it’s easy to get cynical about the honorifics and get lulled into forgetting the import behind the honoring. And so it was when the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, an advocacy […]
If you haven’t experienced it yourself yet, then surely you’ve heard the rumblings of discontent from those who have. It turns out Bette Davis was right: old age is no place for sissies. In fact, it’s mean-spirited. And sneaky, too. It seems you go to sleep one night unfazed, but when you wake up your […]
No one wants to identify as being a person without a purpose — useless, worthless, aimless, an accidental traveler through life. But searching for purpose sounds like a lot of work. Or something that only happens on the west coast. Or perhaps something only a younger person would do. In fact, past studies of the […]
Like most other states in the U.S., the diminutive state of Delaware is facing a groundswell in its older population, which carries with it a growth in the demand for specialized senior services. There are currently around 22,000 Delawareans 65 and older living with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. They are assisted by 31,000 family […]
For people with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, one of the biggest challenges is keeping up with the private and essential activities of daily living — including bathing, eating, and dressing. Of these, perhaps surprisingly, dressing can be the most difficult. The act is fraught with possible complications that become more difficult as […]
“Right now, you’ve got neurons in your brain that have ‘Vacancy’ signs on them,” the Institute on Aging’s Patrick Arbore recently told a capacity crowd gathered to hear his pronouncements about brain health. The group of mostly older attendees was lured to the talk, fittingly held in San Francisco, by its title: “The Summer of […]
“Intergenerational” has become the polysyllabic buzzword of the age. The theory goes that if only young and old people spent more time together, they would all suddenly switch to living harmoniously. But there’s one thing that often gets in the way: They don’t like each other. That truth came to the fore recently when preparing […]
One of the first and largest studies to address the growing challenge of making and keeping communities age-friendly was launched just over a decade ago—an ambitious worldwide effort spurred by the World Health Organization (WHO). The initiative helped identify eight key areas communities must address: outdoor spaces and buildings transportation housing social participation respect and […]