How many of you have that one special family member that made your life so much better? We’d love to hear your stories! My mother grew up in a very large family. She had eight brothers and six sisters, most of them older than her. I always found her stories of her growing up years […]

If you’re like me, your gutters are full of leaves! That means your older loved one’s gutters are also getting full. Make sure you talk to them about not getting on a ladder and trying to clean them out themselves. Older people are very independent and often will take on tasks that are now beyond […]

“Sick, Dying and Raped in America’s Nursing Homes” was the attention-grabbing headline on a CNN investigative report released in February of 2017. It shined light on the fact that more than 1,000 nursing homes had been cited for mishandling suspected cases of rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse — along with the likelihood that tens of […]

Seniors are often saluted for the wisdom they impart through their seasoned bon mots and, more recently, have been tapped by several authors for their secrets to living well. The unforeseen danger is that the adulation can foster a kind of complacency, a certain smugness, a haughty feeling that only helps fuel the divide between the […]

Updated April 2025 People lucky enough to have employers providing them with dental coverage most often lose it when they retire. As of 2023, a third of adults who are 60 or over lacked dental insurance, according to a survey by the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, a nonprofit that advocates for policies providing access to […]

In 2018, the Sacramento Bee published an article about two assisted living centers that abandoned residents during a raging fire in the wine country. At risk were 120 residents, many of whom were unable to walk without aid and were left behind locked doors. Thankfully, the residents’ relatives and first responders got everyone out alive. […]

This is a fact — most seniors absolutely love kids . . . me included. They just make you see the world from a different point of view. Since you’re reading this, you’ve probably guessed that I write for a living. For the past few years I’ve been writing for my hometown newspaper and for […]

What toys did you love when you were a child? Ask your elderly loved ones which ones they cherished! I was only five years old when I decided I wanted to be a princess. I thought about it a lot, especially after going to see Sleeping Beauty. I wanted to be that beautiful girl who […]

Only a few years ago, the Village Movement was hailed as a growing way to “help ease the challenge of caring for a rapidly aging population” by providing support and services that allow seniors to achieve what so many covet: the ability to live independently, to age in place. The Village concept is at the same […]

“Once you hit 80, it’s a whole new ball game,” – My mama (82). What changes have you seen in your life after 80, or your parents’ lives? Has it occurred to you that nothing seems normal? From my point of view, life after 80 becomes a series of ups and downs and all arounds. […]