There are not many things that an older loved one loves more than looking at family photos. My parents can spend hours looking through the photo albums and act like I’ve given them an awesome gift when I print out the newest pictures of their great-grandkids. For many years now my daughter has given me […]

My glamorous friend’s glamorous mother died recently at age 90. She was known, among other things, for her youthful appearance, which allowed her to bluff about the true number of years she’d lived, even to herself, for her entire lifetime. Her secret, which she revealed to her daughter only on her deathbed: “Whatever you do […]

Updated June 2025 Communities craving ways to keep their senior residents — and to keep them engaged and engaging — could learn a lesson from Oak Park, Illinois, a village with a population of 52,000 just west of Chicago. Boosters on its website claim that Oak Park “boasts excellent schools, world class architecture, shopping, dining, […]

What’s that old saying? Trouble comes in threes? When it comes to older loved ones, that number could be more like five or six! Ignoring a little problem can turn into a huge one quickly with seniors. Take my mother. She’s one of the strongest people I know, yet when she ignored the subtle signs […]

There are a multitude of problems that elderly people are faced with, especially if they are poor or have limited mental capacity. Hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes and even assisted living communities are dealing with numerous problems that involve older patients with limited funds. The rising cost of living can find many older people without […]

Beginning at a tender age, one of the most difficult feelings to contend with is the nebulous one of being left out of the mainstream. And the cut seems unkindest of all when it happens to older people who by dint of design or sometimes their own mounting challenges in seeing, hearing, and getting around […]

If you want memories to last a lifetime — take a trip with your parents and your kids and just for fun — squeeze in a few grandkids! Growing up, vacations meant going to Oklahoma all the way from good old California. I was usually in the back of a station wagon watching the different […]

Once the presents are ripped open and the food is consumed, my mama can’t wait to get her tree down and just get her whole life back to normal. But mama has daddy. For those who live alone, getting past the holidays can be lonely. Once January hits, so does the cold weather with its […]

It’s often called the Silent Epidemic — the various scams and schemes used to bilk seniors out of their money and valuables. “Silent” because the victims, often frail and vulnerable older people, are more often than not too frightened, too embarrassed or too ashamed to tell anyone — including family members and friends — that […]

When the weather outside is frightful, it’s time to get creative. Did you ever wish you could learn to crochet, quilt or learn a foreign language? Winter is a great time to stretch those mind muscles and melt the winter blues. Everyone is now concerned with memory loss and dementia. There are so many things […]