Perched in an unlikely place—atop the crest of a hill overlooking a freeway in Novato, California, just north of San Francisco—is a brain trust working to unlock the key to our futures. It’s easy to miss the turnoff to the spot, marked only by a diminutive highway sign: Buck Institute for Research on Aging. But […]
Food has a way of bringing people together, especially family members. Do you remember that pot of steaming chicken and dumplings your granny used to make? How about the fragrance of homemade bread wafting through the kitchen? How did my granny make her famous stuffing for turkey or turn sweet potatoes into a gooey delight? […]
Time teaches us many things. I’ve learned that every season of life has new lessons to teach me. You never know it all and you’re never too old to learn new ones. I’ve learned lessons from my kids and my grandkids but the most important lessons I’ve learned have been from my folks. People Matter […]
Caregiving can take a toll on all those who love and care for the older loved one in need of help. Perhaps those who are quickly forgotten are the spouses, children and friends of the caregiver who find themselves having to change their lives almost as much as the caregiver herself or himself. Suddenly that pivotal […]
I’ve always been told to be careful about assumptions. It’s really a wise recommendation when it comes to aging. Generalities that once might have held a thimble of truth have been blown out of the water by the Greatest Generation and the beloved Baby Boomers. When social security was first signed into law, not many […]
There are so many emotions that go along with caregiving. We’re trying to help. We’re trying to do what’s best for our loved one. When you add in the dementia element, the caring gets a whole lot harder. I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir here, but it can get downright exasperating. You’re trying to […]
The phone rings. At the other end is a distraught person. Ever since grandpa died, the family has been in constant conflict. As a personal property appraiser, I quickly discover that what everyone thought was a close-knit family has suddenly fallen apart. The fight over the estate causes heartache. The reason is obvious: once money […]
Your father is terribly disorganized. In fact, he is a messy slob whose idea of filing means stacks of papers in drawers, shoe boxes and closets. He always has been, but his slip-shod habits have only gotten worse with age. This worries you — and it should — because as his potential heir, you eventually […]