Other Side of 50

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 and exercise with others in [...]

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 point. My Auntie Jean had [...]

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 do the right thing even [...]

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 would like to have available [...]

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, a national organization of individuals [...]

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: “I am trying to make [...]

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 assistance in preparing their tax [...]

The novel “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng keeps swirling in my mind these days because one of its basic themes is the conflict between rule followers and rule breakers that we see playing out in America today. The story features two main characters, both women. Elena has followed the rules her entire life and, [...]

I’m not sure anyone could have predicted what the beginning of 2021 would look like, particularly as we ushered out 2020 believing it was one of the most challenging years on record. And now, as our new year begins, we are seeing an unprecedented surge in COVID deaths, stoking our fears of an elderly loved [...]

There’s no debating that seniors are most at risk during this pandemic. While COVID-19 deaths have spanned all age groups, the hardest hit has been the 65-and-older population, which accounts for over 80% of the U.S. death toll from the disease. A friend offered her opinion that this pandemic may just be nature’s way of [...]