Prolonged sheltering in place for seniors has been taking an emotional toll. Separated from loved ones, loneliness and boredom become an everyday threat to health and well-being. Yet this shut-in time can be an opportunity to create a priceless family heirloom: a personal memoir. Children, grandchildren, and generations beyond want…

If you are age 50 or older, Joseph Coughlin, founder and director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab, thinks you are misunderstood. In his 2017 book, “ The Longevity Economy: Inside the World’s Fastest-Growing, Most Misunderstood Market,” Coughlin contends consumer marketing companies and society, in general, underestimate the potential…

Behind only water, tea is the most popular drink in the world. But when you take a sip of tea, are you aware of how many gifts you may be giving yourself? Drinking hot tea can raise your spirit and even help keep your body strong and healthy. With that…

Sheltering in place because of COVID-19 can provide an opportunity to finally catalog those years of photos. Too often, photos handed down to the next generation are discarded because there is no information about people and places. These days, photo storage is a combination of physical and digital. Each type…

“My son, be steadfast in honoring your father; do not grieve him as long as he lives. Even if his mind fails, be considerate of him; do not revile him because you are in your prime.” (Sirach 12–13). Dementia stands out as a signature affliction of old age throughout human…

Gathered around the patio table on a beautiful early autumn evening, talk with friends turned to caring for aging parents. Jan, whose mother lives independently several states away, related an all too familiar story. “In our daily phone call, I asked Mom how she was doing. She told me she’d…

Generally speaking, your nervous system can be in overdrive just from the demands of your busy life and many responsibilities. Then, when an illness or injury occurs, your nervous system is stressed even further. These circumstances are less than ideal for optimal healing. A nervous system in overdrive causes anxiety…

Finding hobbies that match your interests is an extraordinary method to ease pressure and challenge yourself simultaneously. Having a hobby (or several) can help you build new relationships and improve your state of mind. There is such a vast number of things that older adults and retirees can do. As…

Stress is a fact of life. We have all experienced it at some point in our lives. Stress can be a great motivator when you have a big project to deliver, and when your stress response is well-managed, stress ebbs and flows naturally with life circumstances. When sustained over an…