Monthly Archives: March 2020

Aging in Place: Are you Prepared?

A recent report suggests that 56% of older adults plan to stay in their current homes as they age. This same report reveals that only 10% of those who plan to stay in their homes have started making any appropriate modifications to prepare for aging in place. Retirement expert Sara Zeff Geber advises older adults to make important modifications before they are actually needed. New Realities as We Age I get it –none of us wants to think about increased physical limitations, but that is one of the realities of aging. It’s not necessarily a bad thing; it’s just a…

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Small Adaptations, Unimaginable Sacrifices & Hope

Small Adaptations, Unimaginable Sacrifices & Hope

Small Adaptations Because of the potential to spread Covid-19, most all of us in my area have been encouraged to maintain social distance recommendations and to stay at home. I leave the house to pick up prescriptions for my husband, to get outdoor exercise, to walk the dog and greet neighbors who are out and about, and to do grocery shopping. I miss getting together with friends and going out to Saturday breakfast with my husband. However, I’ve stayed in contact with people using social media and video. I’ve attended meetings and have even enjoyed happy hour with a couple…

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Discovering Our Better Selves

Discovering Our Better Selves

Other than taking appropriate precautions and trying to plan ahead to the best of our abilities, there is little most of us can do about a global pandemic and an economic crash. However, we can do small things to maintain our own well-being and the well-being of others around us. We don’t have to let current news overwhelm us. We can stay current without drowning in it. It helps to know how we can protect ourselves and what we can expect. However, it doesn’t do much good to tune into the same news throughout the day; instead, it can instill…

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Using Zoom to Stay in Contact During Covid19

I was supposed to meet a friend for lunch tomorrow. We’ve canceled our meeting but will have a virtual happy hour late tomorrow afternoon. For those of us over fifty, we are well aware that we are at higher risk for complications from Covid-19. We need to protect ourselves from social interaction, yet we also need to stay connected with others for our own well-being, if not for business reasons. Free and Easy to Use with Lots of Great Features If you are not already using the Zoom app to stay in contact, I strongly suggest you consider taking about…

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Dreams Deferred: Why Not Now?

Dreams Deferred: Why Not Now?

Too Old? Karen loved learning when she was younger. She earned a bachelor’s degree and applied her knowledge as she worked her way up to an executive leadership position in a large corporation. Now she is retired and regrets not having gone to graduate school before starting her career. When asked why she didn’t go back to school now, she says, “I’m too old!” Chris is still working but needs to hang onto his job for another three years before he can leave his current employer. He feels like the proverbial “cog in the wheel” and wishes he had followed…

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Voices of Mature Women Matter

Voices of Mature Women Matter: Women's History MonthIt is Women’s History Month. Last Sunday, March 8th was International Women’s Day. Along with several other women from our area, I attended “Women and Words: Celebrating Creativity.” The celebration began with a chorus singing about the power of women’s voices. Then women from the Southern Oregon Women Writer’s Group read their poems and stories honoring women’s lives and their often-unspoken truths.  These readers were mature women who communicated the kind of wisdom and insight that typically takes years to earn—if ever.After the final reading, all of us rose to our feet and…

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Memory Changes, Aging, and Lifestyle

Memory Changes, Aging, and Lifestyle

If you can’t remember a familiar word, if you can’t remember where you put your glasses, or if you can’t remember what you were looking for when you entered another room, it doesn’t mean you’re developing dementia. Yet many of us fear that any change in how our minds function could be a sign of a major problem. In the National Poll on Healthy Aging involving adults from 50 to 64, nearly half felt they were likely to develop dementia as they age. However, research suggests that the majority of us will not develop significant cognitive impairment. What’s Normal? It…

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Creating Community Conversations

In November, I applied for an Oregon Humanities Conversation Project. I wanted to bring groups together around a common topic as a way to address stereotypes based on age. I did get an interview and drove Portland (about three hours north from where I live) to participate. The three younger women who conducted the interview were great. A couple of weeks later, I learned my project proposal wasn’t selected. Nonetheless, the experience was very positive. I also realized I could develop my own conversation projects. Age Stereotyping Conversation Last night I spoke to a community group of older women (mostly…

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