First and foremost, many of the services supported by the Aging Network would not exist without network funding and advocacy. Without network services, an essential tier of the continuum of long-term care would be lost—the one that bridges total independence in one’s own home and institutionalization. (more…)

As mentioned earlier, the tendency to reminisce as we grow older was regarded by many gerontologists as a pathology until Robert Butler showed it could be a highly positive way of integrating experiences and coming to terms with the past. As such, life review became a method for group therapy, creative writing groups, and as a source for living history drama. Some researchers went even further. They described elements of wisdom and aging creativity in the life review process. Not only were older adults of learning and expressing themselves, but because of their treasure house of past experience, they could also be ideal students and could make excellent teachers. (more…)

Young people rarely worry about their physics capacities. As a matter of fact they take tremendous pride in their physical well being and usually behave as though it were something that will go on forever.

However, by the time people reach middle age certain changes become apparent to challenge this certainty that youthful vigor will last for all time. (more…)

Since the 1960s a number of critiques have been developed about the misrepresentations inherent in the images which portray minority groups. Critiques have been increasingly made of what are seen as demeaning images of women, gays, the living elderly index, ethnic groups and regional minorities. Here the assumption is that such groups suffer from the imposition of negative stereotypes: images which do not accurately represent their everyday realities and aspirations. (more…)

My job is to plan for catastrophe, yet Jane’s story was an echo of my own. My mother, a fiercely seniors independent and proud woman, worked until she was 86 years old; but after she was forced into a senior nursing home care at age 93, she died within weeks. Ethel enjoyed a long life. Its end was certainly not a direct result of the loss of independence and personal dignity she experienced in the nursing home. But if I had helped her plan for her very old age, she might have spent her last months surrounded by neighbors and friends, instead of professional caretakers. (more…)

You must understand that getting old is not an easy phase that our loved ones or the people that we know go through. Actually, everybody will age as time passes but each one will accept such a fate in different ways. But one thing that is the same, caring for older people should always be implemented and acted out. (more…)

Hospice care became a recognized benefit under Medicare in 1983, and approximately 90% of all hospice programs are Medicare certified. As 28% of all Medicare costs go to persons in their last year of life, and 50% of such costs are expended during the last 2 months of life, (more…)

Are you a Baby Boomer who is taking take of an elderly loved one? I am. Perhaps you have dependent children too. And maybe a job or business. I do. Welcome to “the Sandwich Generation” — I’m sure you’ve heard of it. (As it turns out, we’re mostly women). All of our situations are different. Yet similar. For instance… (more…)

You need to be fifty (an age that now includes baby boomers) to join the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). This age is taken as the beginning of the target age to be consider as senior. For purposes of Social Security and Medicare, you qualify at sixty-two and sixty-five, respectively, but the threshold for age of eligibility for early entry into Social Security is increasing two months each calendar year. In other words, you have to be two months older next year than you do this year to enter the system. (more…)

Have you ever wanted to look younger than your current ages? Sure you have. Many of us still looking for the Fountain of Youth; the elixir to reverse aging process. We may even go to drastic and extremes measures to reach it. Surgical face lifts and botox treatments are sometime the preferred choices for ones who are looking for shortcut. These treatments are not come cheap. Surely, you can look younger, but have you realized that there are other methods, that will give you a more youthful look which cost you a penny? (more…)