Tag Archives: older adults

Caregiver Vigilance

Posted on October 25, 2017 by

I wrote in September about my 91-year-old mom’s fall and subsequent hospitalization. She suffered two compression fractures in her back, causing her a good deal of pain and significantly limiting her ability to do things for herself. After she left … Continue reading →

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Mom on the Mend

Posted on September 24, 2017 by

My mom, who is 91 years old, fell a couple weeks ago. She was in the bathroom, heading for the toilet in the middle of the night when her feet flew out from under her. She normally takes her time … Continue reading →

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The Older I Get, The More Versions Of Me There Are

Posted on August 8, 2017 by

Rachel McAlpine, who blogs at Write Into Life, recently posted about the challenge of adjusting her identity as she ages. She writes, “I’ve been searching for an inherent personal coherence, consonance, or harmony. But this is not straightforward, because right … Continue reading →

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“Touch Me”

Posted on July 24, 2017 by

There’s an interesting incident near the end of David Foster Wallace’s magnum opus Infinite Jest that says a lot about how humans treat each other. It’s the story of Barry Loach, the head trainer at Enfield Tennis Academy. Earlier, Barry’s … Continue reading →

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“You Don’t Really Start Getting Old Until You Stop Learning”

Posted on July 3, 2017 by

In the June 5 issue of Time magazine, Bill Gates was interviewed about the books that have influenced him. I was struck by one of his comments: “You don’t really start getting old until you stop learning.” Is that true? … Continue reading →

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The Effects of Childhood Trauma

Posted on June 14, 2017 by

  A 2016 article by Emily Guron, Health and Caregiving Editor for Next Avenue, described the longstanding effects of childhood trauma. As Gurnon summarized, these effects range from physical problems to emotional problems, substance abuse, and risky behaviors: “Research has shown … Continue reading →

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Relocating to a Retirement Community: A New Life

Posted on April 29, 2017 by

I wrote recently about the first part of Richard L. Morgan’s book Settling In: My First Year in a Retirement Community. Morgan was initially enthusiastic about moving to a retirement community near his daughter, but after a month or so … Continue reading →

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Relocating to a Retirement Community: “Settling In”

Posted on April 14, 2017 by

I recently read Richard Morgan’s 2006 book Settling In: My First Year in a Retirement Community. At age 74, Morgan, a retired Presbyterian minister, moved from Morgantown, North Carolina to a retirement community in Western Pennsylvania. He and his wife … Continue reading →

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Getting Ready to Retire: Finding Yourself

Posted on March 20, 2017 by

Next Avenue recently published an article by Bart Astor, a writer specializing in life transitions, titled “When will you be ready to call it quits?” After talking to numerous retirees, Astor concluded that the following factors played into their decisions … Continue reading →

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Complications

Posted on March 11, 2017 by

I’ve been writing recently about my medical problems. After living a year and a half with prostate cancer, I had surgery a couple weeks ago to remove my prostate. Last week, I blogged about the surgery and the first week of recovery. A few … Continue reading →

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