This article is the first in a two-part series exploring why many seniors feel excluded and disconnected, and what can be done to change that. In this first piece, I look at the personal and life transition factors that shape seniors’ experiences of isolation. When Margaret retired after 40 years as a nurse, she looked […]
A friend of mine sent me an email that talked about what a difference a century makes, he circulated the information, and it is interesting and some of it is not true. So, here is a table tha it more realistic. His original 1925 stats are a colorful mix, some accurate (like home births), others […]
As I reflect on the conversations that sparked these posts, the woman who thought our association was too cliquey, the 84-year-old who felt too young to join, and the 80-year-old widow who discovered adventure later in life, I see two themes weaving together. On one side, we have the importance of connection. Senior centers and […]
When I think back to the woman who proudly told me she was “too young at 84,” and the member who declared she was more adventurous at 80 than she had ever been before, I see a clear truth: the meaning of “old age” is changing. Our parents and grandparents may have accepted aging as […]
At that community event, when the woman told me she didn’t want to join our seniors’ association because it was “too cliquey,” I couldn’t help but think about how first impressions can last a lifetime. She had visited once, ten years ago, and walked away convinced she didn’t belong. The truth is, she probably wasn’t […]
When people think about health in later life, they often picture exercise routines, healthy diets, or regular doctor visits. And while all of these are important, there’s another ingredient that is often overlooked: social connection. The truth is that loneliness can be just as damaging to health as smoking or poor nutrition. Seniors who are […]
The conversation that began at our community booth kept rolling around in my head. First came the lady who said she was “too young” at 84. Then came the member of our association who declared she was more adventurous at 80 than she had ever been before. These two stories got me thinking about something […]
One of my favorite moments came during a group discussion with some of our members in their late seventies and early eighties. We were talking about age, identity, and what it means to be a senior, when one woman shared something that has stuck with me ever since. “When I was younger, I was fairly […]
At that same community booth where I spoke with a lady about our seniors’ association, she gave me one of the most surprising answers I’ve ever heard. When I asked her why she wasn’t interested in joining, she looked me square in the eye and said, “I’m too young.” Naturally, I asked how old she […]
When I was manning a booth at a community event recently, I struck up a conversation with a lady about joining our seniors’ association. She smiled politely but shook her head. “No, thank you,” she said. Curious, I asked her why. Her response surprised me. She gave me two reasons. First, she felt that senior […]
