Senior Living
/Health
Travel Trending with Kathy Witt: Exploring Japan aboard Holland America’s Volendam
Stepping aboard Holland America Line’s Volendam in Taipei, Taiwan, felt less like joining a cruise and more like slipping into a story already in motion. The 2026 Grand World Voyage had been underway for weeks by the time I arrived in early April for my 10-day Japan segment, which concluded in Tokyo. But with both passengers and crew greeting ...Read more
Streets not ready for the Bay Area’s fast growing population — seniors
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Melissa Quilter has quit crossing the intersection of The Alameda and Marin Avenue in Berkeley when she’s walking her dog.
“My dog is older. I’m older. We don’t take risks anymore,” said Quilter, 66, who has been living by the intersection for 27 years. Without a protected left-turn signal, drivers can turn through...Read more
The help that many older Americans need most
On a recent Monday, Sandy Guzman, a community health worker in rural Oregon, drove to visit a patient in her 60s in a small city called The Dalles.
The patient lived alone, and “really struggles with social isolation,” Guzman said. After a serious fall and subsequent surgery, the woman was using a wheelchair. She confided that she would ...Read more
Hand-stitched memory bears help grieving maker and recipients
PITTSBURGH — Shirley Whitlinger knows all too well the profound, existential loneliness that follows a spouse’s death.
When David, her husband of 50 years, died from prostate cancer in 2021, after two years of chemotherapy and trials at Hillman Cancer Center, it was almost impossible not to lose herself in grief.
The couple had spent ...Read more
Trump touts 'golden age' for seniors in the friendly territory of The Villages
THE VILLAGES, Fla. — President Donald Trump came to the friendly territory of Florida’s retirement haven Friday for his first public event since an alleged assassination attempt against him, touting tax cuts for seniors and parading Dr. Phil on stage.
Trump quipped he wasn’t afraid for his safety at The Villages, a GOP stronghold where he...Read more
Hand-stitched memory bears help grieving maker and recipients
PITTSBURGH — Shirley Whitlinger knows all too well the profound, existential loneliness that follows a spouse’s death.
When David, her husband of 50 years, died from prostate cancer in 2021, after two years of chemotherapy and trials at Hillman Cancer Center, it was almost impossible not to lose herself in grief.
The couple had spent ...Read more
105-year-old Chicago woman finds herself on century-old Irish census: ‘Those years went by so fast’
CHICAGO — One hundred years ago, a few thousand miles away across the Atlantic, a quiet moment in history rippled across northwestern Europe.
The day was April 18, 1926. Ireland was coming off centuries of British rule and a bloody civil war and hadn’t paused to understand where it stood, or how it had changed, in years. But the young ...Read more
105-year-old Chicago woman finds herself on century-old Irish census: 'Those years went by so fast'
CHICAGO — One hundred years ago, a few thousand miles away across the Atlantic, a quiet moment in history rippled across northwestern Europe.
The day was April 18, 1926. Ireland was coming off centuries of British rule and a bloody civil war and hadn’t paused to understand where it stood, or how it had changed, in years. But the young ...Read more
For many patients leaving the ICU, the struggle has only just begun
The accident happened in Pittsburgh on Nov. 16. Joseph Masterson, a lawyer who was just days from retiring at age 63, suffered cardiac arrest while driving, plowed into a guardrail, and lost consciousness.
Other drivers stopped, broke the car window, and pulled him to safety. A passing volunteer firefighter performed CPR until an ambulance ...Read more
For many patients leaving the ICU, the struggle has only just begun
The accident happened in Pittsburgh on Nov. 16. Joseph Masterson, a lawyer who was just days from retiring at age 63, suffered cardiac arrest while driving, plowed into a guardrail, and lost consciousness.
Other drivers stopped, broke the car window, and pulled him to safety. A passing volunteer firefighter performed CPR until an ambulance ...Read more
Mortgages for retirees and older adults
We often think of homebuyers as young people — newlyweds and couples with small children — but baby boomers actually make up the majority of those buying a home in the U.S. Still, according to recent studies, older adults face higher rejection rates for home lending products than younger borrowers. If you’re looking to secure a mortgage or...Read more
Is it bad to spoil my grandchildren?
LONDON — Showering your grandchildren with gifts and treats comes from a place of love and excitement, but what impact could this type of spoiling have in the long term?
We spoke to Counselling Directory member Annabelle Hird, a BACP-registered counselor who specializes in supporting parents and carers, who explained why overindulging ...Read more
Seniors face unfair rents and homelessness. They need rent control
From mobile home parks in Maine to modest apartments in California, seniors desperately need rent control to protect themselves against skyrocketing rents charged by predatory landlords. Our grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles, many of whom live on fixed incomes, face serious, life-altering consequences if politicians don’t protect them. ...Read more
'Warehoused without any protection’: Florida traps seniors in elder care homes
MIAMI — Martin Hochheiser was overjoyed when nurses told him he was going home to his North Miami Beach condo after a brief hospital stay — until the medical van began veering west toward Hialeah.
His dread turned to panic when Hochheiser, 79, was unloaded at Villa Rosa III, a 48-bed assisted living home with peeling paint, burglar bars, ...Read more
'Warehoused without any protection': Florida traps seniors in elder care homes
MIAMI — Martin Hochheiser was overjoyed when nurses told him he was going home to his North Miami Beach condo after a brief hospital stay — until the medical van began veering west toward Hialeah.
His dread turned to panic when Hochheiser, 79, was unloaded at Villa Rosa III, a 48-bed assisted living home with peeling paint, burglar bars, ...Read more
Isolation adds to burdens for older people
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Bill Roberts, 78 and disabled, rarely leaves his home. One of his most meaningful sources of interaction comes twice a week, when his favorite Meals on Wheels driver delivers lunch – bonus points if it’s his favorite Hawaiian comfort food, loco moco.
On a recent Thursday morning, he greeted a driver at his front door, ...Read more
Still skating at 87: Inside a hockey league where age doesn’t stop the game
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- As players in the San Jose Sharks Masters League streak across the ice, Ed Asato trails behind the play, stick ready.
At 87, he still skates in the league’s over-60 division.
Though he isn’t as quick as he was when he first picked up the sport decades ago, his enthusiasm hasn’t faded.
“I’m having fun, and I’m ...Read more
Travel Trending with Kathy Witt: Sailing the 'pura vida' way: Sea Cloud Spirit in Costa Rica and Panama
With their hugging posture and ever-present smile, sloths embody Costa Rica’s pura vida lifestyle like no other creature. As the national symbol of this conservation-minded destination, sloths represent Costa Rica’s commitment to biodiversity and protecting the environment: the pure life.
“You know about pura vida?” asks our tour guide,...Read more
‘Simply tell the truth’: Miami historian creates Black history textbook for kids
MIAMI — Historian and activist Marvin Dunn’s job is to bring Florida’s Black history to life — whether through his Teach the Truth Tours, the under the Black history tree at Florida International University, speaking at schools about racism and discrimination, or through the many protests he’s held to fight injustices.
Now, Dunn, an ...Read more
With Americans regularly scrolling, buying and selling online, there are more ways than ever for fraudsters to steal your hard-earned money
The latest Bankrate Financial Fraud Survey reveals that about 1 in 3 U.S. adults (34 percent) have experienced financial fraud or a scam in the past 12 months, since January 2024. Among them, nearly 2 in 5 (37 percent) lost money.
“Financial scams today come in all shapes and sizes, advancing far beyond the typo-ridden text messages that so ...Read more
