SeniorTruth

I would like to share some thoughts as a result from participating in the AARP conference Work@50+ recently held at the Long Beach Convention Center. The attendance was exceptional  – 1,000 people with at least three quarters of them looking for work. It’s one thing to read the unemployment figures to be well informed. It’s [...]

Question: I am 55 years old and thinking about my retirement. Given my projected income, I will have to depend on Social Security to some extent. What are the basic facts and will it be there for me? My friends doubt it. – J.D. Dear J.D.: This topic is a hot one that won’t go [...]

Question: My father is 80 years old and lost his wife of 60 years about six months ago. He moved to a retirement community with lots of available women. The problem is that his first try at dating has backfired. He is distraught over what he perceives as a failure. I think he moved too [...]

Dear Readers: Last week I had the opportunity to participate in the Daily Breeze’s fourth annual Successful Aging Expo. It was a great success. Health and fitness were strong themes, as were financial, social, residential and educational opportunities. It was great to see nonprofit organizations represented.

Question: I recently had coffee with two good friends. The three of us are in our late 60s and recently retired from substantial positions. My friends described their activities with comments about their value – or lack of value. For example, one friend said, “I’m going to a popular television show with my daughter … [...]

Dear Readers: Successful aging is like world peace. Everyone is for it, but they’re not sure how to make it happen. However, while most of us can explain what world peace means, that’s not the case with successful aging. One reason is that “success” is an ambiguous term. Additionally, the shifting meaning of successful aging [...]

Dear Readers: Last week we discussed entrepreneurship for those in the second half of life. Today’s column offers tips from experts. An important first step is to ask yourself a few questions, suggested by Mary Beth Izard, author of “BoomerPreneurs” (Acheve Consulting, 2010) as noted in a May 2012 Money Magazine article:

Dear Readers: I recently participated in a conference on a subject that just doesn’t go away – employment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for those 55 and older increased from 5.9 percent in February to 6.2 percent in March. That is below the U.S. unemployment rate for all ages, which [...]

“A cane makes me feel old.” Some of us have heard this before.  Yet we know using a cane can be a life line. Kathy Gantner, a physical therapist with Torrance Memorial Medical Center agrees.  She strongly urges her patients to continue using a cane to walk distances, to keep pain at a minimum or [...]

Have you ever wondered why someone you care about deeply doesn’t do what we think is best for them?  It may appear to you that they are stubborn.  They may resist walking, socializing, getting a home companion or moving when it is clear that their home has too many levels to safely navigate. Before we [...]