August 18, 1988 the President Ronald Regan proclaimed:  For all they have achieved throughout life and for all they continue to accomplish, we owe older citizens our thanks and a heartfelt salute. We can best demonstrate our gratitude and esteem by making sure that our communities are good places in which to mature and grow older — places in which older people can participate to the fullest and can find the encouragement, acceptance, assistance, and services they need to continue to lead lives of independence and dignity.  He was 77 years old.  In 1930, when Regan was only 19 years...

Contemplating the total solar eclipse that will be visible across a wide swath of the continental United States next week , I kept imagining how awe inspiring and terrifying an event like this would have seemed to ancient people. Even for those of us who know the eclipse  is coming and how to safely view it; we can't really know what we will feel to witness such an unusual event.  Feels like imagining one's old age. There are so many variables for all of us and no one knows how it will play out. We can take care with exercise,...

The increasing average life expectancy that our world is seeing thanks to medical advances has led to an increase in time that generations are coexisting. Simply put, more people are living at the same time as their grandparents for longer periods of time! This is why it is good news for all of us... A study by Boston College published in The Gerontologist in 2016 found that close relationships between adult grandchildren and their grandparents led to reduced depressive symptoms in both groups.  Spending time with grandparents can help develop emotional intelligence in young children as it is an additional example, other...

              Do you remember puberty? Lots of good and bad memories for sure. One of the tough ones for many people was realizing that they stink; armpits, groin & yikes FEET ! Your sweat glands become much more active than they were when you were younger. When your sweat comes into contact with bacteria on your skin, it cause – body odor.  Personal hygiene is not only a source of comfort and well being for each individual, but a way to feel good in social situations. As we age, there are new changes to the skin and new potential body...

One fantastic example of embracing life into older age is the movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. If you have not seen John Madden’s 2011 motion picture starring Judi Dench, Dev Patel, Bill Nighy and Maggie Smith you are SERIOUSLY missing out. This movie is suitable for all ages and really epitomizes how life can and should be lived. It is based on Deborah Moggach’s book, These Foolish Things, which is also worth checking out.  It follows the lives of seven seniors as they meet at what they believe to be an upmarket picturesque hotel in India after seeing an online...