How to Hold a Virtual Seder This Passover

During Passover seders across America on Wednesday night April 8 and Thursday night April 9 — the ritual meals with the ritual script called the Hagaddah — there’s a moment where someone asks: Why is this night different from all another nights? Well, … Continue reading

A Virus Doesn’t Care. People Do.

(Across caregiving and community, business and intergenerational attitudes, the pandemic and how we respond to it could change us forever. Next Avenue turned to some of our Influencers in Aging, a diverse group of thought leaders, for their insights, c… Continue reading

Virtual Connections Have Never Been More Popular

Rich and Kirsten Meneghello and their daughter Lucy have dinner with Rich’s mom Margaret “Marge” Meneghello, 75, every Sunday, trading off between gathering at their house in southwest Portland, Ore., and Marge’s apartment a few miles away. But they’ve… Continue reading

How the Pandemic Is Affecting the Sandwich Generation

I am anxious about my 80-year-old father with regards to COVID-19. He has lung cancer and emphysema. He receives immunotherapy injections monthly. And he resides in New York State, the current epicenter of the pandemic in the United States. To summariz… Continue reading

The Heightened Importance of Advance Care Planning Now

Amid the chaos and constant news coverage surrounding the coronavirus lies an underlying fear of death and the realization that life is fleeting. Only 10% to 20% of people die suddenly and unexpectedly, though. More often, death is a process of gradual… Continue reading

Not Taking COVID-19 Seriously? Here’s Why You Should

More than 100 million Americans in over a dozen states have been ordered to stay home due to the increasing spread and impact of the coronavirus. For the rest of the country, following the strongly-encouraged recommendations from the world’s leading he… Continue reading

Offering Sympathy From a Distance in the Time of Coronavirus

When my good friend, Nikki, told me a few days ago that her father had just passed away from natural causes, my first reaction was to offer sympathy. Then I asked, “What are the funeral arrangements?” Her answer: “I’m not sure. We will have a memorial … Continue reading

Love Thy Neighbor Now

The last few days, I’ve been receiving calls and texts from friends and neighbors. One person was running to the drug store and asked if I needed anything. Another friend wanted to be sure I had food. And another called just so we could talk about how … Continue reading

How to Build Trust With Older Loved Ones

(Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from The Value of Wrinkles: A Young Perspective on How Loving the Old Will Change Your Life by Isabel Tom, which focuses on her personal and professional experiences with older adults and why she believes younger and … Continue reading

Safeguarding Memories, Telling Stories

On a table crowded with microphones and wires, Sam Thiessen Devine places an unpainted wooden truck, outfitted with chunky wheels. At first glance, the simple toy appears to be a well-loved memento from Devine’s childhood. But this is an object that ho… Continue reading