Managing Anticipatory Grief in a Pandemic

A profound sadness has settled over our planet. Whether it’s the loss of visits with loved ones, the loss of steady work and income, the loss of our usual routines or the full-stop loss of a person in our life whose own life has been extinguished by CO… Continue reading

LGBTQ Elders Need More Than Individual Heroism in COVID-19

(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

When Homelessness, Mental Illness and COVID-19 Collide

Eight years ago, long before there was a hint of the coming pandemic, Miami-Dade County Associate Administrative Judge Steven Leifman delivered a lecture about the intersection of criminal justice and mental health at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, F… Continue reading

COVID-19 in the Blue Zone: What’s Helping Elders in Sardinia, Italy

Italy has the third highest number of coronavirus infections, after the U.S. and Spain. But its ancient, isolated island of Sardinia, one of the world’s five Blue Zones (where people live the longest, healthiest lives) hasn’t been devastated by the pan… Continue reading

Finding Calm in the Pandemic Storm

(Editor’s note: We are all feeling stressed by the coronavirus pandemic. Many also feel anxiety, and worry about their loved ones and what our future as a nation holds. This essay by psychotherapist Reji Mathew provides helpful advice for taking stock … Continue reading

Living Alone, Physical Distancing and Loneliness

I am a 65-year-old widower, living alone between two communities — during the week in a big city high-rise and on the weekends in a small condo in the rural western North Carolina mountains. My intimate, social and professional networks are broad, soli… Continue reading

Ways Programs for Needy Older Adults Are Adapting Due to COVID-19

Now that the coronavirus pandemic means at-need older adults can’t leave their homes or have visitors, programs and services assisting them have had to radically adapt. Fortunately, many nonprofits have risen to the challenge, finding new, remarkable, … Continue reading

Adjusting Daily Routines During the Pandemic

Teresa Elwert usually is out and about every day, doing volunteer work, exercising and meeting up with friends. Four times a week, the 68-year-old leads a group of other retirees in her New York City neighborhood on what she calls “brisk walks” through… Continue reading

COVID-19 and Aging: What Can Philanthropy 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

How Being a Cancer Survivor Helps Me Cope With Coronavirus Fears

When you’re diagnosed with cancer, one of the worst things about it, aside from the obvious countless physical ramifications, is the emotional upheaval it causes. The raw feelings of vulnerability. The absolute terror of knowing that your body has betr… Continue reading