The New Aging Family: Older Adults and Parents

A decade ago, Dr. Richard Thill moved back into the family home in Anaheim, Calif. to live with his aging parents. Thill was with his mother when she died at age 102 and continues to live with his father, Elmer, who, at 104, is Anaheim’s oldest lifelon… Continue reading

Worth Watching: ‘We’ll Meet Again’ on PBS

Fate brought Dave Johnson and Bruce Grable together not once, but twice. And thanks to the PBS documentary series We’ll Meet Again, which features reunions between people who first crossed paths at critical moments in their lives, the second time gave … Continue reading

Why I’m So Glad I Ran for Congress

It’s the day after the day after I completed a run for Congress, and I’m just beginning to sort through the extraordinary experience I’ve had. I ran as a Democrat in North Carolina’s 13th District and I knew it would be an uphill battle; the district h… Continue reading

The Second Year After a Loved One’s Death

For more than 25 years, I served as a psychology professor and researched grief and bereavement. I consulted and taught individuals, couples and families to meet the demands that chronic illness exacts, to build safety nets and resilience in the presen… Continue reading

Play Games for Better Health

When friends asked Lisa Ruderman, 52, of Livingston, N.J.,  if she wanted to learn how to play canasta, at first, she declined. She wasn’t sure she had the spare time or any interest in the card game, which is a form of rummy. But with some minor prodd… Continue reading

6 Benefits of Learning a Skill Later in Life

It could have been raising chickens, or playing piano or doing double-entry bookkeeping. The point is, learning something completely new while in my 50s — and sticking with it — was a revelation. In my case, it was carpentry. As a lifelong school and c… Continue reading

The Gift of Making a Video Biography

Seymour and Angel Newman light up as they talk about their daughters, Shoshana and Raphaela. “The best thing that ever happened to my life was those two girls,” Seymour said. Angel added, “They both have such good hearts. They’re such good children.” T… Continue reading

The Weight of Being Childless Late in Life

I was never ready to have a child, but I always loitered along the razor’s edge of wanting one. I cast away all my healthy reproductive years to the agony of indecision. I spent heaps of money on shrink appointments, and talked about it ad nauseam with… Continue reading

Vietnam Protesters on the Youth #NeverAgain Gun Reform Movement

The February 14, 2018 shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. mobilized students there to launch #NeverAgain, what Time magazine called the “most powerful grassroots gun reform movement in nearly two decades.” Spurred by tra… Continue reading

How to Know if a ‘Top Doctor’ Is a Good Doctor

Finding the best doctor in town can be a huge comfort in the midst of a medical crisis. I know. When I was diagnosed with the BRCA2 gene [linked to breast cancer risk], I opted for a preventative double mastectomy to greatly reduce my risk. A prominent… Continue reading