“What surprises me is—even though discrimination against women and racial discrimination still exist, they have improved a lot, especially among artists. And just when I felt I could finally take a break, I encounter the age discrimination. I turned 72 and started noticing a drastic difference in people’s attitudes. I started with racism and sexism in the beginning and fought them so hard and was finally ready to relax. Then, here comes ageism, and I feel like, ‘Give me a break!’” 1.

As human beings we all want to receive love from others, but we must first learn t…

Life brings changes and challenges as we age—health issues, relationships, losses, and other challenges—can impact the heart and lead to a broken heart. A broken heart whether romantically related or not can lead to cardiac consequences. Are you taking care of your heart? Are you being kind to yourself? Sometimes we can be hard on ourselves as we try to adjust and regroup to these changes. When at such a time, the kind of strength we need is not the kind that comes from tough love or stoicism. We need the strength and resilience that self-compassion gives. Here’s why …

“Dance and movement is the essence of life. One of the forces of life is movement. When you move your body and you move it rhythmically, you’re communicating with yourself, communicating with the environment and communicating at the highest spiritual level,” says Janet Reed on the Documentary of Dances of the Third Age. Dance for older adults might be more appropriate than just physical exercise, for it engages the whole person.
Natural decline or lack of fitness
As you age, your body functions decline. Does this decline happen naturally or is it because of a lack o…

My fascination with grey hair started with watching my mother groom her hair. While her friends were coloring their hair, my mother was enhancing her grey with the help of Clairol’s Shimmer Lights shampoo. Every wash was like polishing the household silverware. Then came my turn—many years later but still a bit soon. Lucky for me, at that time women under 40 were choosing to go grey, so I thought I’d slip in the pack as a grey-by-choice. But a close look at the mirror delivered the big reveal one day: my greys were seemingly emboldened by my goal to cling to “youth�…

Getting fit is one of the most common New Year’s Resolutions.

At Friends Life Care, we’ve been talking a lot about exercise lately…at member meetings and in planning our upcoming VigRTM workshops. VigR stands for Vitality, Independence, Growth, Resilience.  It is our philosophy for health and wellness. 

Exercise is such an important part of healthy aging for both physical and cognitive wellbeing.  I’ve had mixed success on my journey to establish a regular exercise program.  I wonder if others share the same challenges.

My journey didn’t begin until I…