Rosie Wolf Williams

Gudrun Fortner has felt the sting of inflation. She is on a fixed income, and although her mobile home is paid for, the 73-year-old Florida resident says rising costs of living — particularly the rising cost of eating — have made it difficult for her and other older adults to make ends meet.
"Without my little food stamps and church, I would be in deep trouble," she says.
Others share her concern. Benefits that are known colloquially as food stamps and issued under the Supplemental Nutrition ...

Older adults who wear bras have to consider issues like mobility, arthritis, breast surgeries and even finances when choosing bras. Our breasts take on new shapes and sit differently in bra cups, and hooking a back-closing bra may be a literal pain for those with joint issues.
In addition, it becomes difficult to fit an unbalanced chest because of mastectomies or lumpectomies. "Research has shown that bra shopping is among the most stressful clothing purchases for women regardless of a person...

The arrival of a colorful seed catalog in the mailbox on a gray winter day just might make the gardener's heart beat a little faster.
"There is something pleasurable about leisurely flipping through photos of beautiful edibles and flowers during the coldest months of the year," says Kelly Funk, president of Park Seed in Greenwood, South Carolina.
Seed catalogs provide a great source of inspiration for all types of gardeners.
Seed catalogs provide a great source of inspiration for all types of...

Dowager's Hump, or neck hump, is a fatty lump that forms at the base of the neck, making the natural curve at the neck's seventh vertebrae more noticeable.
It is often most associated with older women (hence the name), and many women dread that they, too, may be forced to shift their gazes to the ground as their posture inevitably announces their age.
However, with the age of technology giving us information at our fingertips, Dowager's Hump is shedding the notion of being an older woman's pr...

Jude Evans-McCarthy found herself struggling with feelings of despair, but she kept them to herself, not wanting to be labeled as “crazy,” and even withheld information from her doctors.
Then one day, after years of struggling, she nearly drove her car into the path of a semi-truck.
“The only thing that stopped me was that my pets were in the car. And I didn’t want to [kill myself] and have my son dealing with the aftermath of it, wondering if I didn’t love him,” she said.
Evans-McCarthy was ...

Craig Coleman of Springfield, Vermont, believes that volunteering is a way to live the Golden Rule. He certainly acts on that belief, volunteering with Meals on Wheels, Senior Solutions, Volunteers in Action (VIA), and the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, which honored the 76-year-old Coleman with its President's Award earlier this year.
Volunteering, he says, has deepened his spirituality and allowed him to express his personal faith.
Coleman exemplifies the millions ...

A recent study in Canada suggests that knowledge of a subject, such as birdwatching, could play a role in aging and memory. According to the research group Statista, more than 15 million Americans counted themselves as birdwatchers in 2020, an increase from nearly 13 million participants in the previous year.
And if you are an accomplished birder, a new Baycrest study found that having expert knowledge in a subject such as bird identification could help with memory.
Sorting Out the Similariti...

You may remember the character of Officer Clemmons, the police officer/singer who was a friend of Fred Rogers on the beloved PBS TV show, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," from 1968 to 1993. But Dr. François S. Clemmons and Rogers were close friends off the stage of the children's program. In fact, Clemmons grew to view Rogers as a father figure throughout his adult life.
Clemmons, 77, earned a Bachelor of Music degree at Oberlin College and continued to Carnegie Mellon University, completing a ...

We've been told that yogurt suits us at any age and can be incredibly healthy for older adults. Why? Because it helps maintain the balance of the microbiome in the gut thanks to, among others, a small but mighty group of yeasts and live bacteria known as probiotics.
Keep reading to learn more about how these microorganisms may help boost your digestive system overall.
What is Yogurt?
Yogurt is traditionally a dairy product made by introducing a culture, or a blend of bacteria that feeds on la...

Certain foods might affect how prescription medications interact in the body
Pirates ensured they had plenty of citrus fruits like limes and grapefruits onboard for their journeys. But if you are taking medication, these fruits might be a problem. Why? Some foods and herbal supplements can affect how prescription medications work in your body. They could even eliminate the effect of another drug or cause side effects.
However, the opposite is true – some medications can cause your body to abs...

I wanted to buy a house of my own.
After several years filled with changes in location, finances, relationships, and goals, I was ready to settle down, stop renting, and buy a place. I just wanted to buy something simple, in reasonable shape, but at a price I could comfortably manage. That meant that I needed to obtain a mortgage.
As a "solo aging" self-employed 63-year-old, I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. The pandemic had altered the real estate universe, resulting in higher prices and...

Craig Coleman of Springfield, Vermont, believes that volunteering is a way to live the Golden Rule. He certainly acts on that belief, volunteering with Meals on Wheels, Senior Solutions, Volunteers in Action (VIA), and the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, which honored the 76-year-old Coleman with its President's Award earlier this year.
Volunteering, he says, has deepened his spirituality and allowed him to express his personal faith.
Coleman exemplifies the millions ...

Congratulations! You graduated!
And now you are moving back home.
The reason is probably financial. Tuition isn’t cheap and you may have tackled that bill on your own. Although some colleges and universities froze or lowered tuition during the pandemic, many cite lower enrollment numbers and inflation as a reason for raising tuition rates.
After college, the job hunt might be difficult no matter what type of degree you have under your belt. New college graduates often end up working in jobs t...

When Maya McNulty of Niskayuna, New York tested positive for COVID in March of 2020, she experienced a gamut of symptoms including fever, chills, and headache, as well as loss of taste and smell.
"I knew instantly that I had come in contact with the virus, at the gym in the sauna," said McNulty. "It hit me like a Mack truck. I had never been so sick in my life and had no prior medical conditions."
McNulty, now 49, spent time in a medically induced coma, endured a tracheostomy and was on a ven...

Aging brings about physical changes that affect the body's ability to cool itself and to stay hydrated. You depend on water; in fact, it makes up more than half of your total body weight. It is necessary for temperature regulation, the elimination of waste, joint health, and more. Dehydration can occur if you do not have enough water in your body to carry out those tasks.
Older adults are more apt to experience dehydration due to diabetes or renal disease. Some medications can affect a person...