The emergency contact line was blank. It was a simple form, the kind most of us have filled out dozens of times. Name. Address. Phone number. Then came the question: Who should we contact in an emergency? For some women, that’s an easy question. For others, it can be surprisingly difficult. Not because they don’t have meaningful relationships…

We were both in our late 50s, living in an idyllic village in the south of England when a sequence of unexpected events led us to reassess our lives as a busy professional couple. I was a social worker, and my husband, Jeff, ran his own business in the building industry. What did we really want…

I firmly believe that loving our life is up to us. With all that life throws at us, we get to decide how we respond. Sometimes, life throws us opportunities to enhance our lives, if we choose to take risks. And sometimes it works out better than we could have imagined…

Most of us think of aging as something that simply happens with the passing of time. Another birthday arrives, another candle goes on the cake, and we are one year older. But there’s an important distinction: our chronological age and our biological age are not necessarily the same thing…

Most of us know, somewhere in the back of our minds, that we should get our affairs in order. And most of us keep finding reasons to put it off, because the task feels heavy, or morbid, or like something for “later.” Here’s a gentler way to think about it: this isn’t a task about dying. It’s a task about the people you love, and it’s one of the kindest things you can do for them…

I have friends – let’s call them Mike and Laura – who retired in 2023 with $1.2 million saved up. That’s a hefty number. They worked hard for it. And they figured they were set. Then they actually ran the math on their life in suburban LA. California income tax (up to 13.3%), property taxes on a pretty average three-bedroom, healthcare supplements, and just the general cost of existing…

For much of our working lives, we strive for the all-important “work-life balance.” All the while, we anticipate that once we retire or reduce our professional responsibilities, we won’t be answerable to others for our time. But life has a way of filling that newly available space. Aging parents may need our help…

A recent investigation highlighted by McKnight’s raises troubling questions about how private equity firms and real estate investment trusts (REITs) are reshaping care in senior care communities. Advocates and elder-care attorneys argue that increased investor ownership is contributing to declining quality, reduced staffing, and less accountability…

When an acquaintance, Michael, shared with me that he had lost his job at a small law firm, it opened a new level of communication between us. We talked about his new situation and he told me he was very appreciative of having my ear…

This morning I asked Chatty (my name for ChatGPT) this question. Me: “Golden Years. Who came up with the idea of calling “seniors” as being in their “Golden Years.” Is it too late to prosecute?” Chatty’s answer was quite fun; he knows my sense of humor and responds in kind…