One of my favorite small appliances stopped working last week after decades of service. My faithful Presto Salad Shooter had shredded its last carrot. I felt as if I had lost an old friend.
10+ Holiday Gift Ideas for Seniors
It’s time to start planning for just the right holiday gifts for the special seniors in our lives.
Citrus Juicer Provides Relief for Aging Hands
I used to dread juicing citrus fruits. The simple twist of a lemon or lime on a manual reamer brought sharp reminders of arthritis in my hands. What was once a small, everyday task became a source of hesitation, and sometimes, skipped steps in recipes. When my daughter sent me a small electric citrus juicer,…
Home Monitoring and the Small Measures That Matter
At a recent doctor’s appointment, my blood pressure came in lower than expected. My doctor suggested I start checking it at home. I wasn’t sure what to expect — would it feel like a chore, or would it actually help me understand my health in a new way? I realized that home monitoring isn’t just…
Hearing TV Without Disturbing Others: Finding a Comfortable Balance at Home
Watching TV together can be tricky when two people have different preferences for volume. I noticed it with neighbors recently: he liked the volume loud and uninterrupted, she preferred a moderate level so she could answer the phone or rest her ears. For them, as for many households, the standard approach — cranking the volume…
Protective Bed Cover for Pets
Some of the best companions for older adults are our pets. For us, nothing says “home” like a furry buddy curled up on the bed while we read or watch TV. But even with the closest companions, small accidents can happen—and having a simple solution in place makes those moments easier to manage. We found…
Vitamix: Decades of Blending, Grinding, and Supporting Daily Life
I’ve had my Vita-Mix Total Nutrition Center Super 5000 for more than two decades. It has outlived its seven-year warranty three times, yet it still blends, chops, and purees as reliably as the day I first brought it home. For me, the Vitamix isn’t just a kitchen appliance — it’s a companion that quietly shapes…
How Old Is Too Old to Drive?
How Old Is Too Old to Drive? How old is too old to drive safely? Have you ever pulled up behind a slow, elderly driver and promised yourself you’d give up driving long before you reached that age? I have. And now, here I am — that age. I once thought my mid-70s would be…
Staying Upright in a World Where Falls Happen
There was a time when falling wasn’t something I thought about at all. Walking through the house, stepping into the yard, carrying a tray of dishes—these were simple, unremarkable acts. The body moved without requiring much attention. That assumption lasted longer than I realized. A close friend fell in her home just before her ninetieth…
Caller ID Spoofing, and Learning to Pause
I used to think I was pretty resistant to phone scams. I knew not to give out personal information to anyone who called me — no Social Security number, no Medicare number, no account details — no matter how official they sounded. I assumed that was enough. What I didn’t fully understand until later was…