Senior Living
/Health

Songs & Smiles’ singalongs are a pocket of joy for people with Alzheimer’s
DALLAS -- Twice a month, you can find Eric Kolb at the memory support center at the Villagio Senior Living facility in Carrollton, Texas. He sets up a TV and microphone while he greets residents gathering in the common room. Since he’s a regular visitor, he knows some of them by name.
Kolb is preparing for an hourlong singalong, with classics...Read more

During ‘retirement,’ this Pittsburgh artist sculpts a new reality
PITTSBURGH — Dan Droz’s brand of creativity elevates the everyday to the extraordinary.
He spent the 1970s professionally designing sculptural pepper mills and the next decade creating high-end furniture.
Beginning in 1979, he started a tradition of finding road signs whose words or numbers display the upcoming year, snapping a family ...Read more

Senior affordable housing planned in Miami Beach — this time with a bonus for golf fans
MIAMI — Retirees and golf lovers may soon be lining up for new affordable housing that’s in the pipeline for the North Beach area of Miami Beach.
Senior affordable housing developments are planned for 280 South Shore Dr. and 185 South Shore Dr., steps from the Normandy Shores Golf Course.
The Housing Authority of the city of Miami Beach, a...Read more

Battling cancer, Tampa Bay senior checks piloting off her bucket list
TAMPA, Fla. — Growing up, Christina Wood never considered becoming a pilot. She was from a big family, and it was the 1960s — her brothers went to college, her sisters to nursing school.
She became a photographer instead, like her great-grandfather. But the subjects of his work compelled her the most — the glistening fighter planes just ...Read more

National Aviary volunteer has another feather in her cap
PITTSBURGH — As National Aviary volunteer Janet Robb accompanied a visitor into the Tropical Rainforest habitat, both women gasped out loud at a rare — almost-magical — sighting. Wookie the sloth was in plain view, hanging upside down on a low-hanging tree branch. His big eyes peered directly into the eyes of the visitor.
“It’s a ...Read more

Smooth travel tips for seniors
It's time to start thinking about epic summer vacations. While planning is key for all travelers, it can be especially important for seniors who want to ensure the best travel experience.
Here are a few tips to make sure your trip runs smoothly:
Take time to plan
From getting a travel agent to creating a checklist, planning your trip can help...Read more

Got long COVID? Medical expertise is vital, and seniors should prepare to go slow
Older adults who have survived COVID-19 are more likely than younger patients to have persistent symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness, muscle aches, heart palpitations, headaches, joint pain, and difficulty with memory and concentration — problems linked to long COVID.
But it can be hard to distinguish lingering after effects of COVID ...Read more

Got long COVID? Medical expertise is vital, and seniors should prepare to go slow
Older adults who have survived COVID-19 are more likely than younger patients to have persistent symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness, muscle aches, heart palpitations, headaches, joint pain, and difficulty with memory and concentration — problems linked to long COVID.
But it can be hard to distinguish lingering after effects of COVID ...Read more

‘That’s just part of aging’: Long COVID symptoms are often overlooked in seniors
Nearly 18 months after getting COVID-19 and spending weeks in the hospital, Terry Bell struggles with hanging up his shirts and pants after doing the laundry.
Lifting his clothes, raising his arms, arranging items in his closet leave Bell short of breath and often trigger severe fatigue. He walks with a cane, only short distances. He’s 50 ...Read more

'That's just part of aging': Long COVID symptoms are often overlooked in seniors
Nearly 18 months after getting COVID-19 and spending weeks in the hospital, Terry Bell struggles with hanging up his shirts and pants after doing the laundry.
Lifting his clothes, raising his arms, arranging items in his closet leave Bell short of breath and often trigger severe fatigue. He walks with a cane, only short distances. He’s 50 ...Read more

Travel Trending with Kathy Witt: Oceania Cruises’ Regatta a trip of a lifetime that inspires the desire for more
When starry-eyed wanderlusters dream of that trip of a lifetime, don’t be surprised if Oceania Cruises’ Regatta glides into their mental picture. The ship is elegant but comfortable, exquisitely styled but approachable, expensive but worth every. single. penny.
Much of the allure lies within the ship’s luxury-level decor, finishing ...Read more

Meet Dr. Erica Taylor, host of Instagram Live program ‘Dr. Taylor’s Table,’ which centers the Black community and the health disparities within
CHICAGO -- Some may know Dana Divine’s voice through gospel song, as a radio personality (on WGCI-FM or WVON Radio 1690), or her affinity for house music (she’s the organizer of the annual House Club Tour Pub Crawl). But if you tuned into the Chicago Department of Public Health’s Instagram page at 6 p.m. on April 21, you would have heard ...Read more

Masks are unmasking what many people didn’t realize: They have hearing loss
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Only a few months into the pandemic, Jenny Weathers, 58, stared at the mask covering her son’s mouth and came to a harsh realization.
“I couldn’t hear and I realized I was relying subconsciously on reading lips,” she said.
Weathers said she now wears hearing aids and finally can participate in the conversations...Read more

As Maryland crab houses face labor shortage, Black crab pickers recall legacy of struggle and dedication on the Eastern Shore
BALTIMORE -- Marylanders often debate the best method for picking crabs. Let Joyce Fitchett settle the matter.
Fitchett’s technique has been passed through generations of Eastern Shore women. It’s won her eight crab picking contests at the Crisfield Crab Derby. It’s safe to say that this is the way it’s done.
Holding a sharp knife, its...Read more

Colorado kidney donors can prioritize loved ones for future transplants through voucher program
DENVER -- Coloradans who are interested in donating a kidney but concerned it would leave them unable to help if a family member got sick later have an option to get a “voucher” to shorten a loved one’s wait if they need a transplant in the future.
People who donate a kidney while still alive long have been prioritized for transplants, ...Read more

‘Anyone from 8 to 80 can play:’ Over 1,000 seniors compete in national pickleball tournament
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- About 1,500 pickleball players, all 50 years old and older, are competing this week in a national championship in Fort Lauderdale. An additional 1,000 people have attended to watch and cheer on their friends, family and favorite teams. The oldest player this year is 92 years old.
“I think everyone that picks up the ...Read more

'Anyone from 8 to 80 can play:' Over 1,000 seniors compete in national pickleball tournament
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- About 1,500 pickleball players, all 50 years old and older, are competing this week in a national championship in Fort Lauderdale. An additional 1,000 people have attended to watch and cheer on their friends, family and favorite teams. The oldest player this year is 92 years old.
“I think everyone that picks up the ...Read more

Fla. pantry begins special hours for seniors. 'It's the greatest thing'
TAMPA, Fla. -- Cynthia Jones has her grocery shopping down to a science.
She divvies up her list between the shops of Palm River Road in Tampa, forgoing spices and frozen fruits at Save A Lot in favor of Dollar Tree’s much cheaper prices. From there, she marches on to Fresco y Más.
Store by store, she gathers what she needs to ensure she ...Read more

Fla. pantry begins special hours for seniors. ‘It’s the greatest thing’
TAMPA, Fla. -- Cynthia Jones has her grocery shopping down to a science.
She divvies up her list between the shops of Palm River Road in Tampa, forgoing spices and frozen fruits at Save A Lot in favor of Dollar Tree’s much cheaper prices. From there, she marches on to Fresco y Más.
Store by store, she gathers what she needs to ensure she ...Read more

Johns Hopkins launches major effort to make aging a whole lot less achy
BALTIMORE -- Just about everyone knows someone — or is that someone — who has aches or pains, some forgetfulness or other age-related issue or disease.
Let’s face it, the human body deteriorates as it ages: Bones grow brittle, muscles don’t recover as fast, brains even begin to shrink.
The Johns Hopkins University has assembled a group...Read more