Mental health is health too – treat it that way
Like the proverbial frog in a pot of hot water, the frenetic pace of life can creep up on us until, before we’re aware, the intensity of issues and associated stressors reach a boiling point. You know the frog in the pot of water fable, right? The one where there’s a frog in a pot […]
Magazine stories resonate as Mother’s Day approaches-Lynn Kellogg-5/7/22
Thoughts about this week’s column swirled around a number of happenings: realizing it’s Mother’s Day weekend, a visit to my parents’ former summer home to plan work projects, seeing my mother’s wedding gown buried under a collection of needlepoint pieces in a cedar chest, and relaxing with a magazine that seemed to tie a number […]
Celebrate Older Americans Month at the Senior Expo on Thursday-Pat Arter-4/30/22
Older adults play vital, positive roles in our communities as family members, friends, mentors, volunteers, civic leaders, members of the workforce and more. Just as every person is unique, so too is how they age and how they choose to do it – and there is no “right” way. That’s why the theme for Older […]
Negative perceptions of aging could be shortening your life-Christine Vanlandingham-4/23/22
When you think of an old person, what are the first five words or phrases that come to mind? Don’t overthink it. Just write down, or make a mental note of, the first five things that come to mind. Now, consider your list. Were the words positive or negative? If you’re like most adults surveyed […]
What’s the difference between an advance medical directive and a living will?-Sara Duris-4/16/22
Q: My son wants me to get an advance medical directive. I already made a living will a few years ago, isn’t that enough? A: A living will is a document that tells others – your doctors and family – what type of medical care you would like to receive should you become terminally ill or […]
Why we make things-Lynn Kellogg-4/9/22
Why do we make things? Peter Korn, a furniture maker turned craftmanship guru in Maine wrote a book titled “Why We Make Things and Why It Matters.” He taps some themes we all kind of know but often take for granted. Creativity is good for us, physically and mentally. Multiple studies have shown its reduction […]
Let Your Voice be Heard on Aging Issues Affecting Southwest Michigan-Christine Vanlandingham-3/26/22
The phrase “nothing about us without us” has been around in concept for hundreds of years, starting as the Latin phrase “Nihil de nobis, sine nobis.” It became a motto for people who wanted a say in how they were governed. In the 1990s, writer and activist James Charlton applied the term to the disability […]
Medicare and Annual Preventive Visits-Sara Duris-3/19/22
Q: Is it true that Medicare provides for one wellness visit a year? A: Medicare covers one “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit in your first year of having Medicare Part B, then one wellness visit per year after that, with zero cost-sharing as long as you see the appropriate providers. These visits are not head-to-toe physicals. […]
Awareness, support for change needed in climate fight-3/12/22-Lynn Kellogg
As a retirement present to myself, I planned a desert immersion for mid-winter. A double major in college with human service on one side and environmental studies on the other, I needed re-entry to the natural world. It didn’t disappoint. With a friend willing to take the plunge with me, first came an expedition with […]
Fighting the stigma of memory loss-Pat Arter-3/5/22
Small mundane actions can start something great. Everyday my schedule seems to be filled with mundane tasks like budget talks, phone calls, meetings, funding projects, reports, and trainings. Sometimes it feels like I just get something cleared and its on the schedule again the next day. It’s all in a days’ work, right. I have […]