Author: AFL Webmaster
Signs That An Aging Parent Needs Help! Caring from a Distance
When caring for an aging parent or relative from afar, it can be hard to know when your help is needed. Sometimes, your parent will ask for help. Or, the sudden start of a severe illness will make it clear that assistance is needed. But, when you live far away, some detective work might be necessary to uncover possible signs that support or help is...Read More
To Test or Not! For Genetic Testing, Let’s Think This Through!
**When it comes to health and disease — and, of course, many other aspects of life — one thing is certain: genes matter. A single gene mutation can cause some conditions, such as sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis. More often, multiple genes are involved in disease development, and they act in concert with nongenetic factors, such as diet or ex...Read More
10 Benefits to Moving to an Independent Living Community
Retirement is a great time of life, one where you can finally do what you want without the constraints of having to work a 9-to-5. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some important things to think about, though. In fact, one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make in retirement is where you’re going to spend it. Some retirees decide to ag...Read More
Great Books on Dementia – For Those of Us Concerned about Aging Loved Ones
There’s a common misconception that people with dementia can’t maintain meaningful relationships. But 80 percent of people with dementia can effectively communicate, and approximately one-third of them can make important decisions, one study found. The best books on dementia break down barriers and provide helpful strategies to make those types of ...Read More
Our Aging Faces – and What (if anything) To Do About It
A gracefully aging face is a beautiful thing, but there are changes that occur with age that we would like to slow down. Age affects every nook and cranny of the body. Along with the wisdom, experience, and accomplishments that come with getting older, there are changes that occur in our outward appearance. Changes in our faces are most at the fore...Read More
9 Tips for Successful Volunteering During Covid-19 – and Beyond
Masks. Lockdown. Quarantine. Those are a few of the words that sum up life during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, if you look deeper you’ll also find: Togetherness. Opportunity. Volunteering. The needs of nonprofits and charities for volunteer assistance have continued unabated during the pandemic, and for many have increased exponentially. Alicia ...Read More
Strength Training: Building Muscles AND More!
Most of us know that strength training (with free weights, weight machines, or resistance bands) can help build and maintain muscle mass and strength. What many of us don’t know is that strong muscles lead to strong bones. And strong bones can help minimize the risk of fracture due to osteoporosis. Studies attest that strength training, as we...Read More
How Successful Aging is More Than Just Retirement
As we age, there’s a stigma about whether we’re doing it all the right way. Successful aging is a concept that’s been around since the 1950s but only became popular in the 1990s with the book, Successful Aging.
Lonely? Change That Paradigm – Your Health Depends on It!
You’ve known it’s true. Even long before you were After Fifty. Even long before Covid-19. Being lonely is a difficult state to be in. But existing in a state of loneliness is more than just “difficult.” We’re now learning that being lonely is a predictor of functional decline and premature death. Says who? The American Medical Association. (Here’s...Read More
Why You Should Start Planning Your Retirement NOW!
Real talk, everyone – things are pretty nuts out there right now. You know the old curse “may you live in interesting times?” Well, times can’t get much more interesting than living through a global pandemic! Right now may seem like the worst time to start planning for major life-changing events like your retirement. Yet you’d be surprised that, ev...Read More
The Tax Benefits of Moving to a Continuing Care Retirement Community
Each year, millions of Americans pull together various income statements and tax deduction forms as they prepare to maximize any monetary return they might be due from the IRS. In the same respect, millions of retirement-aged adults are unaware of certain major life purchases that may qualify for tax deductions, while simultaneously planning for t...Read More
COVID-19 Will Change How We Age, Where We Age And How We Pay For It **
It’s hard to come up with an aspect of life unchanged by the coronavirus. Socializing is limited, work from home is encouraged, and traveling has been curtailed along with dining, working out at gyms and many other hobbies. When can I get a vaccine? Is it safe? What are the side effects? Get this info & more in your inbox each week. Sign ...Read More