ElderAuthority.com

Longevity Factor: How Much Do You Laugh?

Laughter is a Longevity Factor
Researchers in Norway found that near death patients who maintained a good sense of humor increased their odds of survival—by 31 percent!
Caregivers: How much do you laugh?  Invalids: How much do you laugh?
Humor expert Allen Klein gives this advice for increasing the laughter in your life.
Place Laughter Reminders
Hmmm.  I need to do this.  I think I will start with putting pictures of laughing animals on my office walls.  That should give… More

Social Security Online

Social Security Online Simplifies Life
Wahoo!  Yeehaw!  The bad old days of standing in  line at the Social Security Office are a thing of the past.  The Social Security Administration website now gives you access to your information through “my Social Security” and allows you to make changes from home.  There’s no need to drive to a local Social Security office or wait for an appointment with a Social Security representative.
Set Up a “my Social… More

Johanna Quaas…So, what have YOU done lately?

 
A reader sent the attached video of  87-year-old gymnast Johanna Quaas to me.

Johanna Quaas appeared in her first competition in 1934.
In 1945 she finished her job training as gymnastics coach.
She co-authored the gymnastics text book Gerätturnen.
In 1961, she also coached gymnasts, including two women who were later nominated to start at the 1964 Summer Olympics.
In 1982, at age 57, Quaas returned to training and won at the VII. Turn-und Sportfest der DDR in Leipzig.… More

CareZone: Eldercare Harbinger of Hope (Part 2)

Continued from CareZone: Eldercare Harbinger of Hope (Part 1)
World’s Oldest Social Network
Jonathan Schwartz, the former chief executive of Sun Microsystems and co-founder of CareZone, says, ”The world’s oldest social network is the one you were born into – your family.”  The New York Times calls Care-Zone the “Anti-Facebook”.  How refreshing–a social network that doesn’t blab your private business to… More

CareZone: Eldercare Harbinger of Hope (Part 1)

Seeking Better Ideas for Caregiving
In 2004 the increasing frailty of my parents dramatically changed my life.  After 28 years working in the New York metro area (first in the arts and later in bleeding edge software development), I moved to Dallas, Texas, where I grew into my role as primary family caregiver, a role I maintained for the succeeding seven years.  As I learned about caregiving, I changed my career trajectory to address problems I experienced, and committed myself… More

National 2013 Alzheimer’s Forum Message

ElderAuthority.com is an active participant in Alzheimer’s disease advocacy.  We recognize the urgent need for the funding at the national level to find a cure for this dreadful disease.  Last week’s 2013 Alzheimer’s Forum in Washington, D.C. spread the message to legislators on Capital Hill.
Alzheimer’s Dangerous Message
What you now need to know is that Alzheimer’s is the most expensive health crisis in America and is increasing like no… More

Wheelchair Cheating is Elder Abuse

What is Wheelchair Cheating?
We have all seen them.  It is even tempting to become one of them: A passenger arrives at the airline terminal and requests a wheelchair.  That passenger is pushed to the front of the check-in line, is screened immediately, and then hops out of the chair, grab his or her bag and hustles off.  Wheelchair attendants call these passengers, “miracles.”
In another scenario, your flight arrives at the gate and you join the long line of bedraggled… More

Celebrating Life at the Boston Marathon

 
Triumph at the Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon, for me, has always been about celebrating life and the human spirit.  My father ran the race about 25 times.  My mother ran it eight or ten times.  The picture above shows them at the starting point in Hopkinton the first time Mom ran it.  I dropped them off there and took the picture.
Once the race began and my parents disappeared into a sea of runners I popped back into the car and found a place along the race course, close… More