How old is old? In most western countries, retirement age is the milestone after which someone becomes “elderly” or a “senior.” But, is this really fair? After all, in 1930, around the time that Social Security was established, a 65-year-old woman could expect to live 12.8 years. By contrast, a woman that turned 65 in 2009 could expect to live 20.3 years. Read More

Loneliness is a huge issue for Baby Boomer women. Many women in their 60s are living alone and, while some of these women are enjoying their new found independence, others find themselves feeling like their lives lack purpose or direction without close social ties. In fact, in a recent Sixty and Me survey, 75% of the women in our community said that they are feeling alone. Read More

Do you every feel like life takes on a momentum of its own? I know I do! As we pass through the decades of our lives, one decision blends into the next. Finally, as we reach our 60s and we finally have time to evaluate our lives, it’s easy to wonder “how did I get here?” Read More

Reporters love to write about the “strange tricks” that people use to reach their 100th birthdays in surprisingly good health. According to this article, centenarians have credited all kinds of “secrets” to a long and healthy live, including: olive oil, friends, a good cigar, laughter, volunteering, love and scotch. Read More

When I asked the women in our Sixty and Me community to vote on this year’s “Sexiest Man Over 60,” Richard Gere emerged as the clear winner. Read More

We all have moments where we want to be alone. Many older women have built defenses around feelings that are painful or things that they don’t want in their lives. They know themselves well enough to know when to shut the door and be alone. Read More

Baby boomers have diverse opinions about what makes the “perfect retirement”. In fact, most of us aren’t planning on retiring at all, at least in a traditional sense. Instead, the majority of baby boomers say that they want to continue to work past retirement age, either in their existing job or by starting a new career. The rest are looking forward to taking a well-deserved break after decades in the workforce. Read More

One of the biggest myths about aging is that women over 60 no longer care about how they look. This is definitely not true. Most of us still care about how we look, even if the world expects us to be invisible. At the same time, I have to wonder whether the focus of our attention shifts. For example, do most of us still care about being “sexy” in our 60s? Or, do we care more about being “desirable,” “visible,” or “needed?”

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When it comes to ageism in Hollywood, the winds of change may soon become a hurricane. Over the last few years, numerous celebrities, including Antonio Banderas and Madonna have spoken out against the evils of ageism. Of course, age discrimination is not limited to Hollywood. Far from it! But, having a few powerful voices on our side can’t hurt. Read More

When I interviewed developmental molecular biologist (try saying that 3 times fast) John Medina about how to keep your brain healthy after 60, he was full of useful advice. For the most part, his recommendations fell into the “things we know in our hearts that we should be doing” category – getting more exercise, improving our sleep and learning to deal with stress. Read More