Our senior issue 2023

Wrinkles aside, we seniors aren’t much different from the rest

Donna Mullins is a retired social worker for the state of Michigan who lives in East Lansing. She volunteers for the Lansing chapter of the League of Women Voters.
Over one-sixth of our country is made up of people over 65. I’m a member of that group. And I am one of the lucky ones. I have a pension, social security and retirement investments that give me an income that matches my working income.
Victor Lyons, 61, of Lansing, in the tent encampment he calls home.

Lansing is part of a national crisis of homeless seniors

Nearly two years ago, Victor Lyons was working as a roofer. During a job, he stepped on a nail. The wound became infected, and Lyons landed in the hospital. The infection took the 61-year-old man’s left leg, and he found himself struggling to learn how to walk again.
Prime Time Seniors Program participants learn to play ukulele.

Seniors socialize, find balance through East Lansing’s Prime Time

Older people in my family have a simple, uplifting mantra when it comes to aging: never get old. My grandmother quipped this for nearly 40 years before passing at age 92. And now my parents quote our ancestral adage, even though their retirement activities so far have included earning a doctorate degree and hiking the Appalachian trail, respectively.
“Older adults are at a higher risk for adverse cannabis reactions,” said Dr. Benjamin Han, a geriatrician and co-author of the study. “This is likely due to a combination of greater sensitivity and being unfamiliar with newer forms of the drug

Practice caution when using cannabis

According to research, the Baby Boomer generation has been rolling its own fair share of joints over the last few years. In the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 1.4% of adults over the age of 65 reported using marijuana during the past year. In the 2021 survey, that number increased to a little over 7%.
Read the senior issue

The rise and fall of Kewpee Hamburgers

Courtesy of Gary Flinn
Author Gary Flinn’s new book, “Kewpee Hamburgers: A Mity Nice History,” tells the full story of one of the nation’s oldest hamburger chains, which still has a handful of locations throughout the Midwest.

Autumn Weston is the fourth-generation owner of Weston’s Kewpee Sandwich Shoppe, which opened in downtown Lansing in 1924. She recognizes this as an important milestone for both her family and the city as a whole.

Theater life provides enrichment for seniors

Starlight Dinner Theatre performs shows that cater to older audiences, such as its production of “Calendar Girls” in 2018. They tend to be classics with little cursing or sex, in comparison to the more cutting-edge, in-your-face works other theaters produce.

Bob Robinson has been active in the Greater Lansing theater community since the “early ‘80s.” He was a co-founder of Grand Ledge’s now-defunct Spotlight Theatre  alongside the late Len Kluge, who was also a theater reviewer for City Pulse. But at 75, Robinson’s life has changed dramatically.

Other news about seniors

How to recognize loneliness in seniors & what to do about it

(BPT) - Loneliness is a public health epidemic.It’s a condition that doesn’t show up on medical tests, yet it can be just as deadly as daily smoking. The growing crisis has an outsized …
Help Your Grandkids Stay Safe: Keep All Medicines Up and Away

Help Your Grandkids Stay Safe: Keep All Medicines Up and Away

(NewsUSA) - September 10 is Grandparents’ Day! It’s a time to celebrate the special bond between grandparents (or great-grandparents and other caregivers!) and grandkids. You can show your …
Shoot for the Stars When It Comes to Medicare Advantage

Shoot for the Stars When It Comes to Medicare Advantage

(NewsUSA) - By Alan Stewart, SVP, Medicare Divisional Leader, Humana - If you’re one of the nation’s 58.6 million people with Medicare, you understand the importance of selecting a health …

3 Ways to Support Veterans in Your Community

(Family Features) Consider these three small gestures to help show appreciation to the veterans in your community as they reacclimate to civilian life following their service.

Can money buy happiness? More than half of Americans say yes in new study

(BPT) - How much money would make you happy? According to the average American, the price tag comes in around $1.2 million.New research from Empower, a leader in financial planning, investing and …

Removing barriers of care for U.S. veterans who need surgery

(BPT) - During the month of November, we honor our nation's veterans for their hard work and dedication to protect everyone's freedoms. It's also an important time to recognize their freedom and …

Free Online Survey Alerts Older Adults to Risks of Falling, a Major Hazard

(NewsUSA) - (NewsUSA) - The coronavirus pandemic has changed a lot of things. One thing that's still the same? Falling is NOT a normal part of aging. There are steps you can take to reduce your …

The Big Plan to Make Open Enrollment Sign-Ups Less Confusing

(BPT) - With open enrollment in full swing, millions of Americans face the annual challenge of choosing the right health plan for themselves and their families. Questions such as “Is this …

Are you 65 or older? How to stay healthy with updated vaccines

(BPT) - You want to stay healthy, so you can keep doing the things you love. That’s why it’s so important to stay up to date on recommended vaccines, like the updated COVID-19 vaccine and …

National Council on Aging Helps Community Organizations Deliver COVID and Flu Vaccines

(BPT) - The National Council on Aging (NCOA), the national voice for every person’s right to age well, is helping community-based organizations across the country provide updated COVID and flu …

Skin science secrets for smooth winter skin: Insights from a chemist to break free from dry skin woes

(BPT) - If the dropping temperatures instantly make your skin feel dry and uncomfortable, you're not alone. Between the frigid air outside and overheated air inside, the winter months are loaded with …

Feeling burnt out? Watch out for these symptoms

(BPT) - If long workdays leave you wondering if you're burnt out, take a closer look. While typical signs of work-related burnout can mean you're overdue for serious PTO, other symptoms may indicate …

3 hearing health strategies for older adults

(BPT) - As people age, our hearing tends to decline for multiple reasons, including repetitive exposure to loud sounds and genetic factors. In fact, hearing loss ranks as the third most common …
Discover the hidden culprit of aging and how to turn back time

Discover the hidden culprit of aging and how to turn back time

(BPT) - Aging is a natural part of life, and you can see it in the lines on your face and gray hairs on your head. However, while you may focus on the external signs of aging, the truth is that …

Painting a real-time picture of patient health: A new monitoring approach

(BPT) - If you or a loved one needs surgery, you may worry most about what happens during the surgery itself. But as healthcare providers are aware, the most vulnerable times for patient care are …

4 menopause myths, debunked by new science

(BPT) - Menopause is a natural transition every woman goes through. Yet, it remains misunderstood and often misidentified.A groundbreaking study of more than 32,000 women may revolutionize this. The …

Tips for staying active after age 65

(BPT) - It’s common to hear people say they feel overwhelmed by the idea of being physically active, and that they have no idea where to start. That sense of pressure can be discouraging and …

Focus on your sight and health to ward off vision loss from diabetes

(BPT) - An often silent condition that can steal vision, diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that may have no noticeable symptoms in the early stages and is the leading cause of …

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