OlderWiserWomen

Have you seen the projections? Nearly 71.5 million adults, age 65 and over are projected to be living in the US by 2030. That is only 23 years from now. Already there is a huge and ongoing shortage of health care providers and that trend shows no sign of getting better. What about housing for Elders? And what about care? Do we have families that will provide us with any assistance? If not (which is likely for many), how are you going to find assistance? What services may or may not be available? Many folks think that Medicare will pay for in home assistance…it does not.

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We frequently receive questions from members and when we can we answer them in “Celebrations, the official newsletter for OlderWiserWomen. In the latest edition, this question and answer were posted with an invitation for readers to add their own answers. If you have a comment, feel free to post it below.

I’m a VERY YOUTHFUL 41 year old woman. I work with women that are in their twenties and thirties that are unhappy with their bodies and their lives. I receive compliments everyday from the men on our jobs and when these women hear the compliments, they’ll make comments like “so and so looks good {for her age}…referencing to someone that we know that is in her forties and older. Most of the time, I can just ignore them, but there are other times that I want to say something to them but don’t. I would really love a comeback for when they start with these “old” comments. Any suggestions?

My favorite answer to statements I get is “This is what [insert your age] looks like”. I use it all the time.

If readers have any other suggestions, leave a reply below.

Jackie is a 78 year old woman, who is racing today in Florida in the Ford Ironman Championship.

“You just decide you’re going to do this… and you tell yourself you will do it.” Jackie Yost, Ironman Athlete

Read more about the race and Jackie here.

I recevied a commentary this morning regarding women’s natural aging vs not allowing oneself to age nautrally. I was unaware of the woman and her book who took aim at women with “waddle necks” and aging, who felt that we, as women should not let ourselves “go”.
Personally I very much enjoyed reading the commentary, it was like a breath of fresh air.

You’ll find the commentary at: Women’s eNews. Nora Ephron’s sour dislike of what she considers women’s bodily aging, one subject of her new bestseller, took up an hour on NPR last month. Margaret Morganroth Gullette responds from what she calls “the feminist country of later life.”

Yes…this is one of my rare cross postings (also posted on Healthy Aging For Women), but I felt this was important.

Have you heard of Inflammatory Breast Cancer? Even if you have…make sure you watch this video.

http://tinyurl.com/s2gh2

Sally Field. I don’t know about you, but I remember Gidget and the Flying Nun. I loved her in Steel Magnolias. And now…I love her as an advocate to bring to light the issue of osteoporosis in women.

Thanks Sally!

World AIDS Day was December 1st. Sometimes, when we thinking of HIV infection and AIDS we don’t see the face of older women. But we need to. I wrote this article last year, and unfortunately it is still pertinent to women.

Take a look. Read it. Pass it on to your friends.

Older Women and HIV

Stay safe out there.

Barbara C. Phillips, NP
OlderWiserWomen™