Many of us either know a collector or have collections of our own. Whether it’s stamps, salt shakers, porcelain dolls, seashells, or any number of things, many people start collections because they love the object they’re collecting, or they see it as an investment and hope their collection will increase in value.

Summer is nearing the end of the season, which means that many families are preparing for their children and teens to head back into school. The flurry of activity this time of year can be tough on parents, many of whom already have busy schedules and jobs on top of arranging things for their kids.

Most people are familiar with the idea of a bucket list, which is the idea of a collection of goals, dreams, and aspirations to be completed before the end of one’s life. The purpose of one is to push us to remain motivated and aspirational, and chase our goals right up until the end. What if we did it the other way around? A reverse bucket list, which would be created by starting at the beginning of your life, and working your way forwards, would be the result.

One of the best things about summer is enjoying all the seasonal, local produce. Farmers’ markets are full of a rainbow of ripe, delicious fruits all bursting with juices and flavors. And besides just the flavors, fruits are full of all sorts of beneficial nutrients and vitamins to help with your bodily health and overall wellness.

The aging process is a great unknown for many of us. It’s a subject no one is keen to talk about, despite the fact that it happens to more or less all of us eventually. The truth is that there’s plenty of things you can do to prepare for the process, and tons of information you can find to guide you.

While hospital stays are generally unpleasant, there’s few feelings better than finally being discharged from one. The road to recovery is many times long and difficult, but getting back to your home and life is a significant milestone. Most people prefer to recuperate at home, but even when it’s an option, the help and care needed must be considered.

With summer in full swing and temperatures soaring, the urge to enjoy the fresh air can also lead to exposing yourself to the risk of heat exhaustion, heat stroke, dehydration, and other heat related health concerns. While the indoors and the air conditioning are ideal and comfortable, it can also lead to getting bored and complacent, which can lead to loss of mobility and independence. While high temperatures can be high risk, there are ways to enjoy the outdoors smartly and safely.

At certain points in our lives, the prospect of the future and discussing it with others can be endlessly exciting. Our minds will race at the possibilities of the adventures we can have, the places we’ll visit and vacation in, the various apartments and homes we can live in, the friends we’ll make and the future spouse or partner we’ll meet, and, if we’re lucky enough, the kids we might one day raise. However, for many of us as we age through our lives and reach the twilight years, thinking about the future can be somewhat less exciting, and a bit more overwhelming. Both for the individual, and for their loved ones.

Osteoporosis is a common problem many seniors face as bones lose density with aging. Bones with lower density are more susceptible to fractures or breaks, and can be slower to heal after sustaining an injury like that. The good news is that there are many ways aging adults can help shield themselves from losing bone density and suffering osteoporosis, by making simple changes in their diet and lifestyle. 

Summer is almost upon us all and with the warm, sunny season comes the natural and understandable desire to get outside the house and be active. Golfing, gardening, swimming, and more, there’s plenty of excuses one can take to get outside and take in some sun.

Many of us know that vitamin D is an important vitamin that we get from the sun and from fortified foods, but not as many of us know what it actually does for our bodies, and what happens to us if there’s a deficiency of it in our bodies. For example, your body needs vitamin D in order to absorb calcium, which means that vitamin D is essential for maintaining strong bones and teeth. For seniors, who have the highest incidence rates of bone deterioration and tooth decay, this makes maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D of critical importance.

Sadly, financial abuse and scams targeting seniors is on the rise. The Federal Trade Commission reports that older adults and seniors lose more money to scammers than people in younger cohorts. The average senior over age 80 lost $1,700 to scams and cons, compared to just $188 lost by people aged 19 or younger, according to the FTC.

In 1963, when Older Americans Month was established, only 17 million living Americans had reached their 65th birthday. About a third of them lived in poverty, and there were few programs available to meet their needs. There was a growing concern and interest in older Americans, which prompted a meeting between then-President John F. Kennedy and members of the National Council of Senior Citizens. This meeting led to the designation of May as “Senior Citizens Month”, then the precursor to “Older Americans Month”

While retirement is, for many of us, the ultimate goal we spend our adult lives working towards, for many people, they find once they’ve reached it, they have no idea what to do.

Declaring our goals is an easy task, but oftentimes we find ourselves within a week having slipped back into our old habits, or not having made any progress in achieving the new goal. It can be hard to take the leap from setting a goal to actually accomplishing it. If you find yourself unable to apply yourself to your goals, SMART goals might be the tool you need.

Fracturing a bone is, sadly, a very common experience among older adults. As many as one fourth of men and half of women over the age of 50 will experience a fracture in their lifetime, so if you’ve suffered a broken bone as a result of a fall or other trauma, you’re not alone.

Aging can sometimes be a lot to deal with, and even the most independent seniors don’t truly do it one hundred percent alone. Every task, no matter how small it may seem, when taken together as a whole can become overwhelming and leave you feeling exhausted.

Constipation is something that almost everyone experiences at some point in their life. While it can sometimes be a cause of embarrassment or frustration, usually it’s nothing serious. Older adults are more likely than younger people to become constipated, and because of the sensitivity of the subject, learning how to manage and overcome it is sometimes unknown.

Anemia, defined simply, is when the number of red cells in someone’s blood, or the amount of hemoglobin in their red cells, is lower than it should be. It can occur for a number of reasons, such as loss of blood, insufficient or faulty production of red blood cells, or the loss and destruction of red cells. The condition is easily diagnosed with a simple blood test.

Our sense of taste helps us savor and truly enjoy the food we’re eating. Many seniors suffer from a reduced appetite in their later years, and one of the causes of this is reduced sense of taste. While it may seem like a minor problem, the lack of desire to eat that comes with a diminished sense of taste can lead to dangerous weight loss, nutritional deficiencies, frailty, poor quality of life, and a needlessly reduced life span.

As we age, we may find that more and more dental problems crop up. Cracked or broken teeth, root canals, possibly even needing dentures, it seems like the mouth is yet another place where the ravages of age take their slow, grinding toll. The amount of care and effort that it seems to take can lead to many ending up neglecting their mouths altogether. After all, you might think, if it’s inevitable I’ll lose my teeth, why should I care? But what many of us may not know, or fail to consider altogether, is that oral health problems can very quickly become very serious.

Inflammation is a normal, healthy biological response, which helps rid your body of harmful bacterias, toxins, viruses and damaged cells. In the case of acute inflammation, like when you have a cut or you’re dealing with a cold, the process usually only lasts a few hours or a few days. Unfortunately, several factors can interfere with this natural healing system of your body, sending it into overdrive, stimulating it too much and hindering the healing process to cause damage to your body.

With the winter holidays rapidly approaching, stress goes hand in hand with every aspect of them. The anxiety of planning, getting the house and travel arrangements ready, seeing sometimes challenging family members, and the financial pressure of gift shopping can take a lot out of most anyone. But fortunately, it doesn’t have to be.

Seniors may travel for all sorts of reasons. With having more free time in retirement, there’s plenty of time now to explore the world around us. Either to visit relatives, see exotic or domestic locales on their bucket lists, or something else, there are things seniors can do to make their travel experience easier on them.