Spectacular Seniors: Claude Duke, World-Renown Photographer

Here is an episode about a senior who is a world-renown photographer. Originally from Chile, he moved to Miami and then Canada 40 years ago. He's recently published a book showcasing hundreds of his photos. I was amazed at the wide range of his photography - everything from shots of Vancouver to models, weddings and food dishes from well-known Vancouver restaurants. Wait till he tells you about his next adventure in Cuba to record the people, their lifestyles and of course the music. Do you like this podcast? Please download other episodes of Spectacular Seniors from iTunes or subscribe so that you can know when new episodes are available. Do you know other elders who are doing inspirational thinks in their later years/ Please contact us so that we can interview them as well. There are so many interesting stories. Don't let them go unheard.

Website Resources for Seniors

With an increasing number of senior citizens online the resources catering to them are appearing as well. Here is a number of useful websites to explore for yourself or one of your relatives or friends. Keep in mind that websites do change, so check back for any updates.

The first, Plinylives.com has this unique name (rhymes with skinny) for a Roman figure by the same name known as Pliny the Elder - a wise man in his day. Here you can find information, services, products, a question and answer section and even ads for senior citizens. It's a membership site, so feel free to sign up and receive more benefits. Many of the ads placed in the margins give you access to other resources.

Live in Canada? Check out the CARP (Canadian Association of Retired Persons) website: CARP.com with the tagline: "A New Vision of Aging". Here you can keep up with the CARP political advocacy campaigns to improve the situation for senior citizens. There is a news section and CARP is a national periodical, so this section is quite extensive. There is also a community news section, divided up into local regional news. The benefits section is amazingly extensive - all kinds of insurance under one company - life, travel, health, even pet insurance. Other benefits include phone service, travel packages and the "Zoomer Magazine" subscription. All of these are at discount prices.

For those who need more care due to aging or some other disability please check out Elderly Living or Disabled Living. This good website gives some helpful tips for people living in the US. This is a resource referral service.

PURPOSE:  As a nonprofit 501c3 charity, EDL’s mission is to reduce costs associated with housing. We specifically provide help to lower income elderly or disabled individuals. EDL is not a home care facility though. Our nonprofit has many cost reducing techniques available to us. EDL’s service includes but isn’t limited to monetary assistance (e.g. the following is not a exclusive list): Dr. bills, cable, internet, health insurance, car payment, electric, rent, and mortgage. Email us today to see how we can help you. To read the original click here.

For those living in the Greater Vancouver, British Columbia area of Canada, I recommend Angels There For You atfy.ca. Here is an agency designed to not only provide in-home care but assessment to other care facilities and referrals. They even have helpers for yard work or home repair services. At present they are located only in the suburbs of Langley and Richmond but have plans for expansion. Some of their services include 24-hour care, palliative care, home cleaning, respite care, nursing care and personal care including a mobile salon.

The last resource is Aging Parents and Elder Care. Here is a website for seniors and their children. It's not always the case that children know what to do when the care of aging relatives is passed onto them. Here's a resource that is kept up to date and you can speak to a live person by calling their number. Many of the resources are for US citizens, including the section on Medicare. However, the amount of tips and other helpful information is worth checking out no matter where you live.

Have some online resources you like? Please pass them on so other readers can benefit. contact@vickistarfire.com

Great Seniors Online Resource: "Senior Living" Magazine

Cover of "Senior Living" magazine, September 2015 issue

Usually I'm writing articles about static, already-finished events or places that people have been. Sometimes I write about resources for seniors as I am this time - one that changes every month. The magazine, "Senior Living", has been published in hard copy since 2004, first on Vancouver Island and then several expansions have allowed it to be published province-wide. It's certainly a good resource for seniors and is available by subscription or at certain retail stores.

What I'm going to describe today, however, is the online version. It's a treat to see this bright, busy website home page with tabs for resources, housing directory, events and also TV/video and radio. The weekly TV program, "Senior Living on Location" uses interviews with outstanding and inspirational seniors.

Senior Living On Location focuses on the inspiring, informative and entertaining adventure filled stories of seniors from Vancouver Island, Vancouver and the Lower Mainland communities. 

Senior Living On Location is dedicated to changing the definition and stereotypes around aging, retirement and what it means to become a senior. The program is narrated by well known voice-over artist and radio broadcaster Barry Bowman, who brings a warm, familiar sound and creative perspective to each story segment. To read the original click here.

This online is a resource well worth exploring. Of course the magazine is also available online. The only disappointing section was the radio. I couldn't get a selection of music to play, and the limit of country western or 50's, 60's and 70's didn't fit my taste anyway. With the great podcasts these days it seems they could "remodel" (I hesitate to say "update") this section. However, this website is worth bookmarking for future days. Great to have an online resource about seniors that is kept very current and fresh.

The Art of Aging Gracefully

With people living longer these days certainly it is best to be in good physical and mental health during those twilight years. Is it a matter of good genes inherited from past relatives or can you change your life style to aid that process of happiness and health? While no one is seeking the fountain of youth, there are certain things everyone can do to keep active and independent. One of the best ways to find out about successful aging is to ask those who have successfully aged.

One of the first aspects is a positive outlook. The person who is sitting around thinking about what is not working well any more or about minor aches and pains is going to be stopped from aging successfully. Most people in their 80s and older have stayed physically and mentally active by walking to various nearby locations, taken up new skills or are still working at jobs they enjoy. They have a love of life and enjoy the people who are around them.

While no one likes to hear about another's aches or lack of sleep, it is still important to focus on good health including healthy eating, clean air and pure water. Some of the areas of the world where people live well into their 90s are country-side locations with simple food raised and grown nearby. Now that more people are living in cities, it is possible to buy organic food and to purify drinking water.

Another common trait for aging gracefully is flexibility. American psychologist, Mark Frazier, who has worked with thousands of elderly from ages 65 to 105 says, "If you live until you're 95 years old, you're probably not going to be living alone in a beautiful apartment and driving your car to the grocery store and picking up your dry cleaning and walking a mile to the park. But if you know that ahead of time, it's much easier to manage it". It's a matter of preparing for these changes and not holding on rigidly to old patterns. Otherwise the inevitable changes will seem overwhelming or depressing. Click here to read more.

I would like to add my own idea to this mix as well. I come from a family of women who live long into their later years. Even my great grandmother was 98 when she passed on, having outlived 3 husbands. What I noticed with all of them is that they lived much longer than their friends. This meant a lonely time in their last years. Therefore, I've made a point to cultivate some younger friends, even some as young as my children. In this way I will have these companions when I get older; they will still be around, and their activity level will keep me active too.

There are so many meaningful activities to try, both new and ones that you have been doing for years. Can't teach an old dog new tricks? That might be true of dogs but certainly not people. How many senior citizens are now taking up computer studies or yoga? For those how can afford it, cruise ships provide a safe way to travel the world as well as companionship and great meals. There are new social groups and hobbies. For many seniors the joy of learning carries right on. Recently I was introduced to the ease of auditing university courses. Having no need for more degrees than I already have, this has provided endless hours of enjoyment.

Perhaps the last words should come from one of the oldest practicing physicians in the US, Dr. Ephraim Engleman, who still sees patients and drives to work at the Rosalind Russel/Ephraim P. Engleman Rheumatology Research Center at UCSF. He recently renewed his driver's license and said, "So now I'm good till at least 105".

Interestingly enough, recent brain research has found that there is something called "cognitive reserve" that serves as a backup system as the frontal cortex and hippocampus (the headquarters of memory and planning respectively) start to shrink. Keeping your brain active with reading, writing, bridge-playing, puzzles, and especially language learning helps to kick the cognitive reserve into action.

Think hard work is going to shorten your life? Not if you keep in good physical health and avoid long prolonged stress. in fact, Howard S. Friedman in his Longevity Project found that of 1,500 American children followed into their old age the hardest workers had the longest lives. No time to overeat, drink too much or get bored! To read more of Dr. Friedman's report, click here.