What’s on Our Mind

By Kevyn Burger for Next AvenueIn honor of her most recent birthday, Marjorie Johnson was serenaded by a Grammy Award-winning singer and an Emmy award-winning comedian on a national TV show.It wasn’t just any birthday for Johnson, a champion baker who’s earned more than 3,000 ribbons and rosettes for her cookies, cakes, rolls and breads and has long delighted television audiences with her peppy personality.Johnson turned 100 in August, and less than a month later she flew &mdash...  Read More...

By Tara Haelle for Next AvenueNo one wants to opt into extra time at the doctor. But staying up-to-date on recommended screenings and tests is shown to keep more people healthy and independent. And this kind of care (called preventive care) is covered by nearly all insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid.Yet a majority of Americans over 50 are not up-to-date with preventive health recommendations.Preventive health is about stopping conditions from developing in the first place or f...  Read More...

By Elaine Soloway for Next AvenueDoris pulls me ahead; I trot to keep up. Her tail is sailing, as if atop a mast. I take this as a sign that my 1-1/2 year-old Terrier/Jack Russell mix is happy and brave.   Read More...

W. Stanley Churchill, long-time legal counsel for PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America) announced his retirement effective Dec. 31, 2019.   Read More...

By Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell for Next AvenueWhen my husband, Dale, passed away at age 57 from a sudden, massive heart attack two days before Thanksgiving in 2018, the last thing on my mind was the finances. This quickly changed, however, when I realized that as a relatively young widow of 54, I had just lost our second income.To exacerbate my situation, due to my age and not having dependent children at home, I was ineligible to draw even partial Social Security income until turning 60. Nor c...  Read More...