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Why was I so nervous? The world would not come to an end – even my tiny corner would not be endangered – if I could not learn how to play the ukulele.

In late September, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation released two reports regarding health care for seniors in Massachusetts. The first report found that while a large majority of seniors are satisfied with the healthcare, over 25 percent of older adults were dissatisfied with healthcare costs, and more than 20 percent said it has become harder to pay for healthcare services or prescription drugs over the past five years. Both concerns are higher among seniors who report poor health or a disability.

By: Janice Lindsay In my family, “to grout” a plate or kitchen utensil means you removed it from its storage space but didn’t use it,...

By Dr. David Rideout, M.D. Falling is one of the major factors that impedes the independence of seniors as we age. Complications from falls are...

James McAllister, RN Photo/submitted By James McAllister, RN How many Americans have high blood pressure? It is reported that about one in every three American adults has high...

It was the saddest song I had ever heard. “My Sweet Little Alice-Blue Gown,” always sung by a woman, told the story of a lovely blue silk dress “with little forget-me-nots placed here and there.” Wearing that gown made the wearer feel as if she were “walking on air.” But here’s the sad part: That dress was now wilted, worn out, in short, gone.

State officials announced in late August that they had removed 205,000 people from Massachusetts' Medicaid rolls, as part of a check to make sure that “everyone enrolled in MassHealth is eligible for it.” Everyone on MassHealth has to be redetermined every year. To get on MassHealth, and to stay on MassHealth, is not an easy task. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a poor elder to enter the rolls of Medicaid. That's the gospel according to MassHealth.

September 23 marks the first day of fall. During this season, many people reflect on the gradual passing of time as green leaves turn gold and pine needles blanket lawns. You are also slowly changing, and those golden years of retirement are one season closer.

To paraphrase an old saying: There’s no tool like an old tool. We love our old stuff, even when we can afford new stuff and new stuff might work better. As I type, my favorite writing instrument rests nearby. This thin black plastic mechanical pencil, my companion for 35 years, fits my hand like an old shoe -- impossible biologically speaking, of course, but quite correct metaphorically. Its worn, scratched surface assures slip-free writing. Its original clip and eraser have been replaced with body parts from less favored implements.

Cedar Falls, Iowa - Some circumstances fall together so beautifully it's almost certain they were meant to be. So goes the story of Pops the dog and his friendship with residents of the Western Home's Thalman Square, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported. On Feb. 10, Pops arrived at the Cedar Bend Humane Society (CBHS). The odds were long for finding the 9-year-old Labrador retriever mix a forever home.