Journey Ahead

Aging Well in the Chippewa Valley

Don’t Be Afraid of Being ‘Old’

research finds that people who have a positive perception of aging live longer

A few weeks ago my friend Chuck was bemoaning the fact that he was having his 60th birthday. He talked about “being old” and “feeling old” as though he had no control over what was happening to him ...

It’s Time to Look at Medicare Changes

four things seniors need to know about the Medicare annual election period

Each year the Medicare Annual Election Period (AEP) occurs between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7. This is a crucial time for Medicare beneficiaries to review their current Part C (medical) and/or Part D (drug) plans. This can be confusing, so here are four things you need to know ...

County Falls Behind in Mammograms

Eau Claire County trails state in share of women who get this vital cancer screening

Mammograms save lives. Yet many women in the Chippewa Valley are not getting into the clinic for this routine breast cancer screening. Today we know much more about this disease than we used ...

Working to End Alzheimer’s

Eau Claire ophthalmologist Dr. Tom Dow will open center to treat dementia risk

I moved back to Eau Claire in 2004 to facilitate firsthand the care for my mom who had developed dementia. I asked Dr. Tom Dow of the Chippewa Valley Eye Clinic if my mom and I could have our appointments ...

Seniors, Don’t Skip This Day

Senior Americans Day offers a spectrum of activities for 55-plus crowd

Next June 4, the UW-Eau Claire campus will be overrun with seniors – and we don’t mean the kind who are a few credits away from graduating from college. We mean the kind of seniors ...

Age: When It Isn’t Just a Number

ageism keeps us from embracing the gift of growing older

A quick Google search of “anti-aging” gives you 13.6 million results. The entire first page of results includes things like anti-aging diets, anti-aging skin creams, etc. – a plethora of consumer goods ...

Planning to Get a Move On?

how to feel good about downsizing and opening the next chapter of your life

The kids are gone, the big yard needs mowing, the snow needs removing, and you have too much stuff that used to serve a purpose. There is never enough time to just relax ...

Getting Ready to Get Active

to get fit, treat exercise more like play and less like a chore

People in our world are becoming more and more sedentary. No matter what age we are, we seem to be spending more time in front of televisions and computers. We rarely walk or ride a bike to get around, and ...

Living a Life of Purpose

finding meaning in what you do is essential at every age and stage

As we grow up and move through the stages of life, that purpose changes and at times, may get lost.

4 Steps to Start Downsizing

how to find what’s truly valuable and important in your life - and how to get rid of the rest

Unless we are already minimalists, all of us at one time or another will be faced with cleaning out a home and deciding what to do with all the stuff in it. Whether you are taking early retirement or you are a caregiver for ...

Leaving a Living Legacy

tips on sharing stories and skills gathered over the course of a lifetime

As we age, it is normal to become reflective. As humans, we have a need to know that our lives made an impact on those who will come after us. We want to know that we will be remembered, and that our legacy will live on.

Sharing Pearls of Wisdom

mark your calendar for UW-Eau Claire’s annual Senior Americans Day, where next year’s focus is on fun

Smartphones. Zumba. Social media. None are topics that one might immediately associate with senior citizens – or, to be more specific, with the stereotype of seniors as knitting grandmas and whittling ...

Letting Their Lights Shine

choir for Chippewa Valley seniors dealing with dementia lifts spirits, makes memories

The heads of the performers, gray and not-so-gray, bob in anticipation above their music-filled spiral notebooks as they prepare to sing. This selection for the Stand in the Light Choir is an arrangement ...

What Seniors Can Do to Fight the Flu

influenza hits older people harder than most. Here’s how to prepare for the virus

Hospital-reported data has shown for many years that people 65 years and older are at greater risk of serious complications ...

The Journey Forward With a New Disability

how you can make the most of what life throws at you after age 65

When we plan for life after 65, few of us think about the fact that half the people over 65 develop a disability. Laws about access, agencies like ...

Creating a Dementia Friendly Community

individuals, businesses, and groups are working together to ensure everyone is safe and welcome

Do you know someone living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia? Purple angel logos are popping up on the doors of Chippewa Valley businesses and organizations that are joining ...

Big Day for Seniors

mark your calendar for UW-Eau Claire’s annual Senior Americans Day, where next year’s focus is on fun

Smartphones. Zumba. Social media. None are topics that one might immediately associate with senior citizens – or, to be more specific ...

Centers That Make Your Life Better

ADRCs exists to give older people, adults with disabilities access to services, more independence

The Aging & Disability Resource Center of Eau Claire County is here to help older people and adults with disabilities secure needed services and benefits, live with dignity and security, and achieve maximum ...

Getting Ready to Get Active

if you want to get fit, treat exercise more like play and less like a chore

People in our world are becoming more and more sedentary. No matter what age we are, we seem to be spending more time in front of televisions and computers. We rarely walk or ride a bike to get around ...