AGE IN ACTION – For older adults and those who love and work with them.

August 2026

Coping with Uncertainty…

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Government, Mental Health, and Happiness

People are more productive and creative when their basic needs are satisfied. They are happiest, as research on happiness in Scandinavian countries demonstrates. A population that is productive, educated, and relatively secure helps a nation grow. Wouldn’t a government want to develop programs with that goal in mind?

Programs that reduce benefits in healthcare, education, research, and aid increase anxiety, insecurity, and demoralization. They also hinder progress in fields like medicine, engineering, and the arts. Is this what we want as a nation? Shouldn’t the needs of the people be the main factor in programs created by a country’s leadership?

When wealthy individuals in their ivory towers become too disconnected from the wider population, they often abandon the values of compassion, understanding, and empathy. Too often, a cynical attitude toward those who are disenfranchised replaces a genuine understanding of how people end up where they are in life. They develop a “Let them eat cake” attitude and bask in arrogant self-righteousness.

I remember a friend who grew up wealthy, which allowed him to attend the best schools. He told me about the hard work he put into his profession when we discussed societal inequality. I couldn’t disagree, but I didn’t think he realized that many people worked just as hard as he did. What about the single mother who juggles two or three jobs to feed her family, or the student who goes to college full-time while working 40 hours a week?

The question shouldn’t be, ‘Don’t I deserve more?’ but rather, how can we find a way for all people to get what they need to thrive and succeed? In that way, the population grows, as does the nation.

A Long Walk

Death follows me
Like a stalker in black.
Am I afraid,
No, I don’t think so:
Oceans roll in and out
Birds fly south
It’s the nature of things.

Life has been lived
We all do our best,
Thinking, reaching,
Loving and suffering,
We muster forth.

Steeps have been climbed
And rivers run
As Mozart plays
A symphony of life.

In the end,
happy and sad
Blend into one
A time of reflection,
a time of peace,
a time of journey’s end.

World Cup

They don’t call it the America Cup or the North American Cup. They call it the World Cup. Why is this significant? The current World Cup experience runs contrary to the Trump position of isolationism, nationalism, and dangerous immigration. The United States and the world have embraced this athletic event, making it a joyous, fun, albeit competitive, experience. The Scots have taken over and become enamored with Boston. They drank the city dry, and they’ve been 100% embraced by the Bay State and its capital, Boston. They went to Miami and had a similar experience. The Scots, playing bagpipes and joyfully roaming the city, have been embraced by Floridians, who love everything they brought to their state.

Who can forget the Norwegians simulating rowing, with thousands of fans in the stands mimicking Vikings? The Americans loved them, as did the rest of the world. The little country of Cape Verde captured the world’s heart despite its small population. They won several matches in the tournament and nearly upset the favored Argentina. The United States embraced the World Cup, and prejudices, grudges, and stereotypes seemed to fall by the wayside, as they do at the Olympic Games.

The joy of nations coming together in competition and of their citizens enjoying our country was a repudiation of the administration’s position. There were no ugly hate groups marching through the streets or terrorists trying to set off bombs. Do they exist? Yes, of course, but the World Cup represented an evolving globalism, not individual nations hostile to one another. We are more alike than different.

Mental Health and Aging in Prison

Older adults are one of the fastest-growing groups in correctional systems, with the U.S. older incarcerated adult population growing by 79% between 2000 and 2009 (Williams et al.,2012). This number is expected to increase in the future, due to the aging population, a trend of longer prison sentences, and a reduction of parole or early release because of more stringent “tough on crime” laws (Skarupski et al., 2018). Although older adults are traditionally defined as individuals aged 65 and older, correctional systems often classify incarcerated individuals as “geriatric” at 55 years of age because incarceration is often associated with accelerated aging (Garrido & Frakt, 2020). As a result of the growing geriatric prison population, correctional facilities now house an increasing number of individuals who experience age-related medical conditions and have complex mental health needs. Despite this shift, prisons remain environments that are generally designed for younger populations, which can create structural and psychological challenges for older inmates (Williams et al., 2012).

Older adults experience substantial mental health challenges that are often complex and insufficiently addressed. More than 20% of individuals aged 55 and older may suffer from mental health problems (Lima et al., 2019). Common issues facing older adults, including bereavement, social isolation, increased health problems and costs, and limited (and less flexible) finances after retirement can add to older adults’ psychological burden and contribute to the deterioration of mental health (Ratnakaran, 2023). Despite this need, mental health conditions in older populations are not always clearly diagnosed, as existing diagnostic frameworks and systems may not adequately capture how psychiatric and psychological disorders function in older adults, leading to overlooked or improperly treated conditions (Jeste et al., 2005). Inaddition, older adults may underutilize mental health services due to a range of barriers, including stigma, lack of perceived need for treatment, cost, limited access, and mistrust of providers (Egan, 2021; Lavingia et al., 2020; Thorp, Sones, & Cook, 2011). As a result, there is a gap between the prevalence of mental health needs in older adults and their access to effective treatment.

Senior Sketches: Christine Baser

Christine Baser, a therapist and neuropsychological evaluator, retired after hanging out her shingle in 1988. The mother of two adult daughters, one a psychologist and the other an air traffic controller in training, Chris is known for her competence, calm under pressure, kindness, and pursuit of excellence in all areas of her life. A Duke University graduate, Chris began her career as a psychiatric nurse and later attended CSPP-SD, where she earned a doctorate in clinical psychology. The wife of fellow psychologist Tom Habib, Chris enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Polypharmacy and Placebo in Older Adults

Individuals who are 65 and older are a rapidly growing portion of the United States population. The growth of this group from 2010 to 2020 was the largest of any decade since 1880- 1890, growing five times faster than the total population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). Health issues are a common source of concern for older adults. Having more than one chronic illness is highly prevalent in older adults, with 73% being affected by multimorbidity (Schlitz, 2022).

Having multiple simultaneous conditions often requires several prescription medications to manage them. Polypharmacy, typically defined as the regular use of five or more medications at the same time, is very common in older adults (Pazan and Wehling, 2021). In 2024, older adults accounted for approximately one-third of outpatient spending on prescription medications in the United States, despite making up only approximately 14% of the total adult population (Varghese et al., 2024). Taking multiple medications for different conditions can lead to adverse outcomes. Common complications such as delirium, kidney failure, and low blood pressure are seen frequently in older adults (Varghese et al., 2024). The presence of these complications highlights the need for alternative interventions to reduce the negative impacts of polypharmacy in older adults.

Members on the Move

Jon Nachison continues to perform with his group at various care facilities in San Diego. John plays drums and guitar and sings. Pete Lbero is also committed to music and, in addition to intensive guitar study and practice, plays with a group weekly. Preston Simms,entertainer supreme, performs regularly at various clubs in North County. Karen Helrich, a serious, gifted potter, produces high-quality pieces. She and her husband, Bert Edelstein, will travel to New York State this summer. After visiting Cortland, they will vacation in the Finger Lakes and later in Montreal. Amy Horne and her husband, Doug, river-cruised in Europe last fall with Ama Waterways. Gary Vernon and Jim Bazzetta, competent, creative photographers, continue to produce outstanding nature stills.

Communication Caveats!

Relationships and good communication are important at any age. They’re nourishing food for the soul and make life better for everyone. In later years, when life and activity are shrinking, having a robust set of relationships is more important than ever. Other arenas may have provided stimulation in the past, but they are largely gone. Seniors no longer work. They may not engage in the variety of activities they once did when they were younger.

However, we seniors need to be aware of certain communication styles that impede effective communication and can be more frustrating than life-enhancing. Here are a few.

Low-Talkers/Mumblers

As the name implies, these people are very hard to understand. They speak softly and often mumble. Listening for a long time is exhausting. Despite frequent requests from listeners, one way or another, to speak up, they tend to fall back into their habitual way of being. This is particularly frustrating, since many seniors wear hearing aids or should. It results in spotty communication at best, and it’s frustrating for all listeners.

Storytellers

These folks relate by telling stories. As a word of caution, don’t try to interrupt or change the narrative. You won’t be successful.

I once was at a table in a dining room at a ski hotel when a man I didn’t know proceeded to tell the group at the table a forty-minute story about his heart condition. Even though people were getting up and leaving, he continued on, unfazed by the signals he was getting. I finally left. It was difficult to understand how anyone could do this, but he did.

Storytellers have a hard time stopping, and they assume that others will revel in the stories they tell.

People Of The Self

People of the Self live in a Me-world. They like to talk exclusively about themselves. Though they often feign interest in others, they’re mainly interested in themselves. Some of the more clever Self-people will ask a question or two of those around them, but they’ll use the answers to springboard back to their own life stories. People of the Self can be interesting and charming, but after a while, they become tedious. Whatever they say pales in comparison to the frustration of being in an audience without having chosen to buy a ticket.

Those Were The Days

These people live in the past. They often blend with people of the Self, and they enjoy telling stories of past times. Some of these stories are interesting and fun, but over time, they prevent spontaneous dialogue today from involving people in the conversation.

Aches And Pains

Most seniors have some kind of physical problem. It’s common ground, so it’s very easy for people to get together and talk about their aches and pains. However, true aches and pains people can become fixated and carry on for hours. Though we’re all interested in how people are doing and we have empathy for those suffering in one way or another, too much focus on aches and pains becomes a downer and drains the life force from the best of us.

Nourishing conversation involves give-and-take dialogue that spontaneously develops and is engaging. It may contain elements of the above categories, but basically, it’s a non-selfish, interested conversation that is stimulating and energetic. One leaves feeling replenished and refreshed, not depleted.

Jeune et Jolie

Japanese Ice. I asked a staff member if he was passing by and had been recruited to help serve at our table at Jeune et Jolie, the Michelin-starred restaurant in Carlsbad. Why would I say such a thing? Perhaps it was because numerous people brought this sort of thing to our table throughout the evening. It was impossible to keep track of the friendly staff, who operated like a well-drilled football team. Everything was coordinated and perfectly synced. The staff was highly professional yet friendly and authentic. We joked with them throughout the evening, and I must say they added to the restaurant’s pleasure.

We were fortunate to be assigned a table on the outdoor patio, which was enclosed by a series of tall bushes and plants. It felt like a private dining room outdoors on a warm evening. The restaurant serves a fixed menu of four courses spread out over several hours. The portions are small, but all the food was delicious, and the attention to detail was extraordinary. Each course featured several items, all of which were very flavorful and delicious. I had a trout dish, then a scallop dish, followed by pork. For dessert, we had delicious chocolate. Our martinis were well-made with French gin, and the Bordeaux we had at dinner was extraordinary.

For most of us, Jeune and Jolie is a special-occasion restaurant because it’s very expensive. It’s as much an experience as a meal. After dinner, my friend Bert and I ordered scotch on the rocks, and our waiter brought us a glass with a large ice cube. He explained that the ice came from Japan. That was true, and we all had a good laugh, as if it were the final gift from this restaurant, which didn’t miss a beat.

There’s plenty of parking at the restaurant, but the building itself could use a better location and more modern facilities. Trains were passing by, and traffic noise was noticeable. However, in our little oasis on the patio, we were able to disconnect from the surrounding din and enter a fun, creative, culinary universe.