Helen Dennis

My husband and I live in a senior community and both are in our mid-80’s. I was surprised when he recently said, “I really feel old.” It stopped me in my tracks since that’s the first time I heard him say that. He has some hearing impairment and lip reads which supplements his high-tech hearing devices. Masks which people need to wear limit his ability to understand conversations which I understand. I am curious, when do people typically say they feel old? Many thanks. J. N.

Dear readers, This week’s column is a continuation of our conversation about ageism, noting that where you live matters. Among all of the states in the U.S., Colorado ranked low on what is called implicit age bias, meaning its residents scored low on prejudice against older people. Ageism has been addressed through educational programs, tool kits, research projects, conferences, media events and books. Author and activist Ashton Applewhite is a good example with her book, “Th

Dear readers, “With the pandemic, there has been a parallel outbreak of ageism,” writes social scientists in a recent article published in the Journals of Gerontology. Ageism is prejudice or discrimination based on a person’s age that can be directed to both younger and older people. For the purpose of this column, we are focusing on prejudice against older adults for the sole reason that they are older. This prejudice or discrimination can occur in companies, higher educatio

Q. After 40 years and at age 75, I just retired from an organization where I had a very significant role which I enjoyed; one of impact, prestige and influence that required 150 percent of my time. Recently, I responded “yes” to an invitation to assist with a significant project. On the Zoom call with the team, I was referred to as a “volunteer” and was taken aback. I felt very uncomfortable since I always had a title. What is my problem with being identified as a “volunteer?