Helen Dennis

My 78-year-old husband has a problem that is becoming my problem. He is hard of hearing and will not consider hearing aids. I am tired of shouting and becoming increasingly annoyed. Do you have any suggestions on how to convince him to at least get his hearing checked that hopefully will lead to his agreeing to hearing aids? Many thanks. G.S. You and your husband are not alone. Only 14 percent of those with a hearing loss use a hearing aid, even though we know it is a normal

Q. Your Successful Aging column on January 9, 2022, made reference to a column you wrote years ago when your husband passed away. My husband of 52 years died on November 11, 2021; he was my best friend and soulmate. I would love to read your thoughts and words in that column. Can you help me? Thank you in advance. S.D. I am so sorry to learn of your loss. And thank you for referring to that long-ago column on grief and bereavement. I decided to write a new one that integrates

We all want to be mentally sharp, physically fit, financially secure and live a life with a sense of belonging, purpose and worth. Q. I have attended many seminars on aging and a question frequently asked is, “How many of you would like to live to be 100?” Very few hands are raised because we do not want to become disabled, sick, frail and dependent. That’s our image of someone who is 100. Yet there is much written about a society for centenarians that is more optimistic. We

Editor’s note: Here, Helen Dennis has written her 1000th Successful Aging column, a feat of perseverance, persistence and hard work that we are proud to share with our readers. We’re grateful for all we’ve learned from her over the past 20 years, we salute this amazing achievement and we look forward to more to come. Dear readers, It’s hard for me to believe this week’s column is number 1,000. For the past 20 years, I have committed to turn in a column each week, which feels

Q. As I lie here on the floor exercising due to an attack of very painful sciatica, I am fuming that my daughter-in-law says I should accept the pain due to my aging. Note some of my activities: I am a 6-year breast cancer survivor, have been bike riding 25-30 miles, three times a week and walked Disney World about 50 times; we also travel and entertain. I have combined two homes, remodeled and designed another and for Christmas, bought multiple presents for each of five gra