Certainly, heredity is a factor in maintaining mental acuity.

This is where I have some hope. My Dad was head of International for a large technology firm before he retired. He maintained this interest in global affairs, and right up until he passed at 84, he could name the head of state of every country (or almost every country).

When I would visit him, we would sit in the living room over tea and graham cracker cookies in the afternoon, and he would test me to see how much I knew about the political  affairs of the Middle East (pretty hopeless). So I’ve got good genes, but what can I do to make sure I don’t “lose it?”

A key sign of the onset of Alzheimer’s is the loss of smell, and I find myself testing whether I can still smell things. It’s a bit awkward in social situations. There has to be something better, right? AARP has heard our concerns, and on Thursday May 16 launched AARP Brain Fitness powered by Brain Q as part of our overall brain health initiative. This program  is not just about playing games, as acing games does not necessarily mean you are sure to mitigate memory loss. That would really be too easy. Importantly, good brain health  is rooted in five activities: eating smart, being fit, working your mind, socializing and stressing less.

So before you start to sniff everything, check out our fact sheet below to get the latest brain health research scoop and then go to AARP Brain Fitness and try the free brain health exercises. I know I will!

More on Becky: Becky is AARP’s Senior Vice President of Research & Strategic Analysis, and is focused on fostering understanding of the interests and concerns of people age 50-plus  and their families. Before coming to AARP, Becky served as the Vice President of Global Market Research & Guest Satisfaction for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. In her spare time, she likes visiting her niece in Ohio, gardening, and collecting American art and antiques.

Mother’s Day is a huge day for retailers who sell flowers and chocolates. In my own qualitative assessment, these sellers are in for another banner holiday. At a big warehouse store this past weekend, the 24 stem rose bunches were virtually gone by the early afternoon. I saw one man with 3 bouquets in his cart and I was practically swooning.

But do younger folks still believe in these traditional gifts? I wonder if for Millennials texting and Skype are a bigger deal than presents? I know my own Millennial niece will text her Mom before she even gets out of bed on Mother’s Day.

It’s interesting to see how today’s kids are different from their parents’ generation. Today’s kids communicate differently, and perhaps more, with their parents now given the 24/7 presence of their tech devices. According to AARP’s own Generations Study (see our fact sheet below), 31% of today’s young adults say they communicate with at least one parent daily, compared to 13% of Boomers who said they did the same when they were young. Smart phones and iPads allow young adults to ask a quick question before they get home and forget about it, and sending a photo of a DIY project that they need help on is easier than describing it on the phone. My niece texts her mom and dad several times a day and cannot watch TV for five minutes without texting her friends.

While there’s more virtual communication between kids and parents, I also think kids go out less with their parents than when I was their age. Young adults may participate in the family vacation, but they usually want to bring a friend along. And on weekends it is all about doing things with friends.

However, in our Generations Study, the majority of today’s young adults (60%) say they get together with their parents at least once a week.

Perhaps it’s because fewer young adults are living on their own. For practical reasons, many young adults have moved back in with their parents. As shown in our generations study, 63% of today’s young adults believe it’s better for them to live with parents than to struggle on their own (Boomer parents are just slightly less enthusiastic at 53%). I’ve experienced my own version of the Boomerang generation. And happily! I would rather my niece live with me in a one bedroom apartment for her summer job in the city and save money versus struggle to pay rent. We survived last summer and are getting ready for round two this year.

When I was fortysomething, I was visiting my Dad in Dayton, Ohio and he was driving us to lunch. Out of the blue, I asked him if he thought of me as an adult. He quickly turned and with no hesitation said: “You will always be my little girl.” I wish every day I could say: “I love you to my Mom and Dad,” one more time.

Check out our new fact sheet on parental relationships & find out how the kids of today talk to their parents differently from the kids of yesterday:

More AARP Research on Parenting:

AARP Generations Study

AARP Connecting Generations Study on Technology

More on Becky: Becky is AARP’s Senior Vice President of Research & Strategic Analysis, and is focused on fostering understanding of the interests and concerns of people age 50-plus  and their families. Before coming to AARP, Becky served as the Vice President of Global Market Research & Guest Satisfaction for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. In her spare time, she likes visiting her niece in Ohio, gardening, and collecting American art and antiques.

I LOVE FOOD.

I love thinking about food. I love dining out. But when it comes down to it, my favorite foods are incredibly simple: tuna salad with a mayo and celery at home, or spaghetti with Bolognese sauce when I dine out. While I like to watch reruns of Julia Child cooking for their entertainment value, I have no desire to cook coq au vin or beef bourguignon.

Whether you enjoy being creative in the kitchen, or (like me) ordering your favorites at a restaurant, you are not alone. Both cooking and dining out are favorite interests of those 50 and older. Those ages 50+  favor casual dining restaurants (60%) such as Applebee’s, Chili’s, Cracker Barrel and Olive Garden and locally owned restaurant (45%).They still eat the most out at fast food chains (71%), and also enjoy family style restaurant chains (44%) such as Denny’s and Friendly’s, according to data from Scarborough USA+ 2012.

In the past decade, there have been incredible strides made to include healthy and nutritious food offerings in super market and restaurants. Still, 36% of Americans 20 years and older are obese (having a BMI/Body Mass Index of 30 or more and roughly equates to being 35 lbs. or more overweight), according to the CDC. It’s an issue I think many of us can relate to. Going on a diet to lose weight is hard. And while eating healthy most of the time is crucial, I personally believe a little indulgence is an important part of any diet. Everybody should be able to eat “fun” foods AND healthy foods.  I don’t know anyone who has the discipline to never eat potato chips, chocolate or ice cream, unless they have allergies. Even Julia Child said butter was just fine in moderation and refused the idea of cooking with margarine.

Turns out Americans overall also believe a little indulgence is okay. In a recent GfK Roper Reports® US, fewer Americans (compared to results from 2009) now say they avoid foods with high fructose corn syrup, and one-third (33%) say caffeine is not harmful at all, up 11 points in just three years. But how can we stop ourselves from going overboard?

I’ve been reading AARP’s new book: AARP New American Diet: Lose Weight, Live Longer by John Whyte, MD. It has tips to help you lose 10 lbs. in weeks. In fact, there is a 7 day, 2 week, and 4 week plan. Home cooking is encouraged. Dieters on the 4-week plan are told to avoid restaurants for the first two weeks. The foods recommended are available in any grocery store: lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. The diet is simple but the key is smaller more frequent meals to help maintain blood sugar levels and help you feel full all day. It seemed to me there are three pillars to successful dieting:  1) how much you eat (portion control), 2) how often you eat (to maintain you blood sugar) and 3) what you eat (healthy with some occasional small indulgences).

What’s your favorite food? Indulgence? Diet or no diet?

More on Becky: Becky is AARP’s Senior Vice President of Research & Strategic Analysis, and is focused on fostering understanding of the interests and concerns of people age 50-plus  and their families. Before coming to AARP, Becky served as the Vice President of Global Market Research & Guest Satisfaction for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. In her spare time, she likes visiting her niece in Ohio, gardening, and collecting American art and antiques.

Also of Interest

• Eat Right Everyday, Your Way
• What’s Lurking in Your Refridgerator Drawers?
• Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being

See the AARP home page for deals, savings tips, trivia and more

AARP recently signed a new partner, HowAboutWe. It is not only a dating site, but also a relationship resource for singles and those in relationships. It’s based on the premise that users propose and accept specific ideas for individual dates that are built on the prompt “How about we …” For example, “How about we … check out a new restaurant?” or “How about we … see a show at the theater.” You get the idea.

It has made me wonder if love is lovelier the second time. I have to admit I am afraid of rejection, but AARP research shows that married people or those in a partnership are happier. In fact, they report being “very happy” almost twice as much as single people.

I know that finding “the right someone” won’t be easy. My boss, who is about my age, told me that he can date anyone age 20-plus, but I cannot.  I do know a number of women who have met their true loves on dating websites.

One in particular married her first match and she now says, “I bought my husband for $30 online.”

I am also a little concerned about privacy, but I went on HowAboutWe and it seems easy and fun. The site is really “helping you to find people who like the same places and want to do the same things as you.”

What’s next — Should I be one of the 57% of women who date online?

Check out our new fact sheet on online dating & find out why many 50+ are dating online:

More AARP Research on Dating and Relationships:

AARP 2013 Online Dating Study

AARP’s 2012 Happiness Study

More on Becky: Becky is AARP’s Senior Vice President of Research & Strategic Analysis, and is focused on fostering understanding of the interests and concerns of people age 50-plus  and their families. Before coming to AARP, Becky served as the Vice President of Global Market Research & Guest Satisfaction for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. In her spare time, she likes visiting her niece in Ohio, gardening, and collecting American art and antiques.

Find out more about AARP’s research around employment and experienced workers:

• Staying Ahead of the Curve: The AARP Work and Career Study
• AARP Workforce Profiles Tool
• AARP Public Policy Institute’s Monthly Employment Situation Fact Sheet
• AARP Work Reimagined

More on Becky: Becky is AARP’s Senior Vice President of Research & Strategic Analysis, and is focused on fostering understanding of the interests and concerns of people age 50+ and their families. Before coming to AARP, Becky served as the Vice President of Global Market Research & Guest Satisfaction for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. In her spare time, she likes visiting her niece in Ohio, gardening, and collecting American art and antiques.

How many drivers work in your state?

Mining is not big business in Connecticut.

I pretty much already knew that, but I was able to confirm it by using a new tool produced by the AARP Research and Strategic Analysis department this week. Based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2009-2011 American Community Survey, the AARP Workforce Profiles tool enables anyone to access all sorts of data specific to workers age 40+ in their state with the click of a button. Want to know the income levels of workers age 40 and over in your state? The percentage of workers in the retail industry? How most people get to work? It’s all there.

I tried it out for my own state, Connecticut. Looking at my original example for the mining industry, among all those 40+ who are currently working in Connecticut, just 0.1 percent are in mining. On the other hand, 27 percent of workers 40 and over are in education/health/social services. How do Connecticut residents get to work? While most Connecticut workers are 40+ drive to work (86%), 2 percent take the bus (compared to the District of Columbia where 15% take the bus).

You can also compare states and regions. While only 0.1 percent of Connecticut workers are 40 and over are in the mining industry, 4.1 percent of West Virginia workers 40+ are in mining.  And although I’ve only talked about one industry, the tool covers a variety of industries, from agriculture to zoos. Other work-related information available includes work transportation, gender, income, health insurance, and more. Anyone can customize a report that is unique to their needs by clicking on category dropdowns that interest you. The permutations are endless!

Additionally, for those that want all the state information available, AARP has put together summary profile reports for all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, and a National profile to make it even easier for people to access data. You can download a pre-populated report for the state you want, and see all the available data for that state. What could be easier?

Try the tool and tell us what you think! What else would you like to know about older workers?

Photo credits: NCDot @ Flickr (CC License)

More on Becky: Becky is AARP’s Senior Vice President of Research & Strategic Analysis, and is focused on fostering understanding of the interests and concerns of people age 50+ and their families. Before coming to AARP, Becky served as the Vice President of Global Market Research & Guest Satisfaction for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. In her spare time, she likes visiting her niece in Ohio, gardening, and collecting American Art and antiques.

Quality over quantity is the key.

I am not a grandparent yet, nor is my twin sister, so we are way behind the curve as the average age of a grandparent is 47. In fact, according to AARP’s recent Grandparenting study, only 8% of adults become a grandparent at 60 years of age or older. My Dad managed to become a grandfather for the first time at age 75 with his one and only grandchild, my niece Katie. Again, way behind the curve, as 91% of grandparents have 2 or more grandchildren and 55% have five or more.

But what he lacked in quantity, he more than made up for in quality with the 9 years he had with Katie. I remember being at my parent’s on a lazy Sunday afternoon when Katie called asking PopPop if she could come over and play. Katie had two favorite activities with her PopPop. Dad would set up card tables with blankets and sheets over them and they would play “tent” for hours in the basement. But Katie’s real favorite was “grocery store”. She would take out the canned goods and packages from the pantry and my Dad would buy them and she would be the checkout clerk. My Dad had worked for an electronics company and had several antique key ring cash registers. Moreover, he has lots of coins and bills from all over the world as he headed up the International division at one point. Katie insisted you pay over the amount due so she could write up the bill and make change using a calculator. And her grandfather was an enthusiastic customer.

Grandparents today continue to take an active role in their grandkids lives. One-tenth have their grandkids living with them and one-third provide daily daycare (among those that are not primary caregivers). It’s not just about physical caring for the grandchildren, as more than one-third (37%) contribute to their everyday living expenses.  In fact, in our grandparenting study, respondents said they cut back on travel, eating out and their own expenses during the recession, but not helping with the expense of raising the grandkids.

Grandparenting is an activity that older Americans truly enjoy. And, like my Dad, grandfathers have taken a more active role —43% of granddads say it is their role to spoil their grandchildren versus 33% of grandmothers.  Ninety-three percent of grandparents who take care of grandchildren thoroughly enjoy the job and 66% think they do an above average job of caring for them.  Grandparents see their role as taking grandkids to cultural events (72%) and teaching religion and spirituality (67%). Further, they think it is very important to impart values (80%)  and family heritage (66%) that parents may not do or be familiar with. A fellow researcher labeled grandchildren the “Desserts of Life.” I know that’s how my dad thought of Katie, and I’m sure  the memories with her granddad will be cherished for the rest of her life, and into her own parenthood and grandparenthood.

Photo credits: Coatl28 @ Flickr (CC License)

More on Becky: Becky is AARP’s Senior Vice President of Research & Strategic Analysis, and is focused on fostering understanding of the interests and concerns of people age 50+ and their families. Before coming to AARP, Becky served as the Vice President of Global Market Research & Guest Satisfaction for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. In her spare time, she likes visiting her niece in Ohio, gardening, and collecting American Art and antiques.

Alone…but not unhappy.

I have lived half my life alone. However, it appears I am not ‘alone.’ According to our AARP Community research, 37% of Boomers are single, either “never married” (12%), divorced/separated (21%) or widowed (4%). And while being single does not necessarily mean you live alone, 57% of boomer singles live alone and another 25% live only with their children.

So, how did I end up being alone at this stage in my life? I was happily married for ten years, but after that ended other romantic relationships didn’t seem to stick. I enjoy my career but didn’t necessarily set out to remain single. I’m quite content, but is there something I’m missing? And what does being single mean for my future happiness? Our Happiness Study shows that married folks are happier than singles. (22% vs. 12%, ‘very happy’). However, the same study also reveals that single people 50-80 are three times happier than single 35-49 year olds (18% vs. 8%< respectively).

As Eric Klineberg in his book “Going Solo” suggests: “Living alone, being alone and feeling lonely are three different conditions.” Singles, he points out, are far more likely to spend time with friends and neighbors and to volunteer in civic organizations. Singlehood proliferates in urban centers where networks can crystallize. I certainly fit that description well. Living 45 minutes from Manhattan, I think nothing of going in on a Saturday morning to an auction or museum exhibit, returning home early afternoon to dress for a show and/or dinner then heading back to NYC for the evening.

So, single Boomers like me are making a life for themselves, but what does the rest of society think about our growing single segment? Many probably don’t even consider the macro costs of this fastest growing demographic group. One person households have a greater carbon footprint, singles can drive up housing costs (less variable expenses so we can put more money into the cost of the home) and with fewer children, there is an increase burden on the young to support an aging population. Singles are also potentially more vulnerable than those who are married or in a relationship.

So many choices, so little time.

Additionally, sometimes us single folk can become too content with ourselves. The longer you live on your own, the more set in your ways you become. You are the master of your universe, but to some this can come across as appearing ‘bossy’ or controlling. I sometimes have to stop as I hear myself saying: “We should do this, or do that for your birthday”, rather than asking: “What would you like to do, it’s your day”. I suspect a lot of folks look at singles from this perspective, what I call “WAYTLOOO” (Way too long on our own).  On the flip side, I have also become more resourceful. When an issue at work or with my house arises, I’m adept at dealing with it head on and resolving the problem.

So, from my own perspective as a single Boomer, I think we seem to be doing all right. I have so much to do that I don’t ever have the chance to feel lonely. Between work and social engagements and taking care of my house, I have a pretty full life. So all that’s left for me to wonder is whether this weekend I start my day by going to the auction in the city or changing all the batteries in my smoke detectors. Decisions, decisions . . .

Photo credits: Marius_Boatca @ Flickr (CC License) & Vermin Inc @ Flickr (CC License)

More on Becky: Becky is AARP’s Senior Vice President of Research & Strategic Analysis, and is focused on fostering understanding of the interests and concerns of people age 50+ and their families. Before coming to AARP, Becky served as the Vice President of Global Market Research & Guest Satisfaction for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. In her spare time, she likes visiting her niece in Ohio, gardening, and collecting American Art and antiques.

It seems volunteering is becoming more ingrained in everyday American life. Millennials are firmly ensconced in giving back — it was a part of their secondary and university education, and they expect it to continue throughout their lives. Nonprofit groups, like AARP, are obviously focused on helping society, but now even corporations (some, let’s not go crazy) and commercial stores are embracing their social responsibility. It seems every time I go to the grocery store I have the opportunity to donate money to charity. Giving is all around me, and now it’s even come to my office.

When I first joined the business world, firms never had Corporate Days of Giving or time off for volunteering, but now it’s common practice. It’s not only a great way to give back in communities where folks work, but lo and behold, it actually is fun! AARP has a Day of Service every September 11^th and this year I volunteered with Capitol Hill Ministries Group (CHMG) spending the day giving out food to the homeless in downtown Washington, D.C. Because I walk to work, I can see that the homeless situation is a big issue in the District, and on Day of Service I got an even closer glimpse.

The day included a four-mile walk to various parks and public places in D.C. with about 20 other AARP employees and handing out food. Walking five hours you really have a chance to get to know your colleagues and see more closely the world that we pass by every day rushing to and from work. Here in D.C., the need is tremendous — we ran out of lunches earlier than expected (the hot dogs were a big hit).

What was completely unexpected to me is how different the type of need is from what I thought. Many folks lost their jobs in the recession and just cannot find work. One young man I talked to in his 30s was out of a job, but totally up-to-date on current affairs and engaged me in a very interesting discussion about the (then) presidential candidates. While the charity network and government social programs have done a good job handling access to food, clothing and phones, these organizations just don’t have enough money for enough shelter in an expensive area like D.C. Needless to say, a lot of folks end up having to make the street their home.

By the end of the day I was seeing Washington D.C., and its people, in a much different way, and I’m grateful for the experience. I may not be a Millennial, but it just reinforces what a great place AARP and other firms who encourage (and support!) volunteering are to work for.

Photo credit: WAstateDNR @ Flickr.

More on Becky: Becky is AARP’s Senior Vice President of Research & Strategic Analysis, and is focused on fostering understanding of the interests and concerns of people age 50+ and their families. Before coming to AARP, Becky served as the Vice President of Global Market Research & Guest Satisfaction for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. In her spare time, she likes visiting her niece in Ohio, gardening, and collecting American Art and antiques.

  Find out more about caregiving research from AARP:

• More information on caregivers can be found in AARP’s recent Member Opinion Survey
• Valuing the Invaluable:  2011 Update – The Growing Contributions and Costs of Family Caregiving
• A Call to Action:  What Experts Say Needs to be Done to Meet the Challenges of Family Caregiving 
• Caregiving in the U.S. A Focused Look at Those Caring for Someone Age 50 or Older

More on Becky: Becky is AARP’s Senior Vice President of Research & Strategic Analysis, and is focused on fostering understanding of the interests and concerns of people age 50+ and their families. Before coming to AARP, Becky served as the Vice President of Global Market Research & Guest Satisfaction for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. In her spare time, she likes visiting her niece in Ohio, gardening, and collecting American art and antiques.