KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) — An 80-year-old Japanese man who began the year with his fourth heart operation has become the oldest conqueror of Mount Everest, a feat he called “the world’s best feeling” even with an 81-year-old Nepalese climber not far behind him.

Courtesy: Lavioe Images Flickr photostream

We were a hard-drinking, cigarette-smoking, fun-loving bunch back then, not eating right or exercising or generally taking care of ourselves. Hell, we were in our 30s and didn’t spend a moment worrying about how our bad habits were chipping away at our mortality. Life was a party and we were dancing to the beat.

Among those I knew on the editorial staff of the Oakland Tribune, only a few still survive. Most died in their 40s and 50s when the norm of an expected life span collided with a misbegotten lifestyle. At 83, I’m burdened by all kinds of ailments but remain somehow still on my feet, trying to define the world around me. I left the party early and it has given me more years to contemplate.

But there is a kind of loneliness to survival in the slow diminishment of a group. One feels alone and often isolated. I remember thinking about that years ago as my mother-in-law, at age 96, was dealing with the lonely world she had inherited. Her husband had died and so had all of the friends she had known as far back as first grade.

When she visited us in her final years, she would sit alone watching television far into the night, bored by the re-runs but craving the company of familiarity that old shows provided. More than once she had said to me how she missed her husband and friends and how she wished she could join them. As she lay dying a few years ago, we couldn’t help but notice the peaceful composure of her final expression.

My feeling and hers at the loss of a husband and good friends represents a form of grieving often difficult to overcome. In her case, she mourned them with the immediacy of a funeral in progress, yearning to be with them. I remember my lost friends with a distant smile and am grateful that my very best friend, my wife of 63 years, remains with me.

Grief counselors tell us to cry when crying is required in the moment of death, but then move on. Adopt new activities, they say. Join clubs. Find new friends. Grief is a natural response to loss, they add, but not a way of life.

We lost our eldest daughter Cindy to cancer two years ago, and hardly a day goes by that I don’t think of her. But the tears are long since dry, and when the family talks about her it’s with laughter and a kind of joy that reanimates her in the deepest parts of memory. We are left with the pleasure of her company in more ways than we could have ever imagined.

Also of Interest

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• Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Carol Burnett, who became famous for playing a variety of characters in sketch comedy routines on her namesake television show, was named the winner of the nation’s top humor prize on Tuesday.

The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts said Burnett will receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Oct. 20 in Washington. A gala performance featuring top names in comedy will be taped and broadcast nationally Oct. 30 on PBS.

Related: Happy 80th Birthday Carol Burnett

The 80-year-old Burnett said she can’t believe she is receiving the prize from the Kennedy Center.

“It’s almost impossible to be funnier than the people in Washington,” she said in a statement.

Burnett had her breakout on Broadway in “Once Upon a Mattress,” performing at night in 1959 while also appearing in the mornings on TV’s “The Garry Moore Show.” She is best known for her own long-running variety show, “The Carol Burnett Show.” It ran from 1967 to 1978, averaging 30 million viewers a week on CBS. Her guest stars included Lucille Ball, Jimmy Stewart, Ronald Reagan and Betty White.

Burnett was born in San Antonio in 1933. She soon moved to Hollywood with her mother and grandmother and was raised in a small studio apartment. She received an anonymous donation to attend college at UCLA, where she studied journalism and took an acting class.

Burnett moved to New York City, where she staged musical revues and performed in nightclubs. She was spotted by talent bookers and soon performed her rendition of “I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles” on television.

Kennedy Center Chairman David Rubenstein called Burnett a “unique and beloved entertainer.”

“From her television program and appearances, as well as her performances on Broadway and in film, Carol Burnett has entertained generations of fans with her vibrant wit and hilarious characters,” he said in announcing the prize.

The Mark Twain Prize honors people who have an impact on society in the tradition of Samuel Clemens, better known as Twain, as a social commentator and satirist. Previous honorees include Bill Cosby, Steve Martin, Tina Fey and Ellen DeGeneres, who won last year.

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• Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being

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

What’s the best work out for people of all ages?

According to a recent study, it’s this: running.

Researchers, who followed participants over a 30-year period, were amazed to discover that those who ran in moderation showed the greatest health gains and benefits when compared to those who ran faster and more often. The ‘sweet spot’, it seems, is running about 3 – 4 times a week at a slower pace, proving that the “less is more” philosophy really applies to exercise.

That’s good news for me because a few years ago–just around the time I was turning 50 and trying to come to grips with the changes my body, mind and life were going through—I decided to try running, against my better judgment. Even my husband and daughters raised their eyebrows (one actually rolled her eyes, but I’m not naming names).

I knew I had to do something to get my health, weight and stress level back on track. But run? Even I questioned the good sense of this since I’d never never willingly run in my life, except during the dreaded annual Field Day at P.S. 203 in Brooklyn, or when chasing down the Good Humor truck. More importantly, the slow but steady weight gain and loss of energy were wreaking havoc with my health. Not good.

Luckily I learned how to run safely (without hurting my knees!) by following a program created by Jeff Galloway, the Olympian and marathoner who developed the Run-Walk-Run plan used by hundreds of thousands around the world. It’s the best way for people of all ages–especially those of us over 50–to get out there and move our bodies.

Take a look at this quick video–Running After 50–which is the most recent episode of “The Best of Everything” series for the AARP YouTube Channel. And please subscribe to the full series at the end of the video:

Like many people over 50, I was worried because I thought running, or even strenuous walking, can hurt our joints. Research shows, however, that it won’t if done right. After 30 years of following his own program, Jeff has never had an injury. The reason is simple: it calls for slow, gentle running, with scheduled walk breaks, just like I demonstrated in the video. Distance, not speed, is the goal. It’s easy on the joints, yet gives a high performance cardio work out, and helps build muscle mass in our legs and hips, which is crucial in the battle against osteoporosis.

I’ve been running for the last few years, and it’s helped me lose–and keep off –15 lbs and improve my overall health and well being. Running may not be for everyone, but if you’re thinking about it, check with your doctor first.

I want to hear from you! Leave your questions and ideas about living your best life after 50 in the comments section below, and share this article and video with your friends.

And remember this: We can’t control getting older, but, we can control how we do it!

I’m the National Osteoporosis Foundation ‘Ambassador for Bone Health’ and a fierce champion of positive aging. For more tips on living your best life after 50 (or 60, or 70…) check out “The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money and More” and www.bestofeverythingafter50.com. Keep me posted on how you’re doing by subscribing to me on Facebook and “tweeting” me on Twitter at @BGrufferman.  Check out the full video series–“The Best of Everything”–on the AARP YouTube Channel. 

Photo credit: Diego David Garcia via Flickr.

Also of Interest

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• The Best All-Around Exercise for Your Post-50 Body
• Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being

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

And I’m not alone. Recently, I was having dinner with friends and we were all grousing about how busy we are (they are all working caregivers on some level too) and our lack of exercise. We are all different shapes and sizes, but we were all feeling so far from “hot” it was depressing us, not to mention feeling the physical effects. After a couple bottles of wine, Debra, Kim, Afsoon and I got very wise (wine has a way of doing that!) and decided to do something to light the flame of our “hotness factor”!

To jump-start our hotness, we knew we had to be realistic and make it fun. Kim pointed out that if you do one thing every day for 21 days it will become a habit. We wanted exercise to become a habit again, and we knew we needed help. That’s where non-judgmental, enthusiastic, reinforcing friend power comes in!

That very night we formed our “Hot” group to rediscover the hotness within us. Our formula is simple:

• We each committed to one minimal physical hottie activity per day: I am doing at least one yoga sun salutation, Kim is doing squats, Afsoon and Debra have a short exercise routine.
• We email our hotness update daily. The others respond with kudos and their hottie reports. (Emailing works for us, but you could text, call or form a Facebook group.)
• If we skip a day, there is no berating or lecturing. We get encouragement and get back on track.

It’s working! Every night as I wearily start to crawl into bed, usually after 1 a.m., I stop, remember my hotness group and do my sun salutation. My friends report the same — we are motivating each other down the hotness path.

BONUS: Our once a day minimal exercise is motivating us to do more. We find ourselves eating better, doing more exercise, walking when we could drive. Debra is even working with a trainer now. Some of us are losing weight!

We all feel better about ourselves. We also feel more in touch with each other on a daily basis — and as an isolated working caregiver, I think perhaps that is making the biggest difference for me.

Here’s to the hotness in all of us … one day at a time!

Photo Credit: Doug 88888

Amy Goyer is AARP’s Home & Family Expert; she splits her time between Washington, D.C. and Phoenix, Ariz. where she is caregiving for both of her parents who live with her. Her new book, Juggling Work and Caregiving, will be published this fall. Follow Amy on Twitter @amygoyer and on Facebook.

Also of Interest

• 7 Beauty Blunders Women Over 50 Keep on Making (and How to Stop)
• Best All Around Excercise for Every Post-50 Body
• Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being

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

Every mother I know loves the special recognition, me included. I appreciate that my husband and daughters let me sleep in a little longer, bring coffee and newspapers to my bed when I finally decide to open my eyes, walk the dog, prepare a luxurious breakfast, and clean up afterwards, usually accompanied by some lovely flowers, handmade cards, and special “Whatever You Want to Do, Mom” plans. What’s not to like?

It’s a sweet ritual, and one that is repeated in households throughout the country on Mother’s Day, as it has every year since 1908. While most women feel grateful for the flowers, cards, and mini-vacations from household chores — albeit short-lived — that this occasion offers, countless more are wondering why they aren’t getting the one gift that they — and their families — want and need more than any other: a job. And preferably a job that pays the same salary as it pays a man for doing the same exact work.

It’s a paradox, and a national travesty. This week, as many of us celebrated Mother’s Day, a lovely tradition when we (rightfully so) honor women around the country, shouldn’t we also focus on the statistics surrounding women and work?

The More You Know

Last year, a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that of the 1.3 million jobs created in 2011, some 90 percent went to men. Women gained just 149,000 jobs.  What’s more, while you might expect men to recover more jobs since more men were put out of work, there are some signs that things have gotten worse for women, with no signs of improvement. Looking at the data since the end of the recession in July 2009, men gained 600,000 jobs while women lost 300,000 jobs.

Worse still, 97 percent of full-time working women were in jobs that typically paid men more, according to an analysis by the Center for American Progress.  Of the 534 professions listed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women on average earned more than men in only seven of them. And in the seven occupations that women earned more, the wage difference is quite small. 

To compound the problem even more, women continue to be penalized for being mothers, or potential mothers. As unemployed women look for work, experts say that cultural biases may hinder their search. While antidiscrimination laws prohibit the practice, some employers may believe that male workers will put in longer hours or be more dedicated to their jobs simply because they are not the ones who are, or will be, mothers.

According to a recent ABC News report, an out-of-work man may benefit from an employer’s sympathetic assumption that he’s the family breadwinner, even though American families have come to depend on women’s income far more than ever before. Myra Strober, a professor of education and economics at Stanford University said,

There’s a lot of evidence that historically when jobs are scarce, employers favor men because they feel that it’s up to men to earn a family wage and support their families.

And the older a woman gets, the more dire the situation becomes. A recent report from AARP’s Public Policy Institute, An Uphill Climb: Women Face Greater Obstacles to Retirement Security, clearly states that women earn less, and there are serious consequences, including lower Social Security benefits, lower retirement income, and greater poverty at older ages. Take a quick look at these statistics from the report:

• In 2012, full-time working women aged 55 and older typically earned 76 percent of men’s earnings.
• Women’s average annual Social Security retirement benefit was 78 percent of men’s in 2012.
• In 2010, the typical woman’s retirement income was 59 percent that of the typical man’s.
• In 2011, the poverty rate for women (age 65 and older) was 73 percent greater.

What can we do?

Become a grassroots activist. Start by sharing this, and similar articles, with other women, with government leaders and corporate heads, to make sure they understand how dire, and utterly unjust, this situation is. Women should not be penalized for taking sabbaticals to care for children, an ill spouse or parent. Women should not be penalized simply because they are women and have children, or might have children in the future. Women should not be penalized because they take their parenting responsibilities seriously and are grappling with the challenge of finding a balance between work and family. And certainly, women should not be penalized because they are getting older. Get mad, and make others get mad right along with you.

Less than 17% of global news focuses on women’s issues. If we work together we can make “women and work” the #1 news story of the year. That would be the perfect Mother’s Day gift for all women . . . next year.

 And remember this: We can’t control getting older . . . but . . . we can control how we do it.

 I want to hear from you! Leave your questions and ideas for living your best life after 50 in the comments section below. Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and, of course, my blogs on AARP.org and www.bestofeverythingafter50.com. And please let me know what you’d like to see in future episodes of “The Best of Everything After 50″!  In case you missed it, CLICK HERE to watch the trailer to give you a sneak peek of what’s in store. Thanks for reading and watching!

Photo credits: whatwillmatter.com,  bestofeverythingafter50.com

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I did not gather you here today to form a circle and lead you in a child’s game of Ring Around the Rosy, at the end of which we all fall down. It was fun when we were kids and could bounce up off the play yard like balloons, laughing and clapping in delight. Well, it ain’t so much fun anymore.

The death and injury rate among seniors who take spills has risen steadily over the years to become the predominant reason they are rushed to emergency hospitals. By one estimate, about 30,000 make it to an ER every week because of  falling; of those, 250 die.

I had occasion to think about this two weeks ago when I fell on my face while simply walking toward the front door. I don’t know why I fell. I was just suddenly down, all 180 pounds of me, bleeding from a cut on my forehead and deeper cuts on a leg and ankle. My right shoulder was wrenched and remains in pain to this very moment.

See also: Some Antidepressants Dramatically Increase Risk of Falls in Older People — En Español

A few days later, I fell for a second time and began getting serious about why I was suddenly thrown to the floor or the ground, moaning as much from embarrassment as pain. I was vulnerable to another curse of aging and I didn’t like it very much. In fact, not at all.

Medications that make one drowsy or dizzy, failing vision, blackouts, loss of balance and an increasing number of new products in our homes may be among the basic causes. Falls that are “product-related” are especially on the increase, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Seniors over 75 are the most vulnerable to falls, the CPSC says,the number of falls increasing by an astounding 73 percent from 1991 to 2002—three times as much as for younger age groups.

What to do about it? What I did was talk to three different doctors (an internist, a cardiologist and a pulmonologist) about drugs they had prescribed for me. I discovered that most of my prescriptions warned of dizziness. But while they suggested caution while operating heavy machinery, none advised that same caution while walking to the front door. I just had to be aware of the wretched possibilities.

I was tested for strokes and blood clots and found them not to be a reason for my falls. Nor was my eyesight a problem. A physical therapist suggested it was just a case of growing older, living longer, and losing a sense of physical balance. I’m exercising now to regain it.

I’m hoping not to fall again. It’s a humiliating experience finding one’s self on a dog’s level of vision and feeling like the older lady of television commercial fame who fell and couldn’t get up. I doubt that she was down there from playing  Ring Around the Rosy.

Also of Interest

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Photo: Fuse/Getty Images

I was born and raised in Chicago. I love traveling and have been to thirteen countries and nineteen states within the U.S. Last December, I volunteered in the slums of India providing medical assistance to the those in need. A couple of summers ago, I studied abroad in the United Kingdom, comparing the health care system of theirs to ours. I am planning to visit a few more places this summer, including Hawaii. My other interests are in shopping, interior design, and floral design. I also blog about fashion (I love shoes!) and lifestyle in my free time. There are many things I can do or am interested in – cooking is not one of them. Eating on the other hand… where do I sign up?

Most importantly, I am a social media junkie. I believe in adapting a Business model to social ventures. That is actually how I became involved at AARP. I attended Social Media conference presented by the Illinois Public Health Association and met Courtney Hedderman, where she connected me with the Communications department for Illinois. So now you will be seeing me around in the community on behalf of AARP and virtually through posts on the various digital media pages, including (but not limiting to!) Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and on the blog. Feel free to subscribe to my channels and say hello! I’d love to chat with you!

LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/pub/debbie-liu/24/b2b/26a

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/debbie.liu.9

Instagram – http://instagram.com/simplydebburrs

Twitter – https://twitter.com/simplydebburrs

Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/simplydebburrs/

blog page – https://www.facebook.com/AllMyHeartAndSoles

Wizard 101 by Kingsisle helps older players mentor younger ones.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve written about the gaming study by Dr. Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, associate professor and department chair, and Dr. Aaron Delwiche, associate professor, of the Department of Communication at Trinity University. For the final installment in this series, I want to focus on a very interesting insight from Drs. Henderson and Delwiche — many older gamers really like the mentoring aspect of multiplayer online games. It’s not about the competition but about helping others.

As we at AARP have introduced the concept of Real Possibilities, we are also introducing a powerfully new idea, Life Reimagined. These ideas recognize that for most of us we’re just starting to get going as we get older and we have talents and interests we can build on, whether at work or in other settings. For the players identified in the study, many are able to use their talents and interests in a new setting, helping others — often younger players — succeed.

As with past blogs, the players’ quotes sum the concept up best.

• “Wizard101 brings people together from all over and teaches others you are not alone, and if you do good here it is OK, and if you make an oops playing, it is OK too … we are all human and we all make dumb moves and forget to do things, but we do good too and helping others when in need of help in turn they will help you when needed when they can. — 50-year-old woman who plays more than 50 hours per week.
• “I have helped several young people, and have tried to set a good example for them. I like the fact, also, that you can play with all different age groups, and that we learn from each other.”  — 65-year-old woman who plays on average 34 hours per week.
• “A lot of the quests require teamwork and I enjoy helping the younger players develop their teamwork.”           — 57-year old man who plays more than 65 hours per week.

Not only are these quotes great at showcasing the idea of mentoring but they also turn a common stereotype on its head. When technology or gaming typically comes up, the assumption is usually one of younger generations helping older generations. While this does happen, these quotes — and the study overall — show that it goes the other way, too, and involves learning not just technology but life skills. I would like to make one final ask for your stories — what examples do you have about mentoring in Wizard101 or other games?  Do you have other examples of powerful benefits of gaming?  We’d love to hear them!

View the entire Games for the 50+ series:

• Part 5: Games for the 50+: A New Outlet for Mentoring
• Part 4: Games for the 50+: Games Provide Family Caregivers With Time to Recharge
• Part 3: Games for the 50+: Grandparents & Grandchildren Find Adventures, Memories
• Part 2: Games for the 50+: Strengthening Friendships
• Part 1: Games for the 50+: Benefits Include Socialization, Activity

Bob Stephen is AARP’s Vice President for Home and Family. In this role he works on issues such as caregiving, intergenerational families, livable communities and technology across the organization.  He connects with family and friends through online gaming.

Image courtesy of Kingsisle

Brand-name pharmaceutical companies can delay generic competition by paying a generic competitor to hold its competing product off the market for a certain period of time. These “pay-for-delay” agreements benefit both parties: the brand-name manufacturer can continue to charge monopoly prices, and the generic company is compensated for its inaction.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates that pay-for-delay agreements cost American consumers $3.5 billion per year. The Justice Department has challenged these agreements as anti-competitive and the Supreme Court is currently considering the issue.

Pay-for-delay agreements are a consequence of the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, known as the Hatch-Waxman Act.  Hatch-Waxman gives generic drug manufacturers an incentive to challenge brand-name drug patents because the first generic drug manufacturer to receive Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to launch a generic copy of a brand name drug can receive a 180-day marketing exclusivity period for its product. The FDA cannot approve any other generic applications for the same drug until the first-to-file generic manufacturer has sold its product for 180 days or has forfeited its exclusivity period.

However, brand-name drug manufacturers often challenge generic drug manufacturers who try to launch their product prior to patent expiration, which results in litigation to determine whether the generic manufacturer is infringing on the brand-name manufacturer’s patents.

Rather than face the costs and uncertainty associated with patent litigation, some brand-name and generic drug manufacturers choose to settle before a final court decision. Some of these settlements also compensate the generic drug manufacturer for agreeing to delay the launch of its competing product, which is what attracted the attention of the FTC.  Such agreements can be particularly problematic when they involve the first-to-file generic manufacturer, because no other generic manufacturers can enter the market until the first-to-file manufacturer has marketed its product for 180 days.

The FTC has found that pay-for-delay agreements prohibit generic entry for an average of nearly 17 months longer than patent settlement agreements without such payments. In the meantime, consumers must continue paying brand name drug prices, which are typically 80 to 85 percent higher than generic drug prices. This negatively impacts both consumers and taxpayer-funded health programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.

Pay-for-delay agreements can also impact patient health: patients who face high prescription drug costs may fail to take their medications as prescribed, leading to unnecessary health complications that increase costs for patients and their insurers.

Unfortunately, the number of pay-for-delay agreements has been increasing. At the same time, the opportunities for pay-for-delay agreements are growing as the pharmaceutical industry faces an unprecedented number of patent expirations. In 2011 and 2012, six of the ten top-selling prescription drug products on the U.S. market faced their first generic competition, and many more drug products are expected to go off patent over the next several years.

AARP has consistently supported eliminating pay-for-delay agreements. It recently filed a friend-of-the court brief for the Supreme Court case that will determine whether pay-for-delay agreements are anticompetitive. AARP has also supported legislative efforts that would prohibit pay-for-delay agreements.

[Photo courtesy of: StockMonkeys.com, flickr]