As I sit down to write this column, I’m looking forward to my book club meeting tonight.

I love books. While as a group, we may only read four to five books a year, I read about 40. This year, I am on track to read 50.

Ten years ago, I purchased an e-reader, in my case, a Kindle. An e-reader (short for electronic reader) is a portable digital device designed specifically for reading electronic books (eBooks) and other written content such as newspapers and magazines.

Purchasing in 2015, I was somewhat behind the times, as e-reader sales had taken off in 2010 and started to decline by the time of my purchase as tablets and smartphones gained popularity. However, today, e-readers, like my Kindle Paperwhite, have a loyal following, especially among seniors. There are many reasons for e-readers’ popularity.

At age 91, my mother finally got hearing aids.

It wasn’t the well-reasoned arguments that my sisters and I espoused, such as:

 Hearing loss is strongly linked to dementia and cognitive decline, and that hearing aids may help slow this by keeping the brain engaged.

Or that hearing aids can help maintain relationships and support active participation in family and community life.

Or that good hearing is critical for detecting warnings like sirens, alarms, or someone calling out in an emergency.

It didn’t even motivate her when we told her today’s hearing aids are small, inconspicuous, and high-tech—they can adjust automatically, reduce background noise, and even connect to phones and TVs.

I recently received a letter from a reader concerned about a problem some of her friends are facing. Either they—or their spouse—have been released from the hospital but remain weak and in need of care. These are couples in their 80s or 90s, and she wonders if any type of medical support is available after hospital discharge.

Let’s begin with the discharge process. Before a patient leaves the hospital, the medical team—including social workers and discharge planners—assesses the patient’s condition, care needs, home environment, and available support. The goal is to determine whether it’s safe for the patient to return home.

Have you ever encountered a circumstance that totally alters your view of yourself, challenges your existing beliefs, and causes you to reevaluate your understanding of yourself and your place in the world?

It happened to me a few weeks ago, not once, but twice.

The first incident occurred at a fast-casual restaurant. I was eating lunch, reading my Kindle, seated next to a young mom with an infant in a carriage and a three-year-old boy.

I watched as the three-year-old tried to scoop up Mexican rice with a tortilla chip.  The infant began to fuss and then cried loudly.

For many of us, uncertainty is at an all-time high. Well, at least for me.

Whether one is feeling the unpredictability of politics, economic instability, global tensions, or situations affecting us in our own backyard, I sense an overarching tension as I talk to others. In fact, I just felt tense writing this paragraph.

I wonder how much these feelings have to do with media consumption. We are bombarded with news and opinions from so many sources, and it is exhausting.

It makes me yearn for the days of the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite.

Recently, I attended the Ventura County Board of Supervisors meeting. My coworker Julie and I were honored to accept a proclamation celebrating Senior Concerns’ 50 years of service to seniors and family caregivers in our community.

Janice Parvin, Chair of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, noted that many of the public comments and causes featured that day intersected. I could not agree more. In particular, the proclamations before and after the Senior Concerns presentation highlighted older Americans’ immense value to our society.

A proclamation naming April 2025 as Arts, Culture, and Creativity Month in Ventura County presented and Ventura County’s fourth Poet Laureate, Mary Ann McFadden, was introduced.

Emma Heming Willis, wife of Bruce Willis, recently posted on Instagram a compassionate statement about the learning that can come from the tragic passing of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa.

She noted, “Mr. and Mrs. Hackman’s’ passing made me think of the broader story, that caregivers need care too. That they are vital, and it is so important to show up for them so they can continue to show up for their person”.

Many of you may know that Ms. Willis transitioned to the role of caregiver for her husband, actor Bruce Willis, after he was diagnosed with aphasia and then frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Her message is an important reminder of the invaluable role family caregivers play in the health and well-being of their loved ones who may be aging, ill, or dealing with a disability.

Whose responsibility is it to remind older adult patients of their next programmed appointment?

Let’s say a patient is supposed to have an in-office procedure every six months. For whatever reason, that appointment was not booked in advance.

In a perfect world, both the physician’s office and the patient would share responsibility for ensuring the patient adhered to their treatment plan. The office may explain to the patient that they need to make a repeat appointment in six months, and the patient may put a notation on their calendar to make that appointment in the future.

But is that enough?

Every so often, I think of topics that are not deep enough to be the subject of an entire column but may be noteworthy.

I call these tidbits because they are small and interesting items of information. Sharing my recent tidbits with you today.

Hotel Stay

Recently, my husband and I took a trip to Carlsbad, where we stayed in a lovely hotel that boasted many amenities.

The other day I was talking to my mom about a challenging interaction I was having with a gentleman. My mom was amused at this person’s bad behavior.

I jokingly told my mother, “If you think he is so funny, maybe you should spend time with him.”

My mother quickly responded by saying, “I’d have to tell him where the dog died.”

We both had a good laugh. I remember this saying from long ago and interpreted it to mean my mom would sharply correct this person if he were in her world.

I love that my mom, especially at her age, saw herself as having the feeling of independence enough to put this person in their place.

It reminded me just how important independence is as an older adult.