We buried my lovely mother-in-law last week, and some friends expressed surprise on discovering how old she was. When I say 76 years, they can’t believe how young she was, which made me think, what’s the right age to die these days? There are various life expectancy calculators, and the first I tried (see here) for dear old Granny suggested she might have lived another 22 years to the rip... read more>

How much of a rush are we in, or how hesitant are we, about getting a fast-tracked COVID vaccine? You're over 50, the government’s giving you a head start, and future travel may depend on it... so what are you going to do? There’s been some confusion, but from May 3 those older than fifty can get the AstraZeneca shot in state-run clinics. GPs can start giving it from May 17. But what s... read more>

SEASONS DO CHANGE, VACCINES MAY VACILLATE, BUT GREY NOMADS ARE ON THE ROAD AGAIN! Along with many others, I've been on the road this week running and riding around Canberra, the Snowy Mountains and Victorian Alps. And it seems as if after all the COVID disruptions of last year, the 'grey nomads' are returning to their happy hunting grounds along with hoards of others. It's great to be ... read more>

Welcome to our new series on Modern Ageing, called 'The A-Team'. And please meet our first member profile, Patricia Frederick - a woman aged now in her sixties who, perhaps like you, wants to take up and not give up during later life. Patricia, 61, from Brisbane, is determined her world will get larger and not smaller as she moves to the next phase. She's worked in defence and tele... read more>

The Duke of Edinburgh's funeral preparations spoke of both his and the Queen's meticulous planning in their relative simplicity. We can't all be Royals, but we can give more than a passing thought as to how we'd like our deaths to be managed and observed. As a new report shows, not letting others know your wishes about what kind of send-off you'd like can add to worry, cost and troubl... read more>