Older adults

After exchanging many emails with Ralph Insinger, Roz Lewy thought, "It's the perfect script for a Hallmark Hall of Fame geriatric romance." Those emails are published in the new book “Beyond Beyond.”

In her four-plus decades working as a nurse, Lila Moersch has seen a lot — including the loss of mobility many older patients experience following hospitalization. Time and again, she’s observed adults who were active and independent prior to a hospital stay struggle to walk and take care of themselves afterward. The common problem is the focus of a dissertation Moersch recently completed as part of her program of study at the University of Missouri-St. Louis' College of Nursing.

Mid-November is arguably a bit early to start putting up holiday decorations. But it’s not at all too soon to make thoughtful plans to safely connect with relatives, particularly those who are more isolated this year, and spread some joy. “Start having those conversations now,” Marjorie Moore, executive director of the nonprofit organization VOYCE, told "St. Louis on the Air." She and Vanessa Woods of Vitality Ballet talked through some ideas with host Sarah Fenske.

Whether it’s 20 tips for 20-somethings or 30 movers and shakers under the age of 30, there’s always a new list aimed at young professionals doing big things. And that makes sense — early adulthood, after all, is typically focused on forging a career path. But maybe there should also be some different lists. Say, 70 first-time novelists over the age of 70, or 80 up-and-coming small business owners in their 80s. St. Louisan Lynn Hamilton believes it's never too late to try something new.

Even the quickest scan of statistics related to the coronavirus pandemic makes it painfully obvious the disease has hit some communities and segments of…