Two years ago Joy Niemi Lonke, Duluth, Minn., reached a certain special age and her four sisters decided on an ambitious plan to help her celebrate.

Do you have elderly neighbors, relatives or friends who live alone? They may be nervous about trick-or-treaters (especially the tricksters) and appreciate an offer to help them greet and give out candy. If they are bed-bound or living somewhere (like a 55-plus community) that doesn’t get trick-or-treaters, fill your car and import some to make their day. It’s all too easy for the elderly to feel totally disconnected and isolated, and their feelings of loneliness can be toughest during holidays.

When Mary Lou Thall and her husband, Bob, bring miniature horses Toot and Bucky to nursing homes, they’re not just horsing around. Toot and Bucky have a job to do: They’re therapy horses.

You’ve got to hand it to Oliver Cook. In his tiny corner of the sports universe, Ollie rules! The 71-year-old continues to display the same youthful exuberance on the handball court that he had when he first fired a serve more than a half-decade ago. And judging by his recent success at the national level, the attorney isn’t about to object to more competition in the years to come.

Growing numbers of sons and daughters in their 50s and 60 are providing care for aging parents. There are some good choices, but we tend to want the ideal, says author Paula Span in her new book “When The Time Comes.”

The congressman representing most Ontario County residents will consider legislation providing an emergency payment for senior citizens, faced with no cost-of-living adjustment to their Social Security.
 

When Helen Lilly retired from the Illinois Department of Revenue three years ago, she didn’t anticipate ever returning to the job market. Like many retirees, however, Lilly, 60, found out she had to change her plans after the economy went belly-up and her personal finances tightened. Now, with unemployment percentages in the double digits, she’s one of thousands of people trying to find a job.

The over-60 population is growing exponentially, and many of them are vigorous, savvy and passionate about life.

Fannie Barbee doesn’t need her cane to get around anymore. Barbee, 83, put aside the walking stick a few months after joining senior-oriented Swim-N-More exercise classes in the 89-degree temperature of the Salvation Army Center’s swimming pool. It was an unexpected benefit of overcoming her fear of the water and sticking with the classes a cousin talked her into trying last October.

When Nettie Ann Hicks moved into senior-living facility Altercare in April, her daughter joked that maybe she would find love. “I told her that wouldn’t happen,” the 74-year-old grandmother said. Just six months after her move, she is eating her words. Hicks married 78-year-old Eugene “Gene” Brady on Sunday at the facility.

When staying at home is no longer possible, there are several alternatives available.

It’s the kind of headline that reminds me of “Man bites dog.” At first glance, it doesn’t seem to make sense. But I’ll bet, if you just think for a few minutes, you may know someone who was essentially held hostage by his or her home.

As Micki Mocha embarks on her day at the Crawford Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Fall River, the first stop on her daily rounds is the rehabilitation gym, where she sees one of her favorite residents, Bernard O’Donnell. A smile takes over his face as the canine candy striper kisses the Alzheimer’s patient’s upturned chin.

Just about every Saturday morning, a group of baby boomers makes its way around a Springfield, Ill., park. They move fast, and there is a definite stride and determination, although they’re not out for a run. They pair up, peel off and circle the park again and again — taking short breaks at a water cooler — because the workout is far from easy. These baby boomers are racewalking, and they’re part of Abe’s Striders, a local racewalking club.

Harold Klesath, who is 89, is probably too healthy for the swine flu vaccine. Because of production and distribution schedules and who is most vulnerable to the virus, the federal guidelines call for the new H1N1 vaccine to be given first to pregnant women, those who live with or care for children 6 months or younger, health care workers and people ages 6 months to 24 years.  Only after shots are offered to those groups will the vaccine be available to healthy adults between the ages of 25 and 64. And only after that, if it is still available, will seniors ages 65 and older be eligible.