When an older adult loses a child, the grief can go unnoticed. Family and friends rally around the younger generation, and the parent in their 70s or 80s quietly carries a loss that reshapes everything. On this week’s Aging Untold, aging-well coach Katherine Ambrose offers a simple path forward for the people who want to help: you don’t need the right words, you need to be present. Hosts also push back on the idea of closure, framing acceptance as the more honest goal for grieving families.
The episode also digs into a health question plenty of Suncoast residents have asked themselves after noticing a shaky hand. Dr. Rhea Rogers, a board-certified physician, explains how essential tremor differs from Parkinson’s-related tremors and why many causes are treatable. The takeaway is straightforward: get it evaluated rather than letting worry call the shots.
And then there’s the story that reframes what’s possible later in life. Brett Horn founded Charlie’s House in Kansas City, the nation’s only child safety demonstration home, after his 2-year-old son died in a 2007 dresser tip-over. The house teaches parents about hidden dangers behind 90% of childhood accidents. Meanwhile, 78-year-old Jed Lipsky logs timber in Vermont, serves in the state legislature, umpires polo, and flies. His words: “I’m definitely the only logger in the Vermont Legislature.”
Have you ever shown up for a grieving friend without knowing what to say? Tell us what worked.
