
Some Respite: Duet, coalition team up to help veteran caregivers
By Laura Latzko Caregiving can be trying mentally, physically and emotionally. For these individuals, respite care means downtime, the chance to see friends or complete errands. Since July, Duet: Partners in Health and Aging’s Meaning and Hope Institute and the Arizona Caregiver Coalition have been offering respite vouchers of $1,200 a year for family caregivers […]

Ask Sheri: Your senior family adviser
By Sheri Simpson My name is Sheri Simpson. My experience comes from education and talking and guiding hundreds of thousands of families and/or their adult children through the senior living industry options. We talk about senior living communities, residential care homes, home health, hospice, in-home care, or how to be successful staying at home. I […]

Leibo At Large: Scalding heat is the price Arizonans must pay
By David Leibowitz Exactly 29 Julys ago, I landed in Phoenix for the first time, to interview for a columnist gig at this very newspaper. To this day, I can recall the airport’s automatic doors whizzing open and being hit head on by a blast of hot air not unlike standing in front […]

Hospice Is Hope: Unique dementia program enriches young and old
By Lin Sue Flood Hospice of the Valley, Director of Community Engagement At first glance, it looks like “Grandparents’ Day” at preschool — a roomful of giggling seniors playing peekaboo with a dozen adorable toddlers. Except these “grandmas and grandpas” aren’t related to the kiddos. No matter. They love each other just the same. Welcome […]

Star Power: Phoenix Theatre show is director’s ‘dream’ job
By Laura Latzko The musical “Dreamgirls” is known for songs like “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going,” “Steppin’ to the Bad Side,” “Cadillac Car,” “Family,” “One Night Only” and “Dreamgirls.” It also tells a deeper story of one group’s push for fame and the romantic relationships and friendships that complicated this rise to stardom. […]

Uplifting Concerts: The Higher Vibrations Troubadours come to Beatitudes
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski H.G. Moses says he firmly believes that his choir’s concerts help heal and strengthen the community. He serves as the artistic director for the Higher Vibrations Troubadours, a global outreach program of the Institute of Harmonic Science, a Phoenix-based nonprofit dedicated to inspiring and growing communities of people who sing together for […]

All the Hits: Chicago invites fans to ‘stay the night’
By Laura Latzko For Chicago trumpet and flugelhorn player Lee Loughnane, Arizona shows are like homecoming gigs. Formed in Chicago in 1967, the iconic band will return to the Grand Canyon State to perform in Tucson on August 15, Prescott Valley on August 16 and Phoenix on August 18. The band has been on the […]

The Rise of Pickleball: Courts and opportunities pepper the Valley
By Brandon Mackie Pickleball, America’s fastest-growing sport, has taken the Valley by storm, and the Phoenix area has more pickleball facilities than anywhere else in the state. Pickleball is easy to pick up, thanks to its social nature and accessible play style. “In seven years of pickleball coaching, I have never seen more families involved […]

Easing Loneliness: Seniors find companionship at Optum centers
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski When Sheila Asroff lost her husband of 51 years as well as her brother, she found herself isolated, depressed and living alone. She found solace in the Optum Community Center in her Chandler neighborhood. There, she enjoys nutrition and stress management, line dancing and Zumba classes. Spending up to six hours a […]

Life Changing: Tony Perezchica has learned to appreciate the little things
By James Lotts When Tony Perezchica’s father died in January, he learned to take a step back and enjoy life. The Arizona Diamondbacks third base coach says it was an eye-opener. “Sometimes we say, ‘Hey, we’re going to be here forever,’” Perezchica says. “We’re not. My dad passed in January. So, I started thinking about […]