Best of 2021: Ageing well

We met many older Kiwis doing extraordinary things last year and spoke to experts about how to thrive in our later years.

Why life may indeed begin at 40

Science journalist David Robson argues that the experience of ageing hinges more on societal scripts than biological inevitability.

 

'For thousands of years, women have been told that they're irrelevant in menopause'

Dr Jennifer Gunter - aka 'the Internet's Gynaecologist' - is a fierce advocate for women's health. Her new book is The Menopause Manifesto.

 

LISTEN - Dr Doug Wilson on navigating the later years

Ageing well is about finding ways to enhance your happiness and sense of fulfilment, says medical academic Doug Wilson.

The secret to ageing gracefully

Our early twenties may be the pinnacle of our body's functionality, but older people can have an excellent quality of life, says geriatrician Kirsten Holst.

 

'I took on shame even leaving the house with this face on my head'

Former teen star Justine Bateman was shocked and hurt when she saw critics talking about how old she looked on the internet. Now she wants other women to understand ageing faces don't need to be fixed.

 

It’s never too late to be true to yourself

Luca Bree came out to his adult children in his mid-60s. He wasn’t unhappy as 'Caroline' but is so much happier now.

 

Ageing with positivity in fiction and in life

Older people tend to be viewed as having little to contribute to society, says Sydney GP Joanna Nell. To help counter that, she writes novels about people defined by their personality rather than their age.

 

Good things take time: 86-year-old fulfils her dream of opening knitwear store

Margaret Richardson waited her whole life to start up a hand-dyed knitwear store. Now Amy Maria Knitwear is open for business.

How to be 'seen' as an older woman

Too many women feel undervalued and invisible after the age of 50, say Melissa Doyle and Naima Brown, hosts of the podcast Age Against the Machine.

 

Surviving menopause at work

Too many successful women give up their jobs midlife because they find it difficult to manage the effects of menopause, says Jeanette Kehoe-Perkinson.

Susan Jordan on dancing for creative ageing

Learning dance is excellent for older people because active participation in any art form is great for our brains, says dance practitioner Susan Jordan.