The risk of breast cancer increases with a woman’s age, but studies show that older women are not getting regular mammogram screenings as recommended. Mammography is an important tool for detecting breast cancer.

According to an article on WebMD, for women 65 to 69 years of age, the rate of regular mammograms is about 60% and it decreases for women after age 69. For all women over 65, the rate is about 48%. American Cancer Society spokeswoman, Debbie Saslow, thinks the problem is the failure of women’s health care providers to recommend testing.

“If women of any age are told to get screened, they do,” she says. “But many older women only see specialists for specific health problems, and prevention is not something they tend to focus on.”

Read the article here.

Learn to do a Self Breast Exam.

Sherrie Mathieson hates the phrase “senior citizen”.

“I can’t stand the phrase ’senior citizen,’” says Mathieson, who’s heard it too many times in her 60 years. “I find that our society right now is pervasive with that kind of imagery. Gray, mauve, pale pink . . . and whenever they have a senior citizen kind of event or Web site, it’s those colors.

“Darn it, I’m part of all of this and I resent it and I don’t want it,” says Mathieson…

Sherrie Mathieson is the author of Forever Cool: How To Achieve Ageless, Youthful, and Modern Personal Style. A former costume designer for TV and films she now works as a personal stylist helping clients find their personal fashion style after fifty.

“Stores today are overflowing with badly made, gaudy styles that defy good taste,” Mathieson writes. “As we age, it can be difficult to find appropriate, comfortable, practical and chic clothing among these toxic fashion trends.”

Read more of what Sherrie has to say here.

You can also visit Sherrie’s website.

Does the word “beautiful” mean tall, thin, blonde and young? The image of beauty as solely youthful has been promoted even more in the last few decades through television, film and fashion magazines. But even magazines such as Vogue are beginning to realize that mature women can be beautiful and they too, are interested in maximizing their natural assets.

The August issue of Vogue features women of all ages, even women in their 90s who are described as beautiful. In an issue dedicated to aging gracefully, Vogue is recognizing that the face of beauty doesn’t just belong to 20-somethings.

Of course, this is something women have known all along and mature men and women understand that beauty is more than a perfect body and an unlined face. Beauty is the face of understanding, compassion and kindness, the face of intelligence and confidence; many of these attributes only come with having reached a certain maturity.

Still, it is important that a publication such as Vogue recognizes the beauty that comes with maturity. With America’s population aging and the buying power shifting to the older demographic of the buying public, a lot more companies will have to re-assess their focus.

How does this sound for a goal?  Implement programs and plans, as well as money to, ”iimprove the health and quality of life for older Americans at the community level.”  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is planning to do that and they are working with The Atlantic Philanthropies, and spending $15 billion to see it happens.  $15 BILLION - that’s with a B.  And that’s a lot of money.  But what may make it work is that involvement of senior citizens; their input could make all the difference.

HHS Launches $15B Senior Health Effort