What work looks like in your 80s for half a million Americans

Tech Insider : Economy, Business, Style
Photo collage of a construction worker in her older years
Nearly 550,000 Americans 80 and older are still working, and the number is rising.

Getty images; BI

Harvey Mendelson is no stranger to reinvention.

I'm 81 and work at Trader Joe's to help pay off $70,000 in debt and launch a business. I don't want to be treated like I'm an old person.

Tech Insider : Economy, Business, Politics
Dianne Michels
Dianne Michels, 81, works at Trader Joe's while starting a consulting business.

Dianne Michels

A longevity researcher who lived in the forest for 3 years says he shaved a decade off his biological age — and his family loved the lifestyle

Tech Insider : Business, Environment
david holding up kid by legs, playing by the campfire
David Furman studies how the immune system ages.

David Furman

About 10 years ago, David Furman realized something had to change.

They've been retired for 2 decades — and have learned to make the most of their golden years

Tech Insider : Economy, Business, Travel
Bernita at her Table
Bernita Clark, 82, makes costumes for her daughter's 12-foot-tall skeleton.

Michael Starghill, Jr. for BI

Sitting at her sewing machine, Bernita Clark, 82, guides a piece of blue fabric as the needle bobs up and down. To her side sit scissors, measuring tape, thread, and a skull.

My aging parents are in Hong Kong and I'm in LA. I recently dropped everything to spend 3 months caring for them, leaving my own family behind.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
Senior man walking with a cane and caregiver in a park.
Caring for aging parents is hard, especially if they live in another country. I'm glad I can be there for them when they need me though. (author not pictured)

FredFroese /Getty Images

I can't wait to turn 50. Shifting my mindset has helped me to not fear aging like I once did.

Tech Insider : Business, Technology
The author standing in a field wearing a navy shirt and brown cardigan and sunglasses with a cloudy sky behind her.
The author is turning 50 soon.

Courtesy of Anna Lee Beyer

I wasn't prepared for the care crisis that hit my family. I'm learning how to raise 3 kids while tending to my aging parents.

Tech Insider : Business
A family spanning multiple generations poses for a family photo during thanksgiving.
I now care for my aging parents and disabled brother in addition to my own three kids. I'm happy to do it, but I wish I had prepared more for my new reality.

Courtesy of Anna De La Cruz.

Teri Hatcher, 59, says it's 'just not that fun' to date at her age

Tech Insider : Business
Teri hatcher attends the World Premiere of the newly 3D remastered
Teri Hatcher was previously married twice.

John Phillips/Getty Images

Eva Longoria, 49, says she's doing 'everything' to age well — from cold-plunging to red-light therapy

Tech Insider
Eva Longoria leaves ABC's
Eva Longoria's wellness routine includes meditation and strength training.

James Devaney/GC Images via Getty Images

Scientists Accidentally Discover a Sea Creature That Can Reverse Its Age

Gizmodo
A ctenophore, or comb jelly.
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