Paul Downey is the president and CEO of Senior Community Centers, a nonprofit agency dedicated to increasing the quality of life for San Diego seniors living in poverty. Learn more at www.servingseniors.org.

What kind of medical care would you want if you were too ill or injured to express your wishes? Without the ability to speak or write, or possibly even think clearly, how would you convey your wishes to your doctor or loved ones?

Sequestration is now officially the law of the land, thanks to Congress approving a continuing resolution – that includes the “fiscal cliff” cuts – to fund the federal government through Sept. 30. What does it mean? Simple. Partisanship on both sides trumps doing what is best for the American people and, as a result, millions will suffer.

Last month, I wrote about Baby Boomers choosing their purpose-driven second careers later in life called the “Encore Career.” The concept stems from a book by Marc Freedman called “Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life,” where he speaks to many examples of older adults changing careers later in life.