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How to Share Health Updates Without Making Others Squirm

Not everyone wants to hear every detail. Plus four more unlocked Members Edition stories for the week

1-minute read

Sara Schwartz,

AARP

Published October 07, 2026

a person showing red spots on their back while another person eats pizza

Where’s the line between a helpful health update and too much information? An etiquette expert weighs in.

Jon Krause

For one week, Members Edition Unlocked is opening five stories to everyone. We start with a social dilemma that becomes more familiar as conversations increasingly turn to doctor visits, medications and surgeries: How do you support a friend when the details are making you uncomfortable? Lizzie Post, our Modern Manners etiquette columnist, offers language to navigate it gracefully, whether you’re about to share a health update or need to interrupt someone who’s sharing theirs. The aim is not to shut down the conversation; it’s to draw a line around the details while showing your friend that you still care. Find a kinder way to say, “Spare me the details.”

What Really Belongs in a Home Safe?

Birth certificates, family photos and a little emergency cash all make sense. But some items that you might assume belong in a home safe actually don’t, including pearls, which can be damaged by the dry conditions inside many safes. Before you buy one, find out what deserves a spot behind lock and key and what should live elsewhere.

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Your Phone’s Most Useful Features May Be Hiding

Diving into your smartphone settings can be intimidating if you don't know where to start. In his Ask the Tech Guru column, Edward C. Baig argues that there’s little reason to be intimidated. Spending a few minutes in Settings lets you enlarge hard-to-read text, quiet intrusive notifications, reveal which apps drain your battery, and limit who can track your location. Accessibility tools can add captions, magnify the screen or let you control your phone by voice. Even if you take a wrong turn, there is always a way back. Take a smarter tour of your phone’s Settings.

Kyle MacLachlan Is Having More Fun Than Ever

In this AARP Movies for Grownups interview, Kyle MacLachlan reflects on four decades in Hollywood, his new memoir, Highs, Lows, and Hollows, and his surprising second act as a social media favorite. He also talks kilts, golf-course life lessons and making peace with Showgirls.

Pumpkin Is the Star of This Recipe Roundup

Pumpkin spice season is back, but pumpkin has a lot more going for it than flavoring your morning latte. This recipe roundup puts the fall favorite front and center in dishes like Cheesy Pumpkin Grits With Grilled Shrimp Scampi, Thai Pumpkin Curry and Pumpkin Hummus. And don’t worry, there’s a sweet ending: We included a recipe for Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. Which one will you try first?

This article was created with the assistance of generative AI and reviewed by editors before publication. The individual stories featured are original AARP content and were not generated by AI.

Sara Schwartz is the senior editor for AARP's Members Edition.