Articles
The Journal on Active Aging brings articles of value to professionals dedicated to older-adult quality of life. Content sweeps across the active-aging landscape to focus on education and practice. Find articles of interest by searching the article archives in three ways: Enter a keyword in the articles search bar; click on search by topic; or type a keyword or phrase in the general search bar at the top of the page.
Topic- Trends
Rehabilitation: five trends are transforming the profession - and resident care by Marilynn Larkin, MA
Traditionally, the aim of rehabilitation has been to help individuals regain strength, relearn skills, or find new ways of doing things after a serious injury, illness or surgery. Rehabilitation services generally include physical therapy to help build strength, mobility and fitness; occupational therapy to help with daily activities; speech-language therapy to help with speaking, understanding, reading, writing and swallowing; and treatment of pain. Until recently, each of these services “has approached the patient on its own, with providers almost in competition with each other,” observes Jim Hummer, senior vice president, SunDance Rehabilitation, Maryland. Now, more and more, “we’re seeing collaborative relationships, where clinicians and wellness teams are working together to benefit the resident.”
moreTrends
Vital communities: the promise of 'New Urbanism' in seniors housing by Richard L. Peck
Every so often I have this fantasy of living the urban highlife downtown. My well-appointed condo would have a view of Lake Erie and I’d be able to walk to world-class stores, stadiums, restaurants and theaters. As it happens, my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio—laughingly called “the most miserable city in America” by Forbes.com—just might be one of the most walkable cities in the nation. It is certainly one of the most compact. Within several city blocks lie Cleveland’s major league sports facilities, four-star restaurants, a Terminal Tower shopping center, science museum, Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame, and theater district. And a brand new trolley line now connects the downtown with the important uptown venues of Cleveland State University, the Cleveland Playhouse, Severance Hall (home of the Cleveland Orchestra), Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic.
moreTrends
Shaping the spa sector: trends for 2009
The global spa industry’s growth and resiliency throughout 2008 has been fueled by important new ideas in the spa world about health, wellness, fitness, beauty, design and cuisine, according to SpaFinder, a New York-based global spa resource. Despite a turbulent economy, the organization believes 2009 will prove no exception, with the industry continuing to innovate to attract and serve clients.
moreTrends
Research fuels new physical activity recommendations for older adults by Marilynn Larkin, MA
On August 1, 2007, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA) unveiled updated physical activity recommendations for healthy adults ages 18–64 years, and companion recommendations for those ages 65 and older. The companion recommendations extend to adults ages 50–64 years who have chronic health conditions or functional limitations that impact their fitness, physical activity or ability to move. Together, the new recommendations “reflect the growing importance of ensuring safe, effective physical activity for adults ages 50 and older,” observes Colin Milner, CEO of the International Council on Active Aging® (ICAA), an association that supports professionals who develop wellness and fitness facilities and services for adults over 50.
moreTrends
Positive psychology: a new way to support wellness in older adults? by Marge Coalman, EdD
What would you pay or do to be happy? It’s an intriguing question—one that has been studied, evaluated and marketed for a very long time.
In the annals of history, the pursuit of happiness goes back to ancient times. Aristotle, Abraham, Buddha, Solomon and other ancient scholars wrote about the impact of a positive outlook supported by life choices and creeds that provided the road map to well-being. In the 20th century, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers and Erich Fromm developed successful theories and practices that became the foundation of many psychology classes in universities worldwide, and that are still taught today. The newest research focus as of the last years of the previous century is positive psychology, defined as the study of positive emotion, positive character, and positive institutions (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Leading researchers are convinced that interventions and strategies can, and do, influence an individual’s aptitude for happiness. The other side of the positive psychology coin is skepticism.
Trends
Intergenerational programs promote active aging by Donna M. Butts, BA, and Kirnjeev Chana, BSW
Seven-year-old Ian is shown pictures of people of all generations. Friendly faces, unhappy faces, diverse faces. When asked who he could be friends with, he is as likely to point to a seven year-old as a 70 year-old. His mother reports he will run up to an older person in a wheelchair to say hello, not stare at them out of curiosity as some of his peers might. What has made Ian a boy for all ages? His family credits spending his early childhood in an intergenerational shared site that offers day care for young and old. Rather than artificially segregating people by age cohort, intergenerational programs offer an alternative view of a world that honors all ages and abilities.
more
