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.
Promote exercise to people with arthritis
When joints are stiff and in pain, physical activity seems like that last thing a person wants to do. On top of the discomfort, concerned friends and relations may urge a person with arthritis to “sit and rest.” Sedentary living, common in older adults, is certainly common in older adults with arthritis (1, 2).
There are many forms of arthritis, a chronic condition that affects the musculoskeletal system and joints (and sometimes the organs). Osteoarthritis is the most common form among all ages and particularly among older adults (3, 4). Osteoarthritis occurs because the cartilage that cushions the two bones meeting in a joint breaks down. Over time, the cartilage wears down and the bones begin to rub together. The result is changes to the joint, including swelling, bony protuberances and weakness in the joints and tendons (5, 6).
Arthritis
Attitude and generosity make giving a year-round event by Colleen Koziara
The Year of Caring and Sharing started as an average annual food drive in 2009. For the Thanksgiving season, all Pathway Senior Living Supportive Living Communities were working to collect food for the food banks in Chicago. We really advertised the food drive and encouraged not only our staff, but also our residents and even the families of our residents and staff to participate.
The Pathway residents, including those with limited financial resources, were able to contribute more than 3,700 pounds of food to the Chicago-area food banks. After the food drive, no one could ever say again that our seniors were not still able to be a valuable asset to the world outside the walls of our communities.
Program profiles
Use online resources to encourage physical activity by Pat Ryan
Increasing physical activity is so important for the health of older adults of all functional abilities that it is recommended by the World Health Organization, along with agencies in Canada, Australia, Great Britain and the United States . Government and private organizations have flooded the Internet with information on the value of exercise for preventing or treating chronic diseases, pre- and post-surgery recovery, weight management and generally benefitting physical and mental health.
As a professional, how do you utilize these free online resources? Much of the information on websites is aimed at consumers; that is, the older adults themselves. Any person with an Internet connection and computer can find online words and pictures, calculators, tracking systems and video clips about physical activity. There are advantages to providing so much information online: it’s less expensive, more accurate to update, and has the potential to reach many more people than a printed pamphlet.
Program management
GO! Green: an outdoor walking challenge by Bill Clifford
What began in 2004 as a desire on the part of a group of residents to create an extensive series of walking and hiking trails around Seabury, a life care community in Bloomfield, Connecticut, has since blossomed into a full-blown environmental wellness initiative. Events such as birding outings, nature walks and a Nordic Walking program increased activity and awareness of the trails among the residents. All this activity eventually led to “GO! Green: Moving Outdoors Towards 26.2,” a challenge program that encouraged participants to complete a marathon distance of 26.2 miles (42 K) over a six-month period of time with one rule: the mileage had to be outdoors.
With more than 200 participants, the initiative exemplifies the commitment of Seabury’s residents and staff to the environmental dimension of wellness.
Walking
GO! Green: an outdoor walking challenge by Bill Clifford
What began in 2004 as a desire on the part of a group of residents to create an extensive series of walking and hiking trails around Seabury, a life care community in Bloomfield, Connecticut, has since blossomed into a full-blown environmental wellness initiative. Events such as birding outings, nature walks and a Nordic Walking program increased activity and awareness of the trails among the residents. All this activity eventually led to “GO! Green: Moving Outdoors Towards 26.2,” a challenge program that encouraged participants to complete a marathon distance of 26.2 miles (42 K) over a six-month period of time with one rule: the mileage had to be outdoors.
With more than 200 participants, the initiative exemplifies the commitment of Seabury’s residents and staff to the environmental dimension of wellness.
Program profiles
Map your way to wellness by Mary George-Whittle, Mary Chapman and Janice McGuire
“I feel happy!”
“That was so uplifting and fun.”
“I’m inspired!”
“The way everyone came together from different departments shows such unity here at Mary’s Woods!”
“You people are so creative!”
These are some of the comments shared by listeners after Team Atlas rolled out “friendship” as the theme of the month at the weekly resident coffee.
You may be asking yourself “What in the world is a Team Atlas?” By the end of this article we hope you are asking yourself, “How can we collaborate to get a Team Atlas where I work?”
