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.
Plan programs that reflect Baby Boomer values by Lynda J. Sperazza, PhD, CPRP
As of January 1, 2011, the first of 76 million Baby Boomers turned 65 years of age. Over the next 19 years, our facilities, programs and services will be flooded as Boomers mature into retirement. Keep in mind that at every life stage, Boomers have rewritten the rules. They are going to do it again.
The Baby Boomer cohort (born between 1946 and 1964) has a unique set of values and characteristics, vastly different from previous generations. Their values encompass all aspects of life, affecting their beliefs about self, career, home and leisure. Baby Boomers are an individualistic, self-focused generation that is economically optimistic (Gillon, 2004). They are highly educated, comfortable with technology, healthier and more affluent than any generation before them (Cochran, 2005).
Program design
How to choose a consultant by Gary Henkin, BS, and Jennifer Jacobs, MS
Imagine you are preparing to spend millions of dollars on the development or renovation of a new lifestyle center, fitness/wellness facility, recreation clubhouse or spa, and you are scratching your head wondering where to begin. You finally decide a consultant may be required. However, your impression of consultants is on par with “vultures,” looking to prey upon the vulnerable and confused. Sound familiar?
In reality, the right consultant can provide you with valuable assistance in the feasibility, design, preopening and management of your facility. The selection of a consultant, therefore, is a critical decision—one that can ultimately impact the success or failure of your project. Hiring a qualified consultant who has the depth of experience and expertise required for your project will likely save you time, money and numerous headaches. Choosing the wrong consultant can result in project delays, expenses and organizational chaos. Through proper planning, research, thorough interviewing and active engagement in the selection process, you will increase your odds of creating a relationship with a consultant that will help you build the foundation for your new facility’s success.
Construction
Lessons learned at the ICAA Conference 2010
Active-aging wellness is achieved through the integration of many aspects of a person’s life. Likewise, the integration of many elements defined the International Council on Active Aging Conference that took place December 2–4, 2010, in San Diego, California.
moreICAA initiatives
20in10: how Touchmark's wellness tips campaign expanded awareness
In 2009, with Touchmark about to enter its 30th year, the company decided on a 2010 goal of expanding wellness awareness and emphasizing all the dimensions of wellness. A key way to increase understanding “was to seek people’s input about how they could ‘experience wellness in less than 10 minutes’ several times a day,” Coalman says. So Touchmark created a campaign, called 20in10: 20 Tips to Wellness You Can Do in 10 Minutes. To learn more, the Journal on Active Aging® recently asked Coalman, a longtime contributor and a member of the ICAA Advisory Board, what was involved in this multifaceted, yearlong campaign.
moreInnovator awards
The development process by Donald DeMars, AIA, IIDA
Let me first explain that I was asked to write this article about the phase in the development process that begins with the acquisition and preparation of the property, the hiring of the design team, the selection of the contractor, and the building of the project. This invitation assumed that my chosen methodology in development is consistent with this traditional approach toward completing a project. In this approach, the developer completes a feasibility study and business plan, obtains the financing, then moves forward with purchasing the property, qualifying and hiring the design team, designing the project, and qualifying and hiring a contractor through bidding or negotiating a cost-plus contract. Finally, the developer builds the project.
moreConstruction
Accessible design: what adoption of the Revised ADA Standards means for the active-aging industry by Jessica Madrigal, MS
As the population of people in their 50s and beyond continues to increase in the coming years, many more individuals will face the risk of disability and chronic disease. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law enacted in the United States in 1990 to protect people with disabilities. Under the ADA, a person with a disability is someone who “has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.”
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