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.
Activity from Active Aging Week
Each year, Active Aging Week features many opportunities for learning and fun. Since each host of one or more events determines what activities are offered, it’s always inspiring to discover what older adults experienced during the week.
Enjoy these snapshots of two unique activities. Look for more reports from Active Aging Week 2010 in the November/December issue of The Journal on Active Aging.
Special events
Take a month to celebrate brain health by Terry Fay
How could we show older adult residents and staff that brain health activities are all around us, every day? The answer was a Cerebral Celebration! In March, residents of 33 Senior Lifestyle Corporation communities experienced a month-long celebration of brain health awareness, learning and participation.
Cerebral Celebration took place over a month because there were too many ideas and exercises or experiences to include in a shorter amount of time. We did not want the pace to feel frantic. For the program to be appropriately challenging, 31 days would be the right window.
Cognitive health
Creating a motivational environment by Lisa McLellan
By making healthy lifestyle choices every day, older adults can prevent or delay the onset of chronic disease or simply manage it better; manage or reduce pain and the need for medication; keep the mind stimulated and productive; as well as greatly enhance energy and vitality. Now which older adult wouldn’t want that?
Most do, but they don’t know how. Or, they lack the motivation and the discipline to start, or to continue healthy choices. Many people simply don't believe they need to make any effort. These factors are serious stumbling blocks to making prevention a way of life and realizing the potentially life-altering results a healthy lifestyle helps procure—both on an individual and collective level.
Motivation
Walkability audit tool
This tool was prepared as part of the Healthier Worksite Initiative of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While initially developed for employers, the concepts and tool are equally valuable for surveying the campus of a retirement community or the area surrounding a community center or wellness center.
Physical activity programs in active aging are directed to older adults. However, an increasing number of ICAA members are making the wellness program available to staff members because wellness programs can lower absenteeism and increase employee satisfaction. When using the walkability audit tool, consider both the client and the staff members.
Community design
Build excitement for a walking club by Suzanne Dallefeld
Many of the people living in the Atria Evergreen Woods community walk during the day, but the walking club attracted only a small number of residents, and they lost interest quickly. What would make the walking club more enticing?
The club gained a new life by adding the Walk America theme. In addition to providing goals for physical activity, the theme involves the intellectual skills and creativity of club members through geography, crafts and photography, and is the perfect place for reminiscence as we walk from place to place.
Motivation
Protect the spine through exercise by Karen Kemmis, PT, DPT
Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to fracture. In the US today, approximately 10 million individuals already have the disease, and an estimated 34 million more have low bone density, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis and fractures. Of the 10 million Americans estimated to have osteoporosis, eight million (80%)
are women and two million (20%) are men.
Bone loss and osteoporosis most often occur in individuals ages 50 and older. As age increases, fracture risk also increases. Women can lose up to 20% of bone density during the five to seven years following menopause. Bone loss tends to progress at a slower rate in men, and it usually occurs at a later age than in women.
