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.
Vitality in action: It's time for Active Aging Week by Julie King, MS
Vim, vigor and variety are on full display during Active Aging Week, a yearly celebration that highlights aging today and the ability of adults 50+ to lead full, active lives. In 2021, the 19th annual observance takes place October 4-10. As Official Host Sites gear up for the week, others can still join the campaign by registering online and inviting individuals to their offerings. ... As the world continues to deal with pandemic challenges, now is a particularly important time to embrace the goals of Active Aging Week: to introduce healthier, active lifestyles to as many adults as possible and to encourage individuals to live as fully as possible in all of life's dimensions.
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A city of "good and long life" by Julie King, MS
As the global population ages and life expectancies increase, cities around the world are facing the necessity of adapting their physical and social infrastructure and healthcare systems accordingly. Arnsberg, a city of 75,000 in western Germany, had the keen foresight more than 30 years ago to seek to deliberately and creatively enhance the lives of older adults. Its Department of Future Aging (DFA) came out of these beginnings, giving a focus and momentum to efforts. Today, Arnsberg serves as an insightful forerunner and role model for other cities.
morePublic policy
Wellness anchors the new model of senior living by Patricia Ryan, MS
There is no question that with the pandemic's arrival, all the staff and leadership at independent living, assisted living and memory care communities immediately took action to protect the health of residents and maintain their well-being. What is less certain is how communities will define themselves as they navigate through the starts and stops of emergence into life as the virus continues. For the senior living industry, the COVID-19 crisis has perversely created a major opportunity for reinvention. ... Responding to the ICAA Call to Action to reclaim health and well-being for older people by integrating wellness throughout organizational strategies and operations, thought leaders at the ICAA Forum May 2021 gathered to frame a new model of communities that will reach "middle income" individuals. Forum colleagues recognized that structuring amenities and services by the dimensions of wellness ... would reach a larger group of people at younger ages (about 70+) with solid incomes and streaks of independence.
moreIndustry development
Solo Agers: What senior living providers need to know by Sara Zeff Geber, PhD, CRC
In 2008, the United States Census Bureau reported that the rate of childlessness among women ages 40-44 reached 20% in 2006--double what it had been in 1976--after rising steadily for two decades. Turning to men, a 2019 agency report showed that in 2014 one in four males ages 40-50 was also childless. Relatively few men became fathers after 40. The Bureau referred to this point in the lives of men and women as "completed fertility." So, what do these statistics mean? A significant number of Boomers will not have adult children to help them with care or relocation if living independently becomes difficult or impossible. Further, geriatric specialist Maria Carney, MD, and colleagues determined in 2016 that approximately 22% of older Americans not only had no children but also no other family to turn to in a crisis. ... Although every generation includes people without children or family on whom they can rely, the prevalence of such individuals today makes this a seemingly new phenomenon.
moreGerontology
Energize participants and revitalize staff with Active Aging Week 2021
Active Aging Week felt especially poignant in 2020. Led by the International Council on Active Aging and presented by Humana, this observance has brought people together in North America and beyond every fall to celebrate aging, older-adult health and wellness and the ability to live as fully as possible at any age. Local host organizers have challenged themselves to come up with creative and customized low-to-no-cost wellness activities and events. And they have delivered experiences that energized participants, volunteers and staff alike with their positivity, fun and camaraderie. Fast forward to a global pandemic. Given concerns about the effects of social isolation and loneliness on the physical and mental health of older adults, Active Aging Week seemed particularly needed in 2020. Yet was it still possible to offer programming in such uncertain times given the changing public health guidance and COVID waves? Local host organizations in North America and beyond stepped up with a resounding yes. Programs offered virtually or safely in person gave participants opportunities to connect, to engage in wellness activities and to celebrate aging well even in the most challenging of times. In 2021, as ICAA marks its 20th anniversary, Active Aging Week reminds us how far we have come together. With October on the horizon, now is the time to ramp up planning for the week and, for those who have yet to do so, to register as an Official Active Aging Week Host Site.
moreICAA initiatives
How NuStep's journey continues to influence the industry by Colin Milner
The International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) and NuStep, LLC, have enjoyed a nearly 20-year partnership promoting whole-person wellness in the senior living and wellness industry. Though many companies have come and gone in the active-aging space over this time, NuStep has not only pioneered recumbent training products, but also shown exceptional commitment to the senior living and wellness industry. And the company is poised to bring more innovation into the next phase of the industry's evolution. Wellness is no longer a movement or a trend. It has become a way of life globally. Although senior living used to be all about healthcare, providers today are focusing more heavily on whole-person wellness. So, a significant shift is taking place. To take a forward look at where the active-aging industry is headed and to celebrate a milestone 20th-anniversary year for ICAA and the ICAA community, I recently interviewed NuStep's CEO, Eric Sklar, for the Journal on Active Aging. The exciting part is that with the industry changing so quickly, it's really about how the partnership has evolved to address what's happening today.
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