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.
Sharing the journey of forgiveness by Donald R. Koepke, MDiv, BCC
To work in older adult fitness and wellness involves engaging people within all aspects of life. When clients confront their physical selves, often other issues come pouring out. As an active aging professional, you encounter individuals who feel happy and fulfilled, angry and frustrated, hurt and damaged. The goal, as always, is to encourage their growth. To say, “Yes, you can,” when people face obstacles. To look for strengths, rather than weaknesses. But how can you be of value to clients when the issue at hand is forgiveness?
moreEmotional wellness
Sharing knowledge at the Active Aging Conference
When you are dedicated to doing the best possible job in helping older adults stay active and healthy, you seek all the information you can find to achieve that goal. And there is no better place for a concentration of learning than a professional conference. In only four years, the ICAA’s Active Aging Conference has increased in size and scope. This year, nearly 500 colleagues from five countries (including 47 US states and three Canadian provinces) journeyed to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas to learn from their peers and share their own knowledge.
moreICAA initiatives
Nations on the move: international perspectives on active aging by Marilynn Larkin, MA
The world is in the midst of an “invisible epidemic” of chronic diseases, which are “by far” the leading cause of mortality worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Aging, ill populations are a leading cause of poverty in many less developed countries, and costs related to aging and illness are skyrocketing in developed countries, as well. Much of this morbidity and mortality relates to lifestyle factors, including inactivity. Researchers have estimated that if all inactive adults in the United States became physically active, the potential cost savings in US healthcare expenditures would be $76.6 billion (in 2000 dollars).
morePublic policy
ICAA honors innovative approaches to active aging
With adults over 60 now numbering 600 million worldwide, the United Nations draws attention every October 1st to the importance of healthy and productive aging. The International Day of Older Persons in 2006 centered on strategies to improve quality of life for mature people—essentially issuing a call to communities around the globe. In a message marking the observance, then-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan explained that this call was for policies and programs that allow older adults “to live in an environment that enhances their capabilities, fosters their independence and provides them with adequate support and care as they age.” He concluded, “Together, we can and must ensure that people live not only longer lives, but better, more enriching, rewarding and fulfilling lives.”
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Creating the active aging industry: the ICAA after five years by Jenifer Milner
October 1, 2001, was not an auspicious time to launch a new enterprise. The world was absorbed in the aftermath of 9/11, an event that had dramatically altered the political landscape, and war looked imminent. Active aging, a still-emerging concept, must have seemed an insignificant issue to most people on that International Day of Older Persons. Yet that was the launch date for the International Council on Active Aging®, an organization with the lofty vision of Changing the way we age.®
moreICAA initiatives
A commonsense guide to using market research by Patricia Ryan, MS
An emerging body of research exists that you can use to guide your wellness program. Research can help you decide which programs to offer, support a grant proposal, and demonstrate the value of health and wellness activities. This information can tell you what has (and has not) worked in the past, and indicate what will interest older adults. Research is the perfect companion to your best judgment and intuition.
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