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.
Topic- Health promotion
Brain-health literacy: A strategy to inspire brain-healthy lifestyles by Jeffrey Rossman, PhD, and Cornelia Lenherr, MD
As our population ages, the incidence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia steadily increases. MCI, characterized by minor but measurable declines in cognitive abilities, increases a person's risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other forms of dementia. Progressing to a dementia diagnosis is not inevitable, however. ... It is now generally acknowledged that the roots of neurodegeneration--that is, deterioration in the brain's nerve function and structure--begin at least 20-30 years before dementia symptoms are noticeable. By the time a diagnosis is made, reversal of the disease process in Alzheimer's and other dementias is currently considered unattainable. While no cure exists for these conditions, intervention can reduce symptoms. Further, for those with mild or subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), intervention may profoundly affect the progression of brain degeneration and symptoms of cognitive impairment. ... Recent research has explored the influence on brain health of modifying specific lifestyle factors and reducing cardiovascular disease risks. ... Through a brain-healthy literacy model, participants learn which lifestyle practices support brain health, why they exert a beneficial impact, and how to enjoyably and sustainably engage in those practices.
moreHealth promotion
Making exercise part of healthcare by Jenifer Milner WITH: ICAA issue brief--ACSM's Exercise is Medicine(R): Bridging healthcare and physical activity for older adults--Prepared by experts from the Ol
Since 2001, the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) has worked with members, partners and allies to encourage adults over 50 to adopt a healthier, more active lifestyle and to live as fully as possible in all of life's dimensions. Recently, members of the American College of Sports Medicine and the ICAA Advisory Board worked on an issue brief that connects Journal on Active Aging readers with ACSM's Exercise is Medicine(R) initiative. Exercise is Medicine(R) aims to make physical activity a standard in healthcare. By linking healthcare providers with physical activity resources and professionals, such as exercise physiologists, physical therapists and fitness specialists, the initiative promotes networks and environments that support physical activity.
moreHealth promotion
Active Aging Week: "Redefine active" with engaging life experiences
If your organization has yet to register as a host site for this year's Active Aging Week, why not get involved? Active Aging Week is the annual celebration of aging and active living that we all look forward to each year. It's the activities you provide that promote wellness, fun and friendship in your neighborhood or community. And it's the spotlight you shine on how to live well at any age by staying positively engaged in all aspects of life. Started by the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) in 2003, Active Aging Week has grown with your help from a grassroots initiative into a global movement. ... The experiences of Active Aging Week remind us that every generation contributes to a vibrant, strong society (see the sidebar for an overview of what some hosts did last year). In 2019, Active Aging Week will take place October 1-7. This year's theme, "Redefining Active," highlights the fact that aging actively is about so much more than physical activity.
moreHealth promotion
'How to launch and live the best life-at any age by Jim Eastburn, BS
As we sat together and talked about changes Barbara wanted to make in her life, I noticed her eyes start to fill with tears. Our conversation was typical of so many I have experienced over the past 25 years with guests at the Canyon Ranch wellness resort in Tucson, Arizona. Barbara, soon to celebrate her 70th birthday, had been enjoying an active retirement .... Her goals for the week were typical: begin a regular exercise routine, lose a little weight, improve her sleep, cut back on alcohol, start meditating, and stop worrying so much about her grandkids. She had a few hurdles as well. Barbara had recent knee surgery, nagging back pain, and high blood pressure for which her doctor had just prescribed medication. So, what brought on the tears? After reviewing her goals and scheduling a personal-training session and nutrition consultation, Barbara turned to me and said, "Look, I know what I should be doing, but I'm just not doing it! What's wrong with me? Why can't I get my act together?" And, so began Barbara's journey of understanding what gets in the way of living her best life. This article invites readers to join Barbara's journey. We'll review insights and practices that better equip us to support our clients--and ourselves--in launching and living our best lives, at any age.
moreHealth promotion
'Telehealth program promotes older-adult health and well-being by Marilynn Larkin, MA
In 2013, while working with MetLife's Mature Market Institute as assistant vice-president and director of Gerontology and Research, John Migliaccio, PhD, consulted informally for Westchester County, New York, laying the groundwork for what would become the Telehealth Intervention Program for Seniors (TIPS). When MetLife decided to close the Institute, Migliaccio was hired by the County to help put the TIPS proposal together. And he was later named project director once the program started. "There was no program like [TIPS] in existence, which was part of the challenge and the excitement," Migliaccio recalls of those early days. "We knew we wanted to deliver health services to older adults in need, but we had to create all the policies, procedures, and operational protocols from scratch, and they had to be continually expanded and updated." Simply put, TIPS provides remote patient monitoring of vital signs as a preventive strategy to enable adults ages 60+ to remain in the community. The program also offers a range of "wraparound services" .... The Journal on Active Aging recently talked to Migliaccio to learn more about TIPS, the benefits to participants, and the outcomes achieved.
moreHealth promotion
A healthy microbiome equals healthy aging by Tereza Hubkova, MD
More than a hundred years ago, Russian microbiologist and immunologist Ilya Ilich Metchnikoff attributed the longevity of Bulgarian peasants to their consumption of kefir. Kefir, as he noted, contained Lactobacillus bulgaricus, a bacterium-producing lactic acid lending the beverage its sour taste. How much of Metchnikoff's observation of the anti-aging effects of friendly microbes--or probiotics--is true? And, does illness and death truly begin in the colon? The human body can be described as a "meta-organism"--a hybrid of some 30 trillion human cells with another estimated 100 trillion bacteria, fungi, protozoa, archaea and viruses. In other words, for each native cell in the human body, we play host to three-or-more symbiotic microbial cells. Who do you think runs the show?
more
