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- Program profiles
Council on Aging Learning Advantages: helping older adults remain active and independent at home
When health and wellness professionals hear the term active aging, what do they picture? Older adults enjoying physically active lifestyles? Individuals engaging fully in life? People participating in whole-person wellness activities? Active aging is all of these things, and more.
The 2002 Active Aging policy framework from the World Health Organization focuses on both the opportunities and challenges of aging in today’s world. This framework not only champions opportunities for older adult participation and growth, but also encourages support—specifically the provision of “adequate protection, security and care when [older adults] require assistance.”
Program profiles
Serendipity: celebrating Chicago's seniors on stage by Terry Fay, BA
Eddie Sullivan struts across the stage in a crisp tuxedo, his clear voice backed by a 16-piece orchestra, captivating thousands in the audience at the grand Chicago Theatre. He’s a doorman by day—and an encored sensation at Serendipity: Celebrating Chicago’s Seniors on Stage.
Next up are the Syncopated Seniors, a septuplet of tap dancers whose long legs flash beneath their short skirts. Not until the performers take a final bow does the audience learn that Nadine Washington, who took her first tap lesson at age 78, is 86 years-young.
Program profiles
Older-adult theater promotes active aging by Mark Tolladay, RTC
It’s opening night of The Pirates of Penzance. Leading lady Edie Haworth waits in the wings, adjusting her costume for the 20th time as she watches the maiden chorus flit about on stage. Hearing the introductory strains of her entrance music, Haworth takes a deep breath and steps out into the warm light of the stage to begin her vocal solo, amid appreciative murmurs. At final curtain, the energized audience applauds the cast of Gilbert and Sullivan’s playful operetta. And the older-adult theater production looks set for a successful run at San Joaquin Gardens, a continuing care retirement community in Fresno, California.
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Masterpiece Living: taking wellness to the next step?
We learned that lifestyle—the choices we make about where and how we live—determines 70% of physical aging and 50% of mental aging. We discovered that it was never too late to make a significant difference in how we age. And we found out that certain characteristics and lifestyles were associated with high levels of functioning well into the eighth, ninth, and even tenth decades of life. The MacArthur Foundation Study called this high-level functioning successful aging as opposed to usual aging, which conformed to the stereotype of progressive decline. This groundbreaking study, and the ever-increasing volume of similar research, smashed this stereotype of aging and presented us with the challenge to put this knowledge into practice.
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How Covenant Retirement Communities became an agent of change
Just say the word wellness, and watch the confused look that comes over the faces of many people who seek to improve the health and well-being of older adults. It’s easy to understand their bewilderment. Even as use of this term continues to grow, wellness can seem an ill-defined concept.
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At the pinnacle: recognizing excellence in older adult wellness
Now in its eighth year, the NuStep Pinnacle Award salutes organizations that are transforming people’s lives and promoting optimal health, regardless of age. Created by NuStep, Inc., the Michigan-based maker of exercise equipment, this awards program was among the first to acknowledge and reward organizations that offer high-quality programs and wellness facilities for aging individuals. The Pinnacle Award still strives today to motivate organizations to make the most of their older adult health and wellness programs.
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