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.
Meet Moorings Park: The #1 wellness-based community in North America by Sally Abrahms
Creating an outstanding wellness culture in senior living takes a lot of heavy lifting, vision and commitment. And, as industry experts see it, it is something critical to cultivate. The International Council on Active Aging's 2019 ICAA State of Wellness Survey queried 305 senior living communities about the value of having services, programs and environments that support a wellness culture. They say it improves the well-being of residents, keeps their community relevant in a changing industry, differentiates them from competitors, attracts younger adults and garners extra income through wellness programs. Another ICAA survey, conducted in 2018, reveals that 59% of senior living communities plan to have a wellness lifestyle-with-options-for-care model (versus a healthcare-first-with-wellness-features) within the next five years. Currently, 64% of industry leaders believe wellness is a "must have." In its first year, ICAA and NuStep, LLC, a leading manufacturer of recumbent cross-trainers, have given the ICAA NuStep Beacon Award to those that best foster, and imbue, wellness into their senior communities. And the number one wellness-based community in North America went to Moorings Park, a life-plan community in Naples, Florida.
moreWellness
What is wellness? Defining and acting upon a clear and comprehensive vision (with accompanying guidelines "Creating your blueprint for a wellness-based community," based on ICAA Forum 2019 recommendat
What is wellness? How you answer this question has a direct impact on everything your organization does--from your mission statement, to programming, to the built environment, to staffing, to educating your team. Perhaps you are among the nearly 60% of senior living staff and management who said in a 2018 International Council on Active Aging survey that they expect their community to transition to a wellness-based model with care by 2023. Whether you intend to change your business model or to create or evolve a wellness culture, everything you develop will reflect your view of wellness. ... Clarity in what wellness means to your organization bolsters everything you do to create, implement or evolve a business model whose primary focus is wellness. ICAA's new definition of wellness offers you a starting point. The accompanying guidelines ["Creating your blueprint for a wellness-based community"] will help you implement it.
moreICAA initiatives
Hearing care for aging well: How and why to address hearing loss by Marilynn Larkin, MA
On February 28, 2019, to coincide with World Hearing Day, one of the world's leading medical journals introduced a commission to address the global burden of hearing loss. This Lancet commission launch followed a 2017 review on the topic, which noted that, globally, hearing loss is the fourth leading cause of years lived with disability. Perhaps even more significant for the active-aging industry, the review stated that hearing loss "reaches far beyond the sensory impairment...and is strongly associated with dementia and other health conditions among people in the sixth decade of life and older." Therefore, constituents and in some cases management and staff may be affected, with impacts to overall wellness and quality of life as well as health. ..."Everyone is complaining about healthcare costs and talking about what they want to do to keep people healthy longer," says Charlotte Yeh, MD, chief medical officer for AARP Services, Inc. "Hearing is the one thing all of us can and should address right now." The Journal on Active Aging talked with Yeh about how the active-aging industry can mobilize to promote hearing care and address hearing loss, plus why it's important to take action now.
moreGerontology
"Thriving with dementia": Innovative efforts to support quality of life by Sally Abrahms
Older adults are getting even older. Thanks to better health, science and technology, many more people are living into their 80s and 90s. Because advancing age is a risk for dementia (a syndrome that includes symptoms such as memory loss and impaired thinking), the World Health Organization predicts that people with dementia will triple in number worldwide within three decades-from about 50 million today to 152 million by 2050. Currently, up to 70% of dementia cases may involve Alzheimer's disease. While there is no cure for Alzheimer's, senior living providers, adult day centers, and Alzheimer's and dementia experts are increasingly approaching the disease (and other dementias) differently. "Dementia is about thriving, not just surviving" is the new mantra. ... From supportive environments to creative programs, innovative efforts help individuals thrive as they navigate this life passage.
moreCognitive health
Older women traveling solo by Gwen Hyatt, MS
Curiosity, wanderlust, personal growth, retirement, an empty nest, lack of a travel partner: Older women travel alone for many reasons. Today, with more opportunities to make the most of this longer "third age," more women are adventuring into the world of solo travel. No longer willing to stay marginalized by stereotypes, these women are helping shape the contours of a more mobile aging lifestyle....Solo trips now offer everything from women-only ski camps in the Alps, walking holidays in Scotland, cultural trips in India and yoga retreats in Costa Rica, to painting workshops in Greece and cooking weeks Italian style....The possibilities for program planning are increasing exponentially for fitness instructors, wellness and activity program directors, senior living tour operators, travel divisions in seniors centers, concierge/resident services, travel clubs and sales and marketing personnel.
moreGerontology
Countering chronic inflammation for healthier aging, part one: The food connection by Shirley Archer, JD, MA
Do you wake up feeling fatigued? Do you suffer from joint pain or stiffness? Digestive problems? If you have one or more of these symptoms, you may be dealing with chronic or long-term inflammation....The good news: Scientists have become better not only at identifying chronic inflammation's presence, but also in how to reduce it for better well-being. As an individual who's aging-namely, all of us-and as an active-aging professional, it's valuable to understand this "top of mind" topic to educate others and to implement programs that can reduce excess inflammation and promote health.
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