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- Social wellness
Technologies to connect socially: Seven profiles of products, programs and providers by Tammy Ditmore
In 1998, Jack York's friend Leslie Sweeney talked him into donating computers to an assisted-living community in California. There, York was startled to discover how "disconnected and lonely" the residents were and disheartened because he knew conventional technology couldn't help much. So Leslie, Jack and his brother Tom launched It's Never 2 Late (iN2L) in 1999 with the idea that people deserve interaction no matter how old they are. York says they spent a decade or so trying to "figure out what we were doing." Eventually, iN2L learned how to integrate hardware, software, videos, music and personal components into an adaptive computer system now used in more than 2,500 senior living communities in the United States and other countries.
moreSocial wellness
Music for wellness: innovative ways to bring music to your clients by Marilynn Larkin, MA
Few Journal on Active Aging readers would question that music has a positive impact in their communities and organizations, and much research supports that concept. Research also has shown that music has a beneficial and therapeutic role to play with older adults with dementia. This article highlights three different approaches for incorporating music into a community or center. While all the programs described have demonstrated benefits for healthy older adults, they also have a vital role to play in the lives of individuals with memory loss.
moreSocial wellness
The Arts and Health Project: supporting healthy aging through the arts by Jenifer Milner
In the year 2000, as the world contemplated the potential of a new century, Gene D. Cohen, MD, PhD, contemplated the potential of aging. To this potential, as well as damaging myths of aging, Cohen drew the public’s attention in his then-new book The Creative Age: Awakening Human Potential in the Second Half of Life. He heralded “a new juncture” in the field of aging—“one in which we move beyond studies of what aging is to what is possible with aging.
moreSocial wellness
Exergamers Wellness Clubs: boosting physical activity, socialization and quality of life for older adults by Marilynn Larkin, MA
Recognition of the benefits of play for older adults continues to grow, as does momentum for ways to facilitate it. In the May/June 2012 issue of the Journal on Active Aging®, we explored the emerging trend of older-adult playgrounds. In this article, we delve into a pilot program aimed at improving the health and well-being of older people in Los Angeles, California, through “exergames”—video games that involve sports and exercise—and other components.
moreSocial wellness
Programs to bridge the generations engage all ages by Jenifer Milner
Today, even as population aging becomes more apparent,1 we continue to hear about the challenges that will accompany this demographic shift, and little about the rich resource that age 50-plus adults represent for society. The potential of older people is devalued at a time when many are living longer, remain active and seek meaningful ways to participate in their communities.
moreSocial wellness
Creative arts and aging: improvisation by Roxy Kline
Everyone is aging. Agreed? But how we age is determined, in part, by what we do with our years. George Bernard Shaw said, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” Whatever age, mental or physical ability, older adults can participate in the arts. Improvisation is just one of many creative arts tools that can be used to provide opportunities for social interaction in a playful and fun atmosphere.
When most people think of improvisation, they think of stand-up comedians with clever, quick-witted responses and one-liners. Although a common side effect of improvisation is laughter, being clever or funny is not a necessary skill. Stop thinking about improvisation as “acting.” Instead, look at the root word “improvise” (defined as “to invent, compose, or perform with little or no preparation”).
