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.
Is transcendent design the future of senior living? by Colin Milner
Is music icon Jimmy Buffett set to disrupt the slow-moving USD$372-billion senior living industry? That was the question I asked myself when I heard earlier this year that Minto Communities and Margaritaville Holdings were developing a $1-billion active-adult community in Daytona Beach, Florida. Latitude Margaritaville, Buffett's community for the "55 and better" customer, will eventually provide up to 6,900 homes for "Parrot Heads" (the name the singer's fans call themselves). .. What impact will this new senior living brand have on the industry? It's too early to tell, of course. Yet we can rest assured that these communities--which promise a "no worries tropical vibe"--will be developed around the centerpiece of having "fun" and creating memorable experiences. Buffett and partners are realizing their communities around a "transcendent design" model. Are you familiar with this approach? I was not until Joseph F. Coughlin, PhD, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and director of MIT AgeLab, enlightened me a few months ago. I invited this visionary expert to help us all better understand transcendent design.
moreCulture Change
"Changing the Way We Age": Members of ICAA's community share highlights
As summer came to a close last year, the International Council on Active Aging invited our community of members, supporters and allies to look back over 15 years of Changing the Way We Age. We urged you to help us not only celebrate all we've accomplished together, but also to recognize your achievements as individual organizations, teams and professionals. Well, your stories and photographs soon started arriving. You shared your highlights and your experiences from active-aging journeys--from the touching and thoughtful, to the joyous and triumphant. You delighted us, moved us, amazed and inspired us. Thank you to everyone who sent submissions. It's been a privilege to publish these accounts in the Journal on Active Aging over the past year. This issue shares six final submissions.
moreICAA initiatives
Success in sales: 12 pointers for becoming a great salesperson by Colin Milner
What is the secret of sales success? Take a look at Amazon.com and you'll discover a cornucopia of content on the topic. While solid publications tout success stories and secrets of sales leaders, others offer a lot of mumbo jumbo about what's needed to excel at sales. ... There is no magic formula guaranteeing instant success. ....Ignore those who want to make a mystery of sales. Instead, check out these pointers, which tell you what you need to succeed at sales.
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Overcoming fear of technology: 5 points to put you at ease by Marilynn Larkin, MA
If you're afraid of technology, you have plenty of company. A couple of years ago, The Atlantic magazine published an article entitled "Americans are more afraid of robots than death." The author reported on a national survey from Chapman University in Orange, California, that found that three tech-related fears--"cyberterrorism," "corporate tracking of personal information" and "government tracking of personal information"--were among Americans' top five fears in 2015. ..Christopher Bader, PhD, a sociology professor at Chapman and a coauthor of the fear survey, is quoted as saying, "People tend to express the highest level of fear for things they're dependent on but that they don't have any control over, and that's almost a perfect definition of technology."
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Living longer younger: The Canyon Ranch Way by Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS
Canyon Ranch began as an aspiration to our founders, Mel and Enid Zuckerman, almost 40 years ago. Pioneers of the transformative wellness destination concept, the Zuckermans created an organization that has impacted the lives of millions... Today, Canyon Ranch stands as a premier global brand for destination health resorts, with the pursuit of optimal wellness accomplished in thriving, fun (and, yes, luxurious) environments. ... Like Canyon Ranch, the International Council on Active Aging has become the convener of thought leaders around healthy active aging. Our team is excited about our partnership with ICAA and the opportunity to write a column for the Journal on Active Aging since there is a unique synergy between our two organizations.
moreBusiness profiles
Exploring virtual environments for cognitive and physical rehabilitation by Marilynn Larkin, MA
The word is out: Virtual reality is emerging as a key technology for helping older adults. In a 2017 Consumer Technology Association blog post ("Seniors: the next frontier of virtual reality"), Coordinator of Partnerships Marketing Michael Williams states, "Because seniors are the fastest-growing population segment in the United States--and this population will continue to grow significantly in the future--technology must cater to this demographic for both entertainment and healthcare." Kiplinger's Retirement Report featured the article "Tech revolution benefits aging" in its June 2017 issue. Author Sally Abrahms notes, "While still in its infancy, VR for seniors is gaining fans among physicians, long-term care staff, researchers, physical therapists and family members."
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