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
Active Aging Week 2008 celebrates life
The last week of September was filled with a mix of laughter and intense concentration, small steps and long strides as Active Aging Week, ICAA’s annual health promotion event, launched. Just as many more organizations offered events, so did the creative hosts expand the options for this year’s activities.
When industry professionals decide to host Active Aging Week, they can choose to offer one or more activities during the week. Many of the hosts registered their events with ICAA, which allowed the association to post their contact information on the consumer section of the ICAA website and to ask them to share stories of the events.
Health promotion
Beyond salsa dancing: promoting physical activity for Hispanic elders by Marilynn Larkin, MA
A new report from the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) called The Status of Hispanic Older Adults and Their Families in the U.S.1 reveals facts about Hispanic Boomers and elders that should make active-aging professionals sit up and take notice (see sidebar on page 33). Today, about five million Hispanics over age 50 live in the United States, and that number is projected to nearly triple over the next 25 years. By 2028, Hispanics ages 65 and older are expected to comprise the country’s largest ethnic minority in this age group. And by 2050, Hispanics are expected to account for 17.5% of the older US population.
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Active Aging Week 2007: Choose an active life
How do we encourage older adults to lead a more active lifestyle? The answer can be found among the creative opportunities provided by the many organizations that hosted Active Aging Week events. This annual celebration of healthy lifestyles for older adults is spearheaded by the International Council on Active Aging® (ICAA), an association that supports professionals who develop wellness and fitness facilities and services for adults over 50. For this year’s event, retirement communities, statewide and provincial agencies, seniors centers and health clubs planned a panorama of wellness activities in the last week of September. Their goal? To encourage older adults to experience activities and exercise in a safe, friendly and fun atmosphere.
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Project Enhance: evidence-based programs succeed in communities
Developed in the mid-1990s by Seattle-based Senior Services in partnership with the University of Washington and Group Health Cooperative, Project Enhance (formerly known as the Senior Wellness Project) provides community health promotion programs for older adults. This initiative offers two nationally recognized evidence-based programs:
• EnhanceFitness, a low-cost, adaptable exercise program that offers levels challenging enough for active older adults and safe enough for unfit or near-frail elders
• EnhanceWellness, a motivational behavior-change intervention that encourages older adults with chronic conditions to take on health challenges and maintain control of their lives
Health promotion
Health and Happiness-Sex and the Older Adult
In 2006, Baltimore County Department of Aging (BCDA) unveiled a health promotion initiative to tackle a little-addressed area in the active aging industry: sex education. What prompted the campaign, entitled Health and Happiness–Sex and the Older Adult? According to Arnold Eppel, BCDA’s director, the initiative was the department’s “response to the National Institute on Aging’s report citing the growth in HIV/AIDS cases among adults ages 50 and older.” Eppel, known for his vision and cutting-edge ideas, saw an unfulfilled need. “As life expectancy increases and life circumstances change, single older adults are re-entering the dating world without being properly educated about the risk factors and prevention of HIV,” he explains. To find out more, the Journal on Active Aging® asked Eppel to describe the Maryland county’s initiative for readers.
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Promoting nutritional wellness for culturally diverse older adults by Chaya Gordon, MPH
Why do some people eat with silverware, while others use chopsticks or their hands? Why do inhabitants of some countries consume dairy products, while these foods are practically unknown in other places? And why do some people serve food in courses, while others put everything on the table at the same time?
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