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.
Spring into Action: a senior community associate and resident wellness partnership by Connie Miller
Active-aging professionals provide a wide range of programming to help older adults improve their health and wellness, but motivating people to take part and make healthy lifestyle changes can be challenging. Kisco Senior Living, based in Carlsbad, California, recently created a program that inspired residents to make and reach healthy living goals.
moreMotivation
Bridging the gaps in wellness programming throughout the continuum of care by Gina Formica, DPT, and Jenn Conway, MS, CSCS, RCEP
When it comes to wellness programming and expectations of abilities for individuals in senior living communities, the differences between the levels of care can be striking. A typical day in an independent living community sees residents enjoying water aerobics, enhancing flexibility during a yoga session or strengthening muscles in one of many exercise classes led by certified instructors or exercise physiologists. In sharp contrast, residents in assisted living to skilled nursing have fewer opportunities to be challenged to the fullest extent of their abilities.
moreProgram profiles
How to successfully onboard a fitness professional by Bethany Garrity, MS, HFS
If you haven’t been thinking about how to enhance the fitness opportunities for your clientele, you may be behind the times. Equipping senior living communities and neighborhood community centers with state-of-the art wellness centers and other related amenities is today’s reality. Finding qualified and passionate fitness professionals to work with your members or residents can be very rewarding, but it can also be a challenge.
moreManagement
Building a wellness team: what skills to look for and how to promote engagement by Marilynn Larkin, MA
“Engagement in life is emerging as a critical indicator of healthy aging,” according to the International Council on Active Aging’s Engagement Work Group. The group's vision—implementation of an “engagement approach” to doing business—was set forth in its 2011 opinion statement calling for a “paradigm shift” in the industry. Making the transition from activities to engagement generally requires a dedicated wellness team.
moreBusiness profiles
Successful aging: the critical ingredients by Michael R. Mantell, PhD
In the words of Walter M. Bortz, II, MD, “Longevity is neither an accident nor an isolated phenomenon. It is a product of specific healthy behaviors, a direct consequence of health maintenance.” How do you help clients—and yourself—live to age 100? The formula Bortz and his followers suggest is consistent with age-old wisdom and contemporary science.
moreGerontology
How Spring Lake Village created a thriving wellness culture by Diane Waltz, MS, PT
“Your residents are so full of life! The opportunities at Spring Lake Village must create a lifestyle that makes them very happy.” That is what Executive Director Sharon York typically hears when she tells the people she meets where she works. This perception, shared by people from the larger community in Sonoma County, California, reflects a thriving wellness culture embraced by Spring Lake Village (SLV) residents. How did this culture get started? How did it evolve to the point where it influences everything we do at SLV, including a new expansion project? And how is it shared with the larger community? This article looks at some stepping stones in our wellness journey.
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