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.
Marketing matters: embracing and serving the New Consumer Majority by G. Richard Ambrosius, MA, and Helen Foster, BA
The United States is rapidly achieving a milestone: the nation’s first “mature market.” By 2050, Americans ages 65 and older will outnumber those under the age of 15, according to the US Census Bureau. While this was already true in some European countries and Japan, it is a change of epic proportion for the US. Yet little has been done to adapt marketing materials, hiring policies, sales training, or aging programs and services in response. ... This article examines our experience reviewing entries for the ICAA Rebranding Aging advertising/marketing awards competition for the last two years. The contest is part of the International Council on Active Aging’s Changing the Way We Age® Campaign, and recognizes excellence in efforts targeted to aging consumers in four categories. In the following pages we also make recommendations for improving the effectiveness of marketing campaigns based on our combined 50 years’ experience in older markets.
moreICAA initiatives
Images of aging: Global efforts to challenge stereotypes gain momentum by Marilynn Larkin, MA
"Throughout the world, the number of older adults is growing faster than any other age group, according to a report released in October 2012 by the United Nations Population Fund and HelpAge International. ... “If you were to open a newspaper or watch television, you’d think the world’s rapidly aging population was something terrible,” John Beard, MBBS, PhD, director of the Department of Ageing and Life Course at the World Health Organization (WHO), tells the Journal on Active Aging®. “But we at WHO see it as a success and opportunity, because older people are a resource for the community. We know they contribute in many ways to their families, neighborhoods and society in general, either informally or through the workforce. The challenge for us,” Beard continues, “is to break down barriers to those contributions and help older people maintain the lives they want to lead.” To that end, WHO chose “Ageing and health” as the 2012 theme for World Health Day—promoting the slogan “Good health adds life to years”—and published a poster series and news brief that challenge the “current stereotypes older people have to grapple with.”
moreIndustry development
How healthcare reform opens new doors to senior living by Kay Van Norman, MS, and Khristine Rogers, BA
For the past 15 years, the senior living industry has been steadily building quality metrics around the concepts of healthy lifestyles, prevention, and the social model of care. Progressive companies have made significant long-term investments in wellness centers, comprehensive whole-person wellness initiatives, and brand strategies embracing social connection, empowerment and well-being. Now, because of the Affordable Care Act, the senior living industry in the United States is ideally positioned to leverage these investments by offering integrated prevention strategies and wellness solutions to healthcare systems and consumers.
moreMarket opportunities
Developing Parkinson's-specific exercise programs by Becky Farley, Ph.D., P.T.
Regular physical activitymay slow the progression of Parkinson's disease, thereby protecting the health and function ofolder adults with this condition.
moreParkinson's disease
Making the most of your green space: Medford Leas shares benefits, strategies by Jane Weston, BS
Nature and the Medford Leas community are inseparable. The community's two New Jersey campuses--one in Medford and one in Lumberton--together comprise more than 200 acres designated as the Barton Arboretum and Nature Preserve. Here, residents and staff are provided with a beautiful and unique environment within which to live and work--and guests are offered a compelling and instructive place to visit. This article offers some background on Medford Leas and an overview of the benefits of the community's close ties to nature, as well as strategies that all communities can use to maximize the impact and value of their green spaces.
moreEnvironmental wellness
Growing a gardening program for older adults: case study and lessons learned by Barbara Denson, BA
Giving back to the larger community has long been part of the mission of the Bon Secours New York Health System. Therefore, a project proposed in 2006—to create a community garden at the organization’s Schervier Nursing Care Center in the Bronx, New York—was a natural. Funded by an internal grant from the Bon Secours Mission and brought to life under the guidance of Patricia Leo, who served as coordinator from 2006 to 2009, the garden’s mandate was to be multicultural, multifaith, intergenerational (though geared mainly to people 65 years and older) and 100% organic. Additional funding from a Douglas J. Schwartz Greenhouse Grant supported the construction of a greenhouse on the community garden site.
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