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- Technology
Demystifying ChatGPT for active-aging organizations.by Marilynn Larkin, MA
Here's what you need to know about what is arguably the hottest technology trend today. The potential benefits for organizations and residents/members are real, but so are the cautions. Be prepared to explore!
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Demystifying the metaverse for health and wellness by Marilynn Larkin, MA
Whether you call it the "metaverse" or simply talk about tools and programs, it is here to stay, according to ICAA CEO and Founder Colin Milner, who believes "it's time for active-aging professionals to jump in." Here's what you need to know about a trend embraced in just about every industry right now.
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The "health data economy": Marketing connects interests and lifestyle to improve health by Colin Milner
What is the future of marketing? If you or I could answer that question with any accuracy, we would earn a lot of money. But is it an impossible task? Well, it's not implausible for us to find indicators to guide us. As an example, we know technology will continue to play a significant role in how we learn about products and services. Algorithms are already key. Whether we're on Facebook or Netflix, what we see is driven by algorithms that take our purchasing history and match new compelling options to gain our business. Some people see algorithms, as well as Internet cookies and other things that facilitate technology-based marketing, as Big Brother-like intrusions on their privacy; others welcome this marketing as a convenience. Many marketers see the benefits. ... With its focus on interests, such marketing is about delivering the right content, service or product at the right moment. But what if the future of marketing is not just about our interests? What if it's about how those interests interact with our lifestyles to improve health and well-being? According to S. Jay Olshansky, PhD, a focus on enhancing health and well-being will drive the "health data economy," and the marketers who seek your business.
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Taking a digital dive into the lives of "Active Aging consumers" by Jeff Weiss
As a company with a mission to break the myths and to crush the stereotypes around aging, we see examples every day of the older population embracing a digital life. This should surprise no one. The older population has grown up with tech and, in many ways, has had to adapt to the rapid pace of digital change as much as anyone--going from typewriters and dial phones in childhood, to cordless phones and computers in youth or adulthood, to mobile Bluetooth and Wi-Fi-enabled devices in mid- or later-life. Still, cold hard numbers talk--especially for skeptical marketers--so Age of Majority saw an opportunity to help quantify the digital experience of adults we term "Active Aging consumers," or Active Agers (that is, people ages 55+ who are digitally, socially, mentally and physically active). ... [W]e undertook one of our most comprehensive research efforts to date to map out the digital landscape among Active Agers. ... The findings will likely be a wake-up call to marketers who underestimate the role of digital devices in the lives of the older population as a means of serving and engaging this group.
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Better together: Covenant Living navigates COVID with community and communication by Jana Decker by BS
Covenant Living Communities and Services is rooted in ministry. Our Illinois-based organization has served older adults as an outreach ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church since 1886. That year, our flagship community, Covenant Home of Chicago (known at the time as the Home of Mercy) was founded to provide care "to the sick, to orphaned children and to the frail elderly." Today, as a nonprofit provider of senior services and among the largest seniors housing providers in the United States, Covenant Living serves 5,400 residents at 17 retirement communities in 9 states. Our continuing care communities offer independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care and rehabilitation services. In March 2020, after more than 130 years of growth and change (and 100+ years since the Spanish Flu), our organization suddenly and unexpectedly found itself on the brink of a pandemic. We kicked into action immediately as COVID-19 shutdowns took place, knowing that the health and safety of our residents is the highest priority. Initially, that meant residents sheltering in place with no access to the many amenities that were part of normal life. Days turned into weeks, and like many other organizations, we realized this crisis situation was not a passing storm. The pandemic was not going away any time soon. It was clear our organization urgently needed to redirect focus to long-term solutions for supporting and engaging residents within the parameters of COVID.
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For Brain Fitness Academy, the pandemic led to a new, successful product by Sara Woodard, MHSA, and Annette Kelly, PhD, ARNP
In March 2020, Brain Fitness Academy (BFA) program sites, like so many others, were forced to close due to COVID-19. The Florida nonprofit's familiar in-person model became unavailable to its members almost overnight. Unbeknownst to the organization at that point, the closure would lead to quick, agile thinking and creativity, which combined to spark development of a new product that is now a permanent part of BFA's offerings. Headquartered in Winter Park, Florida, BFA strives to maximize the lives of individuals with mild cognitive impairment/early dementia living in the community through a curriculum- based program that highlights capabilities and focuses on success in a safe, supportive environment. Having heard many times from members that BFA is the highlight of their week, we recognized immediately that closing or interrupting the program was not an option. The team, with the guidance of cofounder Peggy Bargmann, RN, immediately went to the drawing board to come up with a solution to keep the members engaged and connected. Our research included seeking advice from our trusted academic partners as well as other experts. We worked collaboratively to explore the best solutions for delivery of our program in a virtual format.
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