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- Emotional wellness
Jeff Nachtigall: Enabling older adults to unleash their creativity through art by Marilynn Larkin, MA
Jeff Nachtigall is an established artist whose work has been exhibited in North America, Europe and China over the past 25 years. He is also a facilitator, speaker and social entrepreneur who has led dozens of artist residencies and workshops, lectured in communities across Canada and the United States, and keynoted at national conferences on the arts and aging. Importantly for readers of the Journal on Active Aging, Nachtigall also worked for eight years as a full-time artist-in-residence at Sherbrooke Community Centre, an assisted living residence in Saskatoon, Canada. There, he founded and developed Open Studio Projects, a model of artistic engagement that challenges traditional clinical and activity-based approaches to art in older-adult and long-term care settings.
moreEmotional wellness
A wellness approach to posture: feeling the impact by Marilynn Larkin, MA
There’s no question that improving posture with specific physical exercises brings a wide range of physical benefits over the long term. But recent research suggests the benefits go beyond the physical wellness dimension-that, in fact, posture is inexorably linked to feelings, and shifting one’s posture, even for a few minutes, can influence everything from mood and stress levels to self-confidence, self-esteem and self-perception.
moreEmotional wellness
Music for wellness: innovative ways to bring music to your clients by Marilynn Larkin, MA
Few Journal on Active Aging readers would question that music has a positive impact in their communities and organizations, and much research supports that concept. Research also has shown that music has a beneficial and therapeutic role to play with older adults with dementia. This article highlights three different approaches for incorporating music into a community or center. While all the programs described have demonstrated benefits for healthy older adults, they also have a vital role to play in the lives of individuals with memory loss.
moreEmotional wellness
Resilience: a requirement for successful aging in all settings by Marilynn Larkin, MA
Imagine it’s your 95th birthday. You’ve been in a hospital for a month, battling a respiratory infection, but defying all odds, you are actually doing better.1 The strength that drove you to endure 27 years in prison, to finally attain freedom and to become an icon for your nation clearly is still present. Nelson Mandela is arguably one of the world’s best examples of resilience—the ability to bounce back after a challenge. It’s a quality most of us have to some degree, and experts agree it can be bolstered and reinforced in the right environments.
moreEmotional wellness
Seven barriers to life span engagement: health and well-being across generations and natural physical environments by Randy T. Eady, MEd, NCC
Oftentimes, when I speak at a conference or present three-Bs seminars (breathing, balance and bilateral coordination), I begin with a demystification of what tai chi does to bring body, mind and spirit together in a movement meditation. All the while, I underscore why these holistic considerations are so important for both ends of the age spectrum, as well as special needs groups. Curiously, we find ourselves in a culture that simultaneously promotes and glorifies fitness while restricting access to quality physical education and good information on holistic principles.
moreEmotional wellness
Fears: how they affect older-adult wellness and how to overcome them by Marilynn Larkin, MA
What do older adults fear most? “Loss of independence” tops the list in a recent survey of Boomers and adults ages 65 and up.1 Commissioned by technology company Clarity and The EAR Foundation, which formed an alliance to educate the public about the needs of the growing older-adult population, Aging in Place in America is the third in a series of surveys aimed at better understanding the health and lifestyle needs of this group. Among its findings, the Aging in Place in America survey shows that 89% of respondents want to age in place—that is, grow older without having to move from their homes. Yet 53% of those surveyed are concerned about their ability to do so.
more
