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
Casa Dorinda's "Meet Your Neighbor" initiative introduces residents to each other via video by Marilynn Larkin, MA
When the pandemic struck and effectively isolated Casa Dorinda's on- and off-campus residents from the surrounding communities and from each other, the entertainment committee cochairs of the Montecito, California-based life-care community sprang into action. They came up with an innovative and compelling video project, Meet Your Casa Dorinda Neighbor, which has had a positive impact on residents, staff and sales, and will be part of the organization's array of services going forward, according to Director of Life Enrichment Melissa Gill Hausz. Pre-pandemic, the community's entertainment committee members were in part responsible for greeting new residents, inviting them to dinners and social events, and introducing them to current residents. As it became clear in March 2020 that social activities would effectively shut down, the committee's cochairs proposed the video initiative. "The Life Enrichment team felt it would be a wonderful way for residents to not only see each other, but to learn about each other at a time when they couldn't meet in person and have conversations face-to-face," Hausz says. "The plan was approved, and everyone got to work!"
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Pandemic innovations boost wellness
Among the earliest consequences of the pandemic lockdown were loss of mobility and loss of social connectivity. In-person classes were banned. Gyms and recreational facilities were closed. Residents and members were urged to stay at home. Even daily walks fell by the wayside. Like many active-aging organizations, the following trio of providers used both creativity and ingenuity to find ways to engage, connect and support their constituents, including through the use of technology. WesleyLife embraced the broader community; Acts Retirement-Life Communities personalized fitness participation; and Encore Community Services engaged members with a virtual show.
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How to develop a successful podcast by Colin Milner
Many organizations have reduced or frozen their marketing spend in 2020, and this trend may continue for some or all of 2021. Repercussions can come with that response. Research company Nielsen suggests that "long-term revenue can take a 2% hit for every [financial] quarter" that a brand doesn't advertise. Further, equity lost due to halted advertising will require three to five years to recover. What can you do if your marketing is curtailed? With podcast listening rising among all age groups last year, marketers can take advantage of numerous opportunities to connect with customers, potential and current [by creating a podcast]. Making it successful is job one. To provide you with guidance, I reached out to Kristen Meinzer, "one of the 22 most influential women in podcasting...."
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Living well, pandemic style: How a Dallas community adapts to a new norm by Deana Lisenby, BS
Most of us probably remember the exact moment we realized life would no longer look the same. At Presbyterian Village North (PVN), the announcement came on Friday, March 13, 2020. We had just competed in a 48-hour "March Madness" CyberCycle challenge, and our community was still celebrating placing third overall as well as having three residents in the top 20 riders worldwide. At that moment, it seemed as though 2020 was shaping up to be an exciting year for our wellness program. None of us anticipated the chaos waiting to boil over into our daily lives. Fast forward to 2021, we're still navigating our way through a global pandemic. A "new normal" has become precedent: face masks, social distancing, and persistent handwashing and sanitation. Guidelines and compliance regulations change daily. As turbulence continues to reign during the COVID crisis, traditional resident programming has taken an unprecedented hiatus. Instead of focusing on what cannot be done, however, our wellness and life enrichment teams have embraced thinking outside of the box. The result is an innovative twist on the traditional lifestyle residents know and love.
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Boosting resident engagement, supporting staff with data-driven technology by Marilynn Larkin, MA
A June 2020 article in the journal Global Health Research and Policy highlighted the "unprecedented challenge" of the current coronavirus pandemic, particularly for older adults. According to author Bei Wu, PhD, of New York University's Aging Incubator and Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, "The outbreak of COVID-19 will have a long-term and profound impact on older adults' health and well-being. Social isolation and loneliness are likely to be one of the most affected health outcomes," she writes. "[They] are major risk factors that have been linked with poor physical and mental health status." ... Many active-aging organizations have embraced technological solutions to deal with pandemic-related restrictions that dampen social connections and engagement. ... For communities such as Juniper Village at Brookline, an award-winning continuing care retirement community in State College, Pennsylvania, Linked Senior technology is helping to bridge the gap.
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Senior Theatre adapts to the pandemic: COVID-19 teaches older actors new tricks by Bonnie L. Vorenberg, BA, MS
We never thought we’d turn to online meeting software to do theatre! Perform, but not in person? No way. Then, COVID-19 changed everything. It made us pivot to new techniques and make adaptations so we could do what we’ve always done: use theatre to connect, inform and entertain. The most surprising discovery was that senior theatre online produces the same benefits as senior theatre in person. Theatre touches every part of us as humans, stimulating our physical, mental, psychological, cultural and emotional selves. But the social outcome of performing is the strongest. .... Against a backdrop of social restrictions and loneliness, drama groups help actors and audiences connect and performers do what they do best—entertain! It’s a piece of reality that feels oh-so-good right now. Below, we share with you our story, complete with the challenging learning curve. ... Use our experiences to help you get online quickly and easily.
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