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- Falls management
Preventing falls: Interventions to reduce fall risk by Mike Siemens, MS
In our youth, we walk, run, jump and skip effortlessly. Navigating stairs, obstacles and slippery surfaces are a welcome challenge. Our brain, nervous system and muscles work in remarkable harmony to guide us safely through almost any terrain we choose to conquer. As we age, a constellation of factors conspire to challenge our balance and coordination. Simply put, if we want to remain confident on our feet and do our best to avoid falls, training, practice and attention to factors that impact balance are necessary after age 50. ... [A] great deal of research has been done in the area of fall prevention and many effective strategies identified...that are proven to be effective in reducing falls by up to 67%. As health, wellness and active-aging communities, it is imperative to communicate these strategies to the general public, so we can reduce the significant impact falls have on quality of life. Let’s take a closer look at these strategies.
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"Stepping Up Your Nutrition": Highlighting the impact of nutrition for falls prevention
Good nutrition is vital to healthy aging--that's one of the foundational beliefs in active aging. Among the ways in which a nutritious diet contributes to healthy aging, falls prevention is one that active-aging professionals may overlook and older adults may not realize. A public-private partnership has created Stepping Up Your Nutrition(TM), a program to educate individuals ages 50 and older about nutrition and its impact on fall risks.
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Floor freedom: How to get up from the floor by Cathy Moxley, MA
•The ability to get down and back up off the floor to do things like play with a child, clean out a kitchen cabinet or participate in a floor exercise class is something that younger adults may take for granted. Unfortunately, for many older adults, such daily activities and motions may gradually become more difficult until they eventually fall off the daily repertoire of possible movements.
An action that often enters into the category of “not any more” is getting down on the floor for any reason—on purpose, that is. Physical decline in the form of decreased upper-body and lower-body strength, a history of injuries or surgeries, decreased range of motion in many joints and balance issues can make the prospect of getting down—and back up—off the floor nothing short of daunting.
Falls management
Sensational activities that improve balance by Sue Scott, MS
For most of us, balance happens naturally, while we’re busy doing other things. But achieving and maintaining balance is never truly simple. To facilitate even a simple goal, like walking across a room, many systems must work smoothly together. Our balance system continually anticipates, interprets, learns from, monitors, coordinates and responds to ever-changing feedback from multiple sources, including our bodies, the environment and our will. With all of this dynamic interconnectedness, it is no wonder balance issues are complicated.
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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.
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Falls management integrates with whole-person wellness By Holly Spigner, PT
Imagine this scenario. A man sits on the edge of his bed and leans over to tie his shoes. He bends over, his head is level with his knees, he gets dizzy, and falls over. The reality of life is that people can fall—even when sitting down to tie their shoes. Falls cannot be entirely prevented, but they can be effectively managed.
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