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- Gerontology
Navigating estrangement through the caregiving journey by Beth Witrogen, MJ
Difficult family dynamics can impact support of loved ones, but quality of care--and life--is possible with professional guidance.
moreGerontology
Death by design by Colin Milner
Life is finite. For many of us, this fact goes unrecognized until later in life. But, for Dr. Stephanie Ludwig, PhD, MA, MDiv, this was not so. At a young age Ludwig experienced the death of a sibling. This catastrophic event caused her to ask questions that many people wait until later life to explore--questions such as: Why do these things happen? Why do we live? And why do we die? In search of answers to these and other questions, Ludwig found herself on a journey of self-reflection. At 19 she declared a theology major in college, hoping to find absolute answers to her questions. She did not. Yet, this did not deter her as she sought to come to terms with her own mortality--something she says many don't do until faced with a loss. Ludwig is still exploring life, and ultimately its end, all these years later, including most recently as the former Director of Spiritual Wellness for Canyon Ranch, a global leader in the wellness movement. ... It is due to Ludwig's unique journey and training that I interviewed her for the second season of my podcast, Colin Milner Rethinks Aging With .... I reached out to her to learn how we -- as individuals and as active-aging professionals - can ensure, as best possible, that we and our residents and members, family members and friends not only live well, but die well, too. As someone who has spent decades focused on quality of life for adults ages 50+, I found the discussion profoundly meaningful. And as International Council on Active Aging CEO, I wanted to share that conversation with you. Let's dive in!
moreGerontology
Interdependence: Balancing autonomy with connection as we age by Colin Milner
What is the difference between dependence and interdependence as we age? What happens when we don't have family support? And what kinds of models and policies for successful aging and care can be built on these distinctions? The importance of interdependence caught my attention during my participation in the WHO Global Network on Long-Term Care, which first met in September 2020 and again this fall. As a response to changing world demographics and more people living longer, this World Health Organization network advises the agency on ways to create equitable and sustainable long-term care models for older adults. The focus is to optimize functional ability and achieve healthy aging. Interdependence came up as part of network discussions and opened my eyes to its significance, especially for an aging population. In my view, even with all the goals and mandates in the WHO's endorsement of a new "Decade of Healthy Ageing" (2021 - 2030), all the progress towards more integrated and person-centered models of long-term care, and all the efforts by myriad organizations and agencies to foster wellness among older populations, interdependence is the unrecognized umbrella under which so many issues fall. So, I reached out to Karl Pillemer, PhD, the Hazel E. Reed Professor in Cornell University's Department of Human Development and a professor of gerontology in medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. His decades of research have advanced our understanding of the complicated web of relationships.
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Understanding aging: Dr. Eileen Crimmins makes the case for behavioral and social factors by Colin Milner
As an industry and as professionals, the potential of "living better longer" inspires us to dream, innovate and deliver new opportunities that support aging adults in engaging fully in life throughout their years. Our ability to foster the pursuit of aging well grows along with the body of research that reevaluates what we know about aging. To embrace those possibilities requires us--as leaders of the active-aging movement--to rethink aging. Every month in the "Colin Milner Rethinks Aging With ..." podcast, I do just that. As International Council on Active Aging founder/CEO, I interview thought leaders and aging-well disruptors who share innovative strategies and expert advice to help organizations, professionals and clients rethink aging. Social scientist and demographer Eileen Crimmins, PhD, was my recent guest. Her research explores changes over time in health and mortality in adults ages 50 years and older. In a published paper, Dr. Crimmins recently proposed that to truly understand aging, research should include "social hallmarks of aging" as well as biological biomarkers. She and I covered these hallmarks--plus other topics of interest--in our interview. Let's dive in!
moreGerontology
ICAA–The next decade: A transformative trend will drive a changing industry by Colin Milner
I am thrilled, honored and humbled to share that October 1, 2021, marks the International Council on Active Aging's 20th anniversary! I look back on the many "firsts" in our journey to grow and unite the active-aging industry: defining "active aging" as a differentiator for senior living and organizations working with older adults; incorporating "functional capacity" as a pillar of healthy aging; embracing "older adults" as a heterogeneous population that spans a wide range of capabilities, interests and aspirations; and promoting a more comprehensive concept of wellness as culture. While it feels great to reflect on where we've come from and the progress we've made in building upon this foundation, I am laser-focused now on where we're going. Notable trends are emerging and converging to shape the industry moving forward. Driving all these trends is one overarching trend transforming the industry's future: the ascendence of the person-centered model.
moreGerontology
Solo Agers: What senior living providers need to know by Sara Zeff Geber, PhD, CRC
In 2008, the United States Census Bureau reported that the rate of childlessness among women ages 40-44 reached 20% in 2006--double what it had been in 1976--after rising steadily for two decades. Turning to men, a 2019 agency report showed that in 2014 one in four males ages 40-50 was also childless. Relatively few men became fathers after 40. The Bureau referred to this point in the lives of men and women as "completed fertility." So, what do these statistics mean? A significant number of Boomers will not have adult children to help them with care or relocation if living independently becomes difficult or impossible. Further, geriatric specialist Maria Carney, MD, and colleagues determined in 2016 that approximately 22% of older Americans not only had no children but also no other family to turn to in a crisis. ... Although every generation includes people without children or family on whom they can rely, the prevalence of such individuals today makes this a seemingly new phenomenon.
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