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- Trends
The Center at Belvedere: Reinventing the senior center, breaking stereotypes by Marilynn Larkin, MA
The Center at Belvedere--or, simply, The Center--is a testament to the drive and determination of stakeholders to break stereotypes of senior centers and of what it means to be "older." The 47,000-sq.-ft. building in Charlottesville, Virginia, which recently garnered a national award from the American Institute of Architects, "is an exceptional resource for our community," says Executive Director Peter Thompson. "It demonstrates the power of collaboration among experts and community members who understand the impacts of healthy aging. The appeal of The Center is reflected in the numbers of people participating in programs on-site. Thompson commented that those numbers are up about 20% over two years ago in the former building, despite the pandemic, and without counting virtual expansion. The Journal on Active Aging caught up with Thompson in a Zoom interview to learn more about The Center's evolution and determination to serve as a model for other organizations.
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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.
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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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Genes and the effects of lifestyle on genetic expression by Stephen C. Brewer, MD, ABFM
Genetics is one of the most expanding and growing areas in science today. Almost 20 years ago the Human Genome Project was completed in which scientists sequenced the deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, of humans. It took over 10 years to complete that project. Now with many commercial genetic products available to the public, such as 23andMe, a person's DNA sequence can be determined in a matter of days. It is one thing, however, to know your DNA code and another to interpret what the code means. This is where a significant amount of research is being done today. Genes, the basic physical and functional unit of heredity, are the blueprints for how our bodies form and how they operate. ... How we treat our bodies often affects our genes. This is called epigenetics. It's an area of genetics that connects directly with the messages and efforts of active-aging professionals to promote healthy aging.
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Aging in the time of COVID-19, part two: An ICAA interview with Age Wave's Ken Dychtwald by Colin Milner
In the 1980s, psychologist and gerontologist Ken Dychtwald, PhD, predicted a "demographic revolution" in the making. Demographic and cultural forces would converge, he believed, in an "absolutely predictable arrival, in our society and in our time," of an unprecedented demographic shift to an aging population. For this phenomenon, he coined the term age wave. And he signaled the need for society to prepare in his 1989 book Age Wave: The Challenges and Opportunities of an Aging America. Today, the renowned researcher, consultant and best-selling author of 17 books is considered one of North America's most original thinkers on the social, economic, healthcare, marketing and workforce implications of the age wave. As CEO of the International Council on Active Aging, I have long viewed Dr. Dychtwald as an early visionary whose work helped to lay the foundation for the active-aging industry and continues to this day to build it. Below is part two of an interview I conducted with Dychtwald earlier this year, in which he delves into topics ranging from challenges with healthcare, wellness and Alzheimer's, to COVID's senior living impact, to longevity, retirement and the "third age." He also ponders the question of legacy. Let's jump in.
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Aging in the time of COVID-19, part one: An ICAA interview with Age Wave’s Ken Dychtwald by Colin Milner
My journey into what would become the active-aging field began when I was in my 30s. After more than a decade in the fitness industry, I joined a well-known manufacturer of fitness equipment whose clients included senior living communities. Trips to these communities included conversations with staff who embraced the emerging evidence for the benefits of exercise for older adults, including the frailest elders. These professionals were often the sole believers within their organizations. ... Active aging has grown into a movement on the shoulders of individuals who have made a difference by challenging the status quo, conducting or disseminating research about aging, and envisioning new possibilities in cultural and demographic shifts. Among its seminal figures is psychologist, gerontologist, Age Wave CEO and best-selling author of 17 books, Ken Dychtwald, PhD.... In June 2020, as COVID-19 continued to upend daily life, Dr. Dychtwald and I discussed aging in this unique and unsettling time. Let’s dive in to part one of what turned into a wide-ranging interview about life, aging, generational identity and legacy.
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