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- Leadership
Cognitive loss in later life: The challenge for family and community by Stephen C. Brewer, MD, ABFM
As we get older, the risk of developing diseases increases and our ability to effectively deal with those diseases goes down. All debilitating chronic illnesses are difficult to endure, but nonreversible dementias--such as Alzheimer's disease--are some of the hardest. As a family physician, I have followed many patients as they have gracefully aged through the years, and I have helped them deal with the slow changes that can occur in the body and the mind. One of the more difficult changes is a decline in mental function. If a person's memory declines, it becomes more than an issue with the patient--it becomes a family issue. Helping a family manage an individual who may have a chronic debilitating or potentially fatal disease can be challenging, but it is essential in order to provide the best care and quality of life for that person.
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Hospice on your bucket list: More insights and inspirations by Kimberly Baumgarten, RN, FCN, with Mary E. Sanders, PhD, CDE, ACSM-RCEP, FACSM
As a geriatric nurse, I see the last season of life as richly beautiful. My passion is to walk alongside others during their toughest times and to teach other professionals not only how to do this too, but also to walk in a way that is a healing balm for all involved. To show that healing can happen to the body, but even if that fails, healing can be brought to the spirits of our residents and their families. I invite you to walk with me as we discuss hospice and end-of-life crossroads. The stories that follow have inspired me. I hope they encourage you, along with your families and your residents or members, to undertake these important conversations.
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Is hospice on your bucket list? by Kimberly Baumgarten, RN, FCN, with Mary E. Sanders, PhD, CDE, ACSM-RCEP, FACSM
When the call came for me to fly home to Indiana, I knew things were critical. My father had contracted Legionnaires pneumonia. He was 77 years old, in poor health and on a ventilator in a hospital's intensive care unit. When I arrived, I instantly went into nursing mode, praying that logic might win over a daughter's fear. I sat down next to my father, watching the monitors--but I knew he was in trouble. From what I was seeing, this man was going to die. At best, he might stay alive a month or two while remaining on a ventilator. As I talked to the doctor about what I was seeing and thinking, he responded in the truest nature of an ICU physician, beginning with all that had been done for my father and what the next step was. I stopped him and asked, "Will this save my father's life or just prolong the inevitable?" The doctor hung his head and said, "Prolong" ... My father made the choice [to remove the ventilator] and we honored it by changing to hospice-based care. ... Trauma or peace? In facing end-of-life experiences, we all may plan the memory we want to leave and support others in planning their own.
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A learning opportunity: What the Golden State Warriors can teach us by Sara Kyle, PhD
The relationship between the Golden State Warriors basketball team and Silicon Valley venture capitalists may be news to you. That is, unless you are a fan of the Oakland-based team or in the technology venture-capitalist world of Northern California. Interestingly, many fans know the players, the stats and the winning seasons, but they do not know the details of the Warriors' journey to become one of the best teams in the National Basketball Association. Given where the team is now-league champions in 2015 and 2017 and third most valuable NBA franchise this year-this backstory makes a great read for people who like to examine the business side of organizations.
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HIIT: High-intensity interval training can boost health, well-being by Marilynn Larkin, MA
The term HIIT strikes fear into the heart of many who are unfamiliar with the concept and assume any kind of high-intensity workout program isn't suitable for them or the older adults they work with. Yet that's definitely not the case, according to the experts interviewed for this feature. Drs. Mary E. Sanders, John J. Ratey, Len Kravitz and Martin Gibala, as well as Cris Dobrosielski, all support the safe use of HITT with people over 50. Journal on Active Aging readers can gain a better understanding of HIIT and how and why it can benefit their constituencies from these experts.
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Enhancing wellness: Maximize use of indoor/outdoor environments by Marilynn Larkin, MA
A card table that sits vacant most of the day...long empty corridors...a patch of land lying fallow outside a residence...These are common sights in settings that serve older adults-yet, those unused and often unsightly indoor and outdoor spaces can be transformed into inviting venues that motivate members or residents to increase physical activity, socialization, and emotional and spiritual wellness. ... For industry professionals who seek to enhance older-adult wellness, exploring use of space is an avenue that can yield results.
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