International Council on Active Aging®

What's new: The business case for wellness programs in senior living.

Scientific research

Access and utilize the ICAA library of scientific studies, reports and statistics to assist you with the development of your business case for wellness, program and community design and development, evidence-informed lifestyle choices and marketing strategies and approaches.

Tech Talk: 82-year-old app creator is start-up winner

Han van Doorn has secured funding to continue to build his venture, the "Are you OK today" app. The 82-year-old Dutchman received a check for EUR 10,000 as winner of Start-up Plus, an online learning/coaching program for entrepreneurs over 50 supported by Aegon, a multinational asset management company that also runs the Aegon Center for Longevity and Retirement. The initiative is one of several that highlight recent research showing that "the highest success rates in entrepreneurship come from founders in middle age and beyond." Start-up Plus is also supported by the Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing.

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Technology

Caring for a grandchild linked to less loneliness, isolation

Caring for a grandchild may be linked to a lower risk of loneliness and social isolation, a recent study suggests. That's because grandparents who assume this role have larger social networks that include people who are important to them compared to those who don't take on this role. Interestingly, most of the research on grandparenting has focused on those who act as surrogates and parent their grandchildren, rather than those who simply help out their own children ("active grandparenting"). So, this is something to keep in mind and perhaps suggest to constituents in seniors centers and intergenerational settings.

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Social wellness

Aging is a risk factor, not a disease, geroscientists say

Human life expectancy worldwide rose dramatically over the past century, but people's health spans - the period of life spent free from chronic, age-related disease or disability - have not increased accordingly. An introduction and six articles in the latest issue of Public Policy and Aging Report explore this phenomenon, and reading them may change your thinking about aging and its impact.

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Gerontology

Tripping on a treadmill can help reduce falls

Treadmill-based balance training, which mimics real-life balance challenges (e.g., trips and slips) in a safe setting, yields benefits in only one to four training sessions that may last more than a year, researchers in the UK and the Netherlands have found. Organizations may want to explore this option, particularly with constituents who are unlikely to complete the multiple balance, strength and aerobic training sessions normally required to reduce falls.

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Falls management

Arts engagement linked to longer life

Regular visits to museums, art galleries, the theatre, concerts and exhibitions are linked to a longer life, according to an analysis of data from more than 6,000 adults ages 50+ in England. The findings stress the importance of not only offering arts programming, but also of providing opportunities to actually visit cultural institutions and watch live performances (arts activities).

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Physical wellness

Stats: Mental health very good/excellent for 60% of postmenopausal women

How do women experience their mental, physical and sexual health as they age and what are their attitudes about healthy aging? WebMD and nonprofit content provider HealthyWomen endeavored to find out by interviewing more than 3,000 US women at various life stages. While many of the findings are specific to older, postmenopausal women, the report, "Aging smart, aging well: A national dialogue on women's health attitudes and behaviors," also provides a window onto the perceptions and needs of future customers and family members.

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