Author Archives: cvillevillageclipper
Successful Aging: Go bare(foot) and improve your life
By Angelyn Frankenberg Feb 16, 2015 From the Post Independent/Citizen Telegram
Test your balance by standing on one foot with your arms crossed in front of your chest and raising one leg so your foot is near but not touching your other ankle. How long can you hold the position? The average durations by age group are: 40-49, 42 seconds; 50 to 59, 41 seconds; 60-69, 32 seconds; 70-79, 21 seconds. If you are 50-plus and physically active, you probably will experience better-than-average duration.
Now try the same test with your eyes closed. Even if you are very active — unless you start your day with balance beam gymnastics or a unicycle ride — do not be surprised to find your time is not above average for your age group: 40-49, 13 seconds; 50-59, 8 seconds; 60-69, 4 seconds; 70-79, 3 seconds.
Maintaining a good sense of balance is a cornerstone of successful aging. It helps prevent falls and the fear of falling and contributes to a general sense of well-being, of feeling at home in one’s own body. Balance involves a complex interplay of physical and mental factors but depends on three sensory components: vision, the inner-ear (vestibular) system and proprioception, the subconscious sense of movement and position. For a detailed look at all three systems, see Scott McCredie’s “Balance: In Search of the Lost Sense.”
Advance Care Planning
What follows is the first part of a publication from the NIH and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Click HERE to go to their website where you can read the complete article and/or download a PDF version of the article.
- What is Advance Care Planning?
- Decisions That Could Come Up Near Death
- Getting Started
- Making Your Wishes Known
- Selecting Your Healthcare Proxy
- Making It Official
- After You Set Up Your Advance Directive
- Still Not Sure?
- Looking Toward the Future
- For More Information
More than one out of four older Americans face questions about medical treatment near the end of life but are not capable of making those decisions. This tip sheet will discuss some questions you can think about now and describe ways to share your wishes with others. Write them down or at least talk about them with someone who would make the decisions for you. Knowing how you would decide might take some of the burden off family and friends.
‘Age is not a barrier’: Tech designer, 91, lands her dream job in Silicon Valley
By Scott Stump From: Today – Money Feb. 27, 2015
While growing up during the Great Depression, Barbara Beskind was an inventor by necessity who hoped to become one professionally. Eight decades later, the 91-year-old has finally realized her dream at a top design firm in Silicon Valley.
“As a 10-year-old I wanted to be an inventor,” Beskind told Jenna Bush Hager on TODAY Friday. “I’ve arrived. But it took me about 80 years.”
Beskind was 10 years old during the Great Depression, when ingenuity was a life requirement.
“I wanted to make a hobby horse, and I made it out of old tires,” she said. “I learned a lot about gravity because I fell off so many times.”
Her initial dreams of becoming an inventor were dashed when her high school guidance counselor told her that engineering schools don’t accept females. Instead, she served in the U.S. Army and as an occupational therapist while also writing books and learning to paint. Two years ago, she read about the Silicon Valley design firm IDEO and decided to apply for a job at the firm, which is famous for designing the first mouse for Apple and dozens of other well-known devices.
“It took me about two months to write my resume, paring it down from nine pages,” Beskind said. “Then I wrote the letter and sent it by snail mail.”
Village to Villlage Network HQ Moves to St. Louis
Village to Village Network Moves Headquarters to St. Louis
Local Executive to Lead International Senior Resource Organization
ST. LOUIS, MO, (January 6, 2015) – The Village to Village Network (VtV Network), an international nonprofit organization promoting the aging-in-community movement, has moved its headquarters to St. Louis, Mo. to better serve its members on both coasts and new villages in the middle of the country. To provide additional support, St. Louis area native Natalie Galucia has been named Director of the VtV Network. The office recently opened in the TechArtista building at 4818 Washington Ave. in the Central West End neighborhood.
The Village to Village Network provides guidance to Villages, non-for-profit membership organizations offering comprehensive support and social engagement to seniors wanting to maintain independence. Villages use trained volunteers and vetted businesses to provide a broad range of services, and members choose which services and activities they desire. This cost-effective model for addressing the needs of an aging population has experienced dramatic growth recently, especially in the Midwest, as more seniors opt to stay home as long as possible. Though each Village operates independently, the groups share best practices through the VtV Network.
A Public Event of Interest
Charlottesville Elder Lawyer Doris Gelbman is giving a series of talks at the Senior Center entitled “Aging Gracefully”. The first was on January 14th, the next two are February 24th and March 17th, both at 10:00 a.m. at the Senior Center, 1180 Pepsi Place, Charlottesville. A video of Ms. Gelbman’s first presentation can be viewed on her website www.gelbman-law.com [Click HERE to go directly to that video]
Imagine This Antidote To An Aging Parent’s Depression
Forbes 02/07/2015 by Carolyn Rosenblatt
“I’ve felt it’s either get out and do something or sit at home and feel sorry for myself. So if I ever start feeling sorry for myself, I put my shoes on and take a little run somewhere.”
These are the words of 80 year old Anne Garrett, who set a pending American record of 2:13:23 in her 80-84 age group at the Surf City USA Half Marathon in Huntington Beach California. As reported in Runner’s World & Running, Ms. Garrett tells us that “[Running has] made me more aware of who I am and it has helped me not to feel sorry for myself, not to get depressed,” Garrett said.
Running became a way of dealing with the stress of a way of dealing with the stress of her husband’s illness. He suffered from Alzheimer’s for seven years. After he died in 2011, Anne found that running helped her cope with her grief.
SENIOR CRIME PREVENTION ACADEMY
A public event of interest:
Senior Crime Prevention Academy
Every Thursday this month
Next Meeting: Thursday, February 5, 2015 at 1:00pm
Details:
SENIOR CRIME PREVENTION ACADEMY
Thursdays, January 29, 2015 and February 5, 12,19 & 26: 1:00pm
Officer Steve Watson will be sharing ways for seniors and their families to avoid frauds and scams, avoid identity theft, and improve personal safety. Participants will come away with specific information to help them recognize questionable situations and prevent them from falling victim to crime in these subject areas.
Open to all.
Location:
Senior Center 1180 Pepsi Place Charlottesville, VA 22901 for more information call 434-974-7756
Fee: free
A Public Event of Interest
The following is an announcement about an upcoming public hearing about the Commonwealth’s Council on Aging Four-Year Plan.
Commonwealth Council on Aging
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE COMMONWEALTH COUNCIL ON AGING’S PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE WILL HOLD LISTENING SESSIONS ON THE FOCUS TOPICS OF THE
COMMONWEALTH’S FOUR-YEAR PLAN FOR AGING SERVICES 2015-2019
ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015
(Hearing begins at 10:30 a.m. and will end approximately at 12:30 p.m.)
Switzer Building Large Classroom at the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center
243 Woodrow Wilson Avenue, Fishersville VA 22939
You can also attend the listening session by video conference at the following four Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) locations:
- DARS Roanoke Roanoke Valley WFC 1351 Hershberger Rd, Suite 205 Roanoke, VA 24012
- DARS Abingdon 468 East Main Street, Suite 200 Abingdon, VA 24210
- DARS Fairfax 11150 Fairfax Blvd., 3rd Flr. Suite 300 Fairfax, VA 22030
- DARS South Hampton Roads (Norfolk) Interstate Corporate Center, Bldg. #7 6340 Center Drive, Suite 101 Norfolk VA 2350
Get Fit to Age At Home
by Rachel Adelson Huffington Post October 10, 2014
Why do we do it? It’s not for immortality, that’s for sure. We’re old enough to rule that one out.
No, it’s probably some mixture of hope, fear and vanity, layered onto the fact that working out can actually leave one feeling pretty good. Beyond the immediate rewards, though, there are:
Hope that muscle strength and stamina will help us stay independent longer, helping us carry out daily activities in better health. This tactic is central to any personal strategy for aging at home
Fear that being weak will leave us unable to carry our own bags, more likely to fall, more vulnerable to dependending on others.
Vanity about looking good, having good posture, fitting into cute clothes, avoiding “dowager’s hump” (a dated term for ‘kyphosis’), and being able to dance at weddings. Read the rest of this entry
Can We Wait?
The following article from the Huffington Post talks about the overwhelming desire of folks over 60 to “Age-In-Place” and what changes are needed to make this desire a reality. I don’t feel that we can wait for someone else to make this happen for us. I believe we need to do it ourselves by starting right now to build the Village we want to be there for us when we need a little help.
I think CvilleVillage can work, but we aren’t there yet. There is a lot of interest, but we haven’t yet reached the critical mass or tipping point in terms of energy, commitment and involvement to make it happen. Please read this article and see if it speaks to you. And if the Village idea makes sense to you, please add your comments, and plan to come to the next meeting at 4:00 p.m. on January 23, at the Mary Williams Center.
M.K.Gleason
Aging in Place: An Intergenerational Priority
From The Huffington Post 12/12/2014 By Susan Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.A. and Emma Lape
The baby boom generation is revolutionizing American culture, leaving its mark on every product, service, and institution it touches in the 21st century. As baby boomers grow older, society is transforming as a result with services related to aging including health care, retirement planning, housing, and community life. Consider this: 8,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day. [1] In 2013, adults over 65 constituted 14 percent of the population in the United States and will account for an estimated 20 percent by 2050. [2] There are already 55,000 Americans over age 100, and by 2050 the number of centenarians will reach 600,000 — roughly the population of the entire state of Vermont! [3] What’s more, the baby boom generation is more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation. By 2050, 20 percent of seniors will be Hispanic, 12 percent black, and 9 percent Asian. Women are a majority of seniors, accounting for 57 percent of the U.S. population today and a projected 55 percent of Americans over age 65 by 2050. [4]
Currently, one of the greatest unmet needs of seniors is the ability to age in place. Today, 93 percent of Americans over 65 live independently in the community, while only 3 percent reside in assisted living facilities and 4 percent in nursing homes. Moreover, studies show that the vast majority of older adults want to age in place. Aging in place can be understood as:
“The ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level.” [5]
The concept is a simple one: Increasingly, older adults want to stay in their own homes, neighborhoods, and towns even if this necessitates specialized services to maintain their independence. Read the rest of this entry
