 |
The Art of Aging Well
“You can’t set the clock back, but you can rewind it!”
Astonishingly, two-thirds of all people who have lived past the age of 65 in the history of the world are alive today. And the U.S. Census estimates that, by 2030, one in five Americans will be age 65 or older. So why are words like aging, senior and elderly so often whispered or avoided — especially when the Art of Aging Well is within our grasp? As George Eliot once observed, “It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
It’s also never too early to begin to think about the future and take the steps that will allow you to live your senior years the way you want to live. So what can you learn about aging well?
We asked several “artfully aging” seniors, including some of the more than 2,000 residents of the Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America for their secrets. The possibilities are virtually endless, but let’s look at their top Tips for the Art of Aging:
“It [growing older] is going to happen, so you might as well look up instead of down!” says Edna Mae Moomaw, who makes her home at the Dodge City, Kan., Manor of the Plains. “Enjoy things … and put a smile on your face.”
Myrtle LaBrier Mumma, a resident of Presbyterian Manor in Rolla, Mo., agrees. “Enjoy and accept each chapter of living as it comes,” says Mumma — an 87-year-old newlywed. “Live life to the fullest and always have a positive attitude!”
There is a movement afoot in America today. You may not have heard of “Stealth Gerontology” yet, but you’re being exposed to it every day. Stealth Gerontology is spreading the word: We don’t become less as we age, we become more.
In a country obsessed with youth and looking “young,” it’s time for us to take a long, hard look in our collective mirror and realize that aging is not a bad thing. Rather than deny the aging process, feeling pressured to look, dress and act young, Stealth Gerontology encourages us to embrace our older, better selves.
Witness the phenomenal growth of the Red Hat Society, the self-professed “new women’s movement [that is] “changing the perception of aging … to have fun and bond in sisterhood as [we] travel through the aging process together.”1
From its humble beginning in 1998 of just 18 fifty-plus friends gathering for tea, the Society has skyrocketed to more than 34,000 chapters in more than 25 countries and now counts nearly a billion red-and-purple-clad women among its members.
“Friends are important — very important — at every stage of life,” says Norv Gish, a resident and avid volunteer at Presbyterian Manor’s Aberdeen Village in Olathe, Kan. “Supportive friends become vitally important as age begins to squeeze at your life. Loneliness is a devastating 'disease', and good friends can be the best medicine.”
Many seniors, like Gish, make a whole new set of friends when they move to a retirement community. “Aberdeen Village has a good plan for building a support network through activities of all sorts,” he says. “Friends are ‘on site’ — right there when needed.”
Others look to co-workers and church groups for those lasting friendships. Jerry Young, who recently retired after 42 years with Westar Energy, says, “Most of the group socializing we do is with other Westar retirees. We have a very active club, and we share many common interests.”
Most retirement communities offer a wide variety of group activities — from art classes to bridge games to golf tournaments to polka lessons. But no matter where you live, from whistle-stop towns to bustling cities, chances are excellent that seniors are gathering in fun and fellowship. Check your community’s resources for senior centers and services.
Not only do group activities make the world a better place, they also improve brain function — and even sleep — for older adults, according to a study conducted by Northwestern University.2 In fact, “many of the health changes associated with aging, including the decline in sleep and cognitive abilities, can be attributed to sedentary lifestyles and social disengagement among older individuals,” the Northwestern research concluded.
So, join the crowd. And sleep well.
About Us | Communities | Giving | Site Map
|
|
Helpful Articles from Around the Web
 Oh, Your Aching Feet
A few simple steps can ease nagging, chronic pain. Plus, essential shoe shopping tips.
 Look Young Without Surgery
“Growing old gracefully” means looking 40 in our 60s. The good news: It doesn't take drastic surgery to keep up with the times. |
|
