Age friendly communities

The World Health Organization (WHO) began an Age-friendly initiatives and studies in 2007, so I want to review what is happening in my home province of B.C. The WHO studies provided a consistent description of the key features that make a community age-friendly.

1.Age-friendly are places where ALL ages can live and age actively because they provide:

a. Outdoor spaces and public buildings that are pleasant, secure and physically accessible.

b. Public transportation that is accessible and affordable.

c. Housing that is affordable, secure, well located, designed, and built.

2.Older people have opportunities for social participation in leisure, social, cultural, and spiritual activities.

3.Older people are treated with respect and are included in civic life.

4.Opportunities for employment & volunteerism cater to older peoples’ interests and abilities.

5.Age-friendly communication and information is available.

6 Community support and health services tailored to older peoples’ needs

Many communities realize demographics in their community are changing. Some of the media reports would have us believe this trend is scary. The age-friendly concept presents an opportunity for communities to deal positively with the change, and to improve communities for ALL ages.

Seniors are leading efforts to make sure their communities work for all stages of life –And the most successful efforts are based on finding out from fellow seniors what is working, what isn’t and what changes are needed. The success of any age-friendly initiative depends on a person or group who is passionate about the idea and will lead it through.

Success also comes from collaborative efforts between community members/groups and local government commitment and action.

So what is an age-friendly community? 

It is the kind of place where we all want to live, no matter our age. A simple definition is a community that supports and enables older people to “age actively” – to live in security, enjoy good health & participate fully in society.

An age-friendly community is a community for all ages, but there are important reasons for communities to become more accessible and amenable to older people.

The biggest reason for this is well known - there are more elder people in our communities today, and the elder population is growing. Within the next decade, there will be more seniors in B.C. than children. This is a sign of success – we are healthier, living longer and living lives that are more active.

Less well known is the fact that in BC, our aging population is challenging traditional stereotypes:

·       Most seniors live in their own homes; about 25% live alone

·       Almost 1 in 10 don’t speak English

·       Most seniors – almost 70% – are still licensed drivers

·       Some are still in the workforce and that number is steadily increasing

Seniors are not all one group – a 60-year-old will probably have very different needs from a 90-year-old. Seniors are assets to our communities, with a wealth of knowledge and experience to share.

There are great opportunities for communities and businesses who reach out and support older people... and make sure they remain connected to their communities. One of the ways this can be done is through transit.

A great deal of transit is focused upon getting people to work. Public transport must also easily reach hospitals, health centres, public parks, shopping centres, banks, and senior centres.

Key considerations in planning transit in smaller, rural communities is the availability of public transit. Where it is not available, many communities have created programs with voluntary drivers of vans, and buses.  Often this kind of transport is subsidized by the government.  There are also programs where vans and smaller buses will take older persons to larger centres for health services.

Over 120 communities around BC have completed one or more age-friendly projects. The variety of projects is huge- and you probably already know about many more.

·       ·Abbotsford: Getting Around Town - scooter safety initiative – booklet with safety tips.

·       Sunshine Coast Regional District / Sechelt: bus stop improvements – light switches, accessibility.

·       Saanich: Cordova Bay Community Place community program space for seniors housed within an elementary school. Won a Union of British Columbia Municipalities community excellence award in 2006.

·       Revelstoke:  installed grit boxes so individuals can deal with icy conditions; the city refills the boxes as part of the regular street maintenance.

·       Port Hardy: Added accessible shower heads for each locker room at the Recreation Centre and a handicapped washroom; a ramp to enter the building; bought extendable curling sticks at curling club.

·       Comox: Added an Age-friendly chapter in their Official Community Plan  

The Province provided direct consulting support to 30 communities between 2007 to 2010, and the consulting team produced an evaluation of their experience in December 2010. That study found a number of factors that contributed to success in communities.

·       Strong support of local government – local government is not the only partner...but it is central. When the Mayor and Council or Directors are behind local efforts, and there is public support for an age-friendly community, you are well on your way.

·       Local champions, dedicated staff persons – government can’t promote this alone... need people at the ground level who are paying attention to age-friendly, and actually have it as part of their job

·       Strong local partnerships that include seniors – COSCO motto – plan with seniors, not for seniors. This is not a surprise, but important to remember – local initiatives will miss the mark if they don’t include the very people they are trying to serve.

(Link for complete study: http://www.seniorsbc.ca/documents/pdf/afbc_evaluation_report.pdf)

The BC Seniors Healthy Living Secretariat has an age-friendly coordinator in place; they have put out a number of resources, which are available at the SeniorsBC website or in paper form.

The primary document is a local government guide, which outlines the steps communities can take. It is meant for local government staff and elected officials, but others can use it to get involved as well.

There is also a guide for business – Creating an Age-friendly Business in B.C. – to help businesses make changes to become more attractive to older adults as both customers and employees.

The Secretariat is also developing short videos to highlight successful age-friendly projects around the province, and those will be made available for communities to use when they want ideas for an age-friendly project.

All of these are available through the Secretariat’s Age-friendly Coordinator (email: agefriendlyBC@gov.bc.ca ).

Change only comes about through community action and by being politically active. There are many ways to do so:

·       Join a senior’s organization in your community

·       Pursue social activities with others

·       Seek out people with similar interests (get involved in a club, church or other organization)

Giving back in retirement

As a species we have added 30 years to our lives, over the past century, not just for the lucky few but also for the majority of people in the developed world, and now the developing world. What does this new stage of life mean? 

Psychologists Erik and Joan Erikson viewed later life as a time when the impulse to give back to society (generativity) becomes an urgent need. 

Carl Jung, who was unique among early psychologists in his interest in the challenges of the second half of life, saw older age as a rich period of spiritual growth and individuation. 

Betty Friedan, who trained as a social psychologist, researched the issue of aging late in her life, and suggested that there is a “fountain of age,” a period of renewal, growth, and experimentation based on a new freedom.

The truth is, we do not yet know what this new stage of life can be, but the first step is to change the lens through which we view aging and challenge our stereotypical assumptions.

I believe that retirement does not have to be a time to detach from the world. It can be a time where you actually have the time and the energy to give back to your community. 

Here is a  challenge: this morning is to put together a retirement plan or increase what you put towards retirement so that you may have the chance to find more meaning in your life at retirement rather than improve your golfing handicap.

A Gallup survey on volunteering in the U.S.A. found that 52% of volunteers do it because they like doing something useful and helping others. Another 38% said they enjoy doing volunteer work and feeling good about themselves. Whether you donate money or time, giving back is beneficial--and not just for the recipients. Research has shown that the old adage, “it’s better to give than to receive” is true after all.

Besides feeling good about yourself for doing something for others, giving back is also good for your physical health. 

In a Canadian study, 85% of Ontario volunteers rated their health as "good," compared to 79% of non-volunteers. Only 2% of volunteers reported "poor" health, one-third the amount of non-volunteers who reported the same health status.

Still other studies have shown a relationship between volunteering and increased self-esteem, with volunteers reporting both greater personal empowerment and better health. Doing for others may stimulate the release of endorphins, which has been linked to improve nervous and immune system functions, too.

So, besides improved nervous and immune systems here are some other reasons for volunteering: 

• Make social connections. Loneliness and boredom are common among retirees, students, and transplants to a new city. Volunteering can relieve this sense of social isolation and help you fill empty hours in the day.
• Develop and grow as a person. Volunteering is an excellent way to explore your likes and dislikes. If you are interested in a new career, volunteer in the field first to see if you will actually like it. You may find a totally unrelated field is a much better fit for you, one you would never consider if you had not volunteered there first
• Gain a new perspective. Life can be hard and when you’re feeling down, your problems can seem insurmountable. Volunteering can offer a new perspective—seeing people who are worse off than you are, yet still hanging in there, can help you see your life in a whole new light.
• Know that you're needed. Feeling needed and appreciated are important, and you may not get that appreciation from your paid work or home life where the things you do are expected or taken for granted. When you volunteer, you realize just how much you are truly needed. Meeting people who need your help is a strong incentive to continue—people are depending on you. If you do not do it, who will?
• Boost your self-esteem. Many volunteers experience a sense of increased self-esteem and greater self-worth. Helping others makes you feel good about yourself, because you are doing something for someone that they could not do for themselves.

Government agencies on Ageing in the US

The American government  has a lot more agencies related to ageing than just Social Security and Medicare. Until now, they have been scattered all over the internet but recently the Department of Healthy and Human Service (HHS) has rounded them up into a one-stop shop. 

It is the mission of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans. 

They fulfil that mission by providing for effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health, and social services.

One hope for 2016

One of my many hopes for this year is that there is an end to our ageist society that devalues seniors. A clear message from my friends and senior groups is their strong desire to ensure that society values what they can do and their sense that they often feel “invisible”. 

While some seniors do need assistance, seniors actively contribute to their communities in many ways and their contributions should be recognized. 

Many, many seniors and senior groups express dismay at the portrayal of seniors as a drain on the system. Seniors spoke of the contributions they make as volunteers, as unpaid caregivers and donors to many philanthropic causes, and pointed to the taxes they pay and have paid in support of services available to all British Columbians.

What is an ageist society?

Ageism is a form of discrimination and prejudice, particularly experienced by seniors. Most seniors are mentally and physically active regardless of age with a great deal to contribute.

However, societal norms marginalize seniors, treat them with disrespect, make them feel unwelcome and otherwise generalize as if they were all the same. 

For example:   

• Late night comedians and talk show hosts joke about seniors and memory loss;
• Doctors often talk past the senior patient to an adult child as if the senior wasn't even in the room;
• Younger adults mock seniors for being “slow”;
• Commercial advertisements depict seniors as out of date, and lacking knowledge about modern culture and new technologies;
• Certain laws and regulations are paternalistic towards seniors and limit their choices. 

Ageism robs seniors of choice, independence, dignity and negatively impacts their quality of life.  My hope is that this year we can seek to illuminate discriminatory practices that adversely affect seniors’ lives, illuminate prejudicial attitudes toward the aging process, and institutional practices that perpetuate stereotypes about seniors. 

Reunions

A friend of mine from university, who I had not seen for 5 years, phoned me up and we went to lunch. Reunions with old friends is a good way to wander down memory lane. We talked of the present, the near past, friends, and memories from university days. We sauntered down memory lane and talked of things to come. 

Reunions are interesting, I am thinking about them because 50 years ago I graduated high school and started at a brand new university. My friend and I had both had been Charter students at Simon Fraser back in 1965 and had traveled through some exciting and challenging times. He told me that he was thinking of writing a book about those times, from a students perspective. We both had read other books written by Faculty and historians but we both commented that these books did not reflect the university that we knew as the writers had agendas or kept the script politically correct.

Reunions are fun for other reasons, they are a time for checking out the sweetheart who you left, or who left you; finding  friends who drifted away, and a time for wondering what might have been, if I had stayed with so and so. Two friends of mine went to their 50th high school reunion last year and talked about how much fun it was and how they quickly reverted back to their high school personalities. 

I think my high school may have its 50th reunion and as well my university will celebrate its 50th year in operation and if both do this, I will go to both celebrations as I am looking forward to seeing who is still around. 

It was interesting to me to hear my friends talk about about the fact that the majority of their classmates had not left the community, so, it was far easier to catch up as the they had seen people around town over the years. 

At my 35th high school reunion I found out that  I was one of the few people from my class that left my community and I was one of the few that had not returned to live. About 90% of my graduating class were still living in my home town. 

I was surprised, but I did some research and found that people when they retire move back to their roots their home towns.This will  poses a huge challenge to small communities which will have to build the infrastructure needed to care for an aging population.  One that I hope our community is ready for as the boomers move back home.

Is your sense of time speeding up?

If you’re like me, someone who always has an over full schedule, you probably feel like the days just fly by. It seems like it just turned 2014 and we’re already 90% of the way through the year. 

This sense of time speeding up appears to be a phenomenon that progresses as we age.

As a child it seemed like Christmas would never come, and the school year would never end.  

There is  a psychological explanation for why this happens. Ronald E. Riggio, Ph.D. says in his article in Psychology Today, “while there are a number of theories, the best explanation is that novel experiences seem to slow time perception down. Repetition of events seems to make them go faster. As a child, who has experienced few Christmases, each one brings anticipation and a certain novelty. For the parents (and especially the grandparents), it’s all too familiar – the same old, same old.”

“Here’s another example: The first time you drive to a distant locale, it seems like it takes forever (remember that first weekend getaway, or commuting trip the first day of the new job?). As you repeat the drive, over and over, the time flies by, and you can’t recall any specific trip, unless something “memorable” happens. A really long traffic jam; a fender bender; etc. Or, the first day of a two-week beach side vacation seems to go on and on, a long, and enjoyable experience (“Wow, I've got two whole weeks of this!”). But before you know it, you’re packing for home”

It appears that the familiar makes time go faster. Unique and memorable events slow time down.

So to slow down our life, to enjoy our days more, we want to slow down our sense of time. The longer we live the more we have created a comfort zone and we tend to stay within that. In her blog article, 8 Steps to Break Out of Your Comfort Zone, Kathy Sporre says “comfort zones develop slowly – almost imperceptibly. 

Soon the air in the comfort zone gets stale, the flow of life begins to stagnate, and personal growth comes to a gradual halt. In some cases, personal growth can even shift into reverse.” Kathy offers eight steps to break out of your comfort zone. In summary she suggests the following:

-        Reconnect with your spiritual side of life in whatever way you find fulfilling

-        Volunteer to help your favorite charity or cause

-        Get physical and feel stronger

-        Be a friend. Do things together and for each other

-        Open the door and go outside

-        Listen to your feelings and share them with a trusted friend or relative

-        Stretch your intellectual muscle by  learning something new

-        Let your innate creativity flow out of your calling.

She explains each of these in more detail in her article.

Breaking the routine is the key to slowing time. Plan for special activities, meet new people, host a party or other event that will bring people together. When you’re in planning mode you’re dealing with something new; you’re forcing your brain to adjust.

According to Alan Henry, author of The Science of Your “Comfort Zone,” and Why It’s So Hard to Leave It, “your comfort zone is a behavioral space where your activities and behaviors fit a routine and pattern that minimizes stress and risk. It provides a state of mental security. You benefit in obvious ways: regular happiness, low anxiety, and reduced stress.”

“In leaving your comfort zone, the experiences you have may be mind-blowing or regrettable, but that doesn’t matter. The point is that you’re doing it, and you’re pushing yourself past the mental blocks that tell you to do nothing.”

If you want to slow down the passage of time in your life, think about what you can do differently to break out of your comfort zone. You’ll not only slow down your days, you’ll find life will become much more interesting when you try new things.

Sarcopenia, what is it and why do boomers need to know about it

One challenge confronting Boomers as we age, and which needs our attention more than any other fact of aging science sarcopenia, this challenge involves muscle wasting due to aging. Sarcopenia derives from the Latin roots, "sarco" for muscle, and "penia" for wasting, making it a “muscle wasting disease.” Sarcopenia is a byproduct of the aging process, the progressive loss of muscle fiber that begins in middle age.

From the time you are born to around the time you turn 30, your muscles grow larger and stronger. But at some point in your 30s, you begin to lose muscle mass and function, a condition known as age-related sarcopenia or sarcopenia with aging. People who are physically inactive can lose as much as 3% to 5% of their muscle mass per decade after age 30. Even if you are active, you will still experience some muscle loss. Without intervention, adults can lose as much as 8 percent of muscle mass every ten years.

Although there is no generally accepted test or specific level of muscle mass for sarcopenia diagnosis, any loss of muscle mass is of consequence, because loss of muscle means loss of strength and mobility. Sarcopenia typically accelerates around age 75 -- although it may happen in people age 65 or 80 -- and is a factor in the occurrence of frailty and the likelihood of falls and fractures in older adults.

Sarcopenia propels a cascade of other medical problems. Less muscle mass and strength leads to faster fatigue. Chronic fatigue leads to less physical activity and a more sedentary lifestyle. Less activity results in fat gain and obesity. Excess weight contributes to glucose intolerance, type II diabetes, and a condition called metabolic syndrome. This syndrome can then cause hypertension and increasing risk for cardiovascular disease.

Muscle wasting contributes dramatically to care costs. Once older patients become incapable of the activities of daily living, such as rising unassisted from a recliner, they are usually institutionalized in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Boomers already know many ways to fight sarcopenia: proper nutrition, weight lifting (resistance training), stretching, and a regular fitness regimen. However, over 40 percent of the generation is overweight or obese. Therefore, the problem is not knowledge; it is motivation.

People who lead a sedentary lifestyle are most likely to experience pronounced sarcopenia as they age. Sitting around on the couch is a good way to ensure serious loss of muscle mass late in life.

For years, physicians have recommended 30 minutes of moderate daily exercise. In most cases, suggestions include exercises like walking and jogging. This type of activity is excellent for the cardiopulmonary system, and it does build some muscle, but resistance training (RT) that requires the use of weights to build muscle is often overlooked.

With the results of studies since the late 1990s pointing to RT as a tool against sarcopenia, some therapists and physicians have started to recommend RT over aerobic exercise. After all, one must first be able to stand before one is able to jog. To stand, one must have muscle strength, which can be developed rather quickly under a RT regimen.

RT has proven that elderly people need not live out their days stooped over and shuffling about. Not only has adopting a resistance training regimen early in middle age has been proven to reduce the appearance of sarcopenia later in life, but RT regimens undertaken by the elderly has been shown to actually reverse sarcopenia by redeveloping muscle mass. Increasing protein intake also helps build muscle. These two breakthroughs combined could lead to a healthier senior adult population, one in which the signs of age aren't quite so obvious.

It is strongly recommended that a person -- especially someone of advanced age -- seek professional advice from a physician, certified personal trainer or physical therapist before beginning a resistance training program. Overexertion leading to torn muscles and even broken bones can happen easily if one lifts too much weight. What's more, some age-related diseases, like diabetes and dementia, can be exacerbated by resistance training.

In one study, elderly people aged 78 to 84 who went on a RT program experienced an average increase in protein synthesis of 182 percent . Another study, funded by the USDA, found that elderly participants who did RT for 45 minutes three times a week for 12 weeks saw an average increase of 32 percent for muscle fiber and a 30 percent increase in strength. Need more convincing? Go to the park and watch a few elderly people with sarcopenia.

Take six weeks

Six Weeks

Would you believe the happiest people in the world if they revealed their prescription for happiness? Most of us don't.　

Because  you're tuned in, you already know more money and longer work weeks lead nowhere.

The happiest people in the world take six weeks of vacation per year.　

On average Americans and Canadians take 8 to 16 days/year.　

To be happier, figure out how to get six weeks off.　

Then take them.

Why do people not take long vacations?　

Simple.　

Vacations place too much demand on you to have fun, too many things to accomplish in the limited time, too many expectations to achieve something that will make the Jones's wince.

Try taking a sabbaticals.

What is a sabbatical you ask? 

Sabbaticals are not just for getting in touch with the spritual, they also allow for rest and renewal.　

Can you live creatively when you work 60 hour weeks year round?　 Most of us can't.　

Just as the land must remain fallow every seven years, your mind and soul need rest.

Here's a tip: Because much of the value of time off comes from your creating plans and the pleasure in your anticipation, take one week or two week breaks instead of one longer sabbatical.　

This can double the happiness benefits of your time off.　

Obviously, do what works for you.

Some people live scheduled lives when they work.　

Others have a more varied life.　

Some like to keep things open.　

Some like structure.　

Let your sabbatical reflect this desire for openness or structure.　

Choose what will generate the most pleasure and least stress.

In contrast to having no plans, I like to eat breakfast in a nice place at the same time in the morning, and take naps at the same time every afternoon.　

While in Australia, I learned the value of walkabouts; they provide you with an opportunity to try new things and to open your mind to the unexpected and to watch and/or  participate in the unfolding magic of life.  Over the years, I have arrived at what works for me.

Whatever style of time off works for you, believe the experts - claim your six weeks and create time off that works for you.

Baby Boomer Handouts Hamper Saving

The following was shared by  Lisa Ann in Active Aging: Baby Boomerfs living life to the Max on Linkedin
 
Ameriprise Financial in 2007 surveyed three generations—boomers, their children and their parents—and learned that less than half of boomers (44%) were trying to save for retirement while also providing support for their children and parents.

Fast forward to December 2011: The portion of boomers saving for their own retirement has fallen to one in four (24%)—but they’re still helping out their families. More than half (58%) are assisting their aging parents, including helping them pay for groceries (22%), medical expenses (15%) or utility bills (14%).

“It’s disturbing that people are still providing the same, intense level of support, up or down, and they’re five years closer to retirement,” says Suzanna de Baca, Ameriprise’s vice president of wealth strategies. “This is not registering with boomers.”

The phone survey included 1,006 baby boomers—born from 1946 to 1964—who have $100,000 or more in investable assets, 300 parents of boomers and 300 children of boomers who were at least 18 years old. The survey had a margin of error of three percentage points for the boomers and six points for the other two groups.

At the same time that boomers are providing all kinds of handouts to their children—paying utility and insurance bills along with college tuition and car payments—they also have “this weird level of guilt and concern” that their children don’t know how to manage money, de Baca says.

Meanwhile, the children receiving the handouts say their boomer parents haven’t talked to them about money—and that they are worried that their parents won’t have enough savings to retire.

“It seems that the people being squeezed right now are the boomers, and that there are two generations in some serious denial,” she says.

Her advice for boomers struggling with their own retirement-savings goals: “You have to cut the cord. And you have to assume your adult children may not be able to provide for you someday.”

The research found that boomers say that given a choice between paying their kids’ credit-card bills or saving for retirement, they’d save for retirement—“but we found nothing backing up that they’re really doing it,” de Baca says