Challenging your brain keeps it sharp as you age After she retired from her job as a medical transcriptionist, Elaine Savage grew isolated. She rarely went out or talked to friends on the phone. She relied on her family to do her grocery shopping. Then, a class changed her life. After seeing a leaflet, Savage signed up to take part in a study on aging run by psychologists at the University of Texas at Dallas. There, researchers assigned her to a 14-week course on digital photography and quilting. Meeting new people and learning new things whet her appetite for adventure. Participating in the UTD study, Savage says, “is probably one of the highlights of my life.” Those results are well beyond what Denise Park, head of UTD’s Center for Vital Longevity, might have expected. As people age, the frontal areas of the brain — those associated with learning, reason and memory — shrink. Those physical changes in the brain lead to declines such as memory lapses, difficulty learning new things and trouble shifting focus from one task to another.
The Future of Retirement - Business News By Rappaport, Anna As the population is living longer, periods of retirement have been lengthening. At the same time, more people are leaving the workforce gradually rather than in one step. By building on research and data from a variety of sources and combining this information with intuition, the author of this article explores the context for retirement in the future; sets forth alternative scenarios for retirement; and discusses the public policy, individual and family implications of these scenarios. In doing so, she considers the perspectives of the individual, the employer sponsoring retirement plans and society as a whole. OUTLINE This article looks at different ways to define retirement as part of the lifecycle and focuses on reinventing retirement to create a better future. * Retirement: a historical perspective: This section provides a brief history of retirement and a perspective on retirement today. * The future: Where do we go from here? Life spans are increasing. 1. 2. 3.
Nutrition.com.sg - Healthy Eating - Healthy Eating For Seniors Fibre is more important than ever to prevent constipation and gastrointestinal diseases such as diverticulosis (formation of pouches in the lining of the large intestine that can cause spasm or cramping). At around age 40, calcium and other minerals start to move out of bones faster than they can be replaced. In women at menopause, the drop in estrogen (which helps bones hold on to calcium) causes greater bone loss than in men. Antioxidant vitamins E, C and beta carotene (a form of vitamin A) have prompted considerable discussion about their health-promoting benefits. National ‘Aging in Place’ Week is October 15-21 What is ‘aging in place’? Aging in place means that planning is required for seniors to continue to live independently at home and within their communities. It’s a step beyond staying at home, a term used to describe seniors who are capable of doing everything for themselves. Aging in place benefits aging Americans and our society as a whole. To raise awareness of this important issue and develop solutions to the impending crisis in housing, healthcare, and costs of the growing older population, the National Aging in Place Council (NAIPC) has dedicated October 15-21, 2013 as National Aging in Place Week. The National Aging in Place Council (NAIPC) is an association of service providers in your town who are dedicated to helping aging persons have a healthy and comfortable life at home. Know this; the aging in place solution is complex. By 2030, seniors will reach a projected 19% of our population, or 72 million, Americans over the age of 65. (1) Want to learn more about aging in place?
Nutrition and older adults | Nutrition Australia Eat well to age well As you get older, it’s important to continue choosing healthy foods and enjoying eating as a social activity that you can look forward to. However as we get older our lifestyles and appetite can change and this can affect the types and amounts of foods we eat. A decreasing appetite or reduced ability to buy and prepare healthy foods can mean that many older people don’t get enough essential vitamins, mineral and fibre, and this can contribute to general unwellness or exacerbate some chronic illness. It is important to use every meal and snack as an opportunity for maximum nutrition and find ways to improve your diet to fit with your personal tastes, ability and lifestyle, even if this means asking for help from friends, family or other community services. Ask your doctor, health centre or hospital, or local council for available support services in your community, or visit www.seniors.gov.au On this page: Use less salt Drink more water Limit your intake of high fat foods
Long-term Care: Perceptions, Experiences, and Attitudes of Americans 40 or Older | NORC.org Chicago, April 24, 2013—The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research announces the publication and availability of a major survey that provides a new baseline of understanding about what Americans 40 years or older believe about their need for long-term care services, what such care would cost, and how such issues fit into their concerns about growing older. The survey reveals that while there is widespread concern among this population about the need for long-term care, little is being done to plan for it. Funding for the survey was provided by The SCAN Foundation. “It is estimated that 70 percent of Americans who reach the age of 65 will need some form of long-term care for an average of three years each,” said Trevor Tompson, director of the AP-NORC Center. “The rapidly aging population brings with it important social and public policy questions about preparing for and providing quality long-term care. Statistics about the aging of America are compelling.
Brain Training Research Brain Training Research - Proof Positive A woman recently told us that LearningRx brain training transformed her withdrawn, frustrated third-grader into a happy, confident student. This mom needed no scientific data to convince her that one-on-one brain training works. But moms aren't the only ones who are convinced: A growing body of scientific research documents the science behind our programs as well as the results of our training. See the research below. White Papers: These whitepapers cover a variety of topics related to brain science. They are written by Dr. and has more than 15 years of experience in scientific writing. Brain Plasticity and Cognition Download NowDyslexia and Reading Problems Download NowAutism and Cognitive Remediation Download NowTraumatic Brain Injury and Cognitive Remediation Download Now Studies: The completed studies below provide a comprehensive analysis of gains experienced by LearningRx clients. Brain Training Research: 2011 LearningRx Results Report
Recommendation No. 1 for a secure retirement: "age in place" Owning a home in which you can “age in place” carries many financial benefits, not the least of which is saving on exorbitant nursing home costs. Photo courtesy of flickr user WriteAwayPR. Lew Mandell, the author of “”What To Do When I Get Stupid: A Radically Safe Approach to a Difficult Financial Era,” is back. His reappearance on these pages comes less than a week after his post, “An 8.3 Percent Return on Your Money, Guaranteed for Life?” “Aging in place” has been the focus of an occasional series from PBS NewsHour’s health unit. Mandell acknowledges the psychological and health benefits of aging in a familiar place, but here he also explains the financial importance to owning a home in which you can age in place. There are many benefits to owning an age-in-place home in retirement. First, what do we mean by an age-in-place home? Many apartment-style homes are well-suited to aging in place. Some retired friends with low-rate mortgages resent my strong preference for debt-free homes.