ShAARP Session: Observations from AARP

Results tagged “aging” from ShAARP Session

Jun '09 29

David Goldstein | 11:57 AM | 0 Comments

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At what age are you "old"? As it turns out the answer to that question has a lot to do with the age of the person you're asking. A new Pew Research Center survey shows that while those in their thirties might consider 60 to be old, people over age 65 don't think you're old until you've turned 75. Across the board people are claiming to feel younger than their age might suggest, and that seems like a good thing.

This survey also took a look at the differences of opinion between the generations on a variety of relevant topics. It's really interesting and provides some great insight into how folks at different ages perceive the world around them.

Feb '09 25

David Goldstein | 8:51 AM | 0 Comments

A new study from the Yale School of Public Health has some interesting ramifications. The study measured people's attitudes toward older folks. Thirty years later, the study went back and checked on the health of the people who they had spoken with earlier. The findings were pretty interesting: those participants who had lower opinions of older people or believed negative stereotypes were almost twice as likely to suffer heart troubles or a stroke as those respondents who exhibited more positive beliefs about older people. Really makes you think doesn't it?

Feb '09 11

Alejandra Owens | 1:54 PM | 0 Comments

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There's some great celeb news lately! Here's more for you!

After Bruce Springsteen performed at Superbowl, the Daily News decided to take on a question about our many aging rock stars - like Elton John, Paul McCartney and others - are these older rockers losing their steam?

No way! In fact, it seems that many older artists are just getting better with age. In fact, Springsteen's new album "Working on a Dream," was titled No. 1 on the latest Billboard's Top 200 Album list. A snippet of the Daily News' review of the album:

No other current, seasoned star has managed to tower over the charts while scoring that kind of zeigeist bullseye. "Working on a Dream" could serve as a virtual soundtrack to the country right now.

It's all about hope at a time when we could really use some, tempered by a realization that for such positive emotions to seem real they can't come out of nowhere.

The songs on "Dream" may be overwhelmingly uplifting, but they all find their narrator achieving his state of grace only after moving through long, lean years of pain and disappointment.

I'm sure people personally relating to this album is partly why it's so successful - as are all of his records. No matter what, you're still Forever Young to us, Bruce!

Dec '08 29

Alejandra Owens | 1:22 PM | 0 Comments

There's a recent CNN opinion piece by Marian Salzman suggesting that a "newer" older generation is now taking the ranks:

As baby boomers lose their authority and appeal, generational power is shifting one notch down: to cuspers (born roughly 1954-1965), who arrived in style in 2008 with their first truly major figure, Barack Obama (born 1961).

George W. Bush, born in 1946 at the start of the postwar baby boom for which his generation is named, will leave office with the lowest approval ratings since Richard Nixon was president. As Thomas Friedman has written, Bush epitomizes what's now seen as "The Greediest Generation."

Who's to blame for the economy going into serious decline?

That's right, the author also suggests that baby boomers are the easy group to blame for the economic crisis, labeling them as "the generation that pursued pleasure, proclaimed 'I can have it all' and refused to grow old -- '50 is the new 30,' etc." How dare those boomers not play into the "old fogie" stereotype and - gasp - pursue pleasure!! Those shameless, greedy boomers, trying to have fun!

This is not to say that cuspers isn't a group to acknowledge and be interested in, I was actually excited to learn more about this generation. But I don't think that demonizing the boomer generation by equating them with an unpopular President and blaming them on the economic crisis is necessary to counterpoint.

This isn't a competition, it's a group of people - tens of millions of people - and simplifying them as "George Bush's generation" is patronizing and just plain silly.

Oct '08 21

Alejandra Owens | 1:54 PM | 4 Comments

I found this really interesting. A recent piece by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution talks about how 60 is the new 40; in other words, a cultural shift has occurred in the way society views older Americans. The stereotypical image of grandmas in wheelchairs and with canes is being replaced with active and healthy older adults. In other words, people are living longer, and living healthier lives.

I particularly found the thoughts of Pat McVicar, assistant director with the local Area Agency on Aging in California, interesting. She said that the term "elderly" should be thrown out altogether - the preferred terminology is "seniors" or "older adults." Even many active older Americans don't consider themselves "seniors" at all.

This makes total sense considering the stigmas attached to the word "elderly"; folks don't want to be associated with negative stereotypes. But is this rejecting the fact that aging is a reality and not necessarily a bad thing? What are you thoughts? Do you think "elderly" is politically incorrect?

Sep '08 19

David Goldstein | 9:46 AM | 0 Comments

Exercise and diet are always important parts of ensuring a long and healthy life. However, it's starting to look more and more like certain people are just born with the genes to live past 100. You've either got 'em or you don't. Researchers across the world are sifting through the volumes of human genetic information to try and pinpoint longevity genes. A key part of their efforts is studying the genetic makeup of the mere 79 men and women who are alive today and over the age of 110. If scientists can isolate the genes that lead to longevity you'd better start planning to save a lot more for retirement.

Sep '08 18

Alejandra Owens | 3:02 PM | 0 Comments

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An article titled, "Why Presents Become Less Exciting As You Get Older" talks about how as we age, our brain's "reward system" doesn't function as strongly as it once did, making older folks less inclined to be excited about gifts than younger people are.

The new study says this is why kids are so excited to get presents, because a chemical in the brain which controls the feeling of reward is abundant when young, but decreases significantly as a person grows older.

I'm always interested to know more the science behind how our body ages, but a part of me has a hard time believing that there's biological certainty we'll all like gifts less as we get older. I don't know about you, but I've definitely seen 60+ year old men gleefully jump up and down for joy when they get a present!

Sep '08 18

David Goldstein | 2:27 PM | 0 Comments

With age comes wisdom. This concept is widely held and accepted in most cultures around the world. Recent research has lent further credibility to this notion. In a study conducted by Brandeis University psychologist Margie Lachman amongst others participants of various ages were asked to evaluate the past ten years of their lives and speculate on their next ten years. Nine years after the initial survey respondents were asked to compare how their predictions for the future held up when compared to reality. The results showed that while younger participants had the rosiest predictions for the future, older respondents felt that their time had more accurately met their expectations. A major conclusion of the study was that older participants were not as fixated on the future because they were more focused on enjoying the present.

Aug '08 19

Alejandra Owens | 10:58 AM | 0 Comments

53-year-old Greg Norman's surprise showing at the British Open a few weeks ago--and 41 year old swimmer Dara Torres' heroics at the Olympic trials--has Bill Lohmann of the Richmond Times-Dispatch probing the larger story of sporty boomers.

According to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, the number of health-club members 55 or older in 2005 was 8 million, an increase of 314 percent since 1990. The number in the 35-to-54 age category, 13.5 million, represents an increase of 113 percent.

The success of aging famous athletes on the world stage might lead even more boomers to join health clubs or sign up for more golf lessons, which would certainly please Pulliam and other teaching pros. At the least, such triumphs of age will reinforce what boomers already know, said Hunter Schwartz, director of operations at the James Center YMCA in downtown Richmond.

Alas, this welcome increase in athletics among boomers also has a downside.

In May, the American College of Sports Medicine convened a symposium on "Overuse Injuries in the Baby Boomer: The Results of Years of Abuse." Health-care professionals discussed the problems of acute injuries such as broken bones, ruptured tendons and ligaments, torn rotator cuffs, ankle sprains and knee injuries suffered at a young age. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons even has a name for sports injuries among boomers: "boomeritis."

The phenomenon of the aging boomer athlete was documented by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission this decade when it reported that sports injuries among boomers increased 33 percent from 1991 to 1998. As boomers continue to try to stay young and fit, chances are this trend will only get worse.

To avoid "boomeritis" Jane Brody of the New York Times says "exercise, exercise, exercise!"

Aug '08 4

David Goldstein | 9:01 AM | 1 Comments

What would it be like to be 85? Many people wonder what things will be like later in life, but few actually get the opportunity to experience this. At one retirement community in Ohio, employees are getting such a chance. In order to better understand the people they serve, employees of the retirement community took part in a course in which they put on glasses to distort vision, put cotton balls in their mouths and noses to inhibit hearing and smell, and wore gloves with rubber bands on the knuckles to simulate a loss of dexterity. These people could experience what it's like to be 85. The result? A much greater understanding of the trials and tribulations that older Americans go through every day.