Advocates For Aging

09/22/2021

It's the first day of fall and an ideal time to talk about reducing risks for falls and injuries. Here's what you want to know.

Falls can happen to anyone, however in older adults they often lead to serious injury and hospitalization. This Friday, Friday, September 24th SDCountyHHSA is offering three workshops on ways you can prevent falls.

1. Hearing Loss and Fall Risk

2. Sample Class "A Matter of Balance"

3. Healthy Bones for Better Balance

It's important to understand falls are not caused by one factor. Often it's a series of preventable incidents that increase your risk for injury. In these three talks you'll learn how your hearing, balance, and bones play in keeping you healthy and fall free.

To register for the sessions: https://bit.ly/fallpreventiona4a

09/16/2021

This lifelong trendsetter is having a moment! 100 years in the making and having the best year ever. Just ask her collaborative business partners!

07/01/2021

We remember when the Dutch village for residents living with dementia launched. Since then similar prototypes have evolved and age-friendly communities are growing.

The success of these initiatives is financial sustainability after an initial grant period. Now, the German Department of Future Aging is tackling funding by advising, training, and collaborating to raise funds for maintain programs.

Keep an eye on this model as the world tilts closer to an age driven society.

The town started asking people age 50+ what they needed to live a full life.

06/21/2021

As specialists in aging we continue to move our mission forward changing the cultural lense of aging as the move to the end of life. We believe when you age you are actively living your life. If you're provide products or services, recognizing your client is aging each day is the best way to future proof business.

The world's population is aging. How are we to pay for the pensions and healthcare of a burgeoning number of elderly?

04/02/2021

Pandemic Conversations Worth Having

The pandemic is the catalyst for many family conversations about health, finance, and the eventuality of some form of caregiving. In American culture "caregiving" often carries the specter of burden or unwanted responsibilities, which in fact negate two powerful words, care and giving. For most of us who are socially engaged with families, neighbors, and coworkers we are caregivers. Mindful of our actions and words that affect how we navigate relationships.

From the moment you wake up if you live with someone you decide whether to care or help. Do you take out the trash? Make a shopping list? That is a form of caregiving. Heading out the door in your neighborhood. Do you carefully drive to avoid small children or the cat next door? That too is a form of caregiving. Now, whether you log on or swipe to enter your workplace how do you greet your colleague? "Hey young fella or Bill, it's good to see you?" Again, these are forms of caregiving. The actions and languages you practice are all part of caregiving. It's all about the perspective in which you choose to move forward post pandemic.

Going forward, I call on families lift the veil on conversations once considered too personal. Pre existing conditions, financial decisions, and how to best help family members and close friends.

Judi Bonilla, Aging Expert is an aging expert, speaker, and author. She's the Director of Program Innovation at Advocates For Aging, and the social media strategist at Best Social Media Lounge providing products and services for age 50 plus market.

For more resources on the art of caring about aging and caregiving follow my colleagues:

⭐ Amy Goyer, Family Caregiving Expert

⭐ Daughterhood San Diego

⭐ Senior Shower Project

⭐ This Chair Rocks

02/03/2021

Ask any gerontologist and they would have predicted the lag. It's why we work with agencies and businesses companies to create age awareness and how their companies can enhance the client experience and reduce barriers.

Seniors with family members or friends to help them are getting vaccine appointments, even if it takes days to secure them. Those without reliable social supports are missing out.

12/02/2020

A Cornell University study equipped older New York City residents with smartphones allowing sociologist to track their movements and report where they were, what they were doing and how they felt.

This is the type of real world research we need to understand what it means to age in place. So much of the focus on aging is on caregiving. While it might be an aspect of aging there's so much more to explore as aging becomes associated with active living and exploring the bonus years.

Employing an innovative research method that used smartphones to collect location and real-time survey data, sociologist Erin York Cornwell examined how everyday social environments may contribute to short- and long-term health changes.

12/02/2020

It happens! The future arrives and are you ready? While having enough financial resources is a priority, we continue to underestimate the need for transportation planning.

Remember when it's time to get serious about retirement plan for aging too.

It happens to us all eventually: We slow down a step or two as we grow older. If you’re managing your money on your own, there will come a day when it could catch up with you.

11/18/2020

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is offering a free three-part series discussing aging with disabilities versus aging into disabilities and the role of caregivers and family supports.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host a webinar series on aging with intellectual and developmental disabilities beginning Nov. 30.

11/17/2020

Feeling lonely or are you experiencing social isolation? There is a difference. While almost one quarter of us age 65+ are likely to be socially isolated. Recent research reports a growing number of us are feeling lonely beginning at age 45.

Similar to planning for retirement but not planning for aging, many of us are at risk of developing a lifestyle that leads to social isolation. Bioethicist Nancy Jecker, suggests robots to combat loneliness and isolation.

My insight it's a choice, not my preference and I suggest similar to me make the effort to stay connected today. Pick up the phone, send a text, and reach out. While reconnecting might be uncomfortable it is a choice. I believe making a choice is preferable to accepting an alternative.

The current U.S. marketplace for s*x robots is geared to fulfilling the needs of young, white, able-bodied, heteros*xual males – a population perhaps least in need of such assistance – and simultaneously overlooks a vast demographic of potential customers: senior citizens. A newly published pape...

07/02/2020

In an "eavesdropping" study on older adults' conversations researchers found the less likely they are to share memories of their past experiences. And when they do share memories, they don’t describe them in as much detail as younger people do.

By the time people reach a certain age, they've accumulated enough life experience to have plenty of stories to tell about life "back in their day."