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Engaging with
aging, our own and our parents', is a
path roughened by complex issues and,
occasionally, smoothed by creative
responses. In this issue of Engage,
we consider how to understand our smart, stubborn
elders, how to understand new approaches to senior
health, and how to understand the unique
complexity of our own aging. And in the
spirit of preparing for Spring's new growth, our
events have a healthy theme. We hope this
month's Engage will find you encouraged and
enlivened.
We hope
you will share Engage with your
family and friends.
Sincerely,
Institute
on Aging
Helping
Bay Area Seniors Live Independently
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The Cane Conversation
By Tracey Barnes Priestley
for the
Times-Standard
"Here's a frustration I
hear with regularity: How do you get a senior to
use a cane? This actually happens to be one
discussion I've been having with my dear old mom
ever since she broke her hip last year. At 82, her
mind is sharp, her health is excellent. But
frankly, her balance is shot.
My mother and I have hit
the wall on this topic a number of times. (Well,
her definition of the "wall" is that she'll
politely listen to her concerned daughter and
then, change the subject.)
Realizing I'm not getting
anywhere, I've tried hard to understand why so
many seniors refuse to use canes. Really now,
we're talking about intelligent people here, with
a lifetime of learning under their belts. Most are
quite capable of decision making and are often
living independently. What's at play
here?..."
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PACE: Health Care
Delivered as It Should Be
By Jane Gross for The NY
Times - New Old Age blog
"Hardly
anyone has a good word to say about this country's
fragmented system for delivering and paying for
long-term care, with one exception: the PACE
program, which many experts laud as long-term care
done right.
PACE, an acronym for "program of
all-inclusive care for the elderly," provides
anything and everything a frail elderly person and
her family might need, coordinated by a team of
medical and social service providers, for an
annual fee generally paid by Medicare and
Medicaid. The care can be delivered at home, a
PACE center, a hospital or a long-term care
facility - seamlessly moving back and forth under
the supervision of one interdisciplinary team for
a fixed cost.
The model for PACE was developed 27 years ago
in San Francisco's Chinatown/North Beach area by a
community center called On Lok (Cantonese for
"peaceful, happy abode")..." Read
more...
Learn more about San
Francisco's PACE
programs. |
Community
Events
provided by Community Health Resource Center
Blood Pressure Screening
More than 1 in 3 adults have high blood
pressure. High blood pressure may result in
stroke, heart attack, heart failure and arterial
aneurysm. It is also a leading cause of kidney
failure. Keep track of your blood pressure
with these screenings.
When:
Friday, March 20th, 1pm-2pm
Where: 2100 Webster St., Ste
100
San Francisco, CA
Cost:
Free
For more information, call (415)
923-3155
Cholesterol: Heart
Healthy Foods
Are
your cholesterol levels high? Did you know
that high cholesterol is one of the major risk
factors for heart disease? Join a Registered
Dietitian to discover how changing dietary habits
and learning new approaches to eating can improve
cardiovascular health.
When:
Tuesday, March 24th,
12:30pm-2pm
Where: 2100
Webster Street, Suite 106
San Francisco,
CA
Cost: requested
donation $10
For more
information, call (415)
923-3155
Bone Density Screening
Estimates are that one out of every two women
over the age of 50 will be affected by
osteoporosis; so will one out of every eight
men. Learn your bone density at this
screening.
When: Wednesday, March
25th, 10am-12pm
Where: 2100
Webster St., Ste 100
San Francisco,
CA
Cost: $30
For more
information, call (415)
923-3155
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ENCOURAGE
Dear
Encourage,
I am an 82-year "young" widowed woman
living on my own in San Francisco. I love the city
and try to stay involved in projects I enjoy. I am
grateful to have lived to this ripe age with no
major physical ailments, yet it seems to me the
older I get, the more I notice the people around
me - my friends - dying. I find it difficult
to talk with my children about how I am feeling
& I often wonder how other older folks feel
about their later life. My question is whether
there is a place where I can talk with
other people around my age about our
experiences on this "growing older"
journey?
Dear Reaching
Out,
I am glad you asked that
question! Your curiosity and willingness to
explore the later stages of your development are
shared by many other inquiring minds. Many of the
older adults whom I work with express to me their
frustration in that they oftentimes feel dismissed
by relatives when they try to engage in
conversations about later life. It may be out of
their own fear of getting older or their
discomfort with the topic. At Institute on Aging,
we are forming a weekly discussion group entitled,
"Aging Today: Opportunities and Obstacles in Later
Life" in response to having identified a need for
older adults to join together to discuss their
aging journeys. Social support is so important for
mind, body and spirit at all ages, but especially
for those who have a heightened sense of awareness
of how their support systems are getting smaller.
If you are interested in learning more about this
group, please give us a call.
Contact Janet L.
Meiselman, PsyD (415) 750-4180, ext.
216.
Do you have a
question about engaging with life as a
senior? Send it our way. Please note, questions
may be printed but will be kept strictly
anonymous. Click here to email
us. | |
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Every month we highlight a family
tradition, such as a recipe, a craft, or a cultural
holiday. Please suggest a tradition from
your family!
This month's family
tradition:
Roses!
Blooming season is around the
corner. If you want big, beautiful rose bushes
through the summer, March is the time to prune.
And throughout this rainy season, remember the 3
W's of gardening:
Weeding,
Watering
&
Waiting!
Click here to find pruning tips
for a variety of roses. Enjoy!
We'd like to feature part of your heritage.
Share a recipe, tradition or family story. We'd love to
print it! Click here
to email
us. | |
