April Aging Events 2024

 

Human Values in Aging Newsletter

 

April 2024

 

 

Excerpted from the HVAN. Thank you, Dr. H.R. Moody, for editing these timely events related to aging! I plan on attending one or more of these events. See you there! AgeDoc

 

NO, AMERICANS DON’T GROW OLD

“The persistent debate about Mr. Biden’s age represents a mass delusion that we are still a nation of the young. We have always liked to think of ourselves as the prototypical country of youth: a nation of plucky strivers, distinguished from the old country by our restless, creative spirit. Such a nation, we might think, ought to be led by someone young, or at least young at heart. Maybe this was even true, once. But it’s not anymore.”

James Chappel, “We’re Not Asking the Most Important Questions About Age” (N.Y. Times, Mar. 6, 2024).

 

BOOKS OF INTEREST

THE OLD LISZT: Music, World and Spirit, by Peter Coleman

(Lutterworth Press, 2023).

 

IKIGAI: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles (Penguin, 2017). See also: https://thiscuriouslife.uknica.co.uk/finding-purpose-the-ikigai-way/

 

THE GIFT OF AGING, by Marcy Cottrell Houle (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2023).

 

WEB SITES TO SEE

AGEISM. Yes, internalized ageism affects elders, too. I received a sweatshirt saying “I Thought Growing Old Would Take Longer.” We need to look at ourselves. Read Kathleen Sullivan’s piece “Old Women Lift” at:

https://kathleensullivan.substack.com/p/old-women-lift

 

CONSCIOUS ELDERING. For the latest issue, see:

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Spring--Conscious-Eldering-Inspiration-and-Resources.html?soid=1105280230787&aid=O860wlwFphY

 

GLOWING OLDER. Podcast interview with H.R. Moody by Nancy Griffin in the “Glowing Older” series of aging well, at: https://www.glowingolder.com/listen/episode/22588642/episode-179-harry-r-moody-on-50-years-in-the-field-of-aging-and-making-the-world-a-better-place

 

COMING EVENTS

 

AGING REIMAGINED Circle. (Apr. 2, 2024, 11:30 am to 1 pm, CT)

From Women Over 70.  Details and registration at:

https://womenover70.com/events-2/

 

DREAM WORKSHOP. (Apr. 3, 10, 17 and 24, 2024). Led by Martha Crawford, psychotherapist and dreamworker. From What A Shrink Thinks. Flexible cost is by donation.  For details see:

https://www.whatashrinkthinks.com/dream-workshop

 

QIGONG: Embodying the Qualities of a Sage through Qigong

(Apr. 4, 11, 18, 25 and May 2, 2024). From Sage-ing International:

https://www.sage-ing.org/events/embodying-the-qualities-of-a-sage-through-qigong/

 

MIDLIFE: Embodying Wisdom of Midlife and Beyond (Apr. 16, 2024,

11 am to 12:30 pm, ET). From Sage-ing International. Details at:

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Embodying-the-Wisdom-of-Midlife-and-Beyond.html?soid=1105697167603&aid=qPzKIcmM4rY

 

UNFINISHED SPIRITUAL BUSINESS (Apr. 17, 3:00-4:30 PDT) “Completing Spiritual Unfinished Business: Recovering from Religious Trauma and Easing Spiritual Suffering in Late Life.” Connie Zweig, hosted by Coming of Age. For registration:  tinyurl.com/spiritualbusiness

 

MIDLIFE, NEW LIFE (Apr. 24, 2024: 12:00 pm EDT).

4th Tuesday Revolutionize your Retirement Interview with Experts Series features Eileen Caroscio, co-author Midlife New Life: Living Consciously in Midlife and Beyond. Interview begins by April 17 at www.revolutionizeretirement.com. Participants receive a recording link after the call. Direct questions to Dori Mintzer at: dorianmintzer@gmail.com

 

SECOND ADULTHOOD. “Life Begins at 50: Embracing Your Second Adulthood” (Apr. 29 to May 4, 2024, Baja California). Jeff Hamaoui offers this workshop sponsored by MEA, the Modern Elder Academy.  Details and registration at:

https://www.meawisdom.com/workshop/life-begins-at-50-embracing-your-second-adulthood-with-jeff-hamaoui

 

WISDOM: Wise Women Emerging (Apr. 24, 2024 and four Wednesdays, 11 am to 12:30 pm, ET). Sponsored by Sage-ing International:

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Wise-Women-Emerging.html?soid=1105697167603&aid=7O0F7P0Sg40

 

PHILOSOPHY: The Philosophical Café for Emerging Elders (Apr. 29, 2024, 12 noon to 1:30 pm, ET). From Sage-ing International. Details at:

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Philosophical-Cafe.html?soid=1105697167603&aid=EzjWvfD6rHg

 

POSITIVE AGING: “7 Tips for Positivity” (Apr. 30, 2024, 7-8 p.m. EDT)   Overcoming hurdles as ageism in job search over 50. Hosted by Coming of Age and led by  Career Coach Renee Lee Rosenberg. For registration see: tinyurl.com/7positivitytips

 

AGING AS SPIRITUAL PRACTICE: Stepping Into the Archetype of the Elder (May 4-Oct. 22, 2024). 10 classes, deepening exploration of the inner work of age. Advanced Training Certificate in Conscious Aging with Connie Zweig and other aging experts. Hosted by Pacifica Graduate Institute. Details and registration:

https://retreat.pacifica.edu/aging-as-spiritual-practice/

 

Talking is GOOD for the Brain

 

Gerontologists, neurologists, and researchers know that social isolation is a risk factor for mental and physical decline among older adults. But why? The brain needs language to keep “firing” and stimulate neurocircuitry and neuropathways that keep the brain healthy, strong, and functioning at maximum capacity. Social isolation and disengagement lead to a type of mental stagnation.

Excessive television viewing is passive engagement and has little brain stimulation. Older adults who spend more than 1.5 hours of watching television daily are at higher risk for dementia and health declines (Budson, 2023). Not only is television watching a passive activity, but it is also sedentary, leading to physical health declines.

I have noticed that older adults with hearing loss sometimes prefer to remain in their silent bubble and forgo hearing aids. The result is usually social isolation. People avoid them because yelling is exhausting and forget about going to a restaurant or public event. Communicating with a person refusing to wear hearing aids is exhausting and selfish. I do not like admitting this, but I avoid them. This type of self-imposed social isolation is the first step in mental decline. People need language to keep our brains healthy. Think about it: In a conversation, you assess body language, you actively listen, formulate your response, speak, listen again, and so forth and so on. The brain is conceptualizing, organizing, and modulating actions and reactions. It is quite a workout!

Does Zooming or Skyping count as “conversations” that stimulate the brain? Yes! A recent research study funded by the National Institutes on Aging suggests that socially isolated adults scored higher on cognitive tests after participating in weekly online conversations designed to stimulate brain regions associated with memory, executive function, and abstract thought (Dodge et al., 2024). Although the study had only 186 participants and further studies are needed, the Dodge study suggests that online conversations between older adults raised cognitive testing scores. This is promising! Older adults who have few opportunities to engage with friends in person may retain and improve cognitive functioning using the internet.

References:

Budson, A.E. (10 April 2023). Does less TV time lower your risk for dementia? https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/does-less-tv-time-lower-your-risk-for-dementia-202304102910#:~:text=Over%2012%20years%2C%20on%20average,decreased%20the%20risk%20of%20dementia.

 

Dodge, H. H., Yu, K., Wu, C. Y., Pruitt, P. J., Asgari, M., Kaye, J. A., Hampstead, B. M., Struble, L., Potempa, K., Lichtenberg, P., Croff, R., Albin, R. L., Silbert, L. C., & I-CONECT Team (2024). Internet-Based Conversational Engagement Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial (I-CONECT) Among Socially Isolated Adults 75+ Years Old with Normal Cognition or Mild Cognitive Impairment: Topline Results. The Gerontologist, 64(4), gnad147. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnad147

 

Language in the brain: (2009) https://www.amnh.org/explore/videos/humans/human-brain-language

 

Photo by Hal Gatewood on Unsplash

March 2024 Events and Opportunities

 

                Happy Belated Birthday, Dr. Harry “Rick” Moody!

Excerpted from Values in Human Aging Newsletter, March, 2024

Rembrandt painted his self-portrait more often than any artist in history. In visual terms he told the story of aging for all times. See Rembrandt by Rembrandt: The Self-Portraits, by Pascal Bonafoux (Harry Abrams, 2019).

 

“This past month was my 79th birthday (don’t send cards; it’s over now). The same day I got a message from a group promoting positive aging (my word) greeting me as someone “in midlife."  I replied that I am now 79 years old, so maybe they got things wrong about me.

 

Oh well. We’re all subject to denial, including gerontologists. There is a moment in the 1981 film "On Golden Pond" when Henry Fonda's character is talking with Katherine Hepburn and she says "We're just middle-aged."  With skepticism Fonda replies: "People don't live to be a hundred and fifty."  She responds: "Well, we're at the far edge of middle-age. That's all."  He replies in turn: "We're not, you know. We're not middle-aged. You're old, and I'm ancient!”

 

Maybe there's a reason why "The Modern Elder Academy" is now called, simply, MEA. It is a wisdom academy and that’s a good thing. Maybe the “Elders” are somebody else.  There’s a travel group once called "Elderhostel" which has a different name now. It's called “Road Scholar.” I know that well, because I used to be the Chairman of the Board of Elderhostel (before the name was changed). Both MEA and Road Scholar are great programs for the second half of life, whatever name we use:”

 

https://www.roadscholar.org/

 

In January, I took my fifth Road Scholar trip to Palm Springs! It provides travel opportunities at all fitness levels for persons aged fifty and over. Check it out! Dr. Jan, the AgeDoc

 

WEB SITES TO SEE   HOW OLD ARE YOU?  “The Puzzling Gap Between How Old You Are and How Old You Think You Are” by Jennifer Senior. There are good reasons you always feel 20 percent younger than your actual age. To find out see: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/04/subjective-age-how-old-you-feel-difference/673086/     MODERNITY & THE AGING BRAIN. There Is lot to say about brain health. But maybe the most important is that, if you’re reading these words, then you’re living in the wrong place and wrong time: “The Modern World Is Aging Your Brain” at: https://www.wired.com/story/aging-brain-volume/?utm_source=pocket-newtab   MOBILIZING WISDOM.  References and resources on positive aging, at: https://mobilisingwisdom.com/  For a recent interview with Ashton Applewhite, see: https://mobilisingwisdom.com/f/ashton-applewhite-on-how-far-we-have-come-in-fight-to-end-ageism   AGING WELL. “Senior Trade” is devoted to the business of aging well: https://www.seniortrade.com/so/8dOsa_7Wl  including the “Glowing Older” podcasts at: https://www.glowingolder.com/     March 2024 ~ COMING EVENTS   LEGACY: “Women's Lives, Women's Legacies” (Mar. 6, 13, and 20, 2024, virtual). A 3-part series with author and family therapist Rachael Freed helps women commemorate their lives. Sponsored by AARP-New York. The events can be attended separately.  For details and registration visit: https://states.aarp.org/new-york/celebrate-womens-lives-and-legacies-and-yours   SYMPOSIUM. Aging and the Habits of the Heart (March 6-8, 2024, Milwaukee, WI).  Saint John’s on the Lake, 7th Annual Symposium on Aging. Details at: https://www.saintjohnsmilw.org/2024-symposium/   JAPAN: Active Aging. ACAP Study Tour on Fukuoka-Care Challenges (March 10-15, 2024, Fukuoka, Japan). Led by Dr. Takeo Ogawa, founder of the Active Aging Consortium in Aging Pacific, assisted by Cullen T. Hayashida, PhD, Sociology Department, University of Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii. More details at:    https://manoa.hawaii.edu/acap/executive-committee/   TURNING POINTS (Mar. 12, 2024, 8:30 am PT). Interview with Raghu Ananthanarayanan by Sufi teacher Jamal Rahman. Video podcast link will be sent out with registration by Mar. 12, 2024. For more details see: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Turning-Points---an-Interview-with-Jamal-Rahman.html?soid=1105697167603&aid=lWBmV_VmXus   OLD SOULS. “Gathering of Old Souls”  (Mar. 12, 2024, 1:30 pm EST). Bi-monthly online conversation for women led by Carol Orsborn, Ph.D. Hosted by Spirit of Sophia. The subject for the March discussion: “The Paradox of Relatedness: Individuation and the dynamic tension between wanting to belong and the desire for solitude.” For details and registration see:   https://spiritofsophia.org/a-gathering-of-old-souls/   WISE WOMEN: Learning to Love Ones Inner Crone (Mar.14-17, 2024 at Wild Rice Retreat, Bayfield, WI). Sponsored by Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined.  Details and registration at: https://wetooshallpass.com/wise-women/   MEETING THE SHADOWS OF AGE (March 15, 4:00-5:30 PST). "Shifting from Role to Soul" with Connie Zweig, hosted by Nashville Jung Circle. Registration: https://www.nashvillejungcircle.org/events-1#!event/2024/3/15/dr-connie-zweig-quot-meeting-the-shadows-of-age-shifting-from-role-to-soul-quot   A TASTE OF CONSCIOUS AGING (Mar. 17, 2024, 11 am, Pacific). Free one-hour webinar on Zoom.  Hosted by Marc Blesoff and Aging With Intention. Details and registration at:   http://www.courageus.org   GRIEF: Soulful Grieving: The Healing Power of Love (Mar. 19, 2024, 11 am to 12:30 pm ET). Sponsored by Sage-ing International.  Details and registration at: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Soulful-Grieving--The-Healing-Power-of-Love-.html?soid=1105697167603&aid=sQRCyJjXnSA   DREAMS: Dream Workshop. (Mar. 20, 2024, 4 pm Pacific). Exploring dreams as a creative, contemplative, & liberatory practice. Sponsored by What A Shrink Thinks. Group meets Wednesday evenings at 4:00 Pacific time, for one hour sessions over 10 weeks.  For details and registration see: https://www.whatashrinkthinks.com/dream-workshop For more on this group, see: https://www.whatashrinkthinks.com/return-to-the-root-retreat   CAREGIVING: Caring for the Caregiver (Mar. 20, 2024, 1 pm, PDT). Webinar on ‘The 'Fireside Wisdom with Childless Elderwomen’ webinar.  Free, live and recorded, with questions invited beforehand. Details and registration at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fR02SGiqSCGZoAxKIm4SMQ   PURPOSE: Cultivating Purpose (Mar. 25-30, 2024, Baja California, Mexico). Sponsored by the Modern Elder Academy (MEA).  Details and registration at: https://www.meawisdom.com/workshop/cultivating-purpose-with-jeff-hamaoui-3    POSITIVE AGING. Lunch meeting (Mar. 26, 2024, 12 noon Pacific). Optional (no-cost) event during Conference of American Society on Aging. Open to all interested in issues the “Human Values in Aging” newsletter. Hosted by H.R. Moody at a restaurant near the San Francisco Hilton. For details and registration, contact hrmoody@yahoo.com   AGING & CLIMATE ADVOCACY. Lunch meeting (Mar. 27, 2024, 12 noon Pacific). Optional (no-cost) event during Conference of American Society on Aging. Open to all interested in the “Climate Change in an Aging Society” newsletter. Hosted by H.R. Moody at a restaurant near the San Francisco Hilton. For details and registration, contact hrmoody@yahoo.com   SURPRISING AGING: “Reflections on The Strange, Surprising and Shiny Years of Aging” (Mar. 26, 2024, 12:00 noon EST).  This 4th Tuesday Revolutionize your Retirement Interview with Experts Series features Andrea Carlisle, author of There Was an Old Woman: Reflections on These Strange, Surprising, Shiny Years. Andrea Carlisle has taught fiction and nonfiction, and her work has been published in literary journals, newspapers, magazines, anthologies, and independent presses. “Go Ask Alice…When She's 94,” her popular blog about her mother, brought attention to aging and caregiving before they were subjects of national interest. Sign-up for the interview begins March 19 at www.revolutionizeretirement.com. Participants will receive a recording link after the call. Direct questions to Dori Mintzer at: dorianmintzer@gmail.com   CHOOSING CONSCIOUS ELDERHOOD (Sept. 11-17, 2024, Sli an Chroi Retreat Centre, St. Patrick’s College, Kiltegan, Wicklow, Ireland). Sponsored by the Center for Conscious Eldering. Details and registration at: https://www.centerforconsciouseldering.com/events/

 

"The Afternoon knows what the Morning never expected."                                                                                -Robert Frost

 

Ageism in the Travel Industry

 

Adriane G. Berg of Ageless Travelers recently presented a webinar to the members of the International Federation on Aging titled, “Ageism in Tourism.” It was not only informative, but it brought to mind the issues I experienced on a recent two-week trip to Southern California. Before reading the rest of this article, please review this site which provides an overview of what she does. https://ifa.ngo/team/adriane-berg/

She is a veteran radio and TV host, an Emmy winner, and seasoned traveler. Adriane is on a quest to encourage older adults to travel and to reduce ageism in the tourist industry. https://nabbw.com/shows/the-ageless-traveler/introducing-the-ageless-traveler/

Over the next ten years, it is estimated that people over 60 will take 1.6 trillion trips and the majority of them are women. Older travelers are healthier mentally and physically, yet the hospitality industry perceives us as helpless. She noted, “We are their bread and butter.” Tourism is staffed by young people, as it is seasonal and often short-term, and they do not understand older adults. We are stereotyped as frail and that impacts the guest experience. Seniors account for a large chunk of travel dollars, as demonstrated below. I have excerpted some facts from the following website: Senior Travel and Tourism Statistics in 2024 │The Senior List

Senior Travel and Tourism Statistics: The Big Picture 

·       Adults aged 60 and above accounted for nearly 37 percent of travelers in 2023, up from 16.45 percent in 2020 – 2021, but not back to pre-pandemic levels (46.3 percent).

·       In 2023, 62 percent of adults aged 50 and over have taken or plan to take a leisure trip.

·       Nearly half of seniors (48 percent) report a desire to return to normal leisure travel in 2024, compared to just 8 percent in 2023.

·       52 percent of seniors aged 50+ rank travel and vacation as their number one priority for discretionary income.

·       Seniors currently average 27 travel days per year, compared to 35 for millennials.

On the webinar, Berg addressed design issues. The hospitality industry has embraced technology, but it is not older adult friendly and business attitudes have marginalized us. Universal design, which means seamless design, is necessary for reducing ageism. She noted that hotel room shelves are often out of reach and forget about reading the shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel bottles! This was a recent frustration for me in my hotels in California: I could not read them without my glasses, but I do not wear glasses while showering!

In the United States, tourism has embraced the idea of senior discounts and “that’s kinda enough.” It is this type of practice that further marginalizes us. Berg pointed out that some underserved nations WANT older travelers, and they have departments of tourism to promote older adults as tourists. These countries are Cambodia, Zambia, Singapore, and Thailand.

 

 

Hoarding Disorder ~ Facts Not Fiction

 

In a recent online seminar with hoarding expert Dr. Catherine Ayres, I gained insights about hoarding among older adults, as this has only been identified as a diagnostic disorder five years ago. Before that, hoarding was classified as a type of “obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).” However, during the past few years, scientists and therapists have gained a clearer understanding of identification and treatment approaches. HGTV is now on their thirteenth season of “Hoarders,” a documentary featuring people with hoarding disorders. I have watched all of them. For the record, I am not in favor of hoarding as entertainment and some of their approaches are appalling because they harm people. The show has brought attention to hoarding but has created a plethora of misunderstandings and draconian solutions, especially apparent in the earlier seasons. Hoarding is not just “collecting stuff.” A critical element of hoarding disorder is severe distress and impairment if items are taken away. Bringing in a “clutter management” or “cleaning” expert is not a compassionate approach: It only makes the condition worse.

What exactly is hoarding? It is the accumulation of items, many of which have no value such as paper, food, donated or discarded clothing, or disposable containers. It is excessive acquisition which means buying markdowns or going out and picking up free discards, such as items left on the curb for donation. Disposable flatware, paper plates, napkins, or packets of condiments, for example, are commonly hoarded. 

When asked why they accumulate things, hoarders have justified it as avoiding waste, acquiring information, aesthetic reasons, or emotional connection to the objects. Comorbid conditions (these are conditions that coincide with hoarding disorder) include Major Depressive Disorder, anxiety, social anxiety, PTST, and OCD. Although it is assumed that a traumatic event precedes the onset of hoarding, there is no significant evidence to suggest that is the case. Hoarders have often experienced trauma, stressful life events, and childhood adversities, but then so have non-hoarders. The majority of hoarders are women. It has been shown that hoarding leads to marital and family discord and the majority are socially isolated. The demographics of hoarding disorder are shown below:

        66.1%            Reside in single-family homes without partners

        32.3%            Live in an apartments

        1.5%              Rent rooms

Is hoarding a disorder only applicable to older people? Certainly not, but the severity of hoarding increases over the lifespan. It is estimated that about two percent to seven percent of adults (representing all age groups) have hoarding disorder. According to Dr. Ayres, most people begin hoarding before age twenty and late-onset hoarding is rare. It increases over the lifespan and becomes worse in old age. The acquisition, saving, and disorganization are all part of the hoarding process. The majority of older adults with hoarding disorder exhibit dysfunction of executive thinking skills which includes impulse management, self-control, problem solving, organization, categorizing, and sequencing.

The consequences of hoarding are devastating, impacting physical well-being, and placing themselves and others at risk. Entrances and exits are often blocked, creating a fire risk: Fire hazards exist in 58% of homes with hoarding. Piles of collected items result in 63% of hoarders falling inside their homes. Their major appliances are not usable and that often includes the stove, oven, washer/dryer, refrigerator, kitchen sink, and toilet. Other consequences include food poisoning, loss of social support, lack of basic hygiene, rodents, bed bug infestation, and roaches. Hoarders are not usually welcoming to code enforcement representatives, and long-range consequences include fines, eviction, relocation, jail time, and even death. A contributing factor is that 35% of hoarders have dietary and medication mismanagement issues. The community also suffers. Hoarding creates sanitation problems, impacting landlords and neighbors. Property values plummet, and hoarding may create flooding and structural issues in addition to blighting the surrounding community.

While there is no “cure” for hoarding disorder, there are novel approaches including improving executive functioning skills. The CREST approach used by Dr. Ayres has been shown to be effective in treating the disorder.  https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2019-10-15/older-hoarding-patients-get-help-healing-through-in-home-program

 The Mayo Clinic has adopted a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approach (CBT), focusing on changing behaviors that trigger the urge to hoard. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hoarding-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20356062

Therapists use several assessment tools for diagnosing and treatment of hoarding disorder and I recommend finding a specialist. Dr. Ayres’ site has numerous resources and I recommend starting there. I have deliberately omitted the assessments from this publication, as there is a tendency for family members and well-meaning friends to lay diagnose in an effort to help someone who hoards.