One of the
highlights of the 35th annual Gerontological Society of America
scientific meeting was a keynote address by geriatric physician Dr. David A.
Lipschitz. The meeting, held in Little
Rock, Arkansas, April 3-6, 2014, brought together aging experts and gerontology
students from around the world to share their research findings, network, and
socialize. During Dr. Lipschitz’ speech,
I took copious notes in order to share them with my blog readers. I think you will be inspired by his “pearls
of wisdom” and pragmatic approach to successful aging. His “Ten Steps to More” are an example of his
passion and common-sense approach to aging
Dr. David
Lipschitz said that his goal in life is to be a public educator. “I make complex health issues easy to
understand and teach people to age well and live long. I am a hematologist and born-again
geriatrician. Our system is not prepared
for major social challenges facing us.
The future doesn’t look good.
Baby Boomers will not be as healthy as their parents. They will have more chronic diseases and
disability and longevity is trending backwards.
The richest country in the world has third world life expectancy in some
rural areas. For example, in [affluent] Marin
County, California, life expectancy for men is 76 years and for men, 86
years. But in Tupelo, Mississippi, it is
69 years for men and 73 years for women.
This is scandalous. Arkansas is
the most sedentary in the United States.
Why? There are poor and
disadvantaged people. Haves and
have-nots. Our healthcare system is
inadequate. Thank God for the insurance
reform program, Affordable Care Act. It
provides the poor and working poor access to healthcare.
But insurance
reform is not as important as healthcare reform. We are overweight, sedentary, and chronically
ill. We spend 2.6 trillion on healthcare
and 1.2 trillion is spent on unnecessary care or overcommitment to high
technology vested interests. The DiVinci
robot is not proven and there are lots of unnecessary tests. Healthcare is focused on procedures and
profits. Our system wants to maintain the
status quo. Reducing costs? They’re not interested. There is a tremendous push to make sure the
bottom line remains the same.
There is
also a manpower problem. We need more
primary care physicians but no, physicians are going into dermatology. There is little understanding of the
tremendous role of primary care. The
wellness model has disappeared.
Partnerships and team care is difficult.
It is impossible to get services for patients unless they are poor.
Who will
take care of older adults later? The
state? Families? Informal caregivers
will care for older adults in the future.
The goal is to be functionally independent. What does it take? It doesn’t take sacrifice. The best predictor of functional independence
is money. There is a strong predictor
between health status and wealth. I want
to address the Ten Steps of MORE:
1. More PASSION. Be passionate about how you feel about tasks
that face you each day.
2. More PEACE. Control stress.
3. More LOVE. Avoid loneliness. For example, married men in
long monogomous relationships live ten years longer.
4. More SELF LOVE. Embrace high self-esteem. There is nothing “elderly” about a 70
year-old. Elderly is 85.
5. More LAUGHTURE. Laugh!
Look at the bright side of things.
6. More FAITH. Spirituality is important. Have hope.
Have faith in others. Volunteer.
Forgive.
7. More FOOD. Eat right.
It is okay to be overweight not obese.
Have a BMI of 30 or less.
8. More MOVEMENT. Exercise!
9. More EMPOWERMENT. Be an educated consumer.
10. More FREEDOM. Free to retire, travel, do what you want to
do. “
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Below is a
biographical summary copied from WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/david-a-lipschitz
David A. Lipschitz, MD, PhD, is chairman of the department of
geriatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and director of
the Donald W. Reynolds Center on Aging. Lipschitz is one of the most recognized
geriatricians in the nation. He has given numerous lectures, both nationally
and internationally on the aging process. His 27-part TV series for PBS, titled
Aging Successfully with Dr. David, has won eight national awards,
including the Aurora and two Telly awards. He is the author of Breaking the
Rules of Aging and writes a weekly column titled Lifelong Health
that appears in several newspapers.
He received
his MD and PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South
Africa. He immigrated to the United States in 1972 and trained as a
hematologist at the University of Washington in Seattle. After a year in New
York and three years at the University of Kansas Medical School, he joined the
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) as director of the Division
of Hematology/Oncology.
Lipschitz began doing research on the effects of aging on
nutrition and on the blood and bone marrow. He has received long-standing grant
support from the National Institute on Aging and is recognized as one of the
premier experts in this field. He has written or contributed to more than 200
publications.
His
interest in aging led to an ever-increasing focus on the unique medical needs
of older people. In 1995, he assumed the position of director of the Center on
Aging at UAMS. He played a central role and provided the leadership that led to
a gift of $28.8 million from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to establish the
Donald W. Reynolds Department of Geriatrics and to build a facility to house
the program. The department is the second of its kind in the nation. Under his
leadership, the program now has a faculty of 22 geriatricians and 23 PhD
scientists who have developed an array of research, education, and clinical
programs. The total federal grant support in aging now exceeds $50 million. U.S.
News and World Report ranks the Donald W. Reynolds Department of Geriatrics
in the Top 10 in the nation, and geriatric clinical care at UAMS Medical Center
ranks in the top 45.
He has
served as chairman of the Research Committee of the American Geriatrics Society
and chairman of the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs. He
has also been consistently listed in Best Doctors in America, a
publication of the 1% of the American doctors recognized by their peers as the
best in their field. As an expert in the field of nutrition and aging, he has
been featured on the Today Show, discussing aspects of vitamin and
mineral use in older people.
