Taking the Next Step....using images to make the point

Prevention is the New Sexy

Confidence, skill and style have always been sexy. Picture the sultry walk of Rita Hayward or the piercing look of self-assured Sean Connery. You don’t have to be a movie star to feel great about yourself and show it off to the world.

Last week at Menorah House, where I teach Tai Chi, I encountered their monthly speaker's series entitled "Safe Senior Sex.”  Sex and living occur at many ages. Being prepared - which was the speaker's pitch - was key. Including easy to open condoms.

Now I've got your attention because this month and this issue is about prevention. Fall Prevention.  Which I hear is "not sexy" but au contraire. Once you do 50 hours of Tai Chi you do walk differently; you hold your head comfortably and have a certain swing towards your destination. And if you've taken any of  the other classes such as Stepping On or Matter of Balance you are outfitted with all the info and tactics you need. That means you are prepared.

Not everyone prepares the same way. In fact, many let serendipity and a "what will be will be” attitude rule the day.. And back to sex, there are a whole lot of serendipitous offspring out there.  Okay so you haven't been thinking about aging well or aging at all except to ignore it. Here are some things to indicate it's time to reconsider.

• Difficulty doing something familiar, like hiking down a mountain. You used to do it without thinking. Maybe you even ran down the trail. But now you find that your upper body is going faster than your lower body and you are not in control.
• Your friends and family are encouraging you to take care of yourself. That's a bummer.
•  Neglect and avoid are your steadfast hallmarks.
•  Lacking purpose.

Individuals have shared how they came to falls prevention. You could say "but for the grace of...." or "knock on wood" but you would miss that prevention is the new sexy. If you think about what others are doing you will learn how they are better off once they became better prepared.

What is decidedly unsexy is bitterness, lack of hope and plodding along through life without a sense of purpose.  Please don't be overcome with this adversity - use one of the many resources in this Age Well guide and reach out.  You will find others that want to move forward and do better just like you.

And now back to where can I buy a T-shirt "Prevention is the New Sexy". And then meet me (or  another Tai chi instructor) out on the floor.

My hometown addresses ageism

An important and hyper local non-profit Heart of Ida tackles big issues. Such as ageism. Here is the second issue of AGE WELL a tool to help older adults live well in Long Beach, CA. It's good reading. It's pertinent and topical.

https://www.yumpu.com/en/embed/view/IaDp8JCYq3ilXes9

Boomer, Senior, Elder? What should we (over the age of 60) be called?

Do you love to be pigeon-holed or marginalized? I know I don't! A speaker at a recent conference said older adults were no longer "producers" but "drainers." 

To me, that characterization was a slap in the face. In my mind, a line was drawn. It brings who we are as older people into question.

Are we only valuable as consumers? Or, are we a societal handicap because we use medical services at a higher rate than other age groups?

Truly and economically, we are important to our country. Older adults impact many parts of our society in positive ways. If there were no Medicare program, who would employ your granddaughter when she finishes nursing school? 

Our healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, household technologies, comfort clothing and shoes, and air-quality systems are designed and succeed because they use the health of older adults as their standard of service. Older adults generate meaningful jobs and literally support health and medical professionals.

Books and book clubs, art, movies, and concerts are all eagerly sought by older adults across the cultural spectrum. We get to reflect our value with poetry and commentary. We have shaped cable TV and made Facebook the new family photo album. We are the early voters, the vote-by-mail voters, and must accept that it was the older adult vote that shaped our current consciousness. So, we do make a difference.

Yes, I'm a Boomer. I didn’t choose to be one, but like the rest of my giant generation I was born into it. And because I'm in my sixties I face new and sometimes frightening situations.

My appearance is changing, I need to avoid foot pain and adjust for my declining vision. The economics is that I'm encouraged to consider crèmes, balms and inserts along with long soft blouses and walking shoes. All which I have to purchase. So, I still care about my appearance and not so much what my neighbors think.  

If we just hang out with our same age group, we may be reinforcing some worn out ideas. I'm beginning to think we are missing something if we just stay within our generation. We need to reach out to other generations like Millennials.  As I see it, we have a great deal in common. 

Those in their 20's and 30's are faced with an unsure future filled with questions about how and where to live, what to do for work and play, and how to get there, and staying healthy and happy in the process. 

Questions we Boomers had at their age, and that we still have today. They are social and curious, and that sounds like me. Rather than see the insurmountable, they seem to think they are invincible. I dig that because I'm a boomer, ex-hippie, and a “question authority” kind of gal! 

The critical difference between Millennials and older adults may be how we approach our financial futures. I'm faced with the tax consequences of taking early social security, the looming threats to Medicare, and having sufficient savings to support a monthly income until age 90 or beyond. Serious topics that are frequently found under the column “Senior Services.” 

So that means I am a senior - that financial juggernaut where benefits and services are recalculated. For some, there are pensions and IRAs. For others it is qualifying for assisted living and becoming eligible for both Medicare and Medical. Whereas 30-somethings are undergoing meta-data analysis on where they will eat next and what shoes they'll buy, seniors are lumped together to determine which health services and social supports should be cut.

So as an elder to my GenX, GenY and Millennial friends, I am more than a person with white hair and lots of experience to share. I bring a need for their time and talents. I bring interest in their wants and needs. I bring the generation of grandparents to care for their newborns and their favorite family recipes.

When people say “elder,” you are either the oldest in the group, like being the elder sister. My older sister hates that. Or, you've have advanced age relative to your life span. Coming from a youth culture, this latter point of view is hard to accept.

But accept we can. 

We are the elders for the next generation. We share hopes and dreams. Leave the nostalgia behind and look at how each of the generations is being marketed to and regulated against.

So I'm a boomer by birth, a senior based on statistics, and an elder depending on the company I keep. And, you? Who are you? A category? A person? Please comment at www.healthandfunctionblog.com or send commentary to Heart of Ida - AgeWell Long Beach, PO Box 8194, Long Beach, CA 90808.

None too late!

Today is a great day in Long Beach, California. Those that consider themselves 'seniors' now have a really cool and smart guide that is for them! All kinds of topics from lifestyle, services, inspirational stories.

I hope some who pick up this AGE WELL guide will start connecting with this blog and we can have a meaningful discussion of issues:

• social welfare such as Social Security and Medicare
• being a senior/older person in a culture of youth and celebrity
• economic changes effecting one's financial outlook
• housing
• having fun and living to tell about it

I'm a physical therapist who spends much of my time on community health issues. I want my peers in age and interest to email me with "what's bugging me" and fill-in the blank. Then add a couple of possible actions you and others want to take. I'll publish and reflect these comments.