Nine Keys to Aging Well

• We can enjoy life. We are often playful and like to laugh. We are starting to move beyond the need to look cool. This leads to all kinds of fun, at unexpected moments. Even our idiosyncrasies can be quite entertaining. When we hit a bump, we are sometimes bemused at the ridiculousness of life. We also enjoy recalling the oddities we have witnessed. Some of them have been amazing. We've had enough disenchantment for a lifetime. We're willing to be enchanted again.
• We make the most of what we have. We are finally gaining some perspective and even a little wisdom. We have a bit more inner stability. We have the guidance of memory that often routes us around trouble. We are coming to terms with our limits, and mainly celebrate what we can do. At long last, we seem to have a sense of who we are. We like ourselves more than we expected. We are getting better at trusting our own tastes and preferences. We appreciate the freedom to indulge in our interests, new and old. A grateful heart lets us take pleasure where we find it.
• We appreciate people. Friends, acquaintances, and even strangers have unexpected qualities. Their faces are surprising in ways we didn't notice before. Also, we have decided that most people are good enough as they are. There's no need to change anyone. We realize it wouldn't do much good to try, anyway. We appreciate those who have been kind to us. We have received a great deal of affection over the years, and such gifts last. We have the friendship and love of a lifetime with us always, even from the people who aren't around anymore. We are thankful to have had good company on the journey.
• We accept our flaws. We don't have to be perfect. On most days, we relish the diversity of our personalities. We can be flexible or stubborn, clueless or profound, depending on the moment. We tend to honor the delicate parts of ourselves. A life with nothing to be sorry about would be rather uneventful. We are even starting to appreciate our past disasters. Old humiliations have become essential parts of a fine story. We occasionally even feel a tender fondness for the ragged edges of our lives.
• We are at home in the world. We enjoy our surroundings and often discover new secrets about familiar places. Watching the explorations of small children and animals can delight us. The piece of cake we allow ourselves is especially delicious now that we don't indulge often. The scent of a flower or gentle touch of a breeze seems more sensually rich than before. Sometimes, we glance around our home spaces to relish how our belongings reflect our personalities. Perhaps we got more efficient in the pleasure department. Maybe, having had our share of difficulties, we just appreciate things more.
• We have less to prove. We are learning to avoid comparing ourselves with others - or even with our former selves. It is a relief when we can begin to overcome feelings of competition. We can sometimes even deal with envy as a bad mood, not to be trusted. By focusing on our best personal qualities, and favorite current interests, we can find something fulfilling in almost every day. We might have more contributions to make, but don't feel quite as driven to do something of great importance. Most of the time, we are able to work and play for its own sake, not to look good in the eyes of others. Now that the need to show off has eased a bit, finding opportunities to use our talents is a manageable task.
• We have strong priorities. We are getting better at tending to our deeper yearnings. Now that we're not in charge of fixing everything, we are free to devote our energies to neglected passions. It may be creative expression, reading, gardening, hobbies, or working on causes. Certain projects virtually call us. It might surprise friends that we are so energized by these activities, but we feel no need to explain ourselves. On most days, we use time in more immediate and present ways than ever before.
• We accept our moods. We know that life is rich with nuances of emotion. We like being happy, but indulging in a little grumpiness has its rewards, too. We can usually let sadness come and go when it wants, without making a big deal about it. Life has its ups and downs. No point getting frustrated when it won't help. We avoid fretting about things, if at all possible. We are often able to be philosophical about life's ordinary disappointments and tribulations. When we can accept our feelings, a natural buoyancy usually restores tranquility soon enough.
• We take time to reflect. We are able to ponder the inner life more than in the past. Allowing quiet to enter us seems to change the flow of time and make it larger. We find ways to open to the mysteries within. For some it is meditating, for others it is knitting, still others find it during a daily walk. It is simply being receptive to something beyond our ordinary thoughts. Partly, it is using the gifts of experience and long memory. Reflecting on fine moments in the journey reminds us of the riches of our lives.

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Why Do Older Adults Display More Positive Emotion? It Might Have to Do with What They're Looking at

Research has shown that older adults display more positive emotions and are quicker to regulate out of negative emotional states than younger adults. Given the declines in cognitive functioning and physical health that tend to come with age, we might expect that age would be associated with worse moods, not better ones.

So what explains older adults' positive mood regulation?

In a new article in the August issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, researcher Derek Isaacowitz of Northeastern University explores positive looking as one possible explanation: older adults may be better at regulating emotion because they tend to direct their eyes away from negative material or toward positive material.

Isaacowitz presents evidence indicating that, compared to younger adults, older adults prefer positive looking patterns and they show the most positive looking when they are in bad moods, even though this is when younger adults show the most negative looking.

Research conducted by Isaacowitz and colleagues indicates that there is actually a causal relationship between positive looking and mood: for adults with good attentional abilities, positive looking patterns can help to regulate their mood.

Although older adults prefer to focus on positive stimuli, the research shows that they aren't necessarily missing any salient or important information.

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Making bathrooms safe

With a little care you can reduce risks, especially for elders

Eighty-year-old Devaki Menon was quite agile for her age until she fell in the bathroom one
day. Though she was lucky to escape with a fractured ankle, Ms. Menon was plagued by the 3F

Syndrome (Fear of Further Falling) until her son came from the U.S. and brought along with 
him some accessories which put the confidence back in her stride.

That was about six years ago. Today, what Ms. Menon's son brought from the U.S. is available

here in the market.

Most common among them are the handrails and the shower grabs fixed along the walls of
the bathroom that the elderly and the infirm in the family can hold on to when they use the 
toilet or go for a wash.

The concept of making bathrooms safe for the elderly is no longer an alien one. In the past,

traditional houses had bathrooms that sported floors with a rough finish and minimized the 
chances of slipping. Moreover, ropes were hung from the roof for the grandfathers and 
grandmothers to hold on to and man oeuvre around.

But with the apartment culture taking roots and swanky floorings taking over, a drop of water 
or oil can floor even the most acrobatic ones among us.

"As a matter of practice, all the apartments that we build have anti-skid floors in the bathroom,
" says Arun Shah, General Manager of Shree Dhanya Construction, Thiruvananthapuram.

"Of late, we have had requests from our clientele for fixing handrails in the bathrooms.

"We provide such accessories on request," he adds.

"It is mostly retired people who are asking for such accessories in the bathrooms.

"And that is about 10 per cent of our customers," says Annie Philip of Skyline Builders.

"But if somebody comes with specific requests we provide them," she adds.

Both Ms. Philip and Reena, Marketing Manager, Heera Constructions, say all their projects
have the standard specification of anti-skid floorings in the bathrooms.

With the concept of making bathrooms elderly friendly catching on, sanitary ware dealers have

introduced these accessories in the local market. Apart from handrails and shower grabs, you 
have all kinds of things such as raised toilet seats, toilet seats with support arms, shower chairs
and modular shelves.

All these products come in handy when your bathroom is cramped for space.

"Right now the principle choice is the product range from Press alit, a Danish company.

These imported fixtures are high-priced.

But it will not be long before these products are made indigenously, making it lighter on the
pocket," says Thomas P. Kurien, proprietor, Modern Agencies, Thiruvananthapuram.

Almost all leading sanitary ware manufacturers, including Parry ware, Hind ware and Jaguar 
provide raised toilet seats, handrails and shower grabs.

A few tips

Bathroom mishaps are some of the most common types of accidents that may leave the elderly

Incapacitated for the rest of their lives. However, with a little care such accidents can be easily

Prevented.

Here are a few tips:

• Let the bathroom floor be on level with the rest of the rooms in the house. This would prevent one from tripping.
• Use non-slip mats at the doorstep.
• Install grab bars in the bathrooms.
• Avoid using towel racks or wall-mounted soap dishes as grab bars, as they can easily come
   loose Causing a fall.
• Keep the bathroom floor clean and promptly wipe away all spills.
• Avoid using cleaning lotions that may leave a residue.
• Use nightlights to help light hallways and bathrooms during the night.

So when you set out to build your dream house, give a thought to your parents. And maybe
your Own self and things to come in old age.

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Ten Minutes of Conversation Improves Memory as Much as Games

Senior citizens concerned about the loss of their mental abilities and that is about everyone are mostly aware of abundant "use it or lose it" research results advising them that to avoid dementia and Alzheimer`s they should exercise their brains. The suggested games, particularly electronic games and puzzles,Often appear too daunting to many older people. There is new hope; however, from a University of Michigan study that tested people as old as 96 and found it only takes about 10 minutes of talking to someone else to improve your memory.

The study of memory improvement tested people as old as 96. A second test of students found conversation also improves performance on tests.

"In our study, socializing was just as effective as more traditional kinds of mental exercise in boosting memory and intellectual performance," said Oscar Ybarra, a psychologist at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR) and a lead author of the study with ISR psychologist Eugene Burnstein and psychologist Piotr Winkielman from the University of California, San Diego.

In the article, Ybarra, Burnstein and colleagues report on findings from two types of studies they conducted on the relationship between social interactions and mental functioning.

Their research was funded in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation and will be published in the February 2008 issue of the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

In one study, they examined ISR survey data to see whether there was a relationship between mental functioning and specific measures of social interaction. The survey data included information on a national, stratified area probability sample of 3,610 people between the ages of 24 and 96.

Their mental function was assessed through the mini-mental exam, a widely used test that measures knowledge of personal information and current events and that also includes a simple test of working memory.

Participants' level of social interactions was assessed by asking how often each week they talked on the phone with friends, neighbors and relatives, and how often they got together.

After controlling for a wide range of demographic variables, including age, education, race/ethnicity, gender, marital status and income, as well as for physical health and depression, the researchers looked at the connection between frequency of social contact and level of mental function on the mini-mental exam.

The higher the level of participants' social interaction, researchers found, the better their cognitive functioning. This relationship was reliable for all age groups, from the youngest through the oldest.

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Elderly Improve Health by Reading & Mind Games 

As the elderly population continues to grow, scientists seek innovative ways to treat diseases of old age. Proper diet, exercise & thinking activities may slow dementia.

Caregivers have more ammunition to help an elderly parent or loved one in the fight against Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. Boosting brainpower – engaging in cognitive skills – helps the brain build resistance that may slow the disease. Just as physical exercise improves circulation, mental exercise strengthens the mind.

Mental Exercise May Slow the Progression of Alzheimer's

Reading, solving word puzzles, and taking part in intellectual conversation may slow the effects of memory loss. An active brain is better equipped to resist disease. Increased blood flow from both physical and mental exercise improves the connections among nerve cells.

According to Robert Friedland, MD., in a submission to the book, The World's Greatest Treasury of Health Secrets (Bottom Line Books, 2008), "A seven-year study of 2,000 people over age 65 found that those who engaged in high levels of reading, physical exercise or just talking with friends reduced their risk of Alzheimer's by 38%."

Encourage Elderly Persons to Engage in Cognitive Skills

Looking for a Christmas gift for an elderly person? Need a few gift ideas for an elderly loved one's birthday? Try card games, board games, and word puzzle books. No longer considered just a way to pass the time, games such as chess, bridge, scrabble, checkers, and even trivia games stimulate the brain.

If games don't appeal to the aging person, then reading material might do the trick. Publications such as National Geographic, Reader's Digest, and Time, are just a few magazines that teach current events or invoke thoughts on popular topics. Other ideas to stimulate thinking: Get involved in a local political event or learn a new language.

Can playing cards really help reduce the effects of dementia and memory loss diseases? In an article titled, "Playing Their Cards Right: Bridge Helps Seniors in Bid to Stay Focused" published by the Santa Rosa Free Press (Milton, FL, Dec. 2, 2009) journalist Jane Glenn Haas refers to Frank LaFerla, head of UCI MIND (University of California, Irvine), a clinical and research center studying Alzheimer's disease.

According to Haas, "LaFerla says a combination of social interaction, such as joining a bridge club, and mental stimulation seems to slow down the course of the disease." Haas also states, "LaFerla, 46, is trying to keep himself in the game by playing computer games, doing Sudoku and crossword puzzles, going to the gym and playing golf and tennis."

Alzheimer's Patients Benefit From Social Activities

Want to help the caregiver of a family member who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, memory loss, or some other form of dementia? Find out where senior groups meet and suggest the elder join a bridge club and socialize with other elders. Take the elderly person out for a night of stimulating conversation. The physical act of getting out and engaging in conversation where a senior has to think and respond to another person keeps the brain active.

Jenna Goudreau, who contributed an article titled "Why Socializing Makes You Smarter ..." in Ladies' Home Journal published in August 2008, states that, "Socializing not only increases your short-term smarts but builds improved longer-term cognitive abilities. Though face time is best, researchers speculate you can still reap some of the rewards via phone or email."

Mental Exercise and Socializing to Prevent Old Age Memory Loss

Physical exercise, diet, and mental activity all work together to increase and improve blood circulation to the brain. Mental exercise also improves the connections among nerve cells, preventing – or at least slowing the effects of – cognitive decline. Does socializing have significant value in preserving memory performance?

Diane Swanbrow from the University of Michigan submitted an online article in October 2002, titled, "Schmoozing is Good for the Brain, U-M Study Suggests". Swanbrow quotes U-M psychologist Oscar Ybarra who believes there is a working connection between academic learning and socializing: "Most advice for preserving and enhancing mental function emphasizes intellectual activities such as reading, doing crossword puzzles, and learning how to use a computer. But my research suggests that just getting together and chatting with friends and family may also be effective."

Caregivers Encourage Seniors to Stay Active to Stay Healthy

Caregivers for elderly persons often feel helpless when a loved one is at risk of, or has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, memory loss, or some other form of dementia. New sources of information indicate cognitive skills and socializing improve mental focus.

Physical exercise, proper diet, mental stimulation, and socializing all contribute to better health at any age. Never before has it been so important to keep learning and stay active even beyond the age of retirement. Old age is no longer a time to sit back and watch the world go by, but is instead a time to learn new skills, participate in social activities and engage in physical exercise.

Thinking and socializing improve the quality of life for the elderly loved one and for the caregiver. Physical and mental exercise aid in blood circulation, increase oxygen to the body – especially the brain – and appear to slow down the deterioration cause by Alzheimer's. In any case, caregivers now have new and enjoyable methods at their disposal to help fight the diseases of dementia.

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