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Healthy Aging (March 7, 2003, One)

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Program Summary

What do wine, cheese, antiques, and humans have in common? They all get better with age, of course. Americans as a whole are living longer than our ancestors did just 150 years ago; it’s not uncommon now for people to live well into their nineties. There are also more senior Americans than ever before, and in 2010 the first wave of baby-boomers (the population bulge between 1944 and 1964) will turn 65. Today’s guests discuss the evolving health and social issues that senior citizens are facing, such Alzheimer’s disease, multiple medical conditions, over-medicating, and quality of life.

We probably wouldn’t mind living to 100 or more if we could be as active and alert as we are at 25. Some aspects of aging, such as gray hair and wrinkles, we have no control over at this point (though there is research being done about reversing them). Some aspects are genetic—your family line may be genetically disposed to long life or premature graying or heart disease. But there is much we can do to keep ourselves physically and mentally fit for as long as we can. It’s widely known, for example, that calcium maintains bone density, but fewer people are aware that regular weight-bearing exercise is also vital in preventing, and even reversing, osteoporosis. A healthy diet and physical activity help stave off obesity, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease; avoiding smoking and alcohol abuse greatly decreases your chances of developing emphysema, cancer, liver problems, and more.

A healthy mind is as important as a healthy body. Studies have shown that exercising the intellect also contributes to a longer, healthier, and happier life. It’s as beneficial to read, do crossword puzzles, play cards, and balance your checkbook as it is to eat your vegetables. Now if only we could play cards instead of eating vegetables …

Guests

Christine Cassel, MD, dean of the School of Medicine at the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon

Jeffrey Kaye, MD, director of geriatric neurology at the Portland Veterans' Administration Hospital and the Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center at the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon

Elizabeth A. Kutza, director of the Institute on Aging, College of Urban and Public Affairs at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon

"The Practical Guide to Aging" by Christine Cassel, MD, co-editor. New York University Press, 2001.

Related Links and Resources

National Institute on Aging
American Psychological Association: End-of-Life Care Issues
Alzheimer's Association
MEDLINEplus: Alzheimer's Disease
Mental Health and Aging
Journal of Mental Health and Aging

For Discussion:

• How long would you like to live?
• At what age do you think a person is “old”?
• What happens to our bodies as we age? How about our minds?
• We can’t stay young forever, but what can we do to stay healthy?
• What effect does stress have on our bodies and minds? What are ways we can reduce our stress?
• What physical and mental shape are your grandparents or other older relatives in?

Activities

The old gray mare, she ain’t what she used to be. There are several good sites about aging geared toward students. PBS broadcast a television show about aging called “Stealing Time.” The main site is for adults and very text heavy, but the Stealing Time: Teaching Resources section is excellent. Complete lesson plans are given containing thought-provoking activities and discussion questions. Lesson 1, How Do We Live Forever?, focuses on what it means in social terms to live a long time; Eating Forever discusses diet; and "Actively" Aging covers the importance of physical activity.

How old is old? Science NetLinks also provides a good lesson plan and interesting topics about the field of gerontology at The Science of Aging and How Scientists Study Aging.

Mind over matter. At Neuroscience Resources for Kids: The Nervous System in Old Age, the physical effects of aging on the brain and the systems it controls are examined. The Key to Keeping Your Brain Fit and More Good News for Aging Brains: Neurogenesis at the same site cover facts about smoking and alcohol and brain research respectively. Neuroscience for Kids: Memory and Learning contains myriad memory games.

Think it over. The Thinking Web Page, a ThinkQuest project, reiterates the importance of thinking in keeping the brain healthy. Logic problems help students become critical thinkers.

Exercise the little gray cells. Kids stay sharp and hone their minds with all sorts of brain teasers. Three good sites for tickling the brain are BrainConnection.com’s The Brain and Learning: Brain Teasers, National Institute of Environmental Health Science’s Kids Page Brainteasers, Puzzles, and Riddles, and Flooble.com’s Logic Puzzles, Brainteasers, Riddles, and Math Tricks.

Walk a mile in their moccasins. Arrange a visit to a nursing home. Contact the facility’s activity director to ask how students can interact with the residents (reading, playing games, art projects, etc.)

When I was your age… Have students interview a senior relative or friend to discover the person’s feelings about aging. Here are some questions the students might ask. What has the person done to stay healthy and active? What changes has he or she experienced? Does the person consider him- or herself old? Etc.

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

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