Aging Well

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  What’s Age Got to Do With It?
  Posted by Ashton Applewhite

  Ashton Applewhite, ageism activist and TED2017 speaker, shares her thoughts in this Q&A with Asbury. "[T]he cartilage goes away, but our experiences remain accessible to...

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  Road to “Old” Is Filled With Marvelous Twists & Turns
  Posted by Marian Dornell

  When I was little, I thought old people were in a club that dictated how they looked, smelled, moved, and behaved. There were so many similarities among them, regardless...

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  Reflections on Change: Moving to a Retirement Community
  Posted by Carlee Hallman

  Even knowing the value and benefits of moving to a retirement community, the journey a person must travel in order to get there is an emotionally challenging one. 

  As a...

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  Loneliness and Your Health
  Posted by Susan Grotenhuis

  More than 7 billion people live on our planet today, and yet a global loneliness epidemic may be upon us.

  What’s so bad about loneliness, you say? Quite a lot, research...

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  Making 2017 the Year of Healthy Aging
  Posted by Colin Milner

  Colin Milner, Founder and CEO of the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA), is working to change the way we view aging and to empower older adults to age well.

  ...

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  How to Age Alone - An ‘Elder Orphan’ Challenges Us to Engage
  Posted by Cathy Canning

  The Asbury team recently sat down with Carol Marak, editor of SeniorCare.com and “elder orphan.” Carol is passionate about the changes communities must make to help...

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  A ‘Classic’ Takes on Scotland’s Classic Golf Courses
  Posted by Lowell Starling

  Anyone who loves golf dreams of checking the world’s classic courses off their list, but as a bit of a 'classic' myself, I wasn’t sure how I would fare on these grueling...

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  Falls Prevention in Seniors
  Posted by Jane Gibson, RN

  How can seniors safeguard themselves from falling? It's an important question because every 15 seconds, an older adult receives emergency room treatment for fall-related...

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  ‘Berry’ Brain Boosting Smoothie
  Posted by Susan Grotenhuis

  Your brain and taste buds will thank you when you make this delicious drink, featuring a key brain-boosting fruit, the blueberry. 

  • ½ large banana, frozen
  • 2 to 3...

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  5 Reasons to Explore the World of Walking Tours
  Posted by Ron Stevenson

  Have you ever been tempted by ads for walking tours, but dismissed the idea because you’re not the ‘tour type’ or you thought it sounded too strenuous to qualify as a...

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  Six Senior Super Foods
  Posted by Jana Scavona

  As we age, our caloric needs decrease as we lose muscle mass and our metabolism slows. That doesn’t mean our nutritional needs decrease, though. Take a look at the...

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  The Reality of ‘Aging in Place’
  Posted by Ron Stevenson

  When we moved to Asbury Methodist Village retirement community in Gaithersburg, Md., some of our friends were positive, all were curious, and a few were horrified. Many...

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  Shrink ‘Downsizing” Down to Size
  Posted by Susie Danick

  Before I went into professional downsizing and relocation services, I’ll admit it, I was a shopaholic. Now when I walk into a store, many times I turn around and walk...

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  What to Look for in a Retirement Community
  Posted by Jessica Page

  Retirement communities come in many shapes and sizes.  Some are simply 55 and over neighborhoods. Others include a wellness center and events for residents. Continuing...

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  3 Basics for Aging Well
  Posted by Cathy Richards

  We’ve all seen the stories of people in their 80s and 90s performing incredible physical feats – running marathons, climbing Mt. Everest or hiking Yellowstone. Even if...

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  A New Year for Critical Fitness Resolutions
  Posted by Jana Scavona

  It won’t come as any surprise to hear that aging has long had a stigma attached to it. You need look no farther than the gazillion products being marketed to prevent...

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  71-Year-Old Retiree Says “Yes” to Cycling Tour & Incredible Journey
  Posted by Lowell Starling

  What happens when a 71-year-old who hasn’t ridden a bike in 30 years say “yes” to an invitation to embark on a 7-day European Bike and Barge tour? He gets in better...

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  Discovering the Joys of Poetry
  Posted by Mary Anne Morefield

  In April, my first book of poems, Earth, Grass, Trees and Stone, was published by Coffeetown Press, launching me into a whole new world of being a poet – a busy life,...

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  Seniors’ Guide to Elective Surgery Prep
  Posted by Chip Comstock, RN

  If you’re a senior preparing for joint replacement surgery or another elective or scheduled surgical procedure, view this checklist, prepared by Springhill Senior Living...

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  4 Steps for Improving Leg Strength & Balance
  Posted by Dennis Poremski

  In recognition of this year's Active Aging Week (Sept. 27 - Oct. 4), we're sharing the following exercises that address two key components of successful aging.

  Falls...

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  Hearing Loss & Brain Health
  Posted by Jane Gibson, RN

  For centuries, hearing loss has been viewed as a troublesome but not particularly troubling condition by the general public. But new research linking hearing loss to a...

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  Functional Fitness:Three Simple But Important Exercises
  Posted by Kelly Stranburg

  One of the unfortunate side effects of aging is a natural loss of muscle mass. Addressing this natural decline is an important part of creating a healthy and indepedent...

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  The Critical Link Between Sleep and Brain Health
  Posted by Susan Grotenhuis

  Humans have been pushing the natural boundaries between day and night for centuries. In the 1800s, we used candles and gas lamps to extend the day. Today in America, you...

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  CCRCs & the CARF Seal of Approval
  Posted by Ann Gillespie

  Over 25 years ago, a group of pioneering leaders from the senior living, finance, and consumer advocacy fields came together to create a national campaign for excellence...

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  Not Ready? The Risks of Waiting for Your Retirement Move
  Posted by Krista DiGeorge

  Having worked in the field of senior living for many years, I’ve talked to literally hundreds of older people who are thinking about moving or who have just moved into a...

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  Top Exercises for Those With Arthritis
  Posted by Justin Margut

  Motivating yourself to exercise is challenging for many, and most particularly for those dealing with arthritis pain. But exercise is just as critical for arthritis...

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  Walking: Good for Body and Mind
  Posted by Dennis Poremski

  Each year, Americans spend millions of dollars on diets, exercise equipment, books and fitness memberships. We are deluged with studies discussing how various foods and...

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  The Three Key Factors to Joint Replacement Surgery Success
  Posted by Laurie Dart, RN

  As we age, so do our joints. If you are 70 years or older, odds are that you know someone who has had a knee, hip or shoulder replacement – or is at least preparing for...

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  Brain Fitness - Five Steps to a Happier, Healthier Brain
  Posted by Susan Grotenhuis

  Are you giving your brain the love and respect it deserves? It’s the body’s most vital organ – controlling us physically, but also registering and recording our lives.

  ...

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  How to Make Your Home a Blue Zone
  Posted by Jana Scavona

  Last year, I attended a national conference for aging services providers and was introduced to Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones. When Buettner shared what he found when he...

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  A Magic Pill for Elective Surgery?
  Posted by Cathy Richards

  Surgery takes a toll on your body, and as we age, the amount of time it takes to bounce back from injury or trauma lengthens. It is not uncommon for people to put off...

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  Portion Distortion and the Older Waistline
  Posted by Amy Burhenn

  Everyone knows our nation’s portion sizes have undergone pretty significant distortion in recent decades.

  But, the plain truth is that when you eat out at most...

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  Grief – Especially Hard During Holidays – Is a Year-Round Journey
  Posted by Mary Ellen Elwell

  Loss and its partner, grief, are an inevitable part of life, but they are especially present in the lives of older people. I’ve been with many people as they walk with...

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  Experts’ Advice for Aging Well
  Posted by Sandy Reid

  With age comes change. That is inevitable. However, Asbury wellness directors Sandy Reid and Cathy Richards have had ample time to see that how you age is not...

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  A Friendship Takes Flight
  Posted by Cathy Canning

  Thirty years ago, Springhill retirement community landscaper Karen Ellis took a tour around Lancaster, Pa., in a small-craft airplane. When it was over, she told her...

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  A Beloved Community’s March on Washington
  Posted by Jan Garman

  On the morning of the 50th anniversary marking Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s remarkable “I Have a Dream” speech and the March on Washington, the skies were cloudy. In...

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  Finding Your Balance: Some Simple Yet Important Exercises
  Posted by Justin Margut

  Balance is one of those things in life that becomes more of a challenge as we age. Many people do regular exercises such as walking, strength or flexibility training,...

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  Aging as a Spiritual Process
  Posted by Wayne DeHart

  In case you haven’t noticed it, we as a society are on the verge of a revolution. What some have called the “longevity revolution” is upon us. Kathleen Fisher, in her...

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  Summer Reads With a Senior Slant
  Posted by Mary Ellen Elwell

  Here are two recommended summer reads - one written by an older adult, the other chronicling the journey of one - reviewed by Asbury resident Mary Ellen Elwell. Dive in...

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  Age-Related Declines Aren’t Set in Stone
  Posted by Jana Scavona

  Aging is mandatory, but we do have a say in how well we prepare for the journey. It is a common misconception that age-related declines are just part of the process....

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  What I’ve Learned Working with Older Adults
  Posted by Jenn Schwamb

  “Every day is a school day.” I think I’ve heard my husband, a financial analyst and professor, utter this phrase well over one hundred times. My five-year career with...

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  How to Get Stronger Without Getting Up From Your Chair!
  Posted by Cathy Richards

  Exercise programs, like people, come in all shapes and sizes. And there are incredible benefits to be derived from any and all types of exercise. One of the most...

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  How a Retirement Community Became the Perfect New Home for This New Couple
  Posted by Phyllis Zeno

  Harvey and I met on Match.com in 2008, and the attraction was instantaneous. "We would be perfect for each other," I wrote," but you live in New York and I live in...

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  Good Mourning: Coping With the Loss That Comes With Aging
  Posted by John Bowen

  Remember Charlie Brown and his “Good grief!”? He was usually conveying exasperation towards one of the comic strip characters or reacting to some indignity. In the...