Month: October 2024
What is your role at Aging Wisdom?
I am the Care Manager Lead.
What made you want to work in the field of aging? …
Lifelong learning is the ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge and mastering skills throughout life. And it has been found to be particularly beneficial to the brain as we age.
Learning is for everybody, regardless of health status or condition. By challenging your brain and learning new things throughout your life, you can help build your cognitive reserve. …
“The right to vote is one of the most sacred privileges in a representative democracy and it should be available to all citizens, whether they are cognitively impaired or unimpaired.” ~ American Bar Association Committee on Law and Aging
November 5, 2024 is General Election Day. According to the Washington State’s Secretary of State Office, ballots were mailed out by county election offices no later than October 18 (18 days prior to election day). October 28 is the deadline to register to vote or update your address online.
Please note: you may also register and vote in person at a county voting center through election day. For information about elections in Washington State, visit the Washington State Secretary of State website page HERE. …
The Right to Vote and Cognitive Impairment (updated*)Read More »
People over age 65 exhibit a vast range of abilities both mental and physical. Unfortunately, ageism (the negative stereotyping of older adults) links advancing years with decline in a manner that disregards individual capability. From degrading birthday cards to discrimination in the workplace, 82% of older adults report experiencing ageism in their everyday life.
Most insidious is internalized ageism, when we look down on ourselves, often without realizing it. Blaming age when we can’t remember a word (“a senior moment”). Feeling flattered when we’re told “You don’t look [your age]!” Not considering an interesting activity at the senior center because we “don’t want to be around all those old people.”
It turns out such negative age beliefs can significantly reduce life expectancy. Multiple studies across many years and many cultures have shown that people with negative beliefs about aging die as many as seven and a half years earlier than those with positive age beliefs. (The studies accounted for the influences of income, education, and health status.) …