Give Aging a New Voice

Give aging a new voice - one that reflects what today's older adults have to say! More than ever before, older Americans are working longer, trying new things and engaging in their communities. They're taking charge, striving for wellness, focusing on independence and advocating for themselves and others.

What it means to age has changed. This May, join Ecumen in celebrating Older Americans Month, led by the Administration for Community Living. 

Lois Bowers, senior editor at McNight's Senior Living, recently wrote about her experience dining with a vibrant older couple at a local jazz club, "This couple's presence was a good reminder that aging doesn't necessarily mean losing vibrancy. And that's a timely message as May begins." The article below, originally published by McKnight's,  sheds light on how aging has changed.

Aging Out Loud

by Lois A. Bowers, McKnight's Senior Living Senior Editor
 
Friday night, my husband and I went to a local jazz club to see a favorite performer.
 
We arrived early, because dining at the club ensures a better seat for the show, and Stanley Jordan is a musician one needs to see up close — he is known to play multiple guitars at once, or a guitar and a piano at the same time, and it's fun to watch his fingers work and see his facial expressions as he taps the fretboard.
 
The center of the room was filled with three long rows of tables-for-two lined up next to one another. We were seated across from each other in the middle of one of the rows.
 
We belatedly were celebrating my husband's birthday that night, and it turned out that the two couples next to us also were celebrating birthdays. That revelation led to a conversation about age, and the smartly dressed woman seated next to me said she was turning 84. Her husband, seated next to my husband, proudly said he was 89 and shared that exercise was the secret to his longevity, despite a bad back that caused him to walk hunched over.
 
We all marveled at their apparently good genes and their activeness. I probably was not alone when I thought, “If I make it to their age, I hope I am blessed with similar mental and physical health.”
 
“It's great that you came out for the show,” my husband said, making small talk.
 
“When are we home?” came the response, with an explanation of all of the activities that keep the two out of the house. Before dinner arrived and we turned our attention to our plates before Jordan hit the stage, my neighbor and I had a pleasant conversation about all of our favorite area restaurants, discovered that we have the same first name and joked about how often we are called Louis.
 
This couple's presence was a good reminder that aging doesn't necessarily mean losing vibrancy. And that's a timely message as May begins.
 
Each May, the Administration on Aging and the Administration for Community Living, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, observe Older Americans Month. This year, the theme is Age Out Loud.
 
“What it means to age has changed, and OAM 2017 is a perfect opportunity to recognize and celebrate what getting older looks like today,” the agencies say on the Older Americans Month website. The site includes materials, activity ideas and other resources people can use to mark the month.
 
Our dinner companions on Friday were aging out loud, engaging with those around them and experiencing a musician who was new to them. And all of us were the beneficiaries of their doing so.
 
Lois A. Bowers is senior editor of McKnight's Senior Living. Follow her on Twitter at @Lois_Bowers.
 

by origineight

Top 5 Blog Posts — May 1, 2017

Did you miss last week's most-read Changing Aging blog posts? Ecumen's online visitors found these articles most interesting:

Ecumen Detroit Lakes Couple Dies Hours Apart After 64 Years Together
For the past 64 years, John and Anne Alexander were virtually inseparable. Within hours of each other, they died together last week at Ecumen Detroit Lakes, where they both were receiving care.

In Praise of Meals on Wheels: Food and Fellowship for Housebound Seniors
Stacy Hanley, Ecumen Senior Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer, is a passionate advocate of Meals on Wheels, one of the most popular volunteer activities of Ecumen employees.

Eat Like You Have Diabetes
U.S. Senate Chef Daniel Thomas believes that everyone should eat like they have diabetes. He offers five easy tips for making healthier choices.

Diversity and Inclusion Learning Event: Understanding the Hispanic and Latino People
Victoria Amaris, an anthropologist who specializes in cross-cultural communication, recently gave Ecumen employees an overview of the challenges and issues faced by Hispanic and Latino people and discussed common misconceptions she regularly encounters. The diversity among Hispanics and Latinos is not well understood, she said. “We come in all colors. We are of all races. We are an ethnicity – not a race.”

Ecumen's 2016 Philanthropy Report to the Community
Ecumen is honored by the generous support of private donors, corporations and foundations. Your generosity makes life better for the thousands of older adults that we serve through innovative and high quality care. With your support, we are stronger.  

You can read these articles and more at ecumen.org.

by origineight

Ecumen Century Club: Happy 100th Birthday Henry (Hank) Niemiec

Ecumen honors Henry (Hank) Niemiec, a resident of Ecumen Seasons at Maplewood, who is 100.

Read more

by origineight

In Praise of Meals on Wheels: Food and Fellowship for Housebound Seniors

Stacy Hanley, Ecumen Senior Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer, is a passionate advocate of Meals on Wheels, one of the most popular volunteer activities of Ecumen employees.

Read more

by origineight

Eat Like You Have Diabetes

Renowned chef, Daniel Thomas, serves up 5 tips for healthier dining in a recent article for AARP.

Read more

by origineight

Ecumen Detroit Lakes Couple Dies Hours Apart After 64 Years Together

For the past 64 years, John and Anne Alexander were virtually inseparable. Within hours of each other, they died together last week at Ecumen Detroit Lakes, where they both were receiving care.

Read more

by origineight

Ecumen Century Club: Happy 100th Birthday Bernice Farber

Ecumen honors Bernice Farber, a resident of Ecumen Bethany Community in Alexandria, Minn., who is 100.

Read more

by origineight

Ecumen's 2016 Philanthropy Report to the Community

Learn more about our fundraising efforts, innovative programs and those who support our changing aging efforts in Ecumen's 2016 Philanthropy Report.

Read more

by origineight

Ecumen Century Club: Happy 100th Birthday Fern Ann Trierweiler

Ecumen honors Fern Ann Trierweiler, a resident of Ecumen Seasons at Maplewood, who is 100.

Read more

by origineight

Ecumen Hospice-Litchfield Celebrates 28-Years of Community Connection

Ecumen Hospice-Litchfield held its annual hospice dinner and silent auction April 7, 2017, and raised about $11,000 – money used to help pay for care and supplies that are not reimbursable by insurance. The fundraiser is a Litchfield community tradition going back 28 years.

Read more

by origineight