Words are interesting. Society often uses the word long term care to mean nursing homes or some type of care that is “done” to someone. But it seems long term care is also the care we provide ourselves from childhood to the end of life. It’s long term, and it’s care.With this in mind, we bring you the newest Successful Aging Profile, or Profiles if you will. We’d like to introduce you to Bea Gabrick, Val Fredell, Pearl Hartmann, and Gertrude Lindo, who call themselves The Mermaids. Like mermaids, they’re beautiful and enjoy the water, using the pool at Ecumen’s Parmly LifePointes senior housing community in Chisago City, MN. You’ll also find them doing their “land” workout on Nautilus machines.All are either in their 80s or 90s, two live in the Parmly LifePointes community while two others come from their homes in the larger community for their workouts of mind, body and spirit.None of the Mermaids knew each other before they met. ‘But you’d never know it,’ says Patricia McArdle, director of Vitalize! Wellness Centre at this Ecumen community. ‘They’re always smiling, always laughing. They’re a total hoot. If you didn’t know them, you’d think they’ve been friends since they were teenagers.’And they’re enjoying long term care … It’s care they’re providing themselves, taking it upon themselves to nourish the social, physical, and intellectual parts of who they are.If more people practiced long term care, such as the Mermaids, there’d no doubt be a lot more laughing.