aging

A few weeks ago I attended an institute in Massachusetts and heard Margie E. Lachman, a professor at Brandeis University and Chair of the Department of Psychology & Lifespan Lab there, speak about cognitive and physical changes as we grow older. She was very forthright about the bad news, while being optimistic about the good news.

Let's get the bad news over with, shall we? Yes, aging does bring declines in both physical and cognitive health. But the good news is that you can increase protective factors which will minimize or even compensate for the declines.

The factors which protect against physical declines are: getting a good education; having a high sense of control; reducing stress and anxiety; exercising regularly; receiving social support; not smoking; and maintaining a favorable waist to hip ratio. The factors which protect against cognitive decline are: getting a good education (even if you get it later in life); having a high sense of control; reducing stress and anxiety; exercising regularly; staying socially engaged; and engaging in cognitively stimulating activities. Dr. Lachman pointed out that it is never too early, and never too late, to develop these protective factors.

And there is more good news–psychological health, wisdom and problem-solving ability increase as we get older. Dr. Lachman shared a quote from the Roman statesman and orator Cicero--his advice to Cato on old age, p. 46: “resist old age. . .fight against it as we would fight against disease. . .much greater care is due to the mind and soul; for they too, like lamps, grow dim with time unless we keep them supplied with oil.”

For a thorough list of readings and websites on aging topics including health, purposeful aging, work, volunteering, and civic engagement, check out the amazing list from Libraries for the Future here. And, be sure to check out your local library.

This list is the stuff that New Year's Resolutions are made of. So, which factors on the list should you (and I) start with?

If I could choose a time and place to get old(er), I very well might choose the present time in New York City. Why the present? There are just so many of us over 50 at this time in history that I feel I am part of a seething throng (see right). We have power, resources, panache—I could go on and on. Plus, the global Age-Friendly Cities Project, initiated by the World Health Organization, has been gaining momentum and spreading, making the world age-friendlier one city at a time.

And exactly why would I want to age in New York? Our NYC is only the second city in the U.S.—after Portland, Oregon—that has taken up the gauntlet and joined the Age-Friendly initiative. The project here is being coordinated by the New York Academy of Medicine, in partnership with the New York City Mayor’s Office, the New York City Council, and other stakeholders. Learn more at Age-Friendly New York City also see what the Health Information Center has to say about it.

But there’s more: in late September 2008, The New York Public Library formed a partnership with the New York City Department for the Aging (DFTA) which oversees most of the senior centers in NYC. Piloting in the Bronx and soon migrating to Manhattan and Staten Island, this move heralds a time of closer cooperation between libraries and senior centers. How are the libraries and senior centers working together? To be continued. . .