The headline of a recent New York Times article (July 11), “Turn 70. Act Your Grandchild’s Age. Grandma sky-dives. Ringo Starr plays at Radio City. Is this what’s expected in life’s eighth decade?” caught my attention. Not only was it my 76th birthday, but also because I’m committed to a healthy, happy and long life. Now I couldn’t play Radio City on a bet, and I have no intention of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. Nor am I planning a 1,200-mile trip by bicycle like the one my grandson just completed.

Still, I can rejoice and be inspired that octogenarian Betty White, who at 88 is starring in a new sitcom, or that Clint Eastwood, 80, is still acting and directing films. Kudos to both.

But there are a vast number of older people who fall into the middle of their ability to function healthfully. Some statistics cited in the article are instructive and encouraging. The age range used was 70 to 74. Among the findings was that 76 percent of women and 84 percent of men own their own homes. Surprisingly, only 2 percent of that age group lives in nursing homes. Both women and men experience approximately the same percentage of chronic diseases—over 20 percent had four or more—but their ailments differed. The men surveyed had more heart disease and cancer, while women suffered more from depression and arthritis. Both women and men were nearly equal in their cognitive impairment; 19 percent of women and 18 percent of men experienced mild symptoms, while 7 percent of women and 8 percent of men suffered severe cognitive impairment.

Dr. Robert Butler, who recently died at age 83, was a leading expert on longevity. And he truly lived his work. He worked until three days before his death of acute leukemia. My own husband was 91 when he died. He’d worked at his desk all day before suffering a massive cerebral hemorrhage while we were dining in a restaurant. He died a few hours later. Don’t we all long to have our passing be as easy? He played Tennis until he was 87.

His example on how to age gracefully by staying active and functioning has guided me on my own journey and pursuit of a healthy, happy and long life.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 20th, 2010 at 9:00 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

It isn’t a secret that obesity often has deadly consequences. We’re all aware that there is an increased risk of diabetes as well as heart disease. But the bad news doesn’t end there. Obesity now costs 17 percent of the total health bill amounting to at least $2,800 more per year for an obese person.

The actual cost of obesity may be as high as $8,000 for women because they may earn less in the workplace than their “slim sisters.” (more)

While growing up on a farm in southern Indiana, I don’t recall ever hearing the word “retire.” Farmers just kept on until they dropped. Well, that isn’t exactly the truth-there was often a son who took over the actual farming while Dad and Mom continued to live out their days in their old farm home.

Nowadays, retirement is on everyone’s lips if they are heading into their 60s. Recently an article from US News listed the seven secrets of a happy (more)

Have you or a loved one ever had to deal with a medical crisis? Lucky you, if you haven’t. Most of us older citizens have had this experience.

Mine was when my husband awakened me early one morning to tell me that he was suffering severe chest pains. He was already dressed and told me that he was driving himself to the emergency room.

We all know that the ONLY way to handle this situation is to call 911. Never, under any (more)