Why Aging Education?

June 9, 2015 Leave a comment

Recently, someone asked me again why I continually give of my time to aging education. It is a simple question really, with a complicated answer. Why do any of us give with our time, talent and treasure? To help make another’s life better, of course!

Typically, as a former salesperson, I know to find the customer’s needs, and fill them. Learn what someone desires, and give it to them. Know that a question needs an answer, and give it. We must do anything we can to quench the thirst for knowledge in the aging arena. That was our mandate in our Gerontology Masters Program, Give aging education wherever, whenever and however you can to our aging tsunami of 78 million Americans. Teach them to build their own networks to aging quality. There will not be enough care for all of us in the future.

For too long doctors didn’t give answers with transparency, government only answered what absolutely needed to be answered, families have kept their problems behind closed doors. None of these practices have served to educate our aging population.

The internet has opened a world to “stay-at-homes”, the under-educated, and the under-estimated. We can Google any question we have and get peer-reviewed and evidenced-based research articles. we read them and can make educated decisions. There isn’t any reason to not educate ourselves on the aging matters of the day. We don’t need to rely on Wikipedia like many of our youth have in the past.

Aging education outreach is another way to socialize with other aging persons and learn at the same time. Whenever there is an opportunity to attend a program on any aging subject, it behooves us to go…and learn of our future. We want to age at home and have an excellent quality of life so let us arm ourselves with the tools of our new trade…aging!

Thanks for reading!

Kindest Regards with warmest Aloha,

Laura ;-))

Filed under Aging, Caregivers, Children, Committees, Communication, Doctors, Education, Facebook, Family, Gerontologists, Gerontology, Government, Health, Human Resources, Intergenerational, Military, NAPG, newspapers, Nursing, Parents, public relations, Rotarians, Rotary, Senior Citizens, Seniors, U.S. Congress, volunteers, Writers Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Social Media=A Generation of Aging Press Writers

August 29, 2014 Leave a comment

Ok, so I’m not sure if anybody really missed me blogging lately but for the last several months, let’s just say that life got in the way. Not just life was in the way, but so was social media. Who knew ten years ago that I would have spent so much time on Facebook in 2014? That my friends would too? Maybe it is because we, as Baby Boomers, are a generation used to instant gratification. We can be in touch with our friends at the drop of a sentence. Not just a sentence, but a bullitt sentence at that.

Years ago when I was being taught to write press releases, I learned that the most you can say in as short a sentence that you can use, would get printed, since advertising space was at a premium cost. Even though we don’t pay to use Facebook, per se, we are all so short of time to live our daily lives and keep up with social media, that we have to keep it short to get our points across.

We are anxious to know and see what all of our friends and family are doing. We want to see what the next generation behind us is doing. We know they are on social media. We may not have the time or inclination to go and visit them, nor do they have the time for us with their equally, if not more, busy lives. So, armchair travel through social media is perfect. I got to see one nephew do the ALS Ice Challenge before anybody knew what it was. The graduation photos of another were priceless. A former classmate’s new baby is literally growing up in front of my eyes through her photos. Who knew that when we were first putting tin foil on the television antenna ears to get better reception, that we would be seeing our friends on safari in Africa as they were experiencing it? This is all news, as it happens!

Here is to the new generation of aging press writers! Keeping us informed, keeping us current, and keeping us visible!

Thanks for reading! ;-))

Filed under ABC News, Aging, Business, Communication, Facebook, Family, Gerontologists, Gerontology, NAPG, newspapers, public relations, Rotarians, Rotary, Uncategorized, Writers Tagged with , ,

Dinner of the Seven Fishes for an Older Generation

December 14, 2012 Leave a comment

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It used to be that when the Sicilian custom of the Dinner of the Seven Fishes was held on Christmas Eve, it was so it would pass the time for waiting to go to Midnight Mass. Today, many of our seniors go to bed before they could possibly stay up to go to Midnight Mass. Having said that, last year after our own Dinner of the Seven Fishes, I was in bed by 10:00pm myself and I am not yet quite in the senior category, at least by Social Security standards.

Speaking of Social Security, I sure hope it is there by the time I need it since I have been paying into it since I was 15 years old. This Baby Boomer, at least, wants what I was promised. I am concerned that the promises made to our generation by the generations before us will not be kept. We must also promise the generations after us that they will be covered too. Conditions need to be assessed now and provisions put in place so that worthy American citizens get the respect they deserve and the quality of life they expect in the latter years.

Watching our nations elders lose their retirement in stock dives is, and has been extremely disconcerting. That is why I agree that the wealthiest Americans should step up and help pay for Seniors in their retirement years. Companies that can help out should also, after all many of them were built buy the very seniors that can’t afford to put food on their tables judging by the rise in Food Stamps usage.

So as you enjoy your Christmas Eve dinner, even if it isn’t the Dinner of the Seven Fishes, think of the senior citizen, possibly diabetic (judging by the rise in Type II Diabetes), that may be eating day-old pastry picked up for free at their local community center, and remember our duty to protect our citizens, especially the nation’s elders.

Thanks for reading 😉

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