Pages

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Elderly experts share life advice in Cornell project

I really enjoyed this article - hope you do too!  thanks to The Little Old Lady Stays Put for bringing it to my attention via her blog post.

Here's one of my favorite sections:   

"ON AGING “Embrace it. Don’t fight it. Growing older is both an attitude and a process,” an 80-year-old man said. The experts’ advice to the young: “Don’t waste your time worrying about getting old.”

Most found that old age vastly exceeded their expectations. Even those with serious chronic illnesses enjoyed a sense of calm and contentment. A 92-year-old who can no longer do many of the things she once enjoyed said: “I think I’m happier now than I’ve ever been in my life. Things that were important to me are no longer important, or not as important.”

Another said, “Each decade, each age, has opportunities that weren’t actually there in the previous time.”
Maintain social contacts. Avoid becoming isolated. When an invitation is issued, say yes. Take steps to stay engaged, and take advantage of opportunities to learn new things. Although many were initially reluctant, those who moved to a senior living community found more freedom to enjoy activities and relationships than they had before.

To those who worry about dying, these men and women said the best antidote is to plan for it: Get things organized, let others know your wishes, tidy up to minimize the burden on your heirs."

Check out the article and the Cornell site for more interviews:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/10/health/elderly-experts-share-life-advice-in-cornell-project.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

http://legacyproject.human.cornell.edu/

4 comments:

  1. Even at my age now, I can see how it is true that many things just don't matter as much as they used to which has meant less stress and more contentment. Wow...I can't even imagine my degree of happiness 40 years from now! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is a study that essentially scientifically states the same thing as the Red Hat Society has known for years. The older one gets, the more freedom one feels from having to follow societal rules. I am truly looking forward to being a senior, and enjoying that freedom.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd forgotten about the Red Hat Society! Thanks for the reminder and observation.

      Delete

Thriving Thursday Week 12 - Spring is here and so are bugs

Welcome to Spring!  It was a nice sunny and warm week so we took a scenic drive exploring parts of Berkeley near the campus and the hills be...