September is Healthy Aging month.
What does Healthy Aging really mean? Does this only apply to “older” people? Does it only mean staying healthy, in our old age?
It’s a great time to look further into it, as a lot of organizations are promoting programs on Healthy Aging.
The World Health Organization, for example, defines its Healthy Ageing program as “the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age.”
Hmmmm… the process of taking charge of our health and lifestyle… while getting older in years… in order to focus on the positive aspects… of becoming older… when we do get much older.
Expressed another way, we can say the goal is to be able to be, and to do, whatever it is that we value in life, as we age. To be able to live a comfortable, healthy, or happy life, even later on in life.
We must have experienced being with (or seen images of) vibrant, spritely, sharp-witted, fun, healthy, sexy, gorgeous — whatever-amazing-and-unexpected-compliments-there-are — people in their 90s or wrinkled awesome-ness! They’re out there. And at the utmost extreme, we could aim to be one of them, in the future!
That must also mean that we are all encouraged to adopt a Healthy Aging mindset at a much, much earlier age (as in now! Yes, us in our –teens or –ty’s or –ties!)… before the ongoing aging phase becomes solidly aged!!!
Would it be best to tie strings to our fingers now so that we don’t forget this in the next few days?
We’re here to help! You see, two of the courses listed are: Memory Improvement, and How To Improve Your Concentration!!!
So, let’s get started. Here are some ideas that will help us all pursue Healthy Aging!
Universal Class has a lot of courses for this month’s theme. Search in the following Areas of Study: Health & Medicine, Personal Development, Psychology, Self-Help, and Computer Training. You can also search the keywords: health, life, lifestyle, body, mind, social, financial, seniors, elderly, learning, and wellbeing, among others.
There are courses that address mental outlook entitled Anti-Aging Techniques, Lifetime Wellness 101, Healing Affirmations, Confidence Building, How To Be Your Own Life Coach, and Pursuing Happiness: Successful Strategies.
There are also courses on exercising our brains, such as Memory Improvement, How To Improve Your Concentration, and Basic Research (to find out what we don’t know, or to rediscover what we forgot!).
All of the above-mentioned courses are offered by Universal Class.
Still part of the Healthy Aging approach is to try to keep up with the current way to find information, as it is absolutely necessary in our future years. The reason or the fear of “I don’t know how to use (or I’m too old to use) computers/technology, etc,” can still be overcome. If we put in time, patience, and will power, it will never be too late to learn!
So for those who would like to know more about computers, or know someone who needs to learn, we resources for beginners. For those who would like to catch up with technology but don’t know where to start: Digital Learn and Learning Express offer lessons to get things going, at one’s own pace!
Lastly, there are courses for caregivers and potential caregivers for the elderly. Universal Class presents Advocacy for Elderly Patients, and Caring for Seniors. Gale Courses presents Certificate in Healthy Aging, and Helping Elderly Parents.
All of these online database resources (Universal Class, Gale Courses, Digital Learn, and Learning Express) can be accessed via our Library’s website, listed under our Resources A-Z Collection page, or under our Online Learning page. Browse through the A-Z listing and you might find other useful resources for your needs, courtesy of your Livingston Library Card!
Here’s to silver gray hair, wiser selves, and… better days! Keep on learning!
— Janea Agbayani, Adult Services Library Specialist
For more information, visit: www.livingstonlibrary.org/resources-az.
For other topics, themes, and resources suggested for lifelong learning pursuits, visit our blog under the tag: Keep On Learning.