By Rick Banas of BMA Management, Ltd.
A display of books near the check-out counter at the library caught my attention this past Saturday. With May designated as Older Americans Month, the display featured books about growing older and life in our 60s and beyond.
I was particularly intrigued by a book written by Dr. Robert Levine titled “Aging with Attitude – Growing Older with Dignity and Vitality.” Dr. Levine is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine. He went into private practice after serving for 22 years as Chief of Neurology at Norwalk Hospital.
With “love, compassion and dignity” being our values at BMA Management, I was quite interested in what Dr. Levine had to say about aging and dignity.Much attention has been paid in recent years to “dying with dignity,” he says. There have been numerous books and papers written on the subject.
Unfortunately, in his opinion, there has been less attention paid to how older adults can “live with dignity,” using time wisely to get the most out of those years. He urges us not to “passive bystanders” as we age.
He stresses that aside from accidents, random illnesses and genetic predispositions, we control our destiny. We control the way we age and the quality of our lives as we age.
As Dr. Peter F. Cohn, Professor of Medicine at the SUNY Health Sciences Center in Stony Brook, New York, notes in the Forward to the book, his main theme is that “you can grow older with dignity and vitality.”
Here is a quick overview of some of the strategies that Dr. Levine suggests in the battle to preserve dignity and vitality:
Physical Activity – He advises his patients to engage in aerobic activities for at least 30 minutes a day and ideally an hour. He cites brisk walking as an excellent aerobic exercise for most individuals because “there is so little impact and your feet barely leave the ground.”
Nutrition – Older adults, particularly those who live alone, often neglect their diet. Eating haphazardly, overeating, or trying to get by on foods that require little preparation but lack essential nutrients are among the common problems. You should be eating a balanced diet.
Medical Care – He stresses the importance of monitoring blood pressure, lipid, cholesterol, blood sugar, and hemoglobin levels and of establishing a relationship with a physician.
Independence – Don’t take the easy way out by having others do things for you that you are capable of doing. Unless your doctor advises otherwise, get up and get that glass of water or the mail even though it may require considerable effort, may take longer, or may result in some degree of pain.
Relevance – Older adults need to make their presence known and need to be heard.
Purpose – In “Aging with Attitude,” Dr. Levine uses the terminology of “Goals and Objectives.” As we age, he urges us to be doing things that we are passionate about and that are meaningful and rewarding to ourselves and others. Ideas include becoming active in charitable organizations; volunteering and serving as foot soldiers for social causes; participating in religious activities; getting involved in politics; unleashing creative talents; pursuing intellectual interests; and pursuing part-time employment opportunities.
He urges us to maintain a balance between what you do for yourself and what you do for others and to remember that it is never too late to take charge of our lives.
In my opinion, our ability to grow older with dignity and vitality depend on it. Do you agree?
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